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Chapter 2: Loss and Recovery

"Kitt...Kitt..." an eerie voice pierced through the darkness.

"You weren't there for me.... I needed you Kitt, why couldn't you protect me?" The words riddled through his mind and body like a searing hot iron rod, twisting in his stomach, setting his soul a blaze.

And with a sudden jolt, Kitt shot up in a bed, his entire body wretched and heaved with a white hot jarring pain. As he calmed himself he looked himself over, seeing bandages and wires running to a machine just beside his bed. Florescent lights, a pale gray paneling made up the walls, dimly lighted the room.

Several minutes later the brown wooden door on the opposite side of the room opened, in walked a short, five foot tall, squirrel dressed in a doctor's uniform, she padded over to the machine and looked at the displays then turned to Kitt.

"Good to see you're finally awake." she said in a soft almost motherly tone.

Kitt looked up to her "Where am I?"

"You're in the St. Sefiney medical facility, on Fortentis VI."

Kitt stopped for a moment. "H-How did I get here?"

She looked Kitt over, pulling out a small rectangular device and pointed it at him. "Well, we don't exactly know, your ship was found a drift in hyperspace when a commercial liner picked you up...you've been unconscious for nearly two weeks."

Kitt looked down at the bed trying to make sense of this. "Where is my ship?"

She put the instrument aside and pulled up a chair, sitting next to Kitt's bed. "It's being held by Fortentis security for the time being...I have to ask you a few questions if you feel up to it."

Kitt nodded slowly.

"First off, what is your name and where did you come from?"

He turned his head looking at the young brown furred squirrel. "My name is Kitt Al.... uhm, just Kitt for now. I was from the Lupine home world."

She sighed softly "Okay Kitt. Second do you know how you ended up in hyperspace so far from there, that's at least a three day trip, even in hyperspace, and your injuries were quite severe, how did you get them?"

"I don't know how I got here; it's all a blur really." Kitt said, lying through his teeth, about his injuries anyway.

The doctor stood up "Okay that should be do it for now, my name is Dr Grace Cursor, feel free to call if you need anything." She made her way to the door her large bushy tail bouncing as she moved, just before she opened the door she turned back. "Get some rest Kitt; you've been through a lot." Grace closed the door behind her leaving Kitt in silence, only the occasional beep from the machine.

"You have no idea..." Kitt said quietly to himself before lying back down.

In the weeks passing, Kitt slowly began to recover from his physical wounds, although mentally he was still deeply hurt, his nights filled with shattering dreams.

Kitt made his steps along the treadmill making a fast walk, Grace, there watching and encouraging him on; over the weeks they'd becomes close friends, she was always there when Kitt needed her.

"Very good Kitt, you're incredible, your recovery time is amazing, compared to your injuries." She said noting a few things in her palm computer.

Kitt smiled and stepped off the treadmill "Thanks, I couldn't have done it with out you."

Later on that day, Grace and Kitt sat in the cafeteria, eating their dinners. "So Kitt, I've spoken to the hospital board and they've decided that you are ready to be released with in the next couple days." She said with a slight bit of disappointment in her voice.

Kitt's ears perked up and he got this big smile on his muzzle. "Really?! That's great, except I haven't a clue what to do form here."

"Well I guess you could go back...."

"To the Lupine home world, I uh...don't think that would be such a good idea...but could I ask a favor?"

"Yeah Kitt anything" She responded as she sipped at her coffee.

"I'd like you to take me to my ship, I still don't know how I got here and that might give me some answers."

Grace smiled and nodded, "Sure thing, I'm kind of interested myself...when?"

Kitt let out a low chuckle, "As soon as they release me."

The city was bright and sunny as they cruised down one of the major highways, the city just to the left with massive sky rises of steel and glass, on the right seemed to be endless fields of rolling hills, forests and grassy meadows.

Grace's car pulled up into the parking lot of the spaceport, furs of every sort coming and going from their flights, transports zooming overhead. On the Lupine Home World, their interspecies travel is minimal due to their laws, so this was a bit over whelming for Kitt.

It was warm but a bit breezy, Kitt was wearing a pair of loose pants and a t-shirt, Grace, in a halter top and shorts with chrome wire framed sunglasses; Kitt had never seen her out of her doctor's uniform and for a female, she wasn't bad looking.

They stepped up to the impound desk and sign paper after paper, finally after some wrist cramping they were shown into the bay. Fifteen or twenty ships sit silently in the steel hanger. Grace took Kitt to the ship he was found in, a long sleek transport, with a cylindrical body, and two more cylinders gracefully sliding off into the wings housing the engines, the hull made of a mirror finished armored titanium.

"This is it?" Kitt asked.

"This is what they told me." She responded.

