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Entering the Abyss PART 2

With a violent shudder the three kilometer long grey paneled Blackstar was flung out right into the middle of a maelstrom of flaming asteroids shooting through space. The ship rocked and heaved as the rocks pelted the hull.

"Helm! Status?" Kitt called out, bracing in the command chair.

"Sir, jump successful, we're landed ourselves right in the middle of an asteroid shower, pulling us out!" The lion officer responded, rapidly pushing buttons on his console, causing the Blackstar's engines to fire and burst upwards clearing out of the asteroids.

"Alec, damage report..." Kitt said to his pale white furred mate as he rushed to a station.

"Hull breech on pylon two, venting trace gases and we have two ruptured plasma conduits to engine six; I'm sealing off the area and shutting down the engine." Alec quickly reported.

"Great...Shar, has the conventional nav computer come online yet?"

The silver furred punk looking fox looked at her sensors. "Taking scans now. We are dead on target with the jump co-ordinates; this universe is roughly seven hundred billion quadrillion light years in width. Detecting several civilizations with in three days travel, I'm running their language thru the computer and will update the universal translator. I'm also reading a system in that travel time with advanced space travel technology and hmmm, this is promising a Hyperspace buoy network."

Kitt nodded as Shar rambled off the information. "Cool, we'll head for that one, hopefully we'll be able to barter for the repairs we need. How long until the universal translator can decode their language?"

"Half hour at max" Shar responded.

"Alright, helm set a course for that system, best speed. Make sure not to get too close, we don't want to intrude on their borders without permission." Kitt ordered.

The half hour passed slowly, with a heavy air of tension hanging over the crew as they approached the blinking ball hanging in the swirling black and red storm of hyperspace.

"Kitt, universal translators updated, shall I open a channel?" Shar asked.

Kitt nodded and stood, adjusting his black buttoned up fleet uniform. "This is Colonel Alistair in command of the starship Blackstar, requesting entrance into your territory." He said waiting several seconds before a reply came back; on the main viewer shows a human looking alien, completely bald and his scalp covered in an elaborate iridescent tattoo pattern.

"Confirmed Blackstar, we hold a free port standing. Enter at your discretion. Is there something more specific we can assist you with?" The alien stated.

"Actually yes, my crew and I are new to this region of space and require any public information you can provide about hyperspace routes, cultures and laws." Kitt said.

"As you wish Colonel, we will transmit the data right to you."

Kitt smiled and nodded. "Thank you."

The view screen changed back to the picture of the open hyperspace. "Alright helm take us into the system and to the largest star port. Shar, download the information and start analyzing it." Kitt commanded then looked to Alec. "Shall we?"

Alec nodded back. "Guess it's time to explore."

The Blackstar approached a mammoth diamond shaped structure hanging in orbit of a gas giant planet with swirling chaotic clouds of orange, green and brown matter. The station an easily moon sized construct covered in dull near white metal plating. The space around it packed with ships of every shape, size and design, hanging about ranging from small one manned craft all the way up to military behemoths cruisers and battleships.

"Okay, Kitt we have clearance for the shuttle to dock, be careful. I'll keep your PDA updated as I go through the information we received." Shar's voice said into Kitt's ear piece speaker.

"Confirmed, we'll keep in touch." Kitt said back seeing Lauren the female wolf captain running up.

"Colonel, I don't agree with both of you leaving the ship, especially when we don't know what you're going to run into." She protested.

"I'll keep that under advisement...but we're still going." Kitt promptly said back.

"Fine, but I must insist that someone one go with you for backup."

"You just want to see this first." Kitt chuckled.

"That too sir..." Lauren replied with a smile and zipped up her leather bomber jacket.

The trio of wolves stepped off the shuttle in one of the docking bays on the station, bigger than the Blackstar itself, hundreds if not thousands of personal space craft, stacked one on another in rows of storage cubicles. As they walked out onto the main receiving area they get instantly bathed in the noise and commotion of thousands of aliens moving about, talking, arguing and carrying on about their business.

"Holy shit..." Lauren exclaimed. "It's even busier than the Foxfire 46 outpost."

Kitt and Alec both nod in response feeling the same overwhelming feeling.

Kitt led out into a commercial area with tons of shops and merchants peddling various goods and services, all the while being fed information scrolling over a small screen built into their dark black sunglasses they wore. "Seems pretty lax on laws here, weapons, ship components, medical equipment." Kitt said.

"Yeah, think I saw a couple gay whore houses back a bit." Alec joked.

Kitt looked back and snickered. "Later hon."

Walking for nearly an hour the group stopped for a breather. "Guess we should find a way to get some cash." Lauren said.

