Chapter Text
The year is 2503AD. Planet earth as it had once existed is nothing more than a desolate wasteland - long abandoned by the race who had caused it so much harm. Since their own world was perishing as a result of their heinous decimation of the planet's natural habitats, in the year 2093AD, the humans that inhabited the dying earth decided that their only choice was to seek out other planets on which they could survive. After a long and intensive search, the discovery of a distant galaxy containing a great number of worlds bearing suitable conditions for the survival of life was finally made - though it had come too late for many. What remained of humanity had crawled their way onto newly designed spaceships and were transported to the foreign place to start afresh and rebuild the lives they had lost amidst the destruction.
Many of the mysterious planets that orbited in the new galaxy were considerably smaller than the world that the humans had once occupied - only measuring roughly the size of the original earth's moon - but since the human race had been considerably thinned down, this suited their needs perfectly. The new world that the humans had chosen to invade was so similar to their former earth that they could hardly believe their luck - and most importantly, it was previously uninhabited. The humans named the planet Novae Terrae, and for a while, it became their sole home.
Of course, even after having found solace on a new planet, the human race wasn't satisfied. Eventually, their greed had driven them to spread the disease of humanity to the other planets of the galaxy, until only a few remained untouched by their ambition. Many of the other worlds were occupied by their own species - plenty of whom did not take kindly to the invasion of foreign entities. However, the humans were persistent - and eventually they were victorious; they reigned supreme over the galaxy. Whilst they claimed that their primary mission was to protect peace and encourage harmony to blossom across all of the planets that they held in the palm of their hands, there were still those that resisted their rule - coming in the forms of bounty hunters and mercenaries, who were determined not to bow to those who held power over them. However, those foes would not be the only thorns to prick at the sides of those who ruled...
Unbeknownst to the galaxy, something far more sinister was afoot. An untameable force was beginning to emerge, seeping through the cracks in the planets and attaching itself to those it deemed worthy of wielding its untameable abilities. The powers granted by the mysterious force only manifested themselves in a handful of individuals at a time - most of whom were ultimately torn apart by the immense strength of their newfound capabilities. It was the ruinous nature of the unpredictable powers that lead the few who believed in their existence to conclude that they would be the cause of the destruction of the galaxy; no one considered that they may also be the only thing able to save it.
• • • • • • • •
Novae Terrae, 2503AD
Hwang Hyunjin hasn't always been alone.
Up until the year that he'd turned eight, his life had been as close to perfect as it's possible for a child's brief existence to be. Whilst his family had never possessed copious amounts of wealth, or owned a decadent house with acres of sprawling land to proudly boast about, Hyunjin's parents had always worked hard to earn an honest living and provide their children with everything that their hearts' desired. Not a single night passed by where Hyunjin wasn't lulled to sleep by the soothing sound of his father reading him and his sister a bedtime story - nor was there a single morning when he didn't wake up to a fresh cup of juice sitting on the kitchen counter waiting for him, courtesy of his loving mother. At that time in his life, Hyunjin had been almost inconceivably happy, which had only made it all the more crushing when reality as he'd known it had come crumbling down around him.
His parents were both killed in a tragic house fire just days before his ninth birthday, leaving Hyunjin and his twin sister alone with no other family in the world. Since the two orphans were still too young to fend for themselves, the local tavern owner - a middle-aged woman with a kind heart and no children of her own - had taken them under her wing, offering them a place to stay and providing them with the basic necessities in exchange for the two twins helping out with the chores. Though their situation was far from idyllic, Hyunjin clung onto what little hope still remained lingering in his heart, making it his duty as the marginally older twin to ensure that his sister was always happy and healthy.
As time crawled by, Hyunjin slowly began to knit himself back together. Watching his childhood home burn to the ground before his very eyes - and knowing that the people that he loved most in the world were still trapped inside - had left him with scars, but children are resilient, and so Hyunjin had moved forward. Eventually, he'd learnt how to smile again.
