It had been two weeks since the events of Citadel Hill, and they had been taken to a secure facility inside the military base. The world didn't know how to process what happened that day, now being referred to as the Citadel Hill Incident. This was the first indisputable reminder that humanity was not alone in the universe and no longer even alone on their own planet. In the days they had been at the base Kale hadn't been allowed contact with Kershala or Anubis. Instead he had been confined to a small room very reminiscent of a prison cell with a toilet and a bed. He was locked behind a large metal door of sorts. They had taken his phone and he had had no communication with anyone outside of the base. He sat on the edge of the bed thinking about everything, there had been nights where he cried himself to sleep overcome with both fear for what was going to happen to him and worry about how Kershala was doing or what they were doing to him. All he had to go on to reassure himself that Kershala was okay was what he had been told by military personnel. There was suddenly talking outside of his room and he could hear them using the keys to open the door. Kale stood up with his back to the wall facing the door, not sure what to expect. The door opened slowly with a creaking hinge and an armed officer stepped into the room followed by a black-haired woman in an officer's uniform. By the medals on her uniform he could see that she was a decorated officer, she was a little older likely early fifties, late forties, she had a stern but friendly look on her face.

"Hello Kale, how're you feeling?" she asked in a French-Canadian accent.

"Fine," Kale was short and to the point he didn't want to make his situation any worse but by this point he was past polite.

"My name is Officer Bethany Stanfield. Officer Star and I are going to take you to another area of the base so that we can ask you some questions about your friend, is that alright with you?"

"Given my current situation I don't imagine I have a choice so lead the way." The women stepped aside and gestured for him to leave the room. Kale wearily followed her instructions and walked passed her and out into the hallway. He looked around taking in his surroundings, the building didn't appear to be that old, so he wasn't sure where they had taken him. After the battle he and Kershala had gotten into the back of an ambulance and he woke up in his room. He couldn't tell anything from the hall he was in. It was painted in neutral colors there was no obvious signage telling him about exits or entrances and there were no windows. Bethany and Officer Star, the man that had been watching him in his cell during the day for the last two weeks, guided him through the hallways that seemed to go on endlessly. They took a lift to a lower floor and eventually he was led into a room. He knew just from the demeanor and the look of the room that he was about to be interrogated. His nerves began to get the best of him as they sat him down and he could feel his heart beating loudly in his chest. His life had been normal and that had all changed the night he met Kershala. The women sat down across from him and sat a recording device on the table that she pulled from her bag, between them.

"Can you state your name and occupation for the record?" she asked. Taking a note pad from the bag she carried. Kale looked at her for a second then glanced at the other officer who had taken a position by the door.

"Kale Jarin, since I haven't been to work in two weeks I probably don't have a job anymore…" Kale didn't even try to hide the irritation in his voice, he wanted her to know how he felt. She looked at him expectantly waiting for a reply. "Security." He spoke quietly and looked at his hands that fidgeted on the table in front of him.

"Thank you. How did you meet the alien?" she asked seemingly emotionless. Kale didn't like Kershala being referred to just as the alien.

"Kershala."

"What?"

"His name is Kershala."

"Oh, I hadn't been given a name." Kale watched as she quickly made a note on the paper in front of her. She looked up at Kale once again with her expectant look on her face.

"Why the hell should I answer any of your questions? I'm a Canadian citizen for Christ sake, between Kershala and I we saved this city, and this is the thanks we get? Do you realize what the hell that thing would have done if we hadn't stopped it?" Kale's agitation got the attention of Officer Star who took several steps toward him.

"Look man," he said as he walked over to him and knelt into his ear, "just answer the ladies' questions it'll help you in the long run if you just cooperate." Kale took a deep breath and did everything he could not to lash out, his fear had quickly become anger and he knew it was clouding his judgement of the situation.

