FSE

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The operation was going well so far. The intel was good. They'd slipped past most of the guards, eliminating the odd grunt running patrols or sneaking off to indulge in some vice. Mercs were so predictable sometimes. Even a few of the old tricks were enough to distract guards at critical points. There had been a couple close calls, but nothing outside standard mission parameters. It was smooth sailing for the most part. Par for the course.

"Stay frosty, Coonhounds. First objective is just ahead."

The small unit made their way to the Comms room, sweeping the hallway as they went. Right on schedule, they arrived, two of them flanking the door, Specialist Redmond working his magic on the electronic lock. The light turned green and the unit leader gave a silent countdown from three, the four of them rushing inside with a single gesture. What awaited them inside stopped them in their tracks.

"Yeah, take it, bitch! You love it, don't you?"

"Please, stop! I beg you!"

To their credit, Team Coonhounds processed the odd scene before them in record time.

"Look out!" The ape holding down the white vixen's wrists was the first to die, reaching for his firearm before hot plasma went through his skull and boiled his brain. The croc took a moment longer, owing to his natural armor and his natural rage from having his fun interrupted. He died with his pants down before he could fire off. Once the mercs were dead, Redmond locked the door before getting to work on the base's mainframe, ignoring the dead, half-dressed reptile near his feet.

"Shit. Star Wolf never ceases to surprise with their depravity." Captain Barnes sneered down at the two corpses, Field Medic Schaefer tending to their victim with a blanket and soothing words. "Figures they'd pull a hostage from the group for a little nookie."

"Maybe not, sir." Schaefer gestured the Captain over, lifting the vixen's chin up to expose the collar around her neck. "That's a Class Five Slaver Collar. They only put these on those auctioned off to the highest bidders. Best security money can buy for your investment." The medic shook his head, letting go as she jerked her muzzle away, shrinking further inside the blanket. She still smelled of sex and the foul stench of reptile pheromones. "For all we know, she's the personal slave of Wolf himself."

"No shit? But if that's the case, why is she here?"

"We're talking about Wolf O'Donnel here, sir. Maybe he thinks it's funny to let the rank and file use her to blow off steam. Or she's on loan. Who can say?" Schaefer laid a hand on her shoulder, despite her flinch, giving a heavy sigh. "Her family must have been in a lot of debt. I shudder to think what she's been through."

"Great. Love it when the op gets complicated." Captain Barnes looked at the woman, at Redmond doing his job, and then down to the floor. His eyes darted around the room for a moment before he nodded his head. "All right. Redmond, Schaefer, stay put. Keep her safe and get us the intel we need." He turned to the final member of the unit. "Mitchell and I will continue to the primary objective. The sooner we free the hostages, the sooner we can extract and let the Pitbulls blow this damn place to hell." The others nodded. Barnes clapped Redmond on the shoulder before he and Mitchell left, the door locking behind them as they made their way further into the enemy stronghold. They maintained radio silence, trusting Redmond to watch their backs and keep their path clear.

It was quiet in the Comms room. The only sounds were Redmond working his magic on the base computer, Schaefer muttering to himself as he inspected his patient, and a few unpleasant noises that corpses tended to make. Time stretched on as the mission continued. So did the silence. On and on it stretched, filled with the tension of being surrounded by the enemy, with only a thin film of ignorance protecting the team from being crushed. A void almost as hard and unforgiving as space.

Since nature abhors a vacuum, someone had to fill it.

"So, Franz. Class Five Slaver Collar, huh? Where'd you learn something like that?"

"My family's from Macbeth." Franz growled out the last word, his eyes glancing at the hated object around the woman's pretty neck. "Corneria may be the dominant power in Lylat, but even they have their limits. Macbeth would never dare oppose them outright, but the greedy bastards at the top aren't above using the bureaucracy to their advantage." He sighed and almost brushed the back of his hand against her trembling cheek. "Things are improving, but they're slow. Far too slow for people like our young friend here."

"Damn. Guess she'll get a chance at a better life once we're gone from here."

"I hope so. Can't imagine what you'd have to do to end up in one of those."

"Probably some medical trauma. My guess is she worked up in the northern mines. Her species makes her an ideal worker for the cold. Or more so than others." Franz muttered soothing words as he did his best to earn the trust of the young woman, careful not to touch her despite his instincts screaming at him. "Same sad story over and over. They get injured, either in an accident or in a wild beast attack. The family, living on scraps, can't afford the treatment they need. So, someone comes and makes them an offer." The vixen had stopped trembling, her breathing slower and much more steady. He guessed he must have come close to the truth. "Either they refuse and the victim dies or is crippled for life, or they accept a huge debt. A debt that can only be paid back over several lifetimes."

