CHAPTER

"Remember me?"

x

Fara Phoenix opened her eyes. The light was blinding and it caused her to squint. She struggled to move her head and quickly realized that she was well fastened to a metallic table at a 45 degree angle. The position, the fact that she was strapped to the table, caused vertigo to pierced her heart... Where was she?

The lights were somewhat dim but regardless, they were pointing in her face so that her natural vulpine vision was distracted. It wasn't too bright or too dim but well adjusted to keep blinded from anything more than several feet away. The ground resembled a cargo deck style room. She wasn't really sure where she was.

The last thing Fara Phoenix could remember was her Arwing's controls powering down. Then the fighter was being tractored somewhere, but because the G-Diffuser was nonoperative with the power out, she was overcome by the sudden power of Gravity. The Arwing had begun to spin in the tractor beam and she blacked out. Now that she thought back on it, it was a clever way to capture someone.

"Whoever you are, you'd better know that you're in a hell of a lot of trouble." Her words told her ears that the room was fairly large. She could tell by the natural acoustics of the room and the slight reverb that she probably was, indeed, in a cargo bay. But there was no way to confirm her suspicions just yet and that would keep her 'in the dark' for a touch longer.

"I was once crawling in the dark," A voice said. Fara lifted her head once more, glancing around the room, still blinded by the recess lighting that was only illuminating her immediate area in a circle around her table.

"Who's there?" Fara didn't recognize the voice but it was feminine and that was only slightly comforting. It didn't reply to Fara's question but instead it initiated conversation. Fara was more or less powerless over a conversation starting, it's the only way she could learn more about her situation.

"My dear," The mystery woman started, "There's no need to thank me for coming to your rescue."

"My what?" Fara snickered softly. "What are you trying to do? You obviously didn't get your major in psychology. You don't start with the crap on the strong minded and strong willed heroines," Fara laughed, struggling gently against the table's restraints.

"I don't have a masters in Psychology. My masters is in business accounting but I never really had a use for it," The woman explained. Fara tried to use her ears to point point which direction the woman was in, then faced that general direction to the best of her ability. Fara had her head craned to the left, staring almost directly at the silhouette.

"Yeah? Well your piddly attempt as psycho BSing isn't working, so you might as well step into the light, woman."

"Oh? Should I," The lady said, "Should I step into the light, you think; My methods are pretty tried." The well hidden woman shook her head, even though she knew the Phoenix girl couldn't see it. "I like the strong of will. And yes, as a matter of fact, I did rescue you," The mystery woman explained.

"Yeah? From what?"

"The question, love, is from whom?" the enigmatic woman's voice was almost melodic... in a minor...diminished 7th chord quality. It was a seducing musical quality, yet dripping with evil. It caused a shutter to race down Fara's spine. With strength not yet renewed, Fara simply stared into the darkness as if staring her opponent down.

"You're afraid," the woman said.

"You're perceptive. Is that supposed to make me feel like you know me? Or that we're buddies, maybe?" Fara smiled. Now she was feeling that renewed strength. Her smile grew into a sheepish grin and she took a breath of confidence.

"What?"

"I know who you are!" Fara exclaimed.

"Do you...?" the voice never scowled or showed any emotion.

"Iliria the Iriran. The psychotic bitch that turned Fox against the team and against Corneria a year ago," Fara surmised.

"Indeed," Iliria conceded. "You're quite the detective."

"I watched a lot of cop shows growing up," Fara said with a smirk. She'd have folded her arms if she was able to do so.

"Be careful, Fara. Sarcasm is tacky and for the weak of mind. I would never have you considered weak of mind. My apologies if I seem protective of you. I didn't bring you here to brainwash you, but protect you from Fox McCloud," Iliria said, not yet in the small illuminated area around Fara's table.

"What the crap is this? You're telling me that you are rescuing me from Fox? What a bunch of bull," Fara spat. She rolled her eyes and laid back flat upon the table. "This is really disappointing. I can't believe anyone could have fallen for such garbage, Iliria," Fara said, shaking her head.

