FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

*So far, this is chapter 1-17 of Reflections of Regret which begins after STARFOX COMMAND concludes. *

*There is a great deal of sexual situations in this story as I try to show Krystal going through conflicted emotions; deep down inside, some part of her wants to mate so that she can preserve her race. Take that into account, please. I'm not trying to depict her as a whore. *

I FINALLY GOT AROUND to posting chapters 2 onward as their own individual update. Huzzah!

Author's Notes: _Takes place after: STAR FOX COMMAND - events occur after primary (initial) game ending, where Krystal rejoins Star Fox... helps them to defeat the Anglars then, after a few months, she decides to return to Panther.

This story will show Krystal as returning to Panther to try and be loyal to him, as they were dating at the time... however, by the end of this story, I WILL have Krystal return to Fox. I'm trying to make this story portray what happens in her life during this difficult time. In the END, however, I do plan on making this become a Fox & Krystal pairing. Just so you've been warned, this story will show Krystal romantically involved with both Panther AND Fox at one point or another. I'm sorry if that disturbs you - having more than one partner is pretty common in the world. We ALL want our characters to be sweet virgins and marry their one true love and live happily ever after... but let's get real, people... we live in a world of drama. Krystal is hurting from heartbreak and, as we all know women are capable of doing, she struggles with her scorn and lashes out to hurt Fox by dating someone in Star Wolf. SO! With that set up for us by SF: Command, I begin this story shortly after the game ends! This story should go about 15 chapters, give or take. I've added all the codes that will envelope this story, from violence to oral, etc, even though there's no oral in this chapter. So yeah, don't worry, it's all coming soon enough. ENJOY!_

Thanks for reading! Kit-Karamak

Story Rating: NC-17 (MA-18+, Adults Only, Mature)

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Another "Reflections series" story

by

Ken Weaver

REFLECTIONS OF REGRET

Chapter -1-

"The Hardest Decision..."

Krystal clenched her paw into a fist and closed her eyes. Her heart ached and her throat felt tight. She loved Fox McCloud and she even sensed that he wanted to right his wrongs. But several months after the Anglar forces were destroyed, Krystal found herself thinking about how she'd hurt Panther.

Running out the door wasn't easy. Fox begged her to stay and seeing tears stream down his face was difficult; she felt his agony and his heartache. She felt bad for doing it... but she reminded herself when he kicked her off the team... the shame and the embarrassment... the resentment. She remembered all of it. The lithe blue vixen reminded herself that Panther always treated her well and put their time together first and foremost on every occasion. Perhaps she'd been hasty to leave Fox but... part of her felt that he deserved to know how she felt in the past because of his epic 'decision'.

The Phoenix Transportation Starliner shuddered softly. Krystal placed her paws against either side of the porthole and watched the laser-guided mooring clamp move into position with the docking manifold. Somewhere, on the other side of that bulkhead, Panther was hurting and it was her fault. Unlike Fox, he never deserved to be run out on and guilt sat heavy on her shoulders. Unable to decide if it was the need for closure or because of love, Krystal knew she had to return to him. She even sensed his presence in Sargasso. Today, wrongs would be righted.

A soft chime played over the loudspeaker. Krystal glanced up at the public announcement unit built into the wall then stood up and took a deep breath. She swallowed and reached for her suitcase and her purse. Her heart began to race again, unable to decide if she was making the wrong choice. Her left paw drew the purse up to her shoulder then she placed her fingertips to her nose. Slowly, Krystal traced up along her svelte muzzle to the bridge of her snout. Her fingertips stopped at the fur of her forehead, just beneath her hairline. Once upon a time, she wore jewelry upon her forehead but that was in the past. As of late the precious stone was a reminder of Cerinia... perhaps it was the last untarnished chunk of the planet left in galactic existence... but it reminded her of the doomed race she so desperately wanted to repopulate.

Her anger returned. How could she be so foolish to want Fox's children or his love? He may have been upset to see her walk out on him but he was the one who cast her away to begin with - she needed a man to become her mate if her race was to continue... Panther, at the very least, provided her with companionship and adoration. She struggled with inner turmoil and her delicate sensibilities. She struggled with the fact she was the LAST of her race and without a devoted man to father her children, Cerinia, its culture, its customs and all that she knew... would be gone FOREVER.

She swallowed again and mentally armored her heart with fortitude. The door to her suite opened and Krystal stepped into the hallway with her chin held high. This was it. There was no looking back. She wasn't here for closure; she was here because she wanted to be treated like a lady by a man who gave a damn. She was here for Panther Caruso and there was no time for guilt or past love or anymore HURT. This was IT. She was determined to show resolve in her heart but she was even more determined to do something for herself instead of being so damn naïve and giving. It was time to go where she felt wanted.

Krystal walked through the corridor and made her way to the ship's aft exit. She boarded the station and crossed the main platform. The little vixen was eyed by plenty of people but some recognized her, here. She approached the baggage claim and retrieved a long, skinny case. It looked like it might have held a fully assembled flute or similar instrument. Full of seedy people, the members of clientele were less than sterling people but she didn't care. Krystal canted her head back, watching as the CloudRunner, her personal fighter, was deposited by means of tractor beam onto the deck of the flight hanger. Satisfied her belongings were all accounted for, her tail fluffed up and she made her way to the maintenance elevator. Most took the public lift but she still remembered the code for this one.

