Personal Report: Pod TaTro

Position: Unknown

Standard Date: 22.53.612

I am writing in this journal or diary as my human guide has called it. He insists that this will help future Xenos who come to earth and also allow me to understand what is going on in my family. The human Inderveer has been wonderful to my family. While he looks and sounds very different from human Matthew McTavish he really is a gift to me. He and his whole family moved into a home with my clutch. While I do not understand human family structure Inderveer has been patient to help me understand that there is very really no one way for their “Household” to exist.

So much has happened and what has been told to me really is just shocking. I have been told not to worry too much about making this an official document but to let as much I feel good or bad be documented. It took a while for Inderveer to convince me but was willing that he does the same. He has even encouraged my offspring to do this practice.

First thing first was how my clutch ended up with the humans. It started with a conversation with McTavish who was teaching in one of my offspring's classes. Attending the class I saw a demonstration of a species whose thinking did not limit them. Even when things seemed confined they seemed to find new ways of moving about. We had a conversation about my offspring and I attending their schools on earth. I thought this would be wonderful but would never be allowed for my class or species.

We spent many moments talking about our differences and how these differences lead to our similarities. We found it extremely interesting that our offspring do not get names till they have a mate or have been assigned to their life work. He asked questions about my clutch and what I wanted for them. What they wanted for themselves. We moved to his family and that he had an offspring who had grown and was starting his family. That his mate had died several years ago from some part of overgrowth in the brain stem. We shared what we would want to see for the future of the galaxy.

On the night of the disturbance in eating area A112 we sat and had a much longer conversation. I had told him that he may be endangered and I hope that he would continue his lectures. I was very worried about my safety after that night. I had gotten a report that an Inquisitor would be arriving. I went to send a message to McTavish but I never made it. When I went to warn him security had come to my living space. My offspring and I were put onto a shuttle to return to DR-154, my home planet.

Once we were on our way with almost nothing, life got very different for us. As we were between jumps the ship rocked once and creatures like the shadows flowed through the shuttle with fluid movement. As I held my offspring I prayed for my offspring in my arms, I prayed for my mate who was at home with four more of the clutch. I prayed for myself. I was in shock and horror, my offspring began to turn the dark green of sorry and fear. I do not know what happened but I stood to my full height. The anger of the bright yellow filled the cabin.

One of the shadows must have been from behind me as I made my stand to protect my young one, simply poked me and put a fabric over me. The world went dark and I thought I was dead.

When I came through I was laying on a few seats next to the offspring. One of the shadows came over to me and took off fabric that was hiding their face. It was a human. I was not sure at first but it was a female with almost pure skin with golden hair. I know that humans came in different colors but this human looked like life that belonged on an ice planet to hide in the snow. She bent over looking at me like a predator about to eat its meal. Those gray/blue eyes seemed to be staring over me, to be judging me then with a smile that was even warmer than the ones McTavish had “Good you are ok. Come with me, you will need to see this.”

As I followed this shadow into the small flight deck I could see the shuttle through the viewpoint also 3 more shuttle type vehicles with an origin at the time I did not know hovering over it. As I stared at this odd scene with a person I did not know and only had met one human, something was happening. I came out of my daze as the communication hummed. “Valkyr this is the Wrecking crew we are out of here. Godspeed.” The three ships then left the area in different directions. This shadow grabbed some kind of headset “Clear Skies and Smooth sailing.” The shuttle started to slowly break apart with no explosion but looked like it just fell apart.

The shadow turned to me “With that you are dead and now you can live. Here is a letter from someone who you trust more than me.” Then gesture me to go back to the area I was in before. As I sat down I opened the letter and a small piece of chalk fell out. I bent over to get it and realized it was the unusual color that Matthew had used that day I was first in his class. Below I have transplanted the letter here for all time. This small letter and chalk will be a family heirloom and will remain with my clutch.

Pod TaTro,

I am sorry for this quick rush and little we could have talked but I feared for you and yours. I have included something for you to know that it was me. I look forward to the day we can talk in person. There is going to be a major change. While I do not know who is with you nor where you are going exactly but please have good faith with us. If you wish to continue down this road with humans and the galaxy to make it better just tell the person “Why Not” if not you will be taken back to your people.

Hopefully Your Friend

Matthew McTavish

I walked back up front. I took a moment to speak the magic words Why Not. A smile and a little chuckle emitted from this human. She turned and spoke very clearly “ I am Petty Officer Madsen, Please rest, the next few days will be long for you. I have food in the back. I am sorry I do not have time to talk much as I will be very busy but thank you.”

As I walked back, why was I being thanked. What was going on? My offspring had sat up still dazed. I comforted and held them as I had no answers.

Well after what seemed half a day we arrived at a place in space that was not near any planet, moon or asteroids. Then a much larger ship arrived. It ate us like an Artos sky beast eating a bug.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Madsen directed us to walk to the back as it opened up. We were inside a larger flight bay and there was a series of humans running all over in different colors. They all stopped and looked right at us. A much older human wearing white with colored specs on the upper torso walked over. He stood right in front of me. With that same booming voice that McTavish sometimes used, “Petty Officer, Good Job report to ops. Pod TaTro welcome to Black Sea Devil. Please come with me. There are many people who want to talk to you but there are a few who have first priority.”

We walked for several small moments till we reached a hatch. The hatch once it opened we walked inside. From above and below, from any dream I never could dream there was my mate and my four littlest ones. We embraced each other with the glows we had shared with everything that had happened in the last days. Then a voice came from a corner behind me. “Now this is what I love to see.”

