FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

* * *

As Karus had first entered Bruster's Tavern, Ts'Sai was following closely behind. Unlike the wolf she was tracking, it was not necessary for her to psych herself up for the entrance, and was able to make a very quick pace, catching up to him quickly. She did not want to be spotted, yet, knowing she was not supposed to be out. And at the entrance of the Tavern, she was _certain_she was not supposed to be here.

The advertising posters featured some of the most disturbing images Ts'Sai has seen thus far, and the smells emanating from the entrance certainly offered a warning to her tiny nose. Waiting customers were engaging in very public displays of lust, not affection. She did her best to keep her eyes down, only glancing upwards every so often to see if she could catch a glimpse of Karus.

Eventually, she did spot him, standing on his own, apparently taking in deep breaths. He cracked his neck, and flexed his digits, and stormed off towards the entryway, shoving his way through the crowd. Ts'Sai could hear one of those waiting in line shout out, calling Karus an 'asshole.' When she looked upwards again, she caught Karus in the most menacing stance she had ever seen the wolf in. Her gruff, but generally congenial friend looked every bit the monster, with his chest raised, his lips curled into a frightening snarl, and his paws twitching by his blasters.

She took cover behind a deer in line, hoping to not be spotted. The youth had second thoughts about attempting to enter, however, she figured she was already this far...and she could not bear the boredom of the ship any longer. As repulsive as this place was appearing, it was at least a bit of an adventure. Waiting in line, however, she realized she was spending more time directing her eyes at the floor, to avoid taking in too many disgusting sights.

Soon, it was her turn to enter, right after the deer in front of her passed by the hippopotamus bouncer. The large creature needed to lean over his podium in order to even see the diminutive kitten.

"Uh...don'tchya think ya might be a little young for this joint? Might wanna stick to the soda pop stands on the upper decks," he said, raising a curious eyebrow.

"I-um, er," Ts'Sai tried to speak, although the rhythmic, pulsating bass coming from the electronic music inside the bar made her tiny heart race, "I'm here, um...to see Karus."

"Oh, you're Karus's girl?" The bouncer said with a look of surprise, "Damn...didn't know he liked 'em that young, although...figures he wouldn't even wait to start getting shitfaced...already, head on in, might be able to catch the bastard."

She was nervous about entering, considering what she was able to see on the outside, but did not want the hippo to be asking her any more questions. Although, she was curious, about what he meant, about Karus getting...'shitfaced.' The little kitten skittered along quickly through the automatic door.

Her senses were immediately assaulted upon entry. Odious vapors from the booze and drugs being inhaled brought a cough to her throat, and tears to her eyes. The excessively loud music being blasted from speakers throughout the tavern forced her to cover her ears with her paws. Even her eyes were not safe, as she could all kinds of obscene actions being taken, from the slutty dancing Anthros on stage, to the grinding and groping taking place on the dance floor. Ts'Sai kept her eyes downward, but carefully tread a bit further in, being exceptionally careful to not touch anything, to avoid offending her only remaining sense.

For a brief moment, she could hear Karus's voice, apparently saying, 'Hey baby,' and she looked up right in time to see her friend getting hit hard by a bimbo-y looking mouse, who stamped off in a huff. She was confused, for one, because she had no idea what just occurred between the two, and secondly, she did not know if she should go to his aid. Ts'Sai decided against heading in, as she had no idea what she could do either way. Instead, she stepped a bit closer to some tables to observe what he would do next.

Thankfully, it appeared that the wolf was heading into the back, away from the sex-filled main area. She quickened her pace to follow, but not fast enough to avoid a cold, wet hand that clamped down on her shoulder, and spun her around.

"Mmm...why, hello there, darlin'," an alcohol-soaked, bulbous toad said, uncomfortably close to her face. "I saw ya puttin' a little show earlier in the vending passageway...how'd ya like to earn a few creds, and continue that little act for our table here?"

"Urf...no, thanks," she replied, growing more fearful by the moment, "I'm here to see a friend."

The slimy slob gripped her by both arms, and pulled her into his gluttonous gut. She pressed away, to no avail, her paws sinking into the oozing flesh.

"Come on, now, sweetheart...you can't tease a guy like that and just not give 'em anything," the cretin urged, his foul breath making the kitten almost lose her lunch. He was clearly getting more excited having a young thing struggling in his grasp. "How 'bout you give daddy a little kiss, huh?" The other sleazy toads at the table cheered on their comrade for his catch, and egged the kitten to comply.

She was quickly becoming paralyzed with fear, as the wide mouth of the toad opened and his slobbering, nasty tongue moved towards her.

"_ Karussss __ !!! _" she shouted at the top of her lungs.

* * *

That scream pierced Karus's ears over all of the ambient noise and dealings going on. He immediately tried to take off towards the sound, but was kept in place by the sapphire-eyed white mouse.

"Got a problem, hunny, hold your horses," She said, having to use quite a bit of force to keep the frantic wolf down.

"Speak. Now," Karus said with a grim tone, electronically depositing another hundred credits from his chit to hers, not wanting to waste any more time with negotiations.

The mouse looked, hoping for more, but understanding that trying to press the issue would _not_be the wisest decision at this point. "Two hunters, croc and a bull. Been on the upper level, looking at you the whole time, tracking every step. Shortly after you came in, a little kitten followed, she's obviously too young for this place, and was looking for you too. She's getting held up by a creeper right now, but the hunters are on the move, goin' straight towards her."

The rogue wolf slammed the chit on the table, and barked at Hazzakh, "Twenty-seven hundred credits, plus change, to end this conversation now, and I go with the stuff."

"I wonder, what would win out, between your addiction and your frien-" Hazzakh started to say, intending on toying with the hound a bit more. Karus interrupted him by switching both blasters to overcharge, piercing the air with a high-pitched electric whine.

"If you kill me, my cartel would have you put down before my body cools," Hazzakh responded to the implied threat, his slit-eyes narrowing.

"And if any harm comes to her, I won't be giving a shit," Karus said, beginning to growl deeply from his chest.

The naga waved that the offer was accepted, and Karus wasted no time in scooping the narcotics with a single motion, securing them in his vest, and leaping over the booth to take off like a furry bolt towards his distressed friend.