Three years later, his sister had been cruelly torn from his arms when a ruthless band of bounty hunters had ravaged the town in search of any children still young enough to be sold into slavery. Fortunately for Hyunjin, he'd always been tall for his age - blessed with a mature, handsome face and long, gangly limbs that masked his true youth. Consequently, the boy had been discarded by the invaders, tossed aside like a worthless piece of junk.
His twin sister hadn't been so lucky. Yeji was a petite, slender child, weighing so little that Hyunjin was able to throw her over his shoulder without so much as breaking a sweat. She was a perfect target for the bounty hunters, who had snatched her up and carried her away without a backwards glance, paying no heed to the way that Hyunjin had tried hopelessly to fight them off, or Yeji's hysterical cries as she was dragged away from the only family she had left. It was, without a doubt, the worst day of Hyunjin's young life. His sister was all he'd had, and now he'd been tasked with attempting to navigate the cruel world alone.
Over the years that followed, Hyunjin had been consumed by overwhelming guilt regarding his sister's abduction. That terrifying day had haunted his nightmares for a decade, and he'd played the scarring scenario over and over again in his head, wishing that he'd been strong enough to protect the one thing that was still important to him. If only he hadn't suggested that they visit their favourite spot on the docks that day - if only he'd suggested that they flee when he'd first sensed that something was wrong - then maybe Yeji would still be by his side. If only they'd taken him instead...
Hyunjin was still so young, and yet he'd endured so much. For the first few months after his sister's disappearance, he'd spent every waking minute plotting ways to track down the bounty hunters' ship and rescue his sister, but eventually, Hyunjin had abandoned the idea altogether. Whilst he didn't know much about the distant planets that lay beyond his home world, he knew from listening to the stories spun by travellers at the tavern that the chances of him ever being able to track down his sister were slim. Hyunjin had only just turned twelve years old, and he had practically no money to his name; more likely than not, he would just end up dead - and then he would certainly never stand a chance of seeing Yeji again. All he could do was hope that one day, his sister and the other children of the town that had been taken during that fateful raid would return to them safely. Unfortunately, that day was still yet to arrive.
Knowing that he had no other choice, Hyunjin had done his best to put the past behind him, focusing instead on building a better life for himself and being content with the things that he was lucky enough to have. Hyunjin had tried his hardest to move on - but unfortunately for him, he would soon learn that the cruel strings of fate had something else in mind for him.
• • • • • • • •
Ciennoh, Novae Terrae
All things considered, Hyunjin supposes that he's fairly fortunate to have a stable job securely under his belt by the age of twenty-one - even if the pay has never been the greatest, and he's prone to occasionally getting verbally abused by a drunken traveller who mistakes him for a foe. The tavern has been Hyunjin's home for almost as long as he can remember, and he's worked behind the bar ever since he was tall enough to be able to peek his head over the top of the counter.
During the day, Hyunjin spends the majority of his time climbing to the highest points in the small coastal town of Ciennoh with a book tucked under his arm, gazing dreamily up at the perfectly blue sky and wondering what adventures lay beyond the boundaries of the planet. Ever since he'd lost his sister all those years ago, Hyunjin has become something of an outsider - never wanting to let anyone breach the protective walls that he's constructed around himself out of the fear that they too will be torn away from him. He'd been a sociable child, always the first to introduce himself to strangers and possessing an unfortunate inability to keep his mouth shut at inappropriate moments. Now, however, Hyunjin keeps to himself, hiding away from the prying eyes that follow him wherever he goes. He puts the invasive stares down to the fact that he's conventionally attractive - something that he's only aware of because he can't seem to avoid being showered in compliments about his handsome face - even if he doesn't necessarily understand why anyone would think that about him. In Hyunjin's personal opinion, his lips are far too plump and his sloping cheekbones too sharp - though maybe he's just being overly critical, since it is his face after all. He also hasn't had the chance to cut his hair in a while, so the soft blonde strands brush against his jawline whenever he neglects to tie it back out of his face. Whilst his natural hair colour closely resembles the dark shade of the midnight sky, Hyunjin had made the mistake of purchasing a dubious concoction of dye from the market, and had then proceeded to apply that substance to his hair. The resulting colour had been a startling shade of blonde that Hyunjin doesn't particularly care for, but doesn't hate enough to go to the effort of dyeing it back. Unfortunately for Hyunjin, his choice of hair colour only seems to have increased his popularity with the young women of the town, who now flock to the tavern in their hordes to ogle at him. Hyunjin hasn't had an ounce of interest in women in his twenty-one years of life, so it only serves as an annoyance to him when they giggle loudly to each other as he serves them their drinks, fluttering their eyelashes at a speed that makes him feel marginally dizzy just by watching it. Consequently, he spends his days trying to avoid social interaction as much as he possibly can - hence his love for venturing to places that are inaccessible to most people.
