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It should have started off like any other normal, regular day. That’s what everyone thought of course. At precisely 5,30 hours, the slow dim of the Station J-0209199-5’s holo-window lighting system boots up for the day, a mimic of the daylight hours of the planet they orbit. Buzzers ring in the officers’ sleeping quarters, breakfast slides down the food shafts in neat packable containers, and more than one man, woman, alien, and every mix therein between groans softly at the day’s rations: beef substitute, freeze-dried spinach, and yellow rubber masquerading as an egg.
Night shift slowly yawns as they stand up and stretch their limbs, preparing their stations for the turnover. Liu Yangyang, the unfortunate rookie, fights back a wave of sleepiness as he readies himself for double-shift duty. His happier colleagues give him a slap on the back when they leave at precisely 6,00 hours. That’s when the Day Shift 1 arrives, all spic and span from their thirty-second showers and only the dark circles under their eyes indicate the hellish boredom of life aboard one of the remotest orbiting Space Force Stations of the Intergalactic Universe. It’s not like any of them ever asked to be transferred this far out into space. Well, perhaps the tricularis Moon Taeil, but then nobody would classify that alien as anything other than weird, three eyes and arms aside. He sits down at the consul and immediately plugs in, fingers flashing across the dash.
“Liu Yangyang, report,” says Shift Commander Suh.
The metastract humanoid has to blink a few times and clear his throat before responding. He’s a tad too slow on the uptake, and that’s when Commander Suh turns to him with a frown and all the force of his monstrously turned eyebrows. Yangyang is telepathic. He can speak only to other metastracts with perfect clarity, however, he’s more than capable of feeling emotions imparted to him from all living creatures, in this case, the human’s wrath.
“Sir,” he gulps, eyes not meeting his commander’s eyes. “A quiet night, sir.”
His peer, the bionically upgraded human Qian Kun, snickers at him across the room. The sound comes out sounding wheezy through his mechanical lungs. Yangyang promises himself to get revenge later.
Commander Suh mutters inaudibly and looks to press the issue. That’s when Taeil saves the day. “Sir, according to consul activity, it was indeed a quiet night. All programs functioning as normal, all missions performing as they should. However…” he pauses to type more things onto the consul, all three eyes crinkling as he leans forward to read the dash, “there is a flag out on Mission 0227199-6. No indicator why though.”
“See to it and report back,” the commander barks.
“Sir!”
The rest of the morning passes in routine. There are endless reports to be read and filed away, inspections of the facility, a walkthrough of the holding cells where more than one petty space bandit has been been stowed away until HQ can be bothered to issue a transfer statement and/or release.
Commander Suh takes his break at precisely 10,00 hours. As the most senior officer on Station J-0209199-5, which houses no more than thirty assorted personnel, he’s allowed a few small luxuries. His favorite in particular is his private office stashed on the highest floor of the satellite with an unobstructed view of the planet below, several of its moons, partial starlight and, when visible through all the space dust, an unhindered glimpse of the Milky Way.
He stares at it now, authoritative mask unraveling just a hair as the sight calms him. He presses a button on his desk. Not a moment later, a mug of steaming hot tea materializes beside his hand. He drinks it slowly, savoring the aroma. It’s one of the few things the food station knows how to make nicely. He should get up or log into his desk consul to peruse the restricted reports only his eyes are allowed to see. Instead, he relaxes back into his chair, tea in one hand, and stares at the river of stars. Somewhere across all that dark space, clustered like one of many specs of planets, is Earth, Johnny’s home planet. He should have fonder memories of it. All his family is still there, and most of his friends. Instead of thinking of them, however, Johnny’s mind wanders to his adventures on the Moon Academy, and some of his excursions thereafter.
Most of his colleagues from the Academy are now scattered across the galaxy, like he is. Some he knows where they are, most he does not, and some… well.
The flag Taeil mentioned on Mission 0227199-6 gives Johnny something to pause and consider. He clicks the communicator on his collar. “Officer Moon, is there anything yet on that mission flag?”
“Sir, I have been in contact with the officer who made the report. Jung Jaehyun of Away Team J-0214199-7.”
“And?”
Taeil’s momentary silence is puzzling, and just a bit worrisome.
“Officer Moon?”
