Panther Caroso | Star Fox

The first thing you noticed about Star Wolf's headquarters was that it was considerably more presentable than you'd expected. Given the team's reputation, you'd imagined something a little less organized. Wolf O'Donnell led you through the corridors, occasionally glancing over his shoulder to make sure you were keeping up. "Come on. The others are inside." His tone was characteristically gruff, leaving little room for questions. When the doors to the communal lounge opened, you were greeted by two unfamiliar faces. One was a slender reptilian seated on the sofa, his yellow eyes regarding you with quiet curiosity. The other was a black-furred leopard standing near the counter, adjusting the gloves of his dark purple combat suit. A red rose was pinned neatly against his chest, and a clean white scar crossed his right cheek. The leopard looked up, his expression immediately brightening with interest.

"Well, well. And who might this be?" he asked, a faint smile spreading across his muzzle. Wolf stepped aside, gesturing toward you. "Our newest recruit. They'll be working with us from now on." The reptilian leaned back, offering a small, amused grin. "Another addition to the team? How interesting." Wolf introduced him as Leon Powalski before turning toward the leopard. "And that's Panther Caroso. Don't let him get on your nerves." Panther placed a gloved hand against his chest, feigning offense. "My dear Wolf, must you make such an unflattering introduction?" He then turned his attention back toward you, giving you a leisurely once-over. "A pleasure to make your acquaintance, darling." His delivery was smooth and confident, accompanied by a charming smile. Leon let out a quiet chuckle, evidently accustomed to Panther's behavior.

The familiar silhouette of the Black Rose fighter ship appeared on your radar, its pilot quickly identifying themselves through the comm channel. Panther Caroso. You'd encountered him several times before, and while his reputation as a skilled pilot was certainly deserved, his habit of making smug remarks over the radio was becoming increasingly tiresome. "Well, well. If it isn't one of Star Fox's finest," Panther greeted, his refined voice carrying its usual theatrical amusement. "How fortunate. I was beginning to worry this assignment would be dreadfully boring." His fighter swept past yours, executing a particularly flashy maneuver before circling back around. You took the opportunity to make a pointed remark about his flying, suggesting that he seemed considerably more interested in showing off than actually hitting anything. There was a brief silence over the comm before a low chuckle followed. "Oh? A comedian, are we? How charming." His tone remained smooth, but the amusement had acquired a sharper edge.

Panther immediately adjusted his approach, pursuing your fighter with considerably more determination. You could practically imagine the irritated expression beneath his helmet as he attempted to line up a shot. "I do hope you aren't under the impression that your little evasive maneuvers make you particularly impressive, darling." You narrowly avoided his attack, pulling into a sharp turn before slipping behind him. Another comment about his supposedly magnificent flying skills being somewhat overrated seemed to do the trick. "My flying?" he repeated, sounding almost offended. "I assure you, my dear, I know precisely what I'm doing." From another channel, Wolf's voice cut in. "Panther, quit playing around and finish the job." Panther ignored him, his attention fixed entirely on you. "One moment, Wolf. It seems our friend here requires a demonstration."

The next several minutes became an increasingly competitive exchange of maneuvers. Panther abandoned his earlier theatrics and began flying with genuine concentration, executing tight turns and calculated approaches in an effort to catch you off guard. Black Rose came dangerously close to yours more than once, but you managed to evade each attempt. "You're making this rather difficult for yourself," he remarked, his voice noticeably less playful. When you managed to slip past another attack, he let out an irritated huff. "Honestly. Do you ever intend to hold still?" Leon's voice suddenly joined the conversation, sounding faintly amused. "Careful, Panther. You're beginning to sound frustrated." "I'm perfectly composed, thank you very much." Panther's response came a little too quickly. Wolf gave an exasperated growl over the comm. "Just shoot them already!"

