AUTHOR'S NOTE -- Mm ... well, here's one more foray ... into the mirror universe. A direct follow-up to the previous episode ...



Peregrine slammed his paw ... against a console. It beeped and sparked. Short-circuited. Flashed. And came back to life.

Chester was quiet.

"Where ... is," he whispered, "she?"

"I don't ... sir, I don't ... "

Peregrine glared at his fellow mouse. They were on the bridge. "I don't want to hear excuses, lieutenant. This ship has, what, eight decks? Eighty-three furs? Where could she go?"

"She throws off ... false echoes, false body signatures ... sounds that aren't there ... she uses her mind to mask her trail. To lure us away."

"Have the furs travel in groups. Three to a group. Upon first sight, they shoot ... not to kill. No, we'll ... I want her alive," Peregrine said.

Chester swallowed. "But ... "

"Do it."

Chester sighed, got up ... and went to the comm station. To inform the rest of the rodents on the ship. All non-rodents had been confined to quarters. They simply couldn't be trusted.

"What's wrong?" Peregrine asked, going to Chester. Standing behind him. Squinting. Peering over his shoulder.

"I can't access comm ... "

"Secondary ... "

" ... controls are locked. ALL controls," the black and white mouse said, paws dancing over the consoles. "They're ... she's locked them with a command subroutine."

"Decode it!" The shout echoed in the dark, reddish bridge. The too-warm bridge. And none of the other furs looked up ... they didn't want to be drawn into it ... Peregrine was a scarred mouse. He wasn't afraid to use his teeth. If you crossed him, or upset him ...

"That would ... that would take days, sir," Chester offered. Feebly.

Peregrine closed his eyes. Breathe. Breathe ... " ... in the meantime, long range sensors picked up ... an unknown vessel? Am I correct?"

"Headed our way. It'll be here in five days ... at the speed it's going at."

"Whose is it? A prey ship? Wolves? Foxes ... "

"It's giving off an ... was, rather, giving off an insect signature. I don't know. I can't tell. We've lost access to the sensor array."

A comm beep. "Audrey to bridge ... "

"Yes?" Peregrine responded, pacing.

"We found ... bodies. Wren. He was strangled in his cell, and ... the guard ... he's dead, too. And ... another mouse."

"That makes four," Peregrine whispered. Four furs that Adelaide had killed in the past twelve hours. Four down ... seventy-eight to go. Wasn't that her intent? To destroy them all?

"We think she might be down on H-deck, but ... "

"Follow your instinct, Aud. I trust it ... more than I trust our scanners."

"Thank you ... sir," was the response. "I'll let you know if we find anything." And the comm line was cut.

Chester looked away from Peregrine ... right as Peregrine looked back at Chester.

"We had a good fuck ... last night, if that's what you're wondering. Skunks make for good tail ... "

"I wasn't wondering," Chester said ... without emotion. Reading the computer screens ... which, because the computer core was locked ... displayed nothing much.

"You like her, don't you ... "

"I didn't say that ... "

" ... sir. I didn't say that, sir."

"I didn't say that," Chester repeated quietly, "sir."

"If you want her ... you can have her. Challenge me ... and I'll fight." None of the predators on the ship ... took actual mates. They simply bred around. Whatever fit their fancy for any given day. Any given mood. But, as was liable to happen, certain attachments and loyalties developed. Certain alliances.

"I don't believe I'm feeling that lucky ... sir," Chester said. With a bite.

"No. I wouldn't think you would be," Peregrine responded. "Pity about Field ... you and him were a lot alike, weren't you?"

The mouse's cheeks flushed beneath his fur. Flushed hot.

"Weren't you?" Peregrine prodded.

"Shut up."

"Hold your tongue, mouse."

"I won't be spoken to," Chester spat back, "like this. Not by you. Not by another mouse. We're on the same side!"

"You were TOO close to Field, Chester. And Field was WAY too close to Adelaide."

"Are you saying I'm a collaborator?"

"I'm saying ... I don't know that you can be trusted."

"Sir, I'm ... "

" ... contaminated by association. Guilty," Peregrine assured, "of something. Of what, exactly, I don't know, but ... I don't have time to find out." Peregrine nodded at two male mice on the other side of the bridge. "Take Chester here ... to Airlock Two. He's going on a trip."

Chester bolted from his chair, scurrying ...

"Hold it ... right," ordered Dotna, "there." The only surviving chipmunk ... aboard Luminous. The other four had all been ... ‘lost.' She had a phase pistol trained on Chester's chest. Blocking his way to the lift. "Shall I put him out of his misery, Perry?"

