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SEASON 1 FINALE

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Location:

System: Kryx

Faction: Crimson Fleet

Planet: Suvorov's orbit

Place: The Key

A/N: I posted this a lil earlier than I said I would, but I'm eager to have the finale out. I spent a lot of time on this chapter perfecting it, so please vote and comment! I hope you enjoy the finale <3

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Jimin

Pain was an understatement.

Lung damage hurt like a bitch if it had snorted Aurora and cocaine... at the same time. The carbon monoxide had damaged his lungs and likely his heart as well. Jimin had never been poisoned before, but now that he had, he wished he could claw it out of himself and go back to normal. He'd rather have a man cold than deal with whatever the fuck carbon monoxide poisoning was doing to him.

Y/n flew the ship while Jimin sat in the co-pilot's seat as her passenger princess. She did all the work booting up the grav drive. Jimin had offered to help, but she insisted he get whatever rest he could in the thirty seconds it'd take to jump back to Kryx. After she set the jump coordinates, she powered up the drive and hovered her hand over the switch.

"What is it?" Jimin asked in a heave.

Her teeth shot out and nibbled on her lower lip. "Strap in. If SysDef isn't done fighting, we're jumping into a warzone."

Part of Jimin hoped they weren't done fighting. He knew that was a selfish, abhorrent request. After all, that would mean Y/n would have to do more work and join the battle. The last thing he wanted was more pressure on her. However, if they were still at war, that meant Del and Hoseok were likely alive.

Jimin buckled up and hoped his coughing would calm down. The blood had, but his wheezes hadn't. Y/n had given him looks each time he coughed. She had every right to be concerned—hell, Jimin was concerned too—but he believed it'd be okay. For Del and Hoseok, he'd push through. Just a little longer...

"Jump starting in three... two..."

Y/n trailed off and launched them through space. The familiar colors of the universe reached out to him, and he realized the patterns were almost like what the artifacts had shown him. They were cyans and purples, reds and greens, pinks and whites. Every color imaginable was present and ready to shower him with light.

Before he could analyze it further, they appeared in the Kryx system, right where the Key was. Y/n gasped, and Jimin bit his tongue to prevent himself from doing the same. The Key was under attack. The UC Vigilance and all its support ships were there, fighting the Key. The Key stood no chance against the firepower of the Vigilance. Even if the Fleet could overpower all the UC support ships, not a single weapon in their arsenal could break through the shields of the Vigilance.

"What do we do?" Jimin muttered.

"Well, we work for both sides. Let's use that to our advantage and dock on the Key. You go inside and find Del and Hoseok, I'll undock and join the UC's fight. I'll send a ship after you to pick you up and take you back to the Vigilance when it's over."

"You want to separate? Are you insane? In a time like this?"

She placed her hand over his. "I'll be okay. I'm used to slaying pirates, remember?"

He couldn't argue with that, so he slumped back in his seat and agreed. Y/n ducked and dove through the chaos and avoided the gunfire. She was right: neither the UC or Fleet shot at them. That made their journey to the Key far easier. Jimin knew he wouldn't have much time before the Fleet reported Jimin's ship firing at them, so he had to get to Hoseok and Del before it was too late.

Y/n docked as fast as she could, and when they were secured, Jimin hopped up and coughed out one last clump of blood before wiping his lips and hoping his breath didn't smell like shit.

"Jimin," she said as he unbuckled and got up. He hummed and turned to face her. "You... you're not going to give the Legacy to them, are you?"

He chuckled. Then, he took the Legacy out of his pack and handed it to her. Her wide eyes and dropped jaw told him all he needed to know.

"Don't get me wrong, I like Del and Hobi, but..." Jimin sucked in a sharp breath. "They can't get their hands on this. Make sure Yoongi and Jungkook get it. Oh, and this slate."

He tossed Jasper Kryx's slate to her. It wasn't evidence against any current Fleet members, but it was a relic of its own. It could be displayed in museums. Park Jimin had found the corpse of Jasper Kryx and determined once and for all that he was dead. It was a moment that'd go down in the history books.

Assuming SysDef won the fight.

Before she could reply, Jimin sprinted to the hatch and opened it with his AA-99 on his back and his powers ready to activate if needed. Although he didn't have the energy required to use his powers much, he kept it in the back of his mind, just in case. The pirates were violent people. He didn't want to know what Del and Hobi would do once they realized he was the traitor all along.

Jimin entered the Key and shut the hatch behind him so Y/n knew she could take off. As soon as he stepped inside, there were pirates waiting for him, holding him at gunpoint.

"I don't have time for this, get out of my fucking way. I have the Legacy and I'm going to Del whether you like it or not."

They lowered their guns at that, and Jimin sprinted down the hall and made his way through Reckoner's Core. Shinya and Jazz were there working on backing up their credits. Jimin didn't bother drawing attention to himself as he stalked by, and he continued his journey to the ops center.

Upon entering, he found turmoil. Several pirate captains ran around screeching orders to keep the Key under control. It rumbled more and more as the fight intensified, but Jimin knew the UC wouldn't dare destroy the Key. It was a precious station that had once been a staple of the UC's prison system. If they could take the Key back with minimal damage, they would. At least, he hoped they would. If Jimin had a credit for every time he was on a ship that could explode, he'd have two credits, which wasn't a lot, but it was strange that it happened twice. Especially twice in the course of an hour.

