She applies the last bits of tape to her fists, giving her arms a good stretch. Then, with a sharp exhale, Juniper slides her feet against the floor, pounding her fists against the bag. It’s only been a day since her last mission, but she needs to feel the burn again. Nothing has gone right since then.

Eris Peray, the former Wardog 2, not only is she still alive, it turned out she was the one Juniper met in the kennels. Gods, it’s all so fucking horrifying.

She slides to the right, swinging a haymaker onto the top of the bag, ducking low and throwing a jab. The jabs need work, too sluggish for her own taste. Something to work on later, when her head isn’t a fucking mess.

It’s probably just a lack of sleep bringing her down. At this point, she gets two to three hours of sleep, before waking up in a panic. Nightmares involving a myriad of things keeps her scared and awake. Doesn’t matter if she hits the bag for two hours or twelve hours, she’s awake most of the time. The pills given to help her sleep are ineffective as well, only adding to her problems.

Probably explains the headaches too.

More than likely it’s just the stress of the last mission adding up. Transports got to safety, no thanks to her chasing ghosts. Of course, it wasn’t Laila, because why the fuck would it be? She’s dead. There’ve been zero signs that she could still be alive out there.

Gods know that Juniper hasn’t stopped looking for any potential signs.

No, instead, it’s Eris Peray who is alive and in a storage room, turned holding cell. Techs have had a field day trying to extract any useful information from Ares, but as far as they can tell, it was immediately wiped when it went down. Or, more than likely, it never had anything.

Meanwhile, Eris has fed the brass some bullshit story about how she “escaped Imperial custody”. They seem ready to believe it, being as there have been zero sightings of Ares since it supposedly went down. As for Juniper, she knows all too well that it’s a lie.

Eris has something to do with Epsilon–Her. And whatever it is, it’s probably going to be horrifying to learn.

Juniper throws a hook against the bag, putting her full weight behind it. Her fist hurts from the punch, but it’s a welcomed pain. A small reminder that even now, she’s still alive. It’s nice to imagine that she’s hitting Her, or maybe Eris, helps her to stay focused.

She slides to the right, peppering the bag with increasingly harder jabs–

_{I love you, June}

–just as she goes to throw another haymaker, she trips over her own feet, faceplanting into the bag. For a second there, it sounded like–no, you’re just tired is all.

Her head has felt off, a small headache here and there, sure, it’s a natural effect from being connected to Ixion for so long. But that’s not it, her timing feels off, like she’s walking through sand. The docs gave her some painkillers and told her to drink more water, but it hasn’t been helpful, she’s still…off.

Post-mission stress, maybe. Then again, everything has felt slower since her return. She can’t explain it, because there’s no explanation that makes any sense. Even her punches on the bag feel mistimed, as if she’s forgotten how to hit all of a sudden. It’s clearly just stress, after seeing Eris in that state.

Juniper picks herself off the floor, giving her body another stretch. Okay, hands in position, deep breath. She closes her eyes, sliding to the left, hitting the bag with an uppercut this time. Jumping back, her fists land perfectly, pounding against it. This time she’s got it, there’s a spring in her step with every movement, as she continues to pound the bag with everything she’s got.

Just as she goes for a right hook, she stops dead in her tracks at the sudden migraine, collapsing onto the floor in pain. This migraine is unlike the previous ones, her head doesn’t threaten to split open this time, it simply does. _{Oh, Lieutenant, I forgive you.} She tries to scream, those words searing themselves into her head, but nothing comes out.

Make it stop, make it stop, make it stop, make it stop, make it stop, make it stop, make it stop.

Tears stream down Juniper’s face, unable to do anything but cry from the painful memories. She tried so hard to fight Her, thinking that it would lead to her freedom. Instead, what did it get her? Nothing, she’s stuck on the floor cowering in fear from memories instead.

She offered forgiveness and Juniper refused it, because there is no forgiving her sins. Every second spent on the ground, the pain spills out from her broken head, infecting her every thought.

_{Why didn’t you save me, June?}

_{I can make the pain go away, Juniper, with three simple words. If you beg for it, then–}

Even the happy memories with Laila are replaced with Her; Handler, or Epsilon, whatever Her name is. The one who treated Juniper with kindness, but there was something beneath that kindness, that scared her. Even now, she can hear Her voice. It commands her to do so many things and all she can do is obey.

_{Kill for me us, June Juniper}

She…She should….kill and–No, she can’t do that, could she? The answer should be so obvious, yet, it’s anything but. Which is what scares her more than anything. No one trusts her, yet they see fit to allow her onto the battlefield again. None of it makes sense.

Then, as it all begins to fade, she’s left curled into a ball on the floor, too afraid to move. If she moves, the pain will return and the voices will tell her what to do again. Except this time…she might give in.

Half an hour passes before she feels safe to get herself up off the floor. She’s dealt with off and on migraines since her rescue, but never one this intense. There is something wrong with her head, but there’s no way the doctors here could figure out what exactly it is. An imperial base might have the needed equipment, but your average rebel base absolutely does not. The doctors here are lucky enough to be able to requisition the needed medical supplies, there’s no way they could get equipment like that. That kind of stuff is fragile and hard to transport; a problem when dealing with rebels who move so often.

It’s fine, or, it will be fine. She probably just needs some sleep, but not until she gets a chance to talk to Eris. She’ll have the answers that Juniper needs. After all, if Eris is still alive, then does that mean Laila is?

None of this adds up. Ares rebuilt to look more like Argos, being piloted by Eris. Why? Why any of this? It doesn’t make any godsdamned sense.

Is Laila out there? If she is, Eris has to know, after all she’s the one involved in all of this. Juniper doesn’t want to get her hopes up, but she remembers the image: A pilot in the cockpit of Argos, possibly dead, possibly not. It was a grainy shot and She was not telling the full truth, only letting her discern the truth from the image.

Ugh, fuck.

She takes a few pained breaths and downs some water, rubbing at her aching temples. Has to be a solution to this pain, maybe combat stims? No, that wouldn’t help, if anything it might exacerbate the problem.

Without bothering to think about it, she slips a hand down her pants, stroking herself in an attempt to feel something. It would be so easy to give into the voices and simply kill for them. Her hand moves faster over her quickly hardening length, as the thoughts of murder, play out in her head.

But it’s no use, because she can’t feel anything from jerking off. Her cock is hard, but there’s no feeling to it, no pleasure, not even an ounce of the high she normally feels. It’s just empty.

A knock at the door leaves her more frustrated than before. Fuck, why now of all times?

“‘Cap?” Of course, it’s Mara, probably come to ruin things again. Juniper could have been happy under Her thumb, but Mara, she…she ruined it all, by dragging her away from it and forcing her to return to a traitor’s welcome.

Juniper says nothing, staring at the door blankly, while plotting Mara’s death in her head. It would so easy to bash her skull in against the door, then she could find that mercenary, Glass, and kill her next. But...she doesn’t want to kill Mara. No, she’s the only person who’s treated Juniper like a person. There’s something…warm about her, something that reminds her of Laila.

“I…I’m here.” Juniper squeaks out, wishing she hadn’t spoken up.

To Mara’s credit, she doesn’t open the door and barge in, like some would. She’s out there, waiting. “You okay in there? I, uh, I’ve been assigned to take you down to the cells, to see Eris. Apparently she’s been asking for you. Can I…come in?”

