Destruction of the Xandarian Mainframe Core

"He discovered that there were universes stacked on top of his own..." The subject of this article comes from an alternate universe connecting to the main timeline of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This universe is designated as "Nova Corpsman Nebula".

Destruction of the Xandarian Mainframe Core
Previous	Escape from the Xandarian Correctional Facility
Next	Battle at the Nova Corps Headquarters
Date	2019
Result	The Xandarian Mainframe Core is destroyed.
Participants	Nebula Yon-Rogg
Planned by	Irani Rael
Executed by	Yon-Rogg
Target	Xandarian Mainframe Core

"Someone's making way for an invasion. I need to get into that mainframe and destroy those codes before they get out."

―Nebula^[src]

The Destruction of the Xandarian Mainframe Core was a successful mission by Yon-Rogg and Irani Rael to to blow up the Xandarian Mainframe Core by using Nebula.

Background

"This was all a setup. Giving me the Yondu case, pointing me to the shield codes. All so you could start an invasion. You swore an oath to defend Xandar."

―Nebula to Irani Rael^[src]

Ronan the Accuser launched an attack on Xandar, and in desperation, Irani Rael, the Nova Prime, ordered the Planetary Shield to be closed, dooming the planet to 50 years of isolation. Five years into isolation, Rael made a deal with Ronan in which she would acquire the Xandarian Mainframe Core source codes and bring down the shield, surrendering to his forces.

Yondu's lies dead on the ground

However, only a cyborg could access the Core, so she devised a plan to trick Nebula into retrieving them for her. Yondu was murdered by the Nova Corps, who pretended to investigate the crime scene. Garthan Saal, their leader, warned Nova Corpsman Nebula to stay way from the case, but she ignored him and retrieved Yondu's arrow.

Nebula shows off the schematics

On the arrow, she found schematics that she took to Howard the Duck's casino. There, Korg recognized the schematics as source code for the Planetary Shield generator, meaning that someone could be trying to bring down the shield. Nebula concluded that she needed to reach the Xandarian Mainframe Core to prevent this, so she broke Yon-Rogg out of prison as he knew his way around Xandarian security.

Destruction

Yon-Rogg and Nebula slide down a maintenance shaft

"If I wanted to get inside that mainframe, I'd need someone with a rep for breaching high-end security. Someone who'd infiltrated Xandarian systems before."

―Nebula^[src]

Arriving at the Xandarian Mainframe Core, Nebula and Yon-Rogg broke through the vents and began sliding down the maintenance shaft. However, Yon-Rogg stopped suddenly and told Nebula that there was live wire exposed and that they needed to get out of the shaft. They made it out and navigated to the door to the chamber where the Core was located. Once Yon-Rogg got the lock open, the area began flooding as a security measure, so the two swam under the door into the chamber, and the flooding ceased.

Nebula is betrayed by Yon-Rogg

Nebula walked up a staircase to the core and placed her hand on it, granting herself authentication. She connected some cables to her head to obtain and erase the source codes. However, she also put a twist on the codes as she suspected Yon-Rogg would betray her. He suspicion was proven to be correct; as soon as the codes had been uploaded into Nebula, Yon-Rogg jammed a flash drive into her head and extracted them. Electrical waves coursed through Nebula and rendered her immobile.

Nebula navigates through riots to Howard's Casino

Water began filling up the chamber again, and Yon-Rogg swam away. Eventually, Nebula was able to move again and swam to a vent, making it outside and falling unconcious. When she awakened, she found Irani Rael and Yon-Rogg, who had been brought on to the plan by Rael, standing over her, and the former explained her plan and how she'd gotten all the pieces to fall into place. She ended the exchange by ordering Garthan Saal to kill the cyborg.

Aftermath

Nebula and her allies prepare to confront the Nova Corps

"Well, well, well, if it isn't the Super Nova. You blew up our shield. You blew up our space invaders. Thanks to you, the planet's actually getting its life back."

―Howard the Duck to Nebula^[src]

Nebula was viciously attacked by Garthan Saal and the Nova Corps, but she was able to fight her way through the mob and jumped hundreds of feet off the facility. She then navigated through an angry mob of Xandarian citizens and ended up at Howard's Casino, where she collapsed and was patched up by Howard the Duck, Groot, Miek, and Korg. When she woke up, they all equipped themselves with combat items, with Nebula donning Yondu's Yaka Arrow Controller.

The Planetary Shield destroys the Dark Aster

The team arrived at the Nova Corps Headquarters but were too late to stop Irani Rael from starting the shield opening sequence, allowing Ronan the Accuser and the Dark Aster in. However, Nebula revealed that she had altered the codes before Yon-Rogg had taken them, and this was proved when the shield suddenly began closing again, destroying the Dark Aster and killing Ronan.

Irani Rael falls to her death

Korg, Miek, and Howard the Duck handled the Nova Corps while Nebula chased after Rael, who attempted to escape in a Star Blaster. In the ensuing struggle, the Star Blaster crashed, and Rael was ejected but caught herself from falling from a high building. Nebula offered her hand, but Rael instead tried to shoot her. She missed, and the blast caused her to lose her grip on the edge of the building and fall to her death. The Planetary Shield then opened again, and Howard the Duck congratulated Nebula for saving the planet.