─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

SEASON 1 EPISODE 16

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Location:

System: Kryx

Faction: Crimson Fleet

Planet: Suvorov's orbit

Place: The Key

☆☆☆

Jimin

"You owe me a drink, y'know."

Jimin grinned as he said the words, and Delgado turned his head to lock eyes with Jimin. It had been a strenuous week with Jimin, Hoseok, and Delgado making preparations to go to the Legacy on top of Jimin practicing his superpowers and getting treatment for his burn. They were going to send Jimin after the Legacy while they retaliated against UC SysDef. SysDef were becoming more aggressive and coming closer and closer to Kryx. If the Fleet didn't fight back soon, there was a chance it'd all be lost.

The Key was once a UC station. That meant they had military grade shields, but space stations didn't have weapons. Support ships were their weapons, and the pirates didn't have enough to wipe out SysDef. Not without the credits the Legacy could provide. Jimin had the fate of the galaxy in his hands. If he gave the Legacy to the Fleet, they'd annihilate SysDef and take over several systems. They'd give House Va'ruun, the Freestar Collective, and the UC a run for their money.

If he gave the Legacy to the UC, it'd stop the Fleet, but Jimin didn't trust them with the credits. Upon further investigation, Shinya Voss discovered that the GalBank transport, or the Legacy, had been transporting Freestar credits. An icky sensation rose in Jimin's chest at the thought of giving Freestar credits to the UC, knowing they'd never give it back to the rightful owners. That was without mentioning how Jimin would never see a lick of the credits despite him being Freestar and being the one who would retrieve it. Whatever, it wasn't worth worrying about. He still had time until he had to go to the Legacy.

"Aye, I do," Delgado said.

They were in his office as Del glanced over the plans. Hoseok was in the gym working out, which left Jimin alone with the pirate commander. Literally. Y/n had wanted to get away from the Key, so he told her to rest on the ship and he'd come back when he was ready to go to the Vigilance to report his mission status.

Delgado turned off his holographic table. "Let's go, I'll take you to the Nova."

Jimin followed Delgado down the stairs and out of the operations area. They went to the bar, which was nicknamed the Nova. Inside was heavy metal music that almost burst Jimin's eardrums. He fired his hands over his ears to help, but the loud bass and electric guitar mixed with the screaming vocals had him wincing.

"You get used to it!" Delgado shouted over the ruckus.

However, it wasn't just the music. The bar was packed to say the least. The pool tables were filled with people playing and laughing. No one had their helmets on, and Jimin took in every person he saw. They were... normal. None of them had piercings or face tattoos or a scowl like Jimin had been expecting. Quite the opposite, in fact. Some of them had soft faces that Jimin wanted to pinch and squish. Others had long, flowing hair that made them look like princes and princesses.

The pirates laughed, grinned, played, danced, kissed—they were human. Jimin had built up a specific, nasty image of the pirates, but he failed to realize many of them were doing it to survive, like Jimin with crime. The difference was, when Jimin was at his lowest, he had Neon's streets. These people had Delgado and Hoseok. It was all about where they had been raised. Not every pirate had to be awful, but that didn't mean they could stay. They needed to be taken down. Whatever it took, Jimin would do it. He wouldn't let Larry's death be in vain.

Delgado took him to the bar, where most of seats were taken. Right away, pirates offered their seats to Del, and he gladly took them. Jimin and Del sat on the wooden stools. Jimin's fat ass got sore from the pressure, but he wasn't expecting five-star cushions, so he didn't bother complaining.

"Jimin, this is your new best friend," Del said. His voice was far louder than usual, but Jimin could still barely hear him. "This is Bog, the bartender. Don't piss him off and he'll make sure not to spit in your drink."

Bog, a larger man with graying hair and dark green prison scrubs on, placed his wrinkly hands on the counter. "Tips are appreciated."

"Good to meet you, I'm Park Jimin."

"Welcome to the Fleet. I'll give you a Bog's Grog, on the house."

Jimin beamed. "Free drink? Sign me up. What's in it?"

"Ugh," Del said with a scowl. "It's sewer water. Don't bother, you'll get poisoned if you drink it."

