Avra Darkos sat in near darkness, watching the pale arachnid crawl out of its container and across her notes. She'd been so excited when her Hoods had stumbled upon the Whiteweaver during a routine cavern sweep. At the time she had barely taken notice, but over the past few weeks the spider had steadily earned her affection. "Hungry, aren't we," she said softly, stroking its cream-colored thorax with her fingertip. "Don't worry. You'll feed soon."

The collection of mounted screens cast the cavern in a ghastly light. On any number of them, she could see the progress of various Black Hoods operations across planet Nexus. Her webs were woven very carefully. Soon they would bring her more prey.

"Would you care for a story while we wait, my love?" The Whiteweaver crawled onto the back of her hand, her bristly claws tickling Avra's knuckles. "Once upon a time there was a beautiful princess who lived in an enchanted castle. She was happy and loved. She never wished ill on anyone. Then one day the royal wizard cast a spell to bring prosperity and prestige to the kingdom. But the fool had dabbled in dark magic, and his gift instead proved a terrible curse."

Avra held the spider in the palm of her hand. It really was a beautiful creature. So pale. So delicate. So deadly.

"The curse spread across the land, infecting all in its path, and the kingdom tore itself to pieces. Her family lost, the princess had no one save for her husband, her dark prince. A brave and honorable man, he tried to save the kingdom by falling upon the mercy of foreign allies. But as he approached their caravan, they killed him in cold blood."

As the spider crawled up her arm and crested her shoulder, one of her agents approached and delivered a report. The mission had gone well. An "accidental" explosion in orbit. Thousands of Dominion soldiers roasted alive. She felt the spider nuzzle her earlobe with a snicker of mandibles and advance into the folds of her hood.

"The princess watched her lover die. That was when she realized the lie under which she had been laboring all her life. That, like so many other childish fancies, morality is an invention. The lesser evil. The greater good. All simplistic placebos created to justify our darkest desires."

Emerging from within her hood, the spider began its descent down her other arm. "My pet cares nothing for her prey. What would remorse gain her? She would find the concept baffling, a form of incomprehensible insanity. Empathy is self-deception in its purest form. There is only the question and the answer. There is only life and death."

She rose from her seat, and then crossed the interrogation room to the prisoner spread-eagled on the slab. Slowly she pulled back the swollen lids of his right eye, exposing the bloodshot orb beneath them.

"Where is the Dominion base?" When he said nothing, she lowered the ravenous spider onto his retina.