FSE

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formerly SoFurry search engine

By Chakat Brokenclaw

All characters contained within are © Chakat Brokenclaw.

Chakats are © Goldfur/Bernard.

The Chronicles of the Broken Claw: Encountering Yourself

Chapter one: Brokenclaw

"They call me Chaplain Brokenclaw." I stood straight while gazing across the length of the landing post, and leaned against the door to my personal quarters. Before me were the newest arrivals on our little ship, each just out of the academy and looking to be quite attentive. They were each a head shorter than I, but then again, I was surprisingly large for a chakat. "I will show each of you to your quarters."

The young human and the foxtaur followed behind me as I lead them through the rooms for the ensigns and of lower rank, many which were shared by two people as it had been for many centuries. In my hand, I held the informational packet to give to them when the room was found. I slowed my pace down and pressed my palm to the door plate beside it to unlock the room, before gesturing for them to step inside. I followed suit and waited for them to set their bags down and take a moment to feel around the room.

"Alright, Ensigns..." I paused as I looked the names over. "David Orilley, and Flametail, here are your orders and placements. Now, the proper introduction is, basically, enjoy and rest up for a blue shift, and report to your commander in the morning. If you have any questions, save them for tomorrow to speak to your officers. The informal is this: "Enjoy this place. It's a small ship, but it's a family none the less. Work hard and you'll be rewarded amply. Be lazy and lackadaisical, and you'll end up transferred."

They watched me oddly for a moment then nodded both at once, and I gave a light smile. The two saluted me and I returned the gesture before making my way towards the door, only to get a light and polite cough. I turned and gazed upon them for a moment, waiting for one to speak. A pregnant moment passed, and then the foxtaur sat and looked up into my face.

"Chaplain, isn't that an old superstitious hang over from the days before?" I felt a smile creep up and suppressed it with a disciplined tap of my claws upon the ground. The foxtaur who had asked paled slightly as I lifted my head up slightly then lowered to a proper sit upon the floor. I was still taller than him, I had to muse.

"Yes. It is an old superstition that a surprising number of people still care about, Ensign Flametail. Quite a few people are like that, and it's a sign of hope to acknowledge a greater being. But, it's also not as enforced as it was in the days of old, if it had been, neither you nor I would be here, Flametail. Now then, if you have questions of a religious nature, or even of a councilor's voice and arm, my door is never locked. I will leave the two of you to rest and relax, and remember, try to not make a mess or the captain will go ballistic."

The door shut behind me and I slid through the hall quietly. It was silent as it ever was on the late blue shifts, blue, given that the color of the halls shifted from yellow for a morning and blue for a night. It was ingenious a method that had been designed a while ago.

I did a quick calculation of the time while making my way towards the lift and decided it was time for me to end my shift after a twelfth hour going and coming. I prayed I'd have enough time to get some rest before someone knocked on my door.

The lift buzzed me up through the three levels of quarters that were occupied by the rest of the ship. I stepped out soon enough at the officer's hall, and was given a brief salute by the only other person whom was walking towards the lift and I returned it gently. My room was the central most door in the hall, a private quarters two down from the ships commander and sub commander, both of whom were mates. I glanced to the right, the medical officer's quarter's right next to my own.

"Welcome, Chakat Brokenclaw." The door chimed in a sweet voice, a friend had recorded it for me before I had been accepted in the Chaplain Chip Program. I listened for a moment after as it read the internal figures for the room, before continuing. "You have four new messages. One of them is from your sire and dame, one of them is from the Institute of Higher Medicine, Two of them are from Chakat Rakeclaw. Would you like to play them in order?"

"Please do, broadcast them into my sleeping quarters when I go into them." I murmured softly before heading into the bathing chamber to disrobe from the shirt and collar upon me. The collar was set gently upon the stand beside the shower stall, and the shirt was tossed down the chute to be washed and sent up the next morning. I sighed, slipping the shower on to release a warm stream upon my face.

Half of a terran hour later, I slid out of the bathing chamber and walked my damp self into the carpet-less sleeping quarters. The messages started to play as I dried behind my ears and laid out a long towel upon the ground so I could rest and dry near my sleeping bowl.

The music associated with the medical institute played in the back ground, and I turned my eyes to look upon the fair looking jackal morph. She smiled once to me and held a hand up in greetings, before folding her hands upon what I assumed to be her desk. She then lifted up a file and nodded once.

"Chakat Brokenclaw, it is good that you have made commission. We at the Medical Institute are proud to see that you've been successful with your condition hampering your social experience, and would like to be able to conduct an interview in an upcoming project dealing with individuals who are successful and disabled in our modern society. Would you like to contribute? If so, answer the questions in a timely manner and try to be concise and honest. They are a bit open, but each question is designed to show how you live with impairment. If you do not wish to contribute, then disregard this. We hope you are willing, Chakat Brokenclaw. Go in peace." The message, short and concise, clicked out.

"Save Message and place the packet upon my To Do list for tomorrow, please." A pleasant enough 'ding' caught my attention and I gave a nod of my head. The next message began to play itself out, leaving me to listen patiently for the next few moments of silence. Then it began to play, no music in the back ground as they usually provided.

"Brokenclaw, it's Rakeclaw, it's good to hear from you again. My sister says you have made commission and are working as a chaplain? Good to hear. Have you given further thought to my proposal to be a co-mate with Deuze? He's a really sweet guy, and has an eye for you, but I want to know if you want to or not. Oh, and, good luck on your career! Love you."

The message closed itself and I shook my head out while slowly beginning to focus myself and my thoughts before letting myself sleep. The next message played while I slowed my heart rates down and my breathing stilled to six breaths a minute.

"It's your dame and sire! We wanted to say we were sorry for not coming to the calibration, but we were stuck on Ispep when we heard the news - and you know it takes at least a month to even make the proper arrangements with the transportation and hope there's enough room. Well, enough of our complaints. How goes things, you find a mate yet to live with? Are you eating well? Have you gotten a commendation yet? What..." My eyes opened, my sire having stolen the camera away from my dame who began to beat on hir with a pillow. Shi laughed, my sire taking the camera and running out side to set up.

"Alright; Now that I have your dame ... a bit busy out here with getting the photo collection together, I can talk to you properly. We are doing fine out here and hope you are too, son. Are you dealing well with the commander? We heard a lot of good things about him - and we are proud of you for going into something you love. There's a lot of honor in being a religious member of the fleet and seeing to the old ways. Keep to it. And son - no matter what you do, you bring honor to us."

"And, no matter what, keep to what you believe in. It'll guide you home at night. We don't believe much in a higher being, but, we never have put you down for it. So you believe, and you believe hard, OK? And come visit when you have about a year off. We could use your help and would like you to see what you can do with a few of the locals. Plus, you could establish a mission here, right? We do miss you. Oh, and we have a few new dishes for you to try out. But I'm starting to ramble, and..."

There was another tussle and I had to suppress a laugh when the camera was tossed away and powered down, before seeing it start up again. They were in the bed room, sheets everywhere and my sire unconscious, looking exhausted. My dame grinned wickedly. "He was starting to ramble, hmm? Now, I'll see you when I see you, my dear son. We love you, and hope you come us some time. Now, you get yourself some rest, and you eat well. Or else." The camera clicked off again, not before there was a wicked giggle.

I laughed and shook my head after that little bit of a message, and made sure to clean and destroy it before someone used it as evidence against me during the late shift games. I idly rubbed my hands together and looked up for the final message.

"You do that whole faith thing." Rakeclaw again, he had the video on this time, and seemed to be a touch sad. I looked up at the image fully and held my breath for a second as he continued. "I ah... I found that a few of my friends have developed a few conditions. Humans, Foxtaurs, and a chakat. It looks like a disease that even we can't fight off. It's hit the village and we are being quarantined. I don't care what happens to me, but, ahm... my sister is sick. Very sick. Would you, ah, do that faith thing? I don't want to lose her. She also says she loves you and has been crying out your name for the last two hours. She just went unconscious, giving me time to send this message. Please, send something." He paused.

"And thank you. For being hope for her." There was that momentary smile, before he looked away, trying to hide a tear. I looked away as well, and put a hand to my brow. God help them, if it was that bad...

I watched the image flicker for a moment then die out, leaving my room in utter darkness. I slid into the bowl that I slept within after arranging the pillows and glanced up towards the recording station. Another sigh passed through my lips while I touched my brow, leaving me to consider. I couldn't sleep until I had passed the message on and, so, I slid out of the bowl, turned on a light and slid the chaplain's collar on my throat.

I tapped a few keys upon the board and set a soothing tone in the back ground, while the lights rose up to a dim, almost romantic level. I looked up towards the ceiling, and thought quickly for a moment, then looked upon the camera again.

"Dearest Avena, I have missed hearing from you. I have heard from your brother that you are sick, and I am very saddened for this fact. My stars would be less bright if you were not amongst them, and I will be sad if you do not pull though this. I've given further thought to your question and will hold off on answering further, but I will tell you that my heart beats with yours, and I will keep in thought about you for the longest time. I care for you as I do a sister, and were not for you, my life would be so very different and difficult. You gave me a drive, and no matter what, you will be loved by me. I will say a long prayer for you before I sleep. And, my dear Avena, do keep faith. The stars will shine upon us together again. And then I will answer you."

I thought for just a moment more, and then bowed my head. "I love you, no matter what should happen or come." I looked back up again, and smiled. The message ended automatically with a rhythmic tapping of my tail upon the ground, leaving me in the darkness of the room once again. I turned my head, looking upon the bowl for sleeping and sighed. I would sleep alone. I always slept alone.

Chapter 2: "We need your strength..."

The lights of the yellow shift caught my attention more than the ringing of the wake up bell or the knocking on my door. My hand slid up to grip the pounding edge of my skull and I slowly sat myself up and worked a kink out of my back. There, with the pressure gone, I slowly rolled up to my feet and slid out of the bowl, sounding for the door to open.

The sub-commander stepped in as I began to apply my clothing on, and she shook her head out slightly. I laughed faintly while then combing my hair down then addressing her properly. She sighed, exasperated for a moment, and then smiled a bit more. I offered coffee, she politely refused.

"Chaplain, glad to see you awake. I'll not keep you too long; we have received orders to deploy ourselves to the edge of the Senthe system and to report on the recent events having to do with piracy. I tell you, because the crew will come to you with guidance, given this is the first time anyone on this ship below four years has done anything like this. We need your strength; they are going to be worried."

I slid my haunches to the ground and nodded once more, and drew my tail up beside me for further thought. I glanced at the tail and tweaked it, before looking over upon the sub-commander who waited patiently for me to speak for more than just body language. Eventually I did so.

"If they believe we are capable of doing it, we shall do it. If they have fears, given that it is a highly difficult and dangerous mission, they will come to me for guidance. I Trust the commander, and you, sub-commander. The commander trusts us to do our duties and do them well." I considered a moment more. "So as I trust you, trust the crew. They are ready for this."

She seemed to ponder a moment and mull over my words, before that smile of hers, the infectious kind, drew up over her lips and I yawned. I was tired still, I never had the chance to get enough sleep between shifts, even with the twelve hours of sleep I had. The doctors said it was normal for those still new to being on a ship. I hoped they were right.

"I'll keep that in mind." That smile of hers drew warm to the lips while she looked up at the passing stars off the view port, and then slowly rose. I did as well while reaching to slip my uniform back onto my torso. I adjusted the tight fitting material to settle a bit more properly before walking with her after opening the door. It felt comfortable to walk with someone again. "And, I never talked to you about this, all right?" I nodded once more and enjoyed the quietness of my starting shift.

Three terras passed before we finally set out on the journey, while the ship was given a brief check over and re-armed at the base. I had no time to enjoy shore leave as I worked through and filled out paperwork and sent a last message to my family in the event I did not return due to some disaster.

There was a strict tension amongst the crew for the first few days of the journey out, and several came to me in hopes of understanding what was going on. As they had expected, I told them only that we were doing something important, and to keep faith and trust those who lead them. I knew that it was not always what they wanted to hear but, that was all I could tell them with a clear heart. It was a typical routine until the sub-commander came into my quarters.

I was busy filling out paperwork on my computer when the door opened, and I looked up in time to see the sub-commander all but limp in. I had a questioning look on my face and she only smiled, mentioning she strained herself while helping to assemble a converter after maintenance. She sat across from me in one of the human-modified chairs and waited for me to finish the last page of the file before gaining my attention.

"I'm off duty as it is, if you have any scheduled appointments..." She began and I only smiled and shook my head - I was willing to make time for someone of the crew who was so important. Plus, my schedule was pretty empty for the first few days as people grew attuned to the no-more-shore-leave. They'd have their hands full for the most part so I hadn't to worry. "Thank you, Broken Claw. I've meant to ask you a few things if you are willing to answer. Their questions I've wondered about and I'd like to know."

"Go ahead." I murmured while reaching up to get some tea from the shelf that I had at a warmed temperature. I offered some up for her, though it was not accepted. I shrugged and drank a bit of it down while she thought and then asked her question of me.