"Are you kidding? That sounds awesome!" Jimin said in a cheer. He leaned across the bar and batted his eyelashes at Bog. "Will you be a dear and serve me that sewer water?"

Bog did indeed serve him the sewer water. And oh boy did it smell it. Jimin got a large chilled glass with a murky yellow liquid in it that honestly looked like piss, and it smelled like it too. A wince settled on Delgado's face; however, Jimin knew part of earning loyalty was drinking with the other pirates. If drinking piss was what he'd have to do to stay in their good graces, he'd do it.

Jimin threw it back and tried his best not to taste it, but it inevitably invaded his tongue. Surprisingly, it wasn't bad. Not great, but not bad enough that he wanted to put his tongue through a paper shredder. It was sweeter than he had expected. If anything, it tasted like pineapple if it had been doused with a gallon of alcohol.

"Wow. That actually isn't the worst thing I've ever tasted," Jimin said, and Del laughed at him.

"Do I want to know what is?"

"Neon's fish. You ever had it?"

Del snorted. "Sí. I grew up on Neon, I've had it all."

Delgado clicked his tongue and sat back in his seat. Then, his face lit up, and he raised his gloved hand to point at something behind Jimin. Jimin craned his neck to see a red scarf and bouncy black hair approaching, and within half a second, Jung Hoseok slipped onto the stool by Jimin's side. He rolled his finger in the air as if giving a signal to Bog, and Bog accepted it, then got Hoseok a glass of a bright pink drink.

"Do I want to know what that is?" Jimin asked, and Hoseok chugged it in less than a minute before rummaging through his pocket to find a wrapped up stick of watermelon gum.

"Heaven," he replied as he popped the treat into his mouth and chewed it at the speed of light. He blew a bubble in Jimin's face. "Shinya's helping Jazz with the ComSpike, and we'll build it into your ship in no time."

"So I'm going to get the Legacy soon?"

"Damn right..." Hoseok trailed off and slowed his chewing. He threw his scarf over his shoulder and crossed his legs, his eyes meeting Jimin's. "For whatever it's worth, if I could go with you, I would. Wouldn't want you to go through that alone."

"Awh, does the scary, big bad Crimson Fleet pirate care about me?"

Hoseok rolled his eyes. "I'm just making sure you don't run off with the credits."

"Why would I?" Jimin asked with a laugh. "It's GalBank, you'd need the best of the best to break those encryptions. Only an expert decoder can handle that, so no point bringing it anywhere other than straight to Shinya, right?"

Del chuckled. "He's got a point."

Hoseok huffed, and a few strands of his curls fell in his face. "Whatever. Don't fuck it up, rook. I have good money on you."

"Oh really?"

Even Del tilted his head at that. "Since when does Commander Jung make bets?"

Hoseok poked his tongue against his cheek before getting up from the bar and tapping his hand on the side of it. He averted his gaze from Jimin and Del before shaking his head.

"Ever since you joined, the Fleet's felt more whole. You pulled off the impossible when you got that ComSpike, rook. Every mission you've been on has been a success. Maybe when this is all over, I can join your crew." Hoseok cleared his throat and slapped Jimin's shoulder. "Don't tell anyone I said that or I'll rub glass in your eyes."

Hoseok threw a few credits on the counter before stalking off. He didn't bother joining the dancing crowd, but Jimin noticed how he stopped to observe several Fleet pirates. He greeted those who greeted him, and although Hoseok got further and further away, Jimin swore he saw a slight smile on the Commander's face.

"He must've had a lot to drink, because what the fuck was that?" Delgado asked, and Jimin laughed.

"Or maybe I'm an awesome person and he likes me. Sorry Del, I think he replaced you with me." Jimin paused to take a swig of Bog's Grog. It went down easier that time. "Why can't he go with me?"

"SysDef is breathing down our necks. When I send you after the Legacy, Hoseok's going to prepare our defenses and get ready for a counterattack. We can't risk the Legacy's credits falling in enemy hands, so we need to take out as many SysDef ships as possible."

"You're not seriously thinking about attacking SysDef directly, are you?"

