─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

SEASON 4 EPISODE 15

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Location:

System: Cheyenne

Faction: Freestar Collective

Planet: Akila

Place: In Akila's orbit, onboard Jimin's ship

A/N: Chat, I found a new s4 theme song. Yes, I am replacing I Wanna Know as the theme song because Atomic Land by d4vd (from his new, awesome album, Withered) is so SJ and Y/n coded that it just needs to be this season's theme song.

"There's something about you, that I don't understand. If my arms were around you, would you love me again? Your expression says more to me than words we never said. Oh, we could be imaginary, but you're real to me. I don't wanna dream, if that dream don't have you and me."

"You were lookin' at me, like I did somethin' wrong again."

"You can eat me alive. You can tell me you hate me. You can tell me to walk away, but I don't think that I can. You're my guardian angel, but you act like a demon. You don't believe in the afterlife, but babe, just know I've seen it."

TELL ME THOSE LYRICS AREN'T JUST SJ AND Y/N.

God I'm gonna sob.

Okay, yeah, I'm on my period, shut up.

Ugh, let's just start the chapter.

(I'm a fully grown adult and Wattpad Ambassador, btw)

☆☆☆

Jimin

Fuck injuries.

Jimin wanted to punch a wall, himself, and Jungkook, in that order. But being in the infirmary alone, he couldn't do any of those things. Well, not alone. VASCO was there. With needles. And vital signs. And beep beeps and boop boops.

"Am I looking good, doc?" Jimin asked the mass of nuts and bolts beside him.

"Yes, sir. You need to stay away from active combat for two weeks. You almost had a collapsed lung."

"Well, Vassie, almost is the key word. Almost doesn't mean I did, so I'm fine." Jimin hopped off the infirmary bed, groaned, and ended up collapsing against VASCO. He was as cold as Jimin expected. "Okay, yeah. Two weeks it is."

Jimin plopped back down on the bed and grunted. His head felt like it had been torn open and drilled. He had drilled before. Vectera had taught him how to use countless mining tools, and guess what? None of those skills mattered anymore. All he needed were superpowers and a crew. Constellation had orgasmed over him mining artifacts, but that was about the extent of where his mining skills had gone.

They were enroute to Marco's location. Y/n flying, of course. They had some time, but Jimin wanted to arrive early to set up a perimeter and make sure Marco couldn't escape. Then, they'd take the slate from Maya back to the Rangers and give it to their tech Ranger, Alex, and if Marco gave any new information, Jimin would be all over it.

Like a captain should be.

Jimin found it funny how that term hadn't stuck with him. Captain Park. Or Commander Park, if you asked Jungkook. Jimin didn't think any of them fit. Though, to be fair, he didn't think Jimin did either. Too much was associated with that name. Ma, Neon, Isabelle, Aurora. Memories Jimin didn't want to have, but it wasn't like he could push them away. They were part of him, whether he wanted that or not, and he had to live with all he had done.

In his eyes, it was a miracle his crew hadn't abandoned him. Maybe that was what having a family felt like. Jimin didn't know much about that word up until Ma had kicked her Aurora addiction. But even then, it hadn't been the same. How could it? A year of peace couldn't make up for three decades of neglect. Or maybe he had been the one neglecting her. Jimin didn't want to know the answer to that.

"Hey, Vas, can I ask you something?"

VASCO whirred and swiveled around. "Yes, sir?"

"How do you feel about Constellation?"

"Captain, I am loyal to Constellation. Why do you ask?"

"Not your loyalty. Trust me, Vassie, no one's doubting your loyalty." Jimin chuckled and rubbed his aching head. Headaches came every day, and he didn't bother with pills anymore. Something about the pain kept him sharper. "I meant... do you love us, I guess."

"Sir, I am robotic and therefore incapable of feeling love."

"Ah, Vas, humor me a bit, will you?"

VASCO stopped his scans of Jimin's vitals and tilted his boxy head toward him. "I do not have emotions, but if I did, I imagine I would want to love Constellation."

Jimin snorted. "Bet that's hard to do with someone like Barrett as your engineer."

"Barrett is indeed an interesting person."

No one in their right mind would argue with that. Then again, Jimin had made plenty of jokes about his "dead" spouse, too. Difference was, when he had made those jokes, half his crew held their weapons and watched Jimin's hands.

