─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

SEASON 1 EPISODE 2

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Setting:

On route to NEW ATLANTIS in Y/n's UC Vanguard ship, named the UC Vanguard Raptor

System: Alpha Centauri

Faction: United Colonies (UC)

Planet: Jemison

Place: New Atlantis, the capital of the UC

Fun Fact: New Atlantis is the largest city in the UC, followed closely by the industrial city of Cydonia, which is on Mars in the Sol system

☆☆☆

Jimin

Y/n's ship was cramped.

The interior consisted of UC logos and weapons thrown all over the place. There were multiple Breach-class shotguns. They were known as the best in the galaxy. Military-grade, like her armor. They were black and gray. The one she had on her back was modified with a scope and extended mag, and it had a golden coin spray-painted on the handle. Jimin recognized that symbol, but he couldn't put his finger on where it came from.

Her ship was named the UC Vanguard Raptor, or just Raptor. The hull of the ship was a matte black while the engines were painted red to match Vanguard colors. The interior was the exact opposite of the exterior. Dark colors were used on the outside likely to help the Raptor blend in with the black void of space. The inside was a bright white except for the cockpit, which was cloaked in a scarlet light. It reminded Jimin of emergency lights, but even with his limited knowledge of spacecrafts, he knew the dimness of the cockpit was to help the pilot focus.

Jimin sat in between the cockpit and the core of the ship. It was such a tiny ship that it had three rooms total: a cargo bay that had to be accessed by ladder, a cockpit, and a common space. There was a tiny hallway connecting the common space to the cockpit, and that was where Jimin sat in one of the two jumpseats available while Y/n charted their course.

"Have you ever been to New Atlantis?" Y/n asked as she did whatever it was pilots did.

Jimin didn't want to talk to a UC dog, especially not about New Atlantis, but it wasn't like he had anything to lose by speaking to her. He could insult her while he was at it. It'd be hilarious to see her reaction.

"I only left Neon once to go to Akila. Didn't work out."

"Is that why you were working with Argos?"

Jimin snorted. "'Working' is a generous way to describe that experience. It was more like being tortured, but yes, that's why. A leader of the Disciples approached me and offered 10,000 creds if I smuggled some Aurora to Akila. I had to jack a ship and learn how to fly on the spot."

Y/n turned to face him. "Disciples?"

"One of the two major gangs in Neon."

"Is 10,000 credits worth all that work?"

Jimin had his hand wrapped around his knee. His grip tightened on it as tears worked their way into his eyes. The creds weren't for him. They never were.

He let out a breath that sounded like a gasp. "You've never been to Neon, have you?"

"The Freestar Collective doesn't exactly like the UC military, so no. I've only been to UC-controlled space."

Jimin nodded and blew a raspberry. He forced a smile and hoped his tone held amusement. "Well, Neon is the shittiest city in the Settled Systems. I grew up in Ebbside, which is next to the core city they make tourists stay in. There's a reason they don't like off-worlders going to Ebbside, and that's thanks to all the gangs, alcohol, murder..." Jimin trailed off and hid his quivering hands in his lap. "Drugs..."

"So that's why 10,000 credits was a good deal?"

The one thing he appreciated was that she attempted to understand his side of the story. Part of him felt remorse; he knew he wouldn't listen to her side if the roles were reversed. He didn't care what UC dogs had to say about their experiences in the UC. From his perspective, the UC was evil. They were the ones who had commenced the Colony War, after all. They had massacred innocent colonists. Then, that terror had reached the rest of the Freestar Collective. To Neon. To Ebbside.

"In Neon, any deal where you get more than 1,000 creds is worth it. We have literal shit on our sidewalks. It's not like we're swimming with money."

Silence followed as Y/n checked the controls. They were in space, floating in Vectera's orbit. He couldn't see out the glass since the pilot's seat was so bulky he didn't have a clear view, but he could somewhat see the rings of the gas giant Vectera was attached to.