It whisked her to the penthouse suite and there she stood, alone, on the top floor with her purse and her suitcase. In her left paw, beneath the purse, she held the hard-shell case with her un-extended staff. Krystal approached her old bedroom at the end of the hall; her cardkey still worked and the door swished open. She dropped her things in the center of the room, opened the case with her staff and placed it on two empty metal hooks on the wall above a sofa.

As soon as the staff touched both metal mounting hooks a green LED light on the wall illuminated showing that the staff was now on charging status. She stepped back and nodded with a sense of finality. She HAD to belong here... didn't she? There was only one way to find out... it was time to see Panther. For all she knew, he might hold a grudge and tell her to leave. A secret pang of panic crept into her heart. What if...?

She shook her head firmly. Krystal decided that she would have to roll with the punches. If Panther didn't want her back, she would return to Corneria and join the air guard. Bill Grey would let her continue flying - she just KNEW it! Nothing like having a telepath on your squadron to become popular with the military... No, she KNEW Bill would love to have her back. But Corneria was a fallback plan. She wanted love and she wanted to further her race. Being a wife and a mother was something she desired since childhood... "I'll be damned if someone takes that from me," she murmured.

Honestly, she wanted to be angry with Fox. The thing was, she couldn't hate him. No, she loved Fox. She truly loved Fox. Panther was just 'settling' for the next best thing. But she decided that she couldn't allow anyone to toy with her emotions, let alone disrespect her. She wasn't some ward to slow down Fox McCloud. At least Panther was man enough to cheer her on in battle despite worry he felt each time she flew against the Anglars.

"Stop it," she whispered. "You're a grown woman and you're mature enough to handle a little 'boy drama'. You can do this." She moved to the bathroom, switched on the lights and approached a mirror. Her heart ached again. She'd made love to Fox quite some time ago... and she'd made love to Panther only a few months ago. She looked herself in the face but felt it was difficult to look herself in the eyes. Panther always tried to be very romantic and involved in bed... but Fox always felt natural, like it was meant to be. She clenched her paws again. There was no use comparing them - she knew she couldn't help who she loved but she also knew she wanted to be respected and she preferred to have a lover with a bit of confidence and a little bit of backbone.

Behind the mirror she found aspirin and nail clippers with a metallic file. Krystal took it out and carved Fox's name in the wall then forced a line through the name as though scratching him out of her life. For some reason it felt good. She put the little tool down atop of the sink and ran her fingers back through her hair then shook her head listlessly to shake off memories of her past. "Today is the first day of the rest of your life, Krystal." She thought about Peppy, who had been a fatherly figure to her recently... Her eyes lowered again. "But trusting my instincts got me a broken heart. No more following my heart. From now on I'm going to be more logical about all of this. If I sit there and let that man hurt my feelings, Cerinia will truly be doomed." She held the monologue with her mirror.

"What is love anyhow? It's a series of nerve impulses fueled by a hormone-induced chemical reaction." She nodded firmly and stepped back to look at her full upper body in the mirror. Nary a wrinkle was out of place. "If Panther knows what's good for him, he'll open his arms to me and have the patience and understanding to accept that I only went back to work as a team." She recalled that Fox kissed her day before yesterday and it sent her into a tailspin. She lifted her chin again and added, "But nothing happened between us. I'm loyal to my boyfriend. I've not been in Fox's bed since before he kicked me off the team, several years ago; I'm not some hussy! I wouldn't even let Fox kiss me the other day - after all, I never officially broke things off with Panther, right?" She nodded decisively and left the bathroom, her quarters and practically sauntered down the hall to get the feeling right.

Panther's door had a retinal scanner box to the left of the doorframe. She gazed into it and her heart raced. Without further warning, the doors slid apart; she smiled brightly, seeing that he never removed her from the entry file. She opened her mind and scanned the room with her frontal lobe. Panther was here. Krystal stepped into the bedroom and her expression softened. There he was, asleep atop of his covers. Something was wrong, however.

Her little nose twitched furiously, sniffing the area. She couldn't place a finger on it... there was something wrong. She'd seen him asleep a hundred times but something was different this time. She approached the bed then blinked. He wasn't purring. Ever since leaving Corneria for StarWolf, Panther purred every single time he shut his eyes. That wasn't happening right now.

She moved around to his side of the bed and knelt besides him. The petite vixen brought her paws up, cupped either side of his face and gently kissed him. "I'm home," she murmured in muffled tones against his lips. His warm breath tickled the fur on her muzzle. Then, just as though she'd flipped a switch, Panther began to vibrate with a soft noise emanating from deep in his throat. He began purring, just like that.

Caruso opened his eyes, blinked then brought a paw to the side of her face. He spoke against her soft, plush lips. "Krystal... am I dreaming?" To her surprise, he spoke in first person perspective. "But what about...?"

She sensed the name he was about to speak. With her paws on either side of his face, she slid her thumbs beneath his jaw and forced him not to say the word. "Shh, it was all wrong. You're my mate. I promised my fidelity to you and, so, here I am. Are you upset with me?"

He brought his paws up and cupped hers, keeping them on his face. He sat up and smiled at her. "I thought I'd lost you. I could never be upset with you - I just want you to be happy, Krystal. Are you still my space flower?"

