‘-think he’s telling us his name?’

‘I’ll try.’

The sun is warm and bright- a permanent sunrise that made Yoongi feel like he was stuck in time.

The strange Being is clad in simple clothes- dirty and torn, but somehow maintained. His hair is a strange colour- neither silver or gold, but somehow both at the same time. It’s beautiful- but it seems out of place. This Being seemed out of place. Like he didn’t belong here.

Yoongi steps up close, squatting down to be on the same eye-level as him.

He points at himself, ‘Yoongi.’

And then at the Being.

His eyes freak Yoongi out just a little. Despite being exposed to so many races and species of Beings, Yoongi has never seen eyes like his. Strange, beautiful, and out of place.

Yoongi notices that his feet are bare. There’s a fresh scratch over the top of his left foot.

Was he the one that was singing?

‘Yoongi,’ he tries again, pointing at himself. He smiles encouragingly as he points back at the stranger.

He raises a hand, pointing at Yoongi.

‘Yoongi,’ he says quietly. His voice is soft and clear. And it’s undoubtedly the voice that had been singing. Then he points at himself.

‘Jimin.’

*

‘Sunshine?’

It made sense now.

When Yoongi had gone to wake Jimin up the other day, he had tried to tell Yoongi this. But for some reason it didn’t mean anything to him. And now, the moment the words leave his tongue, it was as though he was seeing Jimin for the first time.

But also as though he had known him his entire life.

Jimin’s smile is wide, joy obvious in his features as he nods fervently.

‘Sunshine,’ he beams, pointing at himself and then back at Yoongi, ‘Yoongi!’

‘Sunshine-‘

‘Everyone sit down or something- we’re about to take off!’ Hoseok yells.

Yoongi tugs at Jimin’s hand and leads him towards one of the footstools.

‘They’re headed inwards into Ymir,’ Hoseok grits through his teeth as he starts up the ship, one eye scanning the sky above, the other concentrating on the tracking map to his left. ‘Any information on the ship?’

‘It’s a private ship- trade apparently,’ Namjoon replies at once. ‘They supposedly stocked up on over 50 cells of fuel. Information is probably wrong.’

Jimin reaches over, hand brushing against his chin and turning Yoongi’s head to face him. The ship readies for space-travel, gravity settings turning on and the air around them compressing- Yoongi feels it in the lining of his stomach. He also feels a strange sense of floating as he gazes back at Jimin- a strange sensation taking over the rest of his body. Jimin says something quietly before dropping his hand and smiling.

‘It’s part of the truth,’ Sk’jin states from where he’s sitting- bringing with him the sounds of the ship back to sharp volume. The Khol’isa is scanning the screen in his hands. ‘According to the officers, they were here for 8 hours. You don’t need 8 hours to buy 50 cells of fuel- is it possible to pull up footage or surveillance?’

‘No- Nuqtai basically has no surveillance- it’s all eye-witness and we won’t get far with that,’ Hoseok replies at once. ‘We don’t have the time either.’

‘Taeh’yung- I need to know with as much detail as possible- where in the ship are you?’ Namjoon asks.

‘Uh…I hopped in at the back? And I’m surrounded with crates and OrTanks and there’s food! I think it’s just the storage pa.’

‘Do you see an outlet? A vent?’ Namjoon asks desperately.

‘Uh…’ Taeh’yung hums for a long period of time. ‘Nope!’

Namjoon pulls at his hair for a second before he’s tapping along the screen hurriedly.

The Užkulisai lifts off easily and they’re high above the ground in a matter of seconds. Jimin tugs at his hand and pulls him towards the Navigation Table where the tracking scan was set up. He points at the small purple dot and says, ‘Taeh’yung?’

Yoongi nods. Jimin looks on worriedly- without translations he’s stuck not knowing or understanding the gravity of the situation.

‘Taeh’yung- could you tell Jimin where you are and what’s happening,’ Yoongi asks quietly. He ignores the way Namjoon and Sk’jin glance at him at his words.

Jimin tenses for a moment before his shoulders relax, his hand going up to his ear. He nods once, twice- before he’s saying something quietly. He pauses a moment before he smiles- Taeh’yung was clearly saying something funny to make Jimin feel better.

Of all the nicknames he could have chosen- why that one in particular?

‘We need to get close enough so that Taeh’yung can get back into the ship,’ Namjoon says tensely. ‘We can’t have them know that we’re following them-‘

‘Pa-‘

There’s a burst of static, some scuffling sounds, and what sounds like running feet.

Namjoon stops.

‘Tae?’ Sk’jin calls out tentatively.

‘Taeh’yung?!’

Everyone quiets down at once.

‘Uh- I think they discovered me-?’

‘Taeh’yung?’ Sk’jin’s eyes look like they’re about to pop out of his head.

Everyone quiets down again. The ship picks up, light flashing as they push through Nuqtai’s atmosphere.

‘Taeh’yung?’ Jimin asks again, tugging at their held hands.

‘I…I don’t know-‘ Yoongi doesn’t know how to explain this to Jimin.

‘Who the are you? What the are you doing following us?’ a rough voice cuts into the Bridge, accent thick and heavy.

‘Hello my name is Sk’jin- I am so grateful that you found my baby brother on your ship,’ Sk’jin gushes out, a perfect balance of relief, gratitude, and emotion. ‘I have been worried sick.’

Namjoon is violently gesturing at Sk’jin- Yoongi doesn’t know exactly what he’s channeling, but he seems frustrated.

‘Who the are you Sk’jin- and why is your baby brother on board my ship? Tell me why I shouldn’t shove him out of my ship?’

‘Oh please don’t!’ Sk’jin declares, emotion dripping in his tone though he’s raising a victorious fist into the air. Jimin is alarmed, reaching for Sk’jin quickly, eyes worried as he looks over the Khol’isa. ‘I’ll do anything! Please spare him!’

Jimin is glancing back at him and then to the others, clearly confused at Sk’jin’s thoroughly convincing acting and the reaction of the rest of the crew. He leaves Sk’jin’s side for a moment and comes back to Yoongi, taking his hand.

‘Taeh’yung?’ he asks desperately.

‘Taeh’yung is all right,’ Yoongi says quietly as Sk’jin continues to cry over the Comm, begging that Taeh’yung be spared. Yoongi takes Jimin’s hand and carefully repeats, ‘Taeh’yung’ and raises his hand into a thumb’s up. ‘Okay.’

Jimin stares at his hand for a moment before he nods slowly.

‘-please- if you have a heart, please spare him!’ Sk’jin is sobbing actual tears, his voice cracking, but his eyes are filled with delight and mirth. Jimin tilts his head, bewildered.

‘I hope they’re really thick because I wouldn’t believe this for a second,’ Hoseok sighs from the cockpit before he says, ‘Everybody please buckle up- we’re leaving Nuqtai.’

‘-please I beg of you! He’s my only family left! I promised our parents I would take care of him-‘ Sk’jin casually seats himself, securing his harness around him. Yoongi guides Jimin to the cockpit and makes him sit next to Hoseok, activating the safety belt for him before taking a seat on Hoseok’s other side.

‘-seems adamant in running away though, if he decided to stowaway.’ Is the response they get.

‘I think they are thick,’ Hoseok raises one eyebrow at Yoongi. Namjoon on the other hand is adamantly staring at the ceiling, as though hoping that the stars above would grant him relief from what he was listening to.

But Yoongi finds that there was some hope. These Beings were clearly just muscle- just extra Beings who were possibly roped into all of this for the units. It was possible that they would be able to get Taeh’yung back and leave as quickly as possible.

Hoseok is cursing under his breath. He looked determined, locking in the ship Taeh’yung was in to the HUD in front of him. He puts the ship on autopilot, following after the small ship.

‘Forget going to that stretch of dead space past Ymir-  we’re headed straight for Grisial after this,’ Hoseok mumbles. ‘We’re not going to put ourselves out at risk like this again.’

‘-I’m so sorry for putting you in this family drama,’ Sk’jin cries out, ‘But please- Tae? Tae- can you hear me? Why would you do this to me? Do you know how much you’re putting me through? What this does to me? What would our parents think?’

‘I wouldn’t know because they died Jin! They died and I’m stuck with you! I just wanted to get some space!’ Taeh’yung cries back.