"Why do you have no breasts?" I thought for a moment and had to laugh, we Chakats were almost entirely a hermaphrodite species. I slid my paws together before me and glanced at the tips of my white painted nails. I then looked up with a full minute to compose myself, and began.

"Because I am male and only male." I felt a momentary shift upon the floor of my office and looked down upon it for a long moment. Curiously, I slid my tail down and reached a hand up to steady the desk as a wave of dizziness slid through me, making me shiver. It was never a good sign for that to happen. I felt trouble.

"The commander will need to see you soon." I murmured softly while slowly moving around my desk to stand beside her. My fingers settled upon the wood of the desk and I reached out to grasp at the small stand of pictures and held it in my hand.

She looked at me curiously but gave a nod of the head while I gestured, and walked out with her to exit the room. The door closed behind me and I felt the ship suddenly rock and lurch, and an explosion from the room behind me. The door was locked and sealed in the moment and I felt the tip of my tail get pinched but nothing more. I glanced back then at her, before we then both made our way quickly towards the lifts.

Chapter 3: "We have taken a hit..."

"Commander, we have taken another hit." The ship rocked and I steadied myself by crouching and held a hand up to prevent the sub-commander from being thrown to her belly. She thanked me and made her way towards the commander, an aged human of salt and pepper hair. He nodded once as I stood out of the way of everything to just watch. I had no other place to be given that my office had just been vaporized.

I held the small section of pictures and traced each one with a finger tip before sliding it into a pouch on my first hips, so that I could keep it safe. I walked easily towards and sat beside the captain who sat in his chair, reading tactical information and making decisions of what to do next.

"What hit us?" He looked through the information while he rocked with another hit. I watched sparks jet from a console and had to question why they did that so very often when in duress. I shrugged and looked at him while waiting for an answer. It was probably pirates.

"Unknown ship, heading five seven - six one four - eight zero - Mark four. It's preparing to fire again." I glanced over towards a panel for a second, and my right hand drew out and tugged the black feline whom had been right in front of it. She let out a supervised cry while the ship rocked, and her seat she had been in rocked forward, and slammed hard into the panel. I knew to trust my instincts when they actually worked.

"Thanks." She said to me as I nodded my head, and pulled her away from it and gestured to an empty spot. She loped quickly over and began to work in tandem with another bridge member. I regarded the scene as I watched a tactical display appear on the main view port. Holographics showed up clearly and I had to admire the simulated work.

"Fire upon them, they are refusing comm." The guns fired off quick blasts of superheated energy, and I watched the hologram. The ship dodged out of the path, which I had to find rather amazing. I knew of no ship which could respond with such ease. The guns began to exchange fire, but our small scout ship was far from a match.

"Captain, they are..." The ship rocked and power cut throughout the entirety of the ship, leaving me stunned as a tremor ran through the vessel. I gripped the ground with my claws and approached the captain slowly, feeling with my hands for the presence of others. Emergency lighting began to kick on as did the air processing. We were still flying blind, as the ship rocked again from another blast. Gravity began to flicker.

"You Chakat's are empaths, why don't you find out what's going on over there?" I glanced over at the captain and opened my mouth to say something, but shut it swiftly and looked towards the view screen. My fingers clenched in my palm and I focused my thoughts slowly and easily while letting out a long breath.

My mind reached, though I had a feeling it would not work. As unpredictable as anything, my talent had never been exceedingly advanced for a chakat, or even for a human. It had a tendency to not work when I was stressed. This wasn't helping much.

I took in another long breath and focused my thoughts down to a single point and tried to focus elsewhere, as gravity lost its full strength and I lifted from the ground. My eyes were slits as I looked to the screen and felt the tip of my tail spasm once. "I can't..."

I heard voices and a shout, the smell of burning fur and a scream following. I think it was mine...

Chapter 4: I hate Piracy

When I awoke, I lay upon a black bed, while the shadows clung tightly about the room which I lay within. My body lay still while machines counted the breaths and the beat of my heart. Both were low and steady, though it didn't count for the reason my head hurt or why I couldn't feel part of my tail.

A voice made my head slowly turn, and I glanced upon the image of the ships doctor, whom held up the burnt end of my tail. I looked over and grunted painfully as I felt my lower body shift and bones creak. I hurt. But my body slowly regained control of itself as I centered my eyes upon the far wall. This was not the ship we were on before.

"We had to take their ship. Pirates work well in surprise, but when they boarded, they had lost the moment of surprise and we fought back hard. They're dead, and our ship had a small containment leak when they fired on us one last time. We got the surviving crew out. The sub-command... the commander wishes to speak to you."

I looked up questioningly but was given no further answer. With a nod, I rose out of my position and made my way out of the room after tugging a spare shirt on - that being a black one which was often identified with pirates. It was surprisingly snug fit though it had too much room in the chest, and I felt a bit embarrassed to walk through the hall without the chaplain's collar on my throat.

Down a terminal, I was lead to the commander's quarters by one of the security officers who was busy routing and memorizing the lay of the ship. I took care to overhear the find in the cargo hold - many tons of narcotics. I went into the quarters of the captain after a second.

"We have to continue this mission; it's of vital importance that we do it. The pirates who attacked us have set us back slightly admittedly, and I would rather the commander have handled this, but it's been put on my shoulders."

The commander turned away from the six she was talking to, and nodded once to me. I let a smile drift upon my lips "Ahh, chaplain, welcome in. Have you been informed?" I shook my head lightly and looked upon the crew, before giving a brief salute.

"Alright. The commander is dead, and most of the bridge crew was killed. This leaves me in charge of the situation and I've decided we need to continue in this affair. We are on orders to not use com, and even if it would be received it leaves our position open. As we have had to transfer to this ship, I've ordered the destruction of our old ship to cover tracks."

I sat with the rest of the assembled and took count of them. "Those who are alive are on this ship, and sadly we do not have room for the bodies of the dead. This is unfortunate, but necessary." I idly toyed with my tail and tugged it up to begin grooming so I could focus my thoughts.

"Second to this, we have been offered an unprecedented opportunity to do some advanced reckon. I've done little of this in the past but will do what I can." A long sigh came from her lips as she considered her next words carefully.

"For now, we are going to pose as that of a band of mercenaries. This ship is just the right size as a mercenary transport, and we have the crew on board to pose for it." She gestured to me. "It will be difficult."

I slid my hand up and down my tail and felt for any kinks, then paused, glancing at it and furrowing my brow in confusion. Was... I was missing part of my tail. Great. I gave it a tug and winced once as I felt the broken bone that had only recently been set. This was going to be a long trip.

"I've done reading on your individual files from what we transferred over to the ship - each of you here has had some training in leadership as per your ranks. So, I trust you to keep control and command of your crew. Now then, the mission I've decided on is outlined thus."

I sat and listened for the time she spoke, and no question came to mind except for why I was even here. It wasn't until she had finished she gestured for them to leave and consult with their crew and leave me to talk with her alone.

She rubbed her hair out of her face and looked at me for a long moment, seemingly unsure of what to say. Her eyes looked to mine and she gestured for me to come closer. "Brokenclaw. I'm going to need your help. I've come to you because I trust you, all these times that the commander has had orders for the crew; I wanted to get your opinion first. I..."

She paused and I could see her cheeks turn to a shamed color, before glancing back at me and straightening her uniform up of habit.

"I would like to offer you a promotion." Her eyes looked down then back up at me for the longest moment. "To Lieutenant. It would be a field promotion, of course, but given the circumstances, I do think it's a wise choice. Your duties would be more focused on the bridge while we set out an office for you."

I had to think for a moment about that, my legs wobbling from the sudden jump and I resting on the floor. I glanced at my paws and let forth a long, slow breath, before I gave a slight nod. "What would my duties be, Commander?" She smiled.

"Advisory and Support. I know you know how to run the bridge, and that you have had officers training back when you were in the academy. So if something were to happen to me and the sub-commander, I know you could take control. As well, your empathic talents are useful in negotiations." Her voice seemed to want to continue, but I gave a slight incline and she silenced.

I could not feel her emotions; many times I had to guess their feelings instead of knowing it, as a typical chakat would have. I could tell she was happy though. And nervous. My hand lifted and touched her shoulder and she looked up in surprise.

"It will be alright. I trust you, Commander." My fingers tingled for a sharp moment and I drew the hand back after a moment of thought about it. She gave me a slight smile and glanced into my eyes for a longer moment, then gestured.

"Thank you, Lieutenant. I think that's all we need. Oh!" She paused as I turned, and I looked back at her for the moment. "I need you to organize a few of the crew members into search groups. I want this place searched for anything our scans wont show, OK?" I gave a nod, and a salute. She smiled and gestured me off.

"I need my command crew to the bridge." I was in the middle of the shower when this command came, and I grumbled- she had a knack for it. I hurriedly washed the rest of the soap off of my fur and turned on the heating press to dry my body fur off. I would end up with a fluffy Mohawk again, but I had grown used to it during the daily meeting.

I toweled off and wrapped it around my head as I gathered my clothing from the hanging rack and slid my collar - with the new set of stars upon it to indicate my rank. I still wore the black which had become the unofficial uniform of the ship we had taken control of.

I made my way into the bridge and was directed to the commander's office, where I met with the four others who had been given posts. I sat beside the head of engineering, Lieutenant Oswald. He nodded to me and gestured for me to pay attention.

"We are one day out from meeting up with the station. We need to get on board, and the cargo we carry is our ticket on. While I am hesitant to let them have ten tons of narcotics, we can use it to afford ourselves repairs and information. We'll have to use this as best we can for the duration of the visit."

The image of the port, due to our long range scanners, came up onto a holographic display. I studied it for a few moments and took note of a few features that seemed unique - mostly the large cannons.

"Secondly, I will have four teams out on the platform doing reconnaissance. There will be groups of five, and I would like have a pair of you leading a group as well as you, Brokenclaw, with me. As our only empathy on the ship, I'd like you to be there during the dealings."

I nodded to her and idly rubbed my neck, feeling the tenderness from some chaffing from lack of proper drying. I ignored it after a moment and then glanced as she began to outline her plan.

"Lieutenant Oswald shall be in charge of re conning defenses and build of the vessel. I trust that you know how to get schematics, yes?" He nodded once more and turned her gaze toward the other two.

"Lieutenants Jericho and Germinal shall be in charge of getting information on the numbers that come through. The best place to check are bars, honestly, so drinking your alcohol tolerance pills so you can be level headed." Her eyes turned to the fourth person in the room, and I glanced at her. The reptile waited patiently.

"You will be in charge of the ship for the duration of our boarding - sub commander. Be sure to keep a read out on the numbers of ships that pass through and take brief scans of cargo that is being unloaded if it is safe to do so. I trust you."

I glanced at the rest of the gathered and watched her signal towards the hologram again. It projected to a new image, showing the lay of the ship. She indicated quietly and assigned new quarters to the surviving crew - the numbers apparently three fourths of what it should be - 60.

"All right, I think that's all we need for today. Assemble your teams, my good sirs and ladies, and we will be ready to engage in our mission. God speed." I watched them file out as she looked at me to keep me in the office. I waited patiently until the door closed, and looked at her questioningly. She merely smiled and settled closer to me.

"Have you ever done something like this? Infiltrating a group to learn?" She looked upon my chest then up to my eyes again, letting a smile drift over her lips. I considered momentarily and let my body relax a bit more completely so I could be at ease with her. My hand rested upon the table, beside hers.

"No, I haven't." I murmured, getting her scent upon my nose, and my eyes glanced up into her own for the length of a moment. I bit my tongue, thinking and trying to relax the tension that had built up in the base of my skull. I watched her, as she glanced down and touched her finger to mine then back again. "I know what I've seen in operations manuals, but..."

"Neither have I. But I go from what my training taught me: Strong and Quiet. Intimidation is how a pirate works, so we have to be just as intimidating. I'll admit, I'm scared." She looked up at me, wetting her lips with her tongue. I watched her lips move, into a smile and mine copied the motion.

"Well, I never thought I'd be promoted out of chaplain-ship, and yet here I am. I'm scared, I'm afraid I'll make a mistake and hurt the mission. I've never given thought to real, full authority, nor have I thought about being a friend to the commander of a vessel. I've never imagined I'd sit and talk with him or her like this. But, things happen. We each adapt to what is given to us. You are ready, and I must be, if I am given this situation. So, have faith."

My hand reached and settled upon her own, and I looked to her finger tips, as I touched palms with her in an old gesture I had seen repeated amongst the older crew members. She smiled for a moment. "We'll be OK. You are doing well as a commander."

Chapter 5: Hell hath no fury...

There before me, I looked upon the small statue of an elder deity of some old, primitive world. It was pretty, made of marble and with small beads as the eyes and looked to be extensively well cared for back when it had been on it's planet of origin. I shuddered at how many would have had to die to get this piece of art.

"That's a nice, old piece from, ah..." Beside me, one of the crew members of our ship stood, gazing over the stylized figurine. His hand lifted it and he tossed it once lightly in the air, turning it in the mean time. "We call it Sirius Three, but the people of that world call it..." He paused, giving me a moment to speak.