"Or by selling their own flesh and blood into slavery."

"More or less. These days, it's more common to only sell those who are of legal age. Even on Macbeth, selling kids tends to be frowned upon." Franz looked over to his compatriot, the hacker sparing him a glance. "Even Andross, the stinking ape, wouldn't let them do it. Not unless he personally approved. Something about wasting precious resources."

"Sure sounds like him. Remember that lab we found on Zoness near the end of the war?" Redmond fought the bile rising in his throat. "I still get nightmares from that shit. Nothing deserves to be experimented on like that."

"No argument here. Least Wolf isn't some mad scientist. Wait, hold on," Franz said, leaning behind his patient and pulling the blanket down half an inch below her collar. "Looks like she has some cybernetic implants in her back."

"Really? Holy fuck, man! No wonder she's wearing a Class Five, huh? Bet Wolf was one of the few people who could even afford her starting price." Redmond laughed and shook his head. "What, is it fused into her spine or something? What the hell happened to her?" He went to turn around before leaning closer to the screen, frowning at a single file that demanded his attention. "What the hell? Franz, you seeing this?" A grunt was the only reply he got. "There's a file here, but the encryption is laughable. Thing is, it's got Powalski's signature all over it." He leaned in closer, a bad feeling growing in the pit of his stomach. "What do you suppose 'Operation Parlor' is all about?" Against his better judgment, he opened it, hoping for some clue as to why that bad feeling was only getting worse.

The screen flickered for a moment. Then a giant, pixelated spider with the head of Leon Powalski, Wolf's right-hand psychopath, filled the screen, demonic laughter booming from the speakers. Redmond's eyes went wide in fear.

Then he felt a sting in his lower spine. He jumped up and whirled around, pulling his weapon on the one enemy in the room, the one they never suspected for a moment. The one that had killed Franz, her moves so swift and silent the poor medic never saw it coming. The one that was now standing before him now, stark naked except for her slave collar, a small injector gun held in her delicate black hand.

The vixen who'd been playing them from the beginning.

"You! You... bitch!" She cocked her head at him. "You killed Franz! You weren't getting raped, were you? Just an act! You knew we were coming!"

"You? No." Her words were empty of emotion, her face betraying the barest hint of...

Disgust?

"Who did you expect? Star Fox?" Redmond's hands trembled as he held her at gunpoint. She looked unconcerned for someone facing the snarling face of a man who had every reason to kill her. "You're not big enough for... for..." He blinked, his vision going blurry. His hands trembled more and more until his blaster dropped from them. "What... what did you... do..."

"To be honest, I'm disappointed." She sauntered up to the trembling canine, pushing him over with a finger, staring down as he began to twitch and foam at the mouth. "I was looking forward to torturing Master's rival and killing his team. And instead, I get you idiots." She turned her lips up in disgust, kicking the soldier in his ribs. "Corneria's finest, skilled in infiltration, extraction and assassination. What a joke. A waste." She sighed and stepped over him, entering the password for Leon's virus to regain control of the base systems. She saw the other two were almost to the final part of the trap, a large room whose blueprints had been changed to look like a series of holding cells. In truth, it was spare cargo space with several gun emplacements and field-ready fortifications set up in the perfect places to spring an ambush. Dozens of grunts waited in the dark, ready to mow down the intruders. They might get a chance to surrender, if they didn't do anything stupid. She hoped it didn't matter either way. Even if Master would prefer survivors to interrogate, he'd be disappointed that her plan hadn't managed to snare his real prize.

"Who... who are you?" Redmond coughed, barely able to breathe as the toxin she'd injected shut down his nervous system.

"Oh! Still alive, are we?" Her voice was low and husky. She sat in the rolling chair and turned to face him, exposing herself in a lewd posture as she licked her lips. "What a pleasant surprise. Maybe I'll give you the antidote and ask Master if I can keep you." She licked the sharp needle at the end of her weapon, shameless in her enjoyment of his suffering. "If not, I'm sure we'll find some use for you. Leon does miss his private lab on Zoness."

Ignoring him, she turned back to the screen, operating the controls with one hand. Team Pitbull had her concerned, but a quick check proved that the new suicide drones Leon had given her worked like a charm. Only one had managed to plant a charge before being killed, and the computer had already dispatched a bomb squad while Team Coonhound's hacker had been distracted by the virtual machine hidden within the mainframe. She gave a soft moan as she imagined how Master would reward her for this. And punish her. She bit her lip as the last two intruders neared their destination, the anticipation keeping her on edge. Right on cue, she opened the doors for them, a dim hologram luring them inside. Then it disappeared, giving them only a moment of confusion and alarm before the lights came up. She frowned. The grunts hadn't opened fire. From the camera's audio, she heard the one in charge order a command to surrender. She didn't have time to feel disappointed though. The intruders didn't respond at first, keeping stock still as they began to realize just how fucked they were. The tension built with each passing second. She leaned in, eager for the climax, begging at least one of them to try and be a hero.