To someone like Hyunjin, who prefers to observe the world around him whilst ensuring that he stays far removed from the situations that he encounters, gathering information, rumours, and secrets has become something of a hobby throughout the years. The young man has overheard more than his fair share of scandalous gossip that drunken patrons carelessly blather to each other in hushed voices when they think that no one else is listening. Working in a tavern is undoubtedly the perfect way to learn valuable information about the best sales at the local market and the latest shipments soon to arrive in the town's port, but on occasion, Hyunjin will overhear something that sends him reeling. It's moments like those that remind him why eavesdropping is a highly valuable skill - even if it is usually frowned upon.
As the sun begins to sink down below the horizon, casting the coastal town in a stunning crimson light, the tavern begins to steadily fill up with patrons, and Hyunjin gets to work. There's nothing difficult about serving drinks - and after a decade of perfecting the skill, Hyunjin's almost certain that he could work an entire shift with his eyes closed, since every movement is practically engrained into his muscle memory by now. Most evenings at the tavern play out in exactly the same tedious fashion, so Hyunjin expects that night to be no different. He's currently keeping himself occupied by wiping down the bar and pretending to mind his own business, so it's by complete luck that he happens to overhear the hushed words that will tear a rift in his life so wide that it can never be repaired. So much for an evening like any other...
"Did... did you say 'The Angel of Darkness'?" Hyunjin stammers, his eyes as wide as saucers as he whirls around to face the man who'd uttered that name.
"Perhaps I did." The patron eyes him warily, before downing the remainder of his pint in two large gulps. "What's it to you, boy?"
Hyunjin resists the urge to roll his eyes, well aware that letting his petty attitude flare up won't get him anywhere - especially when attempting to coerce information out of an officer of the Stella Classemque, who just so happen to be the galaxy's Royal Starfleet. Instead of biting back with a snarky remark, he simply fills up another tankard of ale and waves it temptingly in front of the man's face. "If you tell me what you know about that ship, then you can have this drink on the house."
The officer momentarily cocks his head to the side as he considers the offer, before seemingly deciding that risking being kicked out of the Royal Starfleet for revealing sensitive information to a civilian is worth it for a free drink. "There are rumours spreading throughout the fleet that there's trouble brewing amongst the fringe planets surrounding a ship that goes by the name I mentioned earlier. Supposedly, there have been several new rogue mercenary crews emerging as significant threats over the past few months, but they rarely travel to planets as central as Novae Terrae."
Hyunjin swallows down the involuntary flicker of fear that momentarily wavers inside his chest at the mention of ruthless mercenary gangs. He doesn't want to be afraid of them, but unfortunately for him, his survival instinct has other ideas. "How much truth is there to these rumours?"