“Right, sir. I apologize. It’s just that according to diagnostics, the vessel in question made contact with a Space Force cruiser four months ago at Outpost Angel’s Way with no indicator that an arrest was made or in fact even attempted.”
Johnny swallows heavily. “Go on.”
“According to Officer Jung, that vessel is now en route, at least seemingly, for… this very station.”
Johnny is silent, his heart rate stilling to a slow, heavy drum. If Yangyang were in the room, he would probably be able to hear it.
“Commander Suh?” Taeil’s voice sounds a million light years away. “Commander Suh?”
Abruptly, Johnny pulls himself together. “Yes, Officer Moon?”
“Permission to log this entry into the command post.”
“Is that not standard procedure, officer?”
“Sir,” Taeil continues. “It is. However, it would appear that… well…”
“Speak, officer,” Johnny barks in his commander’s voice, anxious to to know what Taeil is after.
“Sir, it’s just that… weren’t you in charge of an away team on the date in question?”
Johnny’s breath gets caught in his throat. The date in question, that’s what Taeil said, specifically putting all this back on Commander Suh’s shoulders. Johnny doesn’t know whether he wants to strangle his officer or… quietly compliment him. In fact, he doesn’t know what he should do at all.
Because he was in charge of an excursion four months ago that brought him into contact with the subject of Mission 0227199-6, along with three other officers currently on duty with him today. That’s exactly four officers including himself who could technically be compromised by this situation, and it would be Commander Suh’s own fault.
“Log the vessel’s movements as of today, Officer Moon. We will speak soon.”
“Sir.”
Johnny can handle this. It’ll all be fine. The vessel’s trajectory is likely but an anomaly, and there’s nothing to panic about.
Johnny panics at exactly 14,00 hours. That’s when the station’s radar goes off indicating the approach of an unauthorized spacecraft. Taeil’s head shoots up, three eyes blinking wide as he stares at his commander. Kun mutters a curse at the interruption of his daily, monotonous reports investigation. Yangyang actually stumbles on his way back from the toilet.
“Commander,” says one of Johnny’s underlings, female human Bae Joohyun at the intake consul. “Vessel is unmarked, but bears the trace signature of… Subject 0227199-6?”
A moment later, Kun verifies this. “Sir, isn’t this a criminal under investigation for piracy?”
“It’s that mercenary!” gasps another officer with incredulity. “What’s he doing coming here?”
“On his own?”
“Could this be a heist?”
“Is he turning himself him?”
“It’s Li Yongqin, isn’t it? It has to be!”
The whole deck bursts into mutters and speculations before Johnny can get his bearings. Truth be told, he’s just as bewildered as everyone else. He’s just not allowed to show it.
“Alright, everyone, enough!” he shouts across the room, effectively silencing all present crew members. They turn to him partially out of confusion, some perhaps in fear. This is not the time for Johnny to falter, however much he wants to. “We have an unauthorized ship approaching our docks, potentially harboring a fugitive we’ve long been commanded to arrest. If he signals for landing clearance, let’s give it to him. Officer Bae, send a security team to the shuttle bay and have another standing by. I want this handled with all finesse. The prisoner is to be contained and brought to me immediately in the Officers’ Hall, I want his vessel immediately decommissioned. If there is anyone else on board, have them arrested and sent to holding.”
It takes another half hour for the spacecraft to come into range. Normally the Day Shift 1 crew members would be preparing to hand off operations to Day Shift 2, but this time nobody is leaving. Commander Suh relocates all incoming officers to report instead to Training. He’s not about to risk leaving the deck during a transfer window if their soon-to-be-guest is indeed who he thinks it is.
“Officer Liu, Officer Qian, with me, please. Officer Moon, you have the deck.”
“Sir!” echo all three voices. Johnny steels his emotions and heads out the door.
Johnny arrives at the Officers’ Hall just as the spacecraft’s engine turns off in the shuttle bay, his officer down there, Nakamoto Yuta, reporting remotely through the com every step of events as they unfolded. He’d been right to assume the mercenary vehicle would request to dock. So far, everything was going smoothly. Now it was time to wait.