After a minute, she got up and took off her helmet, and he stopped to observe her. Their eyes locked, and he lost himself for a moment. As much as Jimin hated the UC, he had met a total of three UC-natives in his life. One of them he pickpocketed, and the other two were off-worlders who were doing shady business on Neon that required Jimin's expertise. Otherwise, Jimin had never paid much attention to the tourists who passed by his city. Seeing a UC Vanguard was a first for him, and she wasn't what he was expecting.

It didn't make sense, but Jimin thought she was much softer than he was expecting. Not in terms of her appearance, but how she gazed at him. She had patience in her eyes, and as much as he was sure she would snap at him for saying shit about the UC, she seemed willing to listen to his stories. He had never told said stories before, not even to Taehyung. It wasn't like you could have friends on Neon. Jimin had been betrayed three times by past "friends."

"As much as I morally disagree with your past, at least it means you'll be good for Constellation. We could use someone who knows how to work under pressure, also someone willing to take risks and try new things." Y/n set her helmet on the jumpseat across from Jimin. She buckled it in before motioning to him. "I hate to cut this conversation short, but I need to add more helium-3 to the grav drive."

Jimin decided to follow her to the common space, which was so tidy it was sparkling. Unlike the cockpit, there were shining white lights that illuminated the wide space that had a table, bathroom, and three beds. Two of which were bunk beds.

There were boxes of storage in one corner, and they had to move in that direction to get to Y/n's supply of helium-3. As he passed by, Jimin noticed the artifact was strapped down, but what intrigued him most was a piece of fabric sticking out from between the crates. It had the gold coin symbol. That made Jimin pause and snatch it from its spot.

Y/n didn't notice and grabbed her canister of fuel. She opened the cap planted in the wall and began feeding the ship, but Jimin couldn't focus on anything other than the fabric in his grasp. It was Universal headwear. It was a beanie-like cap that was modeled after what old NASA astronauts used to wear under their suits. The colors were gray and black and split into three sections. The middle section on the top of the head was gray while the other two sides that covered the ears were black, and in the middle, where the forehead would be, was a circular, coin-like object that was gold. It was the Universal symbol, and Jimin hadn't seen one since he was a kid.

"Wow," Jimin said with a whistle. She glanced up, and he waved the headwear around. "I didn't know it was possible for a UC Vanguard to be a Universal. What happened to 'thou shalt not kill'?"

She ripped it from him and held it against her chest. "My religion is none of your concern."

"Sure, sure, but you gotta admit it's strange to see a UC dog known for killing pirates hauling a Universal headpiece around. Can't blame a man for getting curious, especially when he grew up in a city God abandoned."

She closed the fuel cap and set the helium-3 down. Then, she put the headwear back where it belonged and faced him. She hesitated before deciding to reply.

"Once we land, we're going to the Lodge in the Residential District."

Although disappointed she didn't respond to his comment, he didn't bother with disagreeing. Instead, he went back to the jumpseat and watched Y/n slip into the cockpit and boot up the grav drive. The ship hummed and accepted the fuel.

They didn't speak for several moments as Y/n strapped herself in. Jimin took it as a sign to do the same, and he fumbled with the seatbelt before clicking it in place. After his buckle snapped, the quiet returned. All he could hear was the hum of the grav drive powering up and the background noise of the radiator pipes above him.

"My parents are atheists," Y/n said. She sighed after a moment. "They encouraged me to look for more in life... so I did. That's why I became a pilot. I'm searching for Him."

Jimin couldn't stop the small smile spreading on his lips. "Are they part of that atheist group? The Enlightened, or whatever they're called."

"The House of the Enlightened, and no. I think they'd rather shoot themselves than participate in social interaction."

Jimin laughed. He slapped a hand over his mouth to contain it a beat later. "A UC Vanguard and member of the elegant Universal just made a death joke. How scandalous."

"Oh I have my wiles, Mr. Park," she said in a sing-songy tone. Since it wasn't filtered by her helmet anymore, he could hear the tiny cracks in the depth of her voice. It made her sound raw. Human. More human than he had expected from a UC citizen.

"Lin never told you my last name."

