~19:34~
Jimin stands behind Namjoon, watching as his Captain fixes his appearance. Basic attire is given to the crew, standard issue stuff. But for the Captain? No, there's a whole suit for him. Granted, it's a little small on him since he's an above average size when compared to Martians, but the material is stretchy, so it's nothing crazy noticeable.
"How are we feeling about the hat?" Namjoon asks, turning towards the Engineer. Jimin studies his appearance for a few moments. They're in Namjoon's special Captain's quarters, with the Captain dressed up in dark attire. The suit is pretty basic, looks almost like he's an airline pilot back on Earth. Strangely, Jimin feels at home at the sight. He hasn't been to Earth in years now, and he's fine with that. Right now though? He almost wants to go back.
"I think it's a bit much," Jimin replies, hoping he didn't offend the man.
Namjoon looks over himself in the mirror for a few seconds, then shrugs. "I agree. I don't need to be overly formal here." Namjoon tosses the hat to the side and leans against his dresser, looking down for a moment before peeking up at Jimin. The Captain scans over the Engineer's appearance. "You're going to wear that?"
Jimin's freezes. "Sir?"
Namjoon appears looks confused. "What, you thought I didn't want you on camera?" At Jimin's growing shock, Namjoon smiles. "I want you to explain with me." Jimin keeps his body stiff, unsure of what to say in response. "I told you, you'll have a lot of responsibilities. This is another."
"With all due respect sir, Seulgi is the intelligence officer, not me. Not to mention she's a higher rank."
"If we were going by rank, we would include Jungkook."
Jimin raises a brow. "He wasn't a survivor, sir."
Namjoon pretends it's no big deal, patting the air. "Maybe not, but he has inside information on every faction in the solar system. That would make a lot of our points valid."
"Then why me?"
The Captain hesitates for a moment, toying with his words. "Because I want you to be there. You, me, and Y/N." Jimin is still not sure what his Captain means. Surely it would be wiser to have Seulgi on camera. She's much better-mannered and is overall a higher rank.
"Sir-"
"The Executive's Officer's quarters is right next door. Jungkook may be in there, but I'm sure he won't mind you picking out an outfit. I assigned Y/N the same task earlier. She should be with Seulgi right now." Jimin's eyes grow dark at the mention of Jungkook's name, but he tries to brush it off. He's not sure how to feel about this whole situation, but he decides to ignore his doubts. It's only a broadcast, maybe it doesn't really matter who tells the story. Or maybe that's what his Captain is going for. Having a low rank next to a high rank, even if the people watching don't know that. Maybe it's a sign of unity. Jimin's not totally sure. Regardless, he gives Namjoon a small nod and hum, then, turns to leave.
"And Jimin?" his Captain asks. He pauses, standing still for a moment. He resists the urge to gnaw on his lower lip in dread, instead deciding to turn around, meeting Namjoon's eyes. Namjoon almost looks sad. "Please don't start anything with Jungkook. We need him."
Jimin's left eye twitches, but he agrees nonetheless. "I'll try my best, sir." Namjoon seems unconvinced, but slowly nods as if dismissing him.
Jimin leaves, trembling as he lets the door close behind him. He approaches the room next door, raising his fist to knock, but he holds his fist in midair. If Jungkook is behind that door, how will Jimin react? Jimin keeps reminding himself that he doesn't know the full story, but for some reason, that makes him even angrier. He shakes himself out of his thoughts, letting out a sigh before knocking twice. When he hears a muffled 'come in', he opens the door.
Jungkook is lying down on his bed, his cheeks their normal color. However, upon seeing Jimin in his doorway, he snaps up into a sitting position, his cheeks now glowing. "Captain Kim sent me. He wants me to be in the broadcast." Jimin motions to his attire.
"Alright, come in," Jungkook says, sensing the tension radiating off Jimin. Regardless, he enters, the door shutting behind him.
Jungkook gets up and trots over to the closet, opening it as Jimin approaches. Jimin's eyes burn into the poor boy's back. Jungkook stands there for a few seconds before sighing and turning around. "Can we talk about this like civilized human beings?" Jungkook asks, raising a brow. His gentleness amazes Jimin, but he won't complain about that.