Jimin shook his thoughts off and went to Delgado's office upstairs. Hoseok wasn't there, but Del was. The man whipped around as soon as Jimin entered. He kicked the door shut and rushed to Del to inspect if he was alright.

"Did any SysDef officers breach the station?" Jimin asked in a hurry, and Del clicked his tongue and grunted.

"No, not yet, but they will. We have maybe five minutes. I want you here. This is our last stand."

Jimin's eyes bulged. "We're fighting them? No, Del. You and Hobi need to leave or surrender before it's too late."

The idea of letting them go was selfish, and Jimin knew it. He'd gladly let Hoseok and Del walk away if it meant it'd spare their lives. Would it mean the Fleet could rebuild one day? Yes, but Del and Hobi would live. Jimin didn't know why he was okay with that, but the thought of Hoseok and Del dead made him shudder.

"Leave? I'm not leaving my family," Del said in a much sharper tone than Jimin was used to. When Jimin flinched, Del stiffened and leaned back on his feet. "Where's the Legacy?"

"I got it. Kryx was dead when I got there, and the ship blew up when I left. Starting all the systems overloaded the reactor and caused it to tear itself apart."

"Where is it, rook?"

The harshness of the final word caused him to stumble back and knit his brows together. Delgado was a pirate, but even then, Jimin had never seen such aggression from him. Any emotion Del had got drained from his tone and was replaced by a scratchy, rough voice.

"My girl has it," Jimin murmured.

Del nodded once. Twice. He tip-toed closer to Jimin. Out of fear of being suspicious, Jimin stayed as still as he could. Del scanned him up and down and halted once he was mere inches away. Del had hot breath that squeezed Jimin's poor nose, and he wished he could wince or flee, but he was frozen.

Then, a sharp pain rang through his body.

Jimin yelped and plunged to the ground only to find a knife jutting out of his chest. Del stood over him and watched blood gush from Jimin's body. It pierced right through the suit, and Jimin panted as tears dripped across his face.

If he thought lung damage was painful, nothing compared to the knife. If not because of the raw agony, then because of the coldness on Del's face. Jimin had been the one to betray Del, yet Jimin felt far more betrayed. He had risked everything to come back and save Del, and a knife was his thanks. That was Jimin's fault for thinking a pirate would be rational.

"So, you're the traitor," Del said with a sigh. He leaned against the holotable and crossed his arms over his chest. "I should have known you were a UC dog. You were too good. Too perfect. Too... sincere."

When the last word passed his tongue, Del seemed to finally understand the situation. His lower lip quivered and his eyes welled up. He held the moisture back and let out a shaky breath. Then, he brought his hand to his mouth. There was a comm strapped around his wrist. Del pressed on it, and Hoseok's voice came over the line.

"Jimin's the traitor," Del said, and Hoseok went quiet at that. Del cleared his throat. "I disposed of him. His woman is still on his ship, I'll command the troops to destroy it immediately."

Jimin hyperventilated and grabbed the handle of the knife. He had two options. One, pull the knife out and immediately use his powers to save himself but kill Del. Two, let himself die. But he couldn't do the second one. Not because he cared more for himself than Del. No, it was the opposite.

Jimin was terrified of death, but more terrified of being alone. He had spent most of his life in denial about how lonely he was, but when he had met Constellation, he discovered what true family was. What true happiness was. Del and Hoseok were people he considered family too. He'd rather die than lose them, so he'd gladly lay down his life for them. However, Del didn't matter more than the woman Jimin loved. He didn't matter more than the words Jimin whispered to her, promising he'd come back okay. Jimin had to kill Delgado. Not for the UC, not for the better of the galaxy, and not even so Jimin could live. No.

It was because he owed Y/n a kiss.

Jimin wrenched the knife out of his chest and shrieked when he did so. Blood squirted out and made his skin go paler. His veins were a shining, glittering blue. And as he staggered to his knees, he thought of the symbol. His hand lit up and sparks flew off his body. Delgado tripped over his own feet and needed the table to keep himself upright. Jimin ended up standing with a grin on his face and water cloaking his cheeks. Power coursed through him to the point where he forgot he had lung damage. He forgot he had been stabbed.

"I came back to save you," Jimin said with venom lacing his words. "I still want to save you, but I can't. You made one mistake."

For potentially the first time since Jimin had met him, Delgado appeared afraid. He didn't move despite how he had time to. If anything, he seemed in awe of Jimin's abilities. Jimin took the opportunity to open his mouth one more time.

"You fucked with my woman."

He fired, and the black stream hit Del right in the chest. He hollered and toppled over. Jimin felt his knife wound heal itself, and even his lungs felt fresh. Del shriveled up in front of Jimin's eyes. His skin went two shades lighter, and his flesh got sucked enough to show his bones. The life left Del's eyes, and soon enough, he ceased all movements. Delgado died to save Jimin. Not willingly, but he did. All because he was about to send the Fleet after Y/n to kill her.

Jimin noticed how no more blood came out of his body. No pain hit his core. It was as if he never had any injuries to begin with. As long as he had energy and didn't sustain any fast-killing injuries, he could heal himself through almost anything. Probably. He didn't want to take any risks, especially considering he had left his helmet on the ship in his frenzy to save Del and Hoseok. His head was vulnerable. One headshot and he was screwed.

