Captured by the Yandere Space Pirates

Vera stood at the edge of the bridge, her arms crossed tightly over her chest, her purple hair spilling loose over her shoulders as she stared at the holographic display flickering before her.

The blue glow bathed her face, casting sharp shadows across her skin as she traced the jagged spike of the explosion graph—the princess's ship, now a smoldering memory in the void.

Her fingers tapped rhythmically against her arm, a restless tic that betrayed the storm brewing behind her sharp, narrowed eyes. Thebe lingered in her mind, a name whispered in fragments from Syn's past, a moon tied to Elara Voss and the secrets that had died with her. She needed to know more—needed Syn to fill the gaps, to unravel the thread that might explain the Kingdom's next move. The shapeshifter purge had left her crew battered, her trust frayed, and every unanswered question gnawed at her like a splinter under a nail.

Beside her, Aster leaned over the console, her blonde hair pulled back into a loose knot, her teal eyes glinting with quiet focus as she scrolled through the ship's diagnostics. Her fingers danced across the controls, pulling up fuel levels, engine status, and sensor logs—routine checks she ran with a vice-captain's precision, ensuring their battered vessel could still outrun trouble.

The Detonation Successful notification still blinked faintly on the secondary screen, a stark reminder of their recent strike, and Aster's lips twitched into a faint smirk as she glanced at it, a flicker of pride in their handiwork. "Engines are ready," she murmured, her voice a steady hum as she straightened, brushing her hands against her pants. "We're good to move if we need to—run or dodge any incoming attack from the Kingdom."

Vera nodded absently, her gaze drifting from the graph to the starfield beyond the viewport, its endless black a canvas for her swirling thoughts. "We need Syn," she said at last, her voice low and firm, cutting through the bridge's hum. "He was with Elara—served her, fought for her. If anyone knows what Thebe meant to her, it's him." She turned to Aster, her purple eyes hardening with resolve. "We can't keep guessing—we need answers, now."

Aster tilted her head, her smirk fading into a thoughtful line as she crossed her arms, mirroring Vera's stance. "Yeah, he's our key," she agreed, her tone softening as she glanced toward the stairs. "Been quiet down there—too quiet, maybe. Let's drag him up here, see what he's got." She pushed off the console, her boots scuffing the floor as she moved toward the exit, Vera falling into step beside her without a word. The weight of their task settled over them, a shared urgency that propelled them down the bridge's narrow stairs, the clang of metal echoing as they descended into the ship's lower decks, their minds already racing toward Syn and the secrets he carried.

The blue glow of the control room faded behind them, replaced by the dim, flickering lights of the corridors as they moved with purpose, their strides long and determined. They needed Syn—needed answers about Thebe, the moon that lingered in their thoughts like a shadowed riddle since the princess's ship went up in flames. Vera's purple hair swayed with each step, her sharp eyes scanning the passage ahead, while Aster's blonde locks bounced faintly, her teal gaze fixed forward, her hands tucked casually into her pockets despite the urgency thrumming beneath her calm exterior.

"What do you think they're up to?" Vera asked, her voice low, a wry edge threading through it as she glanced sidelong at Aster, her lips twitching with a faint smirk. "Pako's probably got him cornered with her usual nonsense."

Aster shrugged, her tone light as they rounded a corner, the hum of the ship's engines a steady pulse beneath their feet. "Oh, they're just playing around—Pako's all bark, no bite. Nothing sexual, I bet. She'd back off if it got too heated—Syn's not the type to let her steamroll him." Her words hung in the air, casual and confident, a rare moment of levity from the vice-captain who usually weighed every syllable.

Then it hit them—a shared realization that prickled the back of their necks, a sudden, unspoken doubt that turned Aster's quip into a fragile hope. Vera's smirk faltered, her brow furrowing as she met Aster's gaze, and a nervous laugh escaped them both, sharp and brittle, echoing off the steel walls. "Yeah, right," Vera muttered, her voice tight as she rubbed the back of her neck, her purple eyes glinting with unease. "Pako promised she'd behave—let's hope she kept her word." Aster nodded, her teal eyes narrowing slightly, but the laughter lingered, uncomfortable and thin, a shield against the gnawing possibility they both refused to voice.

They reached Pako's door, its scuffed surface a familiar sight, and Vera pressed the release panel, the hiss of the lock disengaging cutting through the quiet. The door slid open, revealing a room bathed in the soft green glow of the control panel—a tidy space that still bore the faint, musky scent of something primal, a wetness clinging to the air that made Vera's nose wrinkle.

Pako lay sprawled across the bed, alone, her small frame tangled in the sheets, her dark hair fanning wildly across the pillow as she slept, her chest rising and falling in a slow, oblivious rhythm. Syn was nowhere in sight.