Heaving out a sigh, Juniper composes herself before speaking. “Yeah.” She’s hunched over the side of the bed, staring at the floor, with head hanging in her hands. Gods, her head is messed up, there’s no way she could ever murder Mara.

The door opens with ease, spilling light into the dark room. Juniper stares at Mara, who is battered black and blue. Her right arm is bandaged, as well as her ribs. Then there’s the limp in her step, which she’s trying unsuccessfully to hide. “You okay there? You look like you’ve seen better days. Can’t really blame you after that last mission, though.” She’s leaning her left arm against the doorway, with a faint smile on her face.

She’s already injured, already weak, it wouldn’t be that hard to suck punch her and–No, absolutely not. It’s not her fault that Juniper ran, no, it’s her own fault. Just like losing Laila, just like everything else that goes wrong. It’s her fault.

“Guess so.” Juniper mumbles, trying to pull herself together.

Mara leans there, watching Juniper, but not judging her like everyone else. No, if anything, it’s sympathy coming from her eyes. How ironic, that the only person to show this wretched excuse for a pilot any sympathy, is an Imperial defector.

Why does Mara refuse to leave her alone? What value is there in a useless mutt, like her?

“Doc said I got lucky, another inch or two and that would have penetrated the cockpit, but uh, don’t blame yourself, ‘kay? I should have listened to your orders, but quite frankly, I didn’t want you to take that fucker down alone.” Mara wheezes a pained laugh. “What can I say? I’m a stubborn bitch. Least I provided a good distraction.”

There’s only silence, Juniper says nothing, while Mara seems to be in one of her cheery moods.

“Oh, and I, uh, I decided on a name for the ol’ Doru. Figured if I’m stickin’ around I should name it and, uh, I decided on Selene. Might be a minute before I can update the logs though, on account of the injuries.” Mara reminds Juniper of herself, well, herself minus a few years. Headstrong, overconfident, she’s got the makings of a good pilot, she just needs the training.

Green, gullible, it would be so easy to get on top of her, wrap her hands around that soft neck of hers, and just squeeze. That would make Her happy, that would–That would what? Juniper would be executed on the spot before she could even escape. Just how fucked is her head, that she’s considering murder? Sure, it was easy to imagine it during the last mission, but…No, gods, no.

She needs to get her head on straight, before she actually does hurt someone.

Juniper gets her shit together, standing up to grab her flight jacket. The brown leather jacket is worn in, but the Wardog patch on the back still stands strong. She grabs her gun and holster from within the nightstand drawer, fixing it onto her fatigue pants. Just in case the prisoner tries anything.

The second Eris steps out of line, she’ll pull the trigger. Once the traitors brains are splattered all over her cell–Dammit, dammit, DAMMIT. Why? Fucking why, does she keep thinking about murder. Juniper’s head refuses to shut up and leave her to quietly contemplate. Instead, she’s left thinking of murder.

She…She isn’t that kind of person…is she?

Gods, her head isn’t right, but there’s no time to deal with that right now. Eris needs dealing with, and that’s an unpleasant situation.

Mara awkwardly stands there, uncertain what to say. “So…uh, you fight?” She points to the punching bags. “We should spar sometime, I used to do a little back in my Imperial days.”

Juniper shrugs, “Just a habit picked up from Laila. Helps me stay centered.”

“Oh yeah, your captain, right? Heard about her, seemed like a hero to folks around here. Lot of ‘em seem to miss her, can’t blame ‘em, but they gotta let go.” There’s that word again, ‘hero’, the word that Juniper hates so damn much. They labeled Wardog heroes, in an effort to make propaganda pieces out of them, but it only led to their downfall.

Again, Juniper shrugs. “Guess so.”

The hallway is far too bright, but that’s probably because she keeps her room dark at all times. Easier to hit when she can’t see. Helps to keep her senses sharp, even when her mind is failing her.

It’s quiet through the halls, anyone not on duty is either asleep or in the mess at this point.

There’s a smile on Mara’s face, despite her injuries, as though she’s genuinely happy to be with Juniper. What is there to be happy about? The mediocre food in the chow hall? How fucked everything seems to be?

Approaching the makeshift holding cell and fighting back a sigh, Juniper tries to find the pretend person in her. The version of her who can handle speaking. Eris is on the other end of the room, knees to her chest, still in the same bloody pilot suit she wore when they fought.

The cell itself is just an old storage room, converted to hold a prisoner. No cameras, not even a security door, just a simple lock and key.

“I’m supposed to stay and keep watch over you both, but I don’t see a reason to.” Mara leans against the wall, staring at Eris. “Whatever her deal is, it creeps me out and you two clearly need a moment, so I’ll be outside.” The door slams behind her, leaving only the two former allies in the room.

Eris’ face lights up just a little seeing Juniper. “It’s good to see you again, June.”

Juniper sits down with her back to her former friend. “Hey.”

Eris stares at Juniper’s jacket for a moment, staring at the captain’s bars on the collar. “Captain, eh? Congrats, Laila would be proud, you know? She always hoped you’d stick around.” Eris says with genuine joy in her quiet tone.

“Yeah.” Juniper shrugs, staring at the wall. “Only stuck around for her, nothing tying me here anymore. They just…they see a monster, when they look at me.” She holds herself together as best she can, balling her hand into a fist. It’s impossible to return to Her, but it’s perhaps just as impossible to remain here.

Eris chuckles weakly, “I don’t know. Seems like you’ve got one reason to stay, with that Lieutenant of yours. She reminds me of you with–”

Juniper shakes her head, “Please, no.”

“Mm, fair, I’ll avoid that topic.” Eris nods slowly.

Juniper fidgets with her hands, trying to keep herself calm. “Eris, what…happened to you?”

Eris stands up and moves to put her back to Juniper’s. “Do you remember what happened after Sabac Ridge?”

“...Who could forget? It was a set-up. We returned to base and got ambushed.” Juniper remembers it all too well. She curls her knees tight against her chest, letting the memories play out in her head.

“We were fighting to defend the evacuation effort, you and Laila were doing your best in the air, but the situation on the ground was bleak. I don’t remember what hit me, but…” Eris trails off with a loud sigh. “I couldn’t eject. Whatever hit me, it fried everything onboard Ares. Then, all I remember is dying. Except, much like you, death didn’t take me, Epsilon did.”

Her knees curl tighter, breathing growing shallower by the second. “W-Who exactly is Epsilon?”

Eris stands and moves to sit across from Juniper, smiling an empty smile at her. “Isn’t it obvious, June?” She leans in closer and closer, until her bloodstained jumpsuit is pressed up against Juniper’s white tank top. “Handler Epsilon, our Master. She deemed me a failure, sentenced me to become nothing more than a menial.” Juniper tries to scoot back, but Eris holds her tightly, their faces pressing against each other.

“W-what are y–”

“Shhhhshhhh, it’s okay, June.” Eris puts a finger to Juniper’s lips, practically laughing. “In Her almighty wisdom, She saw fit to forgive my failure, going so far as to rebuild Ares to look like Argos, all in the name of testing you. I wasn’t supposed to win, no, She knows that I’m no match for a pilot like you.”

A chill runs down Juniper’s spine, she can’t run, let alone call for help. If Eris tried to kill her now, she’d succeed. “T-Test me? What are you–”

Eris doesn’t blink, her empty expression only getting worse. “Oh, June, sweet innocent June. I wish I could tell you, but I’m just the messenger. I don’t know more than that, unfortunately.” This isn’t the real Eris, it’s a facade, just as she wears one of the damaged pilot. But it’s fucking creepy for what it is.