* * *

Just as the slippery, wriggling appendage was about to glide across her fuzzy cheek, her rescue appeared, but not in the form of a wolf. A scaly, clawed hand dropped heavily on the toad's shoulder. The sickening, flickering tongue snapped back into the toad's cavernous mouth, much to Ts'Sai's relief.

"Now, matey, I'd like to think ya for holding onto our quarry here...But I'm afraid I'm gonna have to ask ya kindly to put the little lass down," A rough crocodile, fully decked out in combat gear, instructed the wretched amphibian.

The toad turned slightly, and his drunken eyes struggled to focus on the croc, and the massive bull that was standing next to him who was likewise adorned with several different gadgets, weapons, and explosives. "Now, looky here, pal," the fat toad replied, still not releasing his grasp on Ts'Sai, "There's plenty of tail here, and you can just bugger off and find your own, alright?"

The croc sighed, and shook his long face with faux regret. He let go of the toad's shoulder, and snapped his claws at his bovine companion. Cracking the knuckles on his enormous hands, the bull chuckled dumbly.

Just as the realization struck the toad as to what would happen next, he was literally struck with bone-crushing force by the bull. His grip turned limp, letting loose of Ts'Sai, and his head fell sideways to the table. The eyes of the toad twitched slightly, and some muddy-looking blood oozed from his nose. His assembled amphibian companions had no idea whether he was still alive or not, and it was not in their interests at the time to care. They backed themselves away from the circular table, to avoid being drawn into the confrontation.

Ts'Sai was snatched by the crocodile, lifted upwards by the scruff of her neck. With his dominant right hand, the croc unslung a blaster rifle that was across his back, tucking it into his side, but barrel directed exactly at the kitten's head, prompting her to whimper softly.

Karus saw the tremendous punch of the bull, and was nearing his final approach, weaving about the crowd flawlessly. He slid along the surface of a nearby table, knocking aside the drinks of the patrons there. As his hips came close to his paws, he expertly drew his chrome blasters, and snapped them towards the heads of the hunters as he gracefully landed in an aggressive crouch.

"Alright, fellas...let's take a quick breather, and look at our options," Karus spoke through gritted fangs, "You've got my friend right there, and I've got both of you ready to fry. Why don't we all just walk away from this situation, with a big thank you from me for dealing with the shitbag there."

The crocodile chuckled, nudging his rifle into the cheek of the kitten, curling perfectly still out of sheer terror. "I don't think so, bub. We came to get the great and mighty Karus, and we've got the perfect leverage to do that, now. I think _you_should lower your weapons, unless you want kitty bits blown all over the bar, here."

The renegade wolf had to control his emotions, lest he show a sign of weakness to the pair of hunters. "What says she means that much to me? Go ahead, and shoot her, it'll be the last thing you'll ever do," he said in a dark, but uncaring tone.

Ts'Sai's eyes began watering up at that comment. She figured Karus was merely attempting to scare off the hunters, but...he said it so convincingly...it could have fooled her. The wolf _did_notice her reaction, and he could nearly feel his heart bursting at the pain of maintaining the act.

"Hah, I've got it on good authority, pal, that you can't allow any harm to come to this kitty here. And as long as my claw's on the trigger, you ain't able to take a shot," he said, his tone clear and simple. Karus examined the reptile for any sign of emotion, a weakness to exploit...and he could not manage to find one. Either the hound was slipping in his skills, or this was a surprisingly good hunter.

"Is that piss-poor bounty worth it, to you? To die, after killing a kitten, for a lousy ten grand a head? I wipe my tail-hole with that kinda cash," Karus said, hoping to probe a bit into the mercenaries' motivations. "You too, meatloaf?" he asked the bull, "Want your last action in the Way to be punchin' out a pervy toad?"

"Heh, it's not about the creds, and you know that, bub," The croc informed him, "It's about bringin' in one of the most infamous criminals 'round these parts. Don't matter what the bounty is, that's chump change. Point is, we'll get to put on our job history that we managed to bring in the once great Karus, and jobs'll fall in our laps."

Still poised for an attack, Karus controlled his breathing carefully to not show any reaction. "Alright then, pal, let's assume you are right, for a moment, and I _can't_let you harm her. What's the grand plan? You still don't have the whole crew, and here we are in a standoff. Just gonna wait till someone's arms get tired?"

"We'll have your boss soon enough, wolfy. And yeah, if I have to wait, no problems," the croc answered, grinning cruelly.

Good, Karus thought. The hunter made a rookie mistake, indicating that the hunters had _not_gotten Percival yet. Also, the fact that the pair was unconcerned with a timed plan indicated they had at least one other conspirator of the scheme.

"Alright, then," Karus said, concocting a trick, "Let me save ya'll some time. You've got the drop on me. That's obvious. And, you've got my friend to boot. Now, my boss, it's true, he's a great bud of mine, but...if it'll help get me 'n her outta trouble, I'm willing to cooperate...if you're willing to negotiate."

"Okay then, start talking," the hunter stated simply.

"Not here...this is a discussion between professionals," the wolf said, reeling in the bait, "These assholes around us could take what I say and move in on _your_action...Plus, your dumbass friend there can't really appreciate the kinda stuff I can offer." Karus had been examining the two, and did not think he was making too drastic of an assumption based on the somewhat empty glare that the bull had been making.

"Forgive me, Karus, if I don't exactly trust you with with lowering your weapon peacefully, you've got a reputation as a back-shooting bastard," the croc said. Ts'Sai listened intently to every exchange, and now with seeing it in person, began to understand the kind of crowd that Karus frequented before joining up with Percival.

"Hold your fire, just proving a point," Karus spoke softly, awaiting an 'all clear' from the hunter. As soon as he nodded slightly, Karus holstered his blaster, 'Turq,' with a flash of the paw almost faster than the hunting pair could follow. He held his empty right paw out as a gesture of openness. With his off-paw, he held 'Lav' towards the ceiling.

"You have your meatloaf take my pal over to the bar, get her a soda or something. You've already cleared a table for us," he said, gesturing towards the table with the still unmoving toad, "Then me 'n you sit and chat. I holster my other gun, and keep my paws above the table. Your pal has my kitten as collateral. Sound good?"

The bull finally spoke, in a stereotypically ponderous voice, "Dah, Gadel, not sure if that's a good idea. Contact told us to keep 'em together and under da guns."