Aster's breath caught, her casual demeanor shattering as she exchanged a wide-eyed glance with Vera, whose jaw tightened, her hands clenching into fists at her sides. "Where the hell is he?" Vera snapped, her voice a low growl as she stepped inside, her boots scuffing the floor. Aster lunged for the bed, her hands gripping Pako's shoulders as she shook her awake with a jolt, the sheets slipping to reveal Pako's bare skin beneath. "Pako! Wake up—where's Syn?"

Pako groaned, her eyes fluttering open as she blinked against the dim light, her mind sluggish with sleep. "Syn?" she mumbled, her voice a drowsy slur as she pushed herself up, her hands fumbling against the mattress. She glanced around, her dark eyes widening as the empty room sank in, the bean bag vacant, the bathroom door ajar and silent. "Syn!" she yelped, panic snapping her awake as she scrambled to her knees, the sheets pooling around her waist, her nakedness stark against the dark fabric. "He was—he was right here!"

Vera's gaze swept the room, her sharp eyes narrowing as she caught the odd odor—a mix of sweat, steam, and something unmistakably intimate—mingling with the dampness that clung to the air, a faint sheen on the floor near the bathroom door. She whirled on Pako, her voice sharp with suspicion. "What did you two do in here?" she demanded, her purple eyes boring into Pako, her arms crossing as she loomed over the bed, a captain's authority threading through her tone.

Pako's flush deepened, her hands clutching the sheets as she yanked them up to cover herself, but she waved off the question with a frantic yell, her voice cracking with urgency. "Not the time for that, Vera! He's missing—we need to find him!" Her deflection was clumsy, her panic overriding any shame as she swung her legs off the bed, her bare feet hitting the floor with a slap.

Before Vera could press further, a sharp -ping- sounded from their wristbands in unison, a synchronized chime that froze them in place. Aster tapped her device first, her teal eyes narrowing as a live feed flickered to life—a clear CCTV stream from the evacuation bay. There was Syn, his dark hair tousled, his shirt half-buttoned as he slipped into an escape pod, his movements swift and deliberate, his face a mask of calm focus.

Vera's breath hitched, her hand flying to her own wristband to confirm the same feed, her purple eyes widening as sweat beaded on her brow. Pako stumbled forward, peering over Aster's shoulder, her dark eyes glinting with a mix of fear and disbelief as the reality sank in.

"He's ejecting!" Aster barked, her voice sharp with alarm as she spun toward the door, her boots already pounding the floor. "Those pods are fast—too fast. We won't catch him if he launches before we scramble the fighters!" The evacuation pods were built for speed, designed to outrun debris or pursuit in a crisis, and the fighter ships—tucked in the hangar bay—needed minutes to power up, minutes they didn't have.

Vera bolted after her, her purple hair streaming behind her as she shouted, "Move, now!" Her heart raced, a cold sweat trickling down her spine as she pictured Syn vanishing into the void, lost to them again—just like before. Pako scrambled to follow, snatching the blanket from the bed and wrapping it around her naked frame, the fabric dragging behind her like a clumsy cape as she ran barefoot, her panic overriding any thought of modesty. The three women tore through the corridors, their breaths ragged, their footsteps a chaotic drumbeat against the steel as they raced toward the evacuation bay, desperation fueling their sprint.

Meanwhile, Syn sat inside the escape pod, his fingers steady as he pressed the eject button, the console lighting up with a soft hum as the engines whirred to life. The seatbelt snapped tight across his chest, the pod's systems locking into place with a series of clicks, the hatch sealing shut with a hiss. He'd made it—no passwords, no traps, just as he'd guessed. The evacuation bay stretched beyond the pod's narrow viewport, a cavernous space lined with identical pods, its walls glinting faintly in the dim light. He exhaled, his breath fogging briefly in the cool air, his hands resting on the armrests as he braced for the launch, the Kingdom looming in his mind—a beast he'd face alone.

Then, abruptly, the hum died. The lights on the console flickered and went dark, the engines powering down with a soft whine that left the pod silent and still. Syn's eyes widened, his pulse spiking as he jabbed the eject button again—nothing. The hatch remained immobile, the pod a steel cage around him.

He cursed under his breath, his mind racing as realization hit like a punch: he'd overlooked one factor, one wildcard he hadn't accounted for—Mia. That white-haired enigma, with her eerie eyes and silent menace, had the power to override systems, to bend the ship to her will. She'd stopped him, her unseen hand pulling the plug before he could slip away.

Syn gritted his teeth, his hands clenching the armrests as he sank back, trapped and helpless, the pod's confines tightening around him like a noose. He'd miscalculated, underestimated her reach, and now his doom approached—not in the void, but in the form of three furious women whose footsteps he could already imagine thundering closer. Sweat beaded on his brow, his jaw tight as he stared at the dead console, the viewport offering no escape, only the stark reality of the bay beyond. There was nothing to do but wait, his plan unraveling in the silence, his fate sealed by the one shadow he hadn't seen coming.

The door to the evacuation chamber opened, and three women sped inside.