"No, they're going to attack us," Delgado said with a grunt. "I have a guy on the inside who told me SysDef is planning a siege within the next week. There's a high chance it'll line up with when you go to get the Legacy, and we'll need Hoseok's combat skills here. I would send another pirate with you, but honestly, I feel like they'd slow you down."

Jimin smirked. "Does Delgado have faith in me?"

Del whacked him and motioned to Bog to get him alcohol. "I'm getting drunk tonight."

And sweet mother of Jesus, he did. Within only an hour, Delgado was drunker than Jimin after he had strip danced and had strangers buy him all the drinks Neon had to offer. Delgado went from a rather stoic man to an upbeat jester who stood on his stool and refused to sit down. He placed his hands on his hips and laughed like a maniac.

"We're gonna be fucking rich!" Delgado shouted in between laughs.

Bog snorted. "Whatever keeps me rent paid, boss man."

The pirates pumped their fists up and joined their leader in the celebrations. Del had the music turned down so he could make a speech, and as soon as the crowd went quiet and the music faded away, Del cleared his throat.

"I miss my dear darling and New Atlantis," he sang, and the pirates hooted and hollered at the sea shanty.

Jimin knew that one. It was a tune explorers often used to unite one another to a cause greater than themselves: adventure. In Del's case, Jimin had a feeling he sang it for family instead.

"As I wander the blackness of the deep abyss," the crowd, including Del, sang. "My ship is tattered all dented and worn, but I trust my engine to get back by morn'."

Jimin grinned as he watched them. They had their drinks held up as if making a toast. Despite them being different ages and genders, they sounded in sync as if they were a single orchestra playing on the same strings. The pirates were vile, yet Jimin found himself yearning for their attention. Yearning for their praises and guidance. In a way, maybe he even wanted to sing along with them. He knew the lyrics, but his lips stayed sealed.

"Way ho, out in the blackness," they continued, and the echoing singing bounced around the walls of Jimin's mind. "Way ho, out in the void. Way ho get me back to my true love, as quick as an old asteroid."

Delgado paused and knelt, offering his hand to Jimin. Jimin chuckled and attempted to refuse, but Del shoved his hand closer. Jimin hesitated and gazed at the man's gloved hand. It was welcoming. More welcoming than his own mother had been. That was what convinced Jimin to take Delgado's offer, and he got hoisted up on the same unstable stool as Del. They were uncomfortably close, but, for some reason, it felt right.

They opened their mouths to sing again, but that time, Jimin joined in.

"Way ho, my darlin'. Way ho, my boy. The stars that had glittered had met the void. A light in such darkness that swallowed my oath, and a sea of great ventures that claimed my foes. Way ho, way ho, I find me home. In a sea of black nothing, I find me way home."

Applause and hurrahs danced throughout the bar. Pirates whistled and jumped. Del threw an arm around Jimin and laughed until his eyes shut and his head threw back. Jimin could see the scars trickling up his flesh, creating pale marks in their wake.

"This is Park Jimin!" Del said, nudging Jimin's side. "The new rook who hasn't failed a mission yet! He survived Suvorov, he broke into a UC station, and he killed a motherfucking scorpion queen and saved Hoseok's life! Park Jimin!"

Jimin heard a chorus of his name, and claps followed. Awe nibbled on his eyes as he scanned over the crowd of faces, all celebrating for him. They cherished his presence and thanked him for his duties, they came up to bow to him, they congratulated Delgado on finding a rookie that actually impressed him—Jimin became family. He truly became part of the Crimson Fleet.

Metal music blasted through the speakers once more, and a rave began. Lights flashed as if it were Neon, the smell of smoke and Aurora graced the air, and warmth blew on Jimin from all the pirates in his vicinity. They pumped their hands up and motioned for him to perform a stage dive maneuver despite him being on a stool, not a stage.

"Go on!" Del shouted.

Before Jimin could react, Del practically tossed him back-first into the horde. Jimin yelped as he went down, but the pirates caught him and held him up. Giggles and laughs spewed from his lips, and he allowed them to pass him all over the room. He went from one side to the next, hearing chants of his name and positive remarks the whole way there. None of it was fake. No one participated for sake of pleasing Delgado; they genuinely wanted Jimin there. Even the most stoic pirates called his name at least once.

