𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗴 𝗕𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗱☪ - Taegyu

Episode VII

Beomgyu waved his lightsaber in an uncoordinated fashion, missing the training drone yet again. He grunted tiny at his own incompetence.

"Calm your mind, Padawan." Master SUGA interrupted. "Come back to the present."

Beomgyu switched off his lightsaber and turned to the shorter man. "I'm sorry, Master. Nightmares are getting in my way. The Sith even spoke to me in dreams..."

"The Jedi Council is working to find Soobin. You must not lose hope," SUGA affirmed. "And you must not engage the Sith. That is his manoeuvre– to manipulate you by fear. Focus on empowering yourself and trust in the Force."

Beomgyu bit his bottom lip, recomposing himself. "You're right, Master." He replied, despite worries swallowing him whole.

"Good. Pick up your lightsaber again. We aren't finished yet." The Jedi Master instructed him.

"Thank you for your wisdom and guidance." The Padawan resumed his fighting posture.

.･:*:･ﾟ'✭,'✫'ﾟ･:*:･˙

Shuffling into the port in forlorn, the deafening chorus of alien interactions and squealing cargo lifts weighed on him– Beomgyu had never felt so solitary amidst universal species.

The boy allowed himself to drift by the crowd like a stray leaf on the wind, so he could stay out of the empty apartment that once echoed with Soobin's laughter.

Along the hangars he strayed, each arrival was a taunt as he'd imagined countless times– What if Soobin miraculously appeared from one of those ships?

Among hustle and bustle, his eyes scanned frantically, hoping to fish out some minuscule yet meaningful details.

"Beomgyu!" Called out by a familiar voice, Beomgyu turned to the back to see his friends, Taehyung and Jungkook, hurrying over from their cruiser.

"We spotted you wandering with a heavy heart." Said Jungkook as he swung an arm over Beomgyu'd shoulder. "How are you holding up?"

Beomgyu quickly explained his fruitless search for Soobin. "The Council is still investigating."

Taehyung and Jungkook exchanged a look. The former scrutinized his best friend. As Taehyung might have anticipated, Jungkook raised his brows with gleaming eyes, already made up his mind. "Some friends of mine might be able to help. On solo missions, we collaborated with all sorts of beings, y'know, including some hunters. They could track any ships."

The youngest perked up at this suggestion, "They could find him?"

Taehyung chimed in. "Jungkook's methods are... unorthodox at times, I have no comment. But what if the Council is initiating a plan?" He pointed out cautiously. "We should not go behind their backs."

The Padawan shifted uncomfortably, conflicted. "Oh right. Master SUGA will be wrathful if I take the path he forbids."

"But we can save Soobin far sooner!" Jungkook pushed.

The other Jedi Knight shook his head, "Our foe is a Sith, Kookie. You underestimate the danger! Think again."

Meeting his gaze, Jungkook retorted, unwavering. "I will not abandon Beomgyu and his friend. And hey, nobody's gonna confront the Sith right in their face. We just sneak in, find Soobin, and sneak out."

"Alright, sounds very practical. Go ahead without me." Taehyung sighed and strode away, his jaw clenched in determination.

Jungkook reached out to grab his arm, "Wait-" And the other gently pulled his arm away, "I cannot bear losing any of you, nor can I stop you from acting stupid. Please think again." Taehyung muttered lamentedly, before going his way.

The remaining duo watched helplessly as he left.

Tentatively, Beomgyu spoke up. "Master JK... sorry for causing this rift."

Shaking his head, Jungkook's face softened as he looked at Beomgyu. "You have done nothing wrong. We are his dearest friends, he wanted to keep us from harm, especially you."

.･:*:･ﾟ'✭,'✫'ﾟ･:*:･˙

"I can't believe you've already located him," Beomgyu exclaimed, clapping his hands in satisfaction. Finally, a smile spread over his face like a long-awaited sunrise.

The group stood atop a rocky outcrop, overlooking the vast expanse of the compartment while the sleek starship docked before them had already taken Beomgyu's attention away. Its metallic hull glinted under the lights, and sharp, streamlined design hinted at its incredible speed. It was one of the newest models, a marvel of technology and art.

"Your friends are so cool, they demonstrated higher efficiency than the Council. Look at this ship too! Gosh, I need one, some day." He spun around, fancying over the hunters' cruiser. Boy was ready for another adventure, with one main objective: to save a precious friend.

Jungkook grinned triumphantly, taking in the breathtaking view alongside Beomgyu. "I told you my hunters would come through. They've agreed to help us along the way too."

"Not that we're doing it for free," one of the hunters duo spoke in a matter-of-fact tone. They approached the Jedi from the entrance, footsteps echoing in the cavernous bay. "Now that you've got us, who shall pay the toll?"

Jungkook nudged an unprepared Taehyun forward. "This boy here. Have you heard of his father? He would pay you handsomely."

Eyes flashing, Taehyun glared at Jungkook. "Excuse me, what? Should he ground me for life!"

"But you're here, dude." Hueningkai reminded him. "You're in, with us."

With that being said, every member of this underground job nodded to each other, buzzing the air with determination.

"I'm Jhope, and this is Jimin. Happy to help." The hunters introduced themselves friendly, clasping hands with the Jedi, followed by a chain of electronic beeps from a pink astromech droid joining them from behind. "Oh, of course we didn't forget about you, QT-KT, the best hacker among us." Jhope tapped its metallic dome lightly. The machine twirled in circles to express agitation.

"Let's get in, everyone. We should go and discuss our plan," Jungkook suggested, gesturing towards the starship.