Peregrine smiled. Dotna had a lot of nerve ... using his pet name out loud like that. On the bridge. In front of these other furs. With that single action, she'd just broadcasted, in a roundabout way, the fact that ... she and the mouse were lovers. Of course, they both had many lovers. But ... all the same ...

"No ... space him," Peregrine ordered.

Chester's heart hammered. Hammer-hammered. "I'm a mouse!" he squeaked. "Peregrine! Sir!"

"You're a traitor!" Peregrine spat, stalking the bridge. Stalking to Chester. Chester's black and white fur, all in patches ... contrasting with Peregrine's steely grey. "You were buddy-buddy with Field, who was ... Adelaide's clockwork mouse? And you expect me to believe that ... you are COMPLETELY free of her influence? You could be working for her. You've been in charge of coordinating the search ... from the bridge. You could've sabotaged the computer yourself. You could've ... "

"That's all ... that's ... you can't prove any of that!"

"I don't have to. I've already spaced Kody. You'll join him." A pause. "I regret ... having to do this, Chester." Peregrine swallowed. Wearing a look of pain. Whether it was feigned or real ... Chester couldn't tell. Couldn't ... bring himself to care. He was so afraid. "You'll have a few conscious seconds before you die out there. It's a cold, airless vacuum. You'll ... your blood vessels will explode. Your lungs will ... burst like balloons. Very ... very," Peregrine whispered, "painful. But it'll only last a few seconds. It's the quickest way to get rid of you ... my friend." He put his paw on Chester's shoulder, and leaned forward, putting forehead-to-forehead. "You won't be forgotten. Like every other rodent lost on this ship ... since our launch ... we will continue the fight," Peregrine assured, "for you. Your sacrifice is a noble one."

Chester was crying, hardly able to stand ... as two other mice dragged him away. To the lift. "No ... no, please ... "

"Adelaide is your executioner, Chester. Not me. She's making me do this ... she's tearing this ship apart. Turning us against each other. I'm sorry, but ... I have no choice."

Chester sobbed pitifully ... dragged to the lift. Which whisked him to Airlock Seven.

"A predator reduced to tears," Dotna observed, shaking her head in disgust. "Perry ... she has to be stopped. She's like a DISEASE." The chipmunk gripped her phase pistol. "Let me go after her. I'll rip out her throat with my own paws ... have her wings framed in the ready room."

"Too risky. I won't lose you."

"You've Audrey down there ... sniffing about ... "

"Audrey's a skunk. She has a luxurious body, and damn fine fur, but ... she doesn't have your ... eyes," Peregrine whispered, of Dotna's emerald-green eyes. "Your personality. I like my femmes ... to be rough-and-tumble. Witty. Feminine, but ... confident. I won't sacrifice you to the bat."

"I'm a keeper, then?" A lusty grin. Fur colored shades of brown. With the dark brown stripe running between her ears, all the way down her back and rump, to her wire-brush of a tail.

"Mm ... " Peregrine took a deep breath. Changing the subject. "No, you're not going down there. I have most of my mice ... scattered about. I need you on the bridge." He didn't say what for. But ... she knew it was ... to protect him. ANY captain of the good ship Luminous ... made himself a target by simply BEING captain. Peregrine, by asserting control (with Wren dead, with Field dead ... with Adelaide a fugitive) ... by asserting control, Wren had launched a new wave of power plays.

And you could never tell who would join you ...

... and who would betray you.

He didn't think Dotna would betray him. No, he was too good a yiff partner ... for her to do that. The orgasms she would lose ... if she killed him. No.

But Chester? Chester was wishy-washy. Almost prey-like. Disgusting, really. Like a wolf or something. Chester had been like Field ... clingy. A sub. A predator with so many deficiencies ... that he only survived by latching onto those in power. Chester shouldn't have survived as long as he did. But no matter. He would be dead in a few minutes.



"Thanks for ... hiding me," Adelaide whispered. A sultry whisper. A grin on her muzzle. As she leaned against the kitchen sink ... in Pyro's quarters. "All prey are under lock-down. They won't look for me here."

Pyro said nothing. He hadn't ... wanted to let her in. Hadn't wanted to ...

"Come on, Pi ... "

"Don't use nicknames with me." His red eyes ... glared at her.

"Is that defiance," she asked, giggling, "I detect? Or are you trying to be funny?" Her smile faded. "I have a very particular sense of humor, wolf. I suggest you don't give me lip."

"What, then, shall I give?"

A smile. "Mm ... everything but sass. I don't like sassy furs. They think the world of themselves, but ... they're really not that bright."

