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jhsbrat · 5 years

Text

titan descending | myg

genre: star trek/space au, fwb au?

word count: 8.7k

warnings: major character death, violence, scientific inaccuracies

a/n: I did absolutely zero research while writing this, so don’t come for me lmao

Pants and groans filled your dimly lit room. Through the small porthole, the two moons outside cast silvery light on your moving bodies. There was the sound of people walking by in the hallway right outside your door, so the two of you spoke in hushed tones.

“Raise your hips up a little bit more.”

“I’m trying! Move to the left.”

“I can’t really will my dick to move in any direction,” Yoongi replied drily, nevertheless shifting the way you asked. He starts slamming into you right at the spot you needed the most and your eyes squeeze tight in pleasure. Trying to will yourself closer to the edge, you focus on the impending heat in your belly and-

“Are you going to come any time soon? I’m getting a cramp.”

You huff in frustration and look back at the man. “It would happen sooner if someone stopped talking.”

He rolls his eyes and leans over you, fingers slithering to rub insistently over your clit. You gasp and the heat returns, building up faster than before. The man quickens his pace, your tightness pushing him along to his own end. Only a few more minutes of frantic thrusting passed before you both found your pleasure.

Pulling off of Yoongi, you collapse on the bed out of breath. He remains kneeling for a moment, panting, before tugging off and tying up the condom, tossing it in the general direction of the wastebasket. Then he flops down next to you, propping his arm behind his head, chest still moving up and down. “You’re so high maintenance, I can’t believe it takes you this long to get off.”

You turn to look at him, his auburn hair turned dark with sweat and falling in strands over his face. A stark difference from the buttoned-up, slicked back man everyone on board knows.

“I could always just go to Aj’es or Nozos for my needs. I know Klingons wouldn’t talk as much as you.”

“Yeah, but then you wouldn’t be fucking a red-blooded, human male.” He says, wagging his eyebrows.

You roll your eyes. “Ugh, you’re such a speciest, Min Yoongi.”

“Hey, I’m sorry I prefer my sexual partners to have the number of limbs that I’m accustomed to.”

“If I’m really that much of a problem in bed, then why don’t you just go holler at Seokjin?”

“Fortunately for you, I don’t swing that way. Although now I’m starting to wish that I did.”

“More like fortunately for him,” you mutter under your breath.

“What was that, Officer?”

You gather his uniform discarded on the floor beside you and toss it at him. “Goodnight, Commander.”

You push your tray down the line, scrunching your nose up at the smell in the mess hall. The ship has been going on a couple months without stopping at nearby planets to reload materials, so the food for the past few weeks has been…subpar. The red shirt officer in front of you recoiled at the brown sludge the Cardassian dining staff plopped onto his plate, moving onward in line reluctantly. You grimace and step forward to receive your own helping when you feel yourself being pulled out of line.

“Taehyung! I’m hungry!” You exclaim, trying to tug back your hand.

“Don’t be so loud, Officer.” He shoots a boxy smile back over his shoulder, leading you to a table towards the rear of the mess hall. He sits down and you mimic him, keeping your tongue in check. Mouth still stretched in a grin, he sets down a sandwich and an apple in front of you on the table.

Your eyes flit between the food and the man, widened in shock. “Is this-is this real food?”

“Yes,” Taehyung beams at you, ripping the sandwich in half, “And you’re the lucky one who gets to split it with me.”

You reach out to grab your portion and stuff it in your mouth, as if it would disappear if you didn’t consume it as quickly as possible. Through a mouthful of ham and cheese, you ask him where he managed to find it. Before the engineer could respond, however, a pale hand snatches up the apple between the two of you.

Looking up, you see Yoongi, face impassive as he regards you and Taehyung.

“I was just wondering the same thing,” he said, bouncing the apple in his hand, “Where did a Research Officer and a Propulsion Engineer get their hands on contraband like this?”

“Commander!” Taehyung stutters, standing up to salute him. You move to do the same after remembering that you were in public.

“At ease.” Yoongi replies, waving his hand. You and Taehyung relax, but remain standing. “I know that we’ve been off planet for a while now, so I’m willing to overlook this indiscretion. But understand I won’t be so kind in the future.”

“Yes, sir,” both of you say back. He tips his head in recognition and walks off, taking a bite of the apple as he exits the mess hall.

“Asshole,” Taehyung mutters, sitting back down. You nod in agreement, but chuckle nonetheless.

You’re walking back to your own quarters when Yoongi steps out from the bridge to stand in front of you.

“Officer, can I speak to you for a moment.” He states, rather than asks, not waiting for your reply as he leads you into a turbolift entrance. You follow him wordlessly, hands back your back and eyes straight ahead, the spitting image of an attentive subordinate. Once you’re both inside and the doors close, he reaches behind you to hit the emergency stop button on the control panel.

“You’re going to get in trouble one of these days if you continue to hang around that engineer,” he drawled, slipping into his native accent.

You scrutinize him for a moment, ignoring the flashing red lights of the lift. Yoongi always interested you, in the same way a mathematician is fascinated with an equation she just can’t solve. Over the years you shared on the U.S.S. Vanguard with him, there were bits and pieces he slowly revealed of himself. Like the way his gums showed when he smiled, really smiled. Or how his interest in space exploration was an inheritance from his father, who disappeared while serving in Starfleet himself when Yoongi was still a kid. Everyone knows he can speak more languages than any person on board, but only you were privy to the fact that he became the Federation’s foremost Communications Commander because, in some small part of his heart, he still held onto hope of finding his dad.

