Disclaimer: I don't own the characters from Starfox. There, said and done. I worked on this story for almost two years, off and on, and I am relieved it is finally finished, so enjoy. It is set about five years from the events of Starfox 64 and eventually will deviate slightly from canon.
Chapter 1
You can take from every experience what it has to offer you. And you cannot be defeated if you just keep taking one breath followed by another. -Oprah Winfrey
Stars were the constant, the reassurance. They were always there, and long hours were spent watching them. Recognition of the pattern of their movement was Katt's only reminder that there was a world outside of her cell. Half of the ceiling was a long pane of transparasteel that connected at a wall of tranparasteel, bringing quite an auspicious lodging for a prisoner.
Katt had been kept there for nearly two months as punishment for something she hadn't done. Enemies seemed to go out of their way to incriminate rival smugglers, and the feline was no exception in her amount of competitors.
Instead of simply shooting her and sending her body into Solar, the Boss decided to keep her for 'entertainment' by those he either wanted to impress or simply liked. The collar around her neck kept her attitude in check, though it could never quench the fire in her eyes. She would come out of this. She wasn't dead, so that was a beginning.
Katt vowed to keep her head up, but it had been two long, humiliating months. She didn't know how many more men would come to her room or how much longer she could keep on going. Even the Boss stopped by, though his joy was spending an hour or two torturing her with her electric collar.
The door opened then, revealing someone she'd rather not see. Ever.
"Hey bitch," Pigma sneered, "It's my turn now."
In his hand he held the control of her collar.
"I can make you dance for me, jiggle those lovely knockers you got," he said, leering at her silky-slip-clad body.
Mentally, she cringed and her body trembled. Pigma was the worst. He was utterly unpredictable, sometimes wanting to bed her rather violently. Other times he simply stroked her soft fur and murmured how beautiful she was.
The door slid shut behind him and he locked it with the remote.
"Service me," he said.
Despising the pig more than she had ever hated anything, she slowly walked over to the chair in which he'd unceremoniously flopped.
"Better than last time, bitch, or I'll make you hurt," he said, and raised the remote.
Katt gulped, and dropped to her knees as the collar sent electricity through her body. She went to work promptly, and fortunately, Pigma was quick. After, she sat at his feet, head down as she waited for the only useful part of her situation. The 'talkers'.
"I'm taking you with me when I get outta here," Pigma said, relaxing into the form-fitting chair, "You and every valuable thing I can find. Andross promised me a fortune and all I got was a lousy ship. I'm gonna make some cash. You'll do well making me money too."
He sneered at her, but Katt kept her head down and her face burned with shame and anger. Escape was always on her mind, but something told her that Pigma would keep a stronger chain around her neck than the Boss.
"Soon as I get a chance I'll steal a ship," he murmured.
It wasn't much information; from what Katt knew, Pigma was all talk. During the frequent visits of the swine, she gathered that he hated Wolf, cared little for Leon, but feared both enough to know his place. All he talked about was getting out of Sargasso Space Station and selling valuables for cash.
'Then what?' Katt wondered, 'Where will you go that you'd be out of reach from the Boss?'
Behind her, the door chimed, "Time's up."
It was Wolf.
Katt breathed a sigh of relief. In the two months she'd been captive, Wolf hadn't touched her. He came usually to interrupt Pigma's sessions, and Pigma's fear of his leader moved the pig to the door and on his way.
Wolf walked over to the chairs by the panoramic window and sat, which was all the wolf usually did when he came. As Wolf stared out at space, Katt lay on her bed, facing him.
The moment he first walked in nearly two months before, Katt had been beside herself in fear, with nearly more fear than she had for the Boss. But he was strangely silent those first two hours and left without a second glance. Katt had come to relax somewhat in the quiet company he provided, and he would occasionally update her on the latest news or notify her of the mounting impound fee of her smuggling ship. Nothing more.
"Why do you come?" she asked, her curiosity finally getting the better of her.
"Isn't it obvious?" was his gruff reply.
"I wouldn't ask if it was."
Wolf was the most difficult to read of her clientele. He was said to be a ruthless mercenary who had chosen money over the freedom of Lylatians. Fighting for Andross wasn't something that many knew, but Katt's acquaintances had told her enough about Star Wolf to know that when she was confronted by them, it was better to immediately surrender than face Leon's torture for resisters. Still, desperation often made one do things they wouldn't otherwise consider.