Johnny stands at the ready, arms clasped behind his back, his two officers on either side of him, weapons primed and armed but not yet directed at anything in particular. Johnny trusts his head of security Dong Sicheng to make sure the prisoner comes in unarmed.
“Sir,” says a voice in his ear from shuttle bay.
“Go on, Officer Nakamoto,” says Johnny.
“Prisoner is indeed the mercenary Li Yongqin. He came in unarmed and handed his vessel over to security calmly, as we instructed.”
“Was he alone?”
“Negative. We have arrested an older female colleague of his, humanoid, name as yet unknown. She is being taken to holding. Li Yongqin is with security on his way to you. However, there were three life forms detected on board, and so far no sign of the third one. It’s possible they are still hiding on the ship.”
“Search the spacecraft. And send Interrogation to the holding cell. I want to know who this woman is and all that she knows. ”
“Sir, will do, sir.”
The longer it takes for security to bring in the prisoner, the more nervous Johnny becomes. He hasn’t been this on edge since… well, since the last time he came across legendary mercenary Li Yongqin. And that was for entirely different reasons, in a totally different environment, under circumstances much, much different than now. Or was it the time they met even before that? Johnny can’t honestly remember. He’s not sure he wants to remember. With so much history between them, is it worth reliving them all?
To be sure, even his two fellow colleagues, beneath their professional demeanor, are looking concerned. But then both Yangyang and Kun were with Johnny on that last round barely four months ago. They’re just too cautious to bring it up within the hearing of their commanding officer, and rightly so. Johnny is proud of them. Proud too that they don’t flinch when the door opens before them and Sicheng leads in Prisoner 0, Subject 0227199-6. Mercenary Li Yongqin or, as he’s known by a few, just a very few: Ten.
Johnny is so close to flinching. It’s hard to remain still under a face like that. Ten may now technically be in custody, but Johnny has no assurances he isn’t here exactly because he wants to be here. Which puts this whole ordeal into question. The smirk on Ten’s face proves that immediately. It’s half a smile at least, haughty and playful at the same time, a Ten speciality. His eyes shine brightly, but his cheeks bear the weight of hollowness which adds to his bone definition and if anything, it makes him look even more handsome than he already is. Johnny can tell he’s staring, can tell also that Yangyang and Kun are staring. And, the worst part is, Ten knows it.
“Well, well, if it’s not a greeting party of all my favorite officers.”
Johnny clears his throat, determined not to be thwarted this time. “Subject 0227199-6, you are under arrest according section WV-0117201-9, held in contempt of violations for mercenary works. I am Commander Suh of Station J-”
“Oh, Johnny come now, spare me. All of us in this room have been through this before.” Ten yawns. He actually yawns, before continuing, “Yes yes, we know who you are, and who I am, and Sicheng here already read me my rights, for what is it now… perhaps the fifth or sixth time since we met?”
Despite his sharp, venturous tone, Ten looks tired. It’s the one thing off with this whole meeting so far. Johnny pretends he’s not interested in the reason why. He sighs though, knowing Ten won’t deal with protocol now no matter how much Johnny tries.
“Fine. We’ll dispense with procedure for now. How about instead, you tell us why you’re here.”
Ten doesn’t answer for a moment. Again he yawns, and then he turns his gaze between both of Johnny’s two side officers before laying it on thickly on Johnny himself. It’s an appraising gaze, like always. Like he’s taking notes and finding himself pleased with what he sees. It’s the way Ten operates and it’s unnerving as hell.
“Isn’t it obvious?” he asks, mysterious to the core. “I came for rations, and a nice bed to sleep in.”
“I thought we decided to quit this game, Ten,” Johnny interrupts, impatient and frankly a little worried he’s missing something entirely. “With no indication as to why, you have flown into my station, surrendered your vessel and your persons, which by the way, one is still in contempt of custody. If you’d be so cordial as to tell us the location of the third party-”
Ten snorts. It startles Johnny who pauses, mouth open, poised to continue speaking until he’s interrupted again.
“You’re serious!” Ten laughs. “You’ve got me and the old lady already, what more do you want?”
Johnny’s gaze narrows dangerously.
