─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

SEASON 2 EPISODE 1

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Location:

System: Alpha Centauri

Faction: United Colonies

Planet: Jemison

Place: New Atlantis

A/N: Remember when I said I'd take a break? I lied, I wrote this chapter immediately after finishing the last one. You should totally vote to show your appreciation muah.

☆☆☆

Y/n

Two weeks after the end of the Fleet, Y/n found herself in a complicated situation. By complicated, she meant there was a man on top of her, kissing the heck out of her.

She pulled on Jimin's raven hair and grunted at how aggressive he was. It was as attractive as it was overwhelming. His entire body weight stayed on hers as he switched sides and kissed her some more. She was so shocked, she had her eyes popped open while she struggled to keep up with the speed of his lips.

Y/n couldn't blame him. It was pretty obvious the two had shared feelings for one another for the longest time, and they hadn't had much time to process that over the past two weeks. Most of that time had been spent checking in with the Vigilance and giving Jimin space to mourn the death of his friends. Finally, after two weeks, they were in a decent space. A space where they could think about their feelings. Only one issue: the "thinking" very quickly turned into Jimin climbing on top of her and making out with her.

Jimin pulled back with a pant and chuckled. His thumb went to her cheek to rub it, and she couldn't help but fluster up and avert her eyes. Curse modern medicine for allowing his once-broken arm to heal, now he had not one but two arms to use against her.

She gazed at the UC Vanguard poster on her wall, and she felt the way the bed bounced as Jimin shifted his position to be on his elbows. He tilted her head back toward him, and he smirked.

"Shy?" he asked, and she whacked his chest.

"Shush."

But it was true, and it was embarrassing to say the least. Y/n was a cool, calm, collected Vanguard captain who had battled pirates, Ecliptic, zealots, Spacers—the whole nine yards. Yet she couldn't handle kissing?

Jimin snickered and kissed her again. He moaned into it and grabbed at her lower lip, pulling it back to tease her before diving back in. Yes, he was aggressive, but he was good. Great, actually. Not just because of the large lips, but also because of the way his hands never went too low or too high. If anything, they were in the perfect spot. They stayed near her face and held her cheeks as if she were the most precious woman in the galaxy. Being with him made her feel that way, so that made sense.

However, as they began to heat up, Y/n gasped and had to back away. Jimin had beads of sweat on his forehead, and both of them were out of breath. He quirked a brow at her silence.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah," she said, but it sounded more like a squeak. "I just don't want to go too fast."

He booped his nose off hers. "You're the cutest little thing."

Without hesitation, he slid off her and invited her to snuggle up on his chest. She did just that. Her hair sprawled out, and her hands went to his chest. He had a loose white shirt on that allowed her to feel the muscles hiding underneath. Although she wasn't a huge fan of naked skin, she wished she could see his tattoo. It was beautiful. Like him.

"We should probably talk about this," he said as he twirled a strand of her hair around his finger. "And set some boundaries."

"Park Jimin has boundaries?"

He pecked the top of her head. "All I ask is you don't disrespect my mother or care when I do things that may not align with your religion, like drinking. But you already do that, so..." He trailed off and cleared his throat. "What about you? You got a little shy when we started spicing up. Should we, uh..."

"Hm?"

He nibbled on his lower lip. "Sex. Should we talk about it?"

Well, that was both unexpected and expected at the same time. She understood why. Many religions around the galaxy didn't approve of any intimacy before marriage. The Universals weren't one of them, but Universals strongly disapproved of public intimacy, which included kissing, making out, and, of course, the devil's tango. The more minor physical acts such as holding hands and hugging were fine, but romance was seen as a holy act. Divorce, infidelity, abuse—they were deal breakers. No Universal would sanction a relationship if they went through any of those events. Though Y/n had the feeling she didn't have to worry about that with him.

"Already?" she asked with a teasing smile, peeking up at him. "That eager, hm?"

"I- no! Wait, yes? How do I answer that in an acceptable way?!" Jimin waved his free hand back and forth as if surrendering. "It's just... sometimes that kind of thing happens unexpectantly if we get too, y'know, heated. Maybe we should talk about it beforehand. To prevent awkwardness or boundary-crossing."

"Are you asking me if Universals have sex?"

He pouted and huffed like a baby. "Yeah, basically."

She gave him a quick kiss. She couldn't resist, and how could she? Park Jimin, for all his flaws, was an adorable human being with a pure heart deep down. Oh, and he had awesome superpowers and could be the key to the future. There was that too.

