Captured by the Yandere Space Pirates

The Manufacturing Biome's alleys were a labyrinth of steam and shadow, the air heavy with the tang of molten steel and the distant clang of forges.

Syn moved with purpose, his olive uniform blending into the crowd of workers, though his mind was a storm of doubt and calculation.

Mia trailed a few steps behind, her white hair tucked beneath a cap, her slender frame weaving through the throng with ghostly ease.

The plan to infiltrate the palace and uncover the shapeshifters' hiding in the depths weighed on Syn like a lead shroud, each step a gamble against the Kingdom's watchful eyes.

He couldn't shake the possibility of being followed by someone—an unseen blade hovering over him, ready to fall.

To avoid suspicion, Syn didn't head straight for the safehouse.

He led Mia on a winding path, stopping at a grimy food stall where drones served synth-protein skewers and bitter stim-drinks.

They sat at a rusted table, the hum of the Biome drowning out their low voices.

Syn chewed mechanically, his eyes scanning the crowd for tails, while Mia sipped her drink, her pale eyes unreadablev and her head low, her cheeks warm.

First date with Syn.

The normalcy of the act—eating, blending in—was a thin mask, but it gave them time to breathe, to seem like just another pair of workers on a break.

"Keep your profile down," Syn muttered, his voice barely audible over the clatter of a passing drone.

"We're clean so far, but one wrong move…"

Mia nodded, her cap casting a shadow over her face. "I know the drill."

They lingered only long enough to avoid notice, then moved on, slipping through a market where vendors hawked salvaged tech and black-market mods.

Syn bought a cheap data-chip, feigning interest, while his senses stayed sharp for any sign of pursuit.

Satisfied they were clear, he led Mia to sector 7, where the storage bay waited—a blackened husk hidden among the Biome's forgotten corners.

The air inside was stale, the drip of coolant a faint pulse in the darkness.

As they entered, four figures emerged from the shadows: Kaizer, Tila, Ryk, and Mara.

Their faces lit with relief at the sight of Syn and Mia.

"Thought you'd been nabbed," Kaizer said, his burly frame looming as he clapped Syn's shoulder.

"Good to see you."Syn forced a grin, though his nerves were taut. "I don't think anyone is searching for me. Things look normal so far. Anyway. Let's get started."

He gestured to a crate, and Kaizer unrolled a holographic blueprint of the palace, its intricate corridors and chambers glowing in the dim light.

The map was meticulous, detailing guard posts, service tunnels, and security nodes, but Syn's eyes narrowed as he studied it.

He'd roamed the palace in his days with the curries Princess Elara, and he knew its secrets better than most.

The blueprint was missing something—hidden chambers, passages only the royals knew.

He grabbed a stylus and began marking the map, adding a concealed door near the archives and a chamber beneath the ground floor, circling a spot with the highest likelihood of hiding the shapeshifters' base.

"This is where we focus," Syn said, tapping the marked chamber. "The King used to vanish here. It's got to be the entrance to the basement."

Kaizer frowned, his red bandana catching the holo's glow. "A secret chamber? That's a stretch, Syn. This map's from high-clearance sources."

"It's real," Syn said, his voice hard. "I've seen the King slip into the walls. The royals keep their darkest secrets off the grid." The team exchanged glances, but they nodded, trusting Syn's instincts. Tila, her wiry frame tense, spoke up. "So what's the play?"

Syn leaned in, his voice low. "Starting tomorrow, you work your shifts in the palace—Kaizer, Ryk as guards; Tila, Mara as maids. Watch that area. Look for anything off—panels that don't fit, guards lingering too long, tech that doesn't belong. Anything that screams 'hidden door.'"

Ryk, the officer, crossed his arms. "This could take days. Weeks, even."

"If it gets us the shapeshifters, it's worth it," Syn said. "We move slow, stay invisible."

Kaizer scratched his jaw, doubt flickering in his eyes, but he nodded. "Alright, Kocrn. We'll do it your way."

Syn turned to Mia, his plan for her already forming. "You'll work as a maid, like before. Blend in, get close to the archives."

Mia's pale eyes widened, and she shook her head, her voice sharp. "I can't. I haven't been a maid in years. I quit, Syn. My family—they disowned me after I left the palace. I'm not one of them anymore."

Syn blinked, caught off guard.

He hadn't known. A pang of guilt hit him—should he feel sorry?

"Why'd you leave?" he asked, softer now, searching her face.

Mia looked down, her fingers fidgeting, her cheeks flushing faintly.

She didn't answer, but her silence spoke volumes, her shy glance meeting his for a fleeting moment.

Syn's breath caught—had she left because of him? To follow him, to chase whatever she saw in him? He'd always been drawn to her, her beauty, but this?