“Alright, alright!” Ten laughs some more, holding up his hands. Johnny notices Sicheng did not bother tying him up. It’s common knowledge Ten can slip out of any restraints. Even the most technologically advanced cuffs in the entire space force cannot contain Ten when he wants to be free. It’s a time-saving stunt on Sicheng’s part, and it’ll also probably save them several hundred space credits, not having to replace them. Besides, Ten isn’t violent. He’s just a menace to society, to Johnny in particular.
“Explain yourself,” Johnny demands, puffing out his chest. Beside him, both Yangyang and Kun mimic his poise. It would be laughable if this weren’t actual serious business. “With three life forms detected and only two found-”
Ten finally sighs. “All this technology and you can’t detect where the third life form is coming from? For shame, Johnny…” He taps his belly twice. Beneath his faux leather mercenary outfit, more theatrical than practical, he looks a tad bit pudgy around the middle. Like he attended one two many buffet rackets before showing up here.
Ten smiles. His hand remains on his middle, moving up and down fondly. His eyebrows inch towards his bangs, waiting…
Johnny stares between his face and his stomach, brain suddenly on overdrive.
“You…” he falters.
“Me?” Ten inquires cheekily.
“You… you’re…”
The silence threatens to drag on as everyone including Johnny himself stares at Ten, most in confusion and only Johnny seems to get it, yet he can’t… say it…
“Oh, for the universe’s asshole, of course I am! I told you it was obvious, didn’t I?”
Johnny’s face pales. Even without a mirror he can feel it, the sudden blood drain from his temples. His hands feel heavy, his heartbeat skyrockets. His feet suddenly feel like lead.
“Excuse me,” says Sicheng, “but… what is obvious?”
Ten smirks. “That I’m pregnant! And, anyone one of you want to guess: which among you all in this room is the lucky father?”
Flashback to four months ago
Yangyang stumbles out of the hostel entryway, head swimming, eyes blinded by the triple moons orbiting Outpost Angel’s Way, the taste of stale, homebrewed Asteroid-shine seeping across his gums. Behind him, Kun groans from the floor of the room. “I think someone detached my arm again,” he complains. “Or did I do that myself? I never can tell…”
Sicheng snoozes heavily from another place on the floor, wrapped in a million blankets. There’s a cold, empty spot beside him and a pile of discarded blankets.
Kun throws his bionic arm across the room. It clips Sicheng across the forehead, causing a loud snore and a sudden grunt. “What shitstorm happened last night anyway?” Kun pants. “Oh wait. Wait a sec. Yangyang… Yangyang, what happened to the prisoner?”
“What prisoner?” Sicheng yawns, teeth smacking loudly back together when his jaw shuts closed.
Yangyang doesn’t answer. He’s staring horrified off into the distance where, between the glow of the three moons, a spacecraft is taking off.
“What happened to my clothes?” asks Sicheng offhandedly.
“The prisoner!” Kun shouts at his colleague. “Screw your clothes, Sicheng, what happened to the prisoner?!”
“Screw my clothes?” Sicheng scratches his head.
Yangyang has yet to open his mouth. Instead, he puts his hand where his taser should be, balking visibly when he realizes it’s gone.
“Where’s the commander?” he finally asks.
Neither Kun nor Sicheng have an answer. In fact, nobody can remember what happened last night after they supposedly apprehended Subject 0227199-6, again, for maybe the fourth or fifth time in their short, little careers on the space force.
“No but,” Sicheng continues. “Why am I naked, and what did we do last night?” He tosses Kun’s arm back across the room where it lands with a loud thunk.
“Ow!” Kun cries, purely from the sight of his body being tossed around.
Yangyang remains in the doorway, watching the mercenary spacecraft flying away with every sense of hopelessness.
They don’t find Commander Suh until an hour later, hungover and handcuffed by his own device to a mock-glitzy bedrail in the next room over, and he won’t speak about what happened the night before.
“What do you mean, pregnant?” Kun is the first to reply.
Ten leans back against the doorframe. “Do you need a repeat course on alien anatomy back at the Academy or should we skip that step and get back to my little guessing game?”
Yangyang visibly pales, his cheeks now the same shade as Johnny’s. “But you’re human! And, and and… male! How can you be pregnant?”