She chuckled dryly and lowered her gaze. "Yes, I suppose I am. I'm sorry we didn't talk about my decision to help them finish the Anglar Empire. A good couple discusses their options and keeps communication open. I rushed out the door and I'm terribly sorry I hurt you."

His voice lowered to a whisper. "Panther forgives. It's in the past and you're in Panther's arms again. All is well." He cut those twin golden irises to lock with her emerald orbs and the feline smiled softly. In slow, enunciated words, he announced, "Krystal, I love you."

She couldn't yet bring herself to say it back. Instead, she withdrew her paws from his, trailed her thumb over the milky white line on his black-furred face, then leaned in and pushed her head beneath his chin. She'd grown to like the distinguishing facial characteristic on his cheek. Right now, however, she wanted to hide in the crook of his neck. "Thank you for forgiving me," she whispered.

"The floor is no place for you," he replied. "Come up here and let me hold you."

Krystal remained quiet for a moment, keeping her face against his collarbone. She thought about the invitation and wasn't insulted the way she felt when Fox kissed her the other day. Then and there Krystal concluded that it must have been some sort of sign. She finally drew back from his semi-embrace, stood up and grinned at him. "Panther, I'm sorry I was rash and I'm sorry my weird, girly emotions made me run off. I disrespected you the same way Fox disrespected me back when he asked me to leave Star Fox. You're a good man and now that you've retired from your old ways as an assassin, perhaps we can set our sights on the future... together." She moved around to the other side of the bed and settled onto the mattress.

Panther rolled over and reached for her. Krystal allowed herself to be drawn, willingly, into his arms just as she had a few months ago when they first began having an intimate relationship. Things were so simple back then. The Anglars were relatively unknown, Fox was the last thought on her mind and she had real options. Not just being a Mercenary or staying on Corneria as a fighter pilot... no, she had options about what to do with her heart, her future and anything else she could think of... She was happy back then, right?

She became distracted by Caruso's kiss. His whiskers eased back, his ears lay back upon his head and he wrapped his arms around her. Part of her felt rushed already... but she mentally reminded herself that she wasn't going to stay young forever... and if Cerinia had any chance of survival... she would need to start having children. Krystal's lips parted and she relented to his sensual kiss. She felt his tongue probe the inside of her maw, and, before long, her tongue joined his in a duel. It wasn't so bad. Perhaps it would be even better this time.

Her velveteen-padded palms came to his chest and his arms enveloped her frame. His large paws slid down her back with his fingers trailing her spine. It was a nice feeling. She couldn't deny that the man knew how to touch a woman. She heard a voice in her head.

'Krystal, I'm so happy you've come back... This is special and a special occasion deserves something symbolic with which to mark the date. I have a ring set aside... I want you to wear it.' Panther's thoughts nearly made the girl choke.

She broke the kiss and looked up at him. "Slow down, big guy. Not including the time I returned to Star Fox, you and I have only been dating for five months. There is no need to rush into that... isn't that the Lylat standard for becoming betrothed?"

He nodded with a slight grin. "Yes. It's a ring that promises and symbolizes the intent to marry."

"Silly boy," she whispered. She sensed that a little part of him melted when he heard her say those words and feeling his humble romantic notions made her smile again. "I'm not saying no, Panther. I'm telling you that there's no need to rush. We should live together again for a while. Your declaration of love is noted and appreciated, but I'm not ready to become Mrs. Caruso until I've sorted out all my little girly emotions. I want to give all of myself to you because you deserve it. You've earned it and I respect you. Just wait until I'm emotionally ready for the next step. You're still my big kitten and I'm not going anywhere. I'm home, Panther. I'm back in your arms and you win - you've got the girl. There's no need to solidify it with a diamond so soon."

He studied her sapphire-furred visage then, after a brief pause, nodded in understanding. "Allow me to give you a promissory gift. Something you can wear to symbolize my affection for you. Would that be acceptable? Anything you want."

She sensed his desire to give her diamonds for some reason. Krystal drew in a slow breath, smiled gingerly then nodded. "How about earrings? I would accept that and cherish them."

The feline was delighted and she knew it. "Splendid, space flower! Tomorrow I will take you to Persimmon's on Corneria. Don't worry; the Anglar forces didn't destroy everything in the Capital City. They're still open, as is Lunar Stone."

A tinge of a memory haunted her subconscious. Lunar Stone Hotel... When she first met Fox McCloud, they traveled to Corneria together and stayed at the Lunar Stone while getting the GreatFox dreadnought refitted. (Chapter 4, Reflections of Krystal) She quickly pushed the thought out of her mind and nodded to Panther's invitation. "It's a date then. But no more 'space flower', lover boy. It's... dreadfully tacky, I'm terribly sorry to say. After all, flowers don't grow in space."

"Fair enough," he replied with a grin. Caruso pushed his lips against hers once more and moved his paws to the hem of her Cornerian-style blouse. His amorous mood was strong and filled his mind with romantic notions.

She couldn't deny that this was the only way to become a mother, although there was no reason to rush into that, either. However, she had to know if she was still compatible with him after seeing Fox and living nearby her first mate for a number of months. Krystal drew in another slow breath through her nose and closed her eyes. Her muzzle parted again and her arms rose.

Panther lifted the blouse up over her body, broke the kiss long enough to remove the clothing from her head then tossed it to the floor. He wrapped his arms around her again and unhooked the Cornerian-made brazier. Her breasts spilled from the cloth cups and he ran his palms down over her back.