"And why's that?"

"Cause I'm still alive, and I'm ... in control. And they are not."

Pyro was sitting in a chair.

"Aw ... that's cute, you know." Adelaide gave a nod. Picking up a half-full glass from the counter. Sniffing it. "Alcohol?"

Pyro didn't respond.

Adelaide downed it. Made a gagging sound. "Ack ... mm ... " A cough. A giggle. "Mm ... burns." She put the glass (now empty) down. "Shouldn't drink, Pi. Does things to you ... liver cancer. All that good stuff. Makes you do things," she whispered, "you may regret ... "

Pyro swallowed.

"I didn't regret it. I normally don't ... yiff," she admitted, "with prey. They're too easy. And who likes easy?" A chuckle. "Mm ... but you're good. My only regret," she cooed, "is that I never got my fangs into your neck ... that damn door chime. They should take those off the doors, you know? Interrupting coitus ... should be punishable." She closed her eyes. "I had a headache for two days ... afterwards." When bats engaged in intercourse, their biting instinct was triggered. If the bite didn't happen ... it left the bat in a sickly state ... from anywhere from a few hours to a few days. There were many upsides to a bat's mental abilities. And a bat's sexual physiology. But there were down-sides, too ... there were ... weaknesses.

Pyro got up from his chair. Was going to leave the room.

"What did she say?" Adelaide asked. "Your mate ... I think it's cute that prey take mates. The prey on this ship are no more faithful to their mates than the predators. So, why take one?" A breath. "What did she say? What's her name? Sumpner. Sumpta. Assumpta ... yeah ... the snow leopard. Haven't fucked her ... yet," Adelaide whispered.

Pyro froze. Back to her. He breathed ... " ... if you lay a paw on her ... "

"She must've smelled me on you." A grin. "Did it ... arouse her?"

"Only a predator would ... be aroused by such sin," Pyro responded. "She understood ... that you used me. She forgave me. She knows of your evil ... "

"Oh, don't get religious on me. Field gave me enough of that. I think I broke him of it ... before the end."

"Field was my friend."

"Oh, he was ... " A giggle. "Oh, everybody's ... friend."

"That's not what I meant."

"You never had sex with him? Don't tell me you didn't ... "

"You didn't allow him to ... "

"Before he was mated to me ... Wren let him ... make the rounds. Before I reigned him in for private use, the whole ship had a go ... I'm sure you were one of them."

Pyro's cheeks burned.

"Aw ... " A chuckle. "Just the imagery of that, you and him ... that's SO cute. That's ... "

Pyro spun, red eyes glowing. Throbbing, seemingly, with color and energy.

"Ooh ... ooh, I made the doggie mad."

"Don't," he growled, "call me a doggie ... murderer. You killed your own mate. Do you know how sick that is? And the WAY you killed him ... you're demented. You're ... sick."

"The prey, when pricked ... a predator, perhaps?" Adelaide asked, ignoring his question. In poetic, serious prose. "I do think, Pyro, that ... you have potential. It's why I like you so much."

"Get out," Pyro growled.

"Are you going to make me?"

"I have mental blocks ... I can resist you better than the others can."

"And yet you still yiffed with me ... you're still hiding me in here ... you still," she said, padding toward him. Her bare, pink foot-paws ... padding on the carpet of his quarters. "You still care, don't you?"

"I don't care ... at all. I have NO feelings for you. You're delusional," the wolf spat, "if you think I'm one of your minions."

"We have something in common, Pyro," she whispered. So softly. Putting a paw on his cheek.

The wolf flinched.

"Pyro," Adelaide whispered. "We both have ... let's say ... not a fetish, but ... a predisposition," she told him, "for biting. We're the only furs on this ship who appreciate the art of biting, nibbling ... nipping. We love doing things with our teeth. You've bitten and nibbled on dozens of furs ... on this ship. Male and female. Your current chew toy is that ... waif of a snow leopard. She's always smiling and ... slinking about. She's not your type, you know?"

"Who ... who's my type?"

"I'm your type."

The wolf scoffed.

"Don't deny it. Don't deny ... how much I appeal to you. How much you'd rather chew on me. When we started to yiff ... we had to stop before I bit you. You've wanted to finish. You want it ... right now, I ... I smell it on you. I feel it. I ... can hear it your mind." She looked to his eyes. "You'd do anything," she whispered, "to have my fangs. To nibble my body, to bite my paws ... and then, to have me overpower you ... to bite you back. Deeply. In the neck." A calculated pause. "Ever felt the female orgasm? No ... course you haven't. You couldn't. Only way ... is ... if we were linked. You would feel it. Feel mine. You would feel how it is for a femme ... on TOP of your ... measly male pleasures. Can you imagine?" she cooed. "Can you imagine such pleasure? I'll let you have it ... just ... oh, Pyro ... " She put her paws on his arms, starting to rub, and ...