"Sure," is all he says.
"Her and I dated for two years when I visited Ganymede." So he is the long, serious relationship. Jimin figured, but still, it doesn't make him feel any better. "Mars forced me off the Moon. I did everything to stay, but Mars came for me. I lied to try and get away but... they put these in me for lying," Jungkook pauses, motioning towards his face. Jimin softens his gaze. He can't imagine how the boy feels. He may not be much younger than Jimin, but getting forced to have experimental enhancements, especially this young, can't be fun.
"I never told her that Mars was coming for me. I... disappeared." Jimin bites back a grimace. "I know, that was horrible of me. Her and I already talked about this." Jimin isn't sure how to feel. On one hand, he's angry Jungkook hurt Y/N, but at the same time, he can tell the poor boy still cares about Y/N and was just trying to protect her. "If you want to yell at me, I don't blame you. Just get it over with. I already got it from her, might as well get another one."
Jimin hesitates, then takes a step forward. Jungkook flinches and closes his eyes, his cheeks burning a bright blue. To Jimin's own surprise, he places his hand on Jungkook's shoulder. The boy's eyes snap open, and he peers at Jimin's hand, then down into his eyes. "You cared about her and made her happy. At the end of the day, that's what matters, right? Why would I yell at you for that? Yeah - you messed up, but that's between you and her. I'm her friend, not her dad," Jimin says in a quiet voice. The boy's cheeks gradually lose their brightness, his eyes turning back to brown.
"You mean that?" Jungkook asks.
Jimin nods. "I do." Jungkook's shoulders ease, and he gives the Engineer a grateful expression before shifting towards the closet. Jimin lets his hand slip off the taller boy's shoulder, peeking into the closet with him. "What was she like?"
Jungkook clicks his tongue, falling into his memories. "Playful, fun, determined. She was - and from what I can tell still is - full of life." He pauses to smile at Jimin. "She'll give you an adventure." Jimin returns his smile, giving him a snicker as he turns back to the closet. Jungkook motions towards the Executive Officer outfit, which makes Jimin's eyes go wide.
"Wow... it's nice," Jimin whispers, his hand tracing over the fabric. White and gold, opposite to Namjoon's much darker attire. "Hopefully it will fit."
Jungkook scans over Jimin's physic. "You look to be average Martian size." Jungkook gives him a teasing smirk. "Maybe a little shorter though."
Jimin fakes a look of hurt, something he's sure he's known for doing. "I'm not that short." Jungkook chuckles, shaking his head. Jimin lets out a sigh, thinking about the broadcast. "Going live in twenty minutes," Jimin whispers, peering at the fabric in amazement. He never dreamed of a day where he would be wearing Executive Officer gear.
Jungkook notices the look in his eyes and waves the air with his hands. "I know I've only been here for literally an hour, but I can tell it suits you." Jimin remembers Jungkook's status: a Platinum Intelligence Officer. If anyone can judge character - it's Jungkook. This only makes Jimin internally panic. And no, not a gay panic. Or maybe it's a gay panic. Wait, Jimin's straight. Wait... is he?
"Are you sure?" Jimin asks, not being able to hide the disbelief in his tone.
Jungkook hums. "I am. I know a lot of people. If I used to date the girl they were into, let alone hurt her badly, they would not have reacted the way you did." Jimin's hands go clammy, but keeps his smile. "You have honor and respect. I appreciate that. Really, I do," Jungkook finishes. Before Jimin can respond, Jungkook motions towards his private bathroom. "Get changed. Let's see how it fits."
~19:34~
You pace around the room, no shirt, just your bra, Seulgi working her magic on your clothes with her classic needle and thread. There are machines and advanced material, but Seulgi always chooses her trusty needle. You don't understand why - it's not like these are the old days where more options are available. At the same time, you choose not to judge. She's doing you a huge favor, after all.