She murmured softly against his kiss. Krystal began to suckle softly upon his tongue tip, trying to relax into the moment. Her heart pounded and her body anticipated what would come next. ...She felt herself become moist. It had been months since last she was mated and as she recalled he didn't have a knot like Fox. Instead, the feline's manhood was studded - a completely different experience all together.

Next, he unfastened her pants and drew the flaps open. He used his left paw to guide her touch to the fastenings of his own clothing. His right one moved around her waist to unfasten the fabric loop that went about the hilt of her tail. She brought both of her paws to his body and opened his shirt and pants. With his help, she divested him of clothing and looked him over. He was bulkier than McCloud but was equally tone and... Krystal swallowed and pushed the comparison aside. Now was no time to think about Fox.

She reached for resolve and fortitude to guard her heart and burry those past memories. Krystal brought her paws to her hips and pushed her thumbs into the waistline. Panties and pants together, she pushed everything down her legs and kicked them away then nodded and reached for him. "Love me," she said in a sultry tone... one she knew would make any man shiver, no matter what his orientation happened to be. With this act, she was ready to establish feelings of acceptance and companionship again.

Panther licked his lips and nodded. "With pleasure, my dear. But first..." He moved between her legs then wiggled down her body, placing sinful kisses against her jawline. Slow and sure, the romantic man traced her neck with tender nips, working over her collarbone. One thing was for sure... he was very good in the department of foreplay. Caruso's lips worked down over her torso until meeting her breast, capturing a nipple. It hardened in response. His tongue assaulted the taut nub and he brought his paw to her other. He cupped her chest firmly and, before long, began moving downwards again.

Each kiss was arguably wonderful. His lips sifted through the soft pelt of her tummy-fur. Before long the strands of blue melted to white. As his lips went further down, she writhed from expectancy. Her fur thinned out to make way for pink flesh between her legs. Caruso's tongue tip moved over her slit and he buried his face between blue and white inner thighs. Krystal's eyes rolled back and she whined in dulcet tones of desire. "H-how could I have forgotten about this?" she panted, accentuating the last word of the question.

"Let me refresh your memory," came his muffled reply. His deep voice created a sensation of vibrations against her sensitive skin. His tongue pushed inwards against her moist entrance, gathering the honey that drooled from her aching chamber. His tongue began to work its way up, along her slit, to attack her clitoris the way he'd licked at her nipples. Semi-circles first, then upward flicks of his tongue; Panther gorged on her pussy with needful abandon. It made her feel wanted again... she felt desired and it was secretly intoxicating. It may have been unrequited love he offered but, at the very least, she could return his passion. And, for now, that was the next best thing.

She relaxed into a hard release, groaning at the sensation of sexual elation. He was radiating with pent up frustration and she telepathically fed off of it. She pouted in pleasure, reaching for him. "Come here," she bade, pulling at his shoulders.

Caruso offered one more lick to make her squirm then he moved up over her body and eased himself upon her small figure. Krystal's legs rose, draping her left foot over the back of his right thigh. Her right leg was splayed over the backside of his calf muscles. She rubbed her leg up and down to feel his toned masculine legs. His form against hers provided a secret little sensation of pleasure in her bosom, feeling their bodies flush to one another.

His lips met hers again and she could taste herself on his tongue tip. Her head tilted right and her muzzle parted again. This time he suckled on her tongue. She writhed once more, feeling his probing member brush against her body. A paw slid down between them and guided the tip to those lush little lips. Without hesitation, he plunged into her with a firm thrust.

Her back attempted to arch, grinding her breast into his pectorals. Her hips lifted, grinding herself into the sensation of pleasure he provided. She guided her slick chamber along his cock then back, coating the man's girth with the gooey nectar of her recent release. She could feel him slide back in and it made her squirm again. It wasn't bad, actually. In fact, the sex was better than she remembered - perhaps because the situation in her heart was different this time around... she couldn't be sure. However, one thing was obvious... she was going to cum for him this time.

Caruso plowed into her from tip to hilt. His balls slapped gently against the tight rear-pucker of her tailstar. The fluffy blue appendage began to bristle up between his right outer thigh and her left inner one. Next, she felt his paws slide over her hips then drive down between her body and the mattress until he was clutching at her rump. With every thrust, he pulled her body up to meet him.

Her ears lay flat and she bucked up to impale herself on each downward push of his body. She felt wanted again. Her heart raced and she embraced the pleasure of their mating. He continued to suckle on her tongue then broke the kiss and lifted his head. His warm breath spilled over her ear deliciously and he said, "I love you, Krystal."

She moaned in reply and whispered against his neck. "Yes, baby... and you feel so good inside of me."

His masculine ego was stroked and he purred. "Tell me you love me."

She hesitated. Then again, he never demanded that she be honest about her feelings on love... he only wanted her to say it because it was something he desired to hear on a psychological level... She finally consented to the pillow talk and announced, "I love you, Panther. Make me cum."

"My pleasure," he mused then nibbled on her ear. Panther lowered his head and said, "I love making my vixen cum," then he kissed her again. She was panting too hard to return the kiss and so he began nipping his way down her neck instead.

Krystal sensed the building tension in his loins. He was close. He also remembered the last time they mated - she made him wear a condom. He continued to kiss down her neck, pondering the decision to pull out... it was then that she realized he really did respect her body. She brought her paws up to his head and spoke in husky tones right into his ear. "Just... cum in me this time."