As I spun around startled, preparing to fight anything, my mate held me and said “This is Indervee, he has been helping with the clutch and said we will live with his family. I trust him”

After a few moments we were taken to a dining area. While on our route humans stared at us and stopped what they were doing. Indervee would motion to anyone who stared at us too long to get back to their tasks. He over the next few days became our guardian. My second to last seemed to enjoy touching his beard as if petting a small pet. He came with us everywhere and always seemed to be on guard. It was not like a guard holding prisoners nor was he really keeping humans from us but was just vigilant. My oldest let out a scream one night when our guardian took off the cloth that was wrapped around his head showing long black hair. Of course the second from last laughed and wanted to touch. I went to stop her and then he spoke softly, “It is okay, children are great learners and also can be great teachers. This one here is very much my daughter and they are about the same age or at least functionally and they can go to school together if they want, of course with your permission.”

I was shocked. My oldest seemed upset and was about to cry “I wanted to go to school, Why does she get to go instead of me?” Indervee just gave a roar of a laugh and as soon as he could catch his breath “I am sorry child, All of you can attend school. Once you start you will be expected to go through it just like any other human. The only person here that can not go all the time is Pod here as he will also be teaching us.” I expressed my concern that my clutch may be too young to leave for months at a time. He did something that I never expected. He hugged me. “No my friend, they come home to us every night. My mother in law is going to love having more little ones.

The rest of the trip, various humans came to talk to me and my family. They seemed interested in what we felt about the Empire and what they felt about humans. We had explained that we were not traitors but we still had no say nor did we have any control. My new friend was always there and explained that they were not looking for traitors, they were looking for people who wanted to improve the Empire.

When we came to earth, the planet was so varied and had so many environments. At first I thought they would put us somewhere that would kill us. Then once we boarded the shuttle and went to the surface we flew over so much blue and then green. We landed in an ancient but still very alive city. It was night time and glowing cylinders into the sky. It was beautiful and scary, where they were trying to kill us or shoot us down. Indervee leaned over this as a celebration for a new year. Except this time it is for your family as a new time ahead.

After meeting leaders from all over the area and the world. What struck my family the most was a local leader called a mayor. He gifted our family to touch a great mammal called an elephant. Once the formal greeting was done we left after several long moments. We arrived with our great guardian to his home at the edge of the town.

We met his wife Hom, his two offspring Aom and Luke and last was not least was his mate's mother Ying. While she was much older and had the grace of our own Queen. We hurried the little ones to bed. My mate went to another room and seemed to enjoy talking with the other women. As Indervee and I sat outside listening to the city continue to have a festival I asked with fear “I am not from this place, will my family be anything more than an exhibit?”

To give this human credit he seemed to be earnest about his thoughts “My wife and her family are from an area near here. I am not from this place, my family came from Punjab and I was raised on Mars. This is Chaing Mai. It is not too large but not too small and almost a quarter of the people are from all over the planet. Sadly humans will likely in our time will always stare but we are not doing it for us are we?” I could only sit for a moment, “For our children.”

Next day, the offspring were playing in something called a yard. As we sat around talking a message came up on a wall. Indervee, when he opened the message it was a video of the Pope being killed. I saw a moment of McTavish in a clip that continued to show the Pope over again with more humans. Our guardian stood up and went over to a pad and hit some buttons. “Let's not tell the kids today, our job is them.” with a tone that would make any warrior shiver.

As the day went on we spent a day eating and talking. It was a wondrous day. Once and a while messages would come from various leaders to talk to me. My guardian was always with me. IF the questions became too much or it was simply too long he would step in. While I could see that there was disappointment they each stopped and said thank you. I then learned that several people had referred to him as my counselor.

That night after dinner while the children were sleeping we sat around the room playing some game called Go. Then that is when the message of the Queen declaring the Overseer killed the Pope. I held Lo as the queen spoke. It was nothing like I had seen before and there was McTavish I pointed to my wife. He was alive. We may still see each other one day. Ling on a side note loves the Princess and wishes to hold her one day. Humans can help declare war while praising another all at once.

That night I held my mate next to me as my clutch laid all about as we talked quietly to each other. Lo was scared and so was I. After they fell asleep I was still awake with so many questions in my mind. Why sat at the front of my mind when I got up. I walked outside and my honorable guest came out to me with some water. We stood in silence. With a voice that seemed to be sad “Will you help us? Your family will be here with mine. If I am not with you then I will be with them. You are not prisoners if they choose to leave I will help. If you say no then nothing will change. I wish there was more time. So will you?”

I stood there for several moments. Thinking this was all a trick. Did they always plan to just use me as a tool. Are they deceiving me? I went back to the question why. Thinking of all the discussions, all what was shown and even what was not shown, McTavish had asked me something that night while we waited in A112. I had told him I will never be able to do too much in the galaxy. He responded in one of his keen questions and that seemed like the perfect response for now.

Why Not slipped from my mouth. To give my new friend credit he tried to talk me out of it. Explaining being far from my family. The risk to my life. The risk to my very people. Humans are good at questions and answering from more than one point of view. Then he asked that one question again. Why? I looked at him and simply told him that for both of our children. We stood there longer. He dismissed himself.

I slept that night in my clutch holding them all. Now I wait for a craft to take me somewhere else on the planet. I spent the morning playing with the kids. Lo and I talked and she cried but seemed to understand. She expressed that she had talked to Hom and she wanted to name the children. Not because the humans did it but it was nice. She wanted to do it as a stand with the humans. I gave a nod.

I see the ship coming now. My friend at my side. He gave a kiss to each of his family. I held mine. It is time to help McTavish and the humans wherever they may be.

Pod TaTro