Nevertheless, the man still managed to surprise you. Just when you think you’ve understood every aspect of his stoic, punctilious nature, he begins to treat your relationship a little differently and you’re thrown for a loop. You suppose you’re lucky for it, however, since any other man would have bored you these many years into being stuck together on a metal vessel hurtling through space.

“Taehyung is just my friend,” you finally reply, folding your arms over your chest.

He snorts. “When did I imply differently? He’s still going to get you in trouble. You don’t know how often I find him doing anything but his job. It’s a miracle the ship moves at all.”

“So, what? I can’t have friends now? Jealously isn’t a good look on you, Yoongi.”

His eyes flash. “Contrary to what you may think, I’m not some caveman who wants to throw you over my shoulder and beat on the walls with a stick. And it’s Commander, to you.”

Your eyebrows shoot up. Since the beginning of whatever the two of you had together, he had never insisted on using public formalities in private. In fact, it was just the opposite, admitting after one of your nights together that he didn’t want to play his authoritative role all the time. So him pulling rank now was just that, a ploy to end this conversation because you were approaching sensitive territory.

“Yes, Commander.” You respond acidly, unfolding your arms and turning to open the doors of the lift again.

He sighs and follows you out. “Wait, I—“

“Commander Min, please report to the bridge.” A disembodied voice relays over the ship’s speaker. He catches up to you before you can round the corner, moving to block your way.

“We’re not finished with this conversation,” he asserts, pointing behind you, “Come on. We’re both going to the bridge.”

Once you cross the threshold of the bridge, you part from Yoongi’s side and move to sit next to the ship’s First Pilot, Seokjin. The man nods at you in greeting and turns back to face front.

Namjoon turns in his chair to welcome the two of you. “Commander, thanks for returning to us. I see you brought us a Research Officer. Excellent, we actually might need her for this.”

Yoongi glances at you for a quick second before returning his gaze forward. “Captain. Is something the matter?”

“Indeed. Officer Kumari, would you care to fill them in?”

The Andorian nodded, still adjusting dials with her blue fingers. “While you were out, Commander, I was moved to man the comms and we received a distress signal from a nearby minor planet. B-612. I will replay it for you now.”

Black envelops the view screen of the bridge. Then there was a flash of light and noise, a male face filling the screen. With a short, flat nose and oval jaw, you would have called his features close to cherubic in any other situation. But his eyes were wide with fear and there was a streak of red smudged on his cheek. You lean forward, intrigued.

“If anyone can hear me, I need help! There are people here, I don’t know who they are or where they’re from, but-“ he chokes up, pausing for a moment to look away. When he turns back to the screen, tears have filled his eyes. “They’ve killed everyone. And I’m afraid they’re going to kill me next. I’m afraid-“

The video cuts out abruptly and view screen returns to show the environment in front of the ship. The bridge is quiet.

“What do you think, Commander?” Namjoon breaks the silence, swiveling in his command chair to look at Yoongi. The man in question stands still, rigidly facing ahead, lost in thought.

“Captain, with all due respect,” Seokjin interjects after a moment, “We’re wasting time. For all we know, whoever sent that signal could be dead or dying, and we’re just sitting here.”

“Duly noted, Seokjin. However, I would still like to hear what my First Officer has to say.” Namjoon responds without turning to the pilot.

Suddenly, Yoongi pivots to face you. “What do you know about B-612?”

You blink in surprise at the question. “Not much. It’s one in many strings of minor planets near us. It’s so small it might as well be considered an asteroid. There’s no record of contact between Starfleet and any living being around here.”

He nods, still thinking. “I wonder how he was able to send that distress signal.”

Seokjin huffs in frustration. “Never mind that, we need to save him!”

“Technically, he’s right,” Namjoon stands up and starts moving towards the door, “If you have no further objections or thoughts on the matter, I think we should start heading to the transporter room.”

Yoongi’s mouth is set in a straight line but he nods anyway.

Namjoon is almost out the exit before he stops and looks to you. “Officer, I think you should come too. If this is officially Starfleet’s first contact with someone from this area, it needs to be recorded.”

“Of course, Captain.” You stand up and follow him, brushing past the still surly Commander.

An hour later, the three of you are huddled in the medical bay. Sitting next to you on one of the examination tables, shivering under a shock blanket, is the boy from the video. You regard him carefully, curious about the stranger from the untouched planet.

“Taeyeon,” Namjoon murmurs, catching the ship’s Chief Medical Officer as she walked past, “Can you tell me about what happened to him?”

“Dr. Kim, Captain,” the woman corrected him firmly. His cheeks heat up in embarrassment as she continues speaking. “Physically, he’s fine. No injuries, not even a cut or scratch. He’s just exhibiting signs of shock post-trauma.”

“What about the blood on his face?” Yoongi asks, stepping forward.

“All I can tell you is that it isn’t his, Commander,” she responds, “I’ll leave you alone with him for questioning now. Afterward, I’d like to do a psych eval, with your permission.”

The pair nod and the doctor exits, leaving you alone with the stranger from B-612.

“Hello,” Namjoon spoke gently, treading closer to the boy, “My name is Namjoon. I am the captain of this starship. What is your name?”

“Jimin,” he enunciates clearly, voice soft and sweet.