"Well." Jimin put weight on his feet and stood. His dirty boots squished against the metal floor. "I'm gonna go check on the crew. Don't worry, I won't do too much."

The issue was, Jimin wasn't using his powers anymore (for good reason), so it wasn't as simple as go life force someone and heal yourself anymore. Jimin preferred it that way. Pain sucked, but it made him feel more alive. With powers, he felt like an untouchable being.

And that wasn't a good thing.

"As you wish, sir. I will go check on Sam."

Sam had been moved to his room instead of being cooped up in the infirmary. It had been weeks since the incident, so Sam had more mobility and less pain. The prosthetics suited him, though they'd take a while longer to learn. Sam could walk three feet and stand for ten seconds. That was progress. Slow progress, but progress nonetheless.

Jimin opened the door and departed with VASCO, but they went different directions. Jimin knocked on his bestie's door. No, not Jin. Jin, unlike Sam, preferred being cooped up, so the scientist had locked himself in his room for the majority of the days. He always had his nose in some biology textbook.

Taehyung opened the door and quirked a brow. "Aren't you supposed to be rotting in bed?"

"Tae, I rotted enough on Neon. Let me in."

Taehyung did, and Jimin plopped over on Tae's bed. Jimin spread his arms and legs to take up the entire space, and Taehyung rolled his eyes and pulled out the chair from his desk to sit across from Jimin.

"I feel like I'm about to be your therapist," Tae said, and Jimin beamed.

"You're catching on. No wonder why I like you." Jimin sat up and met Taehyung's eyes. "I was going to have a deep conversation with you, but you're probably all tired out from those, right?"

Taehyung tilted his head. "What do you mean?"

"You've been spending more time with Jungkook, that's all."

"Well, Capt, he's a better influence than you." Taehyung paused to say something in Korean before he smirked. "Why? Jealous?"

"Nope. I'm hotter. But that's not really why I'm here. I was busting your balls with that." Jimin snickered and glanced at all the canvases scattered around the vicinity. Paint was splattered on the walls, same with Taehyung's desk. His desk didn't have a single clean spot. There were supplies burying the poor surface.

"I gathered that. Why are you here, Capt?"

"It's a bit serious." Jimin cleared his throat and tried not to die of embarrassment. "I want to talk about art."

"I'm good at doing that."

"Shut up. Let me finish."

"I'm sure you were saying that to Y/n last-"

"Taehyung!" Jimin sighed as Taehyung laughed, and Jimin rubbed his throbbing temple. "Be a captain, they said. It'll be fun, they said." Jimin mumbled a few more curses before peeking back up at the grinning Taehyung. "It's serious, Tae."

"Alright, alright. Tell me."

"I need help with art and like... picturing things." Jimin sucked at explaining, didn't he? "I can teleport now, and I can trigger it by picturing places. So, how do you do it? All the... mental images and stuff."

"Oh, right, Jungkook mentioned that." Taehyung stopped and shook his head. "Don't you think we should be worrying about how you're gaining new powers without temples?"

"Sure, but that's Noel's job, and she's not here." She was all the way back at the Lodge, in fact. Countless miles and jumps away. "But we're going to meet Marco soon. You know that, right?"

"Ah, shit, I forgot that was today."

"Figured. But my point is, if we're going to be fighting some of the most dangerous military men out there, I should know how to teleport. We might need it."

"You're considering using your powers again?"

"I..." Jimin trailed off and stared at his muck-covered boots. "I don't want to. Whenever I do, someone gets hurt. They aren't some toys. They're real, and they're dangerous."

"Are they? Or are you?"

Jimin glanced up and frowned. "Both, I guess. But I spent these past few years using these abilities to hurt people. I could be using them to build homes, not tear them apart. So... teach me, Taehyung."

"I don't have powers."

"But you're an artist. You create life with just a few strokes."

"Jimin," Taehyung said, his voice deeper than usual. "Any man can do that-"

"Taehyung, please. I'm serious."

Taehyung's smile dropped, and he nodded. "Right. Picturing things. Right..." Taehyung didn't say anything for a few moments. "I don't know. I just do it, you know? I don't think twice about it."

"Then think about it now. How can I picture things better?"

"An anchor, maybe." Taehyung's smile returned. "Whenever you're thinking of a place, think of an anchor. Like, someone or something that ties you to the place. Maybe Y/n for New Atlantis, or Ma for Neon, or Jungkook for the Red Mile. Maybe it's less about how it looks and more about how it feels. That's what art is. Art isn't about being identical to real life. It's about what we feel."