"We do," she said. Then, after a moment, "My... shyness has nothing to do with being a Universal."

He hummed and backed away by a hair. "Am I making you uncomfortable?"

"No, of course not. Come back here, goofball."

He giggled and did as he was told. His arm went around her waist, and he encouraged her to snuggle closer to him. Her head ended up burrowed in his neck. It was funny, really. A man who had spent the majority of his life stepping in literal human feces smelled like an angel. Peaches were what he smelled of, and she drank it in and wished she could bathe in it.

"I think the human body is a temple," she whispered as she traced her fingers over his chest, right around his rapid heart. "I think it's a sacred vessel for emotion and beauty. Our bodies are so personal to us, and I want mine to stay that way. When I get changed, I barely look at myself in the mirror. Sometimes I wonder if I even remember what I look like."

She stopped herself and peeped up at him. Much to her amazement, he stared right back with both his eyebrows shot up and his gaze focused on her.

"Sorry, I'm rambling," she said in a flustered hurry.

He eye smiled. "No, keep going. I'm listening."

Y/n had never experienced the stereotypical "high school" love all the dramas spoke of. Her version of school was flight school and battling the evils in the galaxy. While she had been in classes consisting of many men, she hadn't become attached to them. She hadn't felt the "butterflies." As she lay in Jimin's warm arms, noticing how closely he listened to her little rambles, she felt more explosive butterflies than any drama had described.

"In our lives, so much is taken from us against our wills. Like the Colony War. It stole friends and family from me and gave me nightmares I wake up from almost every day. It pains me to say some people even lose their bodies. I still have mine, and I'm grateful for that. I have control over it and who I get to show it to. I trust you, Jimin," she whispered, and he kissed her forehead in response. "Maybe too much, but I do. I'll show you my body one day, just..."

"Not today," he finished, and she nodded. He beamed. "Heard loud and clear, L/n. I'll always respect your boundaries."

Lord help her, but she believed him. Despite all the ways he had gone against her moral beliefs with his life of crime, she trusted and believed him more than some of her lifelong friends. The way he held himself made her want to follow him. Maybe he wasn't the best pilot and maybe he still pickpocketed people just for fun, but he had charm and passion, sincerity and courage. No one was quite like Park Jimin. Part of Y/n wondered if she already loved him, but she pushed the thought away as quickly as it came.

She leaned up and kissed him to distract herself. It was the best way she could show her thanks. Seeing as he reciprocated as soon as her lips met his, she had a feeling he could sense her gratitude.

A minute later, they cuddled in the dim light of her room. All they had on was her bedside lamp that left the corners of the room dark. It caused a silhouette to form on Jimin's face, and the dimness allowed her to view more of the pores and cracks on his skin. He had a chipped front tooth that poked out from his upper lip and rested on the inside of his lower. His left cheek was a tad rosier than his right, but only one as close as she was could decipher that. Similarly, his left eye was a hair slimmer than his right. Just enough to be noticeable from her position.

Another thing she adored was his freckles. The tiny dots painting his face were charming to say the least. She even spotted a dot or two under his eyes.

"Am I that breathtaking?" he asked with an amused tone, and she froze.

Crap. He caught her staring.

"Oh shush, the last thing you need is an ego boost."

He smirked. "That's not a no."

"I... ugh, you're impossible," she said with a sigh, and he giggled like a baby at her fake anger. Squeaks came from his laughter, and they caused his nose and eyes to scrunch up with ecstasy. Y/n pressed every frame of his laugh into her mind so she'd never forget it. Tufts of dark hair covered his face. His lips were swollen from all the kissing they had done. He was flawed yet flawless at the same time.

And in that moment, she knew no sight would ever be as beautiful as Park Jimin's smile.

☆☆☆

MAST was as dangerous as it was beautiful.

It was home to the UC Vanguard and all the UC officials, like the president. The MAST building had many floors she couldn't comprehend, and she had been working there since she was a teenager. Y/n was in MAST's Vanguard Orientation Hall with the next batch of new recruits. They recruited on a daily basis, and they had groups either as large as a hundred or as small as one. That day, it was three, and they were all men with muscular, tall frames and matching mustaches. They had to be drinking buddies who had signed up due to a dare, but Y/n didn't mind. The more the merrier.