"It's true. When I looked into his mind previously I saw something that startled me. My slaves are men. I control them with sex and friendship and companionship. You're not a man, my tactics won't work on you," Iliria said.

"Oh, you're sly. But you're also full of jack. You didn't use sex on Fox, let alone companionship. You used the weakness of the loneliness and gaping void that was left from the death of his parents," Fara said, keeping her tone cool.

Iliria wasn't about to allow this to go in Fara's direction. She stepped forward, into the light. Silky white ears towered above her head, one of them folded in half, hovering just above her bangs. She was dressed well, black slacks and dress coat with a deep purple blouse of some sort. She looked nothing like what Fara had pictured previous to this. She was fairly attractive but sardonic looking, mostly in the eyes.

"You're not very seduced right now, obviously. There's no way I could have an effect on you, I'm here to keep you for just long enough that Fox finds another woman. This will be proof enough to you that he doesn't love you, he just wants you to fill the gap in his life that his mother once occupied. Don't you see, Fara?" Iliria frowned, thoughtfully. She made it seem like she couldn't get through to Fara and that it hurt her that her warning wasn't headed.

"Your prattle is boring me. The constant bantering is just like a headache that won't go away," Fara said, her smirk still painted upon that youthful visage. Iliria offered a sour face in return.

"He came onto me. I was brainwashing him to think I was his parent... he came onto me. You resemble his mother, he's coming onto you, isn't he?" Iliria wondered allowed.

"Oh that's sick. He never came onto you. He's shy about flirting with females," Fara said.

"But didn't he once tell you that you resemble his mother? And yet he wants you in his life? That's just odd," Iliria said, shaking her head. "You know he just wants to fill his father's shoes. He wants to be the next James McCloud. And you to be the next Vixy. Isn't that just a little odd to you?" Iliria shrugged sympathetically.

"Fox loves me," Fara said, shaking her head in slight dismay.

"Fox loved me, and the purpose I gave him. He doesn't understand soul-mate love. Sure he cares, but he's not IN LOVE with you," Iliria explained.

"And since when was a business major an expert in psycho therapy analysis?" Fara chuckled, nervously.

The Iririan Hare shrugged and walked to Fara's table, opening her restraints. "Let's talk more about this later. I'm sure you're exhausted. I'd advise not to attack me. I've implanted pain diodes in your neck and spine. Don't do anything funny and you're free to walk around the ship," Iliria explained.

Fara wobbled slightly, slumping from the table onto her feet. Her legs had been asleep so it took her a moment to recover her balance. Iliria hooked her arm under Fara's, helping her to stand up straight.

"What are hell are you doing?" Fara demanded.

"Helping a friend. Sheesh, don't fight it," She said with a sad smile.

"Whatever," Fara breathed, leaning against the hare to stand up straight. Iliria lead her out of that which truly was a cargo bay and into the hallway. The NightHawk seemed to be fairly autopilot animated. There was a very small crew for the size of the ship. Half were men and half were women. Fara estimated only a dozen crew members ran this massive ship, plus a few male slaves.

It was easy to recognize them, their eyes were far away and of course, they weren't Iririan hares. Instead there was a lynx and a feline, as well as a badger and a wolf or two that Fara passed on the way to her room. Iliria continued to lead her down the hall until they arrived to what would become Fara's personal quarters.

"Oh, by the way," Iliria said, opening Fara's room door. "One of my soldiers found your blaster and retrieved it. I'll give it to you when I know I can trust you a little more," Iliria said with a smile.

"Whatever. You wait and watch your back," Fara said with a smirk. "I won't let you get the chance to use those pain nodes. I promise you'll be dead before you can push the button," Fara said, stepping into her room. It wasn't very jail-cell like ... In fact there was no bars. Inside was a bed, a living room table, a television. It was kinda odd, really.