"I'm notoriously bad at feelings."

"I think you're better than you give yourself credit for." Taehyung kept his smile. "Try something small. Teleport out into the hallway."

Jimin stood and closed his eyes, thinking of the hallway. It was his ship, so it wasn't difficult to imagine it, but it felt so distant. So foreign. When he had teleported to save Y/n, he hadn't thought about it. It had been instinct. On the ship, though...

It was safe to say Jimin ended up teleporting two feet away and smacking his head off the wall.

"Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow." Jimin groaned and kicked the stupid wall. "Fuck. I already have a fucking headache. Fucking stupid ass piece of shit fucking powers."

"Jimin, cursing isn't going to make you teleport any better."

"No shit, Taehyung." Jimin rested his aching head against the cool metal, but it didn't do much to diminish the pain. "Maybe I shouldn't practice teleporting on a ship. I'll wait until we land."

"Good idea. Don't want to teleport into space by accident."

Knowing Jimin's luck, he'd somehow manage to do that in his sleep.

"Well, I give up. I'm gonna go do anything else. Enjoy being sad and alone."

Taehyung didn't protest. "Yep. All artists are."

Jimin departed Taehyung's quarters and fell into his thoughts. Teleportation was a complicated trick, but the other Starborn had used it without missing a beat. Would Jimin become like them? He didn't know if that was a positive outcome or not.

Jimin went to the cockpit to check on Y/n, who had them drifting in Akila's orbit while she set up the jump coordinates and prepared for the perimeter Jimin wanted around Marco's location.

"Oh," she said, not taking her eyes off the controls that glowed yellows and blues across her face. They mixed with the natural red lighting of the cockpit to illuminate her beautiful features. "I didn't expect to see you until we jumped."

"Yeah, well, I had an extra minute." Jimin sat in the co-pilot's chair. "Need anything?"

"If you could plot the jump, that'd be a big help. Barrett overslept, and with Sam out of commission and Jungkook busy doing whatever it is Jungkook does, I'm flying solo here. Literally."

"I thought I was the last resort for co-piloting stuff."

"Barrett's being Barrett, Sam got his legs blown off, Sarah is in a conference with the other Constellation members, Jin is too busy checking himself out in the mirror, and the list goes on and on. You're about the only one around right now."

Jimin grinned. "So you're stuck with me?"

Y/n sighed. "Just plug in the jump coordinates."

Jimin did, and they announced the jump before they took it two minutes later. It was a stressful jump, being so far from the Cheyenne system, but they managed. Their ship had a better grav drive than their previous one. So maybe Jimin blowing it up had brought some benefits.

"Alright, are the drones ready to form a perimeter?"

"Captain, forming a perimeter on an entire planet is impossible unless we were a military, but we can make the best perimeter we can."

"Whatever works." Jimin peered at the gorgeous planet outside the clean cockpit windows (Y/n cleaned them every time they touched down on a planet). It had a swirl of white through its equator, like one giant cloud. Almost like Jupiter's Red Dot, but far larger and thinner. And, well, whiter.

Y/n sent out the drones to perform a sweep of the planet, which would take time considering it was, y'know, a whole planet, but they had time to kill.

Jimin wanted to fill the silence with something other than the bumping air conditioner on full blast, but Y/n staring at the stars halted him. Even the shivers he had from the coldness didn't convince him to interrupt her moment.

Growing up on Neon meant he was sensitive to the cold. Only time he hadn't been was when he had been on Londinion to search for his wife. Back then, though, he hadn't had much reason to feel anything.

"You can turn it down if you want," she said, and he picked his head up.

"Oh, no, I'm fine. It's far more important for our pilot to be comfortable."

"Can't argue with that. You can always leave if it's too much. My cockpit, not yours."

"My name's on the ship license, so it technically is my cockpit, but whatever you say, L/n." Jimin chuckled and got up, figuring it was time to depart. He was about to step away when Y/n interrupted with words he never thought she'd say again.

"I used to pray for guidance. Or, try to, anyway." Her eyes were on the stars as she said it.

"And now?" Jimin asked, lingering by the co-pilot's seat and watching her watch the outside.