Y/n chuckled. "I looked you up in the system as soon as we boarded. You were easy to find. I mean, you have a criminal record, after all."

"Miss L/n, were you stalking me?" Jimin asked with a cheeky grin.

She did a hand-waving motion as if to dismiss the concerns. "Alright, alright, focus. We're ready to go. Grav jump to Jemison, Alpha Centauri in three... two... one..."

Jimin shut his eyes. He had seen enough of the galaxy for one day, not to mention the one and only grav jump he had been part of had gotten him ill. He had been arrested right after, so that didn't help. Either way, he opted to keep his vision sealed from the realm of reality as the ship trembled and howled. They were ripping through space and time to utilize their grav drive to jump from one side of the galaxy to another in a matter of seconds. It was impressive technology, and if Jimin had a degree in starship engineering, maybe he'd understand how it worked.

As the ship's shaking faded, Jimin kept his lips and eyes rigid. His skin felt rough and irritated thanks to the work he did around those stupid rocks. However, he couldn't think about Argos. He couldn't even think about what he saw when he had touched the artifact. Instead, all he could think about was Y/n. She was different, but that didn't change the basic fact that kept ringing around his mind.

She was a UC dog. He had to remember that.

☆☆☆

New Atlantis wasn't what Jimin was expecting.

Jimin had grown up in Neon, a city known for flashing lights, clubs, sex, drugs, and, most importantly, no plant life. New Atlantis was the opposite. It felt like something out of one of those fairytales he heard about. As much as he'd rather die than serve the UC, he had to admit New Atlantis was beautiful. If it was a Freestar city, Jimin would consider moving in.

Y/n guided him through the spaceport of bustling crowds. Chatter filled his ears as his eyes feasted on the multi-colored arrows directing traffic to public transportation. The spaceport consisted of several landing pads for off-worlders. Y/n had a special spot due to her affiliation with the Vanguard, which meant they were closer to the city than the others.

UC security dominated the ground. Jimin had read stories about New York City on Old Earth, and he imagined New Atlantis was modeled after it based on the concrete, road-like flooring making up the path to the scan. Every person had to walk by the scanner that was planted in the concrete to protect it. Even Vanguard had to go through it.

"This way," Y/n said as she tugged on his sleeve.

He followed her up the ramp that led to the scan. It was a strip of glowing whiteness inside the otherwise gray terrain. The UC security building was on the right, and the sliding double doors had the UC letters on it along with its classic navy blue, black, and red colors. The security guards, unlike the Vanguard, sported the navy blue and black. They had hints of yellow surrounding their collar and the inside of their helmets to help them stand out, but they were otherwise monotone. The UC letters were on their bullet-proof chestplates, and all of them had sidearms holstered by their thigh and an assault rifle attached to the hooks on the back of their uniform.

"Were you ever in UC security?" Jimin asked.

They were in the expedited line due to Y/n being a Vanguard. Jimin could see the city's trees and the giant water fountain from where he was, but he wanted to get closer. He wanted to touch it. The talking hitting his ears, the fresh air swarming around his nostrils, and the sweet smell of beer tempted him to learn more about the UC's precious capital.

"Never. It didn't appeal to me."

"Too boring?"

She shrugged. She kept her helmet on the ship, so he had perfect viewing access to her side profile. "I don't mind boring, it's the type of job, really. How much do you know about the Vanguard?"

"Only that it's a branch of the UC military."

She hummed. "We're UC navy pilots. We're all individual pilots."

"So, a volunteer force?"

"Precisely. I only get paid because I'm a legacy member." She motioned to her advanced suit. "That's also why I have military-grade UC armor."

Jimin almost choked on his saliva. "A legacy member? How long ago was the Vanguard founded?"

"2315."

"And you are...?"

"Twenty-eight."

Jimin coughed. He couldn't tell if it was from disbelief or his dry throat. "You joined the Vanguard when you were thirteen?"

"The UC was still recovering from the Colony War. They hired anyone with a pulse and over twelve. Don't worry, it's over twenty-one now," Y/n said. She said it casually, as if it was a tiny blip in the UC's bloody past.