The Orientation Hall was a museum. It educated whoever entered. All the exhibits were screen-based narrations, and to activate the narration, you needed to press a little button on the podium stationed in front of the displays. Y/n had heard the speeches thousands of times. Commander Tuala, her superior, enjoyed having her there for the new recruits. As often as she could come, of course. Seeing as there were many Spacers, Ecliptic, and zealots to deal with, Y/n had a busy schedule.

A presentation of the factions in the Orientation Hall feat. Jimin posing for the picture because he didn't feel like moving out of the way

However, after the Fleet had dismantled, she had been given a break to relax. Most of her break had been spent kissing Jimin and helping him heal, but she'd consider that an A+ break. Spending time with Jimin had been therapeutic, and although she had a job she loved, every second she stayed in MAST, she found herself missing him. If anything, she performed better with him around.

"After the Colony War, a different kind of tragedy struck the UC city of Londinion. A newly constructed but critical supply center for the United Colonies' war effort, Londinion found itself overrun by one of the galaxy's most mysterious predators—the Terrormorphs," the narrator said.

The new recruits were watching the Londinion Terror exhibit, which showcased the tragedy of the now-abandoned UC city of Londinion in the Toliman system. Terrormorphs were massive, deadly creatures that could wipe entire civilizations off the map in less than a week. Y/n had fought one before. Most of her squad had died, and she had to flee before it killed her too. She was one of the few Vanguard dispatched to deal with the Terrormorph threat on Londinion. She was also one of the few to survive.

The Orientation Hall had dim lighting so the focus would remain on the exhibits. The walls had a rocky texture, and they were a gray shade that made them blend in with the lack of light. The floors were polished black and shined as if they were made of stars or glitter. If there was one thing the MAST building valued, it was cleanliness. At least that meant Y/n's senses wouldn't get overstimulated.

And how could they? All she could smell was faint bleach and the honey-like cologne the three men had. Her ears weren't overwhelmed by chatter seeing as the entire room stayed quiet to observe the museum. Her hands remained folded behind her back, and her body stayed far away from the others. She was there to observe, not to get close. That was without mentioning how she didn't feel comfortable being close to any men other than Jimin and Commander Tuala. Maybe Sam and Matteo, too. Absolutely not Barrett, he made too many dead husband jokes. Not Walter either. He'd probably have a heart attack if anyone ever gave him physical affection. And, of course, not Vladimir. Not that Y/n had even seen Vladimir recently.

The Orientation Hall

"A rare but pervasive threat to all human-settled worlds, Terrormorphs swept over the city seemingly out of nowhere, on a scale never before seen in recorded history. Valiant efforts by the UC military slowed the onslaught, but the creatures proved unstoppable. Ultimately, the decision was made to destroy the Londinion spaceport, sealing off the city, the outbreak... and its citizenry from the galaxy at large," the robotic narrator said. It stopped for a beat as if taking a dramatic pause. "The tragedy of Londinion is mourned by the UC to this day."

"So we just left our people to die?" one of the recruits asked. He had spiky brown hair and matching eyes, and his voice was like a squeaky bird's.

Commander Tuala, who stayed in the back with Y/n, shook his head. "We tried evacuating as many as we could, but one of the commanders made the brave decision to seal off the spaceport."

"That's a yes. We left our people to die in Londinion."

"With respect, there weren't any left," Commander Tuala said in a sharp tone. Y/n knew Commander Tuala as a teddy bear with maybe a little too much excitement toward anything Vanguard-related. Hearing him speak in such a low voice made her wish to shrivel inside herself. "We would have risked more lives if we tried to save the few left. Everyone died in that attack. If we kept the spaceports open, there was a high chance the Terrormorphs would spread everywhere, not just UC territory, but the Freestar too. It wasn't an easy decision, but no choice in war ever is."

Commander Tuala had been at the Londinion battle. He had a prosthetic hand to show for it, for his real hand had been eaten by a Terrormorph. Y/n had saved him from death, but no Vanguard could save his limb.

The Commander towered over most. Standing over six feet tall with shoulders wider than two Jimins combined, Commander Tuala was one of the most intimidating figures in the entire UC. Yet he was lovable. Y/n gave him hugs every time she showed up for her shifts, and he returned them with a giddy smile that showed off his somehow perfect teeth.

"Get to the flight simulator. If you clear tier three, you can become a UC Vanguard," Commander Tuala said, and the three recruits trudged off to go to the flight simulator. The Commander turned to her. "Let's get back to the lobby, I have a new assignment for you."