“Nice to meet you Jimin. Can you tell us what happened to you?”

Jimin’s eyes dart over to where you and Yoongi were standing silently in the back. “Who are they?”

Namjoon waves both of you over to introduce yourselves. The two of you stride closer to where Jimin sat and state your name and position on the ship.

“I don’t know what any of that means,” the boy admitted, eyes only getting wider. His smaller frame was still quivering under the blanket and your fingers twitched to get him another one. He reminded you of a baby blue jay you had once nursed when you were a child, frail and in need of protection. It took everything in you to stop yourself from cradling Jimin in your arms like the bird all those years ago.

“That’s okay,” Namjoon continued, “It’s a lot to learn. Why don’t you tell us why you sent that distress signal to our ship.”

Jimin took a breath, and then rushed out his next words, as though he had been keeping them inside for too long. “Some people came. I don’t know from where, but they came and they weren’t from my planet. They came and they killed everything that takes breath. I’ve never seen so much blood in my life, I’ve never-“

He falters and looks down at his lap. You finally take a step forward to grip his shoulder, a small sign of comfort. He looks up and smiles weakly at you, proving definitively that in the right situation, his features were angelic.

“Jimin, there has been no record of Federation contact with your planet. Where did you learn to speak our language?” Yoongi inquires. You shoot him a disapproving look.

“A man taught it to me. He came to live with us years ago.” The boy replies, taking another shaky breath.

Namjoon raises his brows at that. “A man? Jimin, could this man have been part of the attack?”

Confusion colored the boy’s face. “No, of course not. He is-he was my father. He was also killed.”

You glance at the two other men, hesitant to ask the next question. “Jimin. Is your father human?”

A few days had passed and you found yourself sitting in the back of the mess hall with Taehyung again. Only this time, Jimin was beside you. Your friend couldn’t take his eyes off the stranger, engrossed in watching him try to figure out the utensils on the table. When the boy attempted to spear the orange slop on his plate with a knife, Taehyung cooed and handed him a spoon instead. It was safe to say that everyone on board had become equally infatuated with the visitor and it was easy to see why. His delicate features and bright smiles made him easy to love. And the story of how he came to board the ship made him just as easy to pity.

The boy had lived on planet B-612 all his life, known only to him as his home. Years ago, a human man had crash-landed there and was the first to make contact with the indigenous species. The stranded man had tried and failed to repair his ship, but he ultimately accepted his new life on the planet. Eventually, he fathered a child with a native female and from that union came Jimin. The community there lived together in peace, never again coming into contact with another species. Until the day the invaders struck.

Jimin still hesitates to explain what happened, growing anxious every time he’s questioned about it. All anyone’s been able to put together is that some shadowy figures came and killed just about everyone that lived there, their motive unknown. Dr. Kim suggested that he’s just afraid of reliving the trauma of the attack, insisting he’ll reveal the details on his own time. Yoongi, however, remained wary.

“I don’t trust him.”

“Trust who?” You asked, sitting up on your bed and tying up your unruly hair.

“Jimin,” Yoongi explained, reaching up to release your curls from their knot again, then trailing his hand down your naked back. Frustrated, you snatch the clip from him and start the process over again.

“What do you not trust him about?”

“Just…his story. It doesn’t make sense. There are holes.” He leaned back on your pillows, watching you walk to the closet to begin dressing. Although there was only dark space outside, your sunlight clock glowed bright to let you know it was 0700 hours. The beams illuminated Yoongi’s lithe body as he got up to follow you, circling his arms around your middle.

“Don’t go,” he murmured softly, placing his chin on your shoulder, “Stay.”

“Not all of us are commanders of a starship and can afford to show up whenever they like,” you counter, twisting around in his hold to face him.

He smiled and tugged one of your curls loose. “Just give it a few years, Officer. Soon enough, you’ll be moving on to command a ship of your own.”

You knew his confidence in you should have boosted your pride, but all you felt was your heart-wrenching at the idea of leaving behind the U.S.S. Vanguard. Leaving behind him.

“It’s normal for trauma victims to not remember some of what happened to them,” you stated logically, returning to the topic of your ship’s visitor, and turned back around to find a clean uniform for the day.

Yoongi hummed noncommittally and moved to do the same.

“Hello, blue shirt? You in there?” A voice calls out to you. Startled out of your thoughts, you focus your attention back on the two boys in front of you. Taehyung was waving his hand in front of your face, apparently trying to get you to respond.

“Yes, Tae, what is it?” You sigh, resting your cheek on your hand.

“I’m trying to explain to Jimin what the Prime Directive is, but you were always better at memorizing that stuff.”

Your forehead creased and you look at the other boy. “Where did you hear about that?”

“I’m trying to learn more about Starfleet. Someone mentioned it the other day, but I didn’t know what it was.” He shrugs.

“Well, it’s pretty simple, really. The first principle of our organization is that we are not to interfere with the progress of alien civilizations. So if a planet is not fully developed yet, then we are not allowed to interact with them as to avoid accidentally imposing our own values on them.” You explain, trying to cut out as much jargon as possible. As excellent as his language skills were, he still got confused by complex sentences and unfamiliar words.

He nods slowly, taking in your words. “So, is that why you weren’t allowed to visit us?”

“Partially. You also just weren’t a mission priority.” Taehyung adds, cutting his spoon through the goop on his plate to draw figures.