Wolf looked at her, "No one deserves Pigma's attentions.
Though he only had one eye, he always had an intense expression, Katt noted. She couldn't help but agree with him, and even wondered why he kept Pigma around. The pig must have some use unknown to her.
"Also," Wolf said as he looked back at the stars, "The room isn't bugged. The only one on the whole station."
Though it wasn't much of a surprise, it did mean something to Katt. No conversations would be recorded. All the information she'd been gathering was on her word only. What would that count for, considering her current state of affairs? It seemed her only weapon, however weak or powerful it might have been, was useless.
"It's the only place I can truly relax," Wolf continued, voice lowering to a near whisper, "Even with you around."
Katt strained to hear it.
'Even with you around.' She repeated it, analyzed it, listened again.
She decided it was an insult. She rose to a seated position and added a hard edge to her voice, "I can leave the room to shower, if you want."
"If you wish," came his usual stoic voice, "I won't look."
This aggravated Katt, "If you're not going to use me, I'd rather you leave me alone."
Wolf tossed the remote in the air a couple times, which got Katt's attention very quickly.
"You don't have a choice. But it seems you've taken to your new position quite well," he said, and glanced at her again, "Telling me to use you or leave."
The wolf rose, "In that case, will a rough slap earn me another few minutes of peace?"
Katt curled her tail around her legs in submission, "That won't be necessary."
"Good," he said, sitting down, "But don't think I forgot what you did."
Katt summoned the remainder of her dignity and rose from her bed. True to her word, she went into her small bathroom and started the shower. She made it long enough to run low on her personal hot water supply and came back out to an empty room.
She found her thoughts strayed to Wolf that night, from the terrible things she'd heard said of him, to the rather gentle nature he displayed in her prison.
As it often was after a visit from Wolf, the stars were unfamiliar again.
Wolf walked out from the Room, as it was known, and set the remote back in its place. He looked forward to the relative quiet he had with the feline, as his current life held little room for downtime like that. While the woman was attractive, he'd never been the kind to sleep with random women.
Of course, such personal information was hidden behind the silent door of the Room.
Wolf made his way down to his Wolfen. The ship was another retreat he kept, though it was far less quiet than his previous location.
Leon was also there, supervising the outer coat stripping.
"I thought you were going to do this next week," Wolf said.
Leon growled and said, "The Boss's orders. He must have plans for that week."
"Indeed," Wolf said, and continued on to his ship.
It was detailed in red and black, his favorite colors. Wolf picked up a buffer pad and set it to protective coat. The device did most of the work, the operator merely needed to hold it against the hull.
The Boss was becoming more the authority than the partner. Two years ago, when Star Wolf was hired by the Smugglers Guild Boss, their agreement stated that they were the defenders of the space station. Over time, extra duties had been added, such as protecting cargo, overseeing 'accidental deaths' (to Leon's delight), and retrieving errant smugglers.
Wolf could see the future going two directions. Either they would become too knowledgeable of the goings on of the Guild and would be disposed of, or they would be pushed further under the Boss and no longer maintain a mercenary status. Really, the main thing that worried him about the second option was the tax break that went with for-hire mercenaries.
Well, that and the whole freedom to walk away at any time too.
He did like getting out of the station and returning to civilization but Wolf was experienced enough to know that it was best to keep his options open.
As Wolf moved the buffer to the upper fuselage, just below the cockpit, he saw a long scratch. With a scowl, he rubbed at it with is fist, knowing it would do no good. He'd remember the origin of that scratch until it was filled and buffed. That was the one Katt had made.
She was one of the errant smugglers Star Wolf had been sent out to retrieve.
"There she is," Wolf said as he noted the pink fur, and closed his datapad cover.
"Where?" Pigma grunted, "There are hundreds of felines around here."
Wolf snorted, "I forget you're color blind."
"Color impaired," he growled.
"What color is your skin, Pigma?" Leon said.
"Shut up!" said Pigma.
Wolf cut off Pigma's retort, "Both of you shut it. She only rented the port slot for five hours. We'll meet her there."
The three easily found her port, even through the maze-like spaceport. Each separate ship port was rectangular and had entrances on the shorter sides. Wolf and Leon stood at one side, while Pigma took the other entrance.
They waited an hour before Wolf got a glimpse of the pink furred feline. She was casually walking down the corridor, paws in pockets, and eyes warily watching around her. Wolf turned his back to her, pushing the peripheral vision of his mechanical eye until he could see her.