Alec looked around a bit. "Yeah, that'd be good. Shar, can you pull up some sort of currency or barter places."

Shar typed on her keyboard her sharp green eye scanning the info. "Said here that new arrivals should go to the central registration offices on deck 2041, where they will try and help out."

The three look to each other then headed to the nearest lift.

"Hello, my name is Kitt Alistair, my ship and I are new to this place and heard that this was the spot to come." Kitt said to the bald tattooed humanoid female, dressed in white robes.

"No problem Mr. Alistair, we are happy to help, you just need to fill out these forms." She said politely. "Are you a ship that is capable of inter-dimension travel?"

Kitt looked back to Alec and then to the female. "Uhm, yes, is that common here?"

"It is if you have registration from the Inter-galactic assembly...do you have that?"

"No, I'm sorry I don't. But I'd like to know how to get it...I have never heard of the assembly before." Kitt said nervously.

"That's no problem; just fill out the pads I gave you plus these ones and you'll be setup for a temporary license." She said handing Kitt a stack of computer pads.

"Detailed shit here, fuck..." Kitt sighed as they fill out the questionnaires.

"You're omitting some of the stuff right?" Lauren said.

"Duh, you think I'm going to tell them our shield frequencies?" Kitt joked.

Handing the pads back to the female, Kitt, Alec and Lauren were given identification cards. "Here you are, these cards are good at any port or station in the assembly, you can also get passes for any other members of your crew should they want to venture out of your ship. It will allow access to various recreational establishments. We have also opened a currency account that starts with five hundred doctrines to get you started, you have up to one stellar year to pay it off."

"Thank you very much" Kitt responded.

"Is there anything else I can help you with?"

"No, no that will do."

Finally exiting the office and heading back down to the level with the shops, the three find themselves at a tavern looking place that was highly recommended in the station profile.

Kitt held the door for Alec and Lauren as they enter when he felt some one coming up behind him. "New hear eh?" the dark voice said.

Kitt didn't turn, merely pretending to read the menu posted on the door. "What's it to you?"

"I represent a group who are interested in helping new comers become better acquainted here."

"No thanks not interested." Kitt replied.

"Haven't seen many aliens like you here before, or your ship. It's quite a beauty."

"I'm not looking for trouble; we're just looking for someone."

"Maybe I can help..." he pushed.

"I doubt it...please just leave us be." Kitt fired back, growing quite annoyed.

"Alright suite yourself, see you around." The voice said then disappeared into the crowd. Kitt quickly caught up with the others, sitting at their table.

"What was that about?" Alec asked.

"Nothing just some guy trying to take advantage of new races. Still..." Kitt put his paw nonchalantly to his ear. "...Shar, keep your ears and eyes open for any suspicious."

"Anything specific Kitt?" she responded.

"Dunno yet...Kitt out."

The meal passed quickly, Kitt, Alec and Lauren sampling the cuisine of this universe then pay their tab heading back out towards the shuttle when they were confronted by six human looking beings all clad in some sort of black leather with gang signs scrolled all over them.

"New comers have to pay a tax." The lead gang member said his voice the one that had spoken to Kitt earlier.

Kitt looked over the group. "We're not looking for a fight here today."

"Then pay us, seven hundred credits and a quarter of the inventory of your ship." He harshly said, gesturing to a pistol in his belt.

"I don't think we'll be doing that, just back off and no one gets hurt." Kitt confidently said watching the crowd up pedestrians parting around them.

The group all laughed. "We just slightly out number you there dog."

Kitt looked to Alec and Lauren. "Who wants them?" he smirked.

Alec stepped up. "I think I can deal with them." He said adjusting his long coat and removing his sunglasses placing them in a pocket.

The group quickly surrounded Alec drawing various melee weapons. Alec stood absolutely still, not even pulling his paws up into a fighting stance. One of the gang lunged at Alec launching a steel pipe out aimed at the back of his head; Alec hardly flinched as he shifted his body to the side, the tattooed human alien over swung completely, his pipe clanging into the flooring. Alec didn't even lift a paw hip checking the alien, flinging him away.

The others fell upon Alec trying furiously to hit him, when one of them decided to end it early and drew a strange looking pistol but stopped dead in his tracks when Lauren was right there with her own gun against his temple.

Suddenly from above a siren screeched as a hovering police car descended into the street. Four heavily armed, green scaled crocodile looking creatures converged on the scene all shouting "Freeze!!"

The humans looked at each other then bolted out in every direction into the crowd, leaving Kitt Lauren and Alec standing absolutely still; Lauren slowly lowering her weapon to the ground.

