Chapter 42

Five days prior to the 1^st Anniversary of the Órarduine landing on Ananu, Sarah, Erin, Keriann, and Siobhan were discussing the upcoming celebration as they walked toward the East Tara Pavilion. Looking toward the pavilion Sarah said, “That looks like Ariu, Cabd, and Iodla.”

“That it does,” replied Keriann.

On reaching the Pavilion they said, “Good morning, Goddesses. This is a pleasant surprise.”

“Good morning.”

Ariu continued, “We now understand, why you all decided to move the opening ceremony to the amphitheater.”

Iodla added, “Although the view from the here is beautiful, especially early in the morning.”

“We think so as well,” responded Keriann. “However, the view from the surrounding fields isn’t very good when there are a lot people. Also we believe that this location has a special significance to many of us, so we were concerned that beginning the Landing Day celebration here would lessen that.”

“We’ve noticed a lot of people come here to meditate.”

“Even You all,” responded Keriann with a smile.

“True,” replied Cabd. “The pavilion you added made this location more special than it already was.”

Smiling Siobhan said, “I sense that there is more to all of You being here than just coincidence.”

“Good perception,” said Iodla. “We gather that you are all aware of the request for a place dedicated to Goddess Leité.”

“Yes, thanks to Sam and Kelsey briefing us before publishing their articles that revealed there were multiple deities in the universe.”

“The articles were well done, as was their explanation of ‘guest privileges’. Goddess Leité was impressed with it as were We.

“The real reason We are here is that what started out as a simple request for ‘guest privileges’ has become a bit more complex. An element of that is the arrival of Meynote’s family, which he wasn’t aware of until a few moments ago.”

Sarah asked, “Is this a result of the incident at 5^th Fleet Headquarters?”

“As a direct result, no,” replied Ariu.

Keriann said, “I thought his family lived in a very remote area of Atewa Prime with no one living within a day’s travel.”

“That is true. However it was surrounded by an Atewa nature preserve with restricted access. While there were poachers, there were only a few until recently. Not long ago a group saw one of his family’s children in their alternate form and thought it would make a nice trophy.” Sarah, Erin, Keriann, and Siobhan gasped. “Well the poacher’s shot missed. The group he was with didn’t give up and spent several hours tracking the cat. On returning to their camp they were surprised to find it trashed. After checking the damage, they concluded that, based on the tracks, it was done by at least one large cat. The damage was extensive enough that they decided to salvage what they could then leave. If it had ended there everything would have been fine, however it didn’t. Their stories about trophy size cats that they almost bagged in the refuge began circulating. This resulted in more hunters began entering the refuge.

“As to timing, the poachers seeing the cat occurred well before you were at 5^th Fleet Headquarters. It was even before then that the spouses noticed the increase in poachers. Once they realized the increase was continuing to rise they decided to contact Meynote, following the instructions he had left them. When they didn’t receive a response, they began making preparations to conceal their presence. As they did this they prayed to Goddess Leité for guidance.

“Several days later Goddess Leité appeared in a clearing near their home and began walking toward them. Her approach to them was similar what we did the first time We met you. When they saw Her it took them several minutes to realize who She was. They quickly recovered from their shock and were ready to offer her refreshment and food when She reached them. Once the forms were met, Atmeriza, Ciarriaze, and Wiazmeria apologized for bothering Her. After She reassured them, they told Her of their concerns regarding their security and their inability to contact Meynote.

“Leité told them that their difficulty in reaching Meynote was likely due to the circumstances of his current assignment. She indicated that he was being transferred to another System due to events and associated complications with his recent assignment.

“This surprised his spouses as they were expecting him to return in the near future. Leité gave them a brief description of the events that prompted his change in assignment. She did give them a thumbnail sketch of Celia System, those inhabiting Planet Ananu, and the new Atewa Fleet Base being constructed here.

“After answering questions about Meynote’s future location their conversation shifted to the status of the preserve that surrounded their property. The spouses were puzzled by the increasing number of poachers as it was wildlife preserve with restricted access. Atmeriza noted that until recently there had been very few poachers. Wiazmeria pointed out that poachers were not a problem when Atewa Fleet Special Ops used the preserve for training exercises. Leité told them that She would look into the activity in the preserve, especially the area near them. Before leaving She suggested that they stay within a kilometer of their home site until this was sorted. She also urged them to continue their preparations to reduce their visibility. Before departing She raised the question as to whether they would interested in moving closer to where Meynote was. While his spouses liked the idea they expressed concerns about their need to periodically change form.

“To make a long story short Goddess Leité made Kara’s team aware of Meynote’s family’s situation. When Fidelma and Morrigan heard of the situation they decided to have a gander to see if they could assist. Kara’s team used their contacts in Atewa Fleet Spec Ops to gain some resources. Once their Spec Ops contacts learnt that the requested assistance was to support the family of a former member they had all the unofficial assistance they needed.