So, that was what Del had meant when he had called the Fleet his family. They came from different corners of the galaxy with various reasons for signing up with the Fleet, yet they shared one thing: a family bond. That was why they'd kill any who went against Fleet rules. Breaking the unspoken family oath meant the death penalty. Jimin had a family. One that accepted him, saw his struggles and appreciated them, lifted him up when he thought he didn't deserve it. It was as glorious as it was terrifying.

Two minutes later, Jimin got set down and returned to Del at the bar. The pirates went back to dancing, screaming along to the metal music, and drinking their asses off. That included Del, who downed another drink and smacked his lips together when he finished.

"Can I be honest?" Del asked in a slur. Oh boy, he was drunk. Beyond drunk. "I wanted to throw you out an airlock the first time I saw you." Del paused to jab his finger in Jimin's direction. "In faaact, I almost did. I told Hoseok to get rid of you if you didn't kill Dumbrosky. For whatever it's worth, Hoseok didn't want to. He didn't lie to me, did he? You did kill Dumbrosky?"

Jimin flinched at the mention of the name. "I did. Reluctantly."

"Ah, so he said. Your stories line up. Either you two are good liars, or you're telling the truth."

"Truth," Jimin immediately said. "I killed Austin Rake, didn't I? Why would I lie about killing another?"

Del shrugged. "Aye, that's fair. Sorry, rook, I'm not used to trusting people."

"You... trust me?" Jimin asked with a raised brow.

"Maybe I do. Shinya likes you, and if that grumpy bitch likes anyone, that's a good sign. Huan had nothing but good things to say about you. Estelle thinks you're a damn genius. That's three of my higher-ups, and all three believe you're good for the-" Del paused to hiccup. "-Fleet. Don't even get me started on Hoseok. I think he wants you to take over my spot."

Jimin peeked at the counter and didn't budge. The idea of taking over the Fleet was tempting, as much as it pained him to admit. All those credits could change his mother's life. If he could convince her to move, he could transfer her to Akila City and give her a good life away from Aurora. But Larry plagued Jimin's mind. In a way, even Austin Rake did, too. Jimin hadn't directly killed Austin, plus Austin was a pirate who probably deserved it, but that didn't change how he had caused another man to die. Another life, gone because of the Fleet.

"None of us deserve this spot," Del said. His voice dropped an octave. "Kryx does."

"Why do you say that? He isn't even here."

"Rook, Kryx was a Freestar who traveled to New Atlantis on business and got locked up for a murder he didn't do," Del muttered. His voice was so low and slurred that Jimin had to shove his ear near Del's mouth to hear him. "He was thrown in the Lock and left to die in that prison. No sunlight, shit food, guards that beat prisoners for looking at them wrong... all over a false claim. The UC saw he was Freestar and ran with it. That's why Kryx led a revolution. He figured he had nothing left to lose, so he might as well go down fighting. He did what we all want to do: run a fist right through the UC."

Jimin's eyes bulged. "Wait... if what you're saying is true... that means the UC created the Crimson Fleet."

Del hummed and ordered another drink from Bog. "If they held back their hatred toward the Freestar, none of us would be here. There were still pirates, sure, but no organized effort like ours. It's funny, isn't it? The Fleet formed all because Kryx happened to be near the scene of the crime. There was clear evidence it wasn't him, but they locked him up anyway. He had no criminal record before, not even in the Freestar space, but the UC changed him. If the UC wants to see the Freestar as monsters, then that's what I'll give them."

"Are there any UC pirates?"

"Some. Not many, but some. Most either need the creds or defected from the UC. We try our best not to let any UC natives in, but desperate times call for desperate measures, aye? If we ever want to expand our family, we need more people." Del sighed and lowered his head. "Besides, the UC may discriminate, but the Fleet does not. I may not trust them, but they're family. I protect them no matter what."

"Why?" Jimin asked before he could stop himself.