"Can I please see him? I just wanna know that he's okay," Tears quickly formed in Kale's eyes, he took a deep breath and wiped them away. Officer Star retook his post at the door. Officer Stanfield maintained her cold demeanor and pulled a tablet computer from her pack. She tapped the screen a few times and turned it toward him. It was Kershala, he was in a cell not unlike the one they kept him in. Kale didn't see any movement but could see that he was sleeping in the bed there was equipment hooked up to him presumably trying to monitor his vitals.

"As you can see, he is alive, and aside from the injuries he sustained during the incident, he is unharmed. Now will you please just answer my questions?" she spoke sternly. Kale took a deep breath and let out a shaking sigh.

"I met him when his ship crashed close to my grandmother's house, I thought a meteorite had fallen," Kale remembered that night, "I walked into the clearing, when I saw him he was unconscious, he had been thrown from his ship and his abdomen was bleeding."

"What happened to the ship?" Stanfield looked at him intently.

"It disintegrated."

"On impact? That seems unlikely that even the alien… Kershala, would survive that." Kale appreciated that she at least called him by name he didn't know why, but he felt a little more relaxed.

"No, he and the AI set off the self-destruct," he explained.

"But there was no explosion?" Stanfield cut her eyes as she spoke seemingly in disbelief.

"No, the technology they used was like what you saw happen at Citadel Hill, the nanites erased any trace of ships existence. I watched it literally turn to dust." Kale shrugged his shoulders and sat back in his chair.

"Where did this happen? Was it in the city?"

"No, Mapleton, up in Cumberland County."

"How long ago was this?"

"It's been almost a month now, I guess." Kale had to think of his answer not entirely sure if it was correct, since he wasn't sure exactly how many days had passed since they had been taken captive.

"Why didn't you contact local law enforcement?" Kale looked at her thinking that the answer was right in front of her.

"Because I didn't want to see this happen to him," Kale wiped at his eyes hoping to stop the tears before they formed, being locked away from social contact for two weeks had made him emotional. "I can't believe this is happening."

"Did the alien threaten you?"

"What?" Kale couldn't even fathom Kershala threatening him, "Of course not."

"Did you ever feel like you were in danger around it?" Officer Stanfield's tone was becoming ever more aggressive.

"At first I wasn't sure what was going to happen, but I never felt like I was in danger."

"Had the alien exacted any influence over you?" The questions came quick barely giving him time to answer.

"He didn't even speak to me for the first few days." Kale didn't want to offer up any information, he knew he couldn't trust any of these people.

"When he spoke did he speak English?"

"Yes."

"How did he learn it?" she asked quickly.

"I don't know he just knew it." Stanfield seemed to back off temporarily and relaxed her posture.

"Could the AI have taught him?" she finally asked.

"Yes, we had been speaking so it's likely."

"What can you tell me about the AI?" Stanfield sat forward again and placed her hands on the desk in front of her.

"Nothing it can't tell you itself. Ask it."

"It is refusing to speak with us."

"Why, it's almost hard to believe that it wouldn't speak to you, after my time around it? Where is it?"

"We have had to separate it from the alien, it wouldn't allow us to assist it." Kale had had enough of the questions, it was pretty clear that they weren't going to let them go anytime soon.

"I'm not answering anymore of your questions until I get to see my friend. Take me back to my cell." Stanfield looked at him and slit her eyes.

"Suit yourself. But I'm not sure you're ever going to see him again."

"What does that mean?" Kale felt his heart in his throat feeling helpless. Stanfield ignored him and picked up the recording device and her note pad. She put them both in her bag before picking it up and exiting the room.

"Let's go kid," said Officer Star as he walked over and lifted Kale from his seat. Kale stood on his own and the officer coaxed him into heading back to his cell.