"How'd you manage to learn all that, Aristotle?" I had to ask this as he looked over the statue again as he continued to toss it. His mouth opened to speak once more.

"Hands off, bub." A rather ugly lizard stepped forward and caught the statue in the middle of the toss and put it down upon its stand again. "This ain't for touching' until you buy it." The sidearm at his hip made the thought of contesting it less than healthy. The bat shied back behind my bulk and I nodded once.

"Sorry, it's his first time on a platform in some time, the captain often keeps him busy down below." I tugged the bat forward while gripping the ear, and he stepped forward at risk of being de-eared. "Apologize."

The bat mumbled his apology and slid against me in fear of being struck by the larger creature. It was a good act, and I nodded to the lizard who grunted something illegible and the bat and I shied off towards another vendor to look over different items available. The bat held a small personal assistant beneath one wing and made small recordings in the meantime.

"Sorry sir, I'll not touch nothing' again, sir."

After the little incident, the bat and I circled around the rest of the small vends, seeing who had what for sale, and I taking my time to look over each item. Every item one could imagine seemed to be for sale, and most of them were in the realm of illegal as far as I could call. Many of the items, especially those of value, were stolen.

After a few hours of studying, I had a small rendezvous with the captain and her small private group. After a brief exchange, we made our way to a dinning hall and watched the many groups eat and argue loudly amongst themselves. My chiropteran companion sat beside and studied over what he had recorded. At the other side, the captain enjoyed my company after I had got her food for her. I didn't mind spoiling her.

"I've found that the merchants have quite a few items of interest, and I wish I could afford a few of the more legal items for my collections at home. These Rellien artifacts are both legal, and priceless, what I'd give for that mask." The Rellien's had been one of the first chiropteran colonies that had broken flight and taken to a small world.

Though short lived, it had lasted almost five hundred years before comets destroyed the atmosphere. Their art and creations had taken a deviation of extreme proportions as they hid from contact. Though they had drawn to a more primitive technological state, their philosophies, when uncovered, had affected the Chiropteran species in general quite highly. Or so I had been informed.

"I'm sure I could get the funds together to buy one of the masks for you. I have an account at home that I've been using to buy myself something, but, I'd not like to see something so meaningful to a friend be destroyed." I'd prefer to acquire it legally, even if it had not been in and of itself entirely legal in acquisition. The planet, though a dig sight, was also a grand tomb.

"Nonsense, Brokenclaw." My captain interrupted me and put her hand on my own. "There's no need for you to waste your money. I'll acquisition it, don't worry. As stolen goods, it's best if it is recovered into the safe hands of an archeologist." The bat shifted uneasily, and I glanced up at the captain for a moment more. I wouldn't argue, though didn't think it quite right.

After the meal, we sat and rested at the table, leaving me to enjoy the view of the exotic dancers on stage. Though I had only a passing interest, the way the felines moved at the same beat drew me to fascination. Both wore matching ensembles, in fact, they were more than likely twins. The only thing that bothered me was the collars about the throats.

"Beautiful dancers, aren't they? I could arrange a night with..." A voice behind me began as I broke my gaze from their bodies, and looked at the human who stood behind me. I smiled once to him and shook my head out. He opened his mouth again, but the captain stood, and her hand set upon my shoulder.

Backing off, he nodded and bowed his head, to go and whore the dancers off for another night, leaving me to stare at the captain with a smile. She nodded back and then rubbed me behind the ear. I turned away and blushed a bit, looking at the others who didn't seem to notice. Or care.

Once more I looked to the dancing, and my tail and head swayed to the beat of the drums. I pitied their position, but I had to admire that they did work hard. The gyrations made them twist as one, and I closed my eyes, only to open them again after a momentary clatter. One of them had stumbled out of key, throwing the other off in her performance.

The vile words that came out of one of the patrons mouths made me wince, and worse when the, I presumed, owner stormed out from off stage and grabbed one up by the neck and started to scream at her in a, thankfully, foreign tongue. I doubt I could have handled anything more. He lifted his hand and struck her hard across the cheek, making her yowl.

The next thing I knew, the owner toppled over, a black ball of furry clawing at his shoulders and neck. The bat of which whom I had walked with dug his claws deep into the thick hide of the human, who struggled to reach him in vain, they were fast beings.

Security began to approach the two as the bat was thrown and yet, like a yoyo with a rubber string, he bounced back and tackled the human, easily three times his weight, down, and clawed at his face. I roused myself from the stupor of watching the fight, as did the others of the crew, and we horridly got our way up to extract them from each other. I held the bat as the human was held back by four others. I squeezed and held him tightly.

"LetmeathimI'llriphimappartforhittingherI'llkill..." My paw slapped across the mouth of the bat to hold his muzzle still and I had to suppress a yowl as he bit my finger. I refused to let go in the meantime. The captain gave the other human a shove away and gestured for us to leave while shouting at the bat in her anger. I shook once and slid out with the rest before we were thrown out.

When safely out of ear shot of the bar and upon an entirely new level, the captain backhanded the bat and shoved him to the ground before crouching over his chest, eyes down angrily to his own. She glowered and the bat shivered, though it was plain to see he was still in his rage.

"What the fuck were you thinking?! You trying to get us killed?!" The hand of the captain reached to slam into his jaw, but my hand caught her own, making her pause in surprise. I only gave a warning glance to her and she rose off of his chest, giving him ample room to breath and cough. I helped the bat up with my other paw, as the captain pulled her arm away. I looked to him and considered my options.

"Why did you attack him?" I asked calmly. His eyes and my own touched for a moment. He shivered and swallowed once.

"On my home planet, if a man hits a woman, he is to be beaten himself. No man has right to strike a woman, but when her life is saved by it. I. I could not contain myself for the strike to her face. To compound it, I... am rather taken by them." He was honest, I could smell it upon him, and I looked up to the captain who glared at him, and I think, held anger at me for denying her.

But after a tense moment she gestured for the others to continue, and that she wished to speak to me in private and, hesitantly, I followed behind her. Through and to another, more private bar we walked, until she sat down and I across from her, only to reel back as she slapped me. No words came out; her eyes spoke volumes of her anger. And then she left, leaving me to sit alone, and think.

Chapter 6: Developments and disturbances abound...

Having survived the wrath of my captain, in two days time she was willing to have me about her and sent me to do a private investigation of the lower halls of the grand platform. It was a place of slums and the dregs of the pirate society, those who did the jobs that had to be done for the survival of the station.

I eased through small hallways and sidestepped a sleeping vagrant after a moment of hesitation. Deeper, the smell of the place only drew worse. I glanced down a hall to the left and then one to the right; both of them were not truly worth investigating at the time. I slid down another hall.

Many drew near heat sources in the cold bowels of the ship, and even I had to pause now and then to get some warmth into my chilled body. Why any would stay down here was a mystery at first, until I realized that all the garbage was sent down here for collecting and sorting, to be sold back to those who wished for raw materials. Small areas had been carved into homes through the use of un-sellable materials.

I slid from the warmth of one converter to another to get a better feel of the area, and sat down upon the icy floor. It felt so alien to be in this place, away from the comforts of a civilized world. My tail swayed slowly, the burned tip having scarred over, giving me only a short tail. I began to groom through it to feel and remove the last bit of scabbing that was on the fur, leaving me with a sore pink skin beneath.

I turned away and shuffled, nearly going muzzle to muzzle with a tall stallion that stood before me. I stepped back of habit and glanced back at him. At his side, two others stood. They looked a bit upset that I was partaking of their heating unit, and I stepped back again.

"Well, what do we have here? Some sort of freakish Chakat. You know, there's a fee to use this here heater, right?" He spoke as eloquently as I expected any down here to. One eyed my tawny pelt and I heard the faint click of a knife being extended. Switchblades.

"Ah, no, I did not know that. What's the fee?" I stepped back away from them and slid my rump out into the second walkway through. The horse stopped his approach of me, gesturing the wolf to his right, and the cheetah to his left to circle around me. I was thankful it was somewhat cramped.

"Whatever I say it is." He glanced over my torso for a moment, and then spat upon the ground beside him. I twisted my nose in disgust for a moment, then relaxed, forcing myself from the fear hormones I was exuding. "Your jacket. And your wallet. That aughta cover the down payment of you staying in this area. Maybe something else, if you don't want to lose your clothes."

I reached my hand to the black jacket I wore and stepped back again, until finding the cheetah and wolf stepped forward and held me with a hand each. I struggled for a moment, but the jab of cold steel against my rib told me to not move any further.

"Now now, don't be trying to shortchange us. That's just unhealthy." I winced after another jab to my other side, not wanting to be depleted at any time soon. The stallion approached slowly and brought his hand up to my cheek, holding it for a moment.

"Shi has quite a few male characteristics, unique for a chakat. It's no felitaur." A hand was on my flank, making the muscles tense. I gritted my teeth in disgust and tried to find a way to move without being given a new hole to breathe out of. The hand on the flank slid lower, making me twitch and...

"Wait, this aint a..." Pop! Pop! Pop!

I hit the ground by the first pop, and curled up into a protective ball as I heard the sound of a small gun being fired in my direction. I shivered and curled up against the cold metal and tried to play dead, though the scent of blood wasn't my own. Boots came closer to me, and I heard a soft muttering.

"You alright, kid?" I turned my head and glanced towards the one who held the gun. About his throat lay the collar of a priest, and his hand slid the gun back into the holster at his hip. I looked and nodded, and he slid his hand out to me. I took it and rose up slowly. The three were writhing upon the floor, twitching. I spied small latches in their pelts, pumping them full of electricity.

"Come on, we need to lay low for a while. Illegal weapons fire gets attention here." And he lead me on, I was in too much of a daze to resist. Through another corridor, he led me on towards a long building, one which was surprising for the undertakings of a grand station. But I slid into it with him, and the door was closed behind, the lights flickering on overhead. What may have been a processing plant in the past was now that of a small cathedral. I admired the handiwork in fashioning small religious symbols. The one who lead me in momentarily bowed and crossed himself.

"Welcome to the cathedral." He murmured, and walked with me towards the back of the open chamber. Through a second door we both walked, and I found myself in a great kitchen, staring out over the few that ate here. I opened my mouth to ask a question but he silenced me and gestured for them to make a seat.

"Welcome to our holy home. It is not much, but a humble home is still a home. We welcome all who come, provided they do not bring strife beneath our roof. Alex, care to serve up two plates of stew and some bread?" The head of a gray vulpine lifted, and I saw the red and blue eyes watching me. I shivered one from the intensity of their stare, at how the eyes did not seem to blink.

The white clad fox did nod his head though and walked his way into the kitchen with a graceful gait, leaving me to look back at my host. His curled white hair fell in a tumble over his shoulder as he undid the tie behind. He nodded his head, and then gestured once more. "Please, eat. What brings you to the station? You do not have the look of a pirate."

I was momentarily taken back by that, and he only smiled at me. I opened my mouth and he only shook his head again as the food was delivered promptly by Alex, the spry fox. He nodded once, though no emotion played out upon his face. I looked down the food looked more welcoming than the food I had eaten earlier.

"I'm not. I'm a chaplain." I took a mouthful of the stew with my spoon, and paused for the rich flavor that slid across my tongue. I nearly startled for the skill which it had been cooked, and I took another after dipping the bread in to get some sauce for flavoring. "Been one for a little while now, since moving out of my den."

"Oh? That is good to know. We need more religious people around places like this. Or around, period. Religion is a dying trend, or so people want to believe. There are those of us that do not let it go into dust though." He gestured to Alex, who sat cross-legged upon his seat, holding his bowl. "It helps those who need it, and those who think they don't. Alex here, it's making a change for him. I'm not going to say what he was in his past, but, he's different now."

He watched the bowl, taking another slow spoonful. His eyes watched as though seeing it for the first time. I glanced back at my host, who sighed wistfully. "But enough on the old rhetoric. I'm still a bit surprised to see a chakat so, ah, big."

I glanced down at my body - one wired with muscle and sinew. I glanced over my body, over the broad chest and the long arms and strong hands. I was an imposing sight that confused most over the small, pleasant little chakat companion. I gave a slight smile. "I'm an aberration of chakat DNA. I left home because they didn't like it. No one but my parents, who were humans."

He nodded his head slowly and put a hand up to the table, on my own in a comforting gesture. I looked down to the table, feeling a shiver pass through me. "Most don't like the fact I'm over six and a half feet tall. Or because I outweigh the typical chakat by over a hundred pounds. Or the fact that I have a masculine physique and have almost no softness to me. Or because I smell different."

"I see no difference in you." Came the reply of Alex, who lifted his muzzle from its downward slouch, "You look different, but you are not different. Your smell is muskier, but still that of a chakat."

He did have a powerful nose to tell that, but as I opened my mouth to speak, the hand of the human was on my shoulder, and he drew me to him for a hug. I shook once, having forgotten what it was to be held for a moment. I shook, and closed my eyes, willing the tears to not come and fall from my cheeks.