Namjoon facepalms. He literally hunches over in his seat, both of his hands covering his face, feet curled from severe embarrassment.

‘It’s difficult Tae! We don’t have a lot- and we’re barely scrapping here where we are. I am selling my body so that you can survive! I just added more sols in service to the Captain so that we could retrieve you!’ Sk’jin sobs out though he sends a sly wink at Namjoon’s direction. Yoongi is sure that Namjoon would be falling out of his chair if he wasn’t being strapped in.

‘I didn’t ask you to do that- what was wrong with living in the farm? Why didn’t we just stay there-‘

‘Because of our debts Tae! Mother and father were not the good folks you thought they were- they made bets and drove our farm to the ground!’ Sk’jin chokes out. ‘-if I didn’t take us out of there we would have been sold into slavery- at least here like this we can make our choices- even if they are limited-‘

‘We’re green,’ Hoseok calls out in a low dull voice, pulling off his security belt.

‘-you never gave me choices!’ Taeh’yung is honest to Spaces hysterical crying. Hoseok glances over at Jimin who now looks confused rather than troubled. He seems to be putting 2 and 2 together. ‘-you’re too loyal to Cap and he gives you nothing in return! He doesn’t love you like that-‘

‘Tae! I’m telling you we can do this- just please please trust in me! Okay? Please trust in me and believe in me! I can take us out of here- and give us a good life. But I need you to come to me, please? You’re my only family!’

There’s a stifling silence that follows and Hoseok looks like he’s appalled to find himself engrossed in this ridiculous drama. Yoongi stands, walking out over to the Navigator’s Mast. Jimin follows him, his eyes are wide, as though now fully realizing what was happening. Namjoon is huddled down on the floor next to his chair, cradling his head in his arms. Jimin looks torn between wanting to reach out to the Captain but not knowing what was acceptable to do either.

‘-fine. Fine. And I’m sorry- I was- I was just so mad – I thought you gave up on us-‘ Taeh’yung hiccups, voice thick and wobbly.

‘Oh Tae baby, I would never give up on us- I love you so much my precious brother,’ Sk’jin coos softly, voice cracking and fading. ‘I’ll come and get you all right? Just stay there and be a good boy, okay? Don’t give anyone any trouble, all right baby?’

‘Yes Jin- I’m sorry,’ Taeh’yung sniffs, sincere apology and regret in his voice. ‘I’ll be good.’

‘Namjoon!’ Sk’jin hisses, ‘Talk! Now!’

Namjoon is unmoving.

Jimin seems to understand now, and he looks impressed. He mimes clapping his hands at the Khol’isa. Sk’jin smiles, pleased, and flips his hair.

‘I think you broke him,’ Hoseok mumbles from the cockpit. But then the Kutsoglerin starts speaking.

‘This is Captain Neemal speaking,’ Namjoon easily gives his 1/50 fake identities he created. They all had at least, 30 fake identities, all created through different Hubs and Port-spaces, all under 1 hour. ‘I see that one of my kids has stowed away on your ship- I can only apologize for the trouble he must be giving you- Spaces knows he gives me enough.’

‘Guh,’ the Being over the Comm grunts out. For some reason this makes Sk’jin raise a fist in the air, a delighted expression on his face.

‘We’re set!’ he whispers over at Yoongi.

‘You can pick this brat up over at Ts’ets’khli-,’ the voice grunts.

‘We can’t go there- we’ll be scanned and discovered,’ Hoseok hisses at once though he knows Namjoon knows this.

‘How about we meet in Ubhuku,’ Namjoon offers. ‘It’s closer, and we can retrieve the brat and get him out of your hair as soon as possible.’

‘Sweet kid though-‘

Sk’jin mouths, ‘wow- Tae sure moves fast,’ and looks extremely proud as though it was his own achievement.

‘You won’t think that for long,’ Namjoon fakes disinterest and irritation in his tone of voice. ‘It’s empty there- we can conduct our business with ease, and gives me some time to take care of things, you know?’

Sk’jin mimes projectile vomiting and Jimin is pressing his hand over his mouth, stopping himself from laughing out loud.

‘Yeah look here kid- you’re gonna have to keep a real tight eye out on your crew y’hear? If ya can’t tame them, don’t take them in. whatever you’re sticking it into- ain’t worth losing all the units over.’

‘If you don’t say that my is totally worth it I’m killing you in your sleep!’ Sk’jin hisses from where he’s sitting. Namjoon doesn’t even look up from where he’s slumped on the ground, still holding his head up in his hands.

‘Oh you have no idea how much I regret it.’

‘You’ll get the kid back when you transfer the units and cells we used for the detour- and an inconvenience fee too.’ The voice adds.

‘Yeah- of course,’ Namjoon wearily reaches out to grab at his NaviLet, but he’s too far down on the floor. Jimin takes pity and hands it to him before squatting down and gently pets Namjoon’s head with his hand.

‘I’m sorry Captain- I’m sorry Jin,’ Taeh’yung sniffs again.

‘All right kid- I’ll be taking this from you now- see bye to your brother and your Captain.’

‘See you later Jin- and-… and thank you Captain.’

‘This is drama I’d pay to watch,’ Sk’jin comments in a whisper before choking out a reply, ‘Be good baby.’

Namjoon curls up on the floor in a fetal position.

Jimin laughs out loud, his head thrown back. Their hands are still connected and Yoongi can feel Jimin’s laughter- the vibrations of it moving from the other into him.

It’s warm and heartening.

Yoongi feels like he’s growing, something inside him expanding outwards towards the warmth of it.

And Yoongi guesses he understands why he chose that nickname.

*

The nagging feeling won’t go away. And Hoseok wonders if its indigestion.

The identity they had adopted was of a private trade ship- the easiest cover-up, as well as the most common. Most pirate ships were registered as private trade ships so they just blended in with the other billions of ships zooming about the Universe.

But that doesn’t stop Hoseok from being jumpy. It was going to take a full 2 days to get to Ubhuku and they were now on their 40^th hour of moving through GLA borders in this suspicious System. Hoseok never liked Ymir or the Systems around it. But Nuqtai was the only option they had to access that many Hubs with the lowest chance of discovery.

Or so he thought.

Hoseok knew that it would be difficult to stick to a divisive plan- which was why he had even come up with so many alternative plans and sets of action. He just wasn’t expecting this early a deviation- they hadn’t even left Nuqtai and things were already messing up.

One comfort he has is that their plan on setting off anyone who might come after them was working. It was obvious that they were on some form of searching/hunting list because the moment Hoseok had set off the fake information, there were ripples of action taking place. Maybe not as organized, but clearly targeting them and their leaked false information. He scoured the Underverse for news coming

While he wasn’t happy that they were now in fact on the run, it made him better knowing that they were able to direct the attention of the GLA elsewhere while they weaved their way through to their plan.

But what even was their plan? All of this was a complete mess- Namjoon and Sk’jin both with their own criteria. Both trying to see things done and through. Jimin trying to get back to his planet, and Yoongi…well, now with the information they gained from Jimin, probably also trying to figure out his past.

Then there was Taeh’yung I’m going to strangle you when I see you- Hoseok palms at his face.

The Zhak’gri was clearly a troublemaker. Hoseok has half the mind to leave him be- to tell Namjoon to just leave him there. He was certainly more than capable of handling himself. He would have no issue escaping from a small ship based on what Hoseok has seen. But then again, based on what Hoseok has seen Taeh’yung do, he knows that the Zhak’gri was an irreplaceable asset in their ship.

And the nagging feeling inside him is worry- and he knows that (not indigestion because Sk’jin was a shockingly excellent cook and made the most amazing food and had the tendency to stress-cook- lucky for them Jimin was a big eater and Yoongi just ate whatever was placed in front of him, no questions asked).

He knows he’s worried over Taeh’yung despite the fact that the latter could probably walk out of a nuclear war unharmed, probably wearing a flower crown. An odd imagination but somehow oddly fitting. But he can’t help it. To Hoseok’s disbelief and shock, he’s come to realize that he actually cares about the wellbeing of the Beings in this team- not just because they were useful additions into their joint cause and effort (which was honestly just questionable and life-threatening).