"Shut your fat trap, Morbin! You're not paid to think," the croc said, uncharacteristically angry thus far into the exchange. "Alright, wolfy. You got a deal," Gadel said, setting the kitten down. If she were not still so terrified, she would have bolted immediately towards Karus.

"I holster once she's in the clear," the canine said, waiting for the bulky bull to move.

"Well!?" Gadel said to his fellow hunter, "Take her over to the bar. Shoot her if anything goes wrong."

Morbin shook his widely-horned head like an idiot, grasping Ts'Sai by the arm, his hand alone almost the size of her head. He took her, not intentionally roughly, by Karus's judgment, but only out of not understanding his own strength. The bovine began dragging Ts'Sai past Karus towards the bar, but the wolf held up his empty paw to stop them, indicating he wanted to speak to his crewmember.

"Don't worry, kiddo, I've got this. Remember our secret handshake?" he said, switching almost instantly into the Karus that she knew and loved. However, the kitten was confused. They never had a secret handshake. Karus gave her a sly wink with his un-visored right eye, and began a series of gestures and paw twitches with his right paw in the air. She tried playing along, but had no idea what his intentions were.

He was, in fact, issuing a series of commands into his visor, to open a program he had installed for such an occasion. The twists and flicks of his paw were zipping through options on the visor, to open up his 'wink-shot' application. Through the wireless connection between his visor and belt, he could fire a blaster without needing a paw on them. A deliberate 'wink,' held for at least two seconds would engage the blaster. Covered by the still pulsating music, and lively crowd carrying on despite the showdown, no one could hear the bottom of the holster open up on Karus's right hip, and a small lever extend inside to lock near the trigger.

Karus finished the 'handshake' with a simple grip of Ts'Sai's paw, once again winking at her with his right eye, attempting to assure her as much as possible that everything was going to be alright.

"Let's go, dog, this negotiation ain't no charity!" Gadel shouted, interrupting the reunion between the two.

Karus walked away towards the table, and Morbin continued dragging Ts'Sai away towards the bar. Standing at the edge of the table, with his left arm still directed upwards towards the ceiling, he waited until he could see where the bull stopped with his friend, and checked for obstructions between the two spots. Glancing at the table, he noticed a still unopened bottle. _Perfect,_he thought, and quickly holstered 'Lav' as well, before the agitated croc could complain. Gadel moved around to the other side of the table, to keep line-of-sight over both Karus and the pair at the bar, and sat down.

Karus roughly dumped the toad to the floor by tipping the chair over. The toad was still comatose, quite possibly dead or at least brain-damaged. He took the former pervert's place at the table, not overly enthusiastic over the ooze left behind.

"Okay, Karus. You've got your chance. Speak," the reptilian hunter instructed.

"Let me guess...you've only been hunting a short while. Most of your prey has been debtors, small time thugs, and generally harmless types, right?" Karus said, tossing the bottle of booze back and forth to himself, noticing the lack of wear on the croc's equipment.

"I don't like that tone, puppy. You forget who's leveling a rifle at your head right now?"

Karus gave a slight grin, realizing he had the advantage now. He hoisted a leg up on the table, keeping his paws far away from his hips to avoid any trouble. Pushing back a bit to rock the chair, his visor was confirming that the bottom of his holster, and pistol, were aligned for a guaranteed kill shot, directly into the hunter's heart. The rogue thought somberly to himself, however, If this were the old days, you'd kill him right now. You've got a kitten with you that's never actually seen you murder someone before. Try to give him a chance.

"No, no...I haven't forgotten. I'm just...trying to get a better picture of the situation. You want me for the glory, yes?"

"I don't _want_anything, I've _got_you right here. From what you were saying, you were gonna work out a deal so we could get your boss. That way, I can cut the third wheel out of this little plan."

Karus continued, ignoring the line of thought Gadel was following. "If you and your partner leave, right now, and let us go peacefully, we'll forward thirty-thousand credits to your account, and make it a public thing. You get to claim you extorted one of the greatest rog-"

"I am not_going to settle for anything less than bringin' you in, _alive. Or dead, even. Half credits are still worth it, and I'd still get a pretty big boost to credibility 'round these parts," the crocodile said, angered at Karus's proposition, "I'm about to tell you to just stand your fuzzy ass up and walk out at gunpoint, here. We're_not_gonna even mention anything that includes you getting outta this."

"Is this really worth it, Gadel? I'm willing to pay you, not your unseen contact, the exact amount for all of our bounties. Hell, I'll make it forty grand," Karus continued, knowing Percival would agree that, even at such a cost, it was worth it to keep things non-violent and safe, "That's _more_than you'd make turning us in and trying to split it three ways. If I surrender money to you in a public manner...you _still_get all the fame of having beaten me. No one dies, goes to a Terran mining colony to rot...everyone wins."

"No, I ain't gonna settle for anything other 'n bringing you all in. Besides...being a hunter comes with other perks, that credits can't satisfy, heh," Gadel said, creepily begging the question.

"What are you getting at?" Karus asked, his eyes stopping and narrowing a bit at the sneering reptile.

"Well, now, this is what I figured we'd be negotiating...The little kitty of yours, all dressed up like that...Figured we'd be talkin' about how much touchin' I could get away with," he stated without qualms, peeking past Karus at the young feline sitting at the bar.

"I strongly suggest you change the course of this conversation, friend," Karus said, his voice gravelly and dripping with an implied threat.

"Or what, you'll get shot by me? You keep pretending you can threaten me now...So, tell me, have you ever tried seeing how many claws you can fit in he-"

"Seriously, you are taking _all_the moral ambiguity out of this decision," Karus interrupted, as his visor was displaying the vital statistics of the crocodile, and the percentile chance of an overcharged blaster bolt for an instant kill. At the angle Karus was resting at, it was hovering around ninety-eight percent, varying only between minor twitches and intakes of breath.

Gadel was caught off-guard by the question, as he had no idea what 'decision' Karus could be making. Before he had time to think too hard about it, Karus followed up with, "Let me ask you a straight, no bullshit, yes or no question: Are you _entirely_set on bringing us in, regardless of what I bribe you with, and are you seriously talking about violating my pre-teen crewmember?"