And Hoseok was a good shot.

Jimin knelt in front of Del and closed the deceased man's eyes. He gave Del a moment of silence. Though he doubted a pirate deserved it, it was the least Jimin could do to thank him for all he had done. For once, Jimin had felt included, and it was thanks to Del. Del had been the one to share secrets with Jimin and convince him to join in their sea shanty. Delgado had-

'Beep! Beep! Beep!'

Sirens went off and emergency lights came on. Jimin jumped to his feet and saw the sirens came from the reactor room attached to Delgado's office. The door was in the corner, and Jimin burst it down only to find there was an enormous reactor room with two giant pillar-shaped reactors that had a soft glow to them. There were catwalks leading to the two reactor control rooms in the left and right corners of the space. Based on the way the lights moved, Jimin could tell what had happened. Someone had set the reactors to overload. It was a self-destruct button, and the reactors were heating up.

The pirates all pointed their weapons at Jimin, and he knew he had to move. He jumped off the catwalk and landed on the floor underneath. Bullets came and bounced off the metal above him. He ducked and crawled his way to the staircase that led to yet another catwalk. There was a complicated series of catwalks that were all occupied with pirates. He was one man versus twelve, but Jimin had faith.

After all, he had superpowers. They didn't.

He thought of his freezing power and fired it at one of the reactors. It didn't work. The reactor was far too big to freeze from his powers. That meant he had to think of plan B, and also limit his power usage if possible. Using Life Force on Del had exhausted him. If he used more energy, there was a chance he'd fall and wouldn't get up. No voice could save him now.

Bullets rained on him, and Jimin blindly fired back. He had limited ammo and time. Jimin glanced at the first room that wasn't too far away. He had to get there and shut down the first reactor. That'd slow the process, but he'd still have to kill the pirates if he wanted to ensure they wouldn't just restart it as soon as he left. He had taken out Delgado, and he was sure UC SysDef had breached the Key by that point. All he had to do was hold out a little longer.

Jimin stayed out of sight, then used his Void ability to cloak himself and finish his sprint to the other side. He made it into the reactor room undetected while the pirates yelled orders to find him. With them distracted, he shut down the first reactor. Right in time, too. He popped back into visibility as soon as he did.

The vicinity was cluttered with desks and broken lights that made visibility low in an already dim reactor room. He used that to his advantage by hiding in the corner under one of the desks and thinking of his particle beam. Using his powers put a strain on his mind and caused blood to drip out of his nose, but he ignored it for the time being.

Sirens clogged his ears as the taste and scent of his own sweat invaded his mouth and nostrils. Coughs threatened to spew from his parched throat, but he bit his cheeks to keep himself from making unnecessary noise, even if it'd be masked by the sirens.

Two pirates came inside and went to restart the process, but Jimin fired his particle beam and melted through them, liquifying them instantly. Their armor turned a searing red as their bones and blood melted into a puddle of leftover guts and brain matter. Vomit wanted to spring free from Jimin's stomach. The gruesome sight combined with taking more life made Jimin ill, but he had no choice but to continue. There were ten pirates left and one reactor to shut down. He hadn't come that far just to die because he got an upset stomach.

Jimin rushed out of the area and found two pirates approaching. He shot them with his explosive AA-99. Since his was a full-auto AA-99 with heftier bullets, he had the advantage and scored an easy victory. However, he didn't get as lucky with the next three pirates he encountered.

They were on a catwalk near the right reactor, and they fired at him. The bullets bounced off his suit, and he jumped into cover behind the left reactor. It was shut down and made a soft humming noise. Half of the sirens were gone thanks to Jimin's efforts. Still, he had one more to go.

Although powers were supposed to be a last resort, Jimin trusted his aim with his powers more than his aim with his gun. So, he thought of the beam and jumped out of cover unexpectantly, firing it at the three pirates. While he didn't hit the pirates, he melted through the catwalk and sent them falling to their deaths. The catwalk was up high enough that the fall was deadly. Seeing as he could hear the echoing cracks from his position, he knew they were either too injured to continue fighting or dead.

That left five more pirates to take care of, and Jimin had no idea where they were. To be safe, he used his Void ability one last time and went to the left reactor room. He found them there, guarding the controls. Jimin had about ten seconds until he was visible again. He took that time to sneak in the corner where a cluster of desks and broken computers were. He knelt behind the debris and pointed his rifle at them. He shot them down without waiting for him to pop out of his Void Form. The bullets tore through them and made them dust in less than five seconds.

Jimin got to the controls and powered them down just as he popped into visibility again. A ringing sound jumped around his brain even after the sirens stopped. He rubbed his head and slumped over. Pants flew by the tip of his tongue as more blood dripped down his nose. He had pushed himself way too far. He knew it: he couldn't use his powers for a while. If he used one more, he'd collapse.

Although it was hardly time for a break, Jimin took a moment to celebrate his tiny victory which wasn't really tiny. He had killed Delgado, robbing the Fleet of their main commander. He had foiled their plan to self-destruct the Key to destroy any UC SysDef on it, and likely the nearby ships as well. Maybe even the Vigilance. However, Jimin hadn't found Hoseok. That was the last step. As much as Jimin cared for the other pirates, Y/n had been right: he didn't have to do everything himself. UC SysDef could take care of the others. For the time being, Jimin had to locate Hoseok before it was too late.