Kershala laid still on his bed in the tiny cell. It had been two weeks since the battle and his wounds had just about finished healing. The wound in his leg had been stitched by a human doctor when he was first brought to this facility. Even though human's medical technology was primitive, Daoran surgery often made use of nanites and laser tech, his wound was healing. He was already able to walk on it. His implant on the other hand had been severely damaged during the fight from the pressure they had put on him. His head would often ache, and his vision was fuzzy. He could feel the nanites within it swiftly working but there wasn't enough of them. He had never experienced this amount of damage to his implant before. It had gone into a safe mode that prevented him from using it to its full extent. He couldn't detect heat signatures unless they were within a few feet of him. He couldn't read vital signs or analyze the structure he was in. Most importantly he couldn't use it to find Kale or the AI. He was sure that if he could get to the AI it could analyze and realign the implant or help the nanites to work more efficiently to repair it. At this point the nanites that would form his helmet wouldn't respond to his commands, he found if he tried too hard all it did was cause his head to ache. He looked around at the small room he could hear a quiet hum from the surveillance technology that watched over him, but he couldn't find where it was without his sight being functional. He often sat on his bed and just listened to his surroundings trying to figure out what their plans were for him, or if he could get any inkling as to where Kale was.

Kershala touched his fingers to his lips remembering Kale's kiss, it was the last thing he could remember before waking up in a medical lab strapped to a bed. Kershala had been too badly injured to put up a fight but the humans didn't trust him. The next thing he remembered was the man repairing his leg and laying on the bed in pain because the pain killer they gave him had no effect on his Daoran physiology. As the minutes of each day passed he felt himself yearning for Kale's touch. They had gotten so close in such a short period of time it now hurt to be away from him. There was a sound in the hallway and Kershala took a deep breath not sure what to expect. It was too early for the doctor to come check on him and it wasn't meal time.

"Kershala, you've got a visitor," said the officer guarding the door. Kershala felt a bit of excitement hoping that someone had changed their minds and they were letting Kale come to visit him. But as he turned toward the door he could see that the shape standing there was not him. He could make out only colors and shapes comfortably. If he strained, he could see more but did not feel the effort worth it.

"Hello, Kershala, was it?" said a women's voice in an unfamiliar accent. "My name is Officer Stanfield, I'd like to ask you some questions." The women's tone wasn't unfriendly as she spoke but Kershala decided to play guarded. "If that's okay?" she asked as he sat silent after her introduction.

"Forgive me, my hearing and vision are both suffering from my injuries." Kershala didn't really have any damage to his hearing but the more helpless he looked to them the more he felt they may show him mercy.

"Are your injuries still bothering you?" The women sat across from him and rested her hand on his resting on his knee.

"I am no longer in any great pain, only discomfort," he answered.

"I've seen nothing in the doctor's report detailing your vision or hearing loss, have you discussed it with him."

"Yes, but he cannot fix it because he cannot determine a reason for it. The instruments he uses," Kershala paused, "They are very primitive, but they also don't read my physiology well." Kershala had not talked to any of the military personnel about his implant, and their scans had not been able to detect it. "The AI would likely be able to help me, if I may be allowed to see it."

"I'm afraid that's not possible for now, we may be able to let you see it again soon."

"Why have you separated us? We do not wish to harm you, we are only seeking refuge from those that would see us dead." Kershala's voice quivered as he spoke mainly because he thought of Kale and his emotions were taking hold. But also, because he thought it may appeal to his captures. He looked at the women, with her so close the implant began picking up on her vitals, as tears formed in his eyes he could see a response triggered in her. "Please." She took a deep breath then sat back in her chair.

"You're far more human than I imagined," she said quietly. "Kershala we're going to take a walk, I would like to ask you some questions regarding your time on our planet." Kershala could see her stand and take a step toward him. "Can you walk comfortably?" Kershala rose slowly from his bed and she guided him to the door and they headed down a long well-lit hallway with at least two other officers close behind them. Kershala forced his implant to take readings of the hallway and the doors they passed trying to get an idea of what kind of facility he was in. He already knew it was a military establishment, but he wanted to know what else was going on there and to also see if Kale was somewhere nearby.

"Can you at least tell me where my friend is? If not the AI," he asked.