“...How are you so coherent, Eris?” Juniper says, blurting it out without thinking. Of course Eris isn’t suffering, she accepted the truth and isn’t broken in the same way. Whereas the broken shell of a pilot ran away, refusing to accept Her truth.

A heavy sigh; Eris shifts uncomfortably, a sad look in her eyes replaces the maniac woman from a moment again. “June, you…you need medicine. I can tell by the look in your eyes; you’re not well either.”

“M-Medicine!? I–”

Eris shakes her head, holding Juniper’s hand. “No, not that kind, I’m afraid. What you need is starlight. I…I don’t know exactly what it is, but they even inject us menials with it. Without it…” She looks uncomfortable, closes her eyes and says, “the withdrawal will get much worse. I’ve heard…stories of rejects dying without it…”

_{She’s lying, you need to kill her, before her lies get worse!}

No, please, not this, not again. Juniper tries to speak, but her lips quiver as the panic attack begins overtaking her mind.

Eris shushes Juniper softly and holds her taped hand. It helps to calm her, helps with the panic attack. “You’ve been hitting the bag? I remember Laila used to have one in our quarters, back when we–” Eris clears her throat. “Sorry, letting the nostalgia get to me. Look in the cockpit of Ares, She left you a present.”

“A p-p–”

“Shhh, June. It’s okay, you’re probably hearing voices, which is leading to a panic attack spiral. Can you breathe for me?” Eris quietly asks, still holding her hand.

Juniper nods, taking a deep stabilizing breath. She squeezes Eris’ hand, letting her once dear friend anchor her to the present. They were good friends, Eris was one of the first people to trust her, when she didn’t deserve it. And in turn, she mourned Eris for weeks, after her death. But she’s…she’s here.

It’s okay for now.

“...What is the present that She left?” Juniper says in a calm tone, in between breaths.

Eris hums softly, a smile forming on her lips. “Starlight. I–Look, June, you’re probably hesitant, but it’s not a trap. That’s not how She plays, She would rather you return willingly. Consider this…a gift, I guess?” She shrugs, stroking Juniper’s taped hand.

Silence falls over the two, there are still questions that need answering, but it’s clear that Eris isn’t…well. Juniper should just leave her former comrade to rot, but not until the question is asked.

Staring directly into the dead-green eyes of Eris, she asks her question. “Laila Praxian, what happened to her? Is she…”

“Mm, that is a good question, June. I…don’t know. I was one of maybe a dozen–maybe more– menials. Eris lets out a hacking cough, wheezing for a moment. “S-Sorry, little side effect from the damage sustained. Smart move by the way, countering me with a thermal overload. Risky, but smart.” That same implant on Eris’ neck as on hers, it’s sickening to look at.

The implant on the back of Eris’ neck is blocky, large and looks…painful. Whereas her implant is smaller, about the size of a large coin, it’s also nowhere near as painful. She’s gotten used to it by now, but can’t imagine that Eris ever could get used to…that.

Juniper lets out a cough of her own, closing her eyes for a moment. There’s color everywhere, probably another sign of her failing faculties. “W…What is this thing–” She strokes the large metallic neural implant on Eris’ neck, clutching her head with her other hand.

“June, you don’t look so–”

“P-Please…” She mutters.

A nod. “Very well. It’s a Neural Hook, designed to help you and Ixion exist as one essentially. We both have one, but mine is…different, more experimental. Your implant is more refined, safer I presume. Though, it’s clear that yours was never fine-tuned. I’m sorry, June, I wish I could help more.”

_{She’s lying, she’s just trying to hurt you June. Kill her, make me proud.}

“June?” Eris snaps her fingers, grabbing Juniper’s attention.

“W-W-What?” She shakes her head, rubbing her temples.

Eris pulls her into a tight hug, refusing to let go. “June, please, you need the medicine, before the symptoms–”

She shakes her head. “Nnnno, y-you–t-th–she says…liar.” Gods, for a moment there she thought the pain was getting worse.

Eris chuckles, letting out another hacking cough. “I’m starting to see why She took such a liking to you. Beneath that broken woman is a beast that She clearly wanted to mold into something unique.” She still has a hand on Juniper’s shoulder, petting it gently. “You know it’s not too late, we can return to Her together. She’ll forgive you, She forgives our failures.” There goes Eris, yet again speaking of Her with devotion.

_{Liar. She’ll kill you, you’re a traitor, just like Eris. Even worse, you’re a failure, June. The Empire doesn’t want failures.}

“Eris, look at me. It’s too late for me, She won’t forgive me, because I’m a sinner unworthy of forgiveness. For whatever reason, I ran away, and now I’m supposed to fight for people who look at me with distrust. If I return, She wouldn’t accept me, no, She would kill me.” Juniper shakes saying that, because she isn’t even sure if anything she said was accurate.

_{Eris Peray is a traitor, what do traitors deserve? Take your gun and end her miserable existence.}

_{Kill for me us, June Juniper. Take your gun from its holster and aim it at Eris.}

“You don’t know that, She–”

Juniper stumbles to her feet, turning around to face her former friend. Without even a second of hesitation, she pulls her gun from its holster aiming it at the traitor. Her expression contorting into a mixture of confusion and blind obedience. _{Good girl, cock it and aim.} The allure of the voices in her head is too much to withstand, they don’t even need to force her to give in, she obeys without question, cocking the gun and aiming it at the traitors head.

Eris is hiding everything, she knows what happened to Laila, her expression says it all.

“J-J–Just tell me t-t-the truth, you–you traitor, or–or—” Each breath is heavier than the last, her hands tremble holding the gun. “L-Laila what…what really happened to-to–to her.”

_{Kill her, June, she’s not going to tell you the truth. Eris knows the truth, it’s her fault!}

Eris for her part doesn’t flinch or cower, she places her head to the barrel, with a content smile on her face. “Subject Iota.”

_{Kill her, Juniper. She’s a traitor, isn’t she? Traitors deserve death.}

“W-What are you–”

“Oh, June, you poor thing. I have no more information to give; unless of course, you think you can pull the trigger. Can you?” Eris’ smile grows wider, more demented, as if she wants to die.

_{June Juniper, listen to me us, I we need you to pull the trigger. Everything she’s saying is a lie, if you end her, the pain will stop.}

“SHUTUPSHUTUPSHUTUPSHUTUPSHUTUPSHUTUPSHUTUPSHUTUPSHUTUPSHUTUP” She screams, pulling the trigger. Eris has to die, she’s a traitor, traitors deserve death. Traitors deserve death, that’s all she’s doing is removing one from existence. This traitor doesn’t deserve sympathy and will receive none. She presses the trigger repeatedly until the click of the empty clip brings her back to reality.

Then, as she opens her eyes, she sees Eris still sitting there, without a scratch on her. Smiling. There are various bullet holes in the concrete, which Eris laughs at. “Poor June, you couldn’t finish me, could you? It’s okay, I’ll let you in on a secret: Iota is a recent arrival.”

Laila is dead, Iota…Iota isn’t her. It’s just–it’s just a lie. Of course, it is, it…it…it has to be.

“I–I–I–” Just as Juniper sputters her response, she collapses to the ground in shock. The voices in her head have finally quieted down, but it leaves her empty, so very empty. She’s crying, why is she crying? Wasn’t she supposed to be stronger than this?