"I haven't seen any evidence with my own two eyes, but it's been widely reported that two of our fleet's finest ships were burnt to ashes several weeks ago, and that The Angel of Darkness was spotted in the area shortly before the incident took place." The officer takes a long swig from his tankard, stray droplets of ale spilling messily down his chin and dribbling onto his perfectly pressed white shirt. "To me, it sounds like someone's just spinning an elaborate fantasy to cause unrest amongst the crews - but you never know out there in space. If there is any truth in the tale, it sounds like we should all stay as far away from Planeta Luminis as possible."
The revelation of a specific planet further piques Hyunjin's interest. "Planeta Luminis? Is that where the incident took place?"
"From what I've heard, yes - but like I said, this could all be nothing more than a wild rumour."
Hyunjin simply hums in response, his heart hammering away in his chest as he slides another drink across the bar towards the officer. "Thank you for the information."
"There isn't much that I wouldn't do for a free drink." The man grins, raising his tankard up in a salute of gratitude. "Don't go worrying your pretty head about rogues now, boy. Just stay put in this little town and don't get involved with the business that takes place out on the edges of the galaxy; life isn't the same out there as it is on this planet."
Hyunjin just nods, already knowing that it's far too late for that. The name of that ship has struck a tender cord in his heart, digging up a memory which he's kept buried deep in his mind for far too long...
On the day that Yeji had been taken from him, the two siblings had been sitting down by the docks, dipping the tips of their toes into the crystal clear ocean as they scattered tiny pieces of stale bread into the water in the hopes of luring in a flock of bait fish that lingered in the shallows. Hyunjin had been telling his twin about his dream to one day become a member of the Stella Classemque, which his sister had simply scoffed incredulously at.
"Where's the fun in living a life like that?" Yeji had asked, apparently unsatisfied with her brother's ambitions. "You'd have to spend everyday being ordered around, never able to break a single rule. It sounds way too boring for me."
"What's wrong with following the rules? Breaking the law is illegal, Jiji." Hyunjin had pouted indignantly, being sure to purposely use the nickname that he knows his sister loathes in an attempt to wind her up. "If you don't like the idea of working for the Royal Starfleet, what would you rather do instead?"
"I'd rather be a mercenary." Yeji's smile was always brilliantly cheeky, and undoubtedly bright enough to light up any room. "Why bow down to the law when you can just invent your own? You get to live a life full of adventure and treasure hunting - and if you're the captain of your own ship, you don't even have to do any of the dirty work!"
"I think you'd make a great mercenary; you certainly curse like one already." Hyunjin had teased, before letting out an embarrassingly high-pitched squeal as a tiny bait fish bumped harmlessly against his foot.
"It's Ryujin's fault. She's always teaching me lots of new, interesting words." Yeji informed him proudly, amused by her twin's unfounded fear of the creatures that nibbled harmlessly away at her feet. Shin Ryujin was Yeji's second best friend - only narrowly losing out on the esteemed title to Hyunjin - and the two girls were as thick as thieves, having known each other since birth (Ryujin had also been seized by the bounty hunters on the same day as his sister, so Hyunjin hadn't seen the witty, fearless girl in over a decade).
"Don't try and blame Ryujin for your behaviour, you brat." Hyunjin had scolded his sister, who just stuck her pointy tongue out at him in retaliation.
After a few minutes of content, peaceful silence as they watched the bait fish swim agilely about beneath their feet, Yeji had spoken up again, her curiosity not yet sated. "If you could be the captain of a band of mercenaries, what would you name your ship?"
Hyunjin had shrugged in response. He'd never really put much thought into something like that, since he'd always assumed that he'd find himself on the right side of the law. "I'm not sure. Maybe something like 'Eggplant's Revenge', since they're pretty scary, and a mercenary ship is supposed to have a name that strikes fear into its enemies' hearts." Hyunjin was kidding about naming a ship after the cursed vegetable - but his actual fear of eggplants? - that wasn't so much of a joke.
It had amused Yeji nonetheless, causing the petite girl to laugh so hard that she'd almost toppled off the edge of the docks. "You're such a dork, Jinnie! You have to be the only person in the world who's afraid of an eggplant."