"If it involves zealots, I might just shoot you. Or myself. One of the two."

He chuckled and led her back to the lobby through the main elevator. The lobby was directly connected to the outside thanks to the massive front door that didn't actually have a door. The lobby had no people in it aside from the secretary behind the front desk.

MAST lobby

Commander Tuala brought her to the corner, where the Vanguard desk was. He normally stood there, waiting for recruits. She'd come every day and receive assignments. Some were as simple as transporting UC officers to their destinations, and others were as complex as fighting pirates. It depended on the day.

Tuala got behind the mahogany desk and picked up his slate. He scrolled through the data before humming to himself and peeking up at her. He had eyebrows the size of Jimin's entire body, but they somehow fit him well. They shaped his large eyes and face. His hands were as big as the slate he held. Jimin's hand was probably the size of Tuala's pinky.

Commander Tuala's desk feat. Commander Tuala standing behind it

"There's a distress signal," Tuala said, and Y/n's brow shot up. "It's coming from a processing plant on Tau Ceti II. It doesn't sound pretty. You mind getting over there soon?"

"Of course, sir."

Y/n dipped her head and received the details from Tuala. Tau Ceti II was isolated, which meant if there was trouble out there, it was serious. Not that Y/n minded getting back into the action. It had been a while since she had taken a Vanguard mission that wasn't related to the Crimson Fleet, and it felt nice to be back.

She took a moment to zone out and explore the lobby with her eyes. It was the same one she had seen for years, yet it'd never get old. It was massive and displayed the UC's military budget. After the Colony War, they had tripled it. Y/n wondered what Jimin would think if he was there. Oh who was she kidding, Jimin would have a panic attack if he so much as breathed in the MAST building's direction-

"Hey princess."

Y/n snapped around and saw Jimin approaching while eating a chocolate donut that had extra rainbow sprinkles on it. He made an 'mmm' sound and smacked his lips together.

"Y'know, we don't have these on Neon. Maybe the UC isn't that bad after all."

"What the... Jimin, what the heck are you doing in the MAST building? You know this is where the president lives, right?" Y/n asked, and her voice almost jumped to a yelp.

Out of all the things on her bingo card, Jimin willingly visiting MAST was not one of them. Y/n thought for sure he'd rather abandon Neon for good than so much as look at the MAST skyscraper.

"I know. Came to visit my girl. Is that a problem?" Jimin asked. He licked his lips then pecked the side of her head. "Are you winning?"

Y/n facepalmed. "Jimin... I'm in the lobby. I'm not fighting anyone."

"Oh."

Commander Tuala grinned, and it crinkled his giant eyes. "Is this the boyfriend I've heard so much about?"

Jimin smirked. "She talked about me?"

"Don't," Y/n interrupted, jabbing her finger in Tuala's direction. "Don't boost his ego. He's a, uh... very good friend."

Jimin glared at her. "I just had my tongue down your throat thirty minutes ago. The fuck you mean friend?!"

Y/n wished she could disappear into an abyss and never return. Yes, she considered Jimin her boyfriend, but she was at work. At work, people judged her for being a Universal. How would they feel if they knew she was dating a Neon native?

It wasn't like she was ashamed of him. No, quite the opposite. She'd show off her hot boyfriend any day of the week, but the problem was the discrimination that ran deep in the UC. As much as she adored Jimin and yearned to hold his hand in front of all the Vanguard, that could lead to dangers for Jimin. Or, worse, she could get kicked out of the Vanguard.

Tuala wouldn't dare kick her out, but if enough people voted against her, she'd be automatically removed. It was a miracle she hadn't been removed for being a Universal (though they had tried to vote her out many times). Avoiding calling him her boyfriend wasn't out of shame, it was out of survival, as much as that pained her to admit.

"Oh, wow," Tuala said with a slow blink and a blank face. "You pick em' well, don't you, L/n?"

Y/n felt the back of her neck heating up. "Ignore him, he's weird."

Y/n turned to Jimin and watched as he munched on his donut. Some chocolate stained his upper lip. That when combined with his puppy eyes made her wish to squish his cheeks and kiss his cute little button nose. However, she was in public, and PDA was off limits. Beyond that, she was in front of her superior.

"I hate to tell you this, but you need to leave. MAST is for UC officials only," Tuala said. Then, he bowed his head. "Lovely meeting you, though. Treat Y/n well or you'll have to deal with me."