"Why do you care for the worries of others of your species? You are unique beneath the eyes of God. You are different, and God uses that which is different to point out the truth. So you are born different and male. So what? If your own species denies you, a pox on them! You are loved and accepted by many others." The priest nodded once more as he looked into my eyes.

"The chakat people, for all their beauty and strength, are but a child race. They are accepting of all things but themselves. So let them be that way, but if any come to you and insult you for it, show them that you aren't weak or flawed as you seem. Remember, God does not make mistakes."

I looked out to the door as I felt a familiar hum from my comm bracelet and a tingle in the back of my head. I took a last bite of the stew and glanced down. The captain was calling a personal meeting to be attended as soon as possible.

"I need to go." I said, feeling suddenly guilty for having eaten and then needing to run. But a hand was put upon my own and the priest nodded. Alex was then at my side, and the quietness of his posture was almost unnerving. I rose up from my seat and the priest gestured for us to go.

"Alex will guide you to where you need to be." And as we walked out, I heard last: "You are always welcome here."

Chapter 7: "...A woman scorned"

Back aboard the ship, I walked towards the command center and then to my personal quarters which was right next to the commanders. I waited inside and carefully began to groom out and apply new healing salve to my tail when the door opened. It closed swiftly behind, locked, and the commander stepped into my chambers.

I stood up and saluted but it was quickly waved away. She smiled light to me and gestured for me to come near, and I carefully sealed the tube of cream and walked over to her, almost hesitantly. Her eyes met mine and her hand rested upon my own after a moment of waiting. My mouth felt dry, a tingling at the back of my skull made me pause hesitantly. But I smiled and she reached up to tweak my ear.

"I forgive you, Brokenclaw. But we should talk here, in your quarters." I nodded mutely and guided her to the personal couch. She sat upon it and I in front, needing it not to stay at head level with her. Her fingers met my own tentatively, and I just looked deep into those soft eyes of hers.

"Brokenclaw. You are a man who thinks a lot, and who I trust. You've done a lot for this ship and, you've done a lot for me. But I don't think you've been told how much you are appreciated. I mean, you held a level head when I was aggressive and violent with a member of the crew."

I felt her hand lift up to my shoulder and stroked the solid muscle there. Her fingers sunk sweetly through my fur, and I felt the tense muscles start to relax under so soft and sensual a touch. Her head drew to mine, and she looked deep to my eyes, her lips parting for a moment. I could smell the sweet breath, and the faint musk of a woman.

"Would you like to share a drink?" I gave a nod of my head mutely, and almost conveniently, she held up a chalice. I looked down and sniffed it once, then took a quick swallow of it as offered. She smiled most sensually, and her hand rose up to touch my cheek.

"You have a bit on your chin." She murmured, setting her hand upon the base of my muzzle. She then smiled, and glanced up and licked upon my chin and up, her tongue dancing my lips. My eyes shut, and I felt her fingers sink into the back of my neck, her lips touching deep to my own. I took a breath in, felt her body press up to my own, and her hands run the length of my torso. She felt along the strength inborn of my genetics.

"Oh and there's a little up here..." Her voice trailed as she broke the kiss, and slowly slid her lips up to kiss just above my eyes, and then lick through the soft fur. I felt a shiver run through my body, and my hands felt her hands. She drew them to her chest and my fingers sunk in... I pushed her away. My head began to throb in warning.

She looked at me in surprise as I pushed her, shoved her violently away from me. My lips began to tingle, and my hands grabbed at the air as she pulled herself off of the wall I had shoved her into. She grunted and shook her head out, and lifted the bottle up in her hand, glancing at me. Then she swung it, and I felt a burning pain across my head. She lifted it again as I felt woozy. The bottle next hit my temple and...

Chapter 8: "Revenge."

...I woke up. It was darker than my room had been, and I could see out of only one eye, the other sore and the socket throbbing. I gingerly drew my hand up to touch the side of my face and winced, feeling the cuts of glass which had been within my face. Thankfully removed, my eye felt sore and would not open, more than likely - I hoped - matted with blood to open up.

Looking around, I felt for the door leading out of this place, but my fingers made contact with bars. I sniffed the air, the pungent aroma of sweat and bodily waste in this place made me gag after a moment. I slid my body down and felt the throbbing begin to pound in my head. I felt sore in more places than I knew I had.

"So my company is awake." The voice was familiar, though the tone distant. I reached out in the darkness and felt along the bars, to try and drag myself to the voice. There was a wall before me and I paused short of it when I felt the faint warmth of it. I was alone in the cell.

"You alright, Brokenclaw? Your cuts are nasty on your face. You were dragged down here like the rest of us. There are five of us in here, two haven't awoken but they are breathing and alive. It's me, Aristotle." I was thankful for the companionship of the bat, and my hand slid out to the bars, to reach for his. His finger tips brushed mine just barely; I knew we were far apart.

"Yes. I can't see though. Are the lights turned off?" The sound of the bat rustling around in his own cage made me wonder, as I felt along the bars for a long moment, getting a feel. They were steel, solid and built into the chamber. I shook them momentarily, trying to figure out how to break them open.

"Yes, they are. It's probably to keep us complacent until they find out what to do with us. This isn't the brig though, Brokenclaw. It doesn't have the feel or smell of one. I would know, I've been in a few. No, this is..."

"A slave pen." The voice drew my attention, and I felt the presence of another Taur. Flametail. His voice was soft as he spoke to me through the darkness. "A slave pen, they sell slaves on the station here. I've been in one before. Not pleasant. Not good. Even worse for those like you and me, Brokenclaw. We are built for heavy labor."

I looked through the shadows.

"Anyone know what happened?" I had to ask, but silence met me as I sat alone in the shadows. To think. And a flash slid before my eyes. I suddenly knew. And I felt sick to my stomach and cold as ice.

Chapter 9.

I had been sold to slavers.

The days within the cell grew from one awakening and sleeping, to a span of ten, only the voice of the bat telling me that something had changed at all. He gave a perfect description of the room I was in by using his sonar hearing, letting me adapt to the darkness easily. I began to feel a terrible chill after the fourth day.

Food came periodically, three times per day. The food delivered was a poor paste, and I never had chance to see when it arrived. I ate as much of it as I could stomach down, though it had the same grueling texture of paper meal and was probably just as healthy. None the less, we each ate in silence, Flametail, and Aristotle.

"What is your story. I've heard of all manner of things, but never someone like you, Brokenclaw. What is your story? You are unique amongst your kind, and I want to know why you are. I mean, we have plenty of time, right?" I knew I had been here for a great deal of time, and I had heard their stories, so decided it was time to tell my own. I closed my eyes and began.

"To be honest, I am not quite sure on all of the details, except with what I heard from doctors, reports, and from my sire and dame. So I'll start with what the beginning...

Before I was born, my dame and sire had met one another during a party, and decided to go out and get to know one another. They were companions for many years before it came to be that the two were deeply in love and got married. They were a poor pair of Chakats, but they did try their hardest to provide for each other. What they wanted most though, was a child to raise in their own way and they worked hard to try and conceive but, each time, there were complications.

They got into deep depression and began to take stimulants during the duration of their time together, and this affected them only slightly to do nothing more than relax. The problem was that it was beginning to have negative affects upon the pregnancies and would result in the loss of the child. This spawned a vicious cycle of action until they were heavily addicted to their drugs and sought a better and better high to hide their failures from themselves. It was fin for them. Their lives became a rush of nothing but breeding and drugs. It was a life they had no problems with.

Then my dame got pregnant.

I was born to my dame and sire twenty two years past. My biological dame and sire, that is. When I was born, I was found to be of only one gender and this sent red flags through the entire staff who began to perform a series of tests upon me and my parents. They found me to have a weakened immune system and an addiction to relaxants that made me a difficult and underweight child. The lack of secondary sexual characteristics also made for problems.

Origionally I was given a maximum time to live of five days. After five days, I was given ten. Then twenty. Then a month. Then a year. Each time I met the date that was set for me, and each time I was larger and heavier than one of my size was meant to be. For a premature child, I was showing to be quite large, and continued to grow at the standard rate. I was projected to be no more than five foot two.

When my birth parents found out I was only male, they panicked, and hoped to not find themselves blamed for my condition, and after the third check up, they disappeared with all they had, leaving me to be raised by who wanted me. After the month, I was placed up for adoption and found my way into the home of a human and chakat pair. They already had two grown children and wanted one more before they were no longer eligible. And after a few visits, I was taken right into their home and raised up in the ways they could teach.

I was named by a member of the staff there one day, when they realized they had no name for me. Being given the name Silver, for the color of my eyes when I was born, they did what they could and the nurses took time to see that I was comfortable and well cared for in my time.

The ones who adopted me were a Chakat and Human pair, and both loved me like they loved the world. My earliest memories were of them, and I am thankful it was they and not my birth parents who took me into their homes. They were not exactly prepared for children when they adopted me, but they quickly grew to accept it, and for the first fifteen years of my life, I lead a nice, content existence with them. And like most people, I grew happy and loving.

I remember it fondly. I had a care free time, just going to school and enjoying the warmth of my mostly human class, of going out and eating candy popcorn at the theater. I was in plays and short musicals, and, oh, I had a voice back then built right for singing. It was just the most idealistic life I could have had. And like a true CHakat, I won an award for science once and had no problem with my academic talents.

Then came puberty.

Most Chakats would have grown breasts and increase in size by a foot to their maximum height range, where maybe, over the course of the next six years, they would grow only a bit more. But no, not for the little runt of a chakat who was probably going to be short even for my kind. But no, the experts were wrong. The officials were wrong. Everyone who expected me to die by puberty were wrong.

I grew. I grew some more. And when I grew to six feet tall, I was a tall beast in school, taller than some of the humans my age. When I was sixteen, I was the tallest entity in my class except for a few stallions. And during that time, my muscle mass increased yet, to the confusion of the rest of my class mates and myself, I did not grow breasts or magically fix myself into a hermaphrodite.

For my size and my talents in enjoying sports, my difference made the few Chakats in the school nothing short of vicious of me. First came the ignoring. Then the teasing. And then it came to being harassed by being called all manners of filthy names that no adult would know how to come up with or use. And each time it happened I cried inside while learning to adapt to the stinging words of ignorant children. And while the humans, and the other morphics accepted me as a hell of a friend, the Chakats turned vicious and, to use a pun, catty.

I talked to the teachers, and to my parents. The teachers could do nothing, or would do nothing about it, and my parents who, in their best love and hopes for me, told me I would overcome their teasing and be better for it. I know they meant well. Only one teacher really seemed to notice my plight, a small hermaphrodiac bat that took me under hir wing, sometimes literally when I came crying to her, and who would listen to me and offer advice. Our friendship stayed as mentor and friend for the few years I knew hir before hir death, but it was a powerful one. Shi was old, but hir life was vigorous.

"Always know you are stronger than they and, they only tease you because they are insecure with themselves. Don't let their teasing get you down. And what ever you do, don't let them get to you. I know it's hard. It's hard being a hermaphrodite in a species that rarely produces them. It's worse for you, being you are unique."

She'd give me a cookie each time she said that, and would say it once a week to me, usually on the Friday when the bullying had been the worst. Then as I helped her clean the class room she'd talk with me about how my schooling was, and give me tips. But every time she and I would part, her words were the same.

"Remember this: You are unique for a reason, and because of this reason, you are special. Be content in that you are special, and know that you are loved. I love you Silver, and I'll see you again."

I would always answer with: "I love you too, Miss Felicia."

Then I proved my resolve and patience, learned through science, through loving family, and friends, could be broken. Surrounded by four of them, I had enough of it and their teasing and spitting at my presence, and I let go of the rage and anger inside of me. My first true act of violence happened then, and to the shock of all on lookers, I tore into them.

Being that I was taller than they, and stronger than they, in retrospect I realized that I should have just walked off and called for help from the teachers. In the moment though, I could not do that. My hands grabbed the one who spat upon me, and I lifted them bodily and threw them. Then I grabbed another. And I hurt them. I...

I don't really like to remember it. I just know when I sat down, shuddering, I had four hurt Chakats around me. They looked up at me in fear as did many of the students, and, were it not for the one teacher who had made a difference, who had talked to me. It was hir eyes that had broken my anger, hir voice which had cut clearly through my rage and made me stop before I took the full brunt of my anger out. It was shi who had the rest leave, and shi who held me as I sobbed.

I left the school that day to go into an institution for controlling my anger - I served inside for three months before being discharged with a diploma as well as a certification of mental efficiency. With that in hand, I was able to leave school and follow other pursuits, such as a small time job.

I left school and heard no more words from any who went there, further sealing my isolation but for the teacher whom called me once a week. It was hir words that changed my heart, who changed and guided me to contemplation and finding who I really was. And it was her funeral, I think, that made the biggest difference in my life.