"What? It's not my fault that they always try to hide with the rest of the vegetables to trick me into eating them! They're scary!" Hyunjin had started giggling as well, unable to withstand his sister's infectious laughter. "Okay then, if my ship name is so dumb, what would you call yours, Captain Yeji?"
"That's Captain Hwang to you, peasant." Yeji had grinned wickedly, pretending to wield an imaginary sword - like the kind that the pirates of the old earth had brandished - at her brother, before her manner had quickly shifted to become significantly more sombre. "I'd want a name that's mysterious, but also fearsome - something that would send chills racing down the spines of everyone who heard it. Mercenaries always give their ships such simple names these days, but I'd want mine to stand out. What's the point in being a famous captain if all that anyone ever remembers about you is that you called your ship something dumb?"
"Don't let any mercenaries hear you saying that..." Despite wanting to join the Stella Classemque, the thought of facing a gun-toting maniac had made Hyunjin quake in fear. "Are you going to actually tell me the name of your imaginary ship anytime soon, or am I just supposed to take a wild guess?"
"Alright, alright - I was getting to it." The girl had grumbled, elbowing her brother sharply in the gut. "I've put a lot of thought into this, and I think that I've finally settled on 'The Angel of Darkness'. It's great, right?"
To his surprise, Hyunjin had actually been fairly impressed by Yeji's choice of name. "I like it. Why did you decide on that, though? You're certainly not an angel."
"I most definitely am, you punk!" Yeji had protested vehemently, aiming a solid punch at her twin's shoulder, making him whine obnoxiously in exaggerated pain. "I like the idea of calling my ship something mystical and elegant - a name that everyone will remember, y'know? I think the element of fantasy is a nice touch too, because it'll make my enemies question whether the ship is actually real, or if it's just a phantom of the stars."
"You're seriously weird sometimes." Hyunjin was more prepared for his sister's attack the second time around, so he'd swiftly dodged out of the way before she could land a blow to his shoulder. "Should I be worried that you've put so much thought into this? If I really do join the Royal Starfleet, I don't want to be having to fight against you if you become a pirate."
Yeji had sighed then, her smile faltering a little as she stared out over the vast ocean. "You don't need to worry about that, Jinnie. It's only a dream - I know that I'm going to be stuck on this planet for the rest of my life."
Hyunjin had wrapped his strong arms around his sister, pulling her into a tight hug that he'd hoped would offer her at least a little bit of comfort. "Everyone's allowed to have a dream, Jiji. If being a mercenary is really what you want to do, nobody has the right to stop you from going out there and doing it."
Yeji had sniffed a little at that, burrowing her face into Hyunjin's shirt so that her voice had come out muffled when she'd spoken up again. "I know that, but I'm just not sure if I believe that dreams come true for people like us."
"They do; we just have to believe that they will." Hyunjin had assured his sister firmly - because what else was he supposed to say? He certainly couldn't tell her that he'd wondered the exact same thing on more than one occasion in the past, because he's a few minutes older than his sister, and that means that he's the one who has to put on a strong front - even when there's no one there to do the same for him.
"You really think so?" Fortunately, Yeji had perked up a little at that, her voice so full of hope that Hyunjin couldn't stop himself from leaning down and planting a tender kiss onto the crown of her head.
"Of course I do; I believe in you. We have a future, Yeji - I know we do."
That had been the last conversation that Hyunjin had ever had with his sister. Shortly afterwards, his sister was stolen away from him, never to be seen again. At least, that was what he'd thought, until Hyunjin had heard the name of the fabled rogue ship in the tavern, and a glimmer of hope had ignited a burning flame of determination in his heart. If Yeji was still out there somewhere - if she'd really managed to achieve her dream of becoming a mercenary captain - he was going to find her, no matter the cost. This time, he wouldn't let her slip through his fingers.
Hyunjin struggles to fall asleep that night, his mind brimming with fantasies of distant planets and the memories of a sister that he thought he'd lost forever.