The door slams open, with Mara rushing into the room. “What did you do to Juniper!?”

Eris smiles weakly, bowing her head. “I did nothing. June is simply in anguish right now. The withdrawals are getting worse, she doesn’t have much longer before she’s past the point of no return.”

“W-What are you–”

“You wouldn’t understand, you haven’t met Her, yet. Juniper is sick, the medicine is in Ares, but I’m not sure if she has the strength to do it alone.” Eris stands up, returning to the wall she was sitting behind earlier.

Mara kneels down, clutching Juniper in her arms, who stares up at her with tired eyes. “H-Hey Cap, y-you’re gonna be okay. I’ll get your medicine and you’ll be okay again.” She’s on the verge of tears saying this, but Juniper weakly smiles at her. “D-Dumbass, h-had me worried!”

“M…Mara–”

“Cap–Juniper, I’m gonna help you, okay? Just–Just trust me.” She stares at Eris with rage burning in her gaze. “How exactly do I help her?”

Eris lays back, with her arms to her head. “Mm, she’ll need to connect to Ares. Which should keep her cognizant as long as she’s connected. If I’m correct in assuming, they’ve already hauled it back in. You should get going before she gets worse.”

She nods, slinging Juniper’s arm around her neck and gets her to her feet with a grunt.“C’mon Cap, just gotta get to the hangar.”

“L…L…Laila…” Juniper mutters blankly, staring into space. Every second that she’s awake is hell onto itself for her. The voices have faded, but have been replaced with an intense pain in her head.

“Oh, and Lieutenant?” Eris says quietly, looking almost distraught at Juniper’s state. “Please hurry. I…look, June is a friend, a comrade, someone who I protected many times. Take care of her, please.” With that, Eris goes quiet, her body going limp at the same time. None of this makes sense, but it’s all insane bullshit anyway.

Mara heaves a breath, snapping her fingers in front of Juniper’s face. “Hey, hey, stay with me. We’re not far from the hangar, just don’t pass out, okay?” She opens the door and slowly, they begin walking up the stairs, which is not easy with Juniper going limp. “I don’t have any clue what’s going on in your head, but I’ll help as best I can.”

“...Laila….I-Iota…..” Juniper mutters again, drooling from the corner of her mouth. Her body has become limp and useless. To make matters worse, she can see a multitude of colors in her vision. And she can feel each one.

_{Don’t trust Mara, she’s just going to hurt you.}

Mara grunts, taking each step one at a time, being careful to not drop her Captain. She snaps her fingers in Juniper’s face again, grabbing her attention again. “Hey, what’d I tell you? Guess it might help to keep you preoccupied, huh?”

Fighting back a groan, they reach the final step, where Mara gently sets down Juniper, while she catches her breath. “Fucking hell, never a dull moment, eh?” Sitting down next to Juniper, she wraps an arm around her shoulder, sighing. “I’m not really good at this whole ‘people’ thing, but, I dunno. I saw you in a muzzle, being led around on your knees and–Ah, who am I kidding?”

Juniper stares at Mara, not saying a word, instead resting her head on the Lieutenant’s shoulder. She’s warm, another reminder of Laila, of the days long gone. In a brief moment of clarity, Juniper musters up the strength to speak. “H…Head hurts…Fuck.”

Mara laughs just a little, but holds onto her captain nonetheless. “Hey, save your strength. I’m just resting after lugging your heavy ass up the stairs. Hangar isn’t much further, just…don’t die or whatever. Please.”

“I…I’ll be fffffine. N-N-N-Not dead yet.” Juniper closes her eyes for a moment, breathing softly. “You’re warm.”

Her Lieutenant just rolls her over, shaking her head, “Cap, shut the fuck up and save your strength, like I told you to, we still need to get you into Ares.”

Juniper drifts off into the peaceful dream state again, where it’s warm and she isn’t in pain. She’s getting worse by the minute and this is looking to be end of her. She’s had a pretty shit run, if she were to be honest. Laila wouldn’t let her die, but she’s not here anymore. She’s dead, or maybe she’s that “Subject Iota” Eris mentioned, either way, she’s…gone. It’s still hard to process, because it feels like yesterday that she talked about just up and leaving.

Should have listened to her, that wasn’t the first time she recommended they just…leave. Day by day, it’s looking more appealing. But it doesn’t matter, where the hell would Juniper go? Volterra is the only place for a stray like her. And returning to Her isn’t an option, not now, maybe not ever.

Whoever sold them out, she hopes they’re having a shittier time than she is.

Mara snaps her fingers in front of Juniper’s face, “Hey, hey, what’d I tell you? Fuck, okay, I just need a minute. Y’mind if I just ramble?”

Of course, there’s no response from Juniper, who only stares off into nothingness.

“I just–Fuck, this whole situation is insane. Back in my Empire days, we got into crazy shit, but this? This fucking takes the cake. Godsdamn, we only deployed with one of those things once and ugh.” She shudders. “It fucking took out an entire platoon. Is that–Is that normal? Ah, who’m I kidding, you wouldn’t know.”

Mara stares at her for a long moment and slaps herself. “Nah, you’re not–you’re not one of those things. I’ve seen you, you’re scared and not all there, but you’re not a bad person. Just…y’need someone to help you. Can’t do this all alone, y’know?”

_{June, you need to stay awake.}

_{I know you’re hurting, but please, June.}

Gods, it hurts so fucking much. She’s hearing Laila’s voice again and it’s just as sweet as she remembers, but…it’s not real. Just how badly fucked is her head right now? She just…just needs to do something to reassure Mara, who’s still rambling. Near impossible to do that though, not when her body refuses to respond.

“Look, I’m sorry, this is all my fault, if I hadn’t rescued you, you would still be under that creepy bitch’s thumb, but you’d be…you. I just…couldn’t stand to see you reduced to nothin’ more than a dog. So, I guess I’m sorry, Juniper.” Mara is saying whatever comes to mind, which is more concerning than anything.

“...June…” Juniper mumbles, trying to keep herself from further dissociation.

“What?” Mara says in confusion, staring at Juniper.

“C-Call me…June. I-It’s what my...my f-friends call me.” She never liked being called that by anyone who she didn’t like. To Laila, she was June or Juni, depending on how she felt that day. To Eris, she was June, or Lieutenant Sladek in combat. Eris was always a stickler for the military structure that most rebels shrugged off.

_{Juni, your fists are bleeding. Let me show you how to properly hit after I bandage you up, okay?}

Memories playing through her head, Laila teaching her to hit. That one hurts the most.

Mara nods, giving a soft punch to Juniper’s shoulder. “Thought I told you, save your strength, June. We should get going, before anyone finds us sitting in the stairwell and wonders why I’m rambling like a fucking idiot.”

Mara slips Juniper’s arm around her shoulders, helping her friend up. It’s a slow walk down the hallway, one which Mara needs to stop on occasion to catch her breath, muttering about Juniper being heavy. Only to follow it up with saying she isn’t actually. Humor seems to be Mara’s way of deflecting her own pain, which is something all too common with rebels.

When you’re exposed to the constant chaos and carnage of the battlefield, it’s sometimes the only way to cope.

“Hey, June, you still with me?” Mara snaps her fingers again, to grab Juniper’s attention. “Attagirl, little further and we’re in the hangar. Just–y’know, don’t pass out or anything. I know, I know, you’re really not great in the head, but you gotta hang in there. …Please.” There’s desperation in Mara’s voice, one that hurts Juniper deep down.