"Please. Why would a friend attack another friend," Iliria said, a moue of disappointment upon her muzzle.

"You're NOT my friend," Fara said. By now her anger had welled up inside of her and she let fly a left hook. Her punch caught Iliria by surprise, knocking her backwards, clutching at her jaw. Fara never saw her press a button. Instead she dropped to her knees as the pain node in her spine caused her legs to give out.

As Fara collapsed, she felt her head growing dizzy from the sudden spike of pain in her throat. Her paws went numb and she clutched at her neck, flopping over on her side, trying to push the air out to scream. It never came out. Hardly a breath of a whisper escaped her lungs. It was like nothing she'd ever felt before. The agony had her laying in a fetal position on the floor in the hallway.

"Oh dear... I'm sorry. It's computer automated. The computer felt you were a threat to me," Iliria explained. She took Fara under the arms and lifted her slightly, helping Fara move into the room and sit down on the bed.

Once Fara was sitting on the bed she struggled against Iliria's helping hand, "GET away from ME," the pilot growled.

"Let's talk," Iliria said, sitting on the edge of the bed, adjacent to the vixen pilot. "You start... Tell me the name of your commanding officer, something to break the ice," Iliria said with a smile.

By now the pain had subsided enough for Fara to think. She shook her head, lifting her left paw to flip the Iririan off. Iliria's face transformed into a moue of disgust. "You're being tacky again," She warned the pilot.

"Oh? My mistake, you thought I cared?" Fara sneered.

"C'mon, Fara. Who's your commanding officer, love?" Iliria tilted her head, looking sidelong to Fara.

"Screw off," Fara said.

"We can do this the easy way or the hard way," Iliria warned. "You tell me or you get shocked again." The warning only made Fara smile triumphantly. She lifted her paws expectantly, patting herself on the chest as if motioning for Iliria to 'bring it on'.

"Just tell me," Iliria pleaded.

"Eat crap," Fara sighed, acting bored with this. Iliria shook her head and without so much as the touch of a button, Fara's pain nodes activated. Her throat felt as though it would close up at any moment. It was strangling but yet sharp and piercing as if she'd been stabbed in the throat by a knife. Simultaneously the pain in her spine caused her to flop off the bed. Iliria winced with a grin, watching the feminine vulpine fall off the side of the mattress, landing unceremoniously upon the floor.

"Just tell me what his name is and it's all over," Iliria said, again her tone was gentle and tender.

"DIE," Fara said. She wasn't able to attack Iliria as the pain had her completely paralyzed. Her body was unresponsive but she was able to shout in reply to Iliria's question. Apparently the pain node in her neck wasn't as bad this time. Iliria knew she wouldn't be able to submit and answer if it was as bad as it had been earlier.

"Please, Fara. I just want to converse. Is it General Pepper?" She asked, almost giving Fara the chance to simply say "yes"... but she wasn't so lucky. The young pilot shrieked from the agony piercing her back.

"I'll never tell you anything!" Fara shouted. Whether she'd been through classes for torture or not, Iliria wasn't sure. She was, of course, Military but everyone was breakable in some method of way. She knew this had to be true in some fashion.

"Fara. I just need to make sure so I can tell him you're safe. Who is it?" Iliria gave her another chance. Fara took a breath, sighing in relief as the pain subsided. However, she knew it would return on her next breath, as she had no intent to tell this freaky woman anything.

"It's really sad that Fox didn't let Andross put that blaster shot in your head. I mean, really now. Fox let you live, you owe your existence to Fox McCloud," Fara said, trying her own form of psychology. It hardly worked.

Iliria giggled with glee, shaking her head. Her eyes returned to Fara's form which lay strewn about the floor as Fara went into the fetal position again, shrieking in pain. Inside, however, Iliria was growing impatient. She only wanted Fara's commanding officer's name. Fox had been just as stubborn.