"Why am I not surprised to hear the UC were hiring child soldiers." Jimin clicked his tongue. "And you wonder why the Freestar hates you so much."

Y/n chose not to answer, and Jimin brushed it off. It was their turn anyway. Y/n went first to demonstrate how it worked. All he had to do was step over it, and the rest was done for him. Y/n walked forward and waited by the guard. He held a tablet and did a small chuckle once the scan was complete.

"Captain L/n, it's an honor to have you back. Another successful mission?" he asked.

She pointed her head toward Jimin. "Something like that. Careful with this one, his scan might turn up... complicated."

Jimin grumbled a few curses as he mimicked what Y/n did. He stepped over it and noticed it didn't feel any different than the concrete. Once he was done, he turned toward the guard.

The guard's eyes bulged. "How the hell does one person rack up over six hundred hate speech crimes?"

Y/n made a sound that resembled a yelp. "Six hundred?"

Jimin flashed them an eye smile. "Those bastards miscounted. It's more like nine."

"O... kay," the guard said after clearing his throat. "Scan complete, both of you are allowed in the city."

"Wait, what? I am?" Jimin asked, and the guard nodded.

"What you do in Freestar space is the Freestar's problem. As long as you don't commit any crimes in UC space, you're allowed in. Word of advice: Don't be stupid. If you mess up in UC territory, you're suddenly wanted by both factions and won't be allowed in."

So that was how Jimin got caught. He had gotten scanned above Akila, and not only did they catch the Aurora he was smuggling, but they also caught his criminal record. Running from security on Neon was far easier than running from them in space, where they had ginormous battleships that could turn him to dust. As much as Jimin hated himself, he didn't hate himself enough to want to die. However, if he spent more time in the UC, that could change.

"Understood. I'll be smart," Jimin said.

No, he really wouldn't.

"Come on, we have to meet the others," Y/n said, beckoning him forward.

Jimin sucked in a breath between his front teeth before journeying up the rest of the ramp and into the core of New Atlantis. It was the spaceport district, according to the sign attached to the side of the security building. A huge fountain sprayed water on the kids running by. Streetlights took the colors of the rainbows to paint the sidewalks with life. Chalk art was on the ground, and Y/n dodged every line she could while Jimin laughed as he stomped on the dusty art. He made sure to kick chalk art that had anything to do with the UC.

"Some might consider that vandalism," Y/n pointed out.

He huffed and stuck out his lower lip to pout, but she had already went in the other direction. He had a spring in his step as he followed and glanced around. There were trees on the side of the walkway, and Jimin approached one and stopped.

The bark, if that was what it was called, was a chestnut color. It was brown but had speckles of red littering the sides, and the leaves were a brilliant green that sparkled in the sun. There were no raindrops on them. There were no clouds in the sky. No booming lightning, no roaring thunder, no heavy pounds of water hitting a ceiling. Instead, he heard giggling children, chirping birds, and rushing water from the fountain. He could smell beer and cheese from the street vendors calling for tourists to receive free samples. Neon had alien kabab that tasted like burnt toast, but New Atlantis had fresh ham and cheese sandwiches with more condiments than Jimin had ever seen in his life.

Jimin stumbled forward and placed his hand on the tree. He hoped it wasn't illegal to touch them. As much as he had no plans to go straight, the last thing he wanted was to get arrested for touching a fucking tree of all things.

"What are you doing?" Y/n asked as she backtracked to supervise him.

He laughed. It was genuine; it was as real as the life before him.

"I've never seen a tree before," he whispered.

Jimin ran his calloused hands over each bump and crack in the wood. Leaves shook in the delicate breeze and drifted to land in his hair. He plucked them out one by one and blew them away. An eye smile returned to him. That time, it wasn't sarcastic or funny. It was ecstatic.

Y/n let him play like a kid with the bark of the tree, and he took off his boots and socks to feel the grass. There was a sweet, almost nostalgic aroma in the air, and Jimin sniffed to taste more of it.