"Yes, that's exactly what I'm af-" *SSSZZRRYYYAAATT!*

Gadel's reply was cut off abruptly by a sudden, bright turquoise flash beneath the table as Karus held down his wink. The overcharged, superheated bolt of ionized gasses struck the crocodile directly in his center of mass, and began immediately incinerating his scales and internal organs. Reflexively, his claw retracted, sending a fiery red bolt sailing by Karus's head, which he was able to avoid merely by expecting it. The red bolt neatly cut a golden lock from the rogue's headfur, igniting a small fire near his left ear.

Two distinct scents filled the wolf's nostrils, over everything else in the already acrid tavern. One being his own fur, crisping up from his tangled locks. He was very familiar with the odor. The second, being that of a seared creature, their outer flesh and innards being cooked into vapor and dust before them. This smell, too, was not a new one for the rogue.

Worse than the stench, however, was the sight. It was the same, every time. Regardless of how much this particular hunter deserved it; it was always a jarring sight to behold a creature's last moments in this universe. Their eyes, it was their eyes, that always told the same story.

Chapter one was surprise; a complete and utter shock at what had just occurred. Agony was the second chapter, as one experienced all the pain one would expect from their heart and lungs turning to ash inside of them. Realization made up the third chapter, as the sentient being understood that this was a wound they would not be walking away from. The fourth chapter was a desperate plea, for this to all be some sort of twisted dream or vision. Acceptance comprised the fifth portion of the story, as the victim just wanted the tormenting experience to end. Finally, the eyes lose any form of focus, as the life inside the shell departs for whatever lies beyond the physical universe. Karus wanted to ignore the tale Gadel's eyes told, as he had heard it too often before, but found that he could not avert his own eyes, and listened to every bit of the awful tale, in the eternity that passed in a second.

Karus knew that he could not dwell on the lifeless husk of reptile that slumped over in the seat, anymore for that brief split-second. Ts'Sai was still with the brutish bull, who was certainly alerted from the piercing sound of the blaster. He grasped the top of the bottle he had been toying with, and swiftly spun into a standing position, right paw cocked for a powerful throw, with his left outward to aid him in guiding and balance. The swift motion put out the embers burning along his tangled headfur, creating a halo of smoke around the dire wolf.

Only a few seconds had passed since the shot. The music still boomed throughout the room, and most patrons were still unaware of what had just transpired, save for a few that were in the immediate vicinity of the scene. Their reactions were varied, some backing away, wide-eyed and fearful, while others drunkenly cheered for their to be more action and excitement. Karus ignored the masses, and instantly located the bulky hunter, who was entirely surprised at the turn of events. Instincts told Karus that this hunter, too, was inexperienced, as a better predator would have had their weapon ready already.

With every bit of force the wolf could muster, he hurled the bottle as powerfully as possible. The powerful throw forced Karus to nearly double-over, however he did not stop his motion in the slightest, from the lower position he transitioned into a dead sprint directly towards the bull, following the bottle. Within the first swing of his arms, Karus had drawn his off-hand weapon, Lav, and continued at full-speed.

The bottle had its intended effect, smashing directly into the snout of the muscle-bound adversary with graphic effect. Cartilage broke violently, forcing the giant to fall back for a moment as blood erupted from his nose and mouth. Ts'Sai cried out in fear as Morbin roared angrily, spewing red all over the floor of the bar. He reached for a wickedly tri-bayoneted weapon at his hip, with furious eyes locked upon the wolf dashing towards them.

Karus bobbed and wove through the crowd, expertly dodging amongst them and avoiding any form of contact that would slow him in any way. In spite of the shooting that had just occurred, many onlookers were still simply watching bemusedly, the music had not stopped its rhythmic beat, pumping away without a care for the recently deceased or the current life-or-death struggle. The thought that he was well-renowned amongst these Anthros disgusted Karus, although he still did not have the luxury to think about it. He leapt upon the table that the formerly brawling rhino and lion were drinking at, and sprung towards the weapon-drawing bull through the air.

As he flew through the air, drawing a bead on the bull that was, in turn, bringing his weapon forward towards him, Karus needed to fight every instinct he had acquired amongst this criminal crowd. Lav was leveled directly between the bull's eyes, just for a fraction of a second, and he had to resist with all of his might to not pull the trigger. The difference between holding the blaster out towards the target's head and weapon felt like moving several hundred pounds, to the experienced rogue. Forcing his weapon down and to the left, he squeezed the trigger as soon as the visor confirmed a hit upon the tri-bladed weapon turning upwards his way.

*_SSSZZRRYYYAAATT!*_the blaster rang out, as a bright purple beam cut directly towards the cruel weapon. It struck the ballistic firearm directly in the middle of the barrel, causing it to burst with metallic super-hot shrapnel. Karus knew that Ts'Sai would be shielded by the bull's enormous body, which was riddled along his ribs, legs, and arms with mini-perforations. Several glasses snapped and popped around as minute pieces cut through them, and a few nearby patrons swatted themselves as they were hit as well. Morbin dropped the useless handle in duress, and moved to grasp his wounds.

Karus landed with precision, and immediately delivered a furious side-kick into the gut of Morbin, sending the bull backwards into the bar with force, bending his back at an awkward angle, and causing the behemoth to fall to the floor in defeat. Without words being necessary, Karus snapped his left paw outwards, brandishing Lav to any of the crowd who may consider confronting them as collateral damage from the disabling shot. Quickly drawing the still hot Turq with his right paw, he brought it right before the mangled snout of the bull.

He panted a few times in that position, and thought. In times passed, he would have killed the bull without a second thought. However, now, with Ts'Sai...he could not possibly forgive himself for blowing brains all over her. Not if it was avoidable. She was holding her breath, peeking from behind her covered face at what would happen next. Karus maneuvered just a few steps to block her sight from the smoldering crocodile that was finally drawing a morbidly curious crowd.

"I wuzn't gonna shoot the girl...I wuz gonna shoot you," Morbin said, breaking the silence amongst the trio at the bar.

"That actually does make me feel better, hunter," Karus said, trying to get his last few pants of breath back, "Shows me you know how to pick the right target. Now, tell me: why do you think I shot your weapon instead of that ugly mug?"

"Um..," the slow-thinking Morbin considered, apparently immediately over the fact that he was nearly blown away, or perhaps incapable of worrying over more than one thing at a time, "Cause you dun wanna kill me?"