"Are... you sure?"

"I'm sure," she murred. "I want to feel it, Panther. Fill me."

His heart skipped a beat and adrenaline coursed through his body. He clung to her desperately and continued to slam that pulsing studded flesh into her delicious little cunt. He pictured intense imagery for her to sense... thoughts of his release within her hallowed walls. "How does it feel, Krystal?"

She clenched her teeth together in an attempt to get her bearings. "P-panther, a woman's body is a temple and she has the right to be choosey about j-just who prays within..." She took two quick breaths then said, "You make a wonderful alter boy, and I trust you with my body..."

He growled passionately. "Such hot metaphors are very welcome, Krystal." He tightened his grip upon her backside and railed her wildly. "Ostensibly, it is your way of saying it feels good. This, Panther believes!"

"Yes, it feels good," she promised. She sensed his release was imminent and tried to time herself to his incoming orgasm. She cried out to show him that she was enjoying herself and realized immediately that her cries of ecstasy had a profound effect on him. She shouted again... and with that, Panther came hard, flooding her body with hot liquid cream, painting every inch of her quivering walls. He continued to ride her throughout the release.

She bucked insistently to try and reach one more orgasm and knew it was somewhat close. Krystal licked her fingertips then reached down between their bodies and began to fondle her clit to help. Panther was plagued by a refractory period but continued to grind against her with each thrust of his hips. Her paw quickened in pace. Her fingers dipped down to collect the mixture of their juices then returned to her sensitive little button. Before long, she finally reached a second release and shuddered beneath him. Her legs began to shake and she cried out with a yelp that receded into a drawn out groan of sexual satisfaction. She ended on soft panting, feeling the studded girth within her began to shrink. His body relaxed and the tight grip upon her backside rescinded.

Caruso took both of her paws and her interlaced his fingers with her own while she clinched her thighs together to try and relax her body spasms. "That was really good," she told him with an endearing tone. It wasn't amazing but it was certainly better than last time. "I... think I'm the kind of girl where sex gets better as my heart grows fonder. I can only imagine that I'll need a leather muzzle to keep me quiet about a year from now." She was being playful at this point and kissed the side of his face. "Thank you."

"Thank YOU," he replied in a breathy tone. "I feel like we have a deeper connection than ever before." He lifted his head and looked into her eyes with a grin. "Panther likes!"

She chuckled. "You would." She brought her paws to either side of his face, kissed his nose and said, "Be a dear and go to my room. Bring me fresh clothes. May I use your shower?"

"Silly, silly vixen. You know you don't need to ask. I would love to join you but perhaps we'll bookmark that for a future date. I have an appointment."

She kept her paws on either side of his head, probing his mind. Her brows furrowed. "I thought you gave up doing assassinations?" She paused briefly then said, "I didn't know there were still Anglar leaders still alive. Zako was one of the Emperor's Generals? Where is he?"

"He's to stand trial on Corneria for war crimes. However, an insider has said he'll be entering a plea bargain for immunity. He will offer invaluable information for amnesty. My employer wants me to silence him forever, which requires breaking into a maximum-security prison. Believe it or not, it's easier to kill him in prison than it is to try when they transfer him to the court. He'll have ten times the amount of protection the day of his trial. It won't be easy."

She sighed. However, in consideration of his target, she knew it was important for Lylat. "You won't be able to break into such a facility."

"Oh? What will I require to do the job?"

Krystal gently pushed against him. Understanding the gesture, Panther eased his body from atop of hers and sat up adjacent to her on the bed. She smiled somewhat then sat up and pushed her fingers back through her hair to straighten it. "You'll 'require' the aid of a telepath." She watched his lower lip tuck between his teeth. This was it... the moment of truth. Would he treat her like a ward or would he respect her enough to allow her help?

Panther cleared his mind and closed his eyes, making it difficult to read his thoughts. After a moment of deliberation he nodded and said, "As much as Panther does not like hearing that he's unable to do a job without aid... you're right - a telepath would guarantee my success." His eyes opened. "The job occurs tonight. Are you sure you're up to a mission with such short notice?"

She nodded with a paw on his shoulder. "You need me for this. Be thankful I came back now, else you'd be doing this all alone."

"I'll fetch your clothes, you shower. I, too, shall take a quick one. After that, we'll go together. I don't typically work with a sidekick but... for you, I'll gladly make an exception."

There it was again... acceptance. She felt it flowering in her chest. Krystal offered a quick nod and slid off the bed. The little vixen reached for his nearby comforter and dabbed the corner into her crotch to wipe away some of the mess that was already matting down the fur of her inner thighs. "Okay. I'll go clean up while you get my clothes... you sure you don't want to shower before I do?"

He shook his head. "No, no... ladies first."

For the first time since before she'd arrived back at Sargasso, she offered a genuine smile. "I appreciate that." With that, she dropped the blanket back to the mattress and went into his personal bathroom.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Two hours later...

With a flourish , Panther extended his wrist as if to gesture for her to go first. Krystal wore a sleek one-piece body suit designed for stealth. Her hair was drawn back into a tight ponytail and her tail was adorned in several white fabric scrunchies. The vixen went first and put her back up against a bulkhead then moved beneath a camera. She moved along the wall just beyond its field of view, waited for it to swivel for a moment then continued along the path in silence. In all honesty, she couldn't believe she was breaking into a Cornerian jail to aid in the assassination of an Anglar General.