Jimin hummed and swallowed more of his donut. "Are Vanguard pilots considered UC officials?"

"Uh... yes?"

"Can Freestar natives sign up for the Vanguard?"

Y/n tilted her head and opened her mouth to ask what the heck he was doing, but Tuala beat her to it by affirming Jimin's question. Freestar natives could sign up since there had been laws put in place stating the factions had to try to get along. Freestar natives could become UC citizens and vice versa. They could be citizens of both factions at the same time, though it'd lead to much discrimination.

"Cool," Jimin said. He finished his donut and licked his fingers clean. He wiped whatever residue was left on his pants. "I'd like to sign up, please."

"What?!" Y/n couldn't help but ask in a shout. It was instinct. When it came to Park Jimin, there were three truths.

1. He loved Neon.

2. He cared about Y/n.

3. He hated the UC more than he hated himself.

Since when did Park Jimin wish to sign up for the UC Vanguard. He had already been coerced into SysDef, and he had been very vocal about how much he had hated that. Now he wanted to voluntarily join the Vanguard?

"Why are you so surprised? I kicked pirate ass, might as well wipe the floor with those other fuckers too. What do you say, can I join?" Jimin said, his words directed at Tuala.

Tuala pressed a few buttons on his slate. "I don't see why not. Go to the Orientation Hall and go through the murals with Y/n, then she'll take you to the flight simulator. Assuming you pass, we'll take a physical scan of you, collect your ID, then swear you in. Maybe you can even go on Y/n's mission with her, and that'll be your training mission."

"Sounds great! I'd love to join her!" Jimin said, batting his eyelashes at her.

She huffed and brought him into the elevator, where he cowered into the corner and kicked the walls, cursing about how stupid "metal boxes of doom" were.

"Care to explain why you're suddenly joining the Vanguard?" Y/n asked as they descended to the Orientation Hall. Jimin averted his eyes, so Y/n came closer. "What's going on, Mimi?"

"I... well, it's embarrassing."

"What'd you do?"

Jimin stomped his little foot. "Why do you always assume I do something bad?! I'm a good boy!"

"When we were on vacation, you tried to pickpocket someone."

"Okay, well..." Jimin trailed off and held up his index finger as if about to make a point. Then, he lowered it. "Anyway. Am I not allowed to want to join the Vanguard?"

"No, you're not. Since when do you care about the UC?"

"I don't, but I care about you," he said. He slapped a hand over his mouth after he said it. "I mean... uh..."

Y/n's eyes bulged. "Wait a second, are you joining because you're worried about me?"

"Maybe," he muttered. He cleared his throat and innocently smiled. "Or maybe I just want to get to know more about my girl's profession. Is that so hard to believe?"

"Yes," she replied without hesitation. "If there's one thing you're good at, it's hating the UC. Suddenly wanting to help us is weird, Jimin."

"The thing I'm gonna help with is your awful fashion sense. Who thought it was a good idea to put pilots in green? Ew. I'm bringing some much needed style to this operation."

Y/n couldn't stop her laugh. "You're such a goofball."

He grinned and kissed her cheek. "Your goofball."

She loved how he was right. As confused as she was about Jimin's attitude change, she had to admit it was cute to see him eager to learn more about her profession. To be fair, it was possible Jimin was bored. After completing his pirate quest, he had nothing left to do but explore barren planets for Constellation. It was about time he got a job that wasn't stealing and hacking. Whether he joined because he was worried about her, he was bored, or a mix of both, she was glad to have him onboard, even though she knew it'd lead to discrimination from other pilots. She'd have to warn him about that later.

They entered the Orientation Hall, and Y/n led him through the murals that detailed the history of the Settled Systems. It started with the destruction of Earth's atmosphere and how humans had to leave to colonize the Milky Way. It moved into the creation of the factions and the Londinion attack. Finally, they reached the Colony War, and Jimin hesitated in front of the button. Then, he pressed it, and the narrator began to explain the UC's side of the War.

"Of the many conflicts between the galaxy's factions, none were more brutal than the recent Colony War between the Freestar Collective and United Colonies. Set off by the unauthorized colonization of another system by the Freestar—a direct violation of the Narion Treaty—the Colony War quickly spread across the galaxy. Both sides deployed every tool at their disposal: armadas of warships, mechs, and even bioengineered alien creatures—the infamous UC Xenoweapons.