"You will look great in this. I'm designing it similar to an Executive Officer's style." You stop pacing and look over at her. She's sitting on her bed, her eyes focused on the golden line she's putting on the side of the shirt.
"Seulgi, I can't thank you enough for doing this," you start, but she shushes you.
"You are going to do wonderful. This outfit will make you look more gorgeous than normal." You smile sweetly at her even though she's staring at the fabric.
"I'm glad we're talking like this. About what I said, back when we were on the Silver Angel..." You trail off, unsure of where to go from there.
She peeks up at you. "I was being a jerk. You treated me how I treated you, I deserved it." She pauses to sigh. "Maybe I should learn to stop being so professional and uptight. It hasn't exactly benefitted anyone."
You come over and sit down next to her, giving her shoulder a small nudge. "Yes it has. It's benefitted all of us."
She chuckles, but there's not an ounce of humor in it. "I doubt that."
"Everyone has been panicking. Poor Hoseok doesn't even know how to react still. You being professional and uptight has reminded people what we are." She furrows her brows. "Survivors."
Her face goes from a frown to a delicate smile tugging on her lips. "You think so?"
"I know so. Sure, you can be a little less uptight when we aren't focusing on survival, but it seems like you're already doing that. Like prying into our relationships."
She shrugs it off. "A girl's gonna be a girl." The two of you laugh for a moment, giving each other soft smiles. After another few seconds of peace, she holds up the new and improved shirt. "Should be done," she says.
You hop up and clap, grabbing the fabric and throwing it on. The gold lines glisten, running down the center of your body. You approach the mirror, eyeing yourself. "Wow. It's gorgeous. You have a way with needles." Seulgi jumps up and stands next to you, grabbing both your shoulders.
"You're going to nail it. Soon enough, this will all be over." Your smile falters at her words, your mind flickering to your father. "What's wrong?" she asks, giving you a concerned glance.
"Is it bad if I don't want it to be over?"
Seulgi hesitates, but then, she nods. "No. If I am being honest, I do not want it to end either."
"Really?"
She nods again. "Our crew... I'm not sure where we will go after all this. At least right now we have a set destination. At least we have a plan. We spent our entire life carrying minerals and ice to other civilizations. Now what are we going to do?"
"You could be a bunch of mercenaries."
She gives your shoulder a nudge, but quickly realizes your use of the word 'you' instead of 'we'. Her smile falters. "You're not coming with us?"
You bite your lower lip, peeking down. "You know how much I want to."
"You're an adult. If he cannot handle you making your own decisions then that's on him. You need to stand up for yourself." After a beat, you meet her eyes, realizing how serious she is. You cough, putting your hand on your chest. "Gunshot?"
"Yeah, I need to sit down." She helps you over to her bed, sitting down and letting out a small breath. Seulgi stares at you with remorse sparkling in her irises. You give her a sad smile you hope brings some sense of consolation. "There's nothing you can do about it now." When it seems like she's about to reply, you distract her. "So, no one's ever told me how your classes work. Agents, intelligence officers... everything else?"
Seulgi notices the distraction, but decides to go with it. "Well, captain's are the first in command. XO's are second in command. Namjoon still needs to appoint one, actually. Intelligence officers are in charge of processing and gaining new information."
"So that's why Jungkook is an intelligence officer; he goes around gathering information?"
Seulgi hums. "While engineers are in charge of fixing the ship and all the technology on it, agents are in charge of handling the ship and the technology. They are the most common to become executive officer's and captain's in the future since they oversee the use of technology. You know pilots, but there's also medics and soldiers. Pretty self-explanatory."
"What class is the least likely to become an executive officer and or captain?"
"It's a tie between medics and engineers. Medics have no desire to be in a leading position, engineers are too used to being secluded." You lean forward, processing the new information. After a few beats of silence, Seulgi speaks up. "I think you should try to stay."
You give her a frown. "My father won't go down without a fight, no matter what I say to him. He wants something he can control, he doesn't care about my feelings."
"What if we all stand with you?"
You whip your eyes over to her. "All of you?"