This wasn't something Fox would have wanted her doing... she blinked away memories of her ex-boyfriend and focused her mind to stay sharp. Krystal's head tilted upwards. She watched the camera's mechanical pattern, waited until it was panned back to the right then she broke into a sprint to get further down the hall. As she ran, her tail flitted about listlessly behind her and the staff mounted on her back moved slightly with the curvature of her spine.

Krystal skidded to a halt and knelt at the far end of the hallway. She lifted a paw to the side of her head, just forward of her temple, and mentally probed the area for guards. Her paw moved to her forehead for a moment and she closed her eyes. Her paw then slid back to the top of her head, as if to somehow cup the parietal lobe of her brain. She reached out to scan with her spatial sense and tapped in to her mental compass as if to get bearings for navigation.

She relaxed her mind to tap into a more atavistic level of consciousness so as to become aware of all the guards in the surrounding area. She lifted her paw, calmly, and gestured for Panther to move up. He put his back towards the wall and took his time, moving beneath the camera. Once it began panning back to the right, he hurried up until he was near her. "What do you see?" he asked.

"They're not Zener Cards," she said in an almost scolding tone. "These are people who have 'walk routes' and react to just about anything. This won't be easy."

"Why not, my lovely Krystal? With you at my side, it's impossible to lose."

She shook her head. While she appreciated his words, she couldn't put stock in them. "Panther, if a guy has to walk down hallway "A" and gets distracted at the intersection from a text message... he checks it and ambles down hallway "B" without realizing it... I'll sense he thinks he's in the first hallway and recognize the psychic vibrations of his proximity when it's too late, halfway down the second hallway. Do you follow?"

"At that point, Krystal, we pray he remains distracted long enough for me to dispatch him. We hope there is a nearby janitorial closet, and then we hide the body. You think and scan... I'll react." He saw the look on her face and took her by the shoulders. Once their eyes met, he whispered, "I have faith in you. I trust your abilities, flower. We'll make a good team - you watch and see. We shall be successful tonight; this, Panther vows."

She swallowed back her reluctance and nodded. "Let's do it."

"Now you're speaking my language." He offered a playful swat on her rump then peered around the corner. "My escape plan is as follows... Smoke screens and chaff grenades. We run without being seen, we hide and change clothes then casually walk away with a swagger. The stealth shuttle is in the woods if something goes wrong."

"We can visit the café you like," she mused.

"Tease." He grinned back at her and shook his head. "I can't be seen on this planet tonight. It would not look good for an alibi. I have something far more simple in mind." Before she could answer or even scan his mind, he announced, "Wolf is personally purchasing two tickets to the theater of my choice on Katina... he is using my credit card and a fake ID. He'll sign my signature on the touch screen panel... I was taking you out to a movie tonight to celebrate your return. How can I be in two places at once? That is my alibi. What's our next move?"

Krystal grinned with a slow shake of her head. "Wolf is right... you talk too much." She patted the side of his face somewhat affectionately then sauntered passed him. The vixen's relaxed gait was cleverly calculated to stay in cadence to a guard in a parallel corridor. She matched his walking speed so as to remain unseen, moving north against the guard's southward stroll. She sashayed her hips to keep Caruso's attention, waggling a finger for him to follow.

The onyx-furred cat kept a blaster drawn. The extended barrel, a high performance flash suppresser, was painted black so as not to glisten in the ambient lighting. The couple moved through the hallways in silence to the beat of Krystal's set rhythm. She lifted a paw; Panther gently bumped into her. She could hear the thought in his head. 'What is it?'

Her paw went up, gesturing 'two'. She flattened her paw out and made a slicing motion to the left then another one straight ahead. A brief pause, then she held her paw up, fingers extended. Next, she curled each finger shut as though counting down a five second timer.

Panther pointed the weapon forward. A guard opened a bathroom door and stepped into the hallway just as Caruso squeezed the trigger. It caught the man in his throat, blasting a hole straight through his neckline. The couple quickened their pace, took the man beneath his arms and dragged him back inside the bathroom.

They brought him into a booth just as the cauterized hole began to gush with blood from pressure due to his broken carotid artery. At first, it seeped from the melted flesh within the hole... but as they sat him up on a toilet seat, the wound shifted. Blood spurted up from both sides of his throat, leaving a macabre splatter on the tiles.

Krystal ducked back to avoid contact with the spray of gore. She reached for Panther, sensing something from the Cornerian male. It startled her as though she'd seen a ghost. The man suddenly awoke, flailing in the throes of death. One paw went to his neck while the canine's other paw reached for his utility belt.

Sensing his intention, to try and call for help as his last mortal action, she gracefully withdrew her staff and, in one smooth motion, caught his paw with the tip before it could reach the transponder on his belt. The tip of the staff pinned his palm to his leg. Feeling sorry for his agony, she activated the 'frost' application programmed into the weapon staff. A wintery chill rushed from the tip, freezing him to the toilet.

Panther lifted his blaster and brought the butt down upon the frozen man, shattering part of his torso into icy chunks. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Krystal turn away with a sour expression. "I'm sorry, my dear. If you like we can..."