It didn't rain that day. It was a bright and almost glowing day that I, one of the few invited personally by the family, went to the funeral. I wore black, and I came amongst those I did not know, taller than most by a head, and sat in the back to see the procession spoken amongst the priest. Given last rights and the grave sealed over with a small pouring of blessed oils and a burning of a stick of incense. I was confused to the goings on but more concerned with my own sadness to pay attention for the most part.

Then the head of the family approached me and took me to his vehicle, invited me within, and sat with me while the rest drove to a prearranged place to meet and greet one another and exchange what manner of conversation they wished. It was he, of gray fur and red eyes, that talked with me as a man talks to a man, not a man to a child. It was he whom I found myself.

"Shi spoke highly of you, Mister Silver. Hir own children gone, shi took to you, from what I heard, like hir own offspring. You brought great joy to hir in your time, and shi had confided with me that shi had wanted to adopt you had shi more time and more strength."

I remember how comfortable and plush the seats were, how the leather slid smoothly to my fur and felt warm beneath my body. It was modified for a taur with a few button presses, I was thankful for that. And as he drove, he continued to talk to me.

"Your involvement with her brought hir back to the family, you know? We had extended many wings to hir to bring hir back, but shi staunchly refused for over twenty years to take any part in our family after... well, that's not important, now is it? Needless to say, for the years you and shi knew one another, you changed hir heart, and opened our own. You returned a member of our family, even for a little while. And that is no mean feat, or nothing to ignore, my friend."

The ride was smooth. My tears were forgotten as he took me to where it was he had planned. I knew no traffic, only his strong voice, his charismatic and commanding presence, only his gentle hand on my shoulder to comfort me in my sorrow. My tears dried, and my heart lifted from the mire of sadness even as he told me of other things, then always back to hir.

"It would be wrong of any member of my family to deny a debt to one who had performed such an action without asking reward. Nor would it be honorable for us to do anything that showed a lack of friendship. By returning my sister to the fold, you healed a family. I guess, what I'm trying to say is that, well."

"Well, I can't actually adopt you into the family, but I can offer you two things. First, any time you have a deep need, one which will mean the difference in a lot of things, I want you to call upon us, ok? This isn't to be taken needlessly, either or to be used lightly, either. This is a general call for assistance that you truly need to have. Don't abuse the gift though, or you will find no help."

"The second is to, well, it is more of a personal request as well as very personal gift. Again, I cannot adopt you, but I can grant you a name of power, and a title that any who follow my religion will know that you are to be treated with respect and dignity. But before you accept, know that it's also a responsibility. If you take the name, you agree to uphold certain tenants and vows, as well as act in a manner that brings honor to yourself and the clan which accepted you. Ok?"

I had to think on that and I understood that I was no longer a child in the eyes of many, but to be seen as a man. He drove me off, away from where the rest were headed as I saw their vehicles. He drove me away from the city and into the wilderness, and though I felt a twinge of fear, I felt no menace from him during that time or again after.

He stopped the car and we both stepped out off the road, and he began to walk with me down a trail. I found it steep and hard to navigate but his hand steadied me and he lead me through to a small clearing, where it seemed to have been prepared before hand. He crouched, lit a fire with a small lighter and some fluid, and then sat across from me, gesturing for me to do the same.

He sat across from me, and then tossed to me a small book. I glanced upon it for a moment more, and then opened the page, to read the first few words. He smiled once and waited for me to finish the first page before continuing.

"Silver. You are not required to accept this gift, but I may have found a name for you to take if you are willing to take it to yourself. The name is one of the first children of the creation of our species. He was a young one, but he lead the first charge of freedom from captivity and lead the first of my species to the safety of the jungles of Brazillian land. Like you, he was alone for the disfigurement and difference he had, but also, like you, he managed to reunite the diseperate clans together into the Wing. His name was La Garra Quebrada. To translate it directly, The Broken Claw."

He looked to me directly, and I felt the strength of him there redouble. It was here his hand reached through the fire and I felt the urge, the call to do the same. And though the fur and my arm began to burn, he held my hand there.

"Will you accept the name of La Garra Quebrada? Broken Claw?" And I felt my body begin to ache from the flames, but it passed away from his presense, from his eyes looking deep to my own. And I was afraid, but a resolve was within me, the gift that Felicia had granted over in her time. The pain took a new life to crush, but my lips moved, I resisting it. The words came of their own, but they felt right to say.

"I am now Broken Claw."

His hand drew and marked my own with three claw marks upon the back that, after he licked, seemed to seal and close shut. The marks remained to this day. Beyond that, I did not hear much from the family after that event. The small gala that was presented was to honor Felicia, and I was given the chance to speak to them of what she had done for me, and why I loved her so. I was treated as any member of the family was, once it was known that I was Broken Claw.

Chapter 10: I am a Chakat.

"I suppose the rest is history." I murmured, looking through the shadows and listening to the voices on the other side of the unseen bars. I waited and patiently considered my options as I tested the solidity of the bars again. They did not twist or shift beneath my grip, but I continued to try - to give up was to admit defeat. "I met my birth parents, then I got into the service, and then, here I am."

"I understand. The name seems more familiar and appropriate now, doesn't it?" The bat voiced out gently, and I heard him shift around inside of his cage. He let out another sound, a sigh, before rattling his cage in frustration. Flametail called out softly, in response.

"Relax. They will not keep us here forever, it would be foolish for them to do so. Let's just get some rest up before what ever they have planned for our fates. I know I could use some time to..." He cut short Because like me, he was suddenly blinded by the rush of light and deafened by the sound of loud conversation. They had come for us. I was scared. And to top it all off, the rush of sound and light and sudden heat sent me unconscious from shock.

I awoke next within the confines of a room. I was not bound or muzzled but neither was I clothed or freed. I lay upon a mattress that felt warm beneath my fur and my hands rested upon the edge of the wall. I grunted a little bit, shifted my weight, and sat up. Before me was a bowl of warm stew and some bread, and without thinking, I brought it over to me. A note upon it read: "Eat." And without hesitation, I did.

I took the small glass beside it and drank the water until it was empty, and sat back, satisfied and full. My body was still sore from being unused in the dark chamber, so I took the time to massage out the tenderness and get some blood flowing through my body. No mirror was provided, but I could feel that the cuts across my face had scabbed over.

The rest of my body felt fine, and except for the missing part of the tail, I felt as fine as I ever had. And after a while of exploring my room, I sat back down and waited for any changes that would occur. For that matter, I wanted to know what had happened to me. But I was patient.

My patience lasted for a good twenty minutes before I began to exercise again, first by pushups, then by sit ups and lifting the mattress up and lowering it down. I did what I could to stave off the boredom that would come soon enough. My brain started to itch as well, never a good sign. I focused upon it and found my talent had decided to rouse itself up to usefulness for once. The room shifted.

The door lead out into the hall where two people stood within it, professional looking but armed with light weaponry. I could not feel what they were beyond the level of professionalism which they took for themselves. Another entity approached down the hall and tapped upon each door twice. After moments, doors opened.

My door opened and I snapped back to my body, my talent fleeting and dancing away from my grip. But I glanced out the door before slowly standing up and I walked towards it, only to find the two 'professional' beings I had felt stand there and reach for me. I didn't fight as they grabbed and secured my hands before me, then they lead me forth in the path of the one who walked. No one else left the rooms. The other rooms were empty but for mine.

I felt no need to speak nor do I believe they would have answered me. But I walked along with them and into another long hall - I was getting sick of the halls onboard stations. I did have to admire the fact they were clean and pure white with only subtle markings of other colors upon it.

The two lead me into another room and I sat within it before a desk, where a suited vixen sat. She said nothing to me for the first few moments, leaving me to fidget and try to figure out what to do to start any conversation. After at time she glanced up to me, nodded once, then gestured for me to step closer.

"Well, what is the newest acquisition we have here? A Chakat? Not exactly unique but you are a find none the less." I sat before her desk and folded my hands atop one another,. Once more she glanced upon me. "Awful large for a Chakat, yes?"

I stayed silent in response to that comment. She drew up a recording unit and held it in her hand while taking a moment or two to study my physique and body.

"Regardless. Let's see; tawny brown fur with a creamy auburn beneath it, eye color of..." She paused and stared forward into my eyes, her head tilting one side, then the other. "Curious green eyes. Large size. Heavy, lacks breasts."

She paused after another moment, then continued along, her brow furrowing as though her mind were hurting. "Muscular, Three scars upon the face, good teeth, smells like sand."

Rising up from her desk she circled around me, her fingers running through the fur to get a sensation for how it felt, and she crouched, gesturing for me to rise. She glanced beneath me, at my belly and I shifted to the side in embarrassment from the attention down there. She continued talking none the less. "Auburn spots on the belly, white between forelegs running down to hind legs. Lacks... wait... this is a felitaur."

"No, I am a Chakat." I murmured din response to that, and she stood herself up and glanced over my way. She clicked her recording unit off and sat down on the ground across from me - in a dignified manner at that. Her legs crossed, and her suit looked rather comfortable.

"Chakats are hermaphrodiac. Why are you not?" And to that I held in a sigh and a mutter of words best not chosen, and thought best of how to explain my unique condition. Her eyes and mine met, and I resolved to let her know simply and most forthright in matter both crisp and understandable. That is, of course, provided one's IQ was the equivalent of a Chakats.

I began to ramble on about my condition, and I admired her stamina for putting up for it as long as she could. But after close to half an hour, she was asleep on the ground and I had a few moments to rummage around upon her desk and explore through her files and notes while hoping she would not awaken to find out what I was doing. Her desk held few items of absolute interest - most of them were personal things. And I continued, my hand straying inside and taking free a paperclip and a small file.

She began to stir and I quickly continued along, until I found the file I was looking for. I read through the header and the lower brackets in record time and slid the paper back into the file, and closed it to hurriedly return to my spot. I sat down and dipped my head down to feign restfulness while my brain turned over what I had learned, what I had hoped to find.

I was not yet sold.

I was returned to my room after the last stages of the identification and I was given something to wear. Though I did not find it very suitable, I decided it was better than wandering around naked and I put on the collar and the thin shirt. Both affixed to me, I sat and considered the nail file and the paperclip for a moment or two, then hid them both upon my person best I could. They would be useful later.

After getting myself some rest, I woke up to perform meditation and prayer, and dwell upon the confines. During both events, nothing happened, and I spent further time in seeking my talent out for the chance to affect the surroundings. Once again, nothing occurred when I performed the mental exercises to settle my thoughts. It did not come when I stopped, or when I banged my head on the wall.

But I did feel another tingling at the base of my neck, and it crept upwards once more, making me reach and try to secure my brain from those who would intrude upon it without welcome. Once more a tremor of power slid across my mind. I shook once and tried to force it out but it was more adaptable and slid around my feeble attempt to block it.

"It is good to feel another mind after so long. Another mind open, another mind to talk to. I have been lonely here. Will you come and play?" The voice sounded across my cortex and I felt a chill pass down my spine. "You are stuck in that nasty room, aren't you? Come out please?"

My head rose and I stared at the white glowing door that had been upon the wall. I had not noticed it before, and I took the initiative and walked towards and then through it. I felt a tingle pass through me then the uninhibited peace of a mind set free. About me, the ground had become grass and the sky above glowed with a bright yellow sun that smiled at me. Quite literally, it's large eyes - the size of the moon - looked at me and the mouth held a jovial laugh.

I looked towards the center of the new place I was within and gazed long towards the grand crystal blue lake that was refreshing and cool. I approached it and it tickled my toes before I noticed the one who had called me. She looked young, though her eyes were old. Very old.

Her fur was the color of marmalade and her eyes glowed with a crystal blue light. She held a small tickle-me-human doll that held a large gun in it's hand, and I was afraid to find out if it was armed. Her species appeared to be one then another, never truly settling upon anything. I noticed the pattern flowing and it settled to that of a Skunktaur.

"Hello Mister Broken. You don't seem broken. Why are you on this ship? You are the first Chakat I have seen in many a long time. Are you the one who is going to help us get free?" My head began to spin and she went quiet after a long moment. Then she slowed down, stood up, and approached me. She then sat before me again and put her hand on my own.

"You aren't used to contact, are you? I will go slowly so that your mind can adapt to what I am saying. Close your eyes and let your body relax. Your heart is racing too hard and you are about to suffer a heart attack if you do not calm your body." I could feel the throbbing through my head, and her voice was soothing. It eased me down to the ground and I no longer felt so light headead. But my brain was aching, the headache was there still.

"Feel better, you do. I am not used to so open but sealed a mind. Most Chakats are not. Are you certain you are pure? Yes, you are pure." Her questions came and I felt her drawing the answers out before I could answer her. I was frustrated and felt violated by it, but knew of no way to stop it. She paid no heed to how I felt, and I tried to close the mind off.

"Don't do that. Please, don't do that. Since the other children stopped taking to me, I haven't had anyone at all to play with. Is it the form I have? Am I not pretty enough? Want me to help you?" I felt a burning across my nerves and my body began to react to stimuli that was not there. I resisted and my brain began to ache, my heart started to race, and my adrenaline kicked in. She was sensual, but I couldn't, I didn't, I wanted, but I...