It was a weight he hadn't expected. Why him? What had she seen in the rough-edged soldier he'd been?

He pushed the thought aside, refocusing."Fine. You stay here, in the safehouse. Hold the fort while we're on duty."

Mia's eyes lit up, a spark of purpose. "I can do more than that. I can hack their surveillance grid, monitor the cameras, flag anything suspicious near the archives."Syn's jaw dropped.

"You can do that?"She nodded, a faint smile breaking through. "All I need is a terminal, and I'll own their systems."

"Damn," Syn said, genuinely impressed. Her tech skills were a lifeline, a trump card he hadn't fully appreciated until now.

The plan was set.

Their next shift started in a few hours, and Syn ordered the team to rest.

They sprawled on crates and the floor, catching naps to recharge.

Syn pretended to sleep, his back against a wall, but his eyes stayed open, watching for any hint of betrayal.

Kaizer's steady snores, Tila's restless twitching, Ryk's rigid stillness, Mara's quiet breathing—nothing raised alarms.

Mia sat apart, her datapad glowing as she prepped her hack, her focus unbreakable.

Syn's trust in her grew, but so did his questions about her past.

As dawn approached, the team stirred, donning their uniforms.

Syn slipped back into his navy gear, the fabric familiar but heavy with risk.

He was Princess Elara's soldier, supposed to have been captured by pirates, exchanged as a hostage, then returned back along with them, but he had vanished, stayed with the pirates.

His absence would raise questions, and Elara—sharp as a blade—could smell lies.

He needed a story, and fast.

He pulled Kaizer aside, his voice low. "What's the word on Elara? Is she in the Kingdom, or off on some mission?"

Kaizer's brow furrowed, confusion flashing across his face. "You don't know? Elara's dead, Kocrn. We—Vera and Aster—blew her ship to ash. Retaliation for the shapeshifters the Kingdom sent to gut the pirates in the main base."

Syn's blood ran cold, his eyes widening.

"What the hell?"He spun to Mia, his glare burning. "You knew?"

Mia nodded, her expression grim.

"Vera and Aster didn't tell you. They hit Elara's fleet after the shapeshifter attack. It was a message."Syn's teeth ground together, fury boiling.

Elara was his shield, his key to the palace's inner circles.

Without her, he was a ghost with no leverage, a soldier whose absence screamed treason.

Vera and Aster's silence was a betrayal, their secrecy a knife in his back.

Elara's death shattered his plan—her favor had given him access to places others couldn't dream of.

Now, he'd need a new lie to explain his survival while her entire fleet burned.

Kaizer and the others suited up and left for the palace, their footsteps fading into the Biome's din.

Syn stayed behind with Mia, his mind racing. He paced the safehouse, the weight of Elara's death crushing his options.

Mia watched him, then stepped closer, her hand brushing his shoulder—a tentative, unexpected touch.

"What?" Syn snapped, his voice sharper than he meant.

Mia's voice was soft but steady. "You can spin a story. Say Elara left you behind in the Kingdom—forced you to stay after you broke your ankles in a brawl. You've been healing, out of sight. It explains why you weren't on her ship."

Syn froze, the idea clicking into place.

It was plausible, a thread he could weave into truth. "That… could work," he admitted, his anger easing.

"But I'll need to sell it to someone high up—someone who'd buy my rage against the pirates."Mia's eyes gleamed.

"Prince Oze. Eighth in line, Elara's closest ally. They were… close. Too close. If you convince him you're burning for revenge, he'll pull you into the palace, give you access."Syn nodded, the plan solidifying.

Oze's obsession with Elara was no secret—rumors of their incestuous bond had swirled for years.

If Syn played the loyal soldier, thirsty for pirate blood, Oze might bite. It was a long shot, but it was all he had.

"Alright," Syn said, locking eyes with Mia.

"I'll find Oze, spin the tale. You stay here, crack their grid, keep us covered."Mia nodded, her hand lingering on his arm before she stepped back.

"Good luck, Syn."He adjusted his uniform, a disguise to blend with the Biome's crowds, and headed for the door.

"Stay sharp," he said, glancing back. Mia raised a hand, a small wave, her expression unreadable.

Syn wanted to ask more—about her past, her reasons for leaving the palace—but time was a luxury he didn't have.

He stepped into the alley, the safehouse fading behind him.

The space metro station was a chaotic pulse of life, workers and drones crowding the platforms. Syn checked his ID card, his taser concealed beneath his jacket.

He was ready.

He joined the queue by a platform door, the air buzzing with the hum of an approaching coach.

The metro arrived, its silver hull gleaming under the lights.

Doors hissed open, people poured in and out, a tide of motion and noise.

Syn stepped forward, his heart steady—But in the chaos...

He vanished, swallowed by the crowd, his figure lost to the sea of faces.