Captured by the Yandere Space Pirates

Vera paced the command deck of the pirate base, her curvaceous frame a storm of restless energy, her long purple hair catching the dim glow of the consoles, her purple eyes burning with barely contained rage.

Her navy captain's coat swished with each sharp turn, the spade-shaped tattoo on her palm stark as she clenched her fists, the metal deck ringing under her boots.

Syn's public execution played on a loop in her mind—his body exposed to a torturous blade device, the crowd's roar, the red blood pooling, not a hint of shapeshifter blue.

Mia's claim that it was a shapeshifter, not Syn, gnawed at her, the contradiction maddening.

Ila, the First Princess, mistaking Syn's identity? Orchestrating a fake execution?

The thought pushed Vera to the edge, her composed aura edged with menace, her rage a primal scream to rally her pirate army and tear Ila apart, limb by limb, for daring to touch him.

Was Mia lying?

Had they lost Syn forever?

The uncertainty was a knife, twisting deeper with every replay of the Kingdom's feeds, the crowd's cheers for Syn's death a betrayal—he'd risked his life for them, and they'd spat on him.

Vera slammed her fist on a console, the metal ringing, her purple eyes narrowing as she activated the comms.

"Kaizer, talk to me," she snapped, her voice low, commanding.

Kaizer's voice crackled through, steady but grim. "Vera, Mia called. Said the execution was a shapeshifter, not Syn. She's sure he's alive."

Vera's jaw tightened, her hand gripping the edge of the console, her mind reeling.

Too much confusion, too many unknowns. Mia's word, Kaizer's confirmation—it wasn't enough.

She needed Syn, needed to see him breathing, or she'd burn the Kingdom to ash, starting with Ila and every ungrateful soul who'd cheered. Doesn't matter if they were from the backdrop biome.

"I'm done waiting," she growled, her purple eyes glinting with resolve. "Aster, Pako, gear up. We're going in."

Aster strode onto the deck, her tall, muscular frame imposing, her long blonde hair tied in a tight ponytail, her teal eyes sharp with determination.

Pako followed.

Both carried Kingdom's spacesuits and masks, their visors glinting, smuggled from raided ships like Princess Elara's, perfect for blending in.

Vera nodded, her captain's coat flaring as she turned, her purple hair a vibrant cascade, her presence commanding.

"No crew," she said, her voice firm. "Just you two. I'll control the ship remotely from the cockpit. Find Syn if he's alive. Bring him back. If he's dead…" Her voice dropped, a chilling promise. "Kill Ila. Kill the King. Keep killing until the royal bloodline's gone, spilled on the same ground as Syn's."

Aster's teal eyes flickered, her blonde ponytail swaying, her voice steady. "We'll find him, Vera. He's not gone."

Pako nodded, her black bob bouncing, her sultry vibe tempered by a fierce glint in her eyes, her hands checking her pistol, its Kingdom markings pristine.

She took out the contract paper signed by Syn, "Look, he promised, he will return back."

Vera and Aster looked at her, at the paper she held in her hand, the promise for him to return.

Soon.

They boarded the smuggled Kingdom ship. Aster and Pako wore their spacesuits, their masks sealed, their weapons holstered.

Vera's cockpit crew, a dozen pirates in navy uniforms, manned the consoles, their screens flashing with telemetry as she took control, her purple eyes locked on the main display, her hands flying over controls, guiding the ship remotely, making the route.

Three decoy ships, also Kingdom-branded, flanked them, their systems slaved to Vera's commands, acting like any other Kingdom's ship scouting around.

The mission was clear: circle the Kingdom, ping Mia's phone for its tracker signal, locate Syn.

If the signal failed, they'd infiltrate a Kingdom ship, don masks, pose as soldiers, and search for him or her.

Failure meant vengeance, Ila's death, the King's, the royal line's end—a bloodbath to honor Syn.

The ship slipped through empty space.

Aster piloted manually, her teal eyes focused, her blonde ponytail steady, her navy uniform crisp, while Pako monitored the tracker, her tanned fingers tapping the console, her crop top riding up, her playful eyes narrowed.

"Nothing yet," she muttered, her voice tense, her black bob framing her face, her hope fraying with each silent minute.

Aster's jaw tightened, her muscular frame rigid, her regal bearing unyielding, her mind on Syn, her heart refusing to accept his death.

Then, a ping—a SOS from Mia's phone, its signal pulsing, a live location.

Pako's eyes widened, her tanned skin catching the console's glow, her voice urgent.

"Got an SOS from Mia! It's close—the space metro from The Main biome."