_{Liar, she’s just trying to hurt you.}

“Y…Yeahhhh….” Juniper slurs her words and blinks. Then, all at once, the entire world just goes black and she’s left with old memories instead. Memories of Laila, of their first kiss. It was after a recon mission, nothing fancy, but she’d asked her Captain to join her in the cockpit to go over battle footage. But that’s when the cockpit hatch closed and instead of looking over footage, Ixion climbed into the sky. As the pale moonlight gleamed through the monitors, they kissed.

That was when she realized she couldn’t pretend to be a mercenary anymore. She joined the rebel cause, she joined Laila Praxian’s cause. Before long, they exchanged dog tags in lieu of rings. It was love, or at least it felt like it.

But…that wasn’t right, was it?

She let down her partner at every turn. Her failings led to her partner’s death, and it was because of Juniper that it happened. She was always useless and broken, then She gave her a purpose. Only, her cowardice wound up destroying that purpose. Just like everything else.

It’s no wonder that everyone looks at her with scorn, they see Juniper for what she really is; An uncaring monster who puts on a pathetic face for sympathy. The warm memories turn dark and cold, plunging her deeper into her own head. Gods, Mara must be tired of hauling her around like this.

Why is she useless?

Things were supposed to improve, the pills were supposed to stabilize her, the shrinks were supposed to get her head on straight. Instead, Juniper’s body is shutting down and she feels control over her body slowly slipping away. She’s simply a passenger to watch as something else tries to assume control.

Her other self, the one who lays asleep within her.

The one who has lied dormant within her subconscious since that battle in the forest. She’s long since yearned to hear those magic words again, so that she could stop thinking and let her take over. But not like this, gods, please no.

_{Don’t you just want to go…off the leash?}

She can already feel her grip on reality slipping inch by inch. Soon enough, maybe there won’t be any reason to worry anymore. The last time her other self took control, it was peaceful, but this time, it’s anything but. Maybe it’s a side effect of the withdrawals.

Trapped between two states of being, she can only let out a pained moan, while Mara waves a hand in front of her face, trying desperately to rouse her. “C’mon June, please…wake up.” There’s a look of terror on her face, probably fearing that the delirious stray won’t wake up.

Her other self doesn’t take control, maybe it’s because of Mara’s voice anchoring her to reality. Or maybe it’s just that she’s too delirious for anything to happen.

“S…Shut up…’m…awake.” Juniper groggily says, rubbing her eyes. If she could laugh right now, she would. But instead she settles for giving Mara a small smirk, which is about the most she can do right now. “W-What are you…doing?”

“You had me worried, June. We’re in the cockpit of Ares, I just need to connect you to it. Not sure how to do this but–”

“L-Lemme.” Juniper weakly pulls at the cable, attaching it the port on her neck. With a click it connects as the reactor begins to boot. She normally hates this part, the nothingness that takes hold, the pain of it all. But there’s nothing, just silence.

Gods, it’s so peaceful.

Her vision is taken over by a peaceful darkness. Staring into the void, she does not even so much as shake, she simply exists. Information flows into her brain, giving her the sixth sense that she’s come to crave. She and Ares are whole, and it feels wrong.

“J-June, are you–”

“‘M fine.” She mumbles, trying to get her head on straight. It feels as if someone is pumping stims directly into her brain, enough to hopefully keep the sickness at bay, as long as she’s connected. But she can’t afford to stay here forever.

Mara looks at her with a questioning look. “Are you sure, ‘cause you–”

“Fine.” Juniper grunts. “Just…Just gotta–Head’s fucking killing me.” She clutches her head, only to realize there’s blood on her face. A side effect of connecting, no doubt. Except as she attempts to move her body, she collapses in the cockpit seat, breathing heavily.

She’s alive, and with the hard part is done, it’s just a matter of…of…what…what was she doing again? Where…Where is she? And who’s the ginger haired woman next to her? Gods, why does her head hurt so much?

“June? June!? June are you there!?” The ginger-haired woman says to…June? But, who’s June? Is she June? That…That would make sense.

She stares at the ginger-haired woman, trying to remember just who exactly she is. Maybe she knows why her head is so foggy. Like, her identity is right there, it’s just…shrouded in fog. Ugh.

“Son of a–It’s gotta be here somewhere.” The ginger-woman says, frantically searching the cramped cockpit for…something?

The cracked main screen in the cockpit suddenly activates and the image of a snow-white haired woman appears on it, wearing a smile, as if she were happy to see…what was her name? It…It…It’s surrounded by static for some reason.

You’re sick, Juniper.

…Juniper, is that…?

“W-Who?” She says to the woman on the screen.

The woman smirks and sighs. Mm, I’ve never seen someone in such an advanced state of withdrawals. Although, I suppose I will forgive you, for forgetting me in this case. After all, you are sick.

“...Who…Who am…am I?” She says, trying to get past the static.

Juniper: Off the Leash.

In an instant, the light leaves her eyes, a dull and glassy expression replacing them. She remembers clearly who she is now: Juniper Sladek. But she…isn’t real, Juniper Sladek is make believe. The real her is an obedient hound, a weapon to be used on her Master’s enemies.

“Y-You bitch! Wh-”

Lieutenant Saparlo, I recognize that my reputation as a Handler is well known, but please, I am not a monster. I have freed her from the leash, so that the damage does not get worse. Look at her, look at her and tell me that she’s fine.

“J-June, are you…okay?”

Juniper-Hound stares at Saparlo, not saying a word. Only staring intently.

Juniper, speak. Reassure the lieutenant that you’re fine.

“Yes, Handler. I am fine, Mara.”

Good girl, now: Rest, you’re not well and I have no use for a sickly hound.

Mara is still trying to disconnect her from Ares, but it’s no use as the cable won’t budge.

I would advise you against disconnecting Juniper, unless you’re fine with damning her to life as a vegetable. Forcibly disconnecting her, when her mind is already failing her would damn her. Ask yourself: Do you want Juniper’s blood on your hands, Lieutenant?

Mara nods uncomfortably and gulps. “N-No, please…I just want to help her.”

Of course you do. You’ve grown into quite the unknown variable in this game, so why wouldn’t you wish to save her? Although, before you ask: No, I am not going to instruct her to hurt you or any of your ‘rebels’.

“H-How did–”

That’s obvious, isn’t it? This song and dance is so damned predictable.

“How do I…help her?” Mara is staring deep at Her, almost threatening to reach through the screen to hurt Her. As if Juniper-Hound would allow that.

You can’t. But I can.

A side panel in the cockpit opens with a hiss, revealing an IV bag with a glowing green liquid within it. Juniper-Hound stares at it blankly, as the memories associated with it return to her head. Her mouth waters just thinking of it. She needs it more than even oxygen itself at this point.

This bag contains the life-saving medicine, that Juniper needs. Unfortunately, I could only procure a low dosage. Of course, this will normalize her, allowing the return of her cognitive functions. However, this will only be a temporary fix.

Mara’s face lights up in anger, while Juniper mindlessly listens to Her words.“You fucking bitch, what are you–”

Handler tsks, shaking her head. Unless you wish for me to disconnect right now, you will listen, Lieutenant Saparlo. Am I to be understood? I am taking a risk here, in an effort to ensure Juniper does not succumb to the withdrawals.