The three wolves were lead in handcuffed to a bare room with only a stainless steel table in the middle and a couple chairs around it.

"What should we do?" Lauren asked sitting in one of the chairs.

Kitt looked about the room and shrugged. "Nothing...it wasn't our fault. Hopefully they'll realize it. If not..." Kitt used his ki and forced the mechanism on the handcuffs to release freeing his paws as he brought them up to his muzzle and ear blocking his lip movements from the cameras. "...Shar, I assume you've been monitoring?"

"Aye Kitt." Shar responded from the bridge of the Blackstar.

"Good, if this turns south, be ready to fly." Kitt whispered.

"No problem, I've got the shuttle on an auto retrieval pattern and we've already keyed in an ID jump point."

"Alright cool..." The steel door open and in walks a seven foot tall gryphon, with light beige fur over his face and a set of two large feathered wings hanging proudly off his back, he wore a dark brown military uniform and carried a computer data pad in his claws and sat at the end of the table.

The gryphon looked on the pad and 'hmms' to himself. "Well...an interesting introduction to your kind to the Assembly. Only here six hours and already arrested for brawling, carrying concealed weapons and disturbing the peace."

Kitt sat in the chair not concealing the fact he'd broken out of the handcuffs and tossed them on the table leaning back. "In all honesty sir, that fight wasn't our fault, we were only defending ourselves."

"Very true...I didn't catch your name."

"Kitt Alistair, Colonel."

"Ah well, Kitt, we have very strict laws here but we're willing to bend them." The gryphon grinned.

Kitt looked to Alec and Lauren. "And why would you do that?"

"Because...your ship and you, from medical we took when you registered, we've only seen a few others with your type of bio-readings."

Kitt's ears perked as he pulled out a small octagonal disc and put it on the table. "Shar, project the profile image of Caster to my holo emitter. Kitt looked to the gryphon. "Was this guy one of them?" An image of the white fox Caster phases out of the disc.

The gryphon leaned back in his chair with a slight astonished look on his muzzle.

"I'll take that as a yes." Kitt smirked.

"Yeah..."

"Then I think we can work something out."

"Colonel, I must protest! Giving this inter-dimensional assembly vital classified information." Lauren barked out as Kitt, Alec and herself disembarked the shuttle onto the Blackstar.

"Look Captain..." Kitt said turning sharply to her. "...I didn't give up anything that their sensors couldn't already detect. All I did was confirm a few theories. And right now we need allies here or we'll never make it anywhere, so I'd prefer you to abide by my orders and if you have an issue, file it in your report and speak to me in private. Is that understood?!"

Lauren backed down and lowered her ears in submission. "Aye Colonel."

"Good, begin organizing teams to spread out over the station and acquire the materials we need."

Lauren gave a salute to Kitt and Alec before marching away.

"She's right to question you hon." Alec softly said.

"I know, but it still doesn't change the fact I made a command decision and expect it to be followed." Kitt replied.

"True, just let us be cautious, we still don't have enough information about this assembly yet."

"I intend to be cautious but we need a lead to go on if we want to find Caster." Kitt said starting to walk away. "I'll be with Shar in the tracking room if you need me."

Lauren sat in her quarters, lying out on her bunk in grey track pants and a halter top, thumbing through a novel when she hears a knock at the door. "Enter..." She sighed out.

The door slid open with a soft whoosh followed by Alec walking in. Lauren instantly snapping to her feet. "Sorry sir."

"No worries, you're off duty. I just wanted to see if you are alright." Alec inquired.

"Yes sir, I'm alright. But may I speak candidly?"

"Of course."

Lauren cleared her throat. "I know you are his mate but I don't think he is thinking clearly, he is endangering the mission, the ship and the lives of everyone on this ship."

Alec nodded and sat down across from the female wolf. "You're right, he is, but can't you see what he is trying to do?"

"I understand his thinking and I'm well aware that it is his decision just I feel he's rushing and it'll bite us in the tail if he's wrong."

Alec sighed and nodded. "A valid point Lauren, he does know what's he's doing and he'll need our help though. Deal?"

"Of course Colonel, I'll do whatever it takes to complete this mission."

"I know you will."

Over the next three days Kitt and his command staff worked intensely along the assembly's intelligence agency, cycling through their records.

"Caster's been a busy boy." Alec said to Kitt as they watched a security tape of the pale white fox brutally beating a squad of Assembly troops.

"No kidding; murder, extortion, arms dealing, espionage; No wonder they want him so bad." Kitt replied then looked to Lauren as she puffed away on a cigarette. "How are they taking out data?"