"STOP IT!!!"

The room shook and I slammed back into my body. I lay upon the floor, blood trickling from my mouth and nose, and three others stood around me. Armed but taking care of my vital signs, one lifted the paddles from my chest and I saw that he had resuscitated me. My head ached again as I fought for breath and the three stepped back. I coughed hard, and sunk into oblivion. It, at least, had no smiling sun.

Chapter 12: Prosperity

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you, I always hurt people, I try not to, but I get so excited about having a friend to talk to that..." The voice awoke me, and I glanced up to the ceiling of my small room. I held my hand out and felt the room waver about me then crackle back into the field of grass and blue lake. About me, I felt a warm presence and my talent felt like reinforcing my grip upon my body for once. I felt safer and more confident this time.

"I just, I'm trying hard as I can but I'm so lonely here, no one else talks to me or even tries to..." She went silent as I looked over at her and slowly sat up. My eyes blinked and I cracked my neck and tail. I felt alive still, sore and stiff, but alive. I reached for her, and she stepped back, afraid and sobbing.

"What is your name?" I drew my attention back upon her, and she seemed to be relieved I didn't leave or get angry. I felt no need, and murmured a prayer for guidance in this tentative situation. She started to shift her form from the Skunktaur that I had seen priory to a human, and then to a vixen.

"They call me Prosperity, at least they used to, now they don't talk to me at all and I can't find any who can keep up with me. Even you aren't very good at it! I'm just so lonely." The subtleties of the plains turned from green and blue, to grays and whites, letting me know she felt melancholy.

"Prosperity. I am Brokenclaw, though you know my name. Why did you reach into my mind when we first met? Don't you know it's wrong to do that to someone else?" She looked confused and her face rippled into that of a Reptilian and back to that of a skunktaur. I began to get a headache from the multiple forms and shapes and genders that rippled through her body.

"Why is it wrong?" Her voice rippled through and I felt her mind reach for my own - but it did not get through this time. I had to tighten my mind and patterns, and it responded, she looked at me in surprise.

"Because. There are some things you do not do. You do not like being hurt, right?" She shook her head in agreement to the statement, and I continued. "If you do not like being hurt, you should not hurt others. It will not stop everyone from hurting you, but it will stop enough. In turn, do not hurt them. That is the start of community and family. You try to assist, not harm."

She went silent at that, and her eyes looked away from my own as though she were ashamed. And then her mental assault faded away and left me alone in my room, giving me solace. I felt the last visages of her touch around me. I was alone. And in being alone, I felt relaxed.

Then the door opened. No rest for me.

I was lead from the hall and chamber and onto an elevator, where the vixen stood waiting for me. The two guards stayed at their post while the lift rose up slowly, and she examined me a bit more closely this time - though avoiding contact. The clothing she wore flattered her while appearing to be professional. The lavender suit matched her eyes.

"We have had many offers for you - but foremost, the first offer has always come from the gladiatorial sorts. We would like to test your physical prowess before we sell you over to them or anyone else. Now then. Do you have any combat training or talents?" She glanced over at me and I shook my head out.

"I was never taught to fight. I had a different job when I was onboard my ships."

She glanced over at me sharply. "I did not ask you that. I asked if you knew how to fight. Do you have basic hand to hand training or the use of weapons beyond the guns?" I nodded my head affirmative and she smiled once more.

"Good. But I am curious, enlighten me to what you used to do on board your ships." She walked out of the lift and I followed behind her. Her tails swayed back and forth behind her and I looked away out of politeness.

"Well. Origionally I was a part of basic engineering and repairs to ships. It was the basic job which I had to perform when I first entered into running with ships. I was pretty good at the small stuff. But I never did learn more than how to repair a converter with tape and a screwdriver." We walked through another set of doors, where the smell of booze and blood was heavy. The arena already?

"Oh, so you are an engineer." I shook my head softly and she glanced at me curiously. We walked down a guarded path and headed to the fighting pit. Wagering was going on the two who fought down below. Blades clashed off of one another, and there was a distant scream. I shuddered.

"No. I joined when I was sixteen due to permissions. During that time I had taken classes over the distance. I left at twenty and at twenty one, I had my degree in theology and sociology." I ducked a low overhang and we walked into the pits, where she lead me towards one of the trainers. He stood talking to a group of other fighters.

"Ahh, I see. Ok. That means what?"

"With my degree, I applied for and was accepted into a non combat position, no matter what ship it is on." She paused and looked up at me for the longest time. We had stopped, and the trainer looked over at me. After a pregnant pause, I continued. "I'm a clergyman."

Chapter 13: Tests for the Chakat Soul

My task was simple, the trainer had told me. This would be a test of my natural talent and what training I had learned on board ships. The only thing I had to do was to dodge the course and make my way through it without dying or loosing a vital part of my body. From the prodding they had done of my physique, apparently there was no single vital part of my body.

I winced a little from the raw prodding of my shoulders and chest, then once again as I was shoved into the pit. I landed in a crouch and looked up at the course. Or, I would have tried to; had not the floor began to slowly twist and try to dump me off of it and onto the unattractive ground below. I ducked through the first opening I could find. My fur began to singe from the heat. "What are you doin'? Oh, this is easy. I've seen it done, just try to not get killed." A voice hit me and I paused, then continued through.

I ran across the floor, the pads of my feet beginning to singe, and I leapt over a shifting wall that came for me. Again I ducked down and my body slid to a halt so I could climb through another archway. My hands met with stickiness and tingling and I worked quickly to climb up through the tube. It began to hurt; my body ached as I felt the numbness start to sink in through my hands and feet. But I ran along and climbed up through the dual ladders. "Your feet are numb. It happens that way. Going to test your reactions when you have only your mind to remember."

I eased through the last of the ladder and slid down to the ground as my feet refused to move. But I eventually pulled myself up to my feet and woozily slid my way towards the edge of the thin walkway. Once again I crouched and made my way through the small opening and ducked as a pair of blades began to swing. I winced and cursed, then went back through the walk way. And what would make it more appropriate, than the walkway began to manually collapse down.

"Duck through that hall, and watch out!" Mia's voice slid into my mind and I jerked, then eased forward and ran again through the hole and laid flat to duck beneath another sway of the swinging blades. My tail was nicked and I let out a yowl before skittering off to another area of the maze. I found myself up before a set of stairs while the blades slowed and stopped their swishing and swaying. These stairs seemed disturbing to me, but I began to ascend up, before slipping and rolling down, landing hard on my side. My feet still felt numb.

My hands gripped upon the edge of the stairs while I tried to pull up again through it. My feet slid along the ground and the tip of my toes left small rents upon the floor. I slowly eased up to stair way. I felt dizziness pass through me once more while I finally climbed up to my feet. I grunted, laying there before sliding up slowly. There was another room before me, and I made my way in. Another spell of dizziness slid through me.

"I know this room!" The mental voice of Prosperity slid into my own and I nearly collapsed again. My legs no longer tingled after a moment, and I felt the dizziness pass over me. I also felt less in control of my body and actions. Prosperity had begun to take control, and I felt no strength to resist her.

"Oh, I remember this part. You turn right..." I did so and ducked down beneath a low overhang of the maze like area. And soon enough she slid me through another small tunnel. I leapt over a small wall that came up through there then eased forward through another hole. Her voice was a giggle as I came free into the open chamber, then it suddenly departed away from me. I panicked, as my body crumpled down, leaving me alone in the white room.

"Here is where you need to find out where the key is. I'm not sure, but there's a lot of places to look. And pick yourself up. This place has a unique characteristic in that it drains the potential strength of a person by using chemicals to suppress your strength. Come on and hurry up." I felt my body start to drift away, and I fought hard to get through this place. My hands felt along the wall, and I reached up to feel along it. There was a faint hum in the air, and up above, small currents of gas were pumped in. My fingers stopped, faint vibrations ran into my hand, and I felt the make of the wall.

"What's that? Oh, that's the machine they keep in here to manipulate the gas. It changes how you feel. You understand? Brokenclaw?" I blinked for another moment, then my hand drew in and I slammed my fist into the wall. Then again. Then again. I felt the plastic crack then shatter, and my hand grabbed the thing that started to hum. I felt woozier, and I pulled it free of it's rivets. I rolled back, landed hard, and then began to bash it to the ground.

"What are you doing Brokenclaw...?" The voice of Prosperity was concerned as I glanced down at the machine, before it stopped humming. It stopped doing anything when I brought my fist down into it - thankful for the numbness. It broke after a few more hits. The headache and the wooziness started to fade. I glanced about once again. "That thing manipulated the ions in the gas to make one weak. It's not inert when you do that."

"Brokenclaw?" I glanced up again and sent back a sign of understanding and that I was ok, before continuing along and feeling for the door. My head throbbed from the gas in the room, but I fought for control when the adrenaline began to pump into my body. They were doing something to me. I felt so strange. Nothing made sense to me.

The voice of Prosperity went silent. I shuddered again from the gasses, coughing and starting to gag when I broke through and fell into another room. My vision began to blur, and my senses ached, everything felt too bright and too wrong. Everything was off, and not as it should have been. I felt myself land again upon the ground, and pulled myself up to sit, then slid back down again. I felt drunk and woozy.

Voices came. Voices. They were distended and lengthened through the edges of my memory, and I tried to pay attention to what they were but could not. No. I tried hard as I could, yet as I turned my head to glance at them, I saw only shadow and light streaming towards me. I saw only a face. It was my own. I pulled myself away from it, the face began to melt and the skeleton was beneath it, the flesh bubbling upon the bone.

"Em morf yawa yats!" It shouted at me, the shouting turning to a rolling gargle and a loud echo in it's wake. I hit the wall, backing away from the hideous specter of myself. It approached me then and I curled up into a tight ball, it's hand, bones and marrow, reached for me - even that was melting away. I breathed hard and deep, trying hard to pull it away from the ashes. It laughed at me, and fell and it's dust landed upon me.

My hand lifted and I looked as the skin and fur began to melt away, leaving me to scream. Only a small voice was left after less than half a minute. It was a voice that cared. Her only words, words that held some concern for me that it had not had before, called. "Don't leave me alone again, Brokenclaw..."

Chapter 14:

Voices. Again, voices came to my mind, and I focused upon them and sat up upon that which I had laid upon. Instantly, I regretted it as I slammed back down upon the heavy couch and groaned, my head throbbing. My hands felt sore and broken, as did my feet and my side. I groaned again upon the mattress while the lights flared on over head, piercing through my eyelids.

"That was one of the most interesting climaxes to the challenge I have seen in a while. You are quite a capable individual. Of course, that last part really was a doozy, wasn't it? But you survived it with your sanity intact. I hope." I panted in response to the words and looked over to another bed, where one figure lay out on his back, eyes staring out straight ahead.

"That poor bastard didn't survive. He's gone catatonic, and we are still trying to draw him out. He'll make it through some time, but he'll be screwed up. Might as well body farm him. Now you, though. You impressed a few of the monitors. That destroying the wall? Fabulous piece right there. Destroying the amplifier? Never seen that done. No matter, small cost."

My head shook a little and I felt the urge to vomit rise into my throat. The doctor laughed once more, almost bitterly, before shaking his head out once again. There, he gestured towards the door as I pulled myself up to my feet with a grunt. I felt woozy and sick, and a mental assault slid into my skull again. Prosperity. I could not find the strength to put shields up.

"Brokenclaw? I, I am glad that you are all right. I was very worried about you. You are the first one whom I have ever felt close to." I felt woozy again and made my way to the door where I was given escort to my chamber and left with my meal. I shook painfully and sat down again and began to eat slowly. I ached too much.

"Brokenclaw. Please..." My skull throbbed as I put my hands to it, and then tensed, feeling a bit of the fur tug away. It was pure white, compared to the normal fur of tawny which I wore upon the pelt. I shuddered and sat down again, trying t focus all of my thoughts into keeping myself sane. But then again, I did not quite know if I had it. I shook myself up once more.

"I am here. Do not worry, I am here." I sent back, the talent willing to respond to my query. I still felt sick and painful. I looked to the mattress as my senses began to dim, I still trembling. It would pass in a little bit, I knew it would. I softly prayed for strength and my eyes closed tight. Tears started to fall, I was on the verge of a mental collapse.

"Brokenclaw. I can't feel you any more. Please, Brokenclaw." Her voice was pained, and I could do nothing to shake her out. But my mind drew to her, as though its choice was not mine. It eased free, and I felt the room fade tot hat of a bedroom, lavish. I lay upon a bed of curtains and pillows, and I clutched it tightly, wanting to feel it to me and against me. But here, I was not alone.

"Brokenclaw." It was not a projection, it was real. My eyes lifted and I gazed upon the face of Prosperity, and my hand lifted to her cheek. Her own hand rose and caressed my hand, leaving me to give a soft smile in turn. Again the hand brushed my lips and I drew up to her side, then kissed her lightly on the cheek.

