Valhalla was nothing more than a lifeless orb slowly drifting in space with no purpose. No life. The scenes of death and destruction were visible worldwide.

Once the world of Valhalla was a paradise, lush and green. Now, the small orb was little more than a purgatory for dead, restless souls.

Klr't slowly made his way through the metropolis of this once great colony world. He did not have the faintest idea why the world was named after the mystical realm in Earth's Viking lore, nor did he care. At this point nothing really mattered. He had disobeyed orders from High Command. In a maneuver that was created in arrogance, he had condemned the entire population of Valhalla, seven hundred and fifty nine loyal Skrulls, to death.

All because he did not follow a direct order.

The situation was a simple one. A band of renegade Kree soldiers, remnants from the once mighty interstellar superpower, started to make raids against colonial worlds that had been established in the periphery of what was once Kree territory. This was the portion that was not completely destroyed in the Nega-Bomb. The renegades' efforts were a futile attempt to regain the glory of the fallen Kree race. Their "glory" cost the lives of thousands so far, and the count was still rising.

Then, a week later to the very day, Command intercepted an encoded message. It stated that an invasion would begin in the outlying colony worlds in sector SR-593. The sector was not known for any military importance, but was merely a former sector in the Kree Empire. And according to the message, the first target would be Valhalla.

The Kree had originally given no importance to the sector, nor to the two or three possibly habitable star systems in it. They were merely concerned with accumulating more and more power and territory by militaristic means. When the Kree Empire collapsed by its own hand, a small band of Skrull colonists who had been in the process of establishing an agreement with the Kree in order to colonize the world, took it upon themselves and claimed two of the three systems. The other was claimed for a militaristic shipbuilding yard by the Shi'ar shortly after the Kree's fall. From prior attacks and raids, Command surmised that the Kree would embark on a land invasion of all the major cities and populated areas. They did this so that whatever remained could be salvaged, and so they could merely repair instead of start anew. This plan gave them one advantage, for Valhalla possessed only one major populated area. The city was well fortified and well armed, all weapons state-of-the-art. With the civilian militia, the city could be easily defended.

Klr't's orders were even more direct than the situation that faced him. Command had ordered him to go out and find the Protector of the Universe, Quasar, for help. Command was not going to take any risk after the Shi'ar shipyard was destroyed. Quasar had been located in a nearby expanse of space, no more than a few parsecs away.

Klr't nearly grunted in disdain at the orders. After all, they were Skrulls! They did not need help from an outsider! And Klr't was their proud champion; he could handle these Kree mongrels on his own! He left Command Central with no intention of finding the Protector; he marched outward and collected a small garrison of the Skrull's finest. They were going to be the defenders of Valhalla, not some Terran interloper.

They arrived at Valhalla a few cycles later, with the Kree renegades arriving in the system a day or so after that. This gave Klr't and his men enough time to establish their defensive perimeters and systems. They thought they could handle anything, that they were invincible! The first few waves of troops were easily beaten back. Day after day of conflict were met without true incident. A few losses were taken here and there, but nothing major.

But then hours ago, Klr't received a message from T'Dan, his third whom he had sent exploring the wilderness near the outlying mountain ranges that encompassed the green valley that the colony stood upon. T'Dan had informed him that the Kree were experimenting with a new biological weapon, one that would only destroy Skrull life forms, leaving the Kree safe and unharmed. Not trusting the situation, and figuring that it was more than likely a trap set up to draw him away from the colony, the Superskrull made the trek toward T'Dan's position. T'Dan and his colleagues were upholding their station in the sensor shadow of a small Kree base deep in the heart of the mountains.

Entering one of the Skrull's skimmers. Klr't left for the mountains. The trek was uneventful; he arrived at the rendezvous site in under a cycle or so. He landed near the maw of the rugged jagged rock that compromised the mountain ranges that stretched as far as the eyes could see. He entered in on foot. Moments passed before he entered the rendezvous site, only to find that the entire strike team had been slaughtered. In a blinding rage he stormed into the small Kree bunker. He soon discovered that it was completely empty! There was only one voice audible, female in tone. It was counting down slowly toward zero. His eyes widened in dark revelation. He charged out of the bunker and leaped forth into the air, flaming on as he did so in order to take flight. Right at that moment the world around him exploded. He was thrown forward as the small of his back collided against a jagged rock of obsidian. He screamed in pain, and darkness clouded his vision, but Klr't fought the darkness away.

The sound of explosions and screams jerked him into reality. He staggered to his feet and made his way slowly, painfully out of the mountains and he stood there taken aback for a moment. "No," he uttered under his breath. A string of Skrull profanities threatened to flow from his clenched teeth but he refrained. He should have known it was a trap! He should have, yet he had not compensated sufficiently for such a scenario. Overhead massive beams of emerald green fire lanced from the skies, slamming into the once picturesque landscape that had been the Valhalla colony. It was a landscape of death and destruction.

He slowly made his way through the debris and death, helpless. The ionized green blast of pure energy had rescinded a few moments ago. The renegades had lain the entire city to waste so that they could reclaim their damnable glory!