Iliria leaned forward speaking again, in a soft tone, "Fara. Angelic little Fara Phoenix... I know you're not fragile. I know you're not weak. You've proven that. But all I'm asking is for the name of your commanding officer. Just tell me that simple thing and it's all over." She had to wonder what kind of tool she'd use on Fara. Fara didn't have the loneliness that Fox had. She seemed over confident, which would work well later. But right now? Iliria needed something to get Fara close with. She was hoping that Fara's distrust would grow towards Fox, thereby creating something to work with, but she wasn't sure how long it would take.

"I'm only keeping it from you because I like the pain," Fara giggled, through panting breaths.

The pilot yelped again, screaming in agony as Iliria shook her head. "You're no masochist, Fara," Iliria said. Watching Fara flop around on the ground like a fish out of water, Iliria only grew frustrated and all the more impatient. "Now, take a breath. Because you'll need it to shout out the name I want, I promise," Iliria said. Fara took a breath, knowing that her lungs would burn even more if she didn't have it between the pangs of her torture. Iliria smiled inwardly as Fara complied with that single order.

Suddenly Fara felt pain like she'd never felt in her life. Before she could scream the name or anything else, for that matter, she fainted. Her body lay upon the floor, quivering from the stimulation that flowed through her spine, regardless of her state of unconsciousness. Decreasing the pain node's output, Illiria picked up a pitcher by the bed and tipped it over a little. Fresh, cold water poured out the end, over Fara's muzzle, waking her with a start.

"Let's try this again. I'm sure your tolerance will keep you from collapsing again, you're a tough girl," Iliria mused. Once again, Fara gasped in sudden agony, holding her breath as her body betrayed incredible pain that she'd never felt before. Iliria watched as the girl's eyes rolled up in her head and a trickle of crimson vitae dripped from Fara's muzzle.

"You'd rather bite your own tongue than talk? You realize if I turn this up, you'll bite that little tongue right off?" Illiria seemed surprised that Fara would do something as stupid as putting her tongue between her teeth, but impressed that the girl would do that over talking.

"I hope they don't give you those suicide capsules," Iliria crooned. Fara suddenly went limp, panting again.

"Bite me," Fara whispered, her eyes shut, her body limp.

"Bite? Like this?" Iliria giggled. Suddenly the pain resumed, flowing through Fara's body like a live wire, causing her to roll across the floor, trying to make it stop. She slammed her body against the coffee table, knocking it over, writhing in pain. Iliria watched, but her amusement was growing thin. She wanted this girl to submit so she could go to bed.

"If you die because you couldn't tell me who your commanding officer is, I won't be able to tell him that you're alive. No one will come for you, you'll be assumed MIA... Eventually you'll go under 'Missing, Presumed Dead'. Do you want this?" Iliria watched still as Fara found the breath to scream, causing the Iririan's ears to ring.

"IT'S GENERAL PEPPER!" Fara shouted. And just like that? Her pain stopped. She lay on the floor, her body throbbing from the wake of the pain, but she felt numb in comparison. It was a relief, regardless, not to have to endure that anymore.

Iliria nodded and stood up. "Alright, I'll contact him, sweetheart. Sleep well," Iliria said as she made her way to the door. The doors slid apart and Iliria stepped into the hallway.

"Hey," Fara said. Her voice was a bit stronger than Fox's had been after this same treatment.

"Yes," the hare said, leaning back into the room.

"It was only the smart thing to do, to stop the pain. But pain can't be used to control me into betraying my friends. So I do believe your tactic is a failure," Fara said with a smile, still sprawled out in the middle of the floor.

"Oh please. I'm not trying to be like that. I don't control slaves by pain, anyway. My men serve me willingly. Once they give themselves to me, I could never wish harm to come to them, they're like pets. Unless you like to kick the family dog, you should understand where I'm coming from," Iliria's words were dripping with syrupy sweetness. With that, the door shut behind herself and Fara was alone. She knew the door would be locked. The bed seemed too far away and so the pilot allowed herself to fall into slumber there, upon the floor.