"I don't know. All I do is count the stars and hope they can hear me. A depressing me, but me nonetheless."

"Well, at least they don't judge, right?"

"No, I suppose not, but I don't think you understand, Jimin."

Jimin placed his hand on her shoulder. "Maybe I don't, but I understand you."

Y/n laughed, but it sounded more like a hiccup. "I don't know how you do. Even I don't."

"Because I remember who you were, and I see who you are now."

Y/n met his gaze. "What if they're not the same person?"

They were. No one stayed the same forever, but the heart of Y/n L/n was there, she just didn't see it. He doubted she'd see it for a long time, but it was his responsibility to help her keep moving.

"Then I'll learn who this version of you is," he said, figuring that was the better answer. He smiled. "Captain's duty."

Y/n snorted. "Hiding behind duty again, huh?"

Jimin took a risk and leaned closer, kissing the side of her head for a long, quiet moment. She didn't pull away. The old Y/n—the one from a few months ago—would have slapped him for daring to come close to her, let alone kiss anywhere on her body. The new Y/n didn't so much as squeak.

Maybe there were more differences than Jimin thought.

"Sometimes duty is the only thing keeping us standing, Y/n," Jimin whispered when he pulled away. He tucked a strand of her hair she hadn't bothered to cut since crawling out of the chasm behind her ear. "Besides, it's about time I start acting like a real captain."

"Took you long enough."

"Okay, ouch, you weren't supposed to agree."

He snickered, and she did too. It had been a long time since he had talked to her like that. Like they weren't at each other's throats every day.

"Alright, I'm leaving now." Jimin stepped away but paused in front of the mini staircase. "You gonna come with when we touch down?"

"It's not an ice planet, so yeah, I will."

"That didn't stop you from running the Red Mile, which was stupid, by the way."

Y/n lowered her head, her voice lowering with it. "I know. But... I don't know, I'm glad I did it. I survived."

"You always did, Y/n. I know you don't want to hear this, but you don't need to reject everything you were to survive who you are now. It's not about survival anymore. It's about finding your place in this life. I'm so sorry for everything you went through, but you're safe. You're alive. Can you try to feel alive again? If not for yourself, then for me?"

"I don't owe you anything," she said, but the words were weak and had no punch to them.

"It's not about owing me. It's about someone you love asking you to love yourself again."

Y/n didn't answer, so he decided that was enough for one day. He nodded to himself and went down the short, two-step staircase, brushing by the doorway and walking through the threshold between the dark red lighting and the white of the hallway.

"Just think about it," he said as he left, unsure if she would hear it, but it didn't matter. One day, she'd think about it. In a perfect world, she would think about it that night, or while they were waiting for Marco to show up. But she would think about it. Jimin knew his wife. She was right there, right in front of him.

It was only a matter of time before she came back.

☆☆☆

Answers were closer than ever before.

Marco wasn't far from Jimin's position. Marco's ship, anyway. Jimin had to get onboard, and he had a feeling that wouldn't be easy. Maybe they'd let him in due to his status, but that was a big maybe, and they needed guarantees, not educated guesses. All Jimin knew was the ship was named Fortuna. Stupid name for a ship, in Jimin's opinion.

Codos was the name of the planet Marco decided to touch down on. It was a nature-filled planet with butterfly-like bugs prancing from white tree to red tree. It looked like red and white roses battling each other to prove one color was better than the other. That when matched with the setting red sun and tall grass tickling Jimin's boots made for a landscape Taehyung would faint over.

Taehyung had opted to sit out the mission. It was one of those missions that required less people. Namjoon had supplied information about Marco Jimin found useful: Marco was a businessman. That meant violence wasn't the solution. Or, it didn't have to be. If Jimin sweet talked and appeared non-threatening, he could win Marco over.

The Fortuna was a large class ship. Nowhere close to a battleship, though it was larger than Jimin's. Jimin's was a medium, so Marco had a good ten extra rooms in his.

The engines were silver and flashed in the dimming light. The engines were powered off, the ramp down, and two guards were posted out front. Jimin, Sarah, Jungkook, and Y/n waited not too far away, their ship hidden in the massive trees more massive than a dozen Jungkooks. They were some of the most gigantic trees Jimin had ever seen.

"What's the plan?" Y/n asked.

Jimin remained crouched behind a tree with the rest of his crew, observing the ship not too far away in the clearing.