She nods with her hand. "Including Jungkook. He would have to deal with a Platinum Intelligence Officer and a Captain, both apart of the most important ship in the solar system. It would be a lot harder for him to reject your feelings then."
You avert your eyes. "I hope so, I want to stay with you guys more than anything. I feel more at home here than I ever did on Ganymede." Seulgi extends her hands, then pauses. At your gaze, she embraces you, and you lean into her touch, sighing softly. For the next few moments, the two of you appreciate finally being friends. "I should probably get ready," you whisper.
"I agree." You part, your eyes meeting. She gives you a determined look that you return. You stand and stride over to the door seconds later. "Oh, and Y/N?" You open the entrance, then peep over your shoulder at her. Her smile meets your eyes, and warmth fills your soul. "Good luck."
~19:54~
One minute until the broadcast airs. Jimin is standing with Namjoon while Jungkook is finishing off the details on the camera. "We'll be live, so try not to mess up," Jungkook says teasingly, which Y/N chuckles at. Something that Jimin has noticed is how good Y/N looks in her attire. She's like a female version of him with her donning the same executive officer colors. She also seems to be eyeing him, but that could be his imagination.
Namjoon stands in the middle with Jimin on his right and Y/N on his left. They're on the bridge, a screen in front of them. Jungkook is messing with the panel that displays the screen that acts as a camera. It flicks on, and they can now see what they look like. It's like a mirror. "Alright, just like we discussed," Namjoon whispers, which Jimin shortly nods to. He's too nervous to process his Captain's words, but that's fine. He doesn't have to talk much: he mentions the impact the death of the Hep had on him. Pretty simple task, but one that seems impossible at the moment. Poor Y/N has it the worst, having to go into detail about what happened while she was a stowaway.
Jungkook pulls a wire out, something Jimin looks at him funny for. He's not an engineer. Wire pulling is Jimin's forte, he almost feels offended by the Intelligence Officer stealing his signature move. Jimin mentally facepalms at the fact that wire pulling is his signature move, but doesn't have time to think as Hoseok, Baekhyun, and Seulgi gather next to Jungkook.
"Alright, we're just about good. I rigged our signal to go all into this broadcast. Other systems may be down while we're doing this, but we need all the strength possible. Rigging all the screens in the solar system is not exactly an easy feat," Jungkook explains, his eyes focusing on the buttons on the table in front of him. Jimin has to admit he respects Jungkook for being able to do something like this. Jimin would have no clue where to even start. It's pretty impressive that someone so young can do something so astounding.
Jungkook taps a few more times before looking up. "Everyone ready?" he asks. Jimin gulps, but nods. "Alright... 3... 2..." He uses his finger to motion that it's rolling. In-sync with his finger, the screen glows brighter, a red dot in the top right of the screen. Jimin has no time to process what's going on since Namjoon starts to talk.
"Hello, my name is Captain Kim Namjoon and I am pleading for a few minutes of your time. We are now on the Martian cruiser named the Moonchild after witnessing the destruction of the Martian battleship named the Silver Angel." He pauses for a moment. "Commander Clementine was apart of this battleship. I'm sorry to say that her status is unknown to my crew. However, this is not what we wanted to talk to you about today. Over two weeks ago, I was the Executive Officer on the ice and mineral transport vessel named the Hephaestus. We stopped to investigate a distress beacon from the Blackwell, where Y/N L/N was."
Y/N clears her throat, standing a bit taller than before. "The Blackwell crew was killed by something I did not see, but the aftermath speaks for itself. There were bodies everywhere." She hesitates, sucking in a shaky breath. "I believe I am the sole survivor of a craft that was carrying alien life."
Namjoon nods, continuing for her. "My crew consists of me, Kang Seulgi, Jung Hoseok, Byun Baekhyun, and Park Jimin." Namjoon motions to Jimin, who straightens his shoulders and prays his posture is good enough.
"While onboard the Blackwell, there was an open door that had a bright light pouring out of it and some green slob floating around. It was unlike anything I've ever seen," the Engineer says.
