"A deal?"
Lothar paused mid-motion, wiping his lips. He turned his head, his gaze locking onto the Skrull before him. The distinctive green skin, the facial features—there was an uncanny resemblance to Magar, the Skrull he had personally eliminated on Torfa.
Or perhaps, to Lothar, all Skrulls looked the same.
"That's right, a deal. Interested in talking, Lothar?" Seeing that he had piqued Lothar's interest, Babar raised an eyebrow, pulled a chair closer, and sat down.
"Not interested."
Lothar smirked, leaning back into his chair.
The blunt rejection completely derailed Babar's prepared speech, leaving him momentarily at a loss for words.
"This is a win-win deal."
"Your forces are currently engaged in an offensive against the Kree Empire. While you have the upper hand, you still can't conquer them in a short period. However, if we join forces, the situation changes entirely."
Babar paused, his voice carrying a persuasive undertone, his words aligning precisely with Lothar's earlier suspicions.
After Woz had reported the frenzied movements of the Black Order, Lothar had anticipated that the Skrull Empire—eternal nemesis of the Kree—would not remain idle.
The strength of the Black Quadrant was beyond the reach of mere cosmic rabble. With such an ally at their side, the Skrull Empire's war council had every reason to take things seriously.
Though they didn't know what had provoked Thanos into action, it didn't stop the Skrulls from seizing the opportunity to strike a decisive blow against their old enemy.
The feud between the two great empires—perhaps it was finally time to bring it to an end. With Thanos' forces in play, the Skrulls saw a real chance to obliterate the Kree once and for all.
"Go on."
Lothar listened to Babar's pitch, his left index finger rhythmically tapping the table, his gaze cold and unyielding.
His air of superiority made Babar frown, his fingers twitching slightly—an unconscious reaction to a fleeting sense of unease.
Though he had studied Lothar's personality through intelligence reports, actual interaction was proving to be an entirely different experience.
"The Seventh Skrull Imperial Legion is stationed on Planet U40," Babar stated, believing that sentence alone was enough to convey his point.
"The Seventh Legion is not here right now." Lothar shook his head, rising to his feet and looking down at Babar from above.
He never trusted words alone.
"But they will be back in two days." Unfazed by Lothar's scrutiny, Babar idly toyed with a small object from the table before revealing another name: "And Astra—the Kree scientist. We will withdraw the bounty on him."
"I told you, this is a mutually beneficial arrangement. We Skrulls never let our partners suffer losses. You should be able to see that from the prosperity of Planet U40."
"I believe Thanos sees it the same way; otherwise, he wouldn't have sent you here. So, this is my sincerity."
With that, Babar pulled out three identification plaques from his coat and placed them on the table before Lothar.
"A personal gesture of goodwill."
Shrugging, Babar left the decision to Lothar. It was a choice for both sides to make.
Lothar cast a glance at the plaques. Each one bore his name.
"Each plaque represents the resources of an entire planet—a gift from me personally. If Thanos is willing to collaborate, we can offer three hundred planets as an initial payment."
"In two days, Baltan and Gazzler will return with the confirmation."
"Pleasure doing business."
Babar's smile was radiant, while Astra, who had been eavesdropping from the restaurant entrance, rolled his eyes and muttered under his breath, "Damn fool, counting money for the person selling him out."
"Still, those bastards are generous. You haven't even done anything yet, and they're already handing you the resources of three planets."
"If you want them, they're yours."
Lothar barely glanced at Astra before tossing out those words and walking away from the estate—never once touching the three plaques on the table.
He didn't trust Babar.
He trusted his instincts more. And they told him—something was off.
If he were the high-ranking decision-maker of Planet U40, and he discovered three outsiders deliberately concealing their identities, he wouldn't rush to negotiate a deal immediately.
Especially not when Babar had deliberately pointed out Astra's Kree heritage.
There was no such thing as trust between Skrulls and Kree—especially not when Astra was a scientist infamous for developing weapons to wage war against the Skrull Empire.
To Lothar, Babar's actions felt more like a performance. A lure.
"Lord Lothar, we've successfully disabled the estate's surveillance systems."
...
"Give them to me?"
"Yeah, right."
After Lothar left, Astra flipped the three plaques in his hand, scoffing.
The resources of three entire planets? For him?
He'd sooner believe his long-dead brother was still alive, living under a new identity on some unknown world.
"Lothar? You're back already? Weren't you going after that suspicious Babar?"
Noticing Lothar re-entering the restaurant, Astra continued playing with the plaques.
"Babar? What are you talking about?"
Lothar frowned, his words making Astra freeze. The plaques slipped from his fingers, clattering to the floor.
"??????!!!!!!!"
"That wasn't you just now?!"
"Wait—what if you're the fake one?!"
Astra's face twisted with suspicion as a horrifying thought struck him.
"Just now… a Skrull imitated me?"
Lothar's expression darkened instantly, his voice low and sharp. "What exactly happened? Tell me. Now. Immediately."
"Prince Lothar! I did it!"
"I successfully created the Frost Bomb just as you requested!"
As soon as Lothar finished speaking, The Other, who had worked tirelessly through the night, ran into the room, triumphantly holding a glowing blue crystalline device. He twirled around the living room in excitement before presenting it to Lothar like an offering.
"Oh? It's finished? Good work." Lothar took the bomb absentmindedly, his response casual.
The smile on The Other's face froze.
His Prince Lothar… never said those words.
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