Captured by the Yandere Space Pirates

As Syn and Pako stepped out of the door, Pako turned back toward Vera, her tan face splitting into a teasing grin, her tongue poking out in a childish taunt as the medic room's door hissed shut between them.

Vera caught the flash of mischief, her purple eyes narrowing briefly and glaring back at her before softening, a sigh of relief escaping her lips as the sterile silence reclaimed the space.

Alone she sank deeper into the medical bed, the soft sheets rustling under her bandaged frame, her fair skin pale against the cotton tinged with dried blood.

Her eyelids fluttered closed, her purple hair splayed across the pillow like a spilled inkblot, and she let the weight of her secrets settle, heavy but hidden.

No one knew—nor would they—that she'd tipped the Kingdom about their location.

Her recon ships which she had sent in advance had been her eyes, prowling the void with orders to report any Kingdom vessels the moment they appeared, feeding her every blip on their radar.

If the enemy's force had been larger—a full armada, bristling with warships—she'd have shifted her ship's position long before they closed in, vanishing into the stars like a ghost.

But luck had dealt a lighter hand: just a destroyer and a handful of fighters, a manageable threat she'd gambled on.

Aster had stayed aboard, not on Thebe as Syn believed, her presence a quiet failsafe in case the plan unraveled.

But it hadn't—Syn's leadership, Pako's ferocity, the crew's fragile trust—it had all clicked, perfectly, almost.

Vera's gaze drifted to her hand, her bandaged fingers twitching as she felt the lingering warmth of Syn's touch, a faint pulse of his care etched into her skin.

Unthinking, she lifted her hand to her lips, her tongue licking the spot where his fingers had rested, tasting salt and something indefinably him.

The doctor, perched in the corner with his round glasses glinting, caught the motion from the edge of his vision and turned away, his wiry frame hunching as if to erase himself from the moment.

He'd seen enough aboard this ship, in this room alone—Syn, the odd magnetic center; Vera, Aster, and Pako orbiting him with a tangled web of affection, obsession, perversion, and something darker, twisted like a knot he wanted no part of.

Better to stay silent, to let their strange dance play out without his interference.

Vera's thoughts churned, her purple eyes half-open now, staring at the ceiling's stark panels as the monitors beeped softly beside her.

In two days, she'd send Syn to the Kingdom, everything was ready and in place for his infiltration into the Kingdom.

It was a mission she dreaded, a splinter lodged in her heart.

She didn't want to lose him again, to watch him slip through her fingers like he had before, his absence a wound that never fully healed.

But she had no choice—not if she wanted to keep him, truly keep him, the real him.

There are many ways she could have him all for herself.

Locking him up, chaining him to her side, drugging him into compliance, breaking his legs or ankles—her mind spun through the possibilities, each darker than the last.

She could cage his body, hold him close, feel his warmth against her every night.

But his mind, his spark, the Syn she loved—those would slip away, his hazel eyes dulling with resentment, his heart hardening into hate.

She'd have an empty shell, not a lover, and the thought twisted her gut, a bitter ache that made her breath hitch.

She cursed the universe, her lips pressing tight as her bandaged arm clenched the sheet.

Why was Syn like this—stubborn, reckless, chasing heroics like a moth to flame? He thinks he could single-handedly save the Kingdom's people, topple the King's tyranny with nothing but grit and a noble heart.

She hated it—hated how he plunged into danger without a backward glance, leaving her, Aster, Pako, the whole damn ship behind like they were afterthoughts.

Selfish, that's what he was, and it burned her most of all, that he'd choose a cause over them, over her.

Her chest tightened.

beep beep beep beep beep beep beep beep

Her pulse spiking as the monitor's beeps quickened, a shrill warning cutting through the room's calm.

"Captain Vera…" The doctor's voice echoed, dull and cautious, his round glasses flashing as he half-turned, his wiry hands hovering over a 'sedate' button on his screen as if unsure whether to intervene.

Vera gasped, a sharp intake of air that broke the spiral, her fair cheeks flushing as she forced a slow exhale, willing her heart to steady.

The monitor's rhythm eased, its beeps softening, and she sank back into the pillow, her purple hair tangling as she closed her eyes again, her slow and deep breathing, lowering her heart rate.

The doctor stayed silent, his gaze fixed on the floor, and Vera let the moment pass, her secrets safe in the quiet.

___

Pako's tan fingers curled around Syn's wrist, tugging him down the corridor with a mischievous grin, her dark hair bouncing as she aimed for her room, her boots clicking against the steel floor.

"C'mon, Syn—my place, now," she teased, her voice a sultry hum, her dark eyes glinting with the promise of chaos.

But Syn planted his feet, his hazel gaze flicking back toward the cockpit.

"Hold up, Pako—I need to check on Aster," he said, his tone firm but warm, his free hand brushing her grip loose with a gentle nudge.

Pako's grin faltered, her lips pursing as she followed him, her cropped jacket swaying with her reluctant steps.

A spark of temptation flared in her chest—an intense urge to blurt the truth: Aster wasn't out there, , but here, hiding under Syn's nose, tucked away in the ship's shadows.

The words danced on her tongue, sharp and tempting, a chance to stir the pot and watch Vera's plan wobble. But she bit them back, her grin tightening—there was a limit to how much of a bitch she could be, even for her.

Syn strode into the cockpit, the hum of machinery greeting him as the crew glanced up, their navy uniforms less tense now, a quiet respect in their nods.

Pako trailed close, her tan arm brushing his as she leaned against a console.

"You're such a worrier," she purred, her voice low as she flicked his dark hair, her fingers lingering a beat too long., "She might just be on her way."

Syn chuckled, his grin breaking through as he swatted her hand away, his flush faint but present.

"Yeah, well, I'd rather not bet on that," he said, his tone light as he stepped to the map, its glowing grid casting blue shadows across his face.

Minutes ticked by, the cockpit's hum a steady pulse, when the map flared—a single dot blinking online, then a second, both pulsing green at a safe distance from the Kingdom's reach.

Syn's breath caught, his hands gripping the console as he leaned in, his voice sharp with relief. "That's them—Aster's ship and the recon." The crew stirred, a murmur of approval rippling through as the dots steadied, their signals clear and strong.