"Damn, you're a freaking genius, y'know that? No idea why that croc was running the show. Now...let's go over why I _shouldn't_shoot you, shall we?" Karus said, still with an aggressive growl, and arm still outstretched in a threatening manner towards onlookers.

Ts'Sai had never seen this side of Karus before, and it honestly scared her. She was completely grateful at him coming to her rescue, of course, but...she had no idea how dangerous he really was. Taking out Vultures in an engagement in space was quite different, and his gruff demeanor had been brushed aside before, however...ever aspect of her friend was transforming now. His body posture, aggression, tone...she had no idea how restrained the hound must be at all times.

"Uhhh....Well, I wuzn't gonna do what boss wuz gonna do...That wuz his kinda thing," Morbin said in a bashful tone, obviously referring to Gadel's treatment of prey caught. Karus inwardly felt a bit better about eliminating him.

"Yet another point in your column, meat pack, you're on a roll," Karus said, keeping the blaster centimeters from him, "And what're you going to do once you get outta here?"

"Well, I'm not gonna bug you guys," the bull replied with what Karus could read to be honesty.

"That's good," he sneered, forcing himself to maintain the violent threatening act, despite believing that this bull was merely enlisted by a cruel hunter, "Because if we get 'bugged' by anyone, leaving this station, I'm blaming you. Got it? I will go out of my way to find you, and burn the same hole in you that your boss got, if anyone else gets in our way."

Ts'Sai noticed the crowd circling the table from where this all started, and understood how Karus was standing, in order to block her view. She was far too upset to drink the milkshake that the bull had gotten for her, and so looked straight down at the floor and wrung her tail.

"And finally, before we leave, I need to know, who were you working with? Who told you that I would be here?" Karus forcefully inquired, waving Turq before Morbin's eyes to keep his attention.

"I uuhhh...don't know. Only boss talked to him...Oh!" the bull suddenly flinched in realization, nearly causing Karus to jerk the trigger reflexively. "I'm holdin' onto the comms for boss. You can use the messages to-"

"Track the bastard's position. Excellent, hand it over to my pal there, carefully," Karus instructed.

Morbin lackadaisically pulled out the small pad, and handed it over to Ts'Sai, who was curling up in apprehension on her stool.

"Sorry about botherin' you, kitty," Morbin said with an apologetic, stupid grin. "I'm glad I could punch that toad for you, though. He was a jerk."

Karus slipped a bit with his aggressive posture towards the bull after that last comment. "Tell me something, meaty, why were you working with such a giant prick if you actually have a conscience at all?" He knew this was none his business, but he could not just walk away with such a question begging to be asked.

"I can't figure out flyin' stuff, lotta buttons and pictures," Morbin said, with what appeared to be embarrassment, "I ain't brightest tool in the shed, y'know? Boss let me work and I kinda need to make credits for Ma back home..."

Karus gritted his fangs, almost regretting asking the question. "Talk to Chudnov, the weapons dealer here. Mention my name, and let 'em know I'll vouch for you as security, alright?"

"Oh, wow, wolfy!" Morbin said with a stupid grin, almost moving forward to shake Karus's paw before realizing the weapon was still out.

"Yeah, yeah, that's great, but we still need to vamoose. Kiddo, get over here," Karus said to Ts'Sai. She was cautious, but appreciated seeing a slightly more familiar side of Karus. Weakly, she held onto the side of his leg after putting the comms pad under her arm. The wolf could feel her hesitation, and was greatly pained inside, knowing where it was coming from.

"We're gonna head out now," Karus said, backing away with Ts'Sai attached, openly holding out both weapons and holstering them. "No following, and don't let me see you for the rest of this visit. Make sure no one else is looking for us, either."

"Will do, wolfy!" Morbin said dumbly, with a smile that looked ridiculous, considering his mashed snout, and chest covered with blood.

Karus pulled Ts'Sai in tight, and quickly about-faced and headed towards the exit. He attempted to keep her focused forward...but she was able to catch a split-second glance at the charred reptilian corpse being picked over by the crowd before the tavern's bouncers broke them up. Her grip on Karus's leg weakened.

"So...you got a free drink, I'd say that was at least a decent trip, huh?" Karus attempted to joke with the kitten as they passed out of the entryway.

Ts'Sai did not know how to answer, she was still confused as to whether Karus was being his old self, or if he was still the predator she had seen moments before.

"Hey, hey there...You're alright, right?" Karus asked, stopping in the passageway and kneeling down to her level.

"Uh...yeah," Ts'Sai said in a bit of a daze, trying to comprehend all that had just happened. "I, um...I'm sorry I got out of the ship...I was just bored, and..."

Her fear of Karus passed as she saw the old companion she always knew. His posture was completely back to normal, somewhat relaxed, his dark eyes kind and concerned, rather than raging and merciless. She broke into tears and embraced him. "Thank you so much for saving me!"

The wolf had to wince a bit, to avoid tearing up from a flood of emotions. Partially, it was because he was so happy that he had not frightened the kitten too much, and also, the kitten's tiny hug pushed the drugs in his vest closer to his heart, reminding him that making this detour is what caused all of the problems to begin with. Whoever was searching for them knew exactly where he would be, out of old habits.

"Hey there...it's no problem, kiddo," he said, nuzzling her cheek and softly stroking her headfur back into place. "You're my co-pilot, I'll always be there for you."

"Why did you have to come here?" she asked, after hiccuping on a few tears, and calming down a bit.

Karus swallowed hard, not having a good answer for that himself. "This used to be the crowd I was around...before Percival, and you. I knew if anyone was gonna come after us, for that stupid bounty, I could find out about it here," he said, hoping it was enough of an excuse for her.

"We should never come back to these places, Karus...I wanted to get outta the Marco...but not like this," she said in her typically innocent fashion.

He felt even more conflicted, knowing that trips to his old haunts was the only way for him to get his fixes...and even after acquiring a small stash, he was thinking ahead to how to get his next one. No,_he forced himself to think, _gotta focus on this whole situation first. Someone's still after Percival.

Karus gently took the communicator from Ts'Sai, and with a few waves of his paw linked it to his visor to get a bead on the signal from the last sent transmission. "Trust me, bud, after we leave this dump, we'll never go back to any old hangout of mine," he said, trying to convince her as much as himself, as he felt the cold casing of the narcotics pressing into his chest.