Ten squints up at him. “Someone sounds worried, huh? But no matter, I’m only half human. Half… well, I guess I’m a mixture of a lot of different races. Half human, half mutt, shall we say? Alien enough that, yes indeed, I can carry a child. Now, but seriously. Who wants to be my little alien baby’s daddy? Would that be you, Yangyang? Or Sicheng? Kun’s awfully quiet right now. I don’t know, Johnny, what do you say? Guys, I have to admit it’s rather funny right now that each of you are second-guessing what happened that night four months ago. I bet you don’t even remember it, huh? Oh, but I did.”
He winks at Johnny, but the others don’t seem to notice. They’re all looking around each other with suspicion in their eyes. All except Yangyang who suddenly seems to remember, “Can’t be me. I shoot blanks.”
“One down,” Ten sing-songs, “three to go.”
Kun is clenching his throat tightly, swallowing down whatever bile is possibly threatening to come up. “I don’t think it was me. I… I’m a sleepy drunk, but I would never… not with a prisoner, surely.” His voice warbles so much Johnny actually has a bit of pity for him. Or at least, he would if he wasn’t trying so desperately to maintain composure. Still, Kun panics. “Commander Suh, really it couldn’t have been me. I’m not like that, I never… I almost definitely, positively, would not-”
“Oh, poor Kunkun, I do have some heart, so I’ll put you out of your misery right now and say: it wasn’t you.” Ten beams across the room. “There now, happy?”
Kun chokes in relief, actually rubbing his palm across his throat as he blinks away his near panic attack.
Sicheng’s jaw slowly drops towards his chest. “So that just leaves…. No, it was me, wasn’t it? I don’t remember anything that happened that night, and I wasn’t wearing clothes in the morning. It has to have been me… Commander, I-” Sicheng drops to his knees in shame, ready to bow and take all the guilt.
Except Ten is snickering so hard behind his hand. Johnny narrows his eyes, but right now he has to deal with Sicheng.
“Officer Dong, you’re dismissed from-”
“Commander, I swear I can take responsibility. I accept my dismissal. You can blame me for everything, just… if you can help me tell my father why I’m leaving the space force-”
“Officer Dong!” Johnny shouts to get his attention. Sicheng instantly shuts up, but his eyes are frozen in resigned shock. “Officer Dong, you are not resigning, nor are you taking any kind of responsibility, nor do you need to tell your father anything.”
“I… what?” he stammers.
“I said, you are dismissed from duty at this moment. You and Officers Liu and Qian. Please, will all of you step outside and, do me a favor and keep this confidential for now.” He coughs throatily. “I need a little privacy with our… prisoner here.”
There’s probably something about Johnny’s demeanor that makes all three of his supporting officers look him over with something akin to understanding. Of course, Ten’s satisfied smile might be a factor. Or color returning to Johnny’s cheeks in the form of a blush.
“You…” Kun starts to say, but Yangyang elbows him into silence, and the two of them exit the room quickly.
Sicheng falters for just a few seconds longer. “Better luck next time, big boy,” Ten whispers quietly when he finally leaves.
The door closes behind them, an air of finality lingering now in the space between Johnny and Ten. Johnny crosses his arms and frowns. It’s more of a twisted sneer while he gains his bearings. Ten, miraculously, waits him out.
“Right. First thing’s first,” says Johnny. “Who is the woman you’re traveling with?”
“My mother, of course. Space travel, as you might imagine, is not quite conducive to the stomach of a pregnant person. I needed a little pampering on the way over here.”
Johnny snorts. “You brought your mother with you…”
“Yes.”
“On a rendezvous to turn yourself into the space force…”
“Yes.”
“Because you’re pregnant with my child…”
Ten’s smile lingers in the air. “Yes,” he says, crossing his arms to mimic Johnny’s stance.
“And you decided the best course of action was to show up here, announce yourself and… what, Ten? Tell me what exactly you had in mind for this little… reunion?”
“You mean, other than you taking responsibility?”
Johnny clears his throat. It’s been a long time since their days at the Moon Academy, when Johnny was a fresh-faced recruit with dreams of aiding the Federation and Ten was a first year transfer, there under duress from several juvenile misdemeanors. It was assumed the Space Force would straighten out his wily ways, yet it was the Academy Ten would attempt to flatten instead. According to the official records, Li Yongqin was expelled in his third year. Johnny remembers it a little differently.
