... eighteen months earlier ...

The snow rabbit coughed. Curled up in a corner. The floor was ... simply metal. Something metallic. Something shiny. Something very, very cold. But she was built for the cold. The cold was not ... what made this uncomfortable ...

She breathed. In. And breathed ... out. A cloud of vapor leaving her muzzle. A visible breath. And, head pounding, she looked down. She was bare. In the fur. Her foot-paws and paws were tied together. Or cuffed, was more like it.

She was a prisoner.

And she ...

... blinked, flinching (to a degree) as a clunking sound hit her slender, long ears. Her white, waggling ears. Her waggling ears that suddenly stopped waggling.

"Hello."

Aria closed her eyes. Exhaling.

"I said ‘hello'," went the voice.

Again, the snow rabbit gave nothing. Give nothing. Give him nothing ...

Padding of foot-paws. Stopping. And ...

... coughing out, Aria sucked air. Kicked in the side. Cough ... and eyes, weakly open, seeing blood. On the floor. Had it come from her muzzle? Or was she otherwise wounded?

"Your pelt," the voice said, "has a lovely patch of red, if you're wondering ... makes you look more alive, I think. Snow rabbits are so ... viciously," he spat, "dull."

A shaky breath. And she licked her lips, which were dry. Lick. Whispering, "I ... I will not," she insisted, "help you."

"Help me?" asked the voice, bending down. Bending at the knees, and head-tilting. Looking at her eyes.

An Arctic fox. Longer fur. Just as white. With a black nose and black paws. Sharp teeth. A bushy, black-tipped tail.

"Help me?" he asked again. "I'm not needing your help ... Aria," he whispered.

She swallowed.

"Yes, I know your name. I know a lot about you," he said smoothly. With restrained, enigmatic malice. "And I'm not needing your help. I'm just needing," he whispered, "you."

Inhale.

"Prey are so weak."

Exhale.

The fox's paw ran softly along her side, along her wound, spreading the blood along the white of fur ... as if painting. "Weak," he whispered, "and pitiful."

Inhale.

"Just keep breathing. Just keep closing your eyes. Maybe," the fox mocked, "I will go away." A toothy grin, and he stood up. Clearing his throat. "But I'm not finished with you. Not," he promised, "yet." And he produced a pad. "Aria. Clearance code alpha-74656 ... rank: lieutenant-commander. You were found in a stealth pod ... attempting," he emphasized, "to commandeer one of our satellites."

"A SPY satellite," she rasped, swallowing. Her muscles hurt.

"A satellite," the fox insisted. "Did you not think it was being monitored? Did you not think we were WATCHING you?"

She said nothing. Acting her part. Acting THE part ... of prey. Of captive. Of a weaker vessel.

"I suppose it's not surprising. Snow rabbits are brash. Flighty. They make bold, quick decisions ... without really thinking about them. You value logic. You value emotional control. You claim to be better," he hissed, "than us." A small shake of the head. "But here you are. Again and again, YOU, as a species are ... docile, broken, and bound," he whispered, "in front of us." A small, throaty growl. "Again, we win."

"You are LOSING," she yipped, "this war! Do not think ... "

A kick!

A rabbit bark! And a cough, blood dripping from her mouth. Cough. She swallowed, and it was such a bitter ... bitter feeling. She shivered. Exhaling very shakily.

"You think you're so smart. You think ... you're better?" A paw went to her pelt, and a YANK ...

... and a whimper.

The fox's paws gripping her fur. Pulling her fur. Heave, heave. "By now," he rasped, "I assume you've guessed why you're in the fur ... I assume you've heard rumors ... "

She squeezed her eyes shut. Retaining her emotional control.

" ... about what foxes do to rabbits."

She'd heard. She knew.

"I've had a few," he whispered, very, very quietly. "Two femmes ... even a male. It's ... they writhe at first. They writhe and squirm and yip. They try to fight it. But their own bodies betray them!" The fox said, chuckling. "Instinct FORCES them to submit ... and, in the end, I rather think they enjoy ... "

Aria spat at him. Missed.

"Ah, ah ... " A motioning of the paw. "That wasn't nice. Not a very Christian attitude, is it?"

She remained quiet. He was trying to bait her ... trying to attack her faith. She wasn't going to bite.

