Captured by the Yandere Space Pirates

"Vera! Vera!" Pako's voice tore through the corridor as she stormed toward the cockpit, the bridge, her boots pounding the metal floor, her wild eyes reflecting the glow of the live feed dominating the main screen.

Vera and Aster were already there, frozen, their faces pale, eyes wide with horror as they stared at the broadcast from the Kingdom's execution block.

The image showed a man, bound with coarse rope digging his skin, a sack bag over his face, his trembling frame unmistakable despite the shroud.

A code was displayed behind him and timer ticked down mercilessly on the screen, each beep a hammer to their hearts.

Ila's voice, cold and triumphant, echoed through the feed, her words confirming their worst fears: Syn was caught, and Princess Ila, the demon of the Kingdom, was about to execute him.

They knew it was Syn, even without seeing his face.

The slope of his shoulders, the way he shivered under the chains—it was him, their heart, their fire, their rebellion's spark.

Vera's hands trembled, her fiery hair a tangled mess, her green eyes locked on the screen, guilt gnawing at her.

Aster's breath hitched, her dark curls falling into her tear-streaked face, her hands clenched into fists.

Pako paced, her short-cropped hair bristling, her fists itching to break something, anything, to stop this nightmare.

"Is that really Syn?" Aster whispered, her voice cracking, clinging to a shred of denial.

"No, it can't be," Vera said, her voice hollow, her head shaking as if to banish the truth.

"He's too careful. It hasn't even been 24 hours since he landed. Mia would've told us if he was caught."

"Told you we shouldn't have sent him!" Aster exploded, rounding on Vera, her eyes blazing with anguish.

"But you, you bitch, wouldn't listen, spouting bullshit about soul and love! Look what happened!"

Vera's head bowed, her shoulders slumping under the weight of her mistake.

"I'm sorry," she murmured, her voice barely audible. "I didn't expect this. How did Ila even catch him?"

"Don't ask me!" Aster snapped, her tears spilling over. "He's caught, and now what do we do?"

"Call Mia!" Vera yelled, her voice regaining its edge, desperation fueling her.

"Already on it," Pako said, her fingers flying over her comm device. "She's not picking up."

"What the fuck is going on?" Vera's voice rose, her hair wilder, her eyes darting to the screen where the timer ticked down—eight minutes left. "Call Kaizer!"

Aster dialed Kaizer, but the line was busy. "He's got the only comm linked to us," she said, her voice trembling. "I'll try Tila, Ryk, anyone—someone has to know something!"

Pako stopped pacing, her eyes fixed on the screen, her heart pounding as she prayed it wasn't Syn, that this was a cruel trick.

"I'll surrender," she said suddenly, her voice firm, her jaw set.

"No, wait, Pako!" Vera grabbed her arm. "We're not sure it's Syn yet."

"I should've killed Ila when I had the chance," Aster growled, her fists clenching. "Never thought that psychotic bitch would survive and become this dangerous."

"What else can we do?" Pako asked, her voice small, her eyes pleading.

They were hours away from the Kingdom, too far to mount an attack in ten minutes.

Their ship, fast as it was, couldn't breach the Kingdom's defenses in time.

"I'll surrender," Aster said now, her voice resolute, her fingers already dialing the code displayed on the screen behind Ila.

"I'm the princess who defected. Ila should be satisfied with me. I can handle it, don't worry. I will at least take down that psychotic bitch along with me before I die"

"Aster, wait!" Vera shouted, lunging to stop her. "She hasn't shown his face yet, and we can't trust Ila to keep her word!"

Pako moved to snatch the comm from Aster, ready to make the call herself, her heart screaming to save Syn.

But then, on the screen, Ila ripped the sackbag from the prisoner's face, revealing Syn—gagged, his hazel eyes wide with terror, tears streaming down his bruised cheeks.

The sight was a gut punch, shattering their last hope.

"No!" Aster cried, collapsing to her knees, sobs wracking her body. "I can't watch this!"

Vera's face crumpled, her hands covering her mouth, while Pako froze, her eyes locked on Syn's helpless form, her heart breaking.

Aster's fingers trembled on the comm, the call half-dialed, as Vera shouted, "Wait!" and Pako reached for the device.

Then, the comm buzzed, a sharp, insistent sound that cut through their panic.

"Who is it?" Vera demanded, her voice raw.

"Mia," Aster said, lifting the device, her hands shaking.

"It's not Syn," Mia's voice crackled through, urgent and clipped.

"What?" Aster's questions flooded out, a desperate torrent. "Where are you? What happened to Syn? Where is he? Give him the phone!"