Del peered at the drink Bog set down in front of him. That time, he didn't bother drinking it. He picked it up and swirled the cyan liquid around. It created a whirlpool that resembled Neon's oceans, though Neon's ocean was far darker and dirtier than Del's drink.

"This is the only family I've ever had. I don't take that for granted."

Jimin accepted the answer and decided not to press any further. He had already gotten enough drunk confessions out of the pirate commander, there was no need for more. Jimin got one more drink. It wouldn't make him drunk—the last thing he wanted was to get drunk around Delgado—but it'd get help him relax and feel a sharp buzz. He downed the shot in one go and wiped his lips when he finished. Del didn't meet his eyes the entire time.

Jimin got up, tossed credits on the counter, and prepared to go. Del seemed too out of it to notice, so Jimin took it as a sign to leave him be. Jimin slipped through the crowds and made it to the exit, where Hoseok was, chewing gum as obnoxiously as ever.

He blew a bubble in Jimin's face. "Welcome to the Fleet, rook."

Jimin felt the vibrations of the metal jumping out of the speakers. His clothes had alcohol stains on them, and his breath smelled like Bog's Grog (AKA: sewer water). Yet, despite how all his senses were overstimulated, he found the strength to nod.

"Thank you."

And then, he left to go report to Commander Min.

☆☆☆

The UC Vigilance was lonely.

Jimin stepped onto the bridge and spotted Commander Min and the bunny man almost immediately. The two were overlooking a holographic map of Kryx and planning a siege. It had been at least a month since the journey had begun, if not far more. Jimin hadn't been keeping track. All he knew was he was a double agent who was getting paid from both sides. Back when he had first signed up, that was a blessing. In present day, Jimin didn't know how to feel about it. After torturing and killing an innocent man, he saw blood everywhere he went. He had nightmares every night. He could still hear Larry's screams.

Shaking the thoughts away, Jimin approached his commanding officers and stood at attention. It seemed foreign, but he had no choice. He was already on rocky territory considering...

"Did you torture and kill anyone today?" Commander Min asked with a tight smile.

Yeah, Yoongi had been up Jimin's ass about that. Getting Austin Rake killed had gotten Jimin in trouble, but since it was his first mission, Commander Min let it slide for the greater good. But Larry Dumbrosky was a different story. He had been an innocent executive. An executive, while sleezy and definitely not a good person, was innocent in the conflict. All he had wanted to do was enjoy a vacation. Instead, he met his demise.

"I already told you I didn't have a choice," Jimin said with a sigh. "I came to report my mission status. Jung Hoseok stole schematics for the Conduction Grid on Neon, and I took the ComSpike from the UC. Jasmine Durand is installing smaller versions of both on my ship to prepare me for the Legacy, sir. It's only a matter of time before I make the jump to Bannoc-IV."

"I see." Commander Min stroked his chin and shook his head. "I'll be honest, I don't know if I trust you'll bring it back to us."

"Sir?"

"You've barely checked in and even had Y/n do it on your behalf one time, not to mention you've killed two people and happily participated in every violent act the Fleet has performed. The UC follows a strict code of ethics, and while I understand you're doing a difficult job, there is always a choice. You chose to hurt those people. You took innocent lives from the galaxy."

Jimin stood there and took it. As much as he believed Austin Rake wasn't innocent, Commander Min raised a valid point. Jimin hadn't checked in with the Vigilance and mostly sent voice recordings to keep them posted. Jimin hadn't even gotten any evidence since the recording he had found on Cydonia.

Larry Dumbrosky was a case Commander MIn would never let go, and Austin Rake, whether innocent or not, was still a person. Both good points, and Jimin didn't know how to argue against them.

"That's why we're going to siege the Key when you make the jump to the Legacy," Commander Min said, and Jimin's eyes bulged. Yoongi held his hand up to stop Jimin from speaking. "That gives them no chance to start building an army with the Legacy credits, just in case you give it to them instead of us. I'll have Y/n tell us when you make the jump to Bannoc-IV, then we'll go to Kryx and battle the Fleet. Bring the Legacy back here, or you die with the rest of the Fleet. Have I made myself clear?"

Jimin hung his head. "Yes sir."