The fox's demeanor went deadly cold. He showed his teeth. "You are going to like this. And when you are DONE liking it," he said, eyes dark and sinister, "you will whisper to me ALL the information you have ... about your species. Your deployments. Your ships. Weapons codes. Shield frequencies," he prattled. "And if you DON'T cooperate, you'll be drugged. Or maybe we'll drug you, regardless. Whatever the case, you're going to FEEL ... me," he whispered. "You are going to remember all of it." A huff. A belt being undone. The fox removing his clothes.

The air cold.

But both of them OF the ice. They lived for the cold.

Both of them ... emotionally frozen. Emotionally suppressed. Because of heritage AND necessity. Both of them ...

... equally strong-willed. And ...

... both of them enemies. Despite an Arctic bond. And no warm-blooded fur could understand the distrust. The animosity. The hatred.

Warm-blooded prey and warm-blooded predators ... between them, there existed the same schism.

But with snow-furs, it was magnified.

And Aria breathed heavily, resisting ... unable to, but trying. The fox undoing the cuffs on her foot-paws. He needed to open her legs. And, cuffs unlocked ...
... she kicked! Kicked! Her legs were strong. Rabbit legs were built for bolting, for running. Rabbits were made the best endurance runners. Across almost any terrain. And kick after kick ... one hit. One miss. Another miss, and ...

... the fox growling, a bit bruised, and claws raking at her thighs.

A squeal from her.

And a grip from him. More blood drawn, and his black nose flaring, sniffing. The scent of prey. The fox was losing control now. Going into pure predatory mode. Blood had been drawn. His prey was here, bare, in front of him. All his. All his ...

... and Aria swallowed, hoping this was worth it. Knowing a thin, thin chip had been embedded in her upper, right arm. Beneath the fur and flesh. It was giving off a signal. Her superiors had no doubt successfully tracked her ... through space ...

... to where she'd been brought.

To where she was now.

The Arctic fox bases were VERY well hidden. On their own world. On various moons. Even in the former DMZ (which was now crossed ... blatantly and daily).

The snow rabbits would send a stealth team. A small FLEET.

And would come and DESTROY this base. Download all the secrets it obtained, and ... and ... kill these foxes.

Oh, they would never suspect ... their opinion of snow rabbits, of prey, was SO dismal and SO ... they were SO arrogant!

They would never guess that some-fur like Aria would be willingly captured. Would give herself as live (secret) bait.

Oh, the fox ... was having her. Was going to take her ...

... but, no, he would not win.

The snow rabbits WERE winning this war. And as her eyes welled and ... as the fox began to penetrate, she kept her emotional freeze. Kept it up. Endured it. Listened to his huffs and pants and grunts of pleasure. Felt as her body did, indeed, betray her ... it felt almost good ... if it weren't so revolting.

She shut her mind down. Tried to glaze it all over ... tried to detach.

But couldn't.

Couldn't.

Please, be worth it ... please, be worth it ...



... present time ...

Solstice was in a high orbit ...

... and Aria's paws danced across her console. Tap-tap ... beep-beep.

Advance looked her way. Waiting. Brow raised.

"I am detecting life-signs."

"Species?"

"Multiple species." Paws danced. Ice-blue eyes darting, focusing. "Birds, boars ... and plants."

"Birds, beasts, and flowers," Audrey remarked.

The snow rabbit looked to her.

And the squirrel smiled and shrugged.

Aria let out a breath. "Audrey's poetry, however ... simple," the snow rabbit said.

"Ouch," Advance mouthed to his mate.

The squirrel giggled quietly.

" ... is accurate," Aria offered.

"Birds and boars, huh?" Advance turned back to the viewer. "I don't understand. An odd combination ... so, um, what are they doing here?"

"There are multiple island chains and tropical continents," Aria said, continuing her scans. "Presumably, they colonized them."

"Mm ... well ... I can't say I'm eager to go down there." The Captain looked around. Looking for other opinions.

"I'd rather take shore leave," Herkimer said, piping up, "with other prey. Not ... not with birds. Or anything with tusks. And not in tropics."

"Agreed," Aria echoed.

"Another planet, then?"

Audrey nodded.

"Isn't anyone gonna ask me?"

Advance turned ... to the sound of Advent. The jaguar was at her station, at the helm.

"I'm FROM the jungle," the jaguar said. "I say we stay. Go down there. Have a bit of ... fun," she whispered.

Aria glared at the jaguar ...

... who glared back at the snow rabbit. "Oh, I forgot. You wilt in the heat."

The snow rabbit remained quiet.