The ship carrying Taeh’yung was far up ahead, slowing down as they arrived at Ubhuku’s space borders. The planet itself wasn’t all too bad on the outside, the atmosphere thin and forgiving. However, like her sister-planets, Ubhuku had an extremely acidic atmosphere, as a result of their volatile oceans and seas. Despite Ubhuku being more land than water, the acidity in the air was like breathing in wafts of acidic vapour- all the plants that grew in that planet were adapted to the planet’s strange acidity, covered in a gooey substance that alkalized the acid, creating a constant shield of water around them. Which was probably why the planet was so humid and swampy. Upon checking up on the planet, they found out that Namjoon and Sk’jin could breathe the air on land-level. But Hoseok and Yoongi would have to wear a filter and full Space-Gear, and just to be safe, Jimin too. The ship would be protected from the acidic air but they don’t want to take any risks. The planet was interesting- it used to house a GLA research facility but due to the weak crust and loose soil, no structure could stay upright. That and prolonged exposure catalyzed most material into strange gooey rotted matter. Hoseok has heard that it’s something of a quick pit-stop for pirates. But only if they’re desperate.

It was also where Taeh’yung had apparently tried to play actual god.

Acidic planet, weird evolution, and gooey mush Hoseok could understand and deal with. But the idea that someone he knew, and shared a ship with, had somehow played god in this volatile planet, and was observed by the GLA was something that really didn’t sit well with him.

‘Scanner ready?’ Namjoon asks, appearing to his side.

Hoseok nods.

‘Right- if Taeh’yung tracked them right, they could give us a better lead into those Beings,’ Namjoon mumbles under his breath.

‘I still don’t think we should be doing this,’ Hoseok chimes in.

‘It’s not,’ Namjoon agrees with a shrug. ‘But we all have to do risky things in missions- it’s how we get information.’

Hoseok wants to disagree but there is truth in Namjoon’s words. Hoseok’s entire life has been surrounded and made by risks and chances he’s taken. Of course he was extremely careful- planning ahead for hours days weeks. But that had been only his life- Hoseok was only ever responsible for his life, his single mission.

Now he feels the burden of the team- having to think of 5 other Beings, calculate the risk of error and probability from their actions, with his own, and create some form of solid plan on what they had to do. And clearly it wasn’t working out.

‘We have the advantage of a better ship- so we can land faster, and prepare on site,’ Namjoon ruminates, eyes fixed on the view outside. The planet Ubhuku was slowly approaching- now a small dot of muddy green against the backdrop of space. They were following the coordinates the other ship had sent them.

‘We’ll be entering Ubhuku in 30 minutes,’ Hoseok calls out in warning over the Comm. ‘Sk’jin have you finished cooking?’

‘Shut up.’

‘He’s still cooking,’ Namjoon sighs out as he walks over to the cockpit.

Hoseok wonders if Sk’jin had explicitly chosen cooking as his stress breaker because he knew Namjoon didn’t eat. It was probably in retaliation of Namjoon loudly announcing that he was going to bed every other night. They would be a second from going at each other’s throats but Hoseok stops them every time he can. Hoseok rolls his eyes at the two, wondering when and why he ended up becoming the “adult supervision” on the ship.

The coordinates took them to a flat swampy clear area.

Jimin is pressed to the window, eyes wide as he takes in the sight of the planet below him. It was a rather flat planet- the horizon continuing along without much break. It was just…lumpy.

‘Jimin should stay inside,’ Namjoon repeats the plan again, ‘Sk’jin and I will go out to talk. Hoseok will stand at the ready to take off. Yoongi, are you ready?’

‘Ready,’ Yoongi replies from the front.

‘Oh Captain- spare my brother and punish me instead!’ Sk’jin trills from where he sits. Hoseok grimaces at the way Sk’jin says punish. Namjoon sighs heavily and just throws Sk’jin a mask. They didn’t need it, but it made for a good cover-up. Their faces wouldn’t be exposed.

With some difficulty, they had explained to Jimin that he shouldn’t be seen, and that he should stay inside until Taeh’yung came back and they were safely on their way out. He had nodded in understanding, looking a little upset at the idea of staying inside.

Hoseok has changed though he knows he shouldn’t leave the ship- as pilot, he would need to be at the cockpit, ready to take off at a moment’s notice.

When they land, the ship takes a while to calibrate the landing gear.

‘The surface isn’t ideal for landing,’ Hoseok grits out, watching the ongoing analysis on the whole process. 

‘Any signs of life?’ Namjoon calls.

‘None,’ Sk’jin replies as he gazes out distastefully. ‘Nothing other than the plants could survive on this planet.’

‘All right- we have a 5 minute window here- Hoseok, is everything ready?’ Namjoon asks.

Hoseok starts up the aerial scanner and readies a tracker, holding it up for Yoongi when he walks past. It’s still unsettling every time Yoongi wears his GI uniform along with the helmet. He wasn’t in the standard dark blue Space-Gear Hoseok was wearing under his regular clothes- Hoseok doesn’t know how it’s been made, but apparently it had a decent ability to withstand almost every force invented. Jimin fidgets by the tower-mast, watching after Yoongi as the Human walks out. He was obviously not at all happy with the plan and he kept glancing out of the window, jumpy and confused.

‘Yoongi tell us when you get into position,’ Namjoon calls as he readies a unit-chip, and the code for a tidy amount of units.

‘Understood.’

‘I need to look like I’ve been crying,’ Sk’jin states, glancing at his reflection before addressing Hoseok, ‘Should I look ugly worried or beautiful worried? Should I try to look panicked?’ Sk’jin adopts a theatrical panicked expression.

‘Maybe just stick with normal worried,’ Hoseok offers.

Sk’jin sighs dramatically before saying, ‘You’re boring Hobi.’

Hoseok is about to counter Sk’jin and tell him that he was lucky that Taeh’yung’s captives were pretty thick because Sk’jin’s act was so obvious when he feels a tug on his sleeve.

Jimin is pulling at his sleeve urgently.

‘Pon ah thil an om.’

‘…sorry?’

Jimin points outside.

Sk’jin and Hoseok both look out.

There’s nothing outside the window. Nothing in the swampy clearing.

‘What do you mean?’ Sk’jin asks.

Jimin just points, a bit more vehemently outside.

‘Pon ah thil an om- enge ni ka hre lo.’

He looks worried, gnawing at his lower lip.

‘Jimin-?’ Sk’jin tries but Jimin lets out a frustrated exhale and runs out of the Bridge.

‘Hobi- scan the area again,’ Sk’jin orders sharply as he makes his way down to the tower-mast, pressing his face against the window.

Hoseok scans the place but comes up with nothing. The only form of life around was that of plant-life. Nothing more. Nothing less. Hoseok has heard of how if there were too many plants and algae growth in condensed areas, it could lead to confusion in scanners.

‘Motion sensors?’ Sk’jin suggests, shoulders tense as he carefully scans the horizon, fingers reaching out to activate the HUD settings on the pane before him.

Wondering what the Khol’isa was on about, Hoseok activates the motion sensors. A small signal tells him that Taeh’yung’s captor’s ship just entered the planet.

‘Sk’jin- if you could come down plea-woaH HEY JIMIN-‘ Namjoon begins but ends up yelling.

The motion sensor lights up on the window in front of Sk’jin and he gasps out loud.

‘Shit! Yoongi get back in now!’ Sk’jin shrieks, turning on his spot and running out. Hoseok quickly pulls up the sensor as well and to his horror finds a huge ring of movement closing in on them. Just meters from where Yoongi’s blue signal was lit up.

Hoseok quickly closes every single ventilation outlet- firing up the plasma engines and expanding the radius of their shield.

‘Jimin get back in here-!’ Hoseok’s heart leaps to his throat.

‘Yoongi!?’ Hoseok calls out as he leaps out of his chair, running out of the Bridge. ‘Lisai- return to autopilot and put the ship on green!’

‘Understood, Head-Pilot Hoseok.’

Jumping down the rest of the stairs, Hoseok sprints over the Lobby and into the Hangar.

The acidity of the air outside has seeped in a little and his eyes water at once, his skin smarting. Quickly pulling up his mask, Hoseok rushes forward to where Namjoon and Sk’jin are standing. The heat from the planet is instantaneous even though he was exposed for only a few seconds. He was already sweating. Namjoon didn’t seem too effected, though Sk’jin has a ruddy glow to his skin, sweat beading down the sides of his face already.

