The Kree Empire was jointly governed by the Supreme Intelligence and the Accusers, and as one of the more powerful Accusers, Ronan held enough authority that when he chose to ignore the Supreme Intelligence, there wasn't much it could do to stop him immediately.
Given enough time, the Supreme Intelligence could certainly remove Ronan, but did it still have that kind of time?
Ronan certainly didn't believe the Supreme Intelligence would still exist after everything that was about to happen.
The other Accusers had only watched the battle footage of Daniel and Carol and had never experienced it firsthand, so they couldn't possibly understand that overwhelming sense of despair.
Facing Daniel and Carol in battle, the sheer pressure they radiated was enough to drive someone insane.
Ronan had no idea whether the two of them had even fought with their full strength, and all he knew was that even the Mad Titan, Thanos, had never made him feel as much pressure as Daniel had.
Thanos inspired fear, but Daniel... he inspired despair.
He was invincible.
Ronan simply couldn't imagine any way of defeating him.
He still remembered fleeing in an escape pod that day, constantly feeling as though a pair of eyes were watching his back the entire time, and after returning to Hala, he had shut himself away for half a month before finally recovering.
'You wanted to create a god?' Ronan thought silently toward the Supreme Intelligence.
'Well... he's here now.'
In Ronan's eyes, if gods truly existed... then Daniel was one.
Carol was still a step behind. She was powerful, but she still felt as though she had limits.
But Daniel was different. He was like a bottomless abyss, and you could never tell where his limits lay or what abilities he still kept hidden.
He was calm, unreadable, mysterious, noble and somehow more godlike than those Asgardians who called themselves gods.
Ronan had faced Asgardians before, but none of them carried the same quiet authority Daniel did. It wasn't something he could explain; it was simply there, an effortless presence that set Daniel apart.
Daniel had truly frightened Ronan. When he deliberately put on an imposing act, he really could fool people, but if anyone who actually knew him heard Ronan's thoughts, they'd probably laugh until tears came out.
Daniel, mysterious, noble, and godlike?
Yeah, right, he was obviously an idiot.
...
After leaving the Kree council chamber, Ronan contacted his second in command.
"Notify everyone."
"We're heading to the Andromeda Galaxy."
"We've received reports of surviving Skrull remnants there and we're going to eliminate them."
His voice remained as cold and commanding as ever.
"But Commander..."
His deputy stopped halfway through because he knew Ronan understood exactly what he meant.
Hala had just been attacked.
Someone had actually launched an assault on the Kree Empire, one of the three great empires of the universe, the same empire that had shattered another of the three great empires, the Skrull Empire.
The entire planet of Hala had erupted into chaos.
Whether they had been resting or recovering from injuries, Kree soldiers all grabbed their weapons and rushed into the streets in full battle gear, roaring with fury and waving their weapons overhead while waiting only for a single command from the Supreme Intelligence.
The moment that order came, they would descend upon the invaders like a pack of starving wolves and tear them apart without mercy.
The Kree's pride would never allow enemies to strike at their doorstep unchallenged.
They had always been the conquerors.
Since when had anyone dared invade them?
"Commander," the deputy reported, "the Accuser Fleet is fully prepared, but every soldier is furious. They refuse to leave until the invaders are dealt with."
"I understand," Ronan answered calmly.
"It's those two."
A brief silence came from the other end.
"...Them?"
"Yes."
"Commander, the Accuser Fleet has completed preparations for the Andromeda mission, now we're only waiting for your order. We can depart immediately."
There seemed to be a brief disturbance on the deputy's side, but it was quickly brought under control.
"Good, the moment I board the flagship..."
"We leave."
"Yes, sir!"
Ronan had no intention of staying on Hala. He didn't care what became of the planet, right now, all he wanted was to get away and avoid the storm.
The Supreme Intelligence was most likely finished, and his foremost priority now was preserving the Empire's remaining strength before returning later to clean up the aftermath.
"Maybe, this isn't entirely a bad thing."
Ronan comforted himself.
"Once the Supreme Intelligence is destroyed, I can return and take control."
"The people's shared hatred will unite them. Then I'll launch even more wars, and conquer even more worlds..."
"The universe is vast, so sooner or later, we'll find a way to deal with those siblings."
He kept trying to see the brighter side of things. This was only the second strategic withdrawal of his life, yet both times he had been retreating from the same people.
No matter how he justified it, the feeling left a bitter taste in his mouth, it was humiliating.
"I'm doing this... for the future of the Empire," Ronan repeated to himself.
The fleet wasn't far away, and he boarded his flagship in no time.
Inside, the atmosphere was tense and restless.
The soldiers who had been ordered to head for the Andromeda Galaxy were burning with frustration because they wanted to fight the invaders attacking Hala, not travel halfway across the universe to deal with some other civilization.
Ronan swept his gaze across the angry troops, and instantly, the entire flagship fell silent.
Though they were all new recruits, Ronan's reputation echoed not only throughout the galaxy but across Kree society itself, and his authority alone was enough to suppress every complaint.
"Depart."
Ronan gave the order, and the massive fleet lifted off simultaneously, blotting out the sky. Moments later, space folded around them, and the fleet entered hyperspace before disappearing from Hala.
...
"An entire fleet just left."
As Daniel and Carol flew through the sky, Daniel suddenly spoke.
Neither of them was flying very fast because Daniel wanted to take the opportunity to observe Hala.
"They're probably off on another mission," Carol answered absentmindedly.
"Oh."
Daniel didn't think much of it.
He hadn't come to Hala to slaughter people. From beginning to end, he only had one objective: the Supreme Intelligence.
Destroying it might cause some collateral damage to Hala, but that had nothing to do with him, and the only reason he had mentioned the fleet was because he spotted a familiar face aboard one of the ships.
"Hala's really lively today."
Carol's eyesight wasn't as sharp as Daniel's, but she could still make out the bustling streets below, packed with Kree civilians.
...
Daniel stayed silent, his sister really had no self-awareness.
Why was it so lively below? Because they had just invaded the planet. The Kree were furious, demanding the invaders be captured and torn apart.
Daniel decided not to mention that, as Carol had spent years living on Hala, so she might still have some attachment to it.
Even without flying at full speed, they reached the Supreme Intelligence's palace in less than ten minutes.
"This is the place?" He asked.
Carol nodded.
"Then let's go in," Daniel said, smiling.
Looking around curiously, he seemed more like a tourist than someone about to begin a decisive battle.
Entering the grand hall, Daniel immediately saw the holographic projection of the Supreme Intelligence.
The moment he laid eyes on it, his brows furrowed, but an instant later, he smiled and said, "Hello there."