A security agent stopped beside you and taps on your shoulder. “Officer, I’ve been told by Captain to tell you to report to the transporter room, with the visitor.” The gruff red shirt clad Klingon relayed, looking down at the two of you.

“Oh, shit. Thanks, Aj’es.” You rush to stand up, straightening your skirt. “C’mon, Jimin, follow me.”

In the transporter room, you’re met with Yoongi and Namjoon. They were speaking to Nozos, the officer manning the controls. They pause at the sight of you two, Namjoon waving you forward.

“Officer. Jimin,” he said by way of a greeting, “Commander Min and I have decided it’s time to visit B-612 for ourselves and investigate what has happened. If there are groups of people murdering others, we need to report it to Starfleet.”

“Jimin, what are your mother’s species called?” Yoongi inquired.

“Uh, I don’t know,” the boy stuttered, looking to you, “She’s always just been my mother.”

“Fair enough,” Yoongi responds, although his eyes are narrowed, “As the Federation’s representatives on the first visit to your planet, the Captain will lead this mission. I will accompany to provide my communication skills, in case I speak the same language as the invaders. Our Research Officer here will join us in order to record as much information about B-612 as possible. And you, Jimin, will escort us as our guide.”

“But I’m not ready to go back!” He stammers, eyes widening.

Yoongi just nods. “That’s understandable. Since you are not a member of our ship, you are not expected to follow my orders. Please feel free to return to your quarters. The rest of us will beam down without you.”

At that, Jimin pauses, eyes beginning to dart again between the three of you. “It’s not-it’s not safe down there.”

“We’re aware of the dangers,” Namjoon intones, stepping into the transport chamber, “It’s part of our job.”

Yoongi follows him up and after a moment’s hesitation when you look back at the trembling boy, so do you.

“Captain, we only have one working communicator right now,” Nozos informed him, walking forward to hand off the device, “The others are in need of parts for when we make our next reload stop.”

“Thank you, officer. Please beam us down to the same coordinates from where we picked up Jimin.”

Nozos grunted an affirmative and began hitting buttons on the control console. The boy watched, biting his lip nervously.

“Wait, hold on,” he called, walking uncertainly forward to also step into the transport chamber, “I can’t let you go alone.”

Namjoon smiled and nodded, clapping Jimin on the back. “I’m glad to hear you say so.”

And with that, the four of you disappears in a whirl of light and particles.

B-612 was hot. Not like the dry, scorching heat of Vulcan or the bright sunlight of your hometown in the summer. No, B-612 was damp, humid, wet. Although there wasn’t a rain cloud in sight, the air felt filled with water, turning you sluggish and slowing down your group’s pace through the thick jungle considerably.

“Jimin,” Yoongi wheezes, not one for physical exertion, “Please tell me we’re near where we need to be.”

The boy looks back over his shoulder, yards ahead of you all, lungs accustomed to the unusual atmosphere. “Yes, we’re nearly there.”

Jimin had been uncharacteristically quiet for most of the journey, though you almost don’t mind since talking would require extra effort in this heat. Namjoon has already taken off his shirt, choosing to use it as a rag to mop up his sweat. You have removed the utility belt hung around your hips, preferring to hold the items it contained in your hands rather than weighing down your legs with its weight. Only Yoongi has remained stubbornly unchanged, save for the rings of sweat around his underarms.

A few miles more and your group finally breaks through the thicket of trees to arrive in a clearing. From your vantage point, you can see signs of a community below you. Scattered collections of makeshift homes and well-worn walking paths scatter the landscape. In the far distance, you swear you can almost see the curve of the planet.

“It really is essentially an asteroid,” Namjoon mutters to you, following Jimin down the hill. You nod, only half listening as you start snapping photos of everything you see. Walking up to the homes and fire pits left by the people that lived there, you scribble down as many notes as you can. Yoongi stays by your side, cautiously taking in the environment around you, while Namjoon and Jimin head off in a different direction.

“Jimin’s father must have been miserable here,” Yoongi says under his breath, almost to himself.

“Why do you say that,” you ask, walking forward to investigate a plant you’ve never seen before growing from the ground.

He shrugs and kicks up some loose red dirt. “To be so far from home, surrounded by a people and a language you don’t know. He must have been lonely.”

You turn to face him. “He had Jimin and Jimin’s mother. He must have loved them.”

Yoongi looks up to meet your eyes. “Maybe.”

There’s a crash and you startle awake. You reach under your pillow and grab your phaser, a habit pounded into you from the Academy. Pointing it steadily at the intruder, you slowly stand up.

“Who are you?”

The figure steps out of the shadows into the light streaming through the window from the flashing neon lights outside. Raising his hands up, he grins crookedly at you.

“Just me,” Yoongi says, words slurring a bit, “Put your weapon down, Officer.”

You let out a shaky breath, collapsing back onto the bed. “Fuck, Yoongi, you scared me.”

“I told you not to get a room in this district,” the man says, moving forward to flop down next you. “It’s full of bars and brothels.”

“Yeah, and you smell like both, Commander.” You complain, snatching your pillow from him and settling back into the bed.

He frowns. “Don’t call me that.”

“Yeah? Then what would you like me to call you?” Smiling in amusement, you watch him rest his head on your chest.

“Mm. Baby.”

You’re almost sure he can hear your heart stutter through all the bones and sinew of your body, it pounds that hard. Taking a deep breath to settle your nerves, you open your mouth to say the next part.