She gritted her teeth and shook her head vehemently. "There's no turning back now. We're knee deep in the mission." She sucked in a long breath through her teeth and held it in her chest for a moment. She intended for this to be a sneaking mission not a slaughter-fest. After taking a moment to compose herself... she said, "I didn't intend to kill Cornerians."

"You didn't kill anyone," said her beau. "Panther did. With a hole in his throat, he was already dying. You simply stopped his suffering; a noble and humane effort on your part." He reached out with his free paw and offered a reassuring touch. "Haste would be wise, hmm?"

"Yes," she murmured with a nod, still holding her breath. Why didn't she stay with Fox? But, as she'd just stated seconds prior, there was no turning back now. She was here; she made her bed and already slept in it. She felt like a whore but quickly reminded herself that she left Fox because she was already dating Panther... It took a moment to recompose herself and to convince her heart and mind that she was being loyal to her mate so as to rid herself of such self-deprecating thoughts. She finally exhaled through her teeth and said, "I feel guilty, he was just doing his job... but," she paused to swallow, breathe again then continued. "But his last dying thought was guilt over a deplorable act. He was certainly not a noble man."

"Do you believe in Karma?" Panther guided her paw back so that she returned the staff to her harness.

"You saying this will come back and bite me for helping this man to die?"

He shook his head and scritched his claws gently beneath her chin. "I'm saying he probably deserved his fate; our actions were merely the will of the Grim Reaper." Caruso offered her a reassuring wink then moved back to the door. "Let's finish the job so we can leave."

"That would be best," she said but took time to consider his words... perhaps that guard did have such an awful fate coming. Who was she to argue providence? It helped ease the pang of culpability that gnawed at her heart. Meanwhile, Panther had absolutely no compunction for his actions; he was the consummate professional when it came to doing jobs like this one.

Together, they traversed the hallway leading into the main complex. Once inside, they made their way down to the maximum-security block. Panther came up behind a guard, cupped either side of his head and snapped his neck swiftly. The guard's body became deadweight in his paws. He forced the man up to a retinal scanner, carefully used his claws to pry open his eyelids then waited. The gate, comprised of laser bars, vanished from a nearby doorframe.

She shuddered and looked away, able to hear the thoughts of the motionless man. The Cornerian's mind raced to comprehend what had happened and why he couldn't move or feel anything. Her heart ached, hearing the man's mind... he relaxed himself by portraying a soft white light at the end of a tunnel... and then... his thoughts ceased. Krystal looked around nervously, wanting desperately to wash her hands for some reason. She felt... dirty. Soiled. Tarnished.

They moved together, along the walls, until they were out in the main area of the cellblock. It was a large square courtyard with dozens of cells on each wall, three stories tall. The central congregation area was empty with tables and chairs at the hub. There were a few decks of cards spread out on one table and three sets of barbells on the west side.

To their surprise, however, all the cells were covered with opaque force fields. It was impossible to see who was inside each cubicle-sized dwelling. Caruso cursed beneath his breath. He panned his eyes towards her and frowned. "My apologies, Panther did not intend to utter such words in the presence of a lady."

She ground her teeth together and nodded in acceptance of his apology. Truly, it didn't bother her. She was simply trying to think so as to separate the various races in her mind. She scanned the area then narrowed her gaze. "Everyone is a mammal... except for... He's in the center," she whispered. "Right in front of a camera. We'll be seen if we go any further into this area."

"Fear not," he murmured. "Do you trust me?"

She tried to scan him to see what he had up his sleeve but she couldn't see anything. All she could tell is that he was sure of himself. Finally, the cobalt-furred Cerinian offered him a slow nod. "I trust you."

"Splendid." He reached into his gear pack and withdrew two small metal objects. Roughly the size of a fist, each, he pulled a tab from the tops and tossed them out into the middle of the room. They clinked and clanked like two empty soda cans and came to stop by the card table. He counted down from ten and both canisters made a decisive 'pop!' like a light bulb striking the pavement.

She looked around. "Well?"

"Electromagnetic pulse, my trump card." He casually strolled out into the middle of the large room, crossed over to the center cell on the far wall then turned back to look at her, waiting across the room beneath the camera. He saw her nod then cut his gaze back to the force field.

Panther retrieved a piece of paper from his pocket, un-crumbled it and read the four digits then entered them into a keypad adjacent to the cell. The field disappeared. Within, Zako was lying on his bunk, wearing a facemask. Connected to it was a tube that went to a large canister full of water. The mask covered Zako's gills. A hammerhead shark, Zako wasn't actually an Anglar at all.

Krystal remained across the chamber, fidgeting nervously. This is the last place she wanted to be right now. Several dead Cornerians?? She was supposed to be a hero of the people. Getting caught would have been very bad; she had nowhere else to go other than Lylat and didn't wish to be banished as a criminal like Andross, almost two decades prior. Her biggest worry was that Panther's little devices didn't work... after all, the force field barriers were all still on, so she couldn't understand why he was so confident when he crossed the cellblock courtyard.

The sleek assassin knelt down adjacent to the bunk with a smirk. He knew the Anglars had both lungs and gills... Zako, like the Anglar race, was no different. Panther surmised the water tank was full of something more than just water... he pondered there being a chemical agent in the tank that kept the shark sedated. Panther reached into his boot and withdrew a cyanide capsule and pushed it into the man's mouth. Not his typical method of operation, this was a request of the client.