"I'll do the talking. My reputation should be enough to get us on board, but in case it's not, prepare for a fight."

Fighting. It was all anyone in the galaxy ever did. Jimin wondered if they got tired of it the same way he did. The more he fought, the more his body felt its age.

No one protested, so Jimin led the way to the ramp of the ship. They didn't make it two feet into the clearing before the guards halted them and pointed their AA-99s at the crew. Jimin raised his hands, as did the rest of his team.

"We mean no harm," Jimin said, needing to shout to be heard. "Mei Devine sent us. She owed me a favor for running her Red Mile."

"Yeah, right. We didn't hear anything about any visitors," one of the two guards replied. Both of them wore First uniforms and helmets.

"I know. My name is Captain Park Jimin. Perhaps you've heard of me?"

Neither of the guards budged, but they didn't open fire.

Jimin took his magshear off and tossed it on the ground. Again, neither of the guards budged, but no lasers came to end his life.

"I don't want any trouble. Just a meeting with Marco."

"And your posse?"

"They're cool."

The guard snorted. "Like I believe that. Have them wait on your ship, and have them take your weapons with you. Including that pistol I know you got hidden."

Jimin sighed and pulled the Eon out of his waistband, handing it off to Jungkook, who knitted his brows, but Jimin didn't have time to listen to any protests Jungkook could have.

Jimin kept his eyes forward as he spoke to his team. "Do as he says."

Jungkook, on the other hand, got more vocal. "But, sir-"

"Do it. This could be our only shot."

Y/n grabbed Jimin's elbow. "They could kill you."

"Marco is a businessman, not a murderer." Not a great person, but Marco wasn't known for bloodshed. He preferred negotiations, and Jimin, albeit not good at that, was at least confident he wouldn't get shot.

"Are you going to use your powers if it goes south?" Jungkook asked, and Jimin shook his head, to which Jungkook groaned. "Commander, you need to-"

"Executive," Jimin interrupted, his voice sharp. "I'm older than you and outrank you. If I say to do something, you do it. Now go. If I have to ask again, I'll demote you."

Jungkook's eyes widened. "Sir..."

"Trust me. Please."

Jimin understood he had done many, many atrocious acts that had wavered the trust of his crew, but if they wanted him as captain, they had to try to trust him. They had done a solid job at that so far, but there were moments, like that one, where their unease crept in. Jimin wished he could earn their full trust again, but he knew that would take more years than he could count.

"Alright." Jungkook stepped away, and Y/n scoffed but released Jimin. Sarah didn't say a word before taking the magshear from off the ground and exiting, Jungkook following.

Y/n lingered. "Life isn't a game."

"That's funny, coming from you. You've spent the past almost two years acting like it is." Jimin smiled as he said it. The words weren't meant to be harsh, though he doubted his tight tone conveyed that message. "I'll be fine, Y/n."

Y/n narrowed her eyes, but she stalked off after a moment of quiet. Jimin watched her go for longer than needed, and then he took off on his quest, approaching the ship and nodding to the two guards, who didn't bother to return the gesture.

"Follow me," one of the two said, his voice monotone and filtered behind his helmet.

Codos had a breathable atmosphere, so Jimin hadn't bothered wearing one. His suit, sure, but not a bulky helmet. Anything to appear friendly.

The guard led Jimin up the ramp and inside the ship. It was as spectacular as Jimin was expecting. Well, it had standard ship lights, black floors, and metal walls, but it smelled like a million credits. Better than Jimin had ever smelled. Maybe a tad like Bayu, but somehow stronger and more pleasant. One thing Bayu always had was a powerful, soap-like smell. Jimin wondered if Bayu showered every ten seconds. Jimin had to force himself to shower once a day.

Neon habits.

The guard said nothing as he led Jimin past the security detail up front and deeper into enemy territory. They passed two bland corridors and entered the core area, and Jimin didn't know what to call it other than a museum.

What was a bland hallway turned into a massive space with dark silver statues. There were two black lion statues on either side of the stairway entrance. It was a short stairway that led into the warm space. Warm due to its golden lighting and warmer air that reminded him of Neon. There was a giant tree with dark green leaves and almost black bark in the center.

In short: it was the richest ship Jimin had ever seen, and he had been on a cruise liner.