“I have…I have something to tell you.”

“Sounds serious,” he grumbles, drawing his arms tighter around you, “Let’s save serious for tomorrow, yeah?”

You blink, unsure of what to do. “Yeah, okay. Goodnight, Yoongi.”

“Goodnight. Love you.”

In shock at his words, your heartbeat picks up again, but you look down at him sadly nonetheless. Because in the morning he would remember none of his drunken words and what the two of you had would always remain a secret for the night.

You and Yoongi are still staring at each other in silence when Namjoon calls you both in the distance. Shaking yourself out of your reprieve, you step around the man in front of you. Following the sound of his voice, you find your captain and Jimin standing before a gruesome sight.

Bodies upon bodies are piled on top of each other, emanating a rotten stench that’s only exacerbated by the heat. Through your shock, you pick out the aliens almost humanoid features, save for their pale orange skin and magenta hair. Though you can’t immediately recognize the sex of any particular one, you notice there are smaller bodies littered among the group. Bile rises up your throat and you slap a hand over your mouth.

“They didn’t even bury them,” Yoongi whispers softly.

Jimin moves to stand in front of you all, spreading his arms as if he was trying to block your view. His eyes are inhumanly wider than ever before and you wonder if it’s a characteristic inherited from his mother’s species. “There, you’ve seen it. You have proof. Can we leave now?”

“No, Jimin, we can’t,” Namjoon responds calmly, though you can tell he’s shaken up by the way his hands tremble behind his back.

“This…this was a massacre,” you finally breath out, “Jimin, we have to find who did this.”

The boy is biting his lips, clearly worried about the prospect of staying on the planet for any longer.

“What is that?”

The three of you look over in the direction of where Yoongi is pointing. Though you can’t make it out clearly, there is a visible glint coming off of something large and metal in the distance. He takes off towards it, Namjoon quickly following in his stead. You move to do the same when Jimin grabs onto your hand.

“Please,” he choked, “Please don’t.”

Your brows furrow. “Jimin, just stay here if you’re afraid.”

He shakes his head and opens his mouth to continue pleading, but you’ve already started running after your leaders.

The closer you get to the metal structure, the more you can make out what it is. An escape pod. Albeit an old one, from decades ago, with rust corroding its outside. Stepping into the small space, you find Namjoon tapping away at its computer.

“This is what Jimin must have used to send his distress signal,” he reasons, struggling with its outdated interface.

You nod and turn slowly, looking around. On the interior wall opposite the computer, you can make out the words U.S.S. Icarus stamped there. Papers and photos are taped alongside it, many detailing engineering and mechanical notes.

“He must have tried to repair it a million times,” you wonder quietly. Your eyes slide over a photo of a group of people, most likely the crew of the starship Jimin’s father ejected from. Moving closer to look at their faces, your breath hitches when you recognize a familiar gummy smile.

Ripping it down from the wall, you shove the photo in Namjoon’s face. He focuses on it for a moment, and then looks back at you in shock.

“Do you think it’s-“

“Captain, I’m almost certain. Where is he?”

Namjoon gets up and heads back outside into the sweltering heat. Spinning around, he yells out his second-in-command’s name.

“Over here.” You hear Jimin call and the two of you follow the voice to the other side of the escape pod. There, Yoongi and Jimin are standing over another body. However, this one looks different from the rest.

Coming closer, you see the man lying lifeless on the ground; throat cut and caked blood dried in a puddle around him. What makes you choke out a breath, however, is the man’s face, the spitting image of the one currently standing next to you.

Namjoon steps forward slowly. “Commander. Is this your father?”

Yoongi gives a brusque nod, still not speaking.

You glance over at the other boy, standing a ways apart from the three of you. “Did you know the two of you…shared a parent?”

He shrugs casually. “I find that’s such a human thing to care about.”

A few moments pass while you try to connect everything that’s occurred so far. Finding the piles of slaughtered bodies, discovering the fate of Yoongi’s lost father, Jimin’s sudden cavalier attitude. It’s almost as if-

“Jimin,” Yoongi exhales slowly, face paler than you’ve ever seen, “There were never really any invaders, were there?”

The boy’s features are blank, giving nothing away. Namjoon stiffens and your heart pounds. All three of you turn to face the alien in question.

He smiles slowly, mouth splitting open like a wound. It’s different, unnatural, making your hairs stand up on end.

“I knew of all the people to figure me out, it would be you, brother.”

Time begins to race faster than your brain is able to process, seconds melting into each other.

“Explain yourself.” Namjoon demands, voice still even though his hands shake harder behind his back.

“I killed them, Captain,” Jimin smirks, “I killed them all.”

You stare at the boy in front of you, innocent features still twisted in an ugly sneer. Trying to imagine this Jimin, the one that reminded you of that baby blue jay from your childhood, as a killer makes your knees want to buckle. Although your training prevents you from collapsing in shock, you still struggle to breathe.

“Why?” You croak out.

He shrugged again, as if you had asked him about his choice of shirt color. “They were in my way.”

“What the fuck does that mean?” Yoongi finally speaks, words dripping with fury.

“You wouldn’t understand!” Jimin roars back, “None of you would! You weren’t left to rot on a rock like me!”

He stops, turning around to run his hands through his hair, back heaving with heavy breaths. When he faces you all again, his voice is steady and clear once more.