"Good. Then you're dismissed-"

"Sir," Jungkook interrupted, and the room fell quiet at that. Jimin glanced up and saw Jungkook fiddling with his fingers. Then, he sighed. "This isn't fair."

Commander Min quirked a brow. "Excuse me?"

"Jimin has gotten farther than any other operative we've ever had, and he's doing this for the faction he hates, the same faction that coerced him into doing this. The fact that we even have a plan to wipe out the Fleet once and for all is a miracle, and that's thanks to Jimin. Maybe instead of scolding him for a choice he hasn't made, you should appreciate him for getting us this far. The Crimson Fleet are terrible people. Did you really think he wouldn't do any bad things while trying to blend in?"

Jungkook scoffed and crossed his arms over his chest before continuing. "You say there's always a choice, but you didn't give Jimin much of one when you threatened to throw him in jail and raise his fines if he didn't do what you said. Have you ever considered Jimin didn't have a choice? If he didn't participate in the violent acts, would he still be alive? Have you ever considered the only reason our other operatives didn't make it is because they refused to kill or do anything violent? I'm not saying what Jimin did was right, but how do you send him into pirate territory and not expect a body count? If anything, it's impressive the count is so low. He's done his job effectively. If you don't see that, then I'm sorry, sir, I can't support you anymore."

Jimin almost got a boner.

Why the hell was Jeon Jungkook defending him? Jimin had been nothing but a dick to him. However, seeing Jungkook in that light made Jimin realize perhaps not all people were bad just because they came from the UC. Perhaps not all of them sucked the UC's dick and refused to acknowledge its problems. After all, there Jungkook was, standing up against his superior. All in the name of respecting Jimin.

"I'm sorry, sir. I didn't mean to sound rude," Jungkook said in a rush. He dipped his head in a half-bow. "But that's what I believe. Jimin has done an excellent job, and I will personally vouch for him. I believe he'll bring the Legacy here. Not because you threatened him, not because he wants to help the UC, but because he's a good person at heart, even if he'll never admit it out loud. Demote me, fire me, do whatever you wish, but please do not take it out on Jimin. I know what horrors the pirates have committed. If Jimin faced even a fraction of that, then he deserves nothing but our respect."

Commander Min stiffened and peered at his subordinate, who stayed with his head bent downward and his eyes looking anywhere but up. Jungkook's hands trembled by his side. Jimin watched the process and wished he could shrivel up into a hole and hide away.

"You raise a good point," Commander Min said, and Jungkook shot his head up at that. "Maybe I have been treating him too harshly. Jimin, you have my sincerest apologies. However, I want more mission reports. Don't leave us in the dark so often. Recordings and sending Y/n to tell us isn't a good strategy. We need to work together to survive, so please, keep us informed."

"I will, sir. I apologize for not being here. Between juggling Constellation and the pirates, it's slipped my mind to check in. I take full responsibility," Jimin said with his shoulders set and his face neutral.

As much as he hated the UC, he knew it was his fault for not checking in more. Jimin was willing to bet he wouldn't have been scolded at all if he had just reported his status in-person instead of relying on Y/n and half-hearted messages.

"Very well, I will hold you to that. Dismissed. Get some rest, you'll need it."

Well, that was reassuring.

Jimin agreed and left the bridge in a haste. The metal box of doom awaited him, and he slipped inside. Just as the doors began to close, a tattooed hand came into view and grabbed them. They parted, and Jungkook stood there. Jimin couldn't say he was surprised. Still, he didn't speak, and the ride down to the docking bay was awkward to say the least. Jungkook coughed. Otherwise, it stayed silent.

Jimin held onto the railing and remembered his breathing as the metal box creaked and descended. Soon enough, they were outside, and Jimin stormed to his ship. He halted once he was in front of it and whipped around to face the bunny man.

"You're an absolute moron," Jimin said, and Jungkook nodded. "Why would you risk your position for someone like me? That was stupid."

"I know, but you deserved it. Commander Min was wrong to hold those actions against you. You're working for pirates, obviously you're not going to be perfect and do the morally sound thing all the time. If anything, your ability to go through with violent acts is why you're alive."