Mara can do nothing, but listen, sinking her head in defeat. She holds the key to saving her Captain, it’s a hostage situation essentially.

Excellent, now that you seem to understand, I’ll explain: Within the region of Gormo is a medical facility that can provide the drugs she needs to live. You’ll need to reach it within two weeks’ time. Otherwise, the symptoms will intensify and she will need more starlight than this facility can procure.

Mara narrows her eyes, clenching her fist tightly, “and what exactly is the catch?”

Handler smirks, her red eyes pierce Juniper-Hound’s very being, leaving her in a state of bliss. She will fix everything, because She still cares for them both, despite their failings.

It’s quite simple really, I just want you to reach the facility in Gormo and retrieve the starlight. How you do so, is none of my concern. I would, however, advise against a full-scale raid. You wouldn’t want to lose your chance at ‘saving’ her, would you? Officially speaking, this facility is considered ‘neutral’ and as such, there is no need for a strike on it.

“And unofficially?” Mara says, leaning against the cockpit seat, glaring at Her.

Consider that a surprise.

Ah, yes, before I forget: Juniper, my dear hound: On The Leash.

“Yes, Sir.” Juniper says, as the light returns to her eyes. Everything feels…different, but still the same. The pain has at least died down, while the fog has cleared.

You never fail to disappoint me, Juniper. I forgive you for running, because I know that you will return to me some day soon.

“T-Thank you, S-Sir…” Juniper weakly says, failing to find the resolve to resist Her words. In the end, she’s still wholly obedient to Her every word. Even with the fog clouding her head, she could never forget her Master.

As for you, Lieutenant Saparlo, if you lie down with the dog, you’ll get fleas. I suggest giving up on saving her, as I suspect you’ve been planning. While I do find it commendable, there isn’t anything left to save. Give up, move on with your life, you’ll be better for it.

“I’ll protect her, from you, from–from all of you monsters who want to use her! I don’t fucking care about fleas, I’ll get down and dirty if it means I can save one life.” Mara is shaking when she says this, on the verge of tears. But Handler says nothing, only grinning as the transmission ends.

Mara stands there for the longest time, staring at the blank screen, her right hand curled into a fist. She punches it with all her might, shattering the screen and leaving shards on the floor of the cockpit. Her fist is bleeding, but she ignores it, focusing on Juniper. “Hey, June, you good?”

As the cable disconnects from her, Juniper rubs at her aching head. “N-Never better…just…just gotta take m-my medicine, right?” She gets to her feet, wobbling for just a moment, but refuses Mara’s hand. “‘M good, j-just need to get my bearings”

Handler forgives her, despite the numerous sins that she’s committed since her escape. That fact alone is enough to fill her with happiness. Even as her mind is continuing to shut down from withdrawals, all she needs is Her forgiveness to be okay. She’ll fix everything, because She cares.

“June? Are you–”

Juniper nods, climbing down the ladder. “S-Should be fine. J-Just please…help me.” There’s a look of desperation in her eyes, despite the joy on her face. Asking for help is not something she’s comfortable with, but has no choice in this situation.

Mara runs up beside her, slipping Juniper’s arm over her shoulder, letting the stumbling captain lean on her. “Hey, hey, I’m gonna get you to your quarters, you good with that?”

“Y-Yeah…J-Just need a moment.” Juniper slurs her words, her eyes feel incredibly heavy, as if any second she might pass out. She feels so very tired and would like nothing more than to sleep. Maybe then she could finally see Laila again…

Mara snaps her fingers in front of Juniper’s face, grabbing her attention. “Hey, c’mon now, we’re almost through the doors, focus on my voice. I’ve got your medicine with me, you’ll be okay, I promise.”

Juniper’s eyes close for just a second and when they open again, she’s at the door to her quarters. When did she–No, that’s not important right now. The door opens without much trouble and Mara helps her to the bed, setting her down as gently as she can onto it.

Mara places the glowing green IV bag on the nightstand, being extra careful with it. “I need to run to the infirmary, but I’ll come back with a syringe. You’ll be fine, right, Cap?”

Juniper gives a weak thumbs up, “M-Made of s-stronger stuff t-than that…” She’s putting on a front for Mara, to ease her worries, but really, it’s just to help herself. Gods, she’s scared, is this permanent? Is this just how she’ll have to live life now?

What would Laila do if she were here? The same thing Mara is doing of course, because they both care about her. She’s kept herself in the dark, fearing that if she gets too close to anyone that they’ll die like her partner did.

But that’s war, not everyone walks away. It hurts so much to lose a partner, but her memory lives on close to Juniper’s heart. She’ll wear those dog tags until the day she dies.

She stares at the glowing IV bag, watching the liquid carefully. It’s difficult to remember what exactly She did, only that it involved that liquid. She made the stars appear, gave them life and let their whispers consume her. Even now, when she’s supposedly “free”, all she can think about is that liquid.

The once mighty Angel of Death reduced to nothing more than a junkie looking for her next fix. The irony is lost on her hazy mind, there’s so much fog surrounding memories that were just there, even the little nuances are just blank suddenly. She remembers the basics, but it’s difficult to remember the more advanced things.

Just as Juniper begins to drift off into the fog of memories, the door opens, spilling light into the otherwise dark room. Mara stands there, catching her breath, clearly having run the whole way.

“G-G-Got it. Fuck, that was difficult to swipe. Too many eyes in there, had to wait a sec.” She sets the syringe down onto the table, next to the IV bag and turns on the lights. “Sorry, but I need to see where I’m injecting.”

With only a nod, Juniper sits on the side of the bed, still staring at the medicine. She’s been unconsciously drooling at the sight of it this entire time, waiting to finally have it in her veins. “P-Please…M-Mara, I…I need it…”

Mara for her part gives a sympathetic nod. “Don’t worry, June, this’ll fix you up, with any luck.” She’s sitting down next to Juniper on the bed, attaching a sterile needle to the syringe. “Y’know, it’s ironic, never got over my fear of needles. Being trans and all, you get used to it, but I found it hard to.”

Juniper shrugs, knowing that feeling all to well.

Mara uncaps the needle, driving it into the port of the IV Bag. “How exactly did she administer this before?” The plunger is pulled back, and the unnatural glowing green liquid is extracted from the bag.

“D-Dunno…I–”

“Hey, hey, it’s okay if you don’t. If I had to guess, probably like a stim, which means through the jugular.” They’re both staring deeply at the liquid, but for different reasons. For Mara, the concern is written all over her face. For Juniper, it’s life-saving medicine, that needs more than the air itself. “Would you mind….kneeling for me? B-Better access to it that way.”

Juniper nods, pushing herself off the bed and onto her knees. It feels so good to be on her knees, a reminder of the last time she was given her medicine. Even if she can’t remember it, her body remembers it perfectly. Her drooling only grows more intense seeing the syringe full of the liquid being waved around.

Mara takes a centering breath, steadying her nerves. “Tilt your head to the left, please. I’ll try to make this not hurt as much as possible.”

Doing as instructed, Juniper tilts her head to the left, staying perfectly still. She doesn’t even need to be instructed to do so, she just instinctively knows to. A side effect of the conditioning done to her, most likely.

“Okay…here goes nothing.” Mara places a hand on Juniper’s shoulder, letting her fingers dig into it, while her free hand plunges the needle deep into her Captain’s jugular. The needle penetrates with ease, as though it were made to go in there. Then, with a push of the plunger, the liquid drains out and into Juniper’s veins.