“My father was the first outsider to ever step foot on our planet. My people were fascinated by him, thought he and his odd ship were an interesting oddity. They learned that they were not the only ones to exist in this world, but did nothing about it. They accepted him and continued with their lives, as if they hadn’t discovered a life-changing fact.

But imagine what I felt when I learned the same fact for the first time. I don’t think any of you could, aren’t capable of it. I was in shock. Suddenly, my world had expanded and I wanted to explore it. Wanted to see for myself what life elsewhere looks like.

But my people were against it. Scolded and yelled at me for it, called me the strange half-breed. They thought I would bring calamity upon them by messing with the cosmos and shunned me. My mother died from the shame. Even my father was content with staying here, discouraged by his failed attempts at fixing his ship.

I worked on it anyways, read every manual and tried everything I could to get the damn thing to work. Eventually, I got the comms control to turn on. I told my father, thinking that out of everyone here, he would understand me. But he was angry, insistent that I drop it. I think the coward was afraid of having hope again, couldn’t bear if it failed.”

His eyes slide over to Yoongi, who was staring at the alien with a hard gaze.

“So I killed him. I killed our father. I always knew we shared blood, you know. As soon as I saw your face. The two of you look so alike, any other explanation was impossible.”

“Why did you kill the rest?” Namjoon asks, making Jimin turn his attention to him.

“I had to make the story believable, of course.”

“Jimin, what was the purpose in all this?” You implore, desperate to find some reason to explain away the murderous rage the boy in front of you held.

“I was abandoned by the rest of the galaxy,” he spits out, venomous, “I was passed over and told I wasn’t a mission priority. I wasn’t civilized or developed enough to know of more than the heat and dirt of the rock on which we stand. And I refuse to accept that fate.”

There’s a flash of inhumanly fast movement, a glint of silver, and a yell. Then the boy is running back in the direction you came from, nimble body moving quicker than you’ve ever seen someone go. Confused at the speed with which it all happened, you spin around to look at your leaders behind you.

Kneeling below you on the ground, Yoongi is cradling Namjoon. Red streams from your captain’s side and his eyes flutter shut. Panicking, you fall to the dirt and put pressure on the gash, trying to stem the flow. You look to Yoongi, struggling to understand what just occurred.

“He stabbed Namjoon.” the Commander grits, “Stabbed him and snatched the communicator.”

Seokjin leans back in the command chair, toggling the buttons on the side. Pressing each one at random, he marvels at their functions.

“You shouldn’t play around with the controls,” Officer Kumari states, coming to his side.

Seokjin flinches, spooked at the silence with which the Andorian crept up next to him. He grins sheepishly at her and she rolls her bright yellow eyes, moving away.

“Can someone inform me why I’m on the comms?” Taehyung calls out from his seat.

Seokjin swivels to face the engineer. “Because I’ve been left in charge of this spacecraft and I say that you’re on the comms. Don’t make me write you up for insubordination.”

Before Taehyung has the chance to retort that the pilot doesn’t even have the authority to censure him, his communicator beeps urgently. He flashes Seokjin a look to say that this argument wasn’t over and flips open the device.

“Vanguard here, go ahead Captain.”

“Hello? Can you hear me?” A shaky voice calls out.

Standing up in surprise, Seokjin comes closer to listen. “Jimin? Is that you?”

“Yes! I need help, beam me up now!”

Confused, Taehyung looks up at Seokjin. “Jimin, where are the others? Where’s the Captain?”

“The others betrayed us!” The disembodied voice rushes out, sounding strained, “They decided to join with the invaders and when the Captain objected, they stabbed him! I barely got away!”

At that, everyone on the bridge stands up in alarm. There’s an exchange of shocked whispers and murmurs as they look to the pair speaking into the communicator.

Brow furrowed, Seokjin straightens up and begins walking to the transporter room. The others follow him, intent on seeing firsthand what was happening. Only Taehyung remains behind, still speaking into the device.

“Jimin, are you-are you absolutely sure that’s what happened?”

“Yes!” The boy cries out, sounding close to tears, “And I need you to save me before-“

His voice cuts off as he’s beamed up. Taehyung drops the communicator to his lap, head shaking in disbelief.

“I don’t believe it,” he mutters to himself quietly.

“Keep pressing down here. I’ll tie it off.” You direct Yoongi, reaching to loop together the sleeves of Namjoon’s shirt into a knot. You’re using it as a makeshift bandage, trying to prevent him from losing any more blood. The injured man winces in pain as Yoongi leans against him.

“I’m sorry, Captain, I just-“

“I know, Commander.” Namjoon shuddered, resting his head back into the other man’s lap.

A moment passes and then Yoongi continues. “I’ll kill him for this, I swear.”

Namjoon shakes his head and smiles faintly. “You know, in a way, I kind of admire him.”

Both of you look at him in shock, prompting him to further explain.

“I mean, he’s really no different from us. Each officer up there on our ship has dedicated their lives to boldly go. Much like them, he just wants to be a part of that mission. He might be a psychopath, but he has the determination to see it through.”

“You’re delirious.” You mutter, finishing up the knot and looking to Yoongi. “What are we going to do? Jimin took the communicator.”

“He used the escape pod’s comms panel once,” he gestures towards the vessel a few yards away, “I bet we can do it again.”

You nod and stand up, leaning down to grab Namjoon’s legs. Yoongi gets your idea and clutches the man’s arms. Together, you try lifting him, but he yowls in agony.