... the wolf, mind a haze ... he focused himself. He could block her. Oh, it took SUCH effort, but he could. He was the only one on the ship who could resist her. But ... even so, she almost had him. Almost ... resist, resist!

Resist!

Shove!

Adelaide chittered, falling to her rump, tumbling on the floor. She glared up at him, licking her lips. Breasts heaving. "Not playing nice ... that's ... not playing nice."

"Get out!"

"YOU ... let me in!" she reminded him. "If you want me out, you'll have to force me out!"

"You can't stay in my quarters forever! What are you hoping to do? Your life on this ship is over, and even if you make it away ... in a shuttle-pod, or ... where will you go? You'll have no one to victimize!"

"Wolf, this ship ... is MINE. Make NO mistake of ... "

Pyro bolted for the door. Opened it. Stumbled into the hallway. Let off a howl.

"Dammit!" Adelaide followed him into the corridor. Into the open. And bore her mind upon him ... trying to crush him.

Pyro panted in pain ... keeping her on the perimeters of his mind ...

"I don't ... have time," Adelaide panted, "for you ... " She started to back away. And ducked ... sensing the fur behind her ... as the phase pistol fired.

An energy beam seared through the air. Hitting the ceiling. Creating sparks. Burning ... starting a small fire.

The alarm klaxons blared. But the internal fire extinguishers were offline. Everything ... was offline. The entire computer core blocked ... by her command subroutine.

The fire blazed in the corridor, and Adelaide spun ... using her mind to crush the mouse who'd fired at her ... and she walked cooly past him. To the nearest lift. Using her codes to activate it ... and move to another deck.

Pyro, on the floor, panting, shook his head, animal instincts screaming ... fire, fire! Red eyes ... glowing the same color, seemingly, as the flames. He could see PAST the heat ... past everything. He, hypnotized by the flame, didn't see the snow leopard walk up to him ...

... only felt her paws on his shoulders. Felt her grip as she pulled him up. She, of such warmth, with a dancer's grace ... whispering into his ear.

The wolf crying, eyes stinging from the smoke ...

... as Assumpta led him away ... off the deck. But there was no safety anymore. Not on Luminous.

The ship rocked. The lights flickered.

"Pulse grenade," Pyro guessed. The fight had begun. The true fight had begun. No doubt, Adelaide had her ... allies.

"I do not think," Assumpta whispered, "we shall survive this."

"Don't say that," Pyro begged. "Please ... "

"There is a ship ... five days away. An insect ship. It is coming toward us, but ... we are helpless. We are tearing ourselves apart. Who is coming? What do they want? We are sitting ducks ... Pyro, the evil in the air ... it will suffocate us all."

"You're so pure ... " The tears streamed down his cheeks. "You're ... you give me such joy ... I'm sorry ... I'm so sorry ... I've betrayed you so many times."

"I forgive you ... " She purred against his neck. Her feline form, snowy-white ... with grey-stripes ... and her lazy tail, and her ... icy eyes. "I forgive you, darling. I always have."

Pyro's heart was breaking. He was going to lose her. They were going to lose each other. They were all going to lose their lives (and possibly their souls) ...

The ship rocked again. And, this time, the lights died ...

... and emergency lighting flickered on. Flicker-flicker ... the smoke, the fire ... the alarms ... the death.

"You don't deserve this end," Pyro whispered ... so softly ... as to barely be heard. "I wish I could save you. I would give my life for you ... Assumpta ... oh, my mate ... "

"We must seek cover," the snow leopard advised. "My love ... we must get out of the corridor. Come to my quarters." She tugged on his arm. Gently. "Please."

Pyro, quivering, followed her ... gladly followed her.

"Let us spend our last hours ... in pleasure," she whispered, nipping at his ear (the way he liked). "If we are to meet the jaws of death ... let us be hissing and howling, with teeth bared ... not in combat, but in love ... as we greet it."

"The whole ... universe," Pyro lamented, "is falling apart ... all around us. Isn't there somewhere better? Why couldn't we have been ... born somewhere better?"

"That is not for us to ask ... Pyro, please ... hurry ... " She tugged at him, giving soft mews ... trying to get him to some semblance of safety.

And the two furs, the two prey ... they slid away. To ride out this storm.

If such a storm could even be survived.