The guard didn't stop to explain any of the madness Jimin witnessed. Who the hell had the time and credits to build a mini museum in a ship of all places? There were plenty of museums throughout the galaxy—like the most famous one on Titan in the Sol system, since it had been the first place humanity had fled to after Earth had been destroyed—but ships were meant to... well, fly. Not an ideal location for a museum, where precious artifacts could break.

Jimin ignored the elegance of the wide and tall space around him and followed the guard to the next staircase in the corner that led up to Marco's office, which had windows overlooking the museum. A man Jimin assumed was Marco stood in front of one of said windows with a gray, shiny suit on and his hands folded behind his back.

Of course he had a fucking manbun.

"Boss," the guard said, and Marco turned, his pale skin made paler by the bright light of his narrow but long office. "This is Captain Park Jimin. Here to see you."

"Ah, Mr. Park. I figured it was a matter of time before we met. Thank you, Gustave. You may return to your post."

The guard disappeared, and Jimin entered the office and almost felt bad about smearing dirty boots on the pristine wooden floors. Soft classical music played, the piano masking the smaller noises, like Jimin's stomach growls thanks to him forgetting to eat that day.

Jimin remained in the doorway and observed the bouncy brown manbun on top of Marco's cone-shaped head. "Why's that?"

"You're popular. And a criminal. I'm popular. And a criminal."

Jimin shrugged. "Alright, fair point. Why do you think I'm here?"

"To work with me, I assume."

"Not a bad guess, but no. I've gone straight, Marco. No more crime for me." Jimin wished he could smile as he said that, but the words didn't feel as inviting as he thought they would. "I work with the Rangers now. Deputy Park Jimin."

"Oh. I see. So, this is legal business." Marco quirked a brow, and when Jimin nodded, Marco hummed. "How... unfortunate. But you did well to find me. I am far from an easy man to locate. Though I suppose we haven't been keeping a low profile recently, considering the nature of the contract."

"The contract you signed with the First?"

Marco pressed his thin lips together and didn't answer. "To be honest, I think the Major has been dying for a confrontation with the Rangers."

That was the most non-answer answer Jimin had ever heard, but it did provide a clue: the Major. A confrontation with the Rangers. Sometimes a motivation and a title was all a detective needed to crack the case.

"I don't care. I want the details of the First's operations, including who hired you."

Marco chuckled. "Are you grasping the situation here, Deputy? You're on my ship. Outnumbered. Outgunned, too."

Jimin's hand flickered with sparks, and he looked down at his flesh in disinterest. "Are you sure?"

Looking back up, Jimin saw Marco stiffen, and Jimin pushed off the doorframe and approached. Bluffing was a skill Jimin had learned on Neon. Rats needed to pretend they were the biggest rat in the sewer to survive, after all.

"I am," Marco said after a moment, though the words sounded lighter than before. "I'm a businessman, Mr. Park. If you expect me to cooperate, I want something in return. I won't tell you everything regardless. I do still have some loyalty to my unit. However, I can point you in the right direction, provided you do something for me."

"I'm not in much position or authority to give you much, Marco. I can arrange credits or a favor, but anything beyond that is out of my control."

"I... see. Unfortunate. I wanted the Rangers to allow me operate with a free hand."

Jimin snorted. "I thought businessmen were smart."

"Excuse me?"

"You think the Freestar Rangers would ever agree to that? They're the most uptight douchebags in the galaxy, Marco. We already spoke with Maya Cruz and got a very informative slate out of her. You aren't important enough to consider allowing crime to openly happen in Freestar space."

"Oh, is that so? Well, why don't I tell you something you don't want to know, but you should."

Jimin rolled his eyes, but that didn't stop Marco from continuing his tirade.

"The Council of Governors is a group of greedy and corrupt liars who are using you and the other Rangers to protect their own interests. Do you really think they give a damn about the people of the Freestar Collective?"

"Oh, gosh." Jimin placed a hand on his forehead and gasped. "The horror. A government is being a... government? Oh, God, I feel faint. Someone get me a medpack." Jimin grunted and lowered his hand. "Newsflash, Marco: I don't give a damn about any governors or governments or anything like that. My father died protecting the Freestar, and the government never compensated my family. I've known they could care less about us from the start, but there are people who do, like the Rangers. Like me. I'm not doing this because I want to help some politician. I'm doing it so farmers stop getting hurt, and that'll help get more food to the people in the Collective who need it."

Marco didn't reply, so Jimin kept going.