“Leave me here,” he pants out, squinting his eyes shut from the pain, “I won’t be going anywhere.”

Reluctantly, you and the other man hurry to the escape pod and step in. Letting Yoongi experiment with the dials, you rummage through the piles of notes, trying to see if anything useful was left behind. Both of you are sweating heavily, beads of perspiration sliding down your neck. It’s not so much from the sweltering heat, but from the urgency of your situation.

“Did you fix it?” You spin to look at Yoongi, unable to find any documents relevant to the communications system.

“If this took Jimin years to work, I doubt I’m going to figure it out in a minute.” He snaps, fiddling with the controls.

Your shoulders fall and you squat next to the man sitting in the seat, gently placing your hand on his thigh.

“Yoongi. Are you okay?”

“You can’t keep doing this to me, Yoongi.” You sigh, blocking the door to your room with your body.

“C’mon,” the man drawls, voice dripping with tequila, “I just wanna sleep next to you.”

You shake your head, intent on turning him away. He wasn’t going to slither into your bed tonight.

“I have to wake up early tomorrow.”

“Then we should hurry and go to sleep,” he sidles closer to you, smirking.

You squeeze your eyes shut and look up, taking a breath.

“Yoongi, I know you drink because you have your own demons to deal with. But I can’t let you come here every time when you’re boozed up and use me as some way to forget it all. I’m not a container for your pain.”

“Ooh, how you wound me,” he grins at you, though the spark has gone from his eyes. “What if I order you to let me in?”

“Goodnight, Commander.” You reply, slamming the door in his face.

Yoongi stares at you, taking in the current moment. “No. But I will be.”

You nod and let him return to the controls. The air in the pod has shifted and his breath evens out, moving to adjust the dials more methodically. In a few minutes, he gets the archaic machine to give a weak beep. Quickly, he punches in the requisite channel code and waits.

“Can it record video?” You ask, referring to how Jimin sent his own distress signal.

He shakes his head in response, pointing to the webcam that had been smashed in. “He must have tried destroying it to prevent anyone else from using it.”

There’s a tinge of static, then the crackling sound of a connection.

“Vanguard here, with who am I speaking?”

“Taehyung?” You exclaim in surprise, grabbing the microphone from Yoongi, “Beam us up!”

“Wait-what? What are you guys doing?”

“Officer, beam us up right the fuck now.” The man next to you barks.

“Jesus, okay! Hold on!” The line goes dead.

You look at Yoongi, nervous. “Do you think he’ll be able to locate us without our coordinates?”

He shrugs, unsure. “He can probably track-“

Then the two of you disappear in a whirl of light and particles.

With a thud, you land on your ass in the transport chamber back aboard the ship. There’s a grunt of pain beside you and you turn to see Yoongi, rubbing his back.

“Oh my god.”

Taehyung is sitting at the control panel, staring at both of you in shock. Leaping up, you race over to him and he gathers you in his arms.

“I thought you joined the invaders,” he hums into your hair. Your forehead creases in confusion and you lean back to peer at him.

“What are you talking about?”

“Jimin.” he states by way of explaining, “He came back and said you betrayed us and stabbed Namjoon.”

Yoongi joins the two of you, still massaging his back. “He’s full of shit. And speaking of our captain, where is he?”

“What do you mean?” The engineer questions, looking between both you. “I located you guys using your heat signals. Yours were the only two I found.”

“Incompetent,” Yoongi mutters.

You hurry to the controls and set about on the task of finding Namjoon. However, try as you might, the sensors don’t pick anything up. You hit the buttons again and again, afraid to accept the only possible explanation.

“Do you think he already got back somehow?” Taehyung asks, unaware.

“Maybe-maybe it’s the temperature of the environment, maybe it’s blocking the sensors from recognizing him,” Yoongi stammers out, truly shaken for the first time the whole day.

You sit back in defeat, shaking your head. “No.”

The commander falls to his knees, hands covering his face. “We were too late.”

The silence in the room is broken by a gruff voice from behind you.

“What’s happening here?”

All of you spin to see the transport officer standing at the entrance, eyes widened in surprise at the sight of you and Yoongi.

“Nozos, buddy, wait-“ Taehyung tries to plead. But it’s too late.

“Sir,” the Klingon hits the speaker button beside the door and barks into it, “The traitors are here.”

Yoongi is pacing back and forth; restless from the hours the three of you have been locked in the holding bay. You’re standing at one of the portholes, gazing down at the planet where you knew your captain’s body lay.

“Commander, how do we know if this is going to work? What if he doesn’t even-“

“It’s going to work, Taehyung!” Yoongi snaps at the boy. “We have no other options.”

You lean against the window and look at the man. “How are you so sure he’ll come?”

He snorts. “Call it a sibling’s intuition.”

Taehyung glances at you, confusion coloring his face. You shake your head and begin pacing yourself, anxious for what’s to come.

A few minutes pass, then the doors to the bay slide open. A red shirt security agent marches through. And accompanying him is Jimin. It takes everything in you not to dive at the boy, anger crawling over you at the nervous look plastered across his face.

“The visitor wanted to see you all.” The agent explains standing off to the side. Jimin nods, then turns to him to ask if they could be alone, just for a moment. The agent hesitates for a moment, then acquiesces, clearly taken in by the boy’s innocent demeanor.

Jimin’s mouth stretches into a smirk as soon as the man exits. “I really didn’t think you would make it back.”