She got what she wanted.

Captain Barnes almost got out a full order before Mitchell started shooting. He managed to kill a handful or two of grunts, the sheer firepower of his own homemade arsenal punching holes in the fortifications. The Captain had just enough time to dive flat to the floor as plasma and hot metal flew over him, dumping their energy into anything unlucky enough to stand in their way. It was brief, violent, and intense. Giving a cry of victory, the vixen shuddered in her seat, watching as Mitchell was torn apart before, like her, he slumped down, finally spent.

"Iron and silver, that was hot!" She panted, trying to catch her breath, watching as the grunts captured Barnes, marching him off to the real holding cells. A smile broke out on her lips, wagging her tail in satisfaction. "Woo! Okay. Back to business." She cleared her throat and sat up straight, her demeanor going still and stony once more. "Now. Should I keep you or let you die?" She looked down at the man at her feet, who had somehow managed to keep living despite the poison ravaging his nerves. It was impressive. Not many had survived this long, and with a direct hit to the spine no less! She considered him for a moment, then nodded. She swapped the vial out in her injector gun, then knelt down and gave him the antidote. At first, he didn't react. Then he gasped and retched, turning on his side as he choked out the fluid in his lungs. His limbs still shook though, and he had a severe twitch.

"You will have permanent nerve damage. There is no known treatment. Master will not waste resources on a cripple, so don't expect even the cheapest of tech to help you walk. Easier to keep you like this." She cocked her head as he muttered something under his breath. "I'm sorry?" She leaned closer, perking her small ears.

"You didn't... answer... my question..." She cocked her head the other way. Then the merest ghost of understanding passed over her face, her mouth opening just enough for him to see.

"You wish to know who I am?" He gave an attempt at a nod. "I see. Very well." She sat back into the chair, her demeanor changed, looking like she should have been wearing a pant suit in a meeting of corporate executives.

"I am nothing and I am everything. My past life is gone. I signed it away, along with my name, so that I could live. Or at least, that's one reason I did it." She gestured to the third corpse in the room, the medic draped on the floor next to the crate she'd used as furniture before. "Your bunk buddy got that much right. The other was because of Master. Because of Wolf." The vixen began to blush, her breathing picking up in speed. "They say he too lived on Macbeth. That he worked in the mines with his family, living on ore and scraps. Yet he escaped. He left. And while not everyone sees him as a hero, I did." She shrugged. "Call it a school girl crush. Bad Boy Syndrome. I might have cared once, but I no longer do. The fact is any life where you control your destiny, even if you become a villain, is better than working the mines on Macbeth. Leagues better than the mines I worked in, ever since I was big enough to work the machines." She shifted and touched a hand over her shoulder. "Then it happened. One of the frost hunters, a ferocious beast that rules the frozen wastes, attacked the mine I was in. Despite the tight security, they're smart enough to find the weak points, and the rest is left to their sheer strength and endurance. It takes a lot to take one down, even a small one. This one wasn't." She turned the chair, then exposed part of her back to him. Despite his hatred, Redmond gasped. Three large diagonal scars ran across her back from right to left. They intersected an artificial spine augmentation, no doubt the only reason she could still walk, let alone live. "It killed my parents first. First my Dad, yelling at Mom to get me out of there. It didn't even slow down. Mom was next, pushing me out of the way just before it tore into her. The gunfire was so loud, I could barely hear her last scream." Her finger traced idly over the tip of the highest scar. "Despite my fear and grief, I got up and started to run away. That was a mistake. It ignored the guards and made a beeline for me. Fleeing prey. By sheer luck, I tripped just as it swiped at me. I felt searing, hot pain lance through my back before it went numb. My memory fails me after that. I don't even know if I blacked out, only that I awoke in the hospital."

"And... easy choice... right?"

"There was no choice. None." She faced her body toward him again. "Any chance I had at choosing my own destiny was dead. As dead as my parents. Even if some good-hearted soul had paid my bills in full, I would have just ended up back in the mines. Many people do if they have no family and refuse to be a slave." A smile grazed her lips. "But I saw no point in returning to a life that was already over. As I saw it, I died in those mines. I even convinced them to alter the records and destroy all the pictures they had of me. Cheap, by their standards, and not a large difficulty." She smirked. "Not compared to selling me direct to Star Wolf. Even they were afraid of him, and Corneria would have come down hard if they'd tried. It took time, but I agreed to their auction in the end. They said they'd try to send word to him, but couldn't guarantee anything. In truth, I don't think they even did try to reach him.