"In time, we may be able to work something out for you." They walked down the hall and took a left, they continued down the hall another twenty feet before turning into a small room. As they walked in Kershala could make out a table in the center of the room under a bright light. "Please have a seat." Kershala walked into the room and sat at the table guiding himself with a hand out in front of him. As he sat down his implant collected information from around him and he could suddenly tell that Kale had been in the room before. Stanfield sat down across from him and the guards took their stations at the door. She sat a device on the table that the implant told him it was some sort of recording device and she had a writing tool and paper in front of her. She touched the recording device and Kershala could feel the faint electric field from it as it activated. "Can you tell me about the day you arrived on Earth?" she asked.

"It was a difficult day, I was in rough shape having suffered a great loss and fought a great battle that day," Kershala began.

"Was it like on the Citadel?" The women's heart rate increased as she spoke to him.

"No, it was different…" Kershala trailed off, not wanting to relive the loss with a stranger present. He could already feel the tears forming as he thought of his family.

"How so?" she pushed lightly.

"The day you speak of, I only lost the battle, no one died that day."

"So, someone close to you died the day you arrived?"

"I will only answer yes. I will not speak of it beyond that." Kershala could feel an anger boiling in him at the disrespect this stranger he felt was showing his families memory.

"Can you tell us who killed these people?" Where Kale had been patient and un-intrusive this person was almost pushy.

"It is irrelevant, they are thousands of lightyears from here, and that is where I wish to leave it!" Kershala stood abruptly forcing the table forward as he stood, the two guards rushed him and pointed their weapons at him.

"Back off you two, I guess I deserved that," said Stanfield waving a hand at the men they both looked at her and then took a step back. "Please sit back down." As the two men backed off Kershala cautiously retook his seat. "We are just trying to figure out if the people that chased you are a threat to the rest of the people on this planet."

"Of course, they are a threat, but they do not know of your planets existence. They may find me in the future, but it could take them a very long time." Kershala took a breath deciding not to go into detail about his emotional range to explain himself.

"If that is the case then how did that creature you fought track you down?"

"The demon that I fought that day… is different…" Kershala paused, he didn't really know a lot to tell them about it without the AI, "They are hunters, they operate alone in singular ships that search the galaxy for the remainder of my people. They're called the Shirona Arktora."

"Anything else that you can tell us about the creature?"

"If you ever encounter a member of the Arktora, you must run, for they are ruthless fighters with only a single goal… my Patriarch's words. The AI has an archive on them it would be more equipped to answer your query then I." The women shifted in her seat she was intent on his words.

"Why did you ignore your… Patriarch's words?" she asked hesitantly. Kershala sat silent briefly and thought of his reasoning.

"At first," he paused, "I did not want to put Kale in danger."

"Why's that?" Kershala would have thought the answer obvious considering the kiss they had shared.

"I knew if I did not go to the Arktora right away, it would likely find me and kill Kale in the process. He has been so good to me. He opened his home to me, fed me, clothed me…" Kershala stared blankly recalling everything Kale had done for him and the memories running through his head. From the moment he brought him to his house, to when he groomed him, right to when he woke up to him cooking for him the morning of the battle. "He was the only voice in the darkness when I suffered the greatest loss anyone could suffer." Kershala paused again a small smile on his face as he thought of everything. The smile faded as he began to talk again. "Then once the battle started, all those people, those lives. I had to win, regardless of the suffering I knew it would cause me." Kershala's answer seemed to throw her aback, she sat back in her chair and wrote something down.

"Kershala, I must admit, the purpose of my interview today was to determine whether or not you were a threat to our nation and planet. After speaking to Kale, I wasn't sure I would get what I needed from you. I don't know what I expected but I feel you are not a threat to this country. You were willing to fight for us to protect innocent people at the potential cost to yourself. If that doesn't speak to Canadian values I don't know what does." The women stood up from her seat and took the recording device from the desk. "I am going to speak to my superiors, I can't promise anything, but I will see if I can arrange some time for you and Kale to see one another." Kershala felt a rush of joy move through him and he stood up.

"Thank you, officer. It will mean a lot to see him." Officer Stanfield walked out of the room and the guards guided him back to his room, he sat on the bed waiting for his next visitor.