"I don't have time," Mia said, her voice strained. "It's not Syn. It's a shapeshifter. Syn's safe." The call cut off, leaving a stunned silence.

Aster looked at Vera and Pako, their faces blank, confusion replacing despair.

Vera's eyes flicked to the screen, where Syn—or his double—stood chained, the timer nearing zero.

Pako's jaw dropped, her mind reeling.

"What the hell is happening in the Kingdom?" she whispered, their gazes locked, the truth a tangled knot they couldn't unravel.

Yet.

______

clang clang clang

The clickety-clack of boots echoed in a dark, cavernous room, the sound sharp against the low hum of a massive holo-screen cycling through highlights of the execution—a grotesque loop of blood, flesh, and the shredder's relentless roar, captured from every angle.

The door hissed open, admitting a figure, then slammed shut, sealing the room in shadow save for the screen's flickering glow.

In the center, a man sat bound to a small, ornate throne, his wrists and ankles secured with sleek, metallic cuffs, his head bowed, eyes tightly shut to block out the gory spectacle.

"Syn, darling, I'm back," Ila's voice sang, a melodic taunt that cut through the darkness.

She emerged into the screen's light, her black hair loose, cascading over her royal tunic, her teal eyes gleaming with possessive delight.

She sauntered to Syn, her boots clicking, and straddled his lap, her knees resting on either side of his thighs, her weight pressing against him.

Her fingers gripped his chin, lifting his face to meet her gaze, her touch both tender and commanding.

Syn's eyes were blank, expressionless, as if his soul had been hollowed out, his hazel irises dull, avoiding her.

His face was bruised, his lips bloodied from their last encounter, his body slumped in the cuffs, a shell of the man he'd been.

"Why do you look so dull?" Ila asked, her voice a mock pout, her head tilting as she studied him.

He didn't answer, his gaze drifting away, his jaw tight. Ila's expression darkened, her eyes flaring with fierce intensity.

"Hey, look at me. Look at me, Syn!" she snapped, her hands shaking his head, her nails digging into his cheeks until his eyes flicked to hers, reluctant, haunted.

"You should be grateful," she purred, her voice softening, a dangerous edge beneath the sweetness.

"It wasn't you who was killed. It was the shapeshifter you came searching for. He looked so much like you, fooled everyone—your precious pirates, the crowd, even your little allies. But I found him hateful, a cheap imitation. There's only one you, Syn, forever. No one can replace you." Her fingers brushed his hair, smoothing it with a lover's care, her eyes locked on his, drinking him in.

"Now…" She leaned closer with a smile, her face inches from his, her breath warm on his lips.

"You. Only. Exist. Here." Her words were a vow, each syllable a statement.

She kissed him, her lips soft, then hungry, her hands sliding around his neck, fingers tightening briefly before pulling back.

"Did you hear the cheers of your beloved Backdrop scum? If I'm right, they were screaming to execute you. Looked pretty excited, didn't they? What do you think?"

Syn's eyes flickered, pain flashing through the dullness, but he stayed silent.

Ila's smile widened, her voice a cruel caress.

"And the pirates you joined? I knew they wouldn't come for you. You're just a recent recruit, a tool to their captains. I wanted to show you, Syn—you're not important to anyone but me."

"I want you to accept me," she said, her voice warm, almost pleading, but laced with steel, "as the person I am."

Syn chuckled, a broken, bitter sound, his eyes finally meeting hers, defiance sparking through his despair.

"Fuck off," he spat, his voice hoarse but firm. "Just kill me already. I'd rather die than stay with you. You're a fucking psychopath, twisted to the core. I always knew it. I should've never come into your life, never interfered with you. You're a fucking—"

Ila's hand slammed over his mouth, cutting him off, her eyes wide with rage, her breath hitching as she fought to suppress her fury.

Her fingers pressed hard, bruising his lips, his jaw aching under the force.

"Maybe I will kill you for real," she hissed, her voice low, trembling with barely contained violence. "So shut up and listen."

Her eyes bored into his, her hand unrelenting.

"You… you're getting it wrong if you think I am going to kill you. You are mine. My property. My thing. I won't let you die. I won't let you live. You belong with me. You belong to me. Get that into your fucking head." Her voice rose, each word a hammer, her hand pressing so hard Syn's teeth cut into his lips, blood trickling down his chin.

"Oh, I'm sorry," she said suddenly, her tone shifting, mockingly sweet as she removed her hand, letting him gasp for air. "I get a bit aggressive when I'm angry. You should know." Her smile was radiant, unhinged, her mood swinging like a pendulum.

"Let's have sex again," she purred, her expression morphing into that of a passionate lover, her hands sliding down his chest, her fingers tugging at his restraints. "That was fun, wasn't it?"