As they walked under the ship, they could see charred pot holes, scarring and melted panels, looking like it'd been through quite a fight.

"The police said they had searched the ship but hadn't turned up anything." Grace explained.

Kitt nodded and stepped up on the extended loading platform. "Could you wait out here, I need to do this alone..."

Grace nodded and sat on one of the landing struts.

Kitt moved through the ship instantly recognizing, the faint scent of Gall in the air. He made his way to the cockpit and sat in the flight seat, a second later the computers switched on, the forward display projects Gall's image.

"Hello Kitt...if you're viewing this, it means I was not able to get away with you and more than likely I am dead..."

Kitt's body went limp as he stared emotionless at the screen.

"The reason you aren't dead is because after the fight, the Alpha wanted to make an even bigger example and have to fully executed, I'd managed to get you on the transport before that happened. Alec will be fine for the time being because they'll use him to get to you. Do Not, I repeat do not, come back to the home world, you didn't beat the Alpha before and right now you definitely won't. I know I'm asking a lot but if you want to make my sacrifice mean something you need to do this..."

Gall's voice seemed like a gray ghost echoing in the distance, Kitt had trouble breathing, as though he'd never recovered from his injuries all those weeks ago.

"Kitt, I know eventually you will need to save your mate, so under the panel I left you something to get you started." Kitt popped the panel open and pulled out a small brown leather book with an odd shaped line pattern on it.

"That is called the Hung-gar Ess; it's an advanced training manual. It would have been yours anyway. The reason the Alpha beat you so easily is because he's in the five percent of all wolves that have the ability to control and manipulate energy...I believe that you are in the one percent of those that could even transcend that level, but it won't be easy and you can't do it alone so along with the manual is a list of furs you can go to for help."

Kitt continued to stare blankly into the screen, clenching the book in his paws.

"I believe in you Kitt, don't ever forget that...now you'd better get to work...Alec is waiting for you" The image faded away leaving the cockpit in silence again.

Kitt looked at the book, opening it and out in his lap fell a small one inch diameter CD disc, a plastic bankcard and a small computer pad.

A few moments' later Kitt shakily stepped out of the ship nearly in tears. Grace looked up at him and bolted to his side. "Kitt are you okay?!" she asked, extremely concerned.

He barely acknowledged her, just collapsed down to the grating of the loading ramp. Grace knelt beside Kitt gently rubbing his shoulder. Kitt looked over at Grace and let everything pour out in a torrent of emotion.

Kitt sat in Grace's home, yet it felt like as though he were in space, suffocating, so alone, so lost.

"Kitt here, try and drink this..." Grace handed him a small cup of tea. He slowly sipped at it.

"So what are you gonna do now?" she asked quietly.

The dark gray wolf shrugged. "I don't know...I've lost everything..."

"Well you still have those names and locations...shouldn't you try and find them?"

Kitt nodded softly and nursed his tea.

"If you need anything, I'll be here and don't worry; it sounds like Alec can handle himself." Grace stood up and kissed Kitt on the cheek. "I have to work in the morning; you should try and get some sleep."

Kitt padded through the mist, he could hear Alec's screams all around him, calling for Kitt's help, but no matter how hard or fast he ran he couldn't find Alec...Suddenly the ground gave way, sending Kitt tumbling through the void, it seemed like forever he fell until he met with solid ground.

As Kitt looked around he recognized he was back in the arena on the Lupine home world. Then an invisible force hit him in the stomach, knocking the wind from Kitt's lungs. After picking himself off the floor he sees the Alpha standing across from him; the Alpha's cape picked up in the wind.

"You are nothing Kitt!" Another wave crushed into Kitt's body tossing him to the side. Again the Alpha is right there, taunting Kitt.

"No more!" Kitt growled out. "I won't let you beat me!!" the invisible force smashed against Kitt's rib cage toppling him several meters back.

"You've already lost Kitt." Behind the Alpha a spot light illuminated two wolves strung up on crosses, one with Alec the other Gall, their bodies' limp, lifeless and dripping blood on to the ground, each spatter echoing through the arena.

Kitt stood up tall, growling fiercely. "You see, I've already won. I'm still alive and so is Alec."

A golden glow surrounded Kitt he could feel his muscles surge, his hair stiffening. Just then Kitt shot up on the couch, panting and sweating. He looked at his paws, a light golden glow quickly dissipated he also looked at the couch a small charred outline of his body remained.

As Grace moved through her morning routine, she saw a note left on the coffee table and Kitt gone.

"Thank you for everything Grace, you've helped me in more ways that I thought possible. But I know you'd want to have come along and I couldn't let you give up your life on Fortentis. I will be back though, I promise. Oh and one more thing...sorry about the couch....Kitt."