"It was only in 2311, at the Battle of Cheyenne, that the scales finally tipped. The Freestar Collective, utilizing their citizen fleet as a human shield, successfully crippled the superior United Colonies Navy. After their shocking victory against the galaxy's greatest navy, the Freestar Collective offered terms of peace, which the Colonies, out of an interest in staving off any further human costs, accepted. The galaxy has been rebuilding ever since."

Jimin snorted. "Does anyone actually believe this crap?"

Y/n stayed silent for a long moment. "I do."

"Seriously? How can you believe this UC propaganda?"

"It's not propaganda if you lived it, Jimin," Y/n whispered, and Jimin tilted his head at that. "I know you love your faction, but the Freestar used more human shields than we ever did. They put their civilians in the same buildings as their military supplies, then when the UC attacked, they played the victim card and acted like they didn't throw their innocents in there on purpose. I saw it with my own eyes. I watched the Freestar commanders forcing families into military barracks. Men. Women. Children. All dead because the Freestar used them as shields."

Jimin averted his gaze. "I didn't know that."

"How could you? You didn't live in the War. I did."

Jimin didn't answer, and that was because there was nothing he could answer with. Despite how the UC had harmed the Freestar, Neon wasn't hurt too badly. The same couldn't be said about New Atlantis. New Atlantis had been ploughed through by Freestar mechs. If it weren't for Commander Tuala, Y/n's mother would be dead. She remembered that day vividly, but it wasn't the time for memories, so she brushed them off and finished going through the museum with him.

He learned of the Terrormorphs, something he hadn't been aware of before. Then, he learned about the formation of the Vanguard and how it protected the UC for years. Still, throughout it all, he didn't make any of his normal quips. There was nothing Y/n hated more than seeing him frown.

They made it to the elevator in the back of the Hall, and she took him down to the flight simulator. Volunteer pilots were expected to know how to fly. Jimin knew enough to pass the test, but he'd have to go through extensive training to be up to the Vanguard's standards.

The simulator room was a giant arena with two simulator pods. She took him to the closest one and buzzed him in, opening the hatch and explaining the instructions to him. There were six tiers, and he needed to beat at least tier three to pass. If he didn't, he'd have to retry in a month.

For the first three tiers, three waves of enemies would come his way. The first tier was easy and only sent one enemy. The second tier sent three. The third sent one tough enemy. Y/n knew he could do it as long as he remembered what she had taught him.

Y/n waited outside and watched the results on the screen. Jimin beat tier one easily enough. Tier two gave him a challenge, but he managed. Tier three almost destroyed him, but he made it. Tuala would take issue with Jimin borderline failing, but Y/n would do her best to vouch for him. After all, they could use a superpowered Vanguard.

Jimin exited the simulator, but he didn't celebrate like she would have expected him too. He only forced a smile and followed her back to the lobby. She didn't bother asking what was wrong. She trusted him and knew he'd tell her when he was ready. Besides, she already knew what he was upset about.

They made it back to Commander Tuala, and the man glanced up with a tight grin. Seeing as he had all the data on his slate, he had already been informed of Jimin's test results.

"He barely passed tier three," he said to Y/n, and Y/n nodded. "Do you really think he's Vanguard material?"

"Trust me, he'll be useful. Very useful."

Jimin stayed quiet behind her, so she had to nudge him to get him to move forward. He stepped up and gave Tuala his ID and put his hand on the scanner. Tuala peeked over the results, and his eyes widened.

"Did you get your kicks flying too close to the stars? The radiation you're giving off is... wow," Tuala said with a soft chuckle. "Alright, this isn't weird at all. ID checks out and you passed the required tiers, but your physical is going haywire. Not sure how to feel about this, Y/n."

"I'll explain later."

And she would. She could trust Tuala with Jimin's secret superpowers. If Tuala knew, he'd gladly let Jimin on the force. Tuala was, to put it simply, a nerd. At the very thought of superpowers, he'd likely freak out. In a good way.

"Then I guess all that's left is swearing you in and getting you on your probationary mission," Tuala said. He straightened his posture. "Raise your right hand." Once Jimin did, Tuala continued. "The motto of the Vanguard is "Supra et Ultra"—above and beyond. That is where we serve—beyond the farthest reaches of the United Colonies military, and with honor and duty above reproach. Do you swear to protect and defend the citizens of the United Colonies to the best of your abilities and to uphold the values of the Vanguard—honor, loyalty, self-reliance—in all your actions as a member of the United Colonies Navy?"