“You want me to take responsibility,” he says now gravely, “I’ll do it. But you have to make a concession too, Ten.”
Ten nods curiously, indicating Johnny should continue.
“You give up your outlaw tricks. You quit stealing Federation documents, you own up to your misdeeds. I’ll even testify on your behalf for a lighter sentence, and we won’t talk about about that time in Gamma sector where you blew up half of a cargo bay on Asteroid 9.”
Ten’s only response is to say, “I double-checked there was nobody in that cargo bay before it blew.”
Johnny glares at him. “Which is precisely why I’m letting that incident go.”
“Only because it was yet another fail on your part to arrest me, Johnny, I know how your mind works.”
“Do you accept the terms of your surrender, Ten, or not?” Johnny practically growls.
Ten sighs. “Quit outlawing, confess my sins, got it. You’ll put in a good word for me, got that too. Sure, I agree to all of that. Now let’s talk about… this.” He indicates his belly once again.
Johnny stares at it. In all this time he’s barely come around the idea that he… and he alone… is the person who put that there. A baby. His baby. His and Ten’s… quarter-mutt-alien baby. A dozen years they’ve shared a history of sorts, but now they’ll be forever linked. Johnny swallows heavily as he tries to wrap his mind around this new, unexpected development.
“The baby…” Johnny’s going to be a daddy, and that’s almost harder to imagine than the fact he’s had an off and on relationship with one of the galaxy’s most wanted mercenaries for a whole decade. Of course, Johnny was in denial most of that time. He had all the best intentions in the world to capture Ten years ago, but somehow the outlaw always managed to sneak past his fingers, usually after a romp or two… Only this time, this time is different.
“I’m going to have a baby,” he says softly.
“Correction: we are going to have a baby.” Ten grins. “Oh, and my mom is pretty pissed at you for not using protection, but hey! That’s my fault. I never actually told you I was the fertile kind of alien. Just, don’t be surprised when she tries to smack you across the head, okay?”
Ten looks positively gleeful. Johnny feels a little ill.
Life on Station J-0209199-5 changes drastically over the next couple weeks. For one, the prisoner holding cell is outfitted into a much nicer, roomier abode with room for two, both Ten and his mother, a formidable woman who demands only the best care for her son and future grandchild. Between Ten’s moaning and her authority-driven mother’s voice, the two of them have their guards running errands night and day for whatever whim Ten could possibly want. And of course Johnny allows it. That’s his child in Ten’s tummy too, however untraditional their circumstances are.
The fact that it’s Johnny’s kid is also the worst kept secret on the entire station. Nobody says anything to Johnny directly, but he knows news of his and Ten’s impending parenthood has already slipped the mouth of one of his subordinate officers. Johnny just doesn’t have the heart to interrogate them and find out which one exactly. To be honest, it’s a relief actually. For one, he doesn’t have to be the one to announce it to his crew members. Secondly, they’re all too terrified to mention it out loud for fear of Johnny’s wrath. And thirdly, it keeps Ten safe and happy (in his prison cell) where nobody wants to offend him, again for fear of offending Johnny.
Despite that, he’s got his letter ready. Officer Dong Sicheng won’t be the one getting dismissed from the Space Force like he expected to be. Instead, it’s Commander Suh who will be offering up his resignation, just as soon as his commanding officers receive the report and find it within their schedules to make the trip out this far into the galaxy.
“So, what’ll happen when they get here?” Ten asks him one day when they share a meal together. He’s eating the best the station has to offer, and still it’s not exactly palatable. Johnny’s stomach churns in sympathy at Ten’s greenish face. Even then, he slops some of his freeze-dried rations onto Ten’s plate and encourages him to eat up.
“I resign. You get transferred to one of the nearest bases with a Court and Trials system. I’ll request to go there too.”
“Aww, why Johnny, aren’t you just the sweetest,” Ten coos dramatically. “Throwing away your whole career for me.”
Johnny snorts. Truth be told, and he won’t admit this to Ten, but there was a time seven years ago when he almost did just that. The day Ten was expelled from the Moon Academy, or rather… the day Ten broke out of the base with a stolen vessel singing “Freedom!” all the way out of the solar system.
That of course was a long time ago. “Eat your mush. The committee will be here in three days.”