The light rapidly leaves her eyes, leaving only an emptiness in their wake. She relaxes just slightly feeling it enter her veins, expression becoming just as blank and relaxed as her mind is. It’s been so long since she’s seen the stars, but they multiply and expand in quick succession before her very eyes. Their blissful aura is all Juniper needs to feel whole again.

This feeling goes beyond those simple words that She used. Juniper listens to the sounds of the stars, staring at each one of them. Their speech is unintelligible, but it might just be that her brain is too strung out to decipher it. That isn’t important though, no, the only thing that matters now is watching the stars. This is a gift from Her, showing that She does in fact still love her hound.

“June?” A voice echoes through the stars, calling out to her with genuine concern in their voice.

“Yes, Mara?” Juniper says in her hazy state.

“Are you–Are you…okay? You look…Fucked.” Mara must be scared, but who can blame her. After all, she hasn’t experienced this level of bliss before.

Juniper nods lazily. “I’m okay, I feel…amazing.”

Mara for her part relaxes, letting out an exhausted sigh. “Thank the gods, you had me worried. You should apologize for that.” She says with a laugh, sitting back down onto the bed.

“I’m sorry for making you worry, Mara.” Juniper responds almost automatically.

This only gets Mara to jump off the bed in surprise, who then stares down at Juniper. “What in the–” She facepalms, muttering something to herself. “Fuck, probably a side effect.”

Juniper is far too lost in the haze of the starlight to care at this point. Her worries have melted away and in their place, have been replaced with pure bliss. Her mind is a blank canvas ready to be molded into whatever shape is demanded of it.

“Uhh….shit. Get up on the bed with me, let’s talk, I guess?” Mara genuinely has no clue what she’s doing, that much is obvious even in Juniper’s drug-addled state.

“Yes, Mara.” Juniper finally gets to her feet and gets into the bed with Mara, who holds her tight. “Talk about what?”

Mara groans, rubbing at her temples, muttering again. “I…I dunno. You? Me? Look, I–I’m not good at this, and your brain is clearly fucked right now.” She sighs, closing her eyes for just a moment, before laying her head on Juniper. “Can you just be…yourself? Not this glassed over thing, just…June.”

Juniper blinks, but nods. It’s more of wearing the mask of her, but she can at least pretend to be herself, despite…not being herself. “I can try, but you know this isn’t…me, right? It’s just a facade, because the real me…” She trails off.

“I know, but, hey, you’ll be fine right?” Mara is still holding onto Juniper, as if she were afraid of her friend floating away.

Juniper nods, laying against Mara. “Yeah. I mean, hopefully. But, two weeks to get more, easy, right?”

The Lieutenant punches her Captain’s shoulder softly, shaking her head. “We both know that’s bullshit. Creepy bitch probably expects you to jump through fire or something. What’s her deal anyway?”

“She–Handler, is just…Handler. She cares about me, in her own twisted way and I think that’s enough. She wants to help me, even if I don’t deserve it…” She tries not to wallow in self-pity, it gets her nowhere, but it’s difficult not to.

“She doesn’t though, not like I do at least.” Mara says it defiantly, as though it were a challenge. It’s kind of cute.

“You care about–”

“No shit, I care about you, June. I–Look, okay, so I’ve…admired you for a while now. It was before the Siege, I don’t remember exactly when or where, but it was one of my first deployments. I just remember you, or I guess Ixion coming out of the sun and screeching towards us. You took out three of us in a single attack, but somehow, I came out of it unscathed.” Mara takes a breath, relaxing into Juniper. “They called you the Angel of Death, but all I saw was a Guardian Angel.”

As Juniper goes to speak, Mara shushes her. “I-I should say this. I think…I’m in love with you, June. You’ve got baggage and I’m not looking to replace the hole in your heart. But–shit, I just want to be with you. As a friend or whatever.”

Even if she isn’t herself right now, Juniper feels weird about this. But she nods, not wanting to let Mara down. “I…I don’t know.”

“H-Hey it’s okay if–”

“It’s…not a no, I guess it’s…let’s see what happens?” Juniper shrugs. Her head is still foggy, but this answer seems reasonable to her.

Mara nods, relaxing just a bit. “You’re beautiful, y’know?” Juniper doesn’t remember the last time she’s been called that. She’s been called so many things, traitor, mutt, broken, but even before that, it had been some time since Laila had said anything like that. It was hard to blame her, but–

“Hey, hey, look at me, June.” Mara grabs Juniper’s attention, as if she hadn’t already had it in full. And then, the moment she turns around to stare directly at Mara, their lips meet. It goes on for what feels like minutes, until the young lieutenant finally pulls away. “Sorry, that was–”

“No, it…it’s okay, I liked it. I guess, I don’t know. My head is still very foggy and it’s hard to–y’know.” Juniper shrugs, holding Mara in her arms. There’s been a hole in her heart since the shoot-down, when everything went wrong. Maybe just this once, it’s okay to feel something?

Of course it is.

They lay there for a few minutes, before either one of them speaks again. “If you’re up for it June, we could have sex. But only if you want to, that is, I don’t want you to feel–” Juniper leans in, kissing Mara again.

“Sure.” Is all Juniper says, undoing her belt and tossing her pants to the side.

But that’s because nothing else needs to be said. When Mara stares at Juniper’s panties, she sees a bulge. It’s not very big, but the longer she stares at it, the more nervous Juniper gets. Until a smile erupts across Mara’s face, with a nod. They’re one and the same, both transgender.

That doesn’t stop Mara from letting her hand slip into Juniper’s panties to stroke at the cock inside of them. Her touch is gentle at first, each stroke testing the waters. But with every passing second, they become a bit firmer, more insistent. The unfortunate thing is, the longer Mara tries, the less anything happens. A side effect of…everything that’s happened to her lover, no doubt.

“You good, June? I can always–”

Juniper fights back a heavy sigh and shakes her head. “...No. Look–I–I can’t–Gods, how do I say this without sounding like a freak?”

“Just say it? I promise, I won’t judge.” Mara says, her hand still down Juniper’s pants.

“Look…I…I can’t get off to just…this. I’m beyond broken at this point and–yeah. I–I can only really get off to being degraded, I guess? L-Like what She did…” The sigh Juniper had tried to fight back finally escapes. “...I’m sorry.”

“Hey, Hey, June, it’s okay, it’s okay. I’ve heard the stories, y’know? I get it.” Mara gives a reassuring laugh to Juniper, pulling her close again. Then, after clearing her throat, a command leaves her mouth. “Strip me naked, mutt.”

Juniper winces slightly at being called a mutt, but steels herself. She’s the one in control, not whatever else is in her head. “Yes, Mara.” She replies like the obedient mutt she is, undoing the belt to Mara’s pants. The pants slide off with relative ease, revealing the prize within; Mara’s throbbing cock nestled into a pair of boy shorts.

There’s a sweaty smell to Mara’s crotch that Juniper finds her nose pressed against, before she can even open her mouth “Y’like that pup? Oh, yeah, I bet you do!”

Juniper inhales the sweet sweaty scent, her mouth watering at how it must taste.

“Just lookit you, pup. Even I can tell that scent play gets you hard.” Mara pushes Juniper closer to her throbbing cock, rubbing it against her face. “Gods, you’ve got me all pent-up, y’know?”