* * *

Meanwhile, Percival arrived at the office that Beatrice had directed them towards for the legitimate job. It was located in a small series of compartments that clearly received less traffic than the main passageways towards the center of the station. Percival paused for a moment, reflecting on the excellent view that the plassteel windows created, facing towards the nebula that fueled the station's famous rum. He moved on quickly, however, eager to secure a much safer form of employment than rooting through restricted systems.

The pristine raccoon headed through the automatic door, and was surprised to see a very sparse setup, merely a desk with limited holographic displays running, a well-dressed robin behind it, and frantically cycling through the displays. Percival noted it looked as if the compartment had been abandoned for awhile, and the new occupant had not even bothered to dust, or removed bits of scrap appliances whomever utilized this space last left behind.

"Come-in, come-in!" the bird chirped quickly while running through his displays. "I assume you are here about the contract, correct?"

"Uh, um, yes," Percival answered awkwardly, surprised by the robin's hurried pace. "My name is Percival Barnum Ringwald, captain of the_Marco Po_-"

"Irrelevant. You are capable of transporting a package 3 standard units of trade, correct? Here's contract," he said, all in a flash, flipping over a text display facing outward from the desk, "Please select the bottom right option to sign the contract."

Percival had not yet even gotten to the desk as the robin was flinging this information about. "Pardon me, good sir, but I cannot merely 'click yes' without _actually_reading what I am agreeing to. And how should I address-"

"Deato, if you must. Now, please read quickly, and accept if you will. Or please leave. I incredibly busy and have many matters to attend to."

Percival raised a curious eyebrow at the robin, knowing that he could not possibly be that important to the grand scheme of things, considering Beatrice mentioned he had occupied this space for some time, and not finding anyone who would take the contract, and this 'busy' act looked rather fishy. Regardless, Percival had a knack for recognizing important parts of business deals, and quickly examined the document.

Even one as naïve as Percival could sense something off about it. The payout was the contract was large, bold, and underlined at several points of the page, a whopping 1.5 million credit reward. However, the details were few and far between...He could surmise the travel coordinates, which appeared to be a well-hidden Terran trade lane, enabling subspace travel to normally inaccessible systems. From there, one would attain a 'package,' which remained unidentified for the rest of the contract, from the planet Haven, and follow a very precise set of directions to...the headquarters of Benzen Industries. This stood out as particularly to the suspicious raccoon.

Benzen Industries and the Osten-Wallens Syndicate were known to be adversarial. When Osten-Wallens supplied massive amounts of arms to the uprising of rodents in Dwallecz space, Benzen Industries made a massive trade deal to arrange armament be sent from the Warrens to the Dwallecz Police Authority. As Benzen Industries financed diplomatic envoys between the Avian Federation and the reptilian Confederacy of Kappados, it had been strongly speculated that the Osten-Wallens Syndicate was arming small groups of guerrillas, evidenced by the surprising firepower Avians encountered on those worlds that the industrial centers of Kappados planets just should not have.

Most famously, however, was the fact that Osten-Wallens was firmly intertwined with the Terran Consortium, and Wulfric von Benzen, being of a werewolf background, was a huge factor in rebuilding the ruined systems of the wolves. Many across the Milky Way credited his acquisition of the Belgarus system for the end of the War. The system contained one of the only stable Neutronium stars ever observed, and with it secured, the power contained within could never be weaponized by any particular power in the galaxy.

As Percival mused over these thoughts, Deato began rapping his fingers on the desk impatiently. "So, money's good, yes? Sign, sign! Very busy!"

Percival for once, felt as confident as Karus had in his 'aggressive negotiations,' and knew that this was a prime time to stand up for himself. He waved away the contract from its hovering display, and spoke without aggression, but firmly. "Look, you cannot expect to pressure me into accepting such a...poorly written bit of business. The contract is clearly far too overpriced for the amount of work. I can bring up the star maps myself, that particular route does _not_travel through any major systems of pirate activity, it merely goes into an uncharted system, which I _presume_your superiors own, seeing as how we are to pick up a package there, and then travel along safe lanes to the Belgarus system. Why is the price so inflated, why is a delivery being made between Osten-Wallens and Benzen Industries, and _why_is there a proviso at the end, in small print, that any deviation from the contract, once signed, is a criminal offense by the Terran Navy!?" Percival said, beginning to pick up a bit of pace, proud of himself for assuming a bit more of a commanding presence.

Deato stopped his rapid activity entirely, and looked directly at Percival with a small arch to his feathered head. His eyes blinked a few times, and Percival was a bit taken aback at the apparent lack of emotion. Without even bothering to look to the side, Deato tapped and gestured a few times, popping up another display midway through the table, and spread his hands to expand it large enough to make it perfectly clear. The screen showed pictures of himself, Karus, and Ts'Sai, clearly taken recently, on this station. A bounty of ten grand rested above each portrait.

Extending his three middle digits, the robin dragged them across some of his holographic keypads. The bounties rose to one-hundred grand each, causing Percival to lose his satisfied grin, and shrink back from the desk. After an emphasizing pause, Deato ran his fingers back the opposite way, causing the numbers to shrink to nothing, and a command appeared to wipe the bounty off the record.

"First, understand the negotiating power I hold here, captain," Deato said, still with a quick voice, but a bit higher-pitched and agitated, "I can clean the slate for you, or I can make you public enemy number one. This office may be suspiciously small and quiet, but make no mistake, I control quite a bit of information traffic for both the Terran Navy and the Syndicate. Do you understand?"

Percival nodded, feeling a bit weak in the knees now, and wishing that Karus was here with him.

"Good. Now, I must admit, I am impressed by your knowledge of the situation. Most of the common rubbish on this station believes this to be a rather poorly disguised ruse to entrap them with a false contract, and ambush them at the pickup point. I am painfully aware of the appearance of the contract, yet my instructions from my superiors stand. The ridiculous amount of pay is for secrecy. I know I'm about to break protocol," Deato said, clenching his tiny hands, "But I am horribly behind schedule for this project, and we need to move fast. I will reveal some of this secret to you, before signing...as you know what I can do to you should this silence be broken. Once again, are we clear?"