Jimin hoisted himself toward the door and left the room. The two reactors were disabled and making a soft humming noise. The rest of the space was silent except for clunking footsteps from overhead. Before Jimin could react, a male figure jumped down from the catwalk above and landed on him, crushing him. He yelped at the feeling of his elbow shattering, and he got pinned to the ground face-down with his hair falling in his face to obstruct his vision.

The muzzle of an assault rifle hit the back of his head, and he cursed under his breath. He recognized those jagged breaths anywhere. It was Jung Hoseok.

"I trusted you," Hoseok's shaky tone said. He dug the muzzle into Jimin's skull, and Jimin whimpered at the intense pressure. "I would've risked my life for you. Shit, I did risk my life by vouching for you, and look where that got me! The last time I trusted someone, it ended up like this, and now, here I am again. Fuck!"

Hoseok backed off and kicked Jimin to roll him over. Jimin held his stomach, but Hoseok didn't let up. He kicked Jimin again and again until puke flung itself out of Jimin's gut and into the physical world. It landed on the catwalk. Hoseok stepped over it and paced back and forth while rubbing his fingers over his AA-99.

"Hobi..." Jimin coughed out a mixture of blood and vomit. He met Hoseok's eyes with his pleading ones. "Please believe me, I came back here to save you."

"Save me?! Save me by putting me in prison? Bullshit! I'd rather die! If you really wanted to save me, you would've gone back to your little UC ship. Why couldn't you be a fucking coward for once?!"

Jimin wobbled his way to his knees and held his hand over his aching chest. Every ounce of him hurt. Throughout the course of a day, Jimin had almost died on the Legacy, got lung damage, got stabbed, and got beat up by the strongest man he knew. His body would need years of rest; however, for the time being, he had to confront his friend.

"No, Hobi. I'm here to help you escape," Jimin whispered.

For a beat, Hoseok stalled. His hands loosened their grip on his AA-99, but after the beat passed, he tightened his hold once more and raised it to Jimin's head. There was fifteen feet between them at most. Jimin could use Void Form and make it harder on Hobi, but he knew he'd pass out if he used one more power. He could go for his gun, but Hobi was a faster shot. Jimin had to either stall or convince Hobi to surrender.

"If I wasn't here to help, why would I disable the reactor instead of running?" Jimin asked, coughing out a variety of liquids as he rose. He stumbled, but he stood. Hobi didn't shoot. Not yet. "Why would I come straight here instead of taking out your support ships or trying to kill any other pirates like Shinya and Jazz? I came here to help you get out so you can live free."

"Free? Jimin, you've been in the Fleet all this time, but you still don't get it. This is my freedom. I'd rather die than lose my Fleet. They're the last thing I have left. You were part of that!" Hoseok shouted. Then, he dropped his voice to a mere murmur. "And now I lost you too."

Jimin had no choice. There were no words he could think of that'd stop Hoseok's rampage, and UC SysDef had taken too long. It was now or never. So, Jimin did the best thing he could think of: he jumped off the catwalk.

The unexpected move caused Hoseok to blunder and miss his shot. Jimin rolled away and winced at his knee pain thanks to the fall. His entire left arm was broken. The pain didn't matter. Survive first, think about pain later.

Jimin had to use one hand to hold his AA-99. It was too heavy, so he had to improvise and jam the handguard on his limp left hand to keep it from falling. It didn't help much, but enough that Jimin could somewhat aim. He had to somehow get the advantage. That meant Jimin had to think of a plan.

"Hobi, please don't do this!" Jimin said. In response, Hoseok fired near his position.

Jimin hid behind one of the reactors, which was far too thick for bullets to pass by. Hoseok had the high ground. Jimin had no objects around him he could throw as a distraction. He could wait and see if SysDef came, but deep down, Jimin knew he had to handle it. It was his fight. He'd finish it. Without Y/n, without Constellation, without the UC, and even without his powers.

It was up to Park Jimin.

With a deep breath, Jimin blindly fired without showing his face or body. His arms peeked so he could return bullets in Hoseok's general direction. He hit nothing. There were no groans, no pants, no screams. Only silence interrupted by the humming reactors and the occasional storm of gunfire.

Hoseok was smart. He didn't waste bullets on Jimin's blind shooting. Hoseok was waiting Jimin out, just like Jimin was waiting Hoseok out. If neither of them wasted ammo, they'd never have to reload, which meant neither of them would have the opportunity to go on the offensive. Jimin was trapped.

The very prospect of killing Hoseok made him mentally whine, but physically, he kept his mouth shut. That was when he realized it: he had an Eon pistol. It was his backup weapon in case of emergency. It was far weaker and wouldn't kill Hoseok on first shot, but it could be used for something else. A distraction.

Jimin grabbed it and shoved his rifle against his bad arm. With his good hand, he threw the pistol as far as he could. As soon as it made a 'clang!' noise, he peeked out of cover and noticed Hoseok had tilted his head to see what the noise was. It was the tiniest mistake. In reality, Jimin barely considered it a mistake. It was human instinct more than anything. Still, that instinct cost Hoseok his life.