"Freshly cut grass," Y/n said, and Jimin made an 'ah' sound in understanding. "New Atlantis cuts its grass all the time, especially around the spaceport."

Jimin did a few small bounces before putting his shoes and socks back on. Soon enough, he decided Y/n had been patient for too long, and he went back to his serious mode. His expression went sour when he remembered they were in the UC surrounded by egotistical pricks who had never apologized for massacring Freestar colonists. With that thought in mind, he continued to explore the spaceport.

"That's the Viewport bar. Next to it is Jemison Mercantile, which sells resources and things like digipicks." Y/n pointed to each store, and Jimin fell in love with both of them for different reasons.

The Viewport, which had golden letters on the outside of the otherwise white building, was an elegant bar that had a self-service bounty clearance machine. Jimin had a distinct feeling he'd be there often.

Jemison Mercantile was next to the galaxy's favorite coffee shop: Terrabrew. Jimin had never understood the hype. Terrabrew's buildings were always an ugly, murky yellow that looked like they had been dragged through swamp water. Not to mention their coffee was bland and didn't emit much scent. He should be able to smell the coffee from his position, but he couldn't.

The Mercantile was even more elegant than the Viewport, and it had sculptures inside as if to flaunt their wealth. However, he didn't care about that. What he did care about was the digipicks. Jimin had over a hundred of them back home, but of course, he didn't have access to his stash. Digipicks were lockpicks for the digital locks placed on most doors and computers. Jimin had mastered them and could crack the toughest lock. His biggest flex was that he once cracked the lock on Neon's famous Astral Lounge, which was the richest nightclub in the galaxy.

Y/n kept going. "The NAT is over here."

"The... what?"

"It stands for New Atlantis Transport. It's a monorail that takes you between the districts: Residential, MAST, and Commercial."

Jimin sighed. "I don't even know what the fuck MAST means."

"Don't worry, you'd probably rather die than go there. It's the giant skyscraper up there. It's where all the higher-ups are. The president, treasurer, Vanguard commanders..."

Jimin grimaced and faked a gag. "Yeah, I think I'd rather get my dick cut off than go there."

As much as it pained Jimin to admit, the skyscraper was beautiful. It was in the distance, but it shined nonetheless. It was an all-glass building that reflected the sunlight, and the letters 'UC' were written in enormous white paint on the side. It was a skyscraper, but it looked more like a spire since it curved up and got smaller the closer to the top it was.

The UC MAST skyscraper

Y/n grabbed him. "Come on, we have to get to the Residential district. It's where the Lodge is."

In less than five minutes, somehow Jimin was on the NAT and traveling to the Residential district. The NAT was faster than any public transportation he had ever been on.

Note: Jimin had never been on public transportation.

By the time they were in the Residential district, he hadn't noticed where the time had gone. It felt faster than a damn grav drive, and it was somehow cleaner than Y/n's ship.

"It's right up here," Y/n said as she ventured through the new district.

It was called Residential for a reason. All the apartment towers were present. Jimin recognized some of the names: Pioneer Tower, Mercury Tower, Athena Tower. They were generic names, but he knew Mercury was the rich one. He wondered if he'd ever get an apartment from Mercury. Well, if he did, it wouldn't be in New Atlantis. It wasn't like he could purchase property anyway. Only UC citizens could.

"Are you a UC citizen?" Jimin asked while they walked down the sidewalk that had streetlights and trees on either side. There were more kids than Jimin was expecting, and they were drawing and playing tag. At least it wasn't anywhere near as busy there as it was in the spaceport.

"No, but I will be in a year. My citizenship got fast-tracked. Most don't get it until their forties."

Jimin scrunched up his nose as if he had just smelled rotting garbage. "So, let me get this straight: The UC doesn't let anyone be citizens, even those born in UC territory, and the only way to get citizenship is by working for the UC for a long time?"

"Correct. It's a form of population control. Since the Freestar and independent territories don't have such rules, the UC thought it was fair to keep their citizenship access to those dedicated to the UC, and anyone who didn't like it could go elsewhere. I'm getting citizenship faster since I scored very highly on my exam. They put you through six tiers of flight simulation, but you only need three to pass. Only five people in the history of the Vanguard have cleared stage six, and you're looking at one of them."