"Lieutenant," Advance said to the jaguar.

"Sir," she replied, showing her teeth.

"I don't think most of the crew would be comfortable taking shore leave here. So ... we'll stay in orbit for the rest of the day. Run some scans. Map the planet from orbit ... update our database. And then we'll warp out. Find someplace else. I want you to draw up a route ... "

"To where?"

"Someplace suitable."

"I'm FROM the jungle," she repeated. "I WANT to go down there. Let me."

"So you can DO what?"

A slow, sly grin. "Anything that moves."

Advance frowned. Exhaled through the nose. "No. We have eighty-two other furs on this ship. We'll map and scan this place, and ... take shore leave on a planet we can all agree on. Or ... at least come to a consensus about. But it's ultimately MY decision. I'm the Captain. We're not staying here. We'll ... "

"Fine," the jaguar relented. "Fine." Her paws danced across her controls. Her claws extended from her pads. "By the way, I ... found something," she said, her muzzle hidden from view. A toothy smile.

"What?" The desert mouse blinked.

"Lieutenant," Aria said, tapping into helm control, and seeing what the jaguar was about to do ...

... but too late to stop her.

The viewer switched. Blinked. Magnified.

"Active," Advent said, gesturing a paw grandly (at the viewer), "volcanoes."

Advance blinked, looking at the viewer.

Herkimer perked, sitting up ... at Ops. Swallowing.

The volcano was, indeed, active. Spewing neon-orange lava ... up and up. From the cone of the mountain. Spurt after steamy spurt of pent-up magma.

The two male mice ... swallowed. Fidgeted.

Advent, back to the rest of them, chuckled to herself, nodding lightly.

"Uh ... um," Herkimer went, squirming. He stood. And sat down. The magnified image on the viewer playing, playing, playing. The feed not being cut or diverted in any way.

"You okay?" Audrey asked Herkimer. A squint.

"I, uh ... " A swallow. A bashful, quiet nod. "That ... that eruption ... " Ears going rosy pink. "It makes me really wanna paw." Just like how a fountain of water would make one need to use the bathroom ... so this volcano was making the male furs need to paw. Watching the hypnotizing, light-bright spewing and spurting of steamy magma from the cone of the mountain ... erupt, erupt ... erupt ...

"Oh." The squirrel blinked.

Advance squirmed in the Captain's chair, stood, and then sat again. "A-advent, turn it off ... "

"Yeah?" She turned around. Grinning a toothy grin.

Herkimer, twitching, fidgeting, panting a bit ... got up from his seat, licking his lips. Tried to sit back down. But ...

... ended up making a beeline for the bathroom. Already erect beneath his clothing. The pink, sensitive skin of his mouse-hood brushing against fabric.

Advance, sighing heavily, gritting his teeth at the femme jaguar, tried to scold her ... but couldn't get the words out. And, instead, relented ... and scurried after Herkimer. To join him in the bathroom.

When they'd both left the bridge, Advent burst out in purring laughter.

"You did that on purpose," Aria accused, squinting. The snow rabbit's ears waggled.

"Yeah, I did. I thought it'd be funny. And guess what? It WAS." Happy purrs. Golden, slitted eyes shining ... with mischief.

"You shouldn't embarrass the males like that," Audrey piped in, her tone a bit more diplomatic than Aria's had been. "Aria's right. You KNEW seeing the volcano would make them need to paw ... "

"Captain was asking for it. He has NO right to keep me from that planet."

"Taking shore leave on a tropical world controlled by birds," Aria said, "is hardly an idea of rest."

"No, I forgot. All you prey ... want open, flat fields and rolling woodlands ... and other prey," she spat. "Anyway, there's not just birds down there."

"You wanna do a boar?"

"Never done one." A grin. "They squeal when they ... "

"Charming, I'm sure," Audrey said, interrupting the feline before she could say something crude. "But there's no furry federation presence," the squirrel said, "down there. Bad idea to stick around."

"You feel safer ‘in the fold' ... how predictable. Where's your sense of adventure? New places? New furs?"

"I have a perfect ‘sense' of adventure. And I don't wanna spend the next five days in a steamy, squawking jungle."

"Pity."

"When the males return, I think you should be ... absent," Aria said.

"Is that an order ... or a suggestion? Besides, Advance will be mellowed-out from his orgasm. He won't yell at me."

"He's my mate, you know!" Audrey said. "I'm sitting right here."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah ... him and his orgasms are NONE of your business."

