and the sun has set
https://archiveofourown.org/works/86128911
Suggested listening: [A Quick One Before the Eternal Worm Devours Appalachia] by [Lizard in the Spring]
ohhhohohoho i feel alive again
:D jin... my new touy...
⁺‧₊⊹𓌹𓉸𓌺⊹₊‧⁺
The transmission fizzles and cuts, the words left blinking on the screen.
"D—dad. Dad!" Jin scrambles for the damaged communicator. "Dad!" he screams.
He stares at the display lights, chest heaving.
"Dad," he whispers running his hands through his hair, dropping the token to the console. You always comes back, you always comes back.
The comm crackles to life, "—in, do you hear me? Jin, are you there?"
He scrambles to pick it up, "I'm here, I'm here!"
"Oh, thank the master—" His aunt's relieved voice breaks through the static, "Is Mira with you?"
"No, I don't know where she is, she went to go help Dad…"
A pause.
"—You got the transmission too. Oh, I'm so sorry, Jin."
He sinks to the floor, comm cradled to his chest. It's too hot in here, the sweat stings his eyes.
"… I told him I hated him."
"What? Oh, honey, he knows you didn't—"
"But I did! I said I hated him, and I meant it, and now he's dead, and I'm never gonna…"
"He knew you loved him. He knew it."
"But—!"
"Jin! Listen to me, we can't stop to cry right now, okay?" Her voice is thick, and urgent. "You're out in the open still and you need to get to cover, fast."
The sound of metal crumpling on itself fills the cockpit and for a brief, terrifying moment he thinks, 'Oh, I'm gonna see Dad again'. Then, he realizes the noise came from the communicator.
"Uh, what was that?"
"Don't worry about it." A crackling sigh. "Okay, I see Mira a bit north of you. She's not responding; her comms must be down. She might not even know about—"
About Dad.
"Jin, listen to me: is the Saber responding?"
"I—yes, but I've never piloted it before—"
"It's just like the others you've flown, just more of it. You can do this."
He hesitates.
"Now listen, please. You and Mira need to regroup. The Bounty is getting a little overrun, but between the two of you you'll find somewhere else. We've told you a lot of stories over the years, yeah? Lots of places you can hole up."
"We can't just leave you—"
"You will. Jin, I love you. And you tell Mira that I love her okay?"
He can hear them now, the signs of battle disguised by the static. He feels very, very small.
"Okay."
"Good," she breathes, and the transmission cuts like a door slamming in his face.