Jimin made a whistling sound. "Damn, you'd think you'd get citizenship right then and there."

"You'd think. As much as I love my home, I will admit the long wait for citizenship is ridiculous."

Well, at least she wasn't so brainwashed that she didn't see how stupid the UC's population control plan was. On paper, it wasn't a bad idea. Old Earth had suffered from overpopulation, and it led to higher poverty, homeless, and starvation rates. Maybe the UC was onto something.

Y/n slowed. "We're here."

Jimin wasn't sure what he was expecting, but a lodge sounded like a tiny house. Instead, it looked like it was built into the side of a small, blocky hill. It had gray walls, but the doors were what made it stand out. They were golden, and there was a golden patch of what looked to be metal above it to make it shine in the sun. Vines hung down from the top of the building-hill hybrid, which made the Lodge appear older than it likely was.

"Constellation was founded in 2275 by Sebastian Banks," Y/n explained as they approached the doors.

Alright, so the building was old. Got it.

The Lodge, entrance

"There are eleven members of Constellation including myself. If they convince you to join, you'll be the twelfth."

Jimin ran his hand down the door and noticed how clean it was despite being outside with the birds and bugs. "Mind telling me how many members are from the UC?"

Y/n snickered. "Don't worry, not many. Sarah Morgan is the chair of Constellation and also a UC citizen. Noel is another UC native, though I don't think she's a citizen."

Jimin almost cheered. "Only three out of eleven, including you?"

"Correct. I think you should talk to Sam and Cora Coe. Father-daughter duo, both born in Akila. You can giggle, braid each other's hair, and gossip about the UC all you want."

Jimin grinned. "Sam sounds like my type of man."

Y/n rolled her eyes but had a smile on her face. She pointed her wrist toward the door, and that was when Jimin noticed she had a watch there. It unlocked the doors, and they pushed out toward the pair. Y/n went in first. Jimin followed and kept his footsteps light like he had always done in Neon.

Upon entering, he was engulfed by the overwhelming scent of what he imagined was wood. It had a nature-like feel to it, not that he knew much about what that was. The interior was all wood. The floors, walls, and ceilings were a honey brown color. There was a small welcome room with a couch and antique items along with paintings depicting historical events on the walls. Through the welcome room was the core of the Lodge, and also where five other people were.

"I'll introduce you," Y/n said, and the sound of her voice caused the others to shift their attention to the newcomers.

She pulled him inside, and Jimin had to pause to take in the sights. It was a two-story building, and the second story was visible from his position. He could see what was like a balcony overlooking the first floor. No one was up there, and he couldn't see the rooms, only the walkway and the railing.

The Lodge was pretty much just a giant library. Books upon books upon books took up the walls. Jimin ran to the nearest bookshelf and snatched one of them. It was an Old Earth book titled Great Expectations. He resisted the urge to hug it.

"Y/n," a female voice said. She had an accent that sounded far too elegant for Jimin's liking. "Who is this and why is he drooling on our books?"

"Can a man not read?" Jimin asked as he turned around.

The one escape Jimin had was reading. Back home he had stolen plenty of books and reread them whenever he hadn't had time to steal new ones. At the rate he was going, he could get through the hundreds of books Constellation had in a week.

The woman who had spoken shook her head, and locks of her short blonde hair covered half of her face. The half he saw had light blue eyes and pale skin that was contrasted by a row of freckles on her cheeks. Her nose was slim, but the end of it sat upturned, revealing more of her thin lips that were coated in a glossy layer of cherry lip gloss. He could practically smell it from his position.

However, what fascinated him most was not the woman, it was what she was standing in front of. There was a circular table that had two artifacts floating above it. They were dancing in the air as if they had a mind of their own, and sparkles of whiteness popped around them. It was the most magical sight Jimin had ever witnessed.

