Captured by the Yandere Space Pirates

In the Medic room.

Vera and Aster lay side by side on plush medical beds, the soft sheets creased under their weight.

Vera's fair skin peeked from beneath bandages—white cotton tinged with faint bloodstains, wrapping her head and arms, her purple hair spilling loose across the pillow.

Beside her, Aster sprawled with a tray of popcorn balanced precariously on her lap, her toned frame relaxed in a tank top, her blonde ponytail frayed from her mission.

Their eyes—Vera's sharp and Aster's teal—locked on the wall-mounted screen, its live feed from the cockpit flickering with Mia's cctv relay.

On the screen, the Kingdom's Destroyer erupted in a fiery bloom, debris spinning into the void as Pako's fighters swarmed victorious.

"Yes!!!" Aster shouted, her voice a triumphant boom as she thrust her fists skyward, popcorn spilling in a chaotic shower over her and Vera, golden kernels bouncing off the bandages.

Her teal eyes gleamed, a victorious grin splitting her face as she turned to Vera, her excitement uncontained.

Vera stayed silent, her lips curling into a subtle smile, a knowing glint in her eyes as if she'd scripted the explosion from the start.

The blood on her bandages seemed a small price, her fair cheeks faintly flushed with satisfaction, her stillness a stark contrast to Aster's exuberance.

"Your plan worked," Aster said, her voice bright with awe, her grin softening as she popped a stray kernel into her mouth, brushing crumbs from her lap. "He pulled it off—Syn's a damn pirate through and through."

Vera nodded, her smile widening slightly, a quiet pride threading her words as she shifted against the pillow, wincing faintly at the movement.

"That was the whole point—to make him see whose side he's on. I am about to send him to the Kingdom, but not as some soldier bowing to the bastard of a King. He needs to remember who he truly is—a pirate, our pirate." Her voice was firm, her purple eyes glinting with a mix of affection and calculation.

Aster's grin faltered, her brow quirking as she leaned back, popcorn tray wobbling. "You sure letting Pako out was a good idea? She's a loose cannon—."

Vera's smile twisted, a playful edge sharpening her gaze as she turned to Aster, her bandages rustling faintly. "Honestly, I think it's you who should be locked up," she said, her tone teasing but her glare piercing, a mock accusation dancing in her eyes.

"What—why?" Aster sputtered, her teal eyes widening, her brows shooting up in a mix of shock and indignation as she sat up straighter, popcorn spilling again.

"You don't think I know?" Vera said, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial hush, her smile darkening with amusement.

"You and Syn—blowing each other every chance you get?" She arched a brow, her fair face a mask of knowing as Aster's jaw dropped, her flush creeping up her fair cheeks.

"Mia snitched?" Aster asked, her voice rising with a spark of anger, her hands clenching the tray as she shot a glare toward the screen, as if Mia's feed could feel her ire.

Vera shook her head, her chuckle soft but cutting as she adjusted her bandages, her purple hair shifting with the motion.

"No need—she didn't have to. It's obvious. I'm the captain, Aster—I know what happens on my ship." Her words landed with a quiet authority, her smile unwavering as she watched Aster squirm.

Aster turned away, her eyes darting to the ceiling as she blew out a breath, trying to dodge the topic. "Okay, fine—but... coming back to you, you didn't need to go so hardcore to prove your point," she said, her tone shifting to a grumble as she flicked a popcorn kernel off her lap. "You could've faked the injury."

Vera's smile deepened, a shadow of darkness lurking beneath it, her voice low and a bit scary. "I wanted it to be believable."

---

Four hours earlier,

The cockpit buzzed with a restless tension, the crew's navy uniforms taut with unease as Vera stood on the bridge, her purple hair catching the holo-map's glow, "A small fleet of Kingdom ships is coming toward us," she said, her voice ringing clear, a captain's command slicing through the murmur. "And this time, I won't take charge."

The crew froze, confusion rippling through their ranks as heads turned, eyes narrowing. "Why not?" a wiry tech asked, his voice tentative, his fingers hovering over his console as if unsure whether to act.

Vera's gaze swept the room, her smile faint but unyielding. "Syn will lead you—Also, address him as Captain Syn from now on." Her words landed like a stone in still water, ripples of disbelief spreading as David stepped forward, his brow creasing with concern.

"Is that the right call in a situation like this?" he asked, his tone steady but edged with doubt.

A woman near the back piped up, her voice sharper, "We'll call him Captain, sure—but handing him the reins now? That's risky."

Vera's eyes flashed, a glare that silenced the woman mid-breath, her fair face hardening as she leaned forward, her hands gripping the railing.

"Syn isn't who you think he is," she said, her voice low, fierce, a conviction that brooked no argument.

"I've known him longer than any of you. Trust him as you trust me. He's just… confused. But his heart's with us, with the pirates." Her command left no room for rebuttal, the crew's murmurs fading into a tense hush as her words settled, heavy and sure.

She straightened, her smile returning, a flicker of mischief in her purple eyes. "When he comes, act surprised—play it up." The crew exchanged glances, some nodding, some still wary, but none dared challenge her again.

David cleared his throat, his voice softer now, practical. "What do we tell him when he asks about Captain Aster and Pako?"

"Tell him Aster's on the ship sent to Thebe," Vera said, her tone crisp as she tapped the holo-map, a faint blip marking Aster's supposed position. "And that Pako's still refusing to leave her room—sulking, as usual." Her lips twitched, a hint of amusement breaking through her resolve.

"And what about you Captain?" David pressed, his brow quirking as he studied her, sensing something beneath her calm.

Vera's smile widened, a dark glint sparking in her eyes as she stepped to the railing's edge, her boots scuffing the steel.

"Tell him I slipped and fell from the bridge," she said, her voice steady, almost gleeful.

And then, with a deliberate grace, she threw herself backward, her body arcing over the railing, her purple hair trailing like a comet as she plummeted to the cockpit floor.

.

.

.

A dull thud echoed through the cockpit, her fair frame crumpling against the steel—David's hand shooting out too late.