“Lucky we’re smarter than you.” Yoongi retorts.

“What do you want from us, Jimin?” You inquire, eager to get this over with, “Why did you come here?”

He gazes at you, an almost melancholy look crossing his face. “You know I tried warning you. Really, you were the last person I wanted to be tied up in this.”

“I don’t believe you’re capable of emotions.” Yoongi spits, stepping in front of you to block the alien’s stare.

The boy chuckles and shakes his head. “I just came to say goodbye. I know I did this to you, but I’ll still miss you all the same, brother.”

“Don’t call me that. You’re no blood of mine.” The man accused.

Jimin’s eyes glowered. “Do you still think you’re better than me, Yoongi? Being daddy’s full human son won’t save you now. I won and soon, you’ll be as dead as your precious father and captain.”

Yoongi twitches forward and you grab at his arm, holding him back. Silence falls over the space for a second. Then Taehyung lifts the communicator from behind his back up to his mouth.

“Did you get that, Seokjin?”

The doors to the bay slide open and the pilot steps through, followed by a horde of security agents. “Oh, I got it.” He announces.

Jimin whips around to look at the entrance, then turns back to the three of you, realization slowly dawning on his face.

“Who won now?” You smirk at him. His features are blank for a moment, then twist into a look of rage. Suddenly, he lunges and you see a glint of sharpened silver. Yoongi leaps in front of you and tackles the boy, both thumping hard on the ground, locked in a scuffle. There’s a spurt of red and then a scream.

The sunlight is blinding, making you squint to see through its beams. Beside you is Taehyung, both of you dressed in the standard red uniform of Starfleet Academy. The director stands in front of a crowd of you and your fellow classmates, reading off the names of the graduates and their new starship assignments.

“Yar, Tasha. U.S.S. Atlas.”

Polite applause and cheers follow. Taehyung looks at you and pouts, despite the momentous occasion.

“Tae, what could you possibly be upset about?” You whisper at him, clapping at the next name announced.

“What if we’re not on the same ship together?”

You smile fondly and hold his hand. “I’ll beam over to wherever you are every chance I get.”

His pout lessens. “Promise?”

You open your mouth to respond right as your name is called. Straightening up quickly, you walk over to accept your diploma and assignment from your director. Then you move to the side, opening one of the documents to run your eyes over the name of the starship you’ll be stationed on. The U.S.S. Vanguard.

Looking back up to avoid appearing rude, you watch as the rest of the names are called in succession.

“Laren, Ro. U.S.S. Falcon.”

“Celes, Toi. U.S.S. Navigator.”

“Kim, Taehyung. U.S.S. Vanguard.”

You jump in shock, clapping louder than anyone in the audience. Your friend bounds up the stage to shake the director’s hand, then races down to envelop you in a hug. You grip him tightly, astonished at your luck in receiving the same post. Although you played it off earlier, you knew you would have been miserable without him around.

Holding onto each other, you watch as the ceremony concludes with the usual pomp and circumstance. Then there’s the sound of someone politely clearing their throat behind you. The pair of you rotates to see a tall, lanky man dressed in the ceremonial garb of a Starfleet captain.

“I wanted to introduce myself. My name is Namjoon and I am the captain of the ship to which you are both assigned.” He sticks out his hand to shake.

Both of you introduce yourselves, smiling nervously at your new commanding officer. He looks around, as if searching for someone.

“My second-in-command is somewhere around here-“

“Right here, captain.” A shorter man replies, walking up to Namjoon’s side. “Commander Yoongi, reporting for duty.”

Taehyung shakes his hand first and then the Commander turns to face you, hand outstretched. You smile softly, reaching out towards him. He blinks, then smiles in return, lips drawing up to reveal his gums.

“Good to meet you.”

“We are gathered here today to commemorate a fallen officer.”

You reflect on that memory, sunlight shining just as bright today as it was then. Around you is a crowd of people, all dressed in black.

“Though we may feel a sense of loss, of despair, it is all a testament to the powerful impact he’s had on all our lives.”

A sniffle is heard in the audience. You close your eyes, irritated. No one here knew him, no one here watched him take his last few shuddering breaths like you did.

“Today, our comrade has returned to the stars from which he came. We gather to honor him.”

A lump rises in your throat, but you don’t shed a tear, eyes having been dried out days ago from sobbing. Instead, you open them and look to the man officiating the funeral service.

“He was a brother, a son, a friend.” Yoongi recites, meeting your eyes, “But most of all, Kim Namjoon was our captain.”

You let out a shaky breath and turn your head to the sky, allowing yourself to be blinded by the sunlight.

Eventually, the service ends. You remain in your seat, ignoring the people getting up and walking by you. A body fills the seat to your right.

“How was it?” Yoongi asks, voice gentle.

“Beautiful,” you reply sincerely, gazing ahead at the casket in front.

He nods, taking your hand in his. “Do you want to know how I plan to honor Namjoon?”

You keep your eyes forward. “How’s that?”

“He always said what was on his mind. Even if he got mocked for it, even if he got called delirious for it.”

You feel your heart squeeze in its rib cage.

“He was determined never to leave this earth without saying what his heart felt, no matter the consequences. I think it’s something I should start doing myself.”

You finally turn to face Yoongi, a mix of emotions welling up within you. “Yeah?”

He smiles softly and leans in to kiss you, his most tender one yet. Against your lips, he murmurs.

“Yeah.”

end note: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

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