"Furs," Aria interrupted.

"Go on. DO go on," Advent prodded. "This is a fascinating conversation."

"Furs!"

The squirrel and jaguar blinked.

Aria sighed. Closing her eyes for a moment. Her white ears waggling. And she opened her eyes. Pushing aside any ... disturbing memories. Pushing aside her past. Pushing aside her hatred for Advent. To say, "This is a star-ship ... not a fun-house. You are officers." The snow rabbit GLARED at the jaguar. "Act like it."

" ... not a fun-house," the jaguar whispered, head-tilting. "You're picking up a sense of humor. Must terrify you. To know you're being corrupted like that ... "

"I have no problem with humor."

"Then why am I the ONLY one here ... who thinks that this," Advent went, gesturing at the volcano still on the viewer, "triggering them to need to ejaculate ... is HILARIOUS!"

"Because it's humor at THEIR expense. You embarrassed them. Humor without any heart," Aria replied, "is very often ... NOT funny. Rather, it's simply desperate."

"Desperate, huh? Well, I WAS bored, and ... this IS entertaining, so ... call it what you will. It's still funny."

"Leave the bridge."

The jaguar squinted.

"That is an order, Lieutenant."

"Is that so ... Sub-Commander?" the jaguar whispered, purring, showing her teeth. She slipped out of her seat. Padded across the bridge.

Audrey tensed from the Comm station, her bushy tail twitching.

Aria's heart picked up pace. She squinted. But she kept her emotional cool. Of all the predators she'd faced ... she'd faced far deadlier ones than Advent. Even if the jaguar had the BIGGEST ego. "You said," the jaguar whispered, "humor without heart? What do ICE furs know about heart?" she taunted.

"Plenty," was Aria's cold response.

"That so?"

The snow rabbit matched the jaguar's gaze.

"Someone needs to be at helm ... "

"I'll call Ensign Tess. I'll have her do it," Aria said simply.

"Am I in trouble ... ma'am?" the jaguar asked (with mock-cuteness).

"You are relieved," Aria replied, "for the day. Now, I suggest you get off the bridge BEFORE the males are finished."

"Sure thing," was the cat's purred response, and she flashed her teeth at the rabbit. "But I leave not because you ask me to ... but because I wish it." And she went to the lift, extending her claws from her pads. And motioning them at the snow rabbit.

Audrey watched the tension with a concerned frown.

And the jaguar, before the lift doors swished shut on her, gave the squirrel an enigmatic wink.

Audrey sighed when the feline was finally gone. Shaking her head a bit. "I just ... sometimes, I just don't get her at ALL."

Aria was quiet for a moment. "Unfortunately," she whispered, "I do. I've dealt up-front with predators my entire life. She is toying with us."

"Toying?"

"Make no mistake, Lieutenant. She is DEADLY. Were she not heavily outnumbered by prey ... she would've killed me by now. Or attempted to, anyway."

Audrey blinked. "She wouldn't go that far, would she ... I mean, seriously ... "

Aria looked away. "She wants nothing more than to ... bind me. And break me. But I have been bound before. And not yet broken." The snow rabbit sat up straighter in her chair. "If she tries anything, it will be to HER detriment."

"Well ... anyway, why's she gunning for you? Shouldn't she be mad at Herkimer and Opal?"

"She is," Aria said simply. "But they're too easy. I am not."

"Easy?" A twitch and a blink. "I don't understand ... "

"She knows she's scarred Herkimer. Anyhow, seeing him ... reminds her that he ‘got away' ... as for Opal, she could easily do the same with her. Damage her. But it wouldn't be satisfying. She knows I would be ... a challenge. She relishes that. I'm unique. I'm different. And I'm prey. That's all there is to it."

"Aria ... "

"I do not wish to discuss it," the snow rabbit said (as politely as she could), "any further."

The squirrel nodded quietly.

There was an uncomfortable pause.

"And Lieutenant?"

"Yes?" Audrey asked.

"Get that volcano ... OFF the viewer."

"Oh. Right."

Aria closed her eyes. Maintaining her emotional freeze. Wishing she didn't have the slightest of headaches.



Later, in the mess hall.

"He's a sheet-hog."

"I have silky, sensitive fur ... "

" ... that can't be exposed to air at night? WHATEVER. You're a sheet-hot. My fur is SHORTER," Bell-Bell argued lightly. Not at all mad. Not at all brooding. Just having fun ... verbally going back and forth with Welly.

