Chapter Text
“What are you thinking about?” A shriek rips its way out of your throat as you jump at the unexpected question.
“God, Seonghwa, you know better than to sneak up on me like that,” you laugh, clutching your heart jokingly, but your crewmate just gives you his best motherly look, and you sigh. “Just…thinking,” you offer, and Seonghwa is unphased.
“Look, (Y/N), I’m sure you’re still shaken up by–” he tries to say, and you cut him off without even looking into his eyes.
“Ah, let’s not talk about that right now,” you say much too quickly. “Not when we still have to figure out our supplies and where to head next.” Those words barely left your mouth when the ship rocks violently, and you tumble into Seonghwa.
“What the hell was that?” you ask rhetorically. Neither of you would know since the cameras and shields went down almost a week ago. You consider it lucky that you hadn’t hit anything until this point.
Seonghwa frowns, his brows furrowing. “I don’t know…but stay here. I’ll check it out.”
You frown as well. As much as you’d much rather go with him, now that your crew consists of only you and Seonghwa, it wouldn’t be wise to follow him.
How you wish Juyeon was still here. He would’ve known how to fix the cams.
Seonghwa leaves with one last worried look, and you’re left to wait in the greenhouse. It’s not the safest place on the ship, but it’s definitely safer to stay here than to try to go in the open to get to security. As soon as you hear the door seal shut, you take off for the miniature cornfield. It’s not the best hiding spot, but it’s better than nothing. Under the tall stalks is a trapdoor where you keep the excess. It’ll do.
You slip in easily—the door isn’t heavy—and cling to the ladder's first rung. You don’t know how long you can hold on because death by corn suffocation is not your preferred way to go, so you hope Seonghwa hurries up.
But the longer you wait for Seonghwa to return, the less optimism you have. He would have called you over to help with repairs if it was just an asteroid.
There are only a handful of options left.
First, it could be nothing, and Seonghwa forgot to come back. But as much as you want, that option is the least likely. The shaking was far too disruptive just to be a space rock passing by—and Seonghwa is the least forgetful person you know.
Another option could be that some type of galactic military found your unregistered ship and wanted to board. But that option is also out of the question. The military is very dramatic when it comes to their boarding protocol.
This brings you to the worst and most reasonable answer—pirates.
You bite your lip. You’ve never encountered them, but Juyeon had told you plenty of horror stories about them—tales of merciless bloodbaths, rampages, and kidnapping. You don’t know what you’d do if Seonghwa is gone. You couldn’t run a ship by yourself.
With Juyeon gone, Seonghwa had taken the brunt of roles on the ship. As much as you tried to learn, it was undeniable that your talent lay in gardening and diplomacy.
But that was the least of your worries as the trapdoor swung open. “Hwa–” you start to say, but your mouth snaps shut as you realise the man standing above you is not your de facto captain.
If you weren’t overloaded with a million thoughts running through your head, you would almost call him handsome. With cat-like eyes and sharp features, in any other situation, you would start flirting. But now is not the time.
You let go of the rung in a gamble for time, keeping your head above the corn. As you sink, you figure at least you’ll die on your own terms. But as your eyes dip below, you barely make out the man swing down using the rungs and grab the back of your shirt, hoisting you up and out of your preferred demise.
Your stomach drops, and you don’t even think to resist as the pirate throws you over his shoulders with ease. “So!” His voice is much softer than you expected. “Who are you? Your captain had insisted he was the only one, even after our own captain’s…creative…persuasion. And then I found you! So I hope there’s no one else on board, or else your captain—Mars, he said his name was—will have a rough time.”
Your eyes are wide as you stare at him. It’s only now you notice the red markings under his eyes. Aestus are well known as some of the best trackers in the universe—their ability to detect heat helps them find even the most well-hidden people. No matter where you were, you would not have been safe. Only a handful of their planets are left, so they’re often held in high regard, and you’re curious as to how one ended up as a pirate. Not curious enough to ask, however.
“There’s no one else,” you finally confirm.
“Mmh, good job, princess,” the pirate teases, and you so badly want to hit him, but that will only lead to more problems. “Maybe you and your captain will have to come along for a ride with us. Your captain has some serious skills, and you will be a good gambling chip, considering how he was so ready to protect you.”
“And your captain wouldn’t?” you snap, your first words to your kidnapper. You didn’t mean much by it, just a low jab, but it irks the Aestus, and his grip tightens on you.
“Do not speak lowly of my captain again, little princess. That will be your last warning.” You clamp your mouth shut and decide to keep it that way until you get a chance to speak to Seonghwa again.
That chance comes much sooner than you expected as the Aestus ungracefully deposits you on the control room floor. Although you’re not restrained, you know if you take advantage of that, you would be shot before you could even make a single step.
In front of you sits Seonghwa, in a very similar position to you, although he now sports a split lip and a black eye. His eyes widen at the sight of you. Did he not realise there was an Aestus on the team?
You open your mouth to speak, but he shakes his head ever so minutely, and you snap your mouth shut. It’s only now you notice the figure behind Seonghwa rising from where he was seated in the only chair in the room.
“Well, well, well, looks like poor Captain Mars lied. There was another on his ship.” You blink, and the man behind him has already drawn a blade at Seonghwa’s throat. “Now, little lady, I’ll give you one chance to defend yourself, or both of you will die. See, I don’t take too kindly to liars.”
“I’m a stowaway,” the excuse falls out of your mouth before you even think about it. Seonghwa’s eyebrows furrow, but he says nothing, realising that you probably have a plan up your sleeves. “He really didn’t think there was anyone here. Please don’t kill us.”
The pirate captain raises a single eyebrow. The simple motion is much more intimidating than you expected. “Us? Little stowaway, you seem quite attached to Mars here.”
You do your best to keep your cool, although your heart is racing a mile a minute. Diplomatics is your strength, but lying isn’t. Not because you’re bad at it but because you always feel highly guilty after every lie. You don’t even remember the last time you lied.
But the need to keep both you and Seonghwa alive overrides your moral compass. “Oh, call me selfish,” you allow yourself an attempt at a confident smirk, “but I’d rather not have to deal with the guilt of someone’s death.”
The knife presses a little harder against Seonghwa’s neck and breaks the skin, blood beading against the silver blade. You must keep your eyes trained on the pirate captain’s gaze. They wouldn’t kill him; you can’t fall for their bluff. The Aestus said that Hwa had information.
You don’t relax a single muscle until the pirate’s blade finally drops from Seonghwa’s neck. A sigh makes its way out from him, and his posture immediately relaxes, although he stays upright due to the grip the pirate captain has on his shoulder. “Hm. Mars. Would you like me to kill this hitchhiker? I may not like liars, but I hate stowaways more.”
He takes a step towards you, his grip on the knife relaxed. He’s clearly experienced, and you could never even dream of beating him in combat, even if the Aestus’s gun was not an issue. Your breath catches in your throat.
“No!” The cry from Seonghwa is both a relief and makes your heart drop. Smiles widen on the pirates’ faces. You’ve called the captain’s bluff, and now he’s called yours.
“Hm. Throw them in the brig. Leave them to marinate for a few cycles. Maybe then they’ll squeal.” The captain leans closer to your face, his eyes dark and filled with promises of hell to pay. “If they don’t? Well, once they meet Mingi, they’ll change their minds.”
There’s a sharp blow to the side of your head, and as the world fades black, you see Seonghwa’s head hit the floor simultaneously.