Jimin hated that. Part of him would rather be dead. Crime was one thing, murder was another. He had fallen too low. He had fallen to a place he feared he couldn't return from, and it was all in the name of helping the UC. Emotions of agony and terror crept up his spine, but he shivered them away and rubbed his arms.

"Hey, I..." Jungkook trailed off and ran a hand through his hair. "I don't think you're a bad person, Jimin."

"Don't lie to me."

"I'm not."

"I don't think I'm a good person." Jimin kicked at the ground and chuckled. "If my mom wasn't so drugged up, even she'd think I'm bad. I do crime for a living. You call that good?"

"No one said your past is squeaky clean, but I believe you have a good heart. I want to believe it, anyway. Show me you do. Prove me right."

"I'm not that guy, Jungkook," Jimin said. Jungkook's name felt like an intruder swimming around the saliva littering his tongue. It was a disease that plunged into the depths of his throat and forced any oxygen he had out of his body. "Don't bother rooting for me, I'll disappoint you."

Jungkook went over and opened the hatch for Jimin. He had a bunny grin on his face. "Then show me that too."

Jimin went to zip by Jungkook, but he stopped at the last second. The inside of his gorgeous ship called to him with its low lights (that Y/n had likely turned down) and countless secret stashes of alcohol Jimin had hid when Y/n wasn't looking. All he had to do was move forward, but he couldn't.

Instead, he met Jungkook's gaze. It was patient. Caring, even. Not many had looked at him like that. In fact, after counting, Jimin deemed it was only Y/n and occasionally Sam.

"On one condition," Jimin said, and Jungkook hummed. "Put Yoongi in his place more often. You're far from my favorite person, but I must admit, that was kind of hot, Mr. Jeon."

Jungkook laughed and smacked Jimin's shoulder. "Alright, alright, get going before I start blushing."

"I'd pay to see that."

"I... you're dismissed."

Jimin cackled and entered the ship. As soon as the door shut behind him, he trudged his way to the cockpit and found Y/n sitting in the pilot's seat. The co-pilot's seat called to him, so he slumped down in it. She had her legs kicked up on the dash, but since all the controls were powered down, there was no danger she'd accidentally undock or cause any harm. Her eyes remained on the stars outside the glass even when he turned to face her.

"Did you get fired?" she asked without taking her eyes off the outside.

"Unfortunately, no. Guess I'm stuck with Yoongi for a little longer."

She chuckled. "I know you see his methods as coercion-"

"-because that's what it was."

"Okay, you're not wrong," she said, sighing. "But let's face it, if you got caught doing what you did in Freestar territory, you'd be thrown away for life. Your criminal record isn't exactly pretty, Mimi. I know it's easy to hate Yoongi for the coercion, but this is the chance you're looking for."

Jimin dug his hand into his knee. His knuckles turned white. "What do you mean?"

"You told me you want to help. Yoongi gave you that chance, no matter his methods. Now, you can wipe your entire record and start fresh. Including that attempted pickpocketing on Paradiso."

Jimin blew a raspberry. "In my defense, that wasn't added to my record. They're not aligned with the factions, so..."

"Still," she said with an amused tone. "You have people trying to help you turn your life around. Yoongi is one of them. I'm not saying you should like him, but maybe think about what's happened recently. This time not too long ago, you were mining on Vectera. Now, you're here."

"With you," he whispered, though he didn't intend to say it. That caused her to whip her head around to him. He cleared his throat. "And Constellation. And UC SysDef."

She grinned. "Right. I'm sure you care so much about Constellation and SysDef."

"I do, actually. Not SysDef. Constellation. You guys have a talking robot that shoots lasers, how can I not be in love?"

"You sound like a dork," she said, and he brushed her off and went back to staring out the glass.

Beyond waited stars that twinkled at various levels. Some were bright and embracing him with light, others were as dull and hopeless as Cydonia. He adored them regardless of their luminance. Stars were a form of nature. With Neon being indoors, he hadn't had a chance to stargaze. Not to mention Neon was far too cloudy to allow light to peek through.