"It's hypocritical, don't you think? You hate the Council so much, yet here you are supporting some shadowy figure who's running farmers off their land. Innocent people are at stake here. If you want revenge against the Council for what they did to the First, so be it. I respect that. Lord knows I want revenge against the UC for how the Vanguard treated my girl, but you don't see me hurting farmers, do you?"

"Maybe, but you're all cowards. If more people stood up and fought-"

"For what, Marco? For what? The only place in the Freestar not thriving is Neon, and if you want change on Neon, you need to get through Bayu, not the Council. And, honestly, I don't think you're in any position to say what's right and wrong. You're a smuggler. How many mech parts have you smuggled, huh?"

Marco narrowed his eyes. "I do what I must."

Jimin motioned to the elegant museum outside his office. "What you must? You're standing in a ship worth millions. You want to help the Freestar, why don't you do it in ways that are legal? That can help the innocent instead of hurt them?" Jimin stopped to sigh. "I used my pain like this before, and all it led to was death. We don't get the right to wrong innocents just because others have wronged us. That's not how you make change. The most important change is the one within you. You can't change anything if you don't change your heart first."

"You're very disappointing, Mr. Park," Marco said with a tongue click. "I thought you of all people would understand. It is not about pain. It's about justice. The Freestar allowed a Council to rise and become corrupt. You should be thanking the First. Thanks to us, you're here, and you'll soon discover the corruption."

"Gee, thanks. Can we get to the point now? I don't care about any of this bullshit. Are you going to give me any information or not?"

"I will, but it will be a guide, not anything-"

"Yadda yadda, I don't care. You overestimate my patience, Marco. Tell me what you want so I can get the hell out of here."

"For my troubles, I want fifty thousand credits."

Was Marco trying to rob Jimin? That was almost a year's worth of food for the ship. Yes, Jimin could afford it with the creds he had made sleeping the previous night, but that didn't mean he wanted to part with his hard-earned creds.

"I hate businessmen." Jimin grabbed a cred from out of his pocket, set it to the desired amount, and tossed it Marco's way. Marco caught it without flinching. "Happy?"

"No, but it will suffice." Marco handed over an encrypted slate. Because Jimin didn't have enough of those. "If you can crack this slate, you'll find answers."

"Wonderful. Can I leave now?"

Marco didn't answer, so Jimin took it as a yes. Jimin departed and didn't look back, didn't care about some of the guards whispering about how he was Park Jimin (though Jimin was surprised they recognized him with his blonde hair), and didn't care how his bank account felt awful.

He returned to his ship and debriefed his team before taking off to head back to Akila City. They needed to keep Namjoon updated, and the sooner they got Alex the slates, the sooner they'd get answers.

Jimin relaxed in his room and stared at the ceiling, something he did whenever he needed to think. He had an opportunity to train his powers, and he did, taking twenty minutes to try and control himself, though he knew it was a long shot at best. Control was a hope of the past. New Jimin had hope for the future, but not for his powers.

"I didn't take you for a coward," a female voice said, and Jimin sighed and dabbed himself off with a towel. Practicing his powers tended to make him sweat like a pig.

"I thought I blocked you out." He turned and saw Starborn Y/n leaning against the closed door.

"Of your head, yes, but unlike you, I know how to teleport."

"Funny."

"I wasn't trying to be." Y/n stared at him for a long moment before shaking her head. "If you want to control your powers, you should talk to me. You know I can help you."

"I don't want your help."

"What is it you hold against me?"

"I'm a pawn to you. That's what." Jimin threw his jacket back on, same with his scarf. He had taken them off to train, but it never mattered. He failed every time anyway. "You want me to find whoever created our universe, and for what? To ask them some questions?"

"It goes far beyond questions and even the creator, Jimin. The more we discover about the universe, the more lives we can save."

"Save them? My brothers are dying. In every life, you've watched every Jimin die."

"And in every life, I've loved them."

Jimin stiffened. "What?"

Starborn Y/n pushed off the door and stood across from him. No words came from her for a while, and he allowed the moment of quietude.

"I've loved..." She trailed off and turned her head, rubbing her lips together before continuing. "I've loved every Jimin I've ever seen. Every single one. Never the same love as my Jimin, but love nonetheless. And I've watched every version of my lover die. Every single one except for you."