Aster adjusted course, her teal eyes blazing, the ship banking sharply, the decoys mirroring her, Vera's voice crackling through the comms, calm but electric.

"Lock it down. Get in, get them out." The metro came into view, its hull glinting, its trajectory erratic, Kingdom ships circling, their cannons charging to destroy the tracks.

That was how Aster and Pako breached the metro, rescuing Syn and Mia at the nick of time.

______

Now, in the pirate base's medic room, Syn lay on a cot, sedated, his bloodied face cleaned, his thigh wound bandaged, his breathing steady, his hazel eyes closed, his body batted, pushed to the edge.

Mia was across the room, her condition critical, her white hair matted, her shapeshifter blue blood staining the sheets, robotic arms whirring above her, ventilators hissing, her pulse low, her pale eyes shut.

The medic, a wiry man wearing glasses, worked feverishly, his tools clinking, his voice tense.

"Never operated on a shapeshifter before," he said, his eyes flicking to Vera, Aster, and Pako, standing beside Syn's bed. "It's critical, but I'm doing my best."

Vera loomed over Syn, her curvaceous frame tense, her purple hair cascading, her purple eyes soft yet fierce as she stroked his hair, her fingers lingering, tracing his scalp, her touch possessive, reverent.

Pako leaned in, her petite frame pressing close, her tanned hand cupping his cheek, her thumb grazing his skin, her expressive eyes glistening.

Aster stood at Syn's feet, her tall, muscular build a silent sentinel, her blonde ponytail gleaming, her teal eyes locked on his face, her hand brushing his ankle, her touch firm, protective, her regal aura softened by devotion.

"We're never letting you out of our sight again," Vera murmured, her voice low, her purple eyes glinting, her spade tattoo stark as her hand moved to Syn's lips, her fingers tracing their curve, her touch a vow, her rage at his near-loss a fire banked but burning.

"No matter what fit you throw, you're ours." Pako nodded, her sultry vibe muted, her hand pressing Syn's cheek, her lips parting, a silent promise.

Aster's teal eyes flickered, her blonde ponytail swaying, her voice a whisper. "Never again, Syn."

Their gazes shifted to Mia, her critical state a shadow over their relief, the robotic arms adjusting her ventilators, her blue blood a puzzle, her pulse a faint beep.

Vera's purple eyes narrowed, her voice sharp, skeptical. "Are you sure that's Mia and not a shapeshifter?" she asked, as she turned to Pako, edged with suspicion.

Pako shrugged, her hair bouncing. "I don't know, Vera. Syn pointed to her saying she was Mia, and when I went to her, her first word was 'Syn.' Felt like it was her, so I brought her."

The medic cleared his throat, his face stern, his green robe stained with blue blood.

"You're being loud. Get out, let me work." Vera nodded, her purple hair swaying, her eyes flicking to Syn, her lips brushing his forehead, a soft peck, her touch lingering.

Pako followed, her lips grazing Syn's cheek.

Aster leaned down, her blonde ponytail falling, her teal eyes soft, her lips pressing Syn's temple.

They filed out, the medic room's doors hissing shut, their steps echoing in the base's corridors, their minds on Syn, Mia, and Ila's lingering threat.

In the hallway, Aster's voice broke the silence. "I fought Ila in the metro, and fighting her was… weird," she said, her regal tone edged with unease, her memory of the metro vivid—Ila's strength, her desperation, her plea. "She begged me not to take Syn, said she'd give me anything."

Pako nodded, her expressive eyes narrowing. "I saw two bodies in the metro, looked like Ila's, but their faces were shot, couldn't tell for sure." she added.

Aster's teal eyes flickered, her voice steady but grim. "I killed the third Ila. She was human, blood red, eyes teal, skin normal—no scales, no white eyes. Oddly desperate for Syn even when she was about to die."

Vera stopped, her purple eyes deep in thought, "What the hell's happening?" she muttered, her voice a growl, her mind racing. "Why does Ila want Syn? Is she cloning herself? Is she even human?"

Her eyes narrowed, her aura menacing, her rage at Ila reigniting, "If she's a threat, we kill her. Her and the King, whatever it takes."

Aster matched her rage, her hand reaching into her pocket, pulling out Mia's phone, its sleek Kingdom design glinting, its sophistication marking it as royal-issue "Found this in Mia's pocket," she said, handing it to Vera. "Could have answers."

Vera took the phone, her purple eyes glinting, she turned it over, its screen locked, "We wait for Syn and Mia to wake," she said, her voice firm, "Maybe it has something worth Syn risking his life."