‘Why aren’t you-‘ Hoseok is about to yell, demanding why the two who weren’t affected by the planet’s acidity and environment weren’t doing anything.

‘Where’s Jimin?’ Hoseok demands, making sure no sliver of skin was exposed.

Sk’jin and Namjoon just point ahead.

Jimin is standing ankle deep in muddy water some distance ahead. He looks entirely fine and unaffected by the volatile air. Yoongi is there too, helmet on. But that’s not what was most startling.

Surrounding Jimin and Yoongi, were weird shaped blobs that slowly bubbled about them. They have strangely shaped antler-like projections atop their blob-heads. They were transparent-ish, but in a muddy way. They had no faces- and just appeared…like blobs. They were crowding around Jimin, weird oblong bodies bent over as though to look at Jimin clearly. Yoongi is there, his stance defensive but he’s not acting out. It could be because Jimin was holding his hand. Jimin is clearly talking to these blobs, neck craning in order to face (?!?!?) the blobs.

‘What the -‘

Jimin turns a little, waving at them. And then all the blobs shift, their faceless forms obviously regarding them all. Hoseok swears he hears Sk’jin whimper out a curse.

‘In-coming ship.’ They all jump at Lisai’s announcement.

‘-‘ Namjoon curses, finally moving.

‘Uh-‘

‘We have to get Yoongi back in hiding and we need to get Jimin back in-‘ Sk’jin hisses, real panic settling on his features. Hoseok has half the mind to tell Sk’jin he still looked handsome whilst panicked.

‘Yoongi- you need to go back to position and Jimin needs to hide- take him with you and just please stay away from sight!’ Namjoon hisses.

Yoongi doesn’t respond but he sees the Human tugging Jimin gently.

Their odd party move out of the swampy clearing and into the strange mushy lumps dotting the area. And it’s not even 30 seconds later when the other ship appears.

‘Do you think they scanned them?’ Namjoon asks worriedly as Sk’jin hurries to set up the fuel-cells on the gravity-lift.

‘It’s possible that the signals from the vegetation might have covered them but I’m not sure,’ Hoseok replies tersely.

‘Do you think those were Taeh’yung’s…creations?’ Namjoon asks carefully as they watch the small ship land some ways down the swamp. It’s smaller than the Užkulisai and older. It was clearly just a temporary ship- what with the license and model stamp freshly painted over the hull despite the entire ship being in dire need of a redo. The back of the ship opens slowly and it’s as though they hear Taeh’yung before they see them. A loud and dramatic shout of ‘brother!’ rings through the swamp. Hoseok nervously eyes the lumpy growth to the side.

‘Let’s go,’ Namjoon grits through his teeth, nodding once at Sk’jin as the latter pulls the filter-mask over his face. ‘Hoseok- let’s get ready to leave.’

Hoseok nods in response.

Namjoon and Sk’jin step out, feet squelching into the muddy and slimy water.

‘Lisai, redirect all weapons to the ship ahead.’ Hoseok orders as he closes the Hangar gates and makes his way to the antechamber to the side. ‘Yoongi- are you clear?’

‘Clear.’

Hoseok quickly activates the large screen before opening the side door by a smidgeon. He can still see the ship from here. Pulling up the scanner he had activated in the Bridge, Hoseok starts the application.

‘All right- let’s get into their system and see who else they’ve been talking to.’

*

‘Jin!’ Taeh’yung cries, running forwards, legit tears down his face.

Sk’jin, not one to do anything half-assed, also has tears down his face, tripping elegantly (if that was a thing) as he too runs towards Taeh’yung. They crash into each other, Sk’jin sobbing as he scolds but hugs Taeh’yung. Taeh’yung is also sobbing, apologizing on top of his voice.

Namjoon is thankful for the mask over his face- it stops him from giving himself away as he tries not to roll his eyes at Sk’jin’s and Taeh’yung’ act. So instead Namjoon turns his attention back towards the lanky Being who walked Taeh’yung out of the ship.

A total of 4 of them came along, hanging around the back, leery glances sent in Taeh’yung and Sk’jin’s direction as the two “brothers” sink to the ground, sobbing heartily. They were enjoying this too much.

‘Namjoon- Yoongi has placed the bug on their ship. Downloading their information now. I need 5 minutes.’

‘You’ve got a bunch of pretty ones with you,’ the Being says casually. ‘They seem like a handful- I can offer you a good price, I know someone who would be interested in a face like that- we can split the profits.’

Namjoon wants to maybe punch this Being’s face in and send him face first into the swamp. Namjoon can’t place his species, his face covered with a mask. The others behind him also have masks on. Namjoon notices that they hadn’t spared Taeh’yung one. This further irritates him.

‘Yeah- we know a bunch who are really into the pretty ones you know?’ the other adds, their eyes gleaming maniacally.

They were clearly just pirates- probably bought to work for the House of Jtāharū or something along that line. Money bought- meaning their loyalty could be bought, as well as their silence.

‘A handful they are- and I’ll be sure to see to their punishment,’ Namjoon replies easily, sending a withering look in Sk’jin and Taeh’yung’s direction. They both act accordingly, heads lowering, shoulders curling inwards. It’s suddenly so convincing Namjoon almost feels bad. He looks straight at the pirate before continuing, ‘Here’s a small thank you for your trouble.’

He hands over the unit-chip to the pirate before snaps out, ‘Stop being so pathetic cur, get the out of my sight right now!’

‘Namjoon- the ship was last deployed from Pompa.’

‘And don’t try and save him- I’m not forgiving him,’ Namjoon yells at Sk’jin and Taeh’yung who pathetically trip back towards the ship. Namjoon faces the pirates again.

‘We’re good?’ he asks, jutting his chin out.

‘Those cells ours?’ one of them asks, pointing at the gravity-lift next to Namjoon.

‘For your trouble,’ Namjoon pushes the lift in their direction.

‘Hey- you’re from Kutsoglera aren’t you?’ one of them suddenly states.

‘Does it matter?’ Namjoon doesn’t fake his irritation.

‘Well-‘

‘Their last call came from an unknown source- just 5 minutes ago. Namjoon I think they’re stalling-‘

‘-not really. It’s rare to see your lot around here,’ the pirate shrugs casually before nodding at the other pirate to his side. ‘Grab the cells- check them.’ Then he turns to face Namjoon. ‘So- what brings you around here?’

‘Heard some went down in Pompa,’ Namjoon replies. ‘Seemed like a good opportunity to scan the area, y’know?’

‘Huh- scavenging,’ one of the other mumbles, kicking at the watery soil.

‘Hey- it’s what puts food on the table then that’s good ain’t it?’ the main pirate shrugs. ‘Seems like you like to spoil your pretty ones- this’s some high-tech Device on him.’

He holds up the Comm-Device in his hand, rolling it about between his fingers.

‘And a waste of money seeing as he still manages to run off,’ Namjoon scoffs, reaching his hand out for the device.

The pirate doesn’t move, still rolling the small cuff between his fingers. His eyes study Namjoon for a while.

‘How’s the cell?’ he asks.

‘Seems fine to me- all clear. Maybe we want a set more?’ the other suggests from where he’s crouched over on the ground.

‘I need only a minute more and I have everything.’

Namjoon makes a face at the pirate, sighing tiredly before he calls out, ‘Bring another set you pieces of !’

Namjoon wonders if all exchanges were this heavily tense. The pirates in front of him were all feigning nonchalance but Namjoon can easily read their tenseness. Hoseok said that they were stalling- and they had received a call 5 minutes prior. They had most likely reported the situation- and it was possible that they were being told to stall until further notice.

There’s squelching sounds behind him and Namjoon recognizes Sk’jin’s footfall. The Khol’isa’s presence triggers a few lusty gazes.

‘He’s a real prize that one- must’ve paid a lot to get him,’ the main pirate remarks. Sk’jin appears to the side, timidly pushing forward another gravity-lift.

‘Yeah- he sure is pretty- I see why you keep him with you,’ one of the pirates crouched on the ground says, eyeing Sk’jin up and down. ‘Bet he’d look real pretty when he cries.’