The female wolf uncrossed her arms and puts out the smoke in the ash tray and stepped forward from the wall she had been leaning against. "They seem satisfied for the moment; we managed to hide most of the important stuff, although they are still pressing for more detailed medical scans of you."

Kitt sighed and turned off the view screen and closed the folder that had been lying in front of him. "Alight... Alec, hold down the fort; Lauren you're with me."

Lauren and Kitt stand along the bar aboard the space station; Kitt sipped at a drink staring at the female captain. "Okay, level with me...I'd thought we had a pretty good relationship going on."

Lauren threw back the shot glass she had in front of her and looked directly at like she expected him to already know the answer. "Colonel, I know this is your show, but I'm not going to idly stand by and watch this fail, there's too much riding on it. You chose me because I am a wolf, like you and because you know I will not back down and keep my muzzle shut."

Kitt looked away for a moment. "Good point Captain, I do appreciate your honesty and your input, however you will have to learn to trust me, there are things you don't quite understand yet."

Lauren nodded and looked down at her next drink already lined up. "True, perhaps there's something's you don't either."

Kitt was about to respond but suddenly turned sharply with a deep stone cold look on his muzzle.

"What is it?" Lauren asked.

Kitt quickly activated his COM link. "Alec, get me assembly intelligence and prep for combat." Then he turned to Lauren. "Let's go."

Back aboard the bridge of the Blackstar, Kitt and Lauren rushed in to the forward viewer showing the brown uniformed gryphon they'd dealt with for the last couple days. "Have you received and word of an attack by an unknown force somewhere in this galaxy?" Kitt quickly barked out.

"Yes Colonel, actually we just got the word. An arms depot in the Quantrain sector...we don't have any vessels near enough though."

"You've got one now, send the coordinates and we'll intercept, get backup there as soon as you can." Kitt said turning to Alec giving a nod and getting one back knowing exactly what to do.

The Blackstar shot out of Hyperspace in view of a large barren planetoid with a station in orbit and five ships around it raking energy weapons fire across its surface.

"IFF recognizes Dominion tags on each ship. The station's shields are down, detecting that they've already put troops on board." Shar reported.

"Alright, Drek lock weapons on the attacking ship and take them out. Lauren, ready your strike teams, there's four super soldiers over there." Kitt ordered.

The Blackstar swooped down upon the battle like a diving bird of prey, sending a rain storm of blue pulse shots followed by streams of particle weapons that slices two of the unaware vessels in half. The others, much smaller than the Blackstar flew out the weapons fire and began shooting at the 'x' shaped vessel, each energy strike being absorbed by advanced hull plating.

"Minimal damage to pylon four..." Alec reported.

Kitt stood up and pivoted quickly, his black ankle length trench coat whipping around him. "You got the bridge, Lauren lets ride."

The halls echoed with gun fire and screams of the depot's crew begin slaughtered. Kitt motioned Lauren and her fourteen soldiers down a corridor as he moves in a different direction. Kitt entered into a large open cargo bay as a group of the crew we're being lined up for execution by four hyenas and standing behind them were two jackals and a panther.

With out even flinching the Hyena pulled the triggers on their assault rifles but the bullets stopped within a foot of the helpless crew and for a second the super soldiers froze wondering what happened then sharply turned to see the dark midnight blue grey wolf in a black trench coat standing there with a single paw held in the air. "Gentlemen." Kitt said.

"The wolf...what should we do?" One of the jackals asked the panther.

The hyena spun around to shoot Kitt but he simply responded by moving his paw to the side sending each bullet back, killed all four of the Hyena.

The big black cat grinned. "Kill him, he's only a dog."

Kitt stood still as the two jackals leapt at him, easily fending off each attack attempt. Kitt knocks away the pair then the panther rushed up throwing a series of punched which Kitt blocked away then returned with one hard punch which should have finished him off but the panther caught his wrist.

Kitt cocked his head to the side. "Hmmm, upgrades." Kitt said then twisted his wrist around the panthers and pulled him forward and knees him in the muzzle causing him to stumble back. One of the jackals tackled Kitt from behind, when he responded by leaping backwards flipping over his head connecting Kitt's boot with the back of the jackal's head. As Kitt landed he's instantly has to duck down to avoid a spin kick from the other jackal and swept his leg out slicing the jackal's boot which was braced to the floor out from under him; Kitt finished him off before he even hit the ground, kicking him the rib cage crushing his helpless body through a steel container.

Without skipping a beat the remaining two collapse upon Kitt. "Where's Caster?!" Kitt growled out as he twists and turned in between their attacks.

"We'll never tell!" The panther responded in a heavy huff.