Jimin cleared his throat. "I do."

"Then let me be the first to officially welcome you to the United Colonies Vanguard. Now, the only thing left is getting you that probationary mission. Y/n, you'll take him to that distress signal on Tau Ceti II?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good. Then you're dismissed. Supra et Ultra."

Y/n took Jimin to the spaceport. Since Jimin was coming along, they went on his ship instead of hers. As much as her UC ship was nice, Jimin's was superior in almost every way. It was far larger and had more firepower, not to mention the shields lasted longer and the grav drive range was four times the range of hers. If she could find an excuse to use Jimin's ship all the time, she would.

"Can you set the jump coordinates for Tau Ceti, please?" she asked once they boarded and got to the cockpit, and he seemed perplexed. "It's to the left of Alpha Centauri and Sirius. You can't miss it. Look on the map."

She sat in the pilot's seat with him in the co-pilot's. He quietly punched in the coordinates and peeked at Y/n for approval. Once she confirmed he had set the coords correctly, she took off and left New Atlantis. The force against her chest would never get old. Taking off and landing were her two favorite parts of flying. The intensity made her adrenaline spike and her mind forget all her worries, even if it was just for a second.

When they made it to orbit and passed by the UC patrol ships, she hovered her hand over the jump switch. That caused Jimin to bring his attention to her.

"What is it?" he asked in a soft, broken voice.

She responded by reaching across the small space between them and grabbing his hand. She gave it a squeeze, and he cracked a gentle smile at that.

"Hey," she whispered, placing her free hand on his cheek. "You've been through so much, Jimin. More than you should have. Between your childhood and the pirates, I can't imagine how you're feeling right now. But the Colony War? Don't worry about it."

"But I... I didn't know the UC suffered so much. I didn't know the Freestar used their own people as sacrifices. Was my father really killed by the UC, or did the Freestar use him? Would they have used me? My mom? Taehyung?" He broke off and sucked in a shaky breath. His hand trembled in her grasp. "I knew they weren't innocent, but using civilians as human shields? That's disgusting. How could they do that?"

"I don't know."

It was an honest answer, though not the one Jimin wanted to hear. Tears filled his eyes, but he slumped back and didn't bother letting them fall. She rubbed her thumb across the back of his hand to comfort him, but it didn't seem to work.

"It's okay, Mimi. You didn't know. It's natural to want to love your faction, and I don't blame you if you still do. Maybe you can be a Freestar Ranger like Sam was, yeah? That way you can help make your faction better. Talk to Sam, he can help you."

Jimin kept his eyes on the ground. "Yeah, maybe. We should get going, we have a distress signal to answer."

Before he could slip his hand away from hers, she shifted his head toward her and met his pitiful gaze. His lower lip quivered, and she shushed him and brought him into a hug. It was awkward due to the armrests separating them, but it was peaceful nonetheless. The embrace was warm, and he smelled of peaches. The scent never failed to make her heart dance inside her chest.

"Thank you," he murmured against her neck, and his breath tickled her skin. "You have no idea how much you mean to me."

She pulled back and placed both her hands on his adorable little cheeks. He had puppy eyes, but a kitten appearance at the same time. He was her cute puppy kitty. Her goofball.

She pecked his nose and smiled. "I think I do."

He giggled, and it warmed her soul to hear such a joyous sound erupt from him. "Oh yeah? How do you know?"

She wished she could kiss him, but the truth was, they had to go, and she didn't want to stop staring into his beautiful irises that were so full of vibrance. They were pools of hickory, like the bark of the most wonderous tree in the galaxy. Yet his eyes held sincerity and serenity that calmed her mind. He was gorgeous. The most gorgeous person she had ever known. That was what convinced her to laugh and answer.

"Because I feel the same way."

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Photo Gallery:

I chose this because he looks like a puppy here and you can see his adorable lil freckles

Him having "pain tolerance" as one of his special traits is so real considering all I put him through in this book 💀💀💀

Also, him in that outfit makes me go feral like if I was in the Starfield game universe, I would rizz him up I stg.

Family photo! In the front is Jimin and Sam (cowboy hat for life), then the little girl with her back facing us is Cora. The two sitting are Vladimir (right) and Barrett (left).

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SEASON 2 EPISODE 1

𝐄𝐍𝐃

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A/N: Starfield Jimin makes me actually get aggressive I stg I will bark for him any day (I wrote him).