“I-I’m sorry Ma–”

Mara shakes her head, never losing that smile. “Nah, s’all good. In fact, you’re gonna help me relieve that.” With her free hand, Mara slips her boyshorts off, letting her cock spring free of its prison. The scent is even stronger than before and it makes Juniper so…so needy. “What’s the matter June, thought you wanted this?”

She needs this, more than anything right now.

Mara laughs again, rolling her eyes. “Y’know, I haven’t showered since our last mission? I’ve been marinating for days now. And I bet a disgusting dog like you just loves that, don’t you?”

“Yes, Mara, I do love it! Gods, I-I’m a disgusting dog who gets off to this! You know, I…I masturbated in these panties twice and then….ate the cum after….” Juniper is beet red saying this, she doesn’t even know why she’s admitting this, it just feels good to. It’s clear that Mara is just as much into this as she is.

Pup isn’t just anyone’s dog, she’s Master’s dog. It makes sense to her, even with her hazy mind.

“Oh, of course you did, pup! But tell me, did you love it? I bet you did, I mean, just look at your cock, it’s already twitching! And all I’ve done is let you smell my musty cock. Girl, you’re nasty and I love nasty.” Master licks her lips, staring at her pup. “Onto the floor, pup, kneel for me.”

“Oh, and lose the clothes. Dogs don’t wear clothes, do they?” She adds with a smirk.

Pup wordlessly rolls away from Master’s cock, stepping out of her panties as she kneels on the floor.

“All the clothes. Top and bra too, silly pup.” Mara rubs the pup’s head, staring her down.

“Yes, Master.” Juniper says, shrugging off her tank top and unhooking her bra. Her breasts were her best feature, according to her former partner, during one of their many drunken nights together. Big, perky, bouncy, what’s not to love about them, after all?

“Master, eh? Cute, I like it.” Master licks her lips, staring at Pup’s breasts with a hungry look in her eyes. If looks could kill, she would have already killed the dog kneeling for her. “Alright Pup, here’s the deal. I’ve got something you want, hell, what you need; my cock. You’re gonna have to earn it though. Think you can handle that?”

“Y-Y–”

Master wags a finger. “Ah, almost forgot, dogs don’t talk, do they?”

Pup shakes her head for Master, shutting her mouth.

“Good dog! Now c’mere and get a good long sniff of my pits would ya? I want you to really take it in.” Master kneels down onto the floor next to her pup, pressing her sweaty armpit into the pup’s nose. “C’mon, June! Give it a nice long whiff and then, when that throbbing cockhead of yours is begging for more? You’re gonna worship them.” With her free hand, Master is stroking herself, being careful to ensure that her dog has a good view of it at all times.

With each whiff, pup feels like she’s getting drunk off this scent, it’s so intoxicating and overpowering, but so incredible. The taste on her tongue is bitter and salty, something that only a dog like her could appreciate, she’s sure.

Master has been sweating, which makes the aroma that much more intoxicating. Every whiff makes the pup lightheaded as she continues to worship. They smell so awful and that’s what makes the scent so tantalizing. She can imagine herself eating Master’s ass and loving it just as much.

Master moans, steadying herself. “F-Fuuck, pup, you’ve got a helluva tongue.” Her cock is all that pup can focus on, even with the intoxicating armpit stench. Every thought in her dumb dog head is centered around cock.

The second that pup touches her own cock, Master slaps her cock, shooting her pup a dirty look. “Bad dog! Bad! No touching without permission! Unless you mean to tell me that you don’t want my cock?”

It hurts so good to have her cock slapped by Master, gods, she truly is broken. She’s become a stink slut and a pain slut? Gods, how low can she still go?

Pup whimpers, burying her nose back into the armpit. “Nah, I think you need a good lesson pup, no more armpits! That’s for good dogs.” Master stands up, sitting back on the side of the bed, patting her lap. “Over my lap, pup. It’s time for Master to teach her bad dog a lesson.”

This is embarrassing, but pup does as she’s told nonetheless, laying herself over Master’s lap. She’s been spanked before, this is nothing new, but that’s not what happens. There’s a loud POP that comes from Master’s lips and then–There’s something inside her, she doesn’t know what it is, but she whimpers loudly in protest!

“Shhh, shhh, pup, it’s okay, it’s just my finger. Besides, you wouldn’t want the entire base to hear you whimpering like a bitch in heat, would you?” Every word from Master’s mouth is like honey to Juniper, they’re sweet and so very delicious.

Juniper shakes her head, quieting herself.

Master laughs, ruffling her pup’s hair, only to stick a second finger in her ass. The digits go as far as they can, thrusting in and out repeatedly. While her free hand grips the pup’s cock, giving it a slow lengthy stroke. “Yeah, you like that, don’t you pup? You’re just my little stink slut, who’ll do anything I say for my cock, huh?”

Reaching over to pet her pup’s head, Master smiles. “See, that wasn’t so bad, was it? Now comes the fun part, well, fun for me. I’m going to fuck that cute ass of yours raw, pup.” She laughs again, motioning for Juniper to get onto all-fours.

Juniper sticks her ass up in the air, pulling apart her cheeks for easier access. She shouldn’t be doing this, but then, she shouldn’t be doing a lot of things. And who cares anyways? The one person who would have is gone for good.

Master doesn’t waste time, she plunges what must be at least a few inches of her dick into Juniper’s asshole, who lets out a pained grunt. There’s a little pleasure mixed in, and more coming, but she’s so nervous. This isn’t like a dildo, she already feels full and she has to take the whole shaft?

“Mmmh, oh gods yes…” Master breathes, placing her hands on Pup’s back. “C’mon, June…relax for me. I’ll go slow at first.”

Pup whimpers, nodding. She can’t relax, not with that huge cock filling her ass.

Master begins thrusting slowly in and out of Pup, raking her hands across the pup’s backside with a grunt. She makes noises she’s never made before, as Master’s cock hits spots inside of her that she didn’t know existed. The rhythm is hard to get used to, but the pleasure itself is incredible. She’s trying to relax, but it’s hard when she’s being stuffed.

“Oh fuuuuuuck…You feel – ngh – utterly – haah — incredible, pup!” The praise flows through Pup’s head, helping her to relax and surrender complete control to Master. She’s safe in the arms of Master, there isn’t any need to worry. The pain fades fast and Pup is calm, not merely relaxed, but her doubts and worries are gone.

“Y-You doing okay down there, Pup?” Master asks, holding onto her thighs for dear life.

She barks in affirmation, letting her tongue lazily hang out.

“C-C’mon J-June, c-cum for meeeeee” Master practically screams it out, filling the pup’s ass with her warm seed. She must have hit a trigger or something, because Pup’s cock erupts as commanded, spilling semen all over the bedsheets and blanket.

Finally, as Master pulls out and they both begin coming down from whatever this was, they fall into an embrace. “H…Hey June, s-sorry about…that. You can talk again.” She yawns, nuzzling her captain’s shoulder.

Juniper falls for the contagious yawn, letting her head rest on Mara’s chest. “You did good, just…tired now. T-Thankssss for…for the medicineeee. Helped.” She’s slurring her words at this point, starting to drift off into peaceful slumber.

Mara strokes her hair, watching as Juniper drifts off. “H-Happy to–” She yawns loudly, holding her lover tight. “Be of service, June.”

Juniper Sladek is many things, but right now, she’s content with the world. Despite the chaos of it all, she’s found a kindred soul to share a moment with. If nothing else, she can sleep soundly knowing that she’s got Mara next to her. At least for right now.