Jimin pulled the trigger. A yell came from Hoseok as he went crashing down. Jimin heard Hoseok's AA-99 fall. That gave him permission to go to the stairs and climb up the catwalk. When he approached the injured Hoseok, he noticed he had shot the pirate in the gut. It wasn't fatal unless they waited too long.

"Come on, I'll help you," Jimin said.

He knelt and prepared to help Hobi, but the man backed away. He had disgust in his expression that made Jimin feel sick of himself. Sick of his existence. Although Jimin didn't fail, he felt useless. Even winning a fight couldn't make him feel proud of himself.

Hoseok spat his gum out on the ground in front of Jimin. "You did all this, so finish it. Don't choose to be a coward now, Park Jimin."

"I'm not killing you, Hobi. I don't want to."

"It's either you or the UC. If you ever cared about me, prove it now. Kill me," Hoseok whispered in a hiss.

"Hobi, no."

However, Jimin's pleas didn't impact Hoseok's opinion. Instead of listening to Jimin, he turned and began going for his AA-99, which had dropped behind him. Jimin aimed his weapon at Hoseok. Time slowed as Jimin watched his friend's hand make contact with his rifle. There was no choice anymore. It was either Hoseok or Jimin.

Jimin chose himself.

The bullet pierced through the muzzle and sunk into the side of Hoseok's skull. Crimson fluid danced across the catwalk and pooled up until Jimin's boots drank it in. The moisture seeped through the fabric and touched his socks, then his toes, then the bones waiting underneath. It infected his personal space and planted a chip inside his mind that'd never go away. It was there forever: the memory of Jung Hoseok.

The dead pirate had his hand on his weapon. Jimin kicked it away as if that'd do anything. Hoseok had no heart-shaped smile on his face. Even his bouncy, curly hair lay flat against him. His eyes were closed as if he had been expecting it. His skin began shifting into a brilliant paleness that contrasted the brightest stars Jimin had ever seen.

Jimin slumped to the metal ground and picked up Hoseok's scarf. It flew in the gentle breeze coming from the cooling fans in the walls. The red scarf had a drop of blood on it near the end, and he decided to squeeze it before tying it around his neck and letting it decorate his figure. He didn't deserve to wear such a beautiful item, but he wore it anyway. Hoseok was a terrible person, yet Jimin respected him. The least he could do was carry on the man's legacy.

Footsteps pounded against the catwalks. Jimin whipped around and saw SysDef officers rushing in with varying weapons like shotguns and rifles. They saluted him, and the debriefing felt like a blur. Jimin whispered his status update about how both Delgado and Hoseok were dead. The SysDef officers reported they had many pirates in custody, including Shinya and Jazz. Others, like Zora, didn't go down without a fight.

The SysDef officers brought him back to the ship Y/n had prepared for him. She had survived the fight, according to the officers. Not only had she survived, but her presence had turned the tide of the battle. Her piloting skills were unmatched. After all the stress Jimin had endured, he wanted nothing more than to see her. He couldn't wait any longer. He didn't care who watched. Jimin needed her.

The Vigilance was parked outside the Key. UC support ships monitored the space around it and kept it safe. There were pirate stragglers all over the system, but they no longer had their home base, and any pirates that didn't get the memo would get shot down on sight. It was over. They won.

Yet it didn't feel like it. Not to Jimin.

The ride back to the Vigilance was silent. An officer gave Jimin a cast for his arm and injected him with heavy painkillers, then he was polite enough to clean Jimin's bruised and bloody face. Jimin didn't pay attention the entire time.

When they docked with the Vigilance, Jimin got up and left immediately. He charged through the halls and didn't care how many cheered and clapped for him. The faces of Delgado and Hoseok haunted him, and he knew only Y/n could help him forget. If not forget, at least come to terms with what he had just done.

Jimin went inside the elevator that would lead him to her. He didn't even care about the rattles the box of doom made as it ascended him to the bridge. The doors parted and revealed a hall full of UC officers applauding his efforts and congratulating him. Jimin marched past them and entered the bridge to see more officers on his left and right; however, none of them mattered. Commander Min, Jungkook, and Y/n stood near the holotable in the center of the room.

All three of them had bright grins on their faces. Y/n's dropped when she saw Jimin's battered state. She rounded the table as if about to run to him, but he beat her to it. He stormed up to her and crashed all his feelings on her all at once. His good arm looped around her waist and shoved her up against his chest. Before she could question his aggressiveness, he fulfilled his promise.

He kissed her.

His lips collided with hers, and he adored the way she let out a little squeak. Then, she returned it and allowed her hands to explore his body. Her lips tasted full of blood, sweat, and tears, yet he cherished it. If anything, it made the kiss better.

Every sense of his frolicked in his mind. His ears gave out due to the volume of the hoots and hollers surrounding him, his nose only smelled a sweet vanilla radiating off Y/n, his fingers and lips could feel every ounce of her, and his eyes were shut to enjoy the moment he had been waiting for.

He pulled back and refused to gaze at anyone other than her. The cheers were nothing more than a disturbance that warped his mind. He had been overstimulated that day. First with the entire Legacy quest, then with the Key and the deaths of his friends, and currently, his kiss with Y/n. At least it had finally happened, but that didn't change how terrified he was.