"Y-yes...Sir," Percival answered, not sure if he should retreat further or continue to listen.

"Osten-Wallens, and the Terran Consortium, wish to extend an olive branch of sorts to the wolves of Dens space. Obviously, this sort of news is a big deal. Large powers, even within the Terran Consortium, would wish to see hostilities resumed between humans and wolves. There's lots of credits to be made in continuing the war. Surely, if word got out about this delivery, any transport would be beset by insurmountable odds...and although the contracted load is small...it is very important, as...well I can't give out what the shipment is, exactly, but I _can_say that it will go a long way to repair relations, and it should enable Benzen Industries to collaborate with Osten-Wallens to patch up the systems devastated by senseless conflict."

Deato paused to judge Percival's reaction. The raccoon himself was confused, as this was indeed good news, if true. He had been just too shocked by the threat of the bounty to comprehend what sort of mission he and his crew would be undertaking.

"If it's any consolation, I apologize for the scare tactic," the robin said, as if reading his mind, "But certainly, you can see what sort of company this station has to offer, and you should be able to understand how it is difficult for an established, legitimate representative like myself to operate in such an environment. For your silence, I agree to _not_abuse the power I have over your bounty...For your cooperation, however...I _will_abuse it, and wipe your record from the Terran Navy's records. Trespassing is such a minor charge, anyways...Don't you agree?"

Percival nodded, still somewhat confused by the turn of events. This job seemed almost too good to be true...it was philanthropic, a ridiculously high amount of pay, and seemingly safe. Although...he felt as if he could not turn down this offer even if he had wanted to, anymore.

"So...do we have a deal, captain Ringwald?" Deato asked once again, re-opening the contract and flipping it towards Percival's end at the desk. For the first time in their exchange, the bird attempted something of a smile.

With an unsure paw, Percival tapped the insubstantial acceptance on the contract, praying that this was not a deal with the devil.

* * *

Outside of the office, along the passageways back to the docking bay, the dark figure that was tracking Percival waited. The cloaked individual double-checked the small, shadowy alcove behind them, ensuring that no one could somehow get behind them as they were about to spring their trap. Percival appeared from the office, somewhat shaken from the affair. Excellent, the prospective hunter thought to themselves, Easy prey.

As their chosen target wandered uneasily towards the docking bay, the predator drew a very slender holdout blaster, almost ready to pounce. It would be simple, merely ease behind him, and put the weapon in his back. Then explain the consequences of not cooperating. By data gathered, Karus was Percival's caretaker, and the raccoon had little, if any means to defend himself. And, considering Karus was mostly likely drugged or drunk out of his mind, he was most likely caught by the stalker's comrades, and Ts'Sai along with him. Unfortunately...there was so status update from the fellow hunters, despite there being ample time to apprehend the others.

Perfectly in time with this line of thought, the trench-coated individual heard a small voice cry out, "PEERRCIIVAALLL!!"

The tiny mackerel kitten dashed out from a cross-section, running with her silky dress, and teary eyes towards the intended target.Something's wrong, the bounty-hunter thought to themselves, Need to abort, obviously my companions have failed.

Just as the hunter began to turn, however, the warm tip of a ready blaster was jammed into their cheek, forcing his view back as he dropped his blaster. He took a terrified gasp, as his small heart was about to explode.

"I must admit," a grim, murderous, and familiar voice sounded from the shadows, "You weren't the one I expected to find here. Now...explain yourself before I do the same thing to you that I did to F'nazzed when he double-crossed me."

Gresham's knees buckled to the floor at the threat, and he continued to gasp for air. Security never even found all of F'naz-

A heavy wolven hand reached around to grasp the squirrel's trench coat, pulling him back into the shadows and pinning him to the bulkhead. Turq, in Karus's right paw, pressed into Gresham's chin harshly. "Well?! You decided to start this, by hunting us against Beatrice's orders...Now own up to it," Karus demanded to know, his voice barely a whisper, to not draw attention to the hidden corner, "Or you're going to _beg_for me to give you that treatment."

The small creature could barely contain his terror. He could feel himself nearly loosing control of his bowels. "P--please..I--I...c-c-c-can..." Gresham tried to sputter out a defense of himself, to no avail.

Karus realized the squirrel was in no way able to communicate with this level of horror, but continued the pressure, hoping to bring the point home to him in completely clear terms. Using the blaster, he forced Gresham's head to the side, outward towards where Ts'Sai had embraced Percival, and was relaying the encounter in the tavern.

"Look! Look hard, you little shit. They are in _my_pack, got it!? I want no part of anyone's games on this station, and if anyone threatens them in any way...There are _no_holds on what I might do...The entire Ceti III incident would look like a cakewalk, in comparison...Do you understand?"

Gresham continued gulping air like a fish, his tiny suspended legs twitching erratically as his heart pounded with the force of a torpedo. "I--I do...I--I j-just...there's a lot of people wanting to see you di--disposed of...a--and...the credit I c-could get..."

"Yeah, someone could start a whole business tryin' to kill me, alone...But the thing is, Gresham, even if I remove myself from the Game, I won't_ever_lose the skills to play it," Karus said, hurting himself with that implied threat as much as the little squirrel. He backed his dark golden head back further into the shadows, mostly to prevent the terrified creature from noticing a wetness in his eyes, from thinking on that comment.

"I--I pro-promise t-to not bother you again," Gresham stammered pathetically, beginning to gather up some hope that he was not going to end up dead at the end of this conversation.

"Oh, I'm sure you won't," Karus whispered menacingly, and noticing the Percival was taking Ts'Sai under his arm and off towards the ship. "Because I am going to let you go, with this warning...next time you want to come after me, _just_leave it between us, and don't get _them_involved. Or else, I swear to you, the janitorial staff here will be finding pieces of you for years afterwards..."

Without warning, the grip loosened, dropping the squirrel to the floor suddenly. Gresham collapsed downwards, at the wolf's footpaws, which disappeared quietly into the darkness. Soon, he realized he was alone, unsure of how Karus arrived or left. He curled up, thankful to be alive, and hoping that whatever meeting the raccoon had would take his former targets far away from this place.

* * *

Karus arrived in the cockpit of the _Marco Polo_just a short while after Percival and Ts'Sai had entered. Percival was busy updating their Nav Map with the coordinates from the contract, and Ts'Sai sat quietly in the co-pilot's seat, having her fill of adventure for the time being.