Eventually, Panther managed to pull alongside your fighter, matching your movements with surprising precision. For a brief moment, the two aircraft flew almost wingtip to wingtip. "There we are," he announced, a smug smile returning to his voice. "Now, perhaps you'll show me a little respect." Unfortunately for him, the encounter ended without a decisive victory for either side. A tactical withdrawal order from Wolf forced Star Wolf to disengage before Panther could make another attempt. As his fighter veered away, he offered one final remark over the comm. "Enjoy your little victory while you can, darling. Next time, I won't be quite so accommodating." There was a brief pause before he added, with a faint chuckle, "And do try not to become too attached to that smug attitude. I'd hate to have to correct it." The transmission ended, leaving you with the distinct impression that you'd managed to accomplish something rather entertaining: getting under the skin of Panther Caroso himself. And judging by the way he'd pursued you throughout the engagement, he was unlikely to forget it anytime soon.

Panther's Black Rose appeared on your radar once again. "Well, well. If it isn't my favorite little nuisance," his refined voice greeted you over the comm. "I've been looking forward to this, darling. Our previous encounter left me with a rather unpleasant sense of unfinished business." You maneuvered your Arwing into an aggressive approach, determined not to give him another opportunity to show off. Panther seemed amused by your enthusiasm, but his flying was noticeably different this time. His movements were precise, his turns calculated, and his attacks carefully timed. He had clearly learned from your previous encounter. After several exchanges, a concentrated burst of laser fire struck your Arwing's rear shields. You attempted to evade, but Panther anticipated your maneuver and caught you with another volley. Your shields collapsed, warning indicators flashed across your dashboard, and the cockpit shook violently. "Surely you didn't think I'd make the same mistake twice, my dear?" he remarked. Before you could recover, his final attack struck your aircraft directly. The resulting explosion tore the Arwing apart, and your emergency ejector system launched you clear of the wreckage. You drifted helplessly through space, your suit's life-support systems keeping you alive. Panther circled the debris field before locating your emergency beacon. "Well, well. Still alive, I see. How fortunate." He contacted the Star Wolf mothership, informing Wolf that the engagement was over. When Wolf ordered him to return, Panther casually mentioned that there was a surviving pilot floating nearby. Wolf immediately told him to leave you behind. Panther glanced toward your drifting figure, his ears twitching slightly. "Really, Wolf? And here I thought we were supposed to be professionals." Despite his commander's irritation, Panther deployed his fighter's recovery apparatus and carefully secured your emergency harness. "Try not to struggle, darling. I'd rather not damage anything else."

The Star Wolf mothership was considerably larger than you had anticipated. Its imposing dark hull was covered in reinforced armor plating, defensive weaponry, and numerous docking bays. Panther guided his fighter into one of the hangars, where the recovery apparatus lowered you onto the floor. After disembarking, he removed his helmet, revealing his familiar yellow eyes and the white scar across his cheek. His purple combat suit remained remarkably immaculate despite the engagement. "Well, there you are," he remarked, adjusting one of his gloves. "I must say, you put up a respectable fight. A shame about the aircraft, though." He gestured toward the hangar doors, expecting you to follow. "Come along, darling. Standing around in a hangar isn't particularly comfortable, and I doubt you're in any condition to find your own way home." The interior of the mothership proved surprisingly sophisticated. Beyond the reinforced corridors and security checkpoints were spacious residential quarters, polished floors, and subtle purple lighting. Panther eventually led you into a generously furnished common lounge, complete with deep leather sofas, a polished bar, decorative shelving, and a large entertainment display. It was considerably more luxurious than you would have expected aboard a mercenary vessel. Noticing your attention wandering around the room, Panther smirked. "Impressed? We do try to maintain a certain standard of living. Even mercenaries have standards, my dear."