Well they could have their glory, he thought.

A moan jerked Klr't out of his personal musings as he continued to replay the events that had led to that moment. Klr't kneeled to the ground and squinted his eyes. in order to make out where the groans of pain and death were coming from. He quickly found where the sounds were coming from. He darted toward there in a blur and started. The owner of the voice was pinned under thick pillars of bedrock that had loosened from an overhead complex and descended upon the person whom he guessed was female. He made quick work of removing layer after layer of rock and fallen debris. Soon he came upon the one that had been calling out in pain, only to find that she was…

"Dead."

He cast the rest of the debris in his hands to the side, then collapsed on his knees.

He stared upon her finite features. Her eyes had been glazed over; her last breath had been exhaled. Blood trickled out of her crinkled mouth. Her face was contorted and churned in ways that clearly had been painful in the last moments of her life. The Skrull warrior shook his head from side to side. "Damn my arrogance," he swore under his breath.

If only he had…

He heard the sound of glass being crushed under booted feet. He slowly swayed his head to one side to see who it was that was approaching him from behind. The muscles in his jaw rippled back and forth. His fiery eyes turned ablaze. He let out a deafening battle cry and charged forward. lunging himself into battle.

"My humblest thanks to you. Quasar." Commander Caw'norx gave off a crisp nod of his head in thanks.

"Not a problem."

"You are a terrible liar, friend Quasar!" The heavy set, dark blue skinned R'charian captain roared in laughter, clasping his massive hand upon Quasar's shoulder. This sent Quasar staggering forward a few steps. "You risk life and limb in order to save my crew, and at great risk to your own person, might I add. For that we are eternally thankful. No words can truly express our feelings for your fearless acts of heroism." Caw'norx gave off a wide, beaming smile.

Quasar nodded his head in acknowledgment. Then was gone. One moment he had been standing there before the Captain of the vessel 'Empire's Talons', and the next… No sound or blast of light was forthcoming. Nothing. The crew was taken aback. "What in the name of the Seven Gods!" Caw'norx grunted in utter surprise.

Quasar found himself suspended in the great void of space, light-years away from where he had stood among the R'charians and the 'Empire's Talons'. He looked from one side to the other and saw nothing but the darkness of space. Stars glistened brilliantly against the dark backdrop. "Where?"

"Quasar."

"Epoch?" he asked, confused for a moment. "Is that you? Where are you?"

"A situation of dire consequence is brewing on the fringes of what was once Kree space." The voice of Epoch chimed, avoiding the line of questions altogether. "The peaceful Skrull colony on the world Valhalla has been destroyed by attacking Kree forces. I believe that there may in fact be survivors buried in the rubble and the debris. Go. Wendell. Do what you can to help them."

"Never a dull moment." Quasar muttered under his breath, composing himself for what he was going to face.

"I beg your pardon?" Epoch's voice asked.

"Nothing, Eppy." Quasar said, much louder the second time. He offered a friendly smile that danced across his pleasant visage. "I'm on my way." With a nod of his head a portal of golden swimming energy appeared before him. he looked from side to side and slowly soared inward.

Out of sight on a passing asteroid, a Watcher by the name of Oera was standing. She was making mental notes of the brief exchange between the one called Quasar and what sounded to be the voice of Epoch. She arose to her full height, and was about to follow the one who had departed, only to be stopped by a golden flash of light.

She turned to see the last person that she expected to see. "Uatu!"

Uatu the Watcher stood there. his hand raised to about chest level. "Greetings. Oera."

"What are you doing here. Utau?"

"I bring news most dire."

"You are a Watcher no more, Uatu." Oera stated matter-of-factly as she scanned a data pad in her slender hands.

"I have not forgotten of that. But in my exile I have learned that the Union is upon us."

Oera shrugged slightly. "The Union is a natural occurrence. There is nothing of dire consequence in it. It is hardly worth taking note."

"There are those out there who wish to manipulate the events of the Union in ways yet unfathomed."

"Impossible."

"That is a term that is rarely used in conjunction with the Mad Titan, Thanos. Even as we speak he is gathering his Dark Circle. Time is short. The Union is upon us. You, Oera, must watch and record the event." He saw the troubled expression that cloaked her pale features. Uatu nodded. briefly. "I bid you farewell." He vanished in an outpouring of golden, shimmering light, just as when he had come.

Oera rested upon a small rock outcropping. A shallow sigh slipped through her thin lips. Her vision was glazed over in deep thought. For she had much to consider, and so little time left.

The Cosmic Union would soon be upon them.

Quasar stepped forward from the portal and into a small pool of glass. He looked around what was once the colony of Valhalla and was now nothing more than rubble and flaming debris stretched outward as far as the eye could see. He turned around and could make out the green craggy form of the Superskrull on his knees. His back was hunched over the slender form of a woman buried under massive stone and rock.

He made his way toward the Skrull warrior slowly, the glass crunching under his feet.

The Superskrull swirled around and let lose a cry for Quasar's blood as he launched himself forward.