"I guess you heard about the minor detour," Karus said, exhausted and emotionally torn on the inside, but doing his best to keep that masked under a tired expression, "Just finished wrapping that part up...No one will be looking for us now, I'm hoping."

"As well they shouldn't, Karus," Percival said, somberly as well, "Our employer has rewarded us in advance by taking the bounties off of all our heads."

Sitting in the pilot's chair, Karus should have felt relieved, but instead felt far worse about this whole trip. The entire ordeal could have been avoided if he just never went to the tavern. But you just had to get your fix, didn't you? You endangered Ts'Sai, left Percival alone to negotiate a contract, and killed someone who didn't need to be killed just to score...You are worthless scum...

"That certainly would have been beneficial to know a bit earlier," he responded, attempting to suppress the thoughts in his mind.

"Well, from what Ts'Sai has told me...that was hardly a law-abiding hunter, Karus," Percival said, laying a comforting paw on Karus's tensed shoulder, "Anyone who would take an innocent, young kitten hostage as leverage is...well...don't get hung up about it. The galaxy is better off not having those types masquerade as law enforcement. Did the other loose end you were speaking of..?"

The engine thrummed to life as Karus began engaging the startup sequence. "No, just needed a little reminder of why it's a bad idea to hunt anyone on this crew. So, this contract?" Karus said, wishing to keep himself occupied and not filled with thought.

"Ah, yes...it's...a rather confusing matter...but apparently, if we pull this job off, we will most likely never need to root through graves again," Percival said, still not quite sure of the decision to accept.

Karus simply tapped the side of his visor, and pointed to the Nav Map, indicating he wanted a chance to browse through the contract. Percival flipped it over to him silently, awaiting the reaction. The wolf continued starting up the _Marco_with purely memorized motions as he read. Abruptly, he stopped, and his brown coat and limbs melted into the seat, giving up in total defeat.

"This is a bullshit contract," Karus said, careful to control his tone so to not be chiding of Percival, but indicate frustration with the situation, "No way in hell humans want to give anything to wolves, except maybe a bomb. In fact, that's probably what we're picking up. Shit..."

Percival's head sunk too, after getting such a reaction from his friend. "I--I'm sorry, Karus. But this contact had control over the amount of our bounties, and threatened to-"

"No blame, boss. We were stuck in a pretty bad position and you had to do what you had to do. Hell, even if it _is_a bomb, it's not our problem. We do the deal, clear names, take a big paycheck, and get the hell outta dodge for awhile. Figure splitting 1.5 million credit paycheck can afford us a much needed vacation, for once," Karus said, attempting to lift the spirits of his distressed captain.

Finishing the lift-off sequence, a wide-eyed, and partially shaking Gresham appeared in the comms unit viewscreen. "D-docking control, t-to_Marco Polo_, you are cleared for departure," he murmured, toying incessantly with the cord on his headset.

"Roger that," Karus answered without any sort of inflection, but giving a narrowing glance in the camera.

The wolf guided the _Marco_as the trio of engines fired up noisily, and turned to blast the ship through the air shield. After the faint buzz of passing through the shield, a familiar quiet settled over the ship as it entered the vacuum of space. Karus turned on the cruising engines to speed away from the hordes of traffic, taking a wide, but lonely loop towards the jump point.

Percival felt at least partially relieved, exiting the station, just to put distance between himself and that place. The soothing thrum of the engines made him realize how taxing the trip had been. "Well, my friends, I believe it is time for some rest. We've been roped into this job, for better or worse, and fretting about it without any sleep won't help us any."

Ts'Sai pulled herself out of the chair, and lightly latched onto Karus's arm. "Thank you for saving me, again, Karus...I can't thank you enough, ever..."

He swallowed hard, fighting a losing emotional struggle internally. "Don't worry, I mean, every princess needs a knight, right?" he said with a smile for her benefit.

She squeezed tight, and nuzzled for a moment, before heading off with Percival to their respective quarters. Percival stopped just before the ladder, saying, "I know it must have been hard for you, Karus, to come back here. I...am grateful you stayed away from old habits to keep us safe."

_And there it is...the final stab,_Karus thought as his friends headed down the ladderwell. The drugs against his chest weighed more heavily than ever before. All of the various emotions that he had been putting off collectively attacked him at once...His reputation amongst the rogues and criminals surrounding Beatrice...his inability to avoid meeting the contact for another set of doses...Ts'Sai's fear at seeing him in his old element...the ease of killing yet another hunter, and the terror he was able to inflict on Gresham...

Many memories filled the wolf's mind, of unspeakable violence, despicable betrayals, and...it. The first failure which led to...everything. All the crime, all the desperation...and the addiction. By the time the _Marco_had reached the jump point, Karus could not even see the lever for the hopper device through his tears.

He did not need to see the lever, however, as the position was bound to muscle-memory. Engaging it, he quickly set the Marco's autopilot to follow to the beginning of the nav points, before he lost it entirely in the cockpit. The wolf quickly fled to his quarters, beginning to inadvertently whine and sob. First task was to engage the locks on his door. From there, the next part of the routine was to arrange the drugs how they would be used.

Most of the Necrosia and Zephract was stored within a pair of dirty trousers, then tucked up into a hard to reach portion of his closet storage space. On himself, he kept just two doses of each. The Necrosia for sleep tonight, and the Zephract to awaken once needed. He took the visor off, tossing it on his desk space for an alarm when the ship exited subspace, and held the hypo up to his neck.

Looking at himself in the cracked mirror, he wanted to destroy the image...he probably had done that before, in a narcoticly-induced fit. The hatred for his own likeness drove him to finally pull the trigger on the Necrosia, and...his thoughts began to fade. Neural activity was affected quickly, dulling the senses to everything. Karus chuckled dumbly for a moment, and then laughed at the rage he had been feeling before. There...there...isn't it all better now?

The mind-altered wolf nodded in agreement with his inner thoughts, and fell clumsily to the floor as his motor skills lost all capability. He lazily began drooling on himself as the narcotic shielded him from all concern for the past, or present. Working for Terrans can't be so bad...Heck, you've done that before, haven't you?

Karus laughed himself to sleep at his mind's cruel manner of a joke.