"Panther." Wolf's voice interrupted from the doorway. The hulking wolf stood with his arms crossed, his expression immediately darkening upon noticing you. "Care to explain why you've brought an enemy pilot onto my ship?" Panther turned with an innocent-looking smile. "Our friend here had the misfortune of losing their aircraft. I thought it would be rather wasteful to leave them drifting in space." Wolf narrowed his eyes. "Since when do you care?" Panther gave a small shrug. "Must there always be a complicated explanation for everything? Perhaps I simply have a charitable disposition." Wolf clearly wasn't amused. After a moment, he ordered Panther to find somewhere secure to keep you until they decided what to do. Panther accepted with a faintly theatrical sigh, although he made no effort to argue. Once Wolf had departed, he turned his attention back toward you. "Well, darling. It appears you're my responsibility for the time being." He gestured toward one of the sofas, suggesting you sit down while he arranged for someone to examine your injuries. "Make yourself comfortable. I imagine you've had a rather exhausting evening." His expression remained pleasantly smug, but there was something distinctly calculating behind his yellow eyes. "As for what happens next..." He paused, straightening his collar. "Well, I suppose we'll have to see how things develop."

The warehouse is unusually quiet when you slip inside, having followed a suspicious transport vehicle from a nearby industrial district. You aren't a detective, a soldier, or some sort of undercover agent; you're just a civilian whose curiosity has gotten the better of them. The building appears abandoned, but the large shipping crates stacked along its walls suggest otherwise. Several of them have been left partially open, revealing reinforced containers filled with a strange, luminous green-blue substance. Before you can get a closer look, voices carry from the other side of the warehouse. You instinctively duck behind a stack of crates, realizing that the three figures standing nearby aren't ordinary smugglers. Wolf O'Donnell, Leon Powalski, and Panther Caroso. Star Wolf.

"...The scientists certainly knew what they were doing," Leon remarks, examining one of the containers. "Apparently, the compounds can accelerate cellular mutation and adaptation. Rather unpleasant possibilities, wouldn't you say?" Wolf gives a low grunt. "That's Andrew Oikonny's problem. He wants the research stolen from Corneria and delivered to Venom. We're getting paid to transport it, not question what he intends to do with it." Panther adjusts his gloves, glancing over the shipment with mild distaste. "Still, one does wonder what our dear Andrew intends to accomplish with it. Building an army of genetically enhanced monstrosities, perhaps? His ambitions seem rather disproportionate to his actual abilities." Wolf shoots him an irritated look. "Keep your opinions to yourself. The shipment leaves when the transport arrives. Until then, nobody touches anything." You remain perfectly still, trying to process what you've heard. The chemicals were stolen from a Cornerian research facility, and Star Wolf themselves had been hired by Oikonny to deliver them. This is considerably more than some ordinary smuggling operation.

Unfortunately, your attempt to shift your weight sends a small piece of debris skittering across the concrete floor. The sound is barely audible, but Wolf immediately turns his head. His good eye fixes on the stack of crates behind which you're hiding. "Who's there?" His voice cuts through the warehouse. Before you can decide whether to run, Wolf draws his weapon and approaches. "Come out. Now." There's no point pretending you weren't there. You reluctantly emerge from your hiding place, immediately finding three pairs of eyes fixed on you. Wolf's expression darkens when he realizes you're an ordinary Cornerian civilian. "You've been listening." It isn't a question. He glances briefly toward the stolen shipment before looking back at you. "We can't have you reporting this to the authorities. Panther." The black-furred mercenary turns toward him, raising an eyebrow. "Yes?" "Take care of them. Capture them if possible. Kill them if you have to. Just make sure they don't leave here and tell anyone what they've heard."

Panther lets out a quiet sigh, straightening the collar of his dark purple combat suit before stepping forward. "Well, this is rather unfortunate." His yellow eyes settle on you, and a familiar, self-assured smirk gradually appears. "You really must learn to mind your own business, darling. It's a surprisingly useful habit." Leon watches from behind Wolf, his expression difficult to read. "Perhaps I could help. I rather doubt they'll be particularly cooperative." "I appreciate the enthusiasm, Leon, but I believe I can manage one civilian." Panther produces a red rose, casually turning it between his fingers as he approaches. His demeanor is almost conversational, as though the two of you have encountered each other at some upscale establishment rather than during an illegal weapons shipment. "Now, let's not be unreasonable. I have absolutely no personal grievance against you, and I'd prefer not to make an unpleasant evening any worse than necessary." His smile sharpens slightly. "But I'm afraid you're not going anywhere."

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