Here's another feisty feline I had designed by  flashspot

His name is Darius and unlike Ace, he's a cold, emotionless, killing machine.

Throughout the universe, there is no race of feline more mysterious than the infamous and elusive "Panterrans". Few in numbers, the Panterrans are a race that is both feared and marveled over in regards to the enigma that surrounds them. In fact many believe that the Panterrans don't actually exist and are nothing more than a myth or boogeymen to scare children and adults alike. The reason for this is very little is known about the Panterrans - like where they come from, how many there actually are, and what their goal as a race is. But what is known of the Panterrans that have been seen - they are extremely dangerous.

You see of the various sightings that have been confirmed, whenever a Panterran appears - death and destruction follow in their wake. In fact numerous police departments across the core worlds have adapted the investigative conclusion - that if the only evidence you can find are bodies, than a Panterran is your culprit. Now of what has been witnessed, a Panterran never kills people indiscriminately - they allows seem to have a target and merely slay those that stand in the way of their objective. They're also said to be very surgical in their attacks - wasting as little time as possible to 'neutralize' their opponent as quickly, and easily, as possible - and ensuring that no 'innocent' lives are harmed in the process. Now because of Panterran attacks revolve around going after a single predesignated target, authorities have labeled them as "Assassins" when speaking to the media. Of course what continues to baffle them in their pursuits is there seems to be no distinct connection between who the Panterrans target. Of course of the similarities have been deduced, four have been prominent across all the cases of Panterran assassinations.

First, the target is always someone of power. Usually a crime boss, drug lord, or some other villainous figure, but there have been instances of good-nature politicians, CEOs, and community leaders that have been killed as well, which leads many to believe there's a power-focused agenda behind their attacks. The second is no matter what preparations or security measures are taken, the target always winds up slain. Even if the person in question managed to get preemptive information about a Panterran targeting them, nothing sort of committing suicide prevents them from keeping their goal. The third is no evidence of a Panterran weapon has ever been found to have been used during an attack. From bullet casings to the nature of the wounds and injuries on the victims, nothing supports the idea of a Panterran using a weapon of their own design or possession. All the spent munitions present have pointed to Panterran Assassins using their opponents own weapon against them, or simply using the environment to slay their foes. This of course further proves how dangerous the Panterrans really are if having the odds in your favor does nothing. Finally, the last similarity - and probably the most damning one, is no Panterran has ever been caught by authorities, or anyone else by that matter. Though many have tried - and failed, the amount of risk involved and the infamy Panterrans have garnered but an end to countless investigations even before they were started. Basically, once you know a Panterran is involved - it's case closed.

Now here recently - more information has surfaced that helped brought into light a better understanding of the Panterrans and their motives. Apparently a well-renowned Valorian reporter had a mysterious parcel delivered to his apartment one evening that contained numerous files and archives pertaining to the Panterrans. According to the documents he shifted thru, he learned that the Panterran Assassins operate under the directions of an entity known as "The Conclave". From what he could deduce, "The Conclave" is apparently the governing body of the Panterrans - and as many theorized, the Conclave does indeed pick and choose which individuals are targeted for assassination, but what still remains a mystery is their motives for why these people are selected. Now what was further disclosed was how their Assassins are trained. Apparently once a Panterran child has become of age, they are inducted into a program where they are subjected to a world of ultra violence where the aim is to numb them emotionally, and mentally, to pain, discomfort, and death. Once they are fully desensitized, the initiates are then trained in virtually every form of mortal combat. From learning every style of the most lethal martial arts to mastering virtually every firearm or weapon they could fit in their hands - each student is molded into an unstoppable killing machine. Of course to ensure that only the best proceed to become Assassins, this level of their training bears fatal consequences should they fail or be bested by their fellow pupils. Now of those that remain, they continue on to learning about stealth and subterfuge. Once again, this part of the training also carries deadly outcomes should they fail to master it. Finally, those that are left standing are deemed worthy to be Assassins and undergo the last portion of their initiation - Augmentation.

To ensure their newly graduated Assassins are prepared to take on any opposition, the Panterrans endow them with various cybernetic upgrades to enhance their already near-perfect abilities. From optical implants to entire limps being replaced with super-enhanced prosthetics, each Assassin ascends to a level of transcendence that normal felines can't even hope to reach. Of course to ensure their unquestionable obedience - each Assassin, during the Augmenting process, has neural inhibitors implanted that suppress their emotions and memories, making it so that the only things they recall before the operation is the experience and training they acquired. This act ensures that each Assassin is made into an actual lively weapon that knows only to obey the orders they receive and to ensure their mission is carried out without any emotional interference.

Now of what has been observed of the Panterrans' Augmentations, it is clear that the Panterrans possess a level of technology that no other race has even come close to reaching. The seamless integration of metal to flesh has left many wondering if the Panterrans not only come from a distant galaxy, but perhaps a different dimension - or even from the distant future! Of course every attempt to find the answers to these questions has always ended the same way - with the investigator winding up dead of mysterious reasons. Needless to say, there are some questions out there that may never be answered - but when they regard the Panterrans, it's guaranteed they never will be.

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So with that info out of the way, the only question that remains is which of these male felines would you guys rather have on your team?

The charismatic Ace Quigley?

'or'

The emotionless Darius?

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Artwork by  Flashspot

*If you want to see more of Flashspot's amazing work, check out his Fur Affinity account at http://www.furaffinity.net/user/flashspot