Sk’jin pretends to shudder, his hands shaking as he unties the tanks.

‘Hey- he just complimented you,’ the other pirate shouts at Sk’jin. ‘Why don’t you thank him huh?’

‘Movement from the ship. Do I take care of it?’ Yoongi asks quietly.

‘No,’ Namjoon shakes his head, ‘My property- eyes off why don’t you?’

‘Fine hey- just appreciating,’ the pirates raises his hands as though he meant no harm.

‘Well- we’ll check on this and then be on our way,’ the main pirate says as Sk’jin shuffles meekly to stand behind Namjoon, making himself small. ‘Boys- get this back in.’

Namjoon spots movement too. One of the other pirates comes walking forward, a screen in his hands. His stance is casual. Too casual. He’s looking around as though taking in the scenery.

‘Done.’

Namjoon is about to end the entire thing, already making to step back. But then he meets the main pirate’s gaze and he knows.

Everyone moves at the same time. There’s an eruption of TeorSer fire aimed right at Namjoon but he dodges it.  

But before he can even speak, there’s a brief moment everything turns bright green.

Namjoon finds himself on the ground, splattered in muddy swampy water. He hears Sk’jin mumble out a curse, some squelching sounds and the Khol’isa’s face swims in his vision.

‘The -‘

'You need to work on your acting skills,' the Khol'isa states blankly. 'You at least need to call me a .'

‘Pa! Are you all right?’

Namjoon is jerked up and pulled into a tight hug. And over Taeh’yung’s shoulder Namjoon finds the 5 pirates in a heap on the ground, and the main pirate fully compressed in a familiar green triangle. Namjoon pulls off his mask, the heat of the swamp pressing down on him. It wasn’t too bad, seeing as his body instantly calibrated to whatever environment was presented to him. He looks over at Sk’jin who is splattered in some muddy water, hair slicked back and drenched from sweat. Any trace of meekness is gone from his features as he eyes the pirates on the ground with undisguised distaste.

‘Their ship-‘ Namjoon points out sharply, eyeing the ship in the distance.

‘Yoongi’s taking care of it,’ Hoseok replies. ‘I’ve deactivated their ship for now. No signals being sent out, but channels still opened to receive.’

‘Keep an eye out on the space borders- I don’t want to jumped,’ Namjoon pats Taeh’yung, looking him over before asking, ‘You’re all right?’

‘Yes pa- oh! CHIM!’ Taeh’yung shouts loudly, arms waving in wide circles.

Coming out of the pirate ship are Yoongi and Jimin.

‘The ship is clear for inspection,’ Yoongi says quietly as Taeh’yung bounds over the swamp easily. Jimin waves back eagerly.

‘I’m so happy to see you-?!’

Taeh’yung is slammed into the ground by a wave of blobs.

Sk’jin lets out a shocked gasp, freezing on spot. But instead of defending himself, Taeh’yung is laughing loudly and delightedly.

‘…remember what Taeh’yung said about this place?’ Namjoon asks, swallowing thickly.

‘Uh huh,’ Sk’jin replies weakly, raising a finger and pointing at the blobs. ‘I guess…I guess that’s what he made?’

‘Yeah…’

By the time they reach Taeh’yung, Jimin is also already there. He’s nearly splattered head to toe with muddy water. He’s speaking rapidly, looking pleased as Taeh’yung continues to squeal, arms open wide as he hugs the blobs. It almost looked as though Taeh’yung was about to consumed, amoeba style, but the blobs seem to be hugging him back. Then Jimin leaps forward as well, pointing and exclaiming in delight. Taeh’yung turns quickly and gives out a loud shout of delight.

Sk’jin groans next to him.

Namjoon’s nonexistent blood runs cold when a titan-blob emerges from the ground, great heaving transparent antlers emerging from the muddy waters around the swamp.

‘UMHOLI!’ Taeh’yung shouts.

‘…what in Spaces is that- should I open fire…?’ Hoseok asks worriedly.

The blob stands at least 3 meters tall, antlers reaching higher than that.

‘No- I think- I think we’re fine,’ Sk’jin says sounding tired. ‘Let’s go check on that ship first shall we? I think the two of them will be all right here.’

Namjoon finds himself being pushed forward by the Khol’isa. Namjoon glances back at the blob and then at the heap of unconscious pirates and the floating green triangle. He wonders why he was ever worried for Taeh’yung.

Yoongi is waiting for them near the doorway leading into the pirate ship. It’s smaller than the Užkulisai but still definitely sizeable. Not being able to see Yoongi’s face is odd- like he was someone else entirely. It’s unsettling seeing him like this, and it makes Namjoon realize just how little they knew about the Human. But what was worse, was how less Yoongi knew of himself in all of this.

‘What a piece of junk,’ Sk’jin sniffs, wiping his face with his sleeve. ‘I know pirates have this rep and a sense of aesthetic but this is just going overboard.’

The ship is dirty to the point of looking like it was purposefully done. There are stacks and stacks of OrTanks, crates, damp boxes of wood and paper even, all crushed up to the sides. There are 4 other pirates in a heap on the ground- all (thankfully) unconscious- probably Yoongi’s work.

‘Most of them are empty,’ Yoongi says as he removes his helmet, safe inside the interior of the ship. He appeared entirely unaffected by the environment around him. ‘Come- you need to see the Bridge.’

Namjoon and Sk’jin follow the Human up a sloping ramp to the Bridge above. This entire ship was really more catered for shipment and cargo, seeing as there was no separation or divisions inside, save for support beams and pillars, and a walkway crossing the space above. Hammocks hung around the place, and ratty mattresses rolled up at random. The Bridge is by far the cleanest place inside the ship. Yoongi approaches the Navigation Table and taps on the surface once with a gloved finger.

A map appears, with a pale blue trajectory highlighted. There was nothing extraordinary about it by looking at it just once but Namjoon spots it at once.

‘Hoseok-‘

‘Hey- their last call came from Raksane Tayi.’

*

The ship is like every other ordinary pirate-ship. Dirty, disorganized, and littered with useless everywhere.

Sk’jin grimaces at the place, wondering why pirates insisted on living like this. When he had been pirate-lord, all the ships he commanded had been clean and organized. Sk’jin was a staunch believer in hygiene, and being inside this ship, as well as this planet, made him want to scrub off his skin and bun the clothes he was wearing.

Most of the loot in here was junk- despite being a cargo ship, they didn’t carry much of it. They were carrying fuel-cells, but it was out here in the open instead of being stored in the cell-slots under the hull where they were supposed to be stored. Taeh’yung hadn’t mentioned anything additional in relation to the House of Jtāharū, if that was even their actual name. It still creeps him out.

Yoongi quietly makes his way around to the front of the Table, removing a small screen from inside his pocket. He slots it over the table, immediately transferring all of the records. 

Namjoon is already typing away, studying the trajectory.

‘Do you think that House was involved with the Alliance? Or with the GLA? Or the Gaia Case?’ Hoseok asks.

‘Or all,’ Sk’jin remarks, walking around the Bridge and studying the place. This was just a temporary ship- one that could be abandoned when needed.

‘I think we need to consider the fact that the House of Jtāharū will also be looking for us- or at least for Jimin,’ Namjoon says tensely. ‘If they did indeed “smell” like the Akramanese ship- the probability of their relation with the Gaia Case has just doubled. And I think we can safely say it is separated from the Alliance or from whatever Van Seulgaan was doing.’

‘How can you say that?’ Sk’jin presses.

‘Because they would have banded with Van,’ Namjoon answers simply. ‘When I conducted research on them I could find no name alluding to their House name- there was no record of their arriving in Pompa either. I tried finding them on the GLA database but there was nothing that resembled them based on the imagery we captured.’

‘Why would the pirates receive a call from Tayi though? Seems like a bad place for anyone working actively against the GLA policies to just hang out in.’

‘The GI were based in the heart of Raksane Tayi and were used to take down members of the GLA,’ Yoongi states suddenly. ‘Where else can you best hide, if not right under your enemies nose?’

Yoongi is right. But it hurt Sk’jin’s head just thinking about. Corruption and foul play was a thing Sk’jin was used to- but it was as though it had gotten three times as worse as he had imagined during the time he was asleep. And it seemed to plague the stronghold of the Known Universe the most.