"But he showed up anyway."

She shivered and closed her eyes, licking her lips.

"You have to understand. I don't let my mask slip often. While at the auction, I was as cold and unmoving as you saw me today. Even when up on stage, when my heart began to quicken at the prospect of him being there, I showed nothing. I didn't even look out over the crowd, staring at nothing. I knew he'd be impossible to miss amongst the sea of rich snobs and their trophy wives and concubines." Her eyes left Redmond, staring up as her face began to take on a look of rapture. "And I was right. It wasn't even my turn when he barged in, kicking the doors so hard one of them flew off and injured several bystanders. If it hurt him, he didn't show it." Her eyes took on a glossy sheen as she cried tears of joy at the memory. "He was there! Wolf O'Donnel! He was there for me! And no one could stop him. This time, it was him making the offer, and they were the ones who had to accept. Either they would take what he gave them, or he would take what he wanted for free." She took a moment to compose herself before looking back down at her captive audience. "He even paid more than the starting bid. No one dared to outbid him, of course, but he kept bumping it up, keeping his eyes on me, watching my face light up as the price went higher and higher. They finally got him to stop. In the end, he paid my debt twice over. It was expensive, yes, and some questioned his purchase. But I didn't. It was not my place. I was only happy that he chose me. And I vowed to be worth his price, down to the smallest coin."

"Why? Why would you... live with that... monster?"

"You still don't understand?" She crossed her legs and folded her hands in her lap. "It's simple. My destiny was destroyed. I could no longer choose for myself. So, if my destiny was to be chained to another's," she said, giving a slight smile, "why not to the destiny of one who made his own?"

"That's stupid. He... he doesn't really care... about you."

"That doesn't matter. None of it matters. All that matters now is pleasing Master and gaining his approval." She held up her gun and gestured with it. "As it turns out, even pleasing him beyond the bedroom turns me on. Fucking, killing, stealing, kidnapping, flying, whatever. So long as Master approves of what I do, then I am content. And when I complete a mission to his satisfaction," she said, taking a moment to stifle a moan and rub her legs together, "I know he will reward me. Take me as his own. Like the animal he is."

"You're... crazy!"

"Doesn't matter. This is my life now. A ghost, a cypher, a zombie. A being directed by a will not my own. I am nothing, for my old life is ash and dust. I am everything, for that is what I will do to please my Master."

She got up off the chair and knelt next to him. Redmond tried to inch away from her, his trembling no longer just from nerve damage. She leaned over him, staring down into his face, her eyes twinkling with madness.

"You ask who I am? I am nothing. I am everything. I am Star Wolf's secret weapon that no one knows about. I am the one who will tear Star Fox apart and rape their leader in front of ours if he asks it of me. I will give Master what he wants even if it destroys me."

She leaned closer, her breath tickling his whiskers, ignoring the stench of urine coming off of him. Then she said the last words that he would ever hear from her, words that would haunt him for the rest of his very short life.

"I am Blank. And soon, you and everyone else will know exactly what that means."

---

Author's Note: This is gonna need a major rewrite. While there's a lot of good stuff here, I think I missed the characterization of Blank a bit. The original idea was for her to be a blank slate (pun may or may not be intended), to just go through life as an emotionless husk of a person. Except when pleasing Wolf. Gaining his approval and praise is a major turn on for her, because she's crazy and is held together by the one thing she kept from her old life. Who knew a crush could keep someone sane enough to function, and even excel as a ruthless mercenary? Still, I need to work on how I present her. I think I might've bit off more than I can chew with her. Flat, emotionless characters are easier to draw than to write for. If I had some decent skill, I could probably make a good comic out of this, or at least have a fitting illustration to go with it. As it is, all I have is words. Anything I write with this character, whether she remains in the Star Fox setting or not, is going to be a challenge. Much of writing is about describing a character's body language and tone. They're more important than what words they speak. But how do you do that for someone who's almost mute in those lines of communication?

I may have to do some research on this. Maybe even try to pick my therapist's brain about disassociation since I think that may tie into this. Still, I'm not giving up on my newest little psychopath. While I don't know if I'll use her much, the concept is too rich to pass up. There's something amazing, if dark, inside this little gem. Yet in some ways she's so fragile that one mistake could shatter the whole thing. Thankfully, I'm not dealing with a literal gemstone, so I can put back the pieces if I goof up. I just hope I can make something out of her. Though whether her story ends in joy or tragedy I don't think anyone will know until she gets there.

One thing's for sure, it's going to be one hell of a ride. I look forward to it.