"Alright, alright, don't get too excited," Commander Min said as he stepped closer to Y/n and Jimin. Jimin reluctantly backed away from her so he could focus on Yoongi. "My officers tell me they found Delgado and Hoseok dead."

Jimin's tongue swelled inside him. His throat closed in on itself and wished to disappear from existence. Their faces flashed in his brain, and he almost cried from the images. All he wanted was to reassure them one last time that he cared. He still did. However, it was far too late. They were gone. Jimin had killed them.

Y/n taking Jimin's hand made him realize he hadn't answered his superior, but Yoongi nodded and didn't pressure him to answer. Jimin's lack of an answer was enough.

"Good. That means the commanders are gone and the Key is ours. Y/n already gave us the Legacy, and my best are working on it as we speak." Commander Min trailed off and placed a hand on Jimin's shoulder. "I was wrong to doubt you. Not only did you bring us the Legacy and evidence of Jasper Kryx's demise, but you personally took care of both Fleet commanders. Without you, the pirates would still be threatening the galaxy. Jungkook was right."

Jungkook beamed. "Is now the right time for a 'told you so'?"

"Quiet," Commander Min said, but he had a chuckle in his voice as he spoke. He turned back to Jimin. "You did a great service not only to the UC, but to the entire galaxy. I'll see to it that you get a portion of the Legacy's credits."

Jimin's eyes almost popped out of his skull. "Wait, what? You can't be serious."

"I am. I called in some favors and arranged for you to get a good chunk of credits."

"And what about the Freestar? Those are Freestar creds, are you going to give it back to them?"

"Our tensions with the Freestar are through the roof, the last thing we need is to get caught holding onto their money. Of course we will send the credits back, and the credits we give you will be personally funded by the UC president. He's been dying to meet you."

Jimin grimaced. "I think I'd rather get lung damage."

Y/n whacked his shoulder, and he snickered at that. Little did she know, he didn't have lung damage anymore. His Life Force ability had saved him both from his damaged lungs and Del's knife.

"Baby steps, got it," Commander Min said with a short nod. Damn, he would never stop looking like a cat. "You'll meet him one day, I'm sure. For now, we won't push you. What matters is we won the battle. UC SysDef and Y/n in space, and Park Jimin on the Key. Excellent work. All of you are getting medals for your bravery today. I'm dispatching a team to the Key to backup my strike force. Otherwise, you're all dismissed to go get a drink from the mess hall. Drink as much as you want, you've earned it."

Holy shit, that was the smartest thing Jimin had ever heard Yoongi say. Jimin clapped and cheered at that, and the rest of the room joined in. Commander Min laughed, and Jimin had to admit it was fun to see the Commander lighting up. Even though Jimin still thought Yoongi was a dick for the coercion, he knew he wouldn't have it any other way. There was a strong chance Jimin's relationship with Y/n wouldn't be as strong as it was if it weren't for the pirate mission. And all that was thanks to Yoongi.

Jimin would never admit that out loud, though.

"You made it back," Jungkook said as the crowd dispersed to celebrate and get wasted. Jungkook ignored the others and made a beeline straight for Jimin. He had his hands folded together, and his eyes didn't quite meet Jimin's. "Looks like I was right. Even Yoongi said so."

"I guess you were," Jimin said with a whistle. He patted Jungkook's back. "Thank you for not giving up on me, and I'm sorry I was a dick to you. Well... kind of. You're still a UC dog, gotta be careful around you."

Y/n glared at him. "I'm a UC dog too."

"Yeah but you're hot and funny. Bunny man isn't."

"I'm not hot?! I can accept not being funny, but hot?!" Jungkook asked in a whine. He whipped around to face Y/n. "Do you think I'm hot?"

"Yes," Y/n answered without hesitation. At Jimin's narrowed eyes, Y/n innocently smiled. "But not as hot as Jimin, of course."

Jimin returned the smile. "Good girl."

"Ugh, you're taking this UC dog thing too seriously," Jungkook interrupted, getting between them. "I just wanted to say you did a great job. I hope you'll come back and work with us more."

"Yeaaah, no thanks. I have other plans."

And they involved the Vanguard. Jimin had had enough of SysDef, but he wanted to get to know more about Y/n's profession. If the UC allowed him within breathing distance of their MAST skyscraper, that was. Despite how Y/n had told him what MAST stood for, he forgot. All he knew was it was the building all the UC officials were in, and also where the Vanguard trained and received orders. If Jimin wanted flight lessons, he could go there. Not that he needed them. Y/n was a fantastic teacher.

"Worth a try. I hope I'll see you around, then," Jungkook said, offering Jimin a handshake.

Jimin took it. "What are you going to do?"

"Honestly, I'm not sure. I've spent my whole life fighting pirates. We still have to clean up the stragglers and take care of the Key, but otherwise, the big bad is gone. I never thought about what I'd do when it was over."

Jimin gave him a soft grin. "Hey, now you got the time to figure it out. I hope you find what you're looking for."

"I... thank you, Jimin. I do too."

Jungkook backed up, dipped his head, and scrambled away to go report to Commander Min. Yoongi gave Jimin an approving nod, and Jimin returned it as he went to Y/n's side. She had bags under her eyes, and he couldn't blame her. He was sure he looked the same way, only bloodier.