Jimin couldn't imagine a world without Y/n. He couldn't imagine seeing countless versions of his lover die. Y/n had better odds than Jimin, it seemed, but that didn't change it was inevitable that somewhere out there, Y/n had met her demise too soon. And Starborns had to witness all of that.

"You have every reason to want me out of your head. I get it. But I'm not here to hurt or use you. I'm here to guide you down the Starborn path, should you choose to accept it."

"Ask another member of Constellation. They're more into that space bullshit than I am."

"I know, but no member of Constellation is you, Park Jimin."

"Ah, so I'm the key to everything, huh? Good to know."

"Maybe, maybe not, but no Jimin has survived as long as you have. None. And you have Starborn powers without becoming a real Starborn. That has to mean something."

"Maybe the universe just likes me. I'm a swell guy, y'know."

Starborn Y/n didn't respond, and Jimin took the opportunity to sit on his bed and shake his right leg. His boot squished against the ground every shake, but otherwise, it was quiet.

"You should go," Jimin said, his voice and head low. "The only Y/n I want to see right now is mine."

No answer. Jimin assumed she had teleported away, seeing as Starborn did that without much noise anyway, but when more words came a minute later, he realized Starborn Y/n would never disappear.

"Stop this."

Jimin chuckled. "Stop what?"

"You don't hate me. I know you don't. Stop treating me like you do."

"You're right: I don't hate you. But I do strongly dislike you, so please leave."

"Jimin," she said, her voice sharper than before. "I remind you of your powers, don't I? That's why you keep pushing me away. It has nothing to do with anything I did. You're just scared of what you could do."

"Which is your fault."

"No, it's not. You made the decision to join Constellation. If you dropped the artifact off and walked away, you never would have gone through any of this."

"My mom would be alive," he whispered, his lungs tightening around the words. "I'd be allowed home."

"Your mom would be hooked on drugs and a walking corpse. At least you got a good year of sobriety out of her. But think about the bigger picture. You never would have fallen in love. You never would have met Cora, or Jungkook, or Sam. You'd be alone and broke."

For some reason, the idea didn't repulse him. Alone and broke, yet he'd have his mother. He'd have Neon. He hadn't gone home since being banned from the place. It made him feel numb.

"I just want to go home," he muttered, and Y/n sighed.

"I know."

Those words comforted him more than he expected. So many would reply saying this is your home. The ship was home, yes, but Neon was home. It was his lifeblood. Where he had been raised. And yet, he couldn't return. Ever. Not without putting everyone he loved at risk, and for what? Five minutes of smelling piss and shit? Eating shitty street food and hiding in a crate the diameter of a locker? Neon was no way to live. But it was his way to live.

"Can you please go?" Jimin asked, but when he looked up, Starborn Y/n was gone. Not a single sparkle or trace of her remained. That left Jimin alone with his thoughts.

That was the worst place to be.

☆☆☆

Approximately seven chapters left until the end of season 4. How we feeling? Y'all doing okay?

I know it's sad to think about Starfield ending in only two seasons and seven episodes, but my next long-format fanfic, Expedition 33, will release soon.

Yes, it's a fanfic of the game of the same name, and it will be a BTS fanfic. Just like this story, it is a video game fanfic, so let's hope it's as good as Starfield. It'll be simultaneously easier and harder to write than SF since there are less characters to juggle but more dense worldbuilding.

You read that right: the world of Expedition 33 is significantly more complicated than Starfield's world.

I've invested almost 30 hours into the game, and I still don't understand it half the time, but it's a fantastic game. Definitely highly recommend, though get your tissues ready (don't spoil anything in the comments, please, it's still a new game).

But, yeah, Expedition 33 and its main character, Gustave, are now my entire personality, so enjoy me randomly saying GUSTAVEEEEEEEE every ten seconds. He's just my boy now.

GUSTAVEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

Wow, I am insane.

I'm sorry, I just have a thing for traumatized, semi-long-haired fictional men who are protective over their family. Bonus points if his name is Gustave and he looks like a more traumatized Robert Pattinson.

Okay, I should go now. Bye.

(But fr that will be my next fanfic, and it will be a long one that's a fantasy with a similar tone to this story, so I highly recommend it!!! Yes I'm shamelessly plugging my new story to release... eventually, but yeah if you've read this far in Starfield, atp you're just in it for the long run, so you might as well check out Expedition 33 when I publish it)