Then I glanced down at her arm, and my eyes glanced upon the metal. Her right arm was not real, the cold caress touched my face and she lifted it so I could look into her eyes. My head lay upon her belly, and I could not do much else there. Then my body lifted up and caressed around her own as it curled with her in the center. I held her, and my lips touched her neck once, soothingly.

My eyes lifted up through the curtains and I stared upon the white walls and the small paintings upon it. Each had been done by talented hands and time. Along the ground, the floor had a long carpet upon it, leaving me to wonder why she had so much and I so little. I studied the wood of the bed and then up to the pillows she lay upon, and that I held her with. The room felt like a little girls room - who had grown up. I touched her hand with my own.

Many parts of her body were electronic, from the edge of her eye down. And from what I did notice, her natural form was that of a young girl, a human. No older than 16. I had to smile to her, for she was beautiful as far as humans went. And again I lightly ran a hand upon the edge of her cheek, then kissed her once more. And then I shook.

"Brokenclaw? What is wrong?" I felt tense and sore, I felt as though I had not had control of myself in the longest time. My body lifted up and away from her to settle. It was there which I found my hands clutching themselves, the knuckles tight and sore. My head throbbed.

"Brokenclaw? Please..." She sat up and touched my cheek, leaving me to study her hand in time. I bit my lower lip, and swallowed, while my eyes unfocused and focused again sharply. I studied the hand, and then lifted it up to study that for a moment or two more. I felt another shudder pass through my body and I stepped back away from her, onto the floor from the bed. I stepped back from her again, my brain aching painfully. Blood dripped from my nostril, and I shuddered again.

"It's ok." A voice spoke. I think it was mine. I felt my body shift, and I looked down upon it. Something else had control of it. Another being, personality gazed deep upon her. And then he looked up towards me with a faint smile. The lips moved with a soft grin. "Just a little disturbance; and I am a little too tense right now. How about a massage? Please?"

I felt a tension through my body. And I then looked down. I was not my body. I could only see through my hands and body. I felt suddenly very cold, and I reached for my body, only for the head to snap back and the force of strength repulse me. I shook and slid through the wall, my hands trying to cling to it. No silver chord, no string connected me to my body. This wasn't supposed to happen.

And the last thing I could feel was a kiss. And I wept.

Chapter 15: Unexpected Allies...

"Brokenclaw - where'd you get off to?" Aristotle paced silently through the small cage, and his fingers tapped softly around the bars. Each bar had its own pitch and tone when he tapped it, each speaking of different moorings and tenured strength. His eyes lifted up to gaze along the darkness, his ears picking up the sound of breathing. His own.

Once again he paced through the bars, until the light shined open, and his head turned away violently from the glare. The Bat's body tensed and then sagged as the tranquilizing dart paralyzed his body - but he felt and saw through this place by his ears. The Chakat was dragged out through the cage after being tranqued, just like the Foxtaur.

Down a hall, he and the others were split, leaving him to fight and wriggle out of the bindings and mental control of the drug. It was a hard fight, but soon he could wiggle his toes, and he let it at that. No need to get re-drugged out again. Once again a door opened and he was tossed in, giving the bat the sluggish chance to fix himself up. But he landed in a stumbled crouch and he slowly rose up to his feet.

There again he opened his eyes and closed them again while trying to get rid of the headache. But he shook himself out and wrapped his wings around himself. They always underestimated the mental and physical fortitude of his kind. They needed something for a horse to take him down. Again he began to pace the room, hearing the edge of the room and getting a feel. Once again, he tried to open the eyes, but it was too bright.

He slid into a crouch and then sat upon the cushions to get another feel for the area. Foot steps continued down the hall behind the door, and they approached the door and continued along, leaving him to get another sound for the moment. The room was small, no more than ten feet by ten feet, the echoes resounding off the relatively thin but well built walls. They were solid - plastics.

Again he rosse up off of the mattress and made his way over towards another wall. This one was given a few solid raps, and as the feet made their way past, he ignored the sensation of mental probing. The voice slid past and it ignored him, giving him more leeway.

Again he rapped against the wall, until he found a different sounding spot. This was given an other tap, before he brought his foot up and gave a swift kick to it. Though he winced - it was a very powerful kick - he had ample moments to hear the thin echo behind it. Excellent.

Another kick was given for a second sounding, before he brought his hands along the edge to feel for the hollow points that signified it was a door. His nails caught it, and he gave a sharp wrench, feeling the tension of the door slide open just a half inch. And he gave another wrench of his strength. He gave a satisfied sigh, and found it open a foot. Just barely enough for him to slip his head in; the rest followed through after a Terran minute.

Behind was a thin walkway which he navigated, then he paused. Beyond that, it was hollow and large, with a small selection of water for a pool. He ventured his eyes open, and then gasped at how bright everything was. The sky above was a projected blue, while the grass below was a green. Yet it did not sound as grass, and his feet felt only the cold metal below. A hologram. He ducked behind a tree as someone slid within the confines, a human whom looked quite drugged.

"Do you hear anything?" The voice of the panther murmured softly to her, the bat slipping to another holographic tree for concealment. She glanced p at the panther, then nodded his head softly. She sat up, but her legs were still.

"Only one has any real talent. One has a minor talent, mostly to block incoming projections - and the other has no talent at all." Their eyes lifted and both glanced towards a door, where she turned herself by her hands, and slid into the shape of another being. She rested, curling her tail softly as she began to concentrate.

Again the bat slid to another door, while he scratched at his neck, wishing for some clothing. Then he paused, stilling and crouching behind a tree while the two listened to a voice distantly, through one of the doors. The two smiled and the sound dampened away with a gentle murmur from the girl as she touched upon her metallic arm. The bat glanced towards the faint sounds of machine, and approached it in hopes they would no longer pay attention to it.

They grew quiet as he slid to the door and put his ear up upon it, to listen to the soft conversation behind. The darkness of the space between the room and door was quite dark, and the holographic projectors helped to mask his presense. Their faint hum did little to detour him.

"So again we meet." The voice was distinctly vulpine - the voice too deep to be anything but a tauric voice. The bat slid to a crouch and his powerful ears listened, gaining small focus upon the sound. Male. Aged, but not old - probably in his 50's. Relatively high health. Another voice. Mumbling, drunk or tranqued and coming out of it.

"Again? We have never met. What do you mean?" Flametail. From the faint echoes, he was bound and facing the one who spoke. Within, the walls of the room were bare, the mattress softer than it was usually meant to be for a slave in processing. But the voice continued, speaking softly.

"I mean, we meet again, dear slave. I knew your father and mother a long time ago, before they escaped with you. You were but three years old - I recognized you for the marking upon your chest. That Ahnk shape was a rather unique marking to put upon one so young. But fitting. Your family brought life to my dying business. I suppose it's time to get what is due. You had been projected to be a handsome male - a strong, intelligent male like your father and beautiful like your mother. How far they fell from the true mark! The pelt is like fire, and your eyes, hauntingly beautiful. Your voice is soft like the wind. I have never seen a male so beautiful in all my years as a slave trader and breeder. You will make a fine crowning jewel, an achievement worth noticing and keeping forever."

"Wait!" The voice of Flametail was strong, as he struggled lightly from the sound of clinking metals. "Wait. Please, don't. Just wait. I... You are rich, yes? Please, just hear me out!"

There was the faint ruffled sound of clothing hitting the ground and the sound of a low, but pleased growl from the elder Foxtaur. The growling deepened but did not have the focus of a hunter. It had the sound of a lover, of someone lost in a deep rut. But it stopped after a moment, only to be given a faint chuckle. "Go ahead, I will give you this."

"I have two friends here. I, they, they are very important to me. Close friends who have saved my life. They were captured recently and I, ah, well. I will not fight or resist or try to escape if you buy them and let them go free! Please! They are very important to me!" The voice was panicked and the bat pressed his shoulders to the door, preparing to break it down and open if worse came to worse. But the sound that followed next was a chuckle.

"All right. I will give you this one liberty, my dear pet. My beautiful pet. I have longed to see how far the breeding had gone and lead to. Now then, describe them? I want to see what friends that you have made in your few years of freedom. Then I will take what is mine." The bat felt his heart begin to throb and he glanced towards the free door that had been his.

"One is a Chakat. His name is Brokenclaw. He has very dark blue, almost black paws, all six of them. Ah, pure male Chakat, no breasts. A tawny colored body, black ears and a soft creamy white belly.. Three claw marks on each of his paws, colored white. Scars upon his face, from right above his left eye down towards his cheek bone - it was from a bottle. He is a chaplain. The other is a bat. Not too different than what you would expect in a bat. Shorter than average, high IQ, engineer, brown fur..."

"No, wait, stop!" There came a thump to the door behind, and the bat jerked himself back from it. His body shifted and he slid into a crouch, before setting the bare tips of his claws to the plastic. He found the faint dip and then slowly began to stand, forcing his body upwards. The tips of his wings and fingers ached as he pulled, forcing the thing open. Were it not for the sound dampening in place, he'd have been heard.

The door drew up half of a foot, then another, that being enough for the bat who jerked down and pushed through the door before it slammed shut, knicking the tip of his tail. He rose up to stare upon the elder who had pinned the younger, and thus leapt forward, diving upon and knocking the two apart.

Aristotle leapt again and tackled down the full weight of the elder foxtaur and began to bite upon his throat vigorously, both in an instinctual need for defense of a wing mate, and in the knowledge that the throat was what he was made to bite. And his teeth sunk through, tearing at the muscles there. The victim of the bites struggled, but the viciousness of the attacks made him cough violently and try to fight for breath. No sensors alerted the room, it seemed, to the blood play.

Within minutes, the elder taur lay upon the ground, his eyes blank and the last of his blood seeping upon the ground while the younger lay, panting and struggling in the bindings. Quick thinking on the bat's part drew the clothing off of the bleeding body before it got bloody, and gestured quickly for the shocked foxtaur to dress in it. The foxtaur nodded mutely while the bat quickly wiped the blood from his muzzle and arranged the body to face away, licking blood to get it from showing on his face.

"Tap the door and tell the guards you are ready to leave. Deepen your voice, use both lung sets. He talked heavily. And make the clothing tighter on you, he was bigger than you by a little bit. Hold your head up high. Hurry out. Then tell them you wish to see another slave. Come into my room, four doors down, and then say this one will do. Hurry, before they find the body!" The foxtaur nodded mutely as the bat, then wiped his lips off and walked to the door. The body faced a corner, laying upon the splotches of blood. The bat slipped out and hurried to his room.

---

He knelt upon the cushion, six candles surrounding him and the soft scent of incense burning in the room. But for him, it did not matter. The focus inside did, the silence within and without echoed through him and he slid through the shifting tides of still thought. His heart rate beat low and slow and nearly asleep, while his body rested in the still lotus position.

A breath in, a breath out, his mind searched deep through the buried memories, reaching through the indoctrination and into the core of his being. His deep breaths stirred thoughts, and he listened to the small flashes of sound, the small images of light danced before his eyes. He remembered.

"Get the gun. Walk up the stairs. Take aim upon the target . Escape the city alive. Simple. Your training is enough to keep you alive. You use the highest form of martial arts known to the forces. Good luck, Soldier. You don't need it. You have one day to make it to extraction. Go!"

He ran. He ran up the stairs and crouched, setting the tip of the rifle down upon the edge of the building and gauging his target. A mile out. His breath focused and he wrapped one long, slender, gray furred arm out and held the body of the weapon, and slid his head down, resting it upon the stock. He watched, the motorcade made it silently through the city, the dictator waved to his children.

He was not the target. No. The scope shifted infitesimally small, and it slid down towards the forehead of the child who sat beside. The young bird smiled and waved to the people who genuinely loved him. The father lifted gestured him up and both laughed with the joy of life. Their city was free, their life was now open for all the joy that had been given through hard work, toil...

The screams. The cries of panic and fear. The horrible sound of a mother weeping. These he did not hear as he broke apart the rifle and scope and stock, slipping them into places on his body. He did hold the rifle beneath his black jacket in the event of confrontation, and made his way quickly down the stairs. He ran across the street, and walked calmly to the inside of the building. One hour to rest and learn the lay of the city. Where they would put a majority of blockades. One hour, and he would make his way out.

And he did. There were no confrontations. No one stood up and pointed at the lone fox whom had been in town before. He was just a tourist of many to this newly won city. No one would notice the scattered bit of rifle he left through the city. No one would notice the boat he took and left in. Or the fact he had become ten thousand richer for it.

They would only notice the title of Assassin in history books, where a man who became a dictator of death and chaos. It was how things went. It was only a mission, only training. No one would notice.

He slid out of meditation, vomit upon his lips and his body hunched over and on the ground. His hands held the floor tightly as he gazed into the clear mess left. It hurt, inside. The ache of his heart made his body throb and his brain want to explode. His body was fire, his veins raced with the ice of being alone. And he wept ,tears falling from his cheeks.

Alone. Alone in his room, alone in his meditation and training. And only the knock upon his door brought him from it. The ice left his veins, his heart felt warmed again. This was redemption, to be brought to see your wrongs, was it not?

"Alex? Are you ok?"