"As much as I'd love to celebrate with SysDef, I think we should get out of here," Y/n whispered. She held his hand and glanced at his injured arm. "What happened?"

"Hoseok, and don't worry, my lung damage is gone. I used Life Force on Del and healed myself. It killed him, but I'm okay. Only the arm now. I also got stabbed in the chest, so that was an experience."

"You got what?!"

"Del figured out I was the traitor and almost killed me."

Her eyes bulged, and he realized casually telling her he had almost died probably wasn't a good idea.

"Don't worry, don't worry," he said in the most delicate tone he could muster. "I'm alive and well. Let's not talk about it. You were right before, we should get out of here and get back to Jemison. I'm sure Sarah would love to hear this."

"Yeah, but..." She traced her fingers over his scarf, which had once been Hoseok's. "What happened in there?"

Jimin averted his gaze. "I don't want to talk about it, especially not here. Can we please go? The less time I spend with the UC, the better."

She took his good hand and kissed it. Then, she gave it a squeeze and nodded.

"Okay, let's go."

☆☆☆

Jimin didn't know how to feel.

Back on his ship, he sat with Y/n. She was in the pilot's seat with him in the co-pilot's. They had been floating in Jemison's orbit for the past hour, just staring at the UC patrol ships floating by and occasionally hailing them to check in. Y/n responded positively each time. Other than that, the only noises were Y/n's soft breaths and the random stomach growls from the lack of food they had.

Neither of them had addressed the kiss yet. Jimin admitted he could have been more romantic and kissed her in private, but the truth was, he couldn't hold back any longer. And Jimin liked the idea of claiming his woman in front of all the UC officers. She was his. Actually, it was more like the other way around considering she was the badass UC Vanguard, but still.

The stars were beautiful. The way they shaped Jemison left Jimin in awe. He had always hated the UC, but he had to admit Jemison was a gorgeous planet home to the glorious city of New Atlantis. The beauty took his mind off Hoseok and Delgado. That was what mattered.

"I don't do casual stuff," Y/n said, breaking the silence. Jimin quirked a brow, and she sighed at that. "I just mean... I don't do anything casual. So if you want me, I need to know if you really want me. You need to be all in. I'm talking cuddles, walks on the beaches, and stupid conversations at three in the morning. I... It just... It needs to be-"

He cut her off by leaning forward and pressing his lips on hers once more. They both had the chance to clean up, so their lips were far softer and cleaner. Hers tasted like strawberry, which he knew was due to her toothpaste. She had an obsession with a silly strawberry princess who had been a character in her favorite childhood movie. Ever since, she had strawberry products, like strawberry toothpaste. He believed even her shampoo and conditioner smelled like it.

His good hand went to her cheek to massage it, and he held her in place as he switched sides. He laughed when he bumped his nose off hers by accident. She giggled and averted her gaze, but he brought it back to him. Before kissing her again, he had to see her alluring eyes. Every time he took a glance at them, they convinced him he needed to stay with her for as long as he could. In that moment, they also convinced him to give her another soft kiss.

It was delicate, and he was careful not to move his hand from her face. His thumb rubbed her cheek to calm her nerves. He was sure not to use any tongue or move his lips in a pattern she couldn't keep up with. It was simple and to the point, yet more intimate than any intimacy Jimin had ever had. It sparked him with adrenaline and ecstasy.

As he pulled away, he offered her a toothy grin that scrunched up his eyes and nose.

"I'm all in. Always," he whispered against her lips.

She sniffled and scrambled her way into his seat. He laughed at the way she climbed on him to hug him. She ended up in his lap with her head buried against his neck, and he shushed her soft cries and played with her hair.

"I thought I lost you today," she said with a whimper. "I can't lose you. You're the galaxy's biggest jerk, but God dammit Park Jimin, I want you."

He hummed close to her ear. "You cursed."

She playfully hit his shoulder. "I'm trying to admit my feelings here."

"And you're doing a wonderful job," he said with a chuckle. "Please, keep going, keep cursing. It's free entertainment."

She huffed and backed off. Although she tried to look scary, Jimin laughed at her attempt. Her hair was all frizzed up due to her laying against his neck. It stuck in ten different directions. Jimin did his best to pat her down.

"Y/n, I feel the same way. I want you. Maybe I even need you," he said, but he whispered the last part.

She nodded and gave his little nose a kiss, which made him giggle. Then, they hugged, and he loved how her weight pressed against his. Having her in his arms was reassuring. It meant she wouldn't go anywhere. It meant she was safe.

"I'll take you to the doctor," she mumbled as he played with her hair. "They'll repair your arm in a few days tops."

Medicine fascinated him. His entire arm was shattered to the point where he thought it'd have to get amputated, but a doctor's visit would fix it in no time. He'd even be able to use it again at full capacity in less than a week. It sucked he had to deal with the pain in the meantime, but he'd rather wait before going to the doctor. It gave him more time with his girl.

"Thank you, I appreciate you pulling strings for me. I'll go to the Well from now on-"

"Shh," she interrupted, squeezing him. "Don't go down there. It's terrible. I don't want you to get hurt."

"Sweetheart, I grew up on Neon. I can handle it."