He pushed his finger into the man's mouth, careful of his teeth, and then used a claw to break the plastic ampoule at the back of the man's tongue. "You're no General," he murmured, recognizing the man now that he got a good look at Zako's face. "You were just a bounty hunter working for the Emperor. There's more going on than we've been led to believe; Panther will get to the bottom of this." He'd apparently confused Zako with Zazan who was still at large. He watched the hammerhead shark for a moment, waited then smirked... the deed was done and Zako was dead.

Caruso hurried back across the room and held his paws out, "Just like Panther believed you would come back, the mission is now complete without incident. Let us hurry, no? Things will get difficult if we stay around."

"How come your electromagnetic bomb things didn't short out the force fields? You were probably seen on camera!"

He lifted a finger to her lips and smiled. "Shh, flower, it's not true. Those force fields are designed so that their electronics are shielded from EMP... cameras are affected but not the fields. Were someone to attack with such a bomb, the Cornerians would not want all of their maximum-security prisoners to escape. Like this." He withdrew a small metal box from his belt and mashed his thumb over the button. Every single field on all three floors disappeared. "They will cover our escape and the actions of Panther's crime." He turned away from her, brought his paws to his muzzle and shouted at the top of his lungs. "YOU'RE ALL FREE TO FLEE THE PLANET! I SUGGEST YOU ALL HURRY!" He turned about, snatched her paw and together they ran to stay ahead of the group.

As they rushed through the corridors, Panther dropped smoke grenades and chaff devices to cause electronic problems to the surveillance systems. They made it back to the main area just as the emergency klaxon sounded in the distance. A dozen canines poured out of a guard shack up ahead near the main gates. Caruso's heart dropped, realizing that he'd misjudged how long it would take for the alarm to be set off.

Krystal unsheathed her staff. It telescopically extended in her right paw. She lifted it above her head in both paws while in mid-run then brought it down with all of her upper body weight. The tip slammed into the ground with the super-quake application. Intense energy drained from the staff into the ground, causing a tectonic tremor in the immediate area. Panther stumbled and all the men that were coming through the doorway went to the ground like a line of dominos.

Caruso withdrew his last smoke grenade and hurled it at the fallen foes. He got back to his feet and felt Krystal tug at his paw. Together they raced through the main gates with her leading. She kept her mind clear and avoided the fallen foes. Within the smoke, she saw blaster fire. It illuminated the billowing fog of gray like lightning in a veil of rain clouds.

"Hurry!" she shouted at the top of her lungs. Up ahead, a large rolling gate began to slide along its tracks to bar entry or escape. Panther did as he was told and sprinted through the cloud cover. They broke free of the miasma and the obscured gate. Krystal gasped in surprise, feeling her body scooped up by the large feline. She clung to him, glad she no longer had to run.

Caruso carried her down the road and into the forest, where a stealth-modified ship waited for them, obfuscated from the naked eye. Upon his approach the ship sensors scanned his genetic makeup and the aft section opened. It looked like a rift in space-time, coming from out of nowhere. He carried her up the gangplank and into the cockpit. The hatch closed at the back of the ship, disappearing back into a state of visual ambiguity.

Half-draped over the co-pilot's chair, she removed the staff from the harness and placed it on a magnetic charging plate on the bulkhead. "I sensed you were confused when you found Zako. What happened back there?"

"I was told I was assassinating one of the Emperor's Generals but instead it was one of the hired guns that worked for the freak."

"Freak?"

"Indeed," Panther nodded firmly. "Didn't you know? These Anglars were created by Andross. Zako, however, was born naturally on Aquas and grew up to become a bounty hunter. He's just a low underling who joined the wrong side during the war. In fact, he..."

She lifted a paw and put it upon his muzzle. "Shh... Panther. Please. If you relax, I can sense it all from you. Like Wolf said..."

"Yes, yes... Panther talks too much." He offered her a sidelong grin. "Let us return to Sargasso. Perhaps we should watch the news report, see what comes of this and investigate further... all is not as it seems, which means there will be loose strings."

Krystal nodded in reply then cut her gaze to the windshield bubble. The trees lowered beneath the ship and disappeared from view. Within a matter of minutes they were heading up into the stratosphere. She licked her lips apprehensively, hoping she wasn't getting in over her head.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

A/N: I posted this story for anyone that was waiting to read the next installment without waiting.

_I'll be honest, most people who read my REFLECTIONS SERIES would probably HATE the first chapter simply because Krystal and Panther have a lemon scene. I'm not really a fan of Panther and Krystal pairings. However, as a fan of the franchise, I accept that it happens canonically at some point in time, during the game's beginnings. SO! I'm also empathetic to the fact that Krystal has no one, she's alone and part of a doomed race. Instinctually, she's going to be fighting the urge to become a mother so as to try and restore some measure of lineage to the Cerinian people. I do plan on tying this story into my other SIX Reflections stories. However, if I ever DO post it on FanFiction DOT net, I'll have to remove the sex, the gore and the cussing. That's why I'm posting it here, first. I just want to see how people will respond... if any at all care to even read it. I know Star Fox isn't quite a big deal on a site where everything else is more popular... but hey! It's my thing and I like it... so let's move along to chapter 2, huh? _

_OKAY! If you liked the story, great! If you think I should keep going... great! I've posted these chapters as they were posted on AdultFanFiction.net ...but I have an abridged (clean) version posted on FanFiction.net so... yeah. _