‘Theorizing about this without sufficient information isn’t going to get us anywhere- let’s just find their trajectory and make sure we don’t overlap in any of the planets they have registered.’ Hoseok sighs.

‘Well, according to this trajectory, they were headed next to Ts’ets’khli and then to Ynqaba,’ Namjoon frowns. ‘That’s a war-zone, you’re not supposed to go there.’

Sk’jin sometimes wonders if Namjoon really was a veteran Information Analyst who discovered information vitally important to the Gaia Case.

‘Honey, war means money- war is the best business out there,’ Sk’jin rolls his eyes dismissively. ‘Why do you think it keeps happening? Within a country, between countries- between planets- within planets- it’s all for power, and it’s all for money. It’s the natural cycle of manufactured life.’

‘Manufactured life?’ Namjoon tilts his head, eyes steely.

‘The moment a governing authority is formed- the moment there is a deity, a figure-head that creates authority and a sense of structure- all who follow it automatically fall into manufactured life,’ Sk’jin shrugs. ‘A life that is dictated by policies, or religion, or oppression, or reverence- this is all manufactured. And in this, war is key, because that generates power, dependency, fear, and money.’

Namjoon’s jaw is tight.

‘Well, we can only figure out the meaning behind all of this by interrogating one of them,’ Hoseok chimes in before he calls out on the Comm, ‘Taeh’yung- is that pirate guy alive?’

Sk’jin catches the way Namjoon winces at his words.

‘Yeah? You want me to get rid of them?’

‘No!’ Namjoon replies at once. ‘Make sure the others are secured, and bring them back into the ship. We need to talk to the main pirate.’

‘A-okay!’

‘I’m done,’ Yoongi states, holding up his screen. ‘Should I get rid of the ship.’

‘No- no,’ Namjoon looks exasperated. ‘There’s no need for any additional violence.’

Sk’jin wants to laugh despite not finding this situation amusing at all. Because it’s annoying and gives him a sense of déjà vu he did not want or need.

Jimin turns to wave at them- it had become surprisingly dark rather quickly. And to Sk’jin’s fascination as well as a fair amount of nervousness, the blobs are actually glowing. Taeh’yung is humming in a low tone, and it’s rather eerie with the way faint pulses of green escape him in the muddy water, creating ripples that reflect on the blobs.

Jimin walks over to them, expression turning serious as he regards the ship behind them. His eyes are glowing in this dim light. And they really do look like solar eclipses now. He looks over at Yoongi who though was already wearing his helmet again, was obviously only looking at Jimin. Jimin holds his hand out for the Human. And Yoongi takes it of course.

When Sk’jin looks at the two of them, he can’t help the feeling of something foreboding. Not for a minute does Sk’jin think any of this is coincidence. This was all too purposeful, all too planned. And this reunion was all part of that plan.

It’s too clear to Sk’jin- watching the two in front of him. He’s not sure if Namjoon and Hoseok really see it for what it is. Or maybe Sk’jin was looking too deep, looking for things that weren’t there. But what he does know is that it was probably going to end in pain- and that no one was going to be spared.

‘Pa! What do you want me to do with him?’ Taeh’yung asks as the triangle carrying the pirate from before emerges from the swampy soil. Sk’jin catches Namjoon quickly looking about for the other pirates, and is relieved to find them by one of the landing wheels of the pirate ship to the side. They were not bound or anything, but Sk’jin knows there was no chance of escape even if they wanted to.

‘We just need to go back and interrogate him,’ Namjoon explains, glancing about, ‘It’s getting dark. We should take this inside.’

Taeh’yung nods, the triangle floating back into the pirate’s ship. Jimin follows, a short question directed at Taeh’yung.

‘How do we know if he knows anything anyways,’ Sk’jin asks with a frown. ‘He just seems like a pawn.’

‘Because of what he said earlier,’ Namjoon replies, pulling out an OrTank to sit on it. ‘He said he could arrange for a meeting to sell you and Taeh’yung if I wanted to- to a buyer who would like your faces.’

‘I mean I’m flattered-‘ Sk’jin jokes. But as usual his jokes fly over Namjoon’s all too literal head as the Kutsoglerin sends him a glare.

‘It’s unlikely he’ll talk, is what I’m saying,’ Sk’jin sighs. ‘And even if he knew stuff- it’ll most likely  

‘WAIT!’ Taeh’yung suddenly yells, causing all of them to pause and for the green triangle to break with a small popping sounds. He then rapidly asks Jimin something. The latter replies somewhat dazed but he smiles quickly, nodding as to affirm what he said.

‘Chim is so amazing!’ Taeh’yung exclaims before explaining. ‘He can make anyone tell the truth!’

A shiver runs down Sk’jin’s back. He catches sight of Namjoon tensing up as well.

‘That’s so amazing Chim- isn’t that great Pa?’ Taeh’yung hugs Jimin to himself. They’re both incredibly muddy and splattered- they look a lot like children at that moment.

Jimin smiles, pleased, and proceeds to imitate Sk’jin, flipping his hair in a wave of muddy silvery-gold. For some reason this makes Sk’jin smile.

‘Of all the Beings he could have imitated,’ Namjoon grumbles under his voice before he adds, ‘All right then- let’s get the truth out of him. Hoseok?’

‘I’ll be there in a minute.’

*

Jimin stands behind the bound and gagged pirate, hands reaching out and ready.

Namjoon takes a seat in front of the pirate alongside Hoseok who has changed his appearance. Namjoon wears his mask and nods at Jimin. Without further ado, Jimin places his palms over the temples of the pirate. They had decided that only Namjoon and Hoseok would be visually present before the pirate.

There is no visible change, no shifting in light, no surge of power, or anything that could be denoted as brilliant. Sk’jin glances over at Jimin who takes a small step back and nods at Namjoon. Sk’jin almost wants to ask, ‘that’s it?’ but stops himself. Taeh’yung gives him an excited double thumbs-up which Jimin returns slowly.

This was almost like Yoongi 2.0.

‘What is your name?’ Namjoon asks.

‘Khonen.’

Sk’jin is taken aback at the change in voice. The pirate- Khonen ­­– had previously spoken in a guttural and harsh tone. Now his voice was…happy?! Oddly quiet and not at all gruff and aggressive.

‘Khonen, who do you work for?’ Namjoon asks.

‘I work for no one but myself.’ The pirate replies.

‘All right…what do you do Khonen?’ Hoseok asks instead.

‘I lead a small network of smugglers. We bandy with a few pirating-networks as well as the Venture Unit,’ he replies, still sounding happy.

‘Who are you currently associated with?’ Namjoon asks. ‘Who have you joined with?’

‘They are called the pure ones- the Creators.’

Sk’jin glances over at Taeh’yung who is exceptionally serious. He’s not translating, simply staring hard at the pirate, eyes glowing a green light.

‘Tell me everything you know about them,’ Hoseok says, leaning forward.

‘They call themselves the Omhlophe. They seek to create only the best, to birth the strongest, the most beautiful.’ Is Khonen’s shocking reply. ‘They move in small numbers- taking in small numbers. Only in small numbers.’

‘Does the term House of Jtāharū mean anything to you?’

‘No.’

‘Have you met them? What did they want from you?’ Hoseok presses.

‘I have spoken to them through the HoloComm,’ Khonen replies. ‘They requested our services, to enter the borders of Ynqaba, to retrieve their eggs.’

‘Eggs? What are those?’ Namjoon asks, voice strained.

‘The specimen they developed and created,’ Khonen replies. ‘They are retrieving them from the Universe, where they have been scattered.’

‘Scattered? How?’ Hoseok presses.

‘I do not know.’

Hoseok curses under his breath but Namjoon is quick to pick up the questions.

‘Do you know who Van Seulgaan is?’ the Kutsoglerin asks tersely.

‘No.’

Sk’jin can’t help but fidget. Van Seulgaan had referred to Jimin’s OrTank state as egg. And this was the second time they were now hearing this.

‘Have you ever worked for the Isbahaysiga Alliance?’

‘I do not answer to the Alliance,’ the pirate says with a smile. ‘The Alliance is falling apart- it has been for decades now, and even more so in the past few sols. I now only obey the Omhlophe.’