Namjoon once again takes over. "I wish this was the only piece of shocking news. The Hephaestus was attacked as well while my crew was heading back. However... the Hep did not survive. We have reason to suspect Mars is the culprit. Yes - the Hep was a Martian ship, but Commander Clementine knew we had information before we ever spoke about it, not to mention she blamed Earth without any evidence and refused to give us any. I believe Mars was trying to reignite a feud with Earth. And as for the Silver Angel..."
Namjoon stares at Jungkook as if asking for permission. After a moment of hesitation, the boy agrees. "We were informed by Platinum Intelligence Officer Jeon Jungkook that the Belt was designing a cloaked ship the size of a battleship. Before we got boarded by the Silver Angel, I had our pilot, Byun Baekhyun, scan for any other motion, and he found nothing."
The lights flicker, and everyone peeks up at them before Jimin continues, trying to shake it off. "The Hep was my home. Whoever did this will not get away with it. Thousands of innocent lives were lost in a petty attempt to start a war. To everyone out there listening, we need to stop this violence in the solar system. It's only tearing us apart more and more and ruining lives. My life wasn't the only one affected..." He glances over at Y/N, who gazes back at him with a mix of shock and admiration in her eyes. "Hers was too."
She keeps her eyes on him. "I've never seen so much carnage before. It was the most terrifying moment of my life." After a pause, she takes a breath and looks over at the camera, and so does he. "I was a stowaway, trying to leave my old life." Jimin's body tenses up. That wasn't part of the plan. He peers over at Y/N again to see her eyes locking on Seulgi, who's giving her a smile full of appreciation and joy. "My father has been trying to keep me on Ganymede my whole life. He refuses to listen to me or let me pursue my own dreams. He wants me as a pet, not a daughter. The point is - Martian heroes aren't always all they seem to be. Don't trust a word they say."
The ship's lights flicker again, and the screen starts to glitch. "Jungkook, what's going on?" Namjoon asks.
The boy taps away at the controls. "Someone's trying to make contact and shut us down." He glances up at the three standing in front of him. "They're close. Dangerously close."
"Can you block them out?" Namjoon asks.
Jungkook sighs. "I don't know, I'm trying to keep the broadcast up, keep talking for now. Whoever's doing this is forcibly trying to shut our ship down." Hoseok jumps up, then he races into the cockpit.
Namjoon bounces on the balls of his feet, but does as Jungkook says. "We are sharing this message to get our story out before anyone silences us, as it appears someone is trying to do now. Someone is trying to shut us down and stop us from sharing the truth." When the lights completely come back on, the three look up. "That's all I have to say. Thank you, and please, share our message around. Show everyone this message and make sure they know that a war is coming... and it won't end well for anyone," Namjoon finishes. Jungkook cuts off the broadcast right after Namjoon is done, slumping over the panel. His cheeks are glowing, his face pale.
"Jungkook," Y/N says, zipping over to him and placing a hand on his shoulder. Jimin is about to inspect the boy as well, but Hoseok calls out to them in the cockpit. Namjoon and Jimin dash to where the Agent is as he taps away on one of the interior panels, buttons flashing and the color red dominating the room.
"Hoseok, what is it?" Namjoon asks, kneeling down next to him. Hoseok is too concentrated to listen, tapping away as fast as possible. Jimin's never seen the Agent work so fast.
After a few more seconds, the red turns into a green, and everything goes quiet. They stay still for a few moments until Hoseok turns back, peeping at the two of them. "W-What did you do?" Jimin asks.
Hoseok beams, and Jimin feels like he can breathe again. "I got them out." Namjoon jumps up and celebrates, causing Jimin to mimic the action.
"You did?" Namjoon asks, attempting to calm down from his high.
The Agent nods. "I did. They can't shut down our systems or force contact but... I have bad news." Namjoon's face falls. "They're much faster than us and they're gaining fast." Jimin just now notices the beeping on the motion detector getting louder.
"Does this mean what I think it means?" Namjoon asks. The Agent sighs, his hands clenching into fists.
"We're being boarded."