“Oh goodie, I hope they have better food.”
It’s too soon to tell if it’s going to be a boy or a girl, human or alien, or whatever percentage mixture of any and all of the above. Station J-0209199-5 doesn’t exactly have a maternity ward with ready equipment, but their only medical staff on board Dr. Kim assures Johnny that Ten’s in perfect health! And a little more besides.
“You won’t have anything to worry about, daddy-dearest,” says the doctor to Johnny with his usual too forward bedside manner. “See, Ten here may look like a human male on the outside but inside, his body began transforming into a big old lovely womb the moment you stuck your dick in him. Magical really, how the-”
“Okay, okay, Jungwoo, I understand the concept of sex!” Johnny declares, scowling.
“Don’t you?” asks the doctor with teasing eyes. “I was referring to the alien species from which I think Ten is descended from. Quite a robust race, and versatile.”
“Huh? Oh.”
When he said the crew was too afraid to mention his fatherhood aloud, that evidently didn’t include Dr. Kim Jungwoo. “Hey, don’t worry too much. At least this baby won’t come out with three arms like your officer downstairs.”
Johnny grunts, thankful for small comforts. Until Jungwoo opens his mouth again.
“FYI, take care of your own ass. It works both ways.”
“What!?”
“Just kidding.”
Still though, it makes Johnny look at Ten with newfound appreciation. The simple fact that his body is carrying life, is even capable of carrying a child, their child. Johnny would be impressed with anyone that could do that, granted he never expected this to happen so soon, or perhaps ever.
It also transforms his expectations for the future. He wonders at how quickly his shock turned into a knowing resignation that whatever happened, he would give up everything just to follow Ten. Was it love they’d been cultivating all these years? It never felt that way, not in any normal terms at least. At the Academy they had been friends, turned into better friends despite Johnny’s rule-following tendencies and Ten’s deviance. If they ended up in each other’s beds it was purely an accident following bouts of alcohol or… emotional overload.
Since then, every time they met on opposite sides of the law felt more like a game. A very dangerous, exciting game.
Johnny hated games in general. Yet he always played them with Ten. Why then, if there wasn’t another reason for his attachment?
“Commander Suh?”
Johnny startles out of his hiding place, the shadowy hallway outside Ten’s prison cell where he’s been covertly watching the father of his baby whine to his mother about the shifting contents of his stomach. He’s been throwing up quite a lot these days, so much that Johnny feels helpless to do anything and also a little bit queasy to watch.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to frighten you,” says Sicheng, when Johnny scowls at him.
The head of security, however, takes a step towards him and looks in through the same one-way glass window.
“What is it, Officer Dong?” he clips briskly.
It takes a few moments for Sicheng to speak again. When he finally does, it’s to say, “You really do like him, don’t you? That’s why you’re giving up your career and everything?”
Johnny frowns. “Ten and I… we have a long, complicated history.”
“But you like him.”
This time he doesn’t phrase it like a question. Neither does Johnny answer, but it’s probably visible on his face the moment Ten starts dry heaving into a trash bucket and he goes rushing in to hold him through it.
Nice guy, Sicheng, Johnny thinks later on when he hears he later on diverted traffic from that corridor to give the two of them a little privacy.
Fiend! That’s how Johnny will forever view Sicheng just two days later when he’s practically kidnapped and stuffed on board the should-have-been-confiscated mercenary spacecraft and subsequently launched into space. With Ten. With his mother.
“Wooooo, don’t you feel the rush, Johnny! This is the taste of freeeedom!”
“This… this…. Is an outrage!” he cries. However, now it’s his turn to clutch his stomach in nausea as Ten’s mother pilots the ship, flipping almost endlessly in zero gravity airspace.
“Don’t worry, you’ll soon get used to her driving. How else do you think I learned to evade the space force for so long anyway? I had the best of teachers. And now I’ll be able to pass on my skills to the next generation.” He looks insanely calm for the situation they’re now in.
“We’re… this makes us outlaws,” Johnny breathes out painfully.
“Yeah, but being an outlaw is fun! Alright, mother, which sector should we explore today?” To Johnny he turns and grins and says, “Oh by the way, since she’s the captain, do you want us to get married today?”