She glanced over the pair but he could tell she didn't suspect them. When the feline faced her entrance door, Wolf and Leon moved through the crowd of furs and pushed her in as the door opened. Both drew their blasters.
"Hey!" she said, feigning surprise as she drew her blaster and faced them.
The door on the far side of the port opened and Pigma came rushing in. After glancing back at Pigma, Katt looked at Wolf.
"What do you want?" she asked, "Everything was inspected and passed. I have my certificate."
Leon laughed, "We're not here for a certificate."
"Then... I've delivered," she was confused but realized that they were not officials, "I got my payment. Wala said there were no problems."
"Wala?" Leon said, enjoying playing with her mind, "I don't know a Wala. Do you, Wolf?"
Katt's eye's widened. "Wolf?" she squeaked, "From Star Wolf?"
"The same," Wolf said, "And I do know a fur called the Boss, who thinks you narked the Guild. You should be more afraid of him than of us."
"But I didn't..." Katt began.
"Tell it to the Boss," Wolf cut her off, "I don't care what your story is."
Pigma grabbed the blaster from her paw as Leon pulled a band from his pocket and put it around her throat.
"It's a shock collar," he explained, "And it has a setting that'll kill you."
To emphasize the point, he gave the feline a small shock, using the remote. She shrieked, but understood that her life was in the leathery paws of Leon Powalski, who was rumored to enjoy sadistically torturing furs for no reason at all. The chameleon patted her down and found no weapons.
The four left the port then, with Wolf in front, Katt in the middle, and Leon and Pigma on either side of her. Only a few suspicious looks were sent their way, but no one interfered, and they soon arrived at their port.
Things were going well, and when dealing with smugglers, that was never a good thing.
In the port, the same shape and size as Katt's, a Wolfen sat close to the door, and a small transport sat farther away.
Wolf walked over to the registration consol to pay for the time used while Pigma went ahead to the transport to prepare for their return to Sargasso Space Station. Katt eyed the Wolfen, its hatch popped and ready for the pilot, and waited for her moment.
"What's taking so long?" Leon muttered.
"Stop bitching," Wolf said, "It's just slow today."
When Leon walked in front of Katt, she struck. With a lightning quick fist, she knocked Leon in the temple and bolted for the Wolfen.
"Damnit!" Wolf shouted and ran after her.
He leapt over Leon's unconscious body, caught Katt's left leg as she leapt up to the cockpit from the wing, and yanked. She'd pulled a knife in her dash (Wolf wouldn't let Leon live that down) and it made a horrible screeching sound as it dug a shallow gash in the metal.
Wolf cursed again. Loudly.
He threw Katt to the ground and aimed his blaster at her.
"Tell me why I shouldn't kill you now?" he asked, teeth bared.
"Because you would do the same in my position," she answered without hesitation.
They stared each other down. Wolf's finger itched on the trigger, but Katt never lost her fierce expression. Their eyes were locked until Leon's groan drew Wolf's attention.
"About time," he muttered.
Leon made sure to shock her into near unconsciousness before pushing her to the transport.
Wolf looked at the scratch. He'd not get in Katt's position, that was for sure, but he imagined she hadn't planned on having a price on her head either. The wolf had to admit, she had some nerve to try to steal his Wolfen. Anyone with that amount of courage was either very desperate or just plain stupid.
With a balled fist, he rubbed at the scratch knowing it wouldn't make much difference.
'There goes another day off,' he thought.
He'd remember the scratch after it was gone.
"Reliving memories?" Leon said. He'd come up to Wolf's side in his usual appear-out-of-nowhere style of movement.
Wolf shot a glare at the chameleon, "Don't forget you're mostly to blame for this."
"I was hoping she'd make a run for it just so I could shock the fight out of her. The knife was an interesting side effect."
"Whatever," Wolf said, "I'm telling the Boss we're finding a new pilot to fill Andrew's Wolfen."
"Yes... Have you found any good pilots?" It was well known that Leon did not like Andrew Oikonny, and being disliked by Leon was never a good thing.
"I have a few leads. It's not easy to find a pilot that will fit our needs. Too many want to take after Starfox and their do-gooding bullshit," Wolf said, and added with a disgusted tone, "I'm not about to rise to that standard. Mercenaries are supposed to be ruthless."
"Supposedly," Leon murmured, "I hope you find two pilots so we can get rid of Pigma."
Wolf snorted a laugh, "Sure, I'll see about it."