‘What payment do you receive from the Omhlophe?’ Namjoon asks with a frown.

‘They have a cure- to relieve my people of the plague that eats our crops,’ Khonen explains. ‘The GLA do not help us. The Yisheng refuse to aid us. They have a cure- and my people and I are paying for it as we can.’

‘Where are you from?’ Namjoon sighs out.

‘Zelek, 6^th planet from the Ukuye System,’ Khonen replies.

Yoongi starts tapping on his small screen, clearly looking it up. Sk’jin steps back to stand next to the Human.

‘Have you seen other eggs?’ Hoseok asks.

‘I have delivered 3 eggs from Kutsoglera to the Omhlophe,’ Khonen replies to stunned silence.

Namjoon actually physically leans back.

‘Kutsoglera?’ his voice comes out in a cracked whisper. ‘How?’

‘The Galactic Security and Safety Department are only stationed off-planet. Security is weak- we were able to enter the planet and obtain the eggs.’

‘What were the eggs doing in Kutsoglera? How did they get there?’ Namjoon demands.

‘I do not know.’

Namjoon doesn’t move- his expression is a little unstable, eyes focusing on a spot on the floor.

‘Where were you going to take the egg if you managed to retrieve it from Ynqaba?’ Hoseok asks, casting a brief worried look over at Namjoon.

‘Our meeting points are sent to us after we pick up the eggs. They are not pre-planned,’ Khonen explains gently.

‘What line do you use to call the Omhlophe?’

‘It changes frequently- and they are the ones who call to inquire.’

‘The last call you received was from Raksane Tayi- who was that?’

‘My other crew- they called to report that eggs they were sent to retrieve had been ordered to find.’

‘Where were those eggs from?’

‘I don’t know. They get their orders differently.’ Khonen replies with a small yawn.

Yoongi nudges him quietly and Sk’jin glances down at the screen the Human was holding up.

Khonen was right- news on the planet was morbid. Their agriculture was suffering from bouts of unusual plagues and blights. Zelek was not part of the GLA- the System they were included in was in open hostile relations with the GLA and banned any help from the GLA. Not that that mattered to the Yishengs. This was probably a ploy by the GLA, to get the Ukuye System to suffer until they had no choice but to surrender themselves over to the GLA.

‘But the second call was from the Omhlophe- they wanted to know why we deviated from our trajectory.’

A chill runs down Sk’jin’s spine.

‘What did you tell them?’

‘We didn’t want them to be disappointed in us- so we lied, and said we had to do some repairs.’ Khonen explains.

Sk’jin is only a little relieved.

‘What do the Omhlophe look like? Where are they from?’ Hoseok asks, a last minute attempt in trying to rule out the House of Jtāharū.

‘They are white, and they are young. They come from everywhere,’ Khonen replies simply, yawning again. ‘They are the Universe, and the Universe is them. When they told me this, I wanted to laugh. But they weren’t joking.’

‘What does that mean?’

‘It means they are from the Universe,’ Khonen replies with a small laugh. ‘And now they just want to live and create.’

Namjoon and Hoseok sit in silence for a long while.

Jimin says something quietly to Taeh’yung who speaks out softly, ‘He’ll fall asleep soon- if you have any more questions to ask him, you should do it now- he won’t wake up for a while.’

Hoseok glances at Namjoon who isn’t responsive, and shakes his head for both of them.

They gather behind the now lightly snoring pirate.

‘Well that certainly confuses me more,’ Sk’jin says loudly, breaking the heavy silence around them. ‘So whoever this House is- they are now looking for the eggs- the very same OrTanks Jimin, and possibly Yoongi, were kept in. Which as we all know, were taken from the Akramanese mothership, and is now supposedly being kept safe by the Venture Unit and the Yishengs. And we also know now that Van Seulgaan knows about these OrTanks and also refers to them as eggs and has several in his ship. I’m also willing to bet that the empty OrTanks we saw in his ship were probably empty because that House or whatever bought them from Seulgaan- oh, and Seulgaan is part of the Alliance- which provided the Yishengs with live experimental dummies whenever they needed, in exchange for running the slave market business around the Universe.’

No one adds anything to that.

‘Oh and of course- apparently these eggs are scattered around the Universe and this House is looking for them.’ Sk’jin heaves out a sigh. ‘So basically from today we have come to know at least 4 more confusing and questionable facts and none of our answers have been answered.’

Khonen snores loudly.

‘How did these OrTanks even get around?’ Hoseok demands out loud at no one in particular. ‘Were they always out there, stored away randomly by the Akramanese or are they being carted off by the Venture Unit and the Yishengs into different Systems?’

‘Do you know what’s happened to the other OrTanks?’ Namjoon addresses Yoongi suddenly. ‘Yoongi please- we need to know in order to understand.’

Yoongi had told them that the OrTanks were kept under surveillance and security by the joint forces of the Venture Unit and the Yishengs. It was clear that Namjoon hadn’t particularly believed the Human.

‘I do not know,’ Yoongi replies, face impassive as usual. ‘If I did, then I would have told you.’

‘What are the OrTanks even doing in Kutsoglera? The entire planet is under repair,’ Hoseok quirks an eyebrow at Namjoon. ‘Is there anything else going on in Kutsoglera?’

‘None that I know of,’ Namjoon replies tersely. ‘It’s barely alive as it is.’

‘The Galactic Security and Safety Department is run by Xmi- another coincidence that he happens to be in the Special Jury?’ Hoseok exhales out heavily.

‘We need to get back to the ship,’ Yoongi says unexpectedly. ‘Their location is known to their other associates. They sent a report about meeting with us. And the Omhlophe call upon them at random. We do not want to be here.’

‘Yoongi’s right,’ Sk’jin quickly adds. ‘We should leave. Staying here isn’t going to explain anything else, and we don’t have the time to pick apart Khonen’s words.’

‘All right- Yoongi, you have all their records with you?’

Yoongi nods.

‘Let’s get going then,’ Namjoon turns and makes to leave.

‘Namjoon wait-‘ Hoseok calls, making the Kutsoglerin stop.

‘What?’

‘We can’t just leave them here,’ Hoseok points at the pirate.

Sk’jin senses Jimin tensing, eyes darting between the pirate, Namjoon, and Hoseok.

Namjoon eyes Hoseok carefully.

‘Namjoon,’ Hoseok says firmly. ‘We can’t do this again.’

‘Not all of them have become pirates out of their own volition,’ Namjoon says tensely. ‘Not all of them have chosen the life they are living right now- they’re doing it for their planet- not out of choice.’

‘You’re right- and we’re in the same position too,’ Sk’jin cuts in before Hoseok can. ‘And they know it. And then they chose it. They exact same way we chose. They knew what they were getting into – they were aware of the lifestyle they were getting into. They knew what they would have to do – they didn’t take this step lightly. They knew exactly what they were doing, the same way we know what we’re doing. We cannot always make the right decision for everyone Namjoon- but we can always make the right decision for ourselves. And right now, making sure cover our tracks is the most important decision we can make because we certainly don’t need those freaks after us.’

‘We can’t let them go,’ Hoseok says quietly from the side. ‘Namjoon- they know too much.’

Namjoon seems to struggle for a moment. Then he nods.

‘Leave them behind-‘

‘-no, you know we can’t do that. They’re going to report back to them about this. and even if we block all of their channels and they’re unable to respond back, they’re going to come looking,’ Hoseok states bluntly. ‘We talked about this.’

Namjoon breathes out heavily.

‘Then I’m not doing this,’ Namjoon shakes his head. ‘I’m not going to issue the command either- if you want to do this, then it’s out of your own volition.’

Hoseok grimaces.

‘Gnoi ro!’ Jimin suddenly calls out, hand held up, furrow between his brows. Taeh’yung is quickly saying something but Jimin shakes his head.

Sk’jin wants to sigh heavily- he had a feeling Jimin would be Namjoon 2.0 and would be worse to deal with. Sk’jin wants to give up already. If Jimin supports Namjoon then there was really no point in arguing anymore. But Jimin doesn’t say anything else- he just walks up to the pirate again and places his hand over his head.

Again, there is nothing strange, no show of light, no surge of power. Nothing happens to Khonen- or at least none that Sk’jin can see.