"Wrong answer." Kitt shoot back grabbing the panther's arm and twisted it, flipping his body effortlessly, slamming it into the jackal. Kitt pivoted down his knee shattering the panther's wind pipe and neck then looks to the jackal with a blood thirsty glare. "How about you, same question..."

"I don't know where he is...Caster moves around a lot." The jackal whimpered but then tried to draw a pistol from his pants only to have Kitt whip and energy ball right in his face.

"Wrong answer again..." Kitt softly said his senses quickly finding Lauren and her team pinned down on a lower deck. With a grunt, a silent wind picked up, the steel plating of the floor warped and buckled around Kitt and then a two meter circle dented and fell in, dropping Kitt right in between the two forces; the Dominion bullets pinging off and invisible barrier around Kitt's body as his boots touch the ground. "Move now!" Kitt barked out at his people.

Lauren amazed at the sight quickly got her team out of the path of fire. Moving down along a catwalk over the massive chasm in the center of the depot, they almost make it across when a lion stepped out into the door way, a big burly male with a dark black mane and piercing amber eyes his tail swishing around between his legs. Lauren instantly stopped her team. "Aww, fuck." She said.

Lauren dropped to on knee, letting her team have open shots at the lion super solider but he merely twisted and turned out of the path of each round. The lion whipped out two large handguns firing off round after round, killing the first four of the strike team then he leapt forward over Lauren's head drop kicking two more over the railing sending them tumbling to their deaths.

Lauren vaulted to her feet, growling fiercely as she pulled the trigger on her weapon, but the lion pulled the last remaining solider in the path riddling him with her own bullets.

The lion dropped the lifeless soldier to the steel grid work and drew his pistol again and placed a single round right into Lauren's side, making her yelp in pain. The lion grabbed Lauren by the throat and lifts her into the air, she growled and grunted as she tried to kick and punch her way free by to no avail the big cat was too strong.

Lauren looked over the big cat's shoulder seeing the pissed off form of Kitt silently stalking forward. "You're about to get your ass kicked."

The lion took a minute to clue in before he whipped around sending a baseball sized energy bolt at Kitt, whom doesn't even flinch, stopping it with his bare paw and causing it to dissipate in to thin air. "Let her go!" he snarled out.

The lion grinned. "Okay." He then effortlessly tossed Lauren over the side of the catwalk she fell fifty feet before she landed hard against a steel support beam barely able to grab hold.

"You fucker!" Kitt yelled out as he rushed forward, sending his flying boot right into the lion's chest making him sail across the chasm. Kitt looked down to the battered female wolf. "Lauren! Hang on!!"

"Hurry Kitt, I can't keep my grip!" Lauren whined back.

In the moment Kitt had looked away the lion super solider tackled Kitt over to the steel grid of the catwalk. Kitt inhaled deeply carrying on the momentum pulling the lion down with him and flipped the bulky lion over. Both get to their feet in a flash and both have to instantly defend against the other's attacks.

"Where's Caster?!" Kitt said as he connected an uppercut to the lion's jaw toppling over to his back.

"Got to hell bitch!" he hissed.

Kitt swung his leg in and arc through the air towards the lion's head but he rolled away. Kitt growled and stepped forward sweeping his leg across the lion's chest, making him skid into one of the catwalk supports and making the whole structure weaken and shutter.

The lion turned over and quickly throwing an energy ball at Kitt, who back flipped narrowly avoiding the green ball. The ball sailed right into the main beams holding up the catwalk and exploded making the whole walkway buckle and give way right where the two combatants were standing. Kitt leapt backwards grasping a snapped cable attached to the ceiling the lion cast himself up through the door way on the opposite side.

"Two choices, capture me or save your female." The lion yelled out with a maniacal laugh.

Kitt was about to leap over and beat the shit out of him but looked down seeing Lauren as her grip gave away and she began to tumble down towards the bright blue glowing energy core of the station.

Kitt grimaced at the lion and let's go of the wire dropping his sleek body after Lauren.

The blue plasma ball rushed up at Lauren's face, she closed her eyes bracing for the worst but suddenly was jerked to a halt as she found a strong grip around her waist.

"Got ya!" Kitt grunted, floating not more than ten meters above the shield covering the core.

Kitt gently floated back up to the scaffolding setting Lauren down and quickly applying pressure to her wound.

"Nice catch Kitt." Lauren quietly said wincing from the pain.

Kitt smirked and opened his communication unit. "Alec, medical evac needed..." Kitt closed his com unit and sat back panting a bit. "...you know this is the first time in the three months we've known each other that you've used my first name."

Lauren chuckled. "Yeah...well don't get used to it Kitt..."

THE END