While Aria and Ross, both of them rather quiet, watched from the other side of the table.

"If anyone needs the sheets, it's ME," the doe emphasized, shaking a canister of multi-colored sprinkled onto her ice cream (plain vanilla, in a dish). "Mm ... no, you've just got this possessive thing."

"Possessive, huh?" A bit of a cocky smile.

"Yeah, this ... like, this need to possess EVERYTHING in bed."

The skunk chuckled, shaking with mirth. "Mm ... mm, NO argument there, sweetie."

Bell-Bell, starting to giggle, nodded. "Well ... okay, so ... bad form, then, to complain about your possessiveness?"

"Well," Welly went slyly, leaning toward her. "When I'm possessing your ... "

"Sprinkles?" asked Aria plainly.

" ... every night," Welly continued, unaware that the rabbit had strategically drowned out the skunk's words, "then, no, you really CAN'T complain."

"You're the best," the doe agreed.

"I know." A grin from him.

"Sprinkles?" Aria asked again.

"What? Oh," went the skunk, nodding. "Heh ... here. Sorry!"

"It is alright," the snow rabbit replied. And tipped the sprinkle canister ... putting some on her ice cream. And then looking to her right. To Ross. "Sprinkles?"

"Thank you," he whispered airily, gently, and took the canister from her. And put some on his own ice cream. Before putting the sprinkle container down on the table.

"You are two are CUTE," Bell-Bell confessed, after a moment.

"Mm?" Ross looked up.

"We're not cute?" Welly asked.

"Oh, WE'RE cute," Bell-Bell said of her and the skunk, "but they're a different cute. Like, they're both so quiet, and ... look at them."

"We are sitting right here," Aria reminded.

"I know." The doe smiled. "I'm just saying ... "

"You like to ‘just say'," Welly injected. "I think that's one of your favorite pastimes. To ‘just say' things ..."

"Oh, yeah, flirty-tail? You wanna talk about pastimes ... "

Ross leaned closer to Aria, whispering, "They, uh, like to tease each other like that?"

"Apparently," Aria whispered back. "Apparently, this is their ‘foreplay' ... "

"Oh."

The meadow mouse and snow rabbit went quiet again, watching the skunk and deer chatter back and forth. The four of them having ice cream. Just ice cream. Had come here to hang out. Socialize and talk. Though those two were doing nearly all the talking.

Ross smiled to himself as he remembered some song lyrics ... ‘words, words, words, I'm so sick of words ... first, words from him, now words from you ... don't give me words: SHOW me!' ... ‘show me' ...

Show her ...

Aria let out a breath. A sigh, almost. And looked down to the tabletop, unblinking. Thinking, once more, of her past skirmishes with predators. And her current dealings with Advent. Was there never any rest from that ... tension?

Why were predators so unreasonable?

"Chocolate syrup?" asked Ross. Shyly.

Aria reached for the bottle. Passed it to him.

Why was Advent even ON this ship? She didn't act like she WANTED to be here. Predators ... always, though, had their reasons. No doubt the jaguar had hers. And, no doubt, she was hiding things. Dangerous things, probably. Oh, she was a problem. But, then, she'd always been. For months now.

Cats. Felines. They were no better than foxes. Though at least felines were more OPEN with their egos and their ... at least they were predictably volatile. Instead of unpredictably ...

A nudge.

Aria blinked, shaking the thoughts away. "Mm?" she went. Welly and Bell-Bell were still chattering and giggling at each other, like a true pair of love-furs. Their verbal flirting was getting so heavy that the rabbit, had she a sense of humor, would've intervened and suggested they acquire a room ...

It was Ross who had nudged her. Had nosed her, actually. Nosed her arm.

Aria blinked, not understanding what he wanted. And looking down, saw him push his ice cream bowl toward hers.

He had drawn a heart in his bowl. An outline of a heart with chocolate syrup. Inside the heart, a melting, oozing ‘A + R' ...

The rabbit swallowed, not quite knowing what to say.

The meadow mouse smiled shyly, and slipped a paw against hers. Beneath the table. Meshed his fingers with hers.

And squeezed a paw.

She flushed and squeezed back.

And while the skunk and deer continued to say everything with words ...

... the vole and snow rabbit said everything with a squeeze and a glance.

Love made for such ...

... lovely modes of communication. And, in a life, in a universe where many things were explained away ... or totally unexplainable ...

... it was language enough.