"He got an artifact," Y/n said, and the room went quiet at that. "He dug it out of a mine on Vectera. Barrett, you weren't kidding about the visions."

"I can't believe you doubted me," a man, now identified as Barrett, said. He had a deep tone that commanded the room, but it was also light. Almost like a comedian's voice. It didn't help that he looked lovable. He had a dad bod and a scruffy beard along with darker skin.

"Barrett," Y/n replied with a sigh. "Can you blame us? You do comedy routines more than you explore. You literally joke about your husband's death."

Barrett grinned, and it was a wide smile that seemed to embrace the entire room. "What's the point of trauma if you can't even joke about it?"

Another man in the room, a man wearing a cowboy hat for some reason, nudged Barrett. "Amen, brother."

Y/n cleared her throat and stepped forward. "Constellation, this is Park Jimin. Jimin, this is Sarah Morgan." She pointed to the blonde. "Barrett." She pointed to the jokester. "And Sam Coe, the one I told you about." She pointed to the one wearing the cowboy hat, then to the fireplace in the back of the Lodge. "The two hiding in the corner are Walter and Vladimir. They don't really like... people."

Sam, the space cowboy, waved his hand. "Woah, woah, wait. You talked about me? Y/n, I'm flattered."

Y/n facepalmed. "Jimin hates the UC as much as you do, that's why I talked about you."

Sam lit up like a child, but seeing as he had a beard and a daughter, he was far from being youthful. "I just fell in love."

Jimin scanned Sam up and down. The man had a brown jacket on over a shirt of the same color, but what stood out was the necklace he had. It was a black string attached to a cyan crystal. It lay flat against his lower chest. He had fluffy, light brown hair hidden by his hat, but it was long enough to cover the back of his neck. For a man likely in his late forties to early fifties, he looked incredible. The only wrinkles he had were near his eyelids, but seeing as he had baby blues more alluring than Sarah's, the wrinkles were hardly noticeable.

Jimin smirked. "I can say the same about you."

"Alright," Sarah said, setting her hands down on the table containing the artifacts. "You two can flirt later, but for now, I need to ask you about the artifact you mined. Where is it?"

Jimin motioned to Y/n. "On her ship."

"And you saw... visions?"

"Unlike anything I've ever seen before. It was like staring into the infinite universe. There was music, too. An orchestra."

"I'm telling you, these artifacts are telling us something. They're sending a message that may lead to a higher power. All we have to do is look," Barrett said.

Barrett's words garnered the attention of the other two members of Constellation who sat in the right corner by the fireplace. Jimin couldn't see them from his position; however, what he could see was the glass wall that made up the left side of the building. It led to an indoor garden that had a kid inside, and she was reading in the grass. Jimin wished he could sit and read with her.

"Wait, how do you know that?" Jimin asked, and Barrett raised his arms as if he were about to hug Jimin, but he was much too far for that. Instead, he laughed, and it was just as warm as his regular voice.

"Because I saw the visions too."

☆☆☆

Upcoming Destination:

System: Sol

Faction: United Colonies (UC)

Planet: In Phobo's orbit (one of Mars' moons)

Place: UC Vigilance, a giant battleship-class spaceship

UPCOMING CHARACTER:

☆☆☆

𝐅𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐅𝐚𝐜𝐭:

The UC Vigilance is the flagship for UC SysDef, which is a UC military branch that specializes in eliminating the pirates known as the Crimson Fleet. It bounces between Mars and Old Earth.

The UC Vanguard helps UC SysDef. Vanguard pilots are known for destroying pirates in UC-controlled territory. The Crimson Fleet's rival is UC SysDef. However, UC SysDef is beginning to become desperate as the pirate threat grows and the UC continues to treat SysDef like a joke instead of the serious operation it is.

☆☆☆

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

SEASON 1 EPISODE 2

𝐄𝐍𝐃

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

A/N: I'm sorry the chapter is so long. I didn't want it to be, but there was so much worldbuilding to cover that I felt I needed to keep going. I hope the long chapter is okay, and I hope you're liking the book so far! Thanks for reading!