Jimin peered at her and saw she was wearing a flightsuit. It was black and had silver zippers. It seemed as though she had it modified to include two more pockets; one on her left thigh and one above her right breast. However, what stood out most was the golden circle on the shoulder sleeve. It was a Universal symbol.

"When'd you get that done?" Jimin asked, and she tilted her head. He pointed to the symbol. "I didn't think Universals made flightsuits."

She made an 'mm-mm' sound. "They don't, I had it customized." Y/n broke off and flicked her irises back toward space. "Maybe it's weird, but it's like I can feel Him. He's out there somewhere, calling to me. Asking me to find Him."

Jimin nudged her shoulder. "You do know magical alien sex toys talk to me, right? You really think I find it hard to believe He's speaking to you?"

She faked an offended gasp. "Park Jimin, we are talking about the lord. How dare you make such an inappropriate comment in His presence."

"God loves all, right? No judgment?"

"I hope He'd make an exception for you."

They both laughed at that, and Jimin found himself giggling like a baby. She had three smile stages. The first was the basic, close-lipped one that pulled on her left cheek and caused two tiny wrinkles to form near her nose. The second was open-mouthed, though not quite wide enough to flash her teeth, and it made both her cheeks scrunch up. The third, the one he had the privilege of witnessing in that moment, was the one where her teeth showed and her eyes closed. Her body sometimes flung itself to the nearest surface whenever she laughed and had a stage three grin on her face. Jimin had no religion, but her joy gave him all the faith he needed.

"What I was going to say is I felt like I needed to get this done," she said, skimming her fingers over the symbol on her sleeve. "He's out there, and it's my duty to find Him. I've broken enough Universal rules. The least I can do is search for Him." She paused for a moment to sink back in her seat. "The Vanguard hates that I'm a Universal, did you know that?"

"Cause of the whole you're not allowed to kill thing?"

"That and they think it's a sign of weakness." She chuckled, but there was no humor in it. "They think I won't have what it takes to pull the trigger, but I do. Every time I do. You want to know the funniest part? Since I'm a Vanguard, Universals hate me too." She clicked her tongue and shook her head. "I've always felt out of place, ever since I was a kid."

"What about Constellation?"

"They help, but the Vanguard and being a Universal are the two things I knew before I even knew myself, yet neither of them want me. It's like I have no place in life."

Jimin got up and extended his hand toward her. She brought her brows together, but he didn't lower his arm. That made her slip her hand into his, and he pulled her up against his chest. Without wasting time, he embraced her, and she returned it in a flash. Her nails dug into his back. They were chipped and broken from the countless wars she had been through, both mental and physical.

He didn't know how to comfort people, but with her, it felt natural. His fingers twirled her hair and massaged her scalp to calm her. Her heartbeat slowed against him, and he rested his chin on the side of her head as he dropped his voice to a murmur.

"You always have a place with me."

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─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

SEASON 1 EPISODE 16

𝐄𝐍𝐃

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

☆☆☆

A/N: That chapter was a bit calmer to give you guys a break after two almost 10k word chapters lmao. And also because we're about to end s1 and I think you can tell it's gonna get crazy...

I hope you enjoyed seeing more of the Crimson Fleet instead of just Delgado and Hoseok. I also hope you enjoyed Jungkook standing up for Jimin and learning more about Y/n's feelings toward her religion.

Since s2 will focus on the Vanguard, you'll get to learn a lot more about Y/n, the Colony War, the politics of the UC, and much more. S1 is Jimin's bitch, but s2 will give more attention to Y/n's character. I hope you guys like it and the upcoming ending of s1! Thank you guys for almost 2k reads already!

P.S. Yes, the song and Bog saying "me" instead of "my" was purposeful. That wasn't a typo, just a pirate speech pattern. Obviously I make typos like everyone else, but throughout the story there are going to be many purposeful misspells to match different speech styles, so keep that in mind while reading. I do it to give each faction its own personality, like the Va'ruun zealots sounding slithery like snakes. The pirates have more of a broken speech style with shorter bursts, like Del saying "aye" all the time and the "me" instead of "my" I just mentioned. I hope that makes sense!