Then Jimin makes his way towards the doorway, clearly headed for the other pirates.

‘What did he just do?’ Namjoon asks sharply.

‘He…’ Taeh’yung smiles sheepishly at them. ‘You know how he pretty much blew everyone’s minds back in Pompa with like, cool gold light and stuff?’

‘…yeah?’

‘Yeah- so like, he’s concentrated that effect- and he’s like…stunned the pirate?’

Sk’jin feels his stomach fall to his feet.

‘I beg your pardon?!’ Sk’jin hisses, glaring at Jimin’s retreating back before addressing Taeh’yung, ‘He said he it didn’t harm anyone- and that it’s not permanent- he lied. He lied about lying! What else can he do?! What else is he keeping from us?!’

‘Well- omission isn’t lying is it?’ Taeh’yung shrugs. ‘Besides- he really isn’t lying about lying Jinnie- trust me!’

‘I don’t want to trust you! I want to punch you!’ Sk’jin snaps before asking, ‘So what- this alters their memories? What does it do?’

‘It leaves them in a sort of…elevated state of mind,’ Taeh’yung waves his arms elegantly. ‘No pain- and no recollection of what happened either. So they won’t be able to sell information on us!’

Namjoon seems to sag from relief.

‘All right- good. Let’s at least make this look like some robbery or something,’ the Kutsoglerin orders, sounding lighter than before. ‘Throw them off or something.’

‘Okay!’ Taeh’yung beams, looking too excited at Namjoon’s orders.

‘And tell Jimin I said thank you,’ Namjoon adds before he too exits the ship. ‘Yoongi- can you upload the information to Lisai’s database?’

‘Uploading,’ Yoongi replies from the doorway. Sk’jin isn’t sure when the Human got there. But his helmet was on. He was clearly watching over Jimin’s actions outside.

‘Jinnie? Hobi? Is everything all right?’

Taeh’yung is watching them, a curious expression on his face.

Smiling, Sk’jin walks over to the tall Zhak’gri and ruffles his hair fondly.

‘It’s all right Tae- come on, let’s make this place look bad- I mean…’ Sk’jin scrunches his nose and looks around. ‘Worse?’

‘Worse!’ Taeh’yung cheers, throwing his hands up before he makes his way to the Bridge.

‘Now we just chill here for a while,’ Sk’jin grins at Hoseok before taking a seat on an empty OrTank and dragging over a half-opened crate. ‘And maybe shop.’

Hoseok looks like he wants to argue. But then he shrugs to himself and walks off to the piles of crates to the side.

They make quick work of the ship- especially with Jimin and Yoongi coming to quicken their pace. They also carry back in all the pirates and position them about the ship. Sk’jin is surprised to find it very dark as they step outside of the ship. But the eerie luminance of the blob-creatures as well as Taeh’yung’s oddly dark-green light casts enough around the swamp for Sk’jin to make his way through without tripping.

Hoseok is walking behind him, pulling an OrTank of supplies they deemed clean enough to take back. Taeh’yung had apparently found some random clothes as well and could barely contain his excitement. Hoseok made sure to make the Zhak’gri swear to disinfect and thoroughly wash anything he took back into the ship.

The planet is quiet, but Sk’jin can hear life teeming about them. It was much cooler now than it was at day and despite feeling itchy and dirty, the cool breeze helps Sk’jin relax just a little. The Užkulisai is waiting for them and Sk’jin catches sight of Namjoon, helping Yoongi bring in the extra fuel-cells from the pirate ship.

‘You shouldn’t hold it against Namjoon,’ Sk’jin says to Hoseok as they splash about the swamp, their feet pulling into the mud. ‘He sees the Universe in two colours- black and white. Good and bad- victim and oppressor.’

‘It’s funny considering his background,’ Hoseok grumbles, not even flinching when one of the blobs appear to his side. ‘For someone who was the sole discoverer of the links between the Akramanese and the Yishengs, he should know that it’s not all black and white.’

‘It’s precisely because of his background,’ Sk’jin shrugs. ‘He was only a child- and to an extent what he sees, how he sees things- they’re still through the eyes of a child.’

Hoseok gives him an odd look.

‘He’s pure in that regard- he’s not like us Seokkie,’ Sk’jin grins. ‘We’ve been living in a universe of grey; things are rarely ever just black and white for us.’

He hears Hoseok grumble a noncommittal sound.

‘Jimin is a good kid,’ Hoseok sighs out.

Sk’jin snorts at that, causing the Ngfy’widan to shoot him another odd look.

‘Not denying that but- Jimin did that for Namjoon.’ Sk’jin shakes his head. ‘That had nothing to do with being good or having compassion- he didn’t understand a single word we were saying but he could tell well enough from what he saw- also proves to show he’s seen a lot in his time despite the fact that he looks like a literal child.’ Sk’jin snorts. He pulls the gravity-lift a little harder. ‘And he agreed with us- there was no hesitation in his act. He did it to spare Namjoon.’

‘Spare Namjoon?’ Hoseok looks wildly confused.

‘What do you think will happen when those weirdoes get here?’ Sk’jin asks, nodding back at the ship. ‘They’re pretty much memory-less. They’re useless now. What use would they be? They’re looking for beautiful perfect creations- what’s the point of those smugglers now?’

Hoseok doesn’t reply for a while.

‘And don’t think Jimin doesn’t realize this. You can’t be the prince of anything without having a painfully in-depth knowledge on the consequences of your actions. He knew exactly what he was doing.’ Sk’jin shrugs. ‘At least proves he’s not immature.’

Hoseok stops completely.

‘How can you be so sure?’

Sk’jin also stops.

‘Because it’s the truth. And you know it too.’

Hoseok stares off into the swamp, a deep furrow between his brows.

‘Anyways- that’s not important. What is important is what we’ve discovered from today.’

‘That everything is ed up and connected so it’s even more ed up?’ Hoseok rolls his eyes so hard Sk’jin is vaguely worried that they’ll roll all the way back into his head.

‘Well that too- but that’s something we already knew- it’s not a surprise. I’m talking about something new.’ Sk’jin wiggles his eyebrows before turning his attention back ahead. Namjoon is waiting for them at the opening of the Hangar Gate.

Sk’jin waves brightly, blowing the Kutsoglerin a kiss. Predictably, Namjoon walks away.

‘Something new? You mean Jimin’s newfound abilities?’ Hoseok inquires.

‘Good job!’ Sk’jin laughs before adding, ‘We have a living lie-detector now Hoseok. So why do you think Namjoon, the Being who has charged every single Being on this ship for lying, not immediately jumped the idea of interrogating all of us?’ Sk’jin stops to pat Hoseok on his cheek and wrap his arm around his shoulders.

‘It’s because he’s not all that mighty and good,’ Sk’jin whispers with a smile. ‘Namjoon’s just like us- he’s hiding something too.’

*

(Author’s Notes)

AYO LOOK AT THIS

MORE CONFUSION

Also, I read the tweet fic Outcast and first of all I am HOOKED AND REALLY INTO IT LIKE WOW I THINK YOONGI IS THE MAIN BAY GUY- LIKE SPLIT PERSONALITY OR SOMETHING IDK- THE GAME MESSES WITH MEMORIES SO I THINK YOONGI’S THE ONE THAT’S MADE THE GAME AND NOW HE GOT CAUGHT IN IT HIMSELF

And about that very tweet fic- can we not, as a collective fandom, tag the boys in this? I mean yea its fun and stuff but actually dragging them into it and commenting on their posts etc – stuff like ‘omg Hoseok is fake’ and ‘yoongi is going to get Namjoon killed’ and things is just really weird and also honestly I think a little creepy

I don’t think the author intended for this to blow up like this and im happy she hasn’t stopped amidst the sensation this has caused- but please- moderation in tagging please. There was a really good post on tumblr about this:

http://y-oo-nseok.tumblr.com/post/169406125619/about-the-outcast-situation

and it outlines the situation quite clearly I think

in other news

UNI STARTS TOMORROW I AM NOT READY PLEASE SEND HELP

As it’s just the first week it should be okay

But! From later this month I think I’ll be going back to updates every fortnight?

I apologize for that T_T

See you next update!!!! *sends hearts*