"Wow, congratulations. That may be the longest you've ever gone without mentioning Neon. You almost lasted a full conversation. That's a world record," she said in a teasing tone that made him snicker.

They went quiet after that. Jimin's mind was plagued with images of Hoseok and Del. Although Y/n had attempted to get him to talk about it, he had refused. He wasn't ready. He needed time. More time than ever. Killing two of his friends would lead to more nightmares than he could imagine, and he wasn't sure how he'd handle it. At least Y/n would be there. Some would frown upon them sharing a bed so frequently, but with their nightmares, it made the most sense. Besides, Jimin had less nightmares since he began sleeping with her.

"We should go back to the Lodge and lay down," Y/n said, and he made a soft 'mm-mm' sound.

"Can we stay here? I don't know if I can face them right now."

By face them, Jimin meant Constellation. There was a feeling resting inside him that he couldn't look Sarah in the eyes after all he had done. If not because of the torture he had participated in, then because he had killed more pirates than he could count. Jimin didn't take much issue with harming those who threatened him, but the Fleet was different. They were family. Killing zealots was one thing, but the Fleet was another he couldn't stomach.

Y/n kept her head pressed against his chest. "Of course we can. Whatever you want to do."

Jimin took her approval as a sign to get up. She wrapped her legs around his waist to keep herself upright, and with the help of his good hand, he carried her to his room, though it was more like their room anymore. He sat and plopped over with Y/n still on top of him, peacefully resting against his body. He pulled on several strands of her hair to gain her attention, and her eyes opened to peek at him.

"You're the most beautiful woman in the galaxy," he whispered before he could stop himself. It slipped out. Her eyes had always trapped him in a trance he wished to never leave.

She giggled and snuggled up with him. "There's no way Park Jimin just complimented me."

He massaged her upper back with his good hand and let out a soft 'mmm' sound to confirm that he did, in fact, just compliment her.

"Don't tell anyone I did that. Especially Sam, he might get jealous," Jimin mumbled, and Y/n got up and hovered over him. Some of her hair got in his face as she moved, but he didn't complain.

"I think..." She came a bit closer and traced circles on his cheek with her index finger. "He has a lot more to worry about than a compliment."

"Oh yeah?"

Her nose brushed by his, and she hummed. "Mhm. The compliments are the least of his worries..."

He went to kiss her, but she chuckled and pulled away. She waited until he pouted like a baby, then she granted him his desires. Her lips landed on his, and it was cuter than he was anticipating. Not that he minded. Anything Y/n did was cute, so he found it charming.

When they parted and went back to cuddling, Y/n's hand was on his chest, and he watched it rise and fall with his breathing. For all the bad that had happened, at least he had her. Finally, he could officially say she was his woman. He had fallen for her long ago, but he was grateful they got through the Fleet before he acted on it. That gave him the chance to see every side of her. The nightmares where she screamed and held back tears, the stupid jokes she made, the adorable smiles he wished he could see forever, her peaceful state while staring at the stars, and the list went on and on.

"Goodnight, Jimin," Y/n whispered against him, and he shivered from the way her breath waltzed across his sensitive skin.

He rubbed her back one more time and kissed the top of her head. She nuzzled up against him after that, and her warmth made him feel safe. Despite how his friends were gone, he knew he'd have no nightmares that night. And it was because of her.

"Goodnight, Y/n."

☆☆☆

END OF SEASON 1

☆☆☆

Upcoming Season Teaser:

- Follows the UC Vanguard

- Explores Y/n's religion and character in more detail

- Explores Y/n and Jimin's new relationship

- Features more of Commander Min and Jungkook in different roles

- Has a mysterious, dangerous foe; more dangerous than the Fleet, perhaps?

- Explores the Colony War from the UC's perspective

- We will meet UC representatives and learn more about the tension between the Freestar and UC

- New characters, of course

☆☆☆

Jimin's New Outfit:

Features:

- One gloved hand (left) and one ungloved for his powers (right)

- Hoseok's scarf

- Combat boots

- Cold weather protection with a thick jacket

- Overall thicker design to protect from stab wounds

- Shoulder plate for ramming doors (bulletproof as well)

This will now be his standard outfit unless otherwise stated. With the season ending, it only makes sense that he'd get an upgrade.

☆☆☆

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

SEASON 1 FINALE

𝐄𝐍𝐃

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

☆☆☆

A/N: Welp, that's it. That's the end of the pirate storyline. Of course there will be more about the pirates later, but that's the end of the main storyline. I know, I know, I'm evil and killed off Hobi, but he really couldn't stay, I'm sorry 😭😭😭

There are a few members of BTS we haven't met yet, but worry not, they will all be in the story at some point. I didn't want to drop all seven of them on you all at once since there's already enough going on that more characters would be too much.

Similarly, there will be more Commander Min and Jungkook throughout season 2. Jungkook in particular will become more important for the entire story, so prepare yourselves for that.

I hope you guys enjoyed this season finale. A lot happened, so I understand if you're still processing. Jimin and Y/n are finally together woot woot :3

I will be back with season 2 soon. I'm not taking a long break (I may or may not have already made a lot of progress on s2 episode 1-) or anything, though I will take a few days to chill. I put a lot of effort into this finale and uploaded faster because of it. I hope to see you in s2!

~ Raven the redhead