The eyes of Alex lifted, and he shook his head to clear away the sudden fog that had rolled over him again. He breathed in deep, while his hands clenched upon the edge of the mat, and he bent his head down low, coughing again, coughing hard. Wiping away his lips he stood, and faced the priest whom stepped within the chambers. Their eyes met, and the fox dipped once, sharply.

"I am fine." He slid the zipper of his bodysuit closed and adjusted the gloves, before reaching a hand out and touching the wall as another wave of dizziness passed through him. Again he coughed, and slid down to his knees, his body suddenly very cold. His eyes looked up again, towards the face of the priest.

Weeping. It was weeping, afraid and cold upon the ship. It was alone, it was wrong! It had to be found, things had to be made right, it couldn't! It's eyes lifted, it looked, it reached, it cried out! It's hand grabbed the fox's own, the claw tips dug into the skin.

He looked up again, his mouth to the mouth of the priest, the hands compressing upon his chest rapidly. The fox twisted once more and turned, shaking violently while holding his burning hand. His mind ached and his body trembled before he slowly rose up to his feet, feeling the throbbing in his chest dim and slow. He had a heart attack, from the tingling of his body, it was not a good feeling.

"Alex..." The voice was concerned, yet hesitant. The eyes of the priest were met again to the fox, who held his hand, and glanced then upon the back at the three marks which had been left. "What...?"

"Brokenclaw held the same mark. He is in pain and trouble. I felt him." The tips of his fingers traced against the edge of the mark that was beginning to fade, and he clenched his hand tightly. The pain faded, and it gave him the moment to lift up his ears in a surprised yawn. He had not felt this sore in a great time.

"Really? I see. I will pray for him, he's one of the few I knew and cared for. Would you pray for him, Alex?"

"He's on the ship." Alex intoned, and made his way to the locker and slid his fingers through the print ID. The door opened, and he withdrew two guns. "You pray for him. He needs my help."

---

Reality shifted, the bodies merged and shifted, cried out, then separated. The spirits fought, they wrestled, mind over soul, body over heart, they fought, blood seeped, souls bled, and we fought harder, harder. I fought for control of my flesh, my flesh fought for control of my soul, and I wrestled with the powerful psychosis, fought for the utter truth and control. I did not want to lose, I did not want to fall away from control again! No!

Reality seemed to crack, and I dove...

I lay atop her. She breathed in my scent and we held each other in a carnal twist. A screaming came to mind. It was inside, it's claws sinking into my gray matter and making me shudder. I pulled away from her, pulled off and shuddered at the painful sensations that ran through my body. Reality was shaking, her eyes were closed and she still writhed. I felt sick.

My hands sunk into the ground and I crouched. I felt violated, and I wanted to weep. No, I could not weep. Anger was inside of me, welling up, and I felt the need to scream. No, I could not scream. Her eyes opened and reality began to shake at the seams again, while the illusion of this place started to crumble, beyond her control. I found the ice cold metal beneath my feet pads and glanced as the ground rippled, changing from grass and sun, to the interior of a ship and back again.

"What? How?" I looked at her again, and my hand balled into a fist. She had used me, she had been the focus of my concern, my care, my love! I growled and leapt forward, landing upon her metal and flesh body, and my hands came to her throat. I grabbed, I wanted to squeeze the life from her! I saw red! I... felt pain \crash through my back. I turned.

A rifle was aimed at me. I twisted, bringing her with me as she flailed against my rage. I twisted as it fired, it singed through my fur and marked my skin, but the rifle did not have a chance to go off again. The gun broke through the helmet, blood dropped the weapon, and I pulled my hostage with me. Where was I? What had happened to me? I growled angrily.

Indoctrination center, section four, level seven, aboard the station. Indoctrination incomplete, return to...

I felt the probing and could slide my mind forward, away from it. I clenched my hands tighter and carried her, opening fire upon the group who stood on the other side of the door which I burst through. They scattered, none were armed. No shits hurt them. I slid through and ran through the new hall outside of the door before the locks could initialize. I had to move fast.

The girl reached for me, physically and mentally. I felt her touch and caress, trying to sooth me. My hands gripped tighter and I ran faster. Her eyes lifted, directed me towards another chamber, and I looked within. Clear, a hall. I felt no presence as I had detected before in her controlling. I ducked through it, and burst through and towards the stairwell. I'd have to be quick.

I was.

Down to another section, I crouched, listening to angry shouts from above me. I sprang forward and paused, caught in a great throng of individuals. Traders and pirates from the look, I burst through them - no one noticed but for a few angry shouts. I swerved a wolf and insect couple whom seemed to enjoy shopping and leapt to another stand. It crumpled suddenly and people screamed. Gunfire.

"Chakat Brokenclaw, surrender your hostage." I lifted my eyes as I cradled the girl, her hand touching my cheek. She looked very sad, with her finger tips gently touching my cheek. I felt sadness amongst her, pain flowing through her body. My eyes lifted up and glanced towards the group whom held me at gunpoint. Soldiers.

I slowly lifted myself, sliding the gun away with my foot while cradling her. I felt no anger towards her, only towards those around me. I growled heavily, I shook in anger, but I knew I could not fight eight. Not alone. She sighed and I kissed her cheek, but couldn't do much more.

"Release her." Came another order, and she clung to me, her head buried in the crook of my neck. I shivered once more, I knew I could not do that. I closed my eyes as the weapons began to charge up to shoot me. Her lips touched my ear, and she whispered: "Thank you."

Gunfire. But it was not aimed at me. I hunkered down to protect her with the bulk of my body and she clung tightly to me, her fingers dug into my fur and she shook in fear. I hid my head to not see this, and as more gunfire ensued, I heard bodies drop. After a full terran minute, I lifted my head, and glanced up to see the crumpled form of guards. About me, I was alone but for her.

"Chaplain Brokenclaw, I believe you need to come with me." I lifted my head, and the gray fox looked down upon me. I slowly rose and held the girl who shivered in fright of this individual, perhaps of this large place, perhaps because the air had dropped significantly. I nodded softly and followed him. In his hand, a pair of guns rested, black, chrome and high caliber and bearing nothing to name them.

He lead us through, and no one appeared to stop him. I had no doubt where he was leading me to. He walked quickly and I hurried to keep up, and we made it down to another stair section easily. I took a look and memory glanced through me - this was the trade port directly outside of the docks. I suppressed a shiver before we darted through. Most did not notice my nudity, but I felt it.

A pair of hands grabbed me and I let out a yelp, before glancing upon that of a finely - if loosely - dressed Foxtaur and a naked male bat. I shivered once and blinked again, while the fox lifted both guns up and took aim. I stepped between them and shook my head quickly. I knew them.

"Where are you taking him?!" The Foxtaur asked, his voice breaking in his anger. I saw the knife in his hand, already rusty with dried blood. Swallowing, my eyes lifted back up to their faces, and they nodded once and held my hands. People seemed to ignore us for the most part. I spoke.

"We are going to escape this place. Please, Alex, these are my companions from the ship I was on. Please, don't shoot them too." The guns darted down again before disappearing into a hidden seam. The other two nodded and lifted their eyes to the fox. I smiled, gestured. They nodded while the girl in my arms hugged me tighter, almost having faded from awareness. I shook her once, she hugged tighter.

"Let's go." I mentioned, looking back. I could see the guards starting to come in through the door. People had begun to notice, so we made it through the grand doors to the main port. I looked up, Before my eyes, I could see the pirate ships, and I knew that we'd never find one to take us on. I looked at Alex, and he ran towards one. I decided to follow, the others did too, and we nearly made it too.

"Brokenclaw." The voice made me stop. I turned my eyes up and looked upon the one who spoke. Memories flashed through me for a moment. My nose began to bleed as my talent, dormant after so many years came to my beckon and my need. The voice of the talent screamed at me for it, making me daze momentarily.

When I was able to, I looked upon the one who spoke. My eyes went wide, and my mouth opened with all but an audible click. I knew his face. I knew shelter there. My talent recoiled from him and drew back to my mind, I felt sore. But his hand touched my own and I bit back words.

The head of the Clan - the one who had marked my hand. Eris.

"Thought you could use some help." His voice was a soft whisper. And I nodded once more as he stepped over towards his ship, and the others looked at me for a moment. I nodded once, and they followed behind me, as we entered into the jet black vessel. Inside, the Clan rested and gave a bow of greetings. The six of us listened to the door closed, heard the audio crackle to life as they were asked to surrender the six who had come in.

Protests were ignored as the ship disembarked from the station, and I felt the vessel lurch suddenly. My hand grabbed the edge of the frame while we pulled from the port and shifted quite quickly. We were headed out, for freedom! I looked at the captain, then Eris, who smiled once more to me. His hand touched my own and he murmured softly, before he gestured for us to take a seat. We did, and I held the girl closer.

"How did you know?" I asked.

Aristotle looked upon me and gave me a shy smile, before gesturing to the back of his hand, nodding as he spoke: "I knew the symbol. The clan symbol - I know all the clan symbols. It's why I'm an archeologist." He set his hand on my own, gently. "When you were attacked by the sub-commander, I put in relay for distress and sited the symbol. When we were captured, well, I had to hope that they signal got out. I sent another one when Flametail and I escaped."

Flametail itched at himself again and shrugged the shirt off, exposing his chest to the air. He sighed, relaxing and sorting through the accoutrements. I could tell he had not slept for days and looked ill. I felt the pain in his head, the pain from betrayal. My hand met his softly and he smiled once.

The view on the screen was still as the communication crackled again. Eris nodded and murmured a reply through the audio then turned it off, gesturing and murmuring in a language I could barely detect. The captain murmured the same, and I watched the weapons begin to power on.

"There are people on the deck!" I said, suddenly remembering. The others looked at me as I put my hand on the captain's chair, still weak and pained. Confusion reigned in the face of the others, a lack of care in a few cases. Alex stood, still and without expression. My mind began to throb again.

"Prepare to fire." The captain said audible to the rest of us. Countdown. I didn't...

...Time stopped. I blinked once more and looked over, feeling presence beside me. It was I, or at least, what I should have been. My eyes gazed long towards it, and its arms crossed over it's chest. I shifted once, it did the same and its touch met my own.

"Even now you hold back." Its voice was a taunt, or, perhaps, a hurtful truth. I swallowed and shifted eyes down to the ground for the longest moment. The other sat before me, its forepaws crossed and it looking up at me once more. I noticed it was smaller, a hermaphrodiac creature, yet held the same markings and tawny fur I did. IT smiled lightly, bitterly.

"Why do you care? All you do is tease me, taunt me, and hurt me." I felt, shouted bitterly at it. It only smiled and shook its head gently and quietly. I wanted to strike it, my self control was shot to hell, it was it's fault! The thing smiled once more and set it's hand on my wrists, we held mirroring claw marks.

"I did it, so that you wouldn't have to be forced into it like she was about to do. I took control, so that you could forget what happened, so that you would have enough anger inside to break free and stop being so damn complaicent. I did it, so you could do it." My eyes looked to the girl, her face frozen in time, her eyes looking to me; she was a beautiful, a blend of machine and person. "I did it, so we could get here. I hid from you, until you were ready."

"Ready?" I asked, looking up at it. It smiled once more, and dipped the head. "What do you think I am ready for?"

"Ready to take control of your abilities. Ready to stop being broken down, ready to actually face yourself. Ready to stand up to yourself and take control."

My mind snapped back and I felt a violent thrust against my head. My eyes closed sharply and I gritted my teeth while feeling images pass before my eyes, sounds rush to greet me, things touching me - emotions, feelings, sensations, and the full weight of reality crush down upon me. I wanted to scream, I wanted to fight, I couldn't move.

"I am the only part of you that is truly hermaphrodiac. I am the only part of you, that really has the true connection to your fellow Chakats. And you didn't like that. You hated being different. You spent your life ignoring it. You now need to face it."

My eyes drifted down to the metal interior of the ship and I arched again, feeling the hand of the Chakat touch my face. More memories, more thoughts. I did not want to feel it, remember it at all!

Then I understood.

Reality snapped back into place in the twinkling of hir eye. I stood aboard the ship, the countdown continued. They did not listen to me when I told them, so I had to take matters into my own hands. With that, I focused and searched deep inside, past the barriers that had been torn asunder. I had to reach, because otherwise, people would die.

Then I felt it, the wellspring of raw, uninhibited power. I felt it grab me, wash over me, and I reached out with my mind, I felt the universe shift beneath my gentle whisper. The threads of reality were beneath my touch, for a moment. So I reached deeper. Blood dripped, pain echoed as I reached deeper than I thought I could. Reality started to curve around itself then.

The ship juxtapositioned itself. I watched as everything around me moved a few centimeters to the right and then the left, then was thrust forward through the force of an invisible hand. The great ship moved in the moments between eternities. And then we were gone.

The ship had relocated. I passed out. I had done it. The last image I saw before hitting the ground, was the beautiful world of Chakona. The last vestiges of reality slowly unwarped itself. At least, I remembered smiling.

The End.