“In spite of that it didn’t take Leité long to conclude that the best solution would be for his family to relocate, with here being her preference. So after Leité shared with Meynote’s spouses what she had learnt, they agreed. Several days ago We assisted Leité in transferring the family to the valley where you landed when you visited Us. This morning We brought them to Meynote’s office at the Atewa Consulate. Your teams in the Atewa World are sending you a full report on their involvement, who assisted them, and the intel they picked up. Morrigan and Fidelma may bring some of it with them when they return. Kara’s Team has their remaining possessions and will ship them here as soon as possible.

“To be clear, Our transfer of mortals between Systems is something that We only do in exceptional circumstances. Our hesitation in doing this is due to the potential for unintended consequences. One is that it can complicate Our relationship with the mortals concerned, as I believe you can imagine. However, a more serious issue is that some mortals don’t tolerate this form of transfer very well, and may not live very long afterward. It can also have an undesirable impact on the fabric of time and often in ways that are not obvious even to us. A favorable aspect in this case was that the transfer was supported by two families of Deities with the assistance of several of your Mentors. It was successful and they show no ill effects due to the transfer, although we will be monitoring them.”

“Thank you,” said Keriann. “We had discussed with him the possibility of us assisting with bringing his family here, if that is what he decided to do. Even if we had decided to do something today it would be several weeks before we could actually do anything due to the distance.”

“Leité indicated to Us that Meynote was in favor of it. He was reluctant to indicate this due to concerns on how it would affect your interaction with him, especially since it was so soon after arriving here. To be frank, We are surprised that Leité became so involved in this. However, We and Leité have similar views on Our interactions with mortals when they are sufficiently evolved to understand and appreciate the subtleties. In this instance We see Her involvement as an indication of Her appreciation of his assistance to Her.”

“To change the subject,” said Erin, “are we all set for Landing Day Ceremonies?”

“We are. Leité plans attend with Meynote and his family. The children regard Leité as an aunt.”

Cabd inquired, “While we haven’t specifically said so, you do realize that Meynote’s spouses and children are shapeshifters?”

“Yes,” replied Sarah with the others nodding. “We don’t see that as being an issue provided we don’t try to hide it or let it take on a negative connotation. Aren’t shapeshifters often referred to as ‘weres’?”

“Yes, but shapeshifter sounds much better term,” noted Siobhan. “‘Weres has a negative connotation on Earth while I don’t think shapeshifter does.”

“That is my impression as well,” responded Erin.

Ariu said, “I’ve asked Anna, Mark, Moya, and Keri to assist their children in settling here. Sam and Kelsey had a strong urge to visit Meynote this morning, so that should help the adults.”

“Excellent choices,” commented Siobhan.

“Yes, well done,” added Sarah, Erin, and Keriann.

The comments caused Them to blush, which surprised Sarah, Keriann, Erin, and Siobhan.

“Thank you,” They replied.

“Good evening, Meynote,” said Maeve of Sarah’s Clan as she walked toward the Tara dining area.

“Good evening, Maeve. Everyone seems to be very anxious for the Landing Day Celebration to begin.”

“Well we think we’ve accomplished a lot since arriving here. More importantly, I think all of us are well on our way to feeling that this is now home.”

“I agree that a lot has been accomplished. I am not sure I know of any other group that could achieve this much in the time you’ve been here.”

“Thank you. How is your family doing?”

“I am surprised by how quickly they are adjusting. The coaching your children are providing mine has taken a significant burden off my spouses. We really appreciate Keriann’s Clan inviting us to stay on Iarracht.”

“Well our ships are like a small community, so becoming acquainted is easier,” responded Maeve as they entered the dining area.

Meynote’s spouses were waiting near the entrance with Eleánóir of Keriann’s Clan. On seeing Meynote they said, “Good evening.”

“Good evening. Did you have a good day?”

“Yes,” replied Atmeriza.

“Ladies,” Meynote said to his spouses, “this is Maeve of Sarah’s Clan.”

“We know,” responded Ciarriaze as she gave Maeve a hug. “We met her family earlier today.”

“So have you met their sister clans?”

“If you mean the Councilor Clans, I think we’ve met all of them. It is hard to remember all the names though.”

Smiling Maeve responded, “We have that problem as well. You are welcome to sit with us at dinner.”

“We are,” laughed Eleánóir of Keriann’s Clan as they approached the serving line.

“Well then, let’s fill our trays and have a seat. I am hungry.”

As they were going through the serving line Meynote queried, “Where are the children?”

“They are with Sarah’s and Siobhan’s children on Dóchas,” replied Wiazmeria. “After their physicals they spent most of the day getting acquainted with the Learning Centers.”

“I thought you needed to be telepathic to use them.”

“They are more efficient if you are,” responded Jill of Sarah’s Clan. “In this case, our children are acting as a bridge between your children and the system when necessary. Today they’ve been taking tests and expanding their vocabulary to include the common words used here.”

Seeing Meynote’s puzzled expression Janet added, “We’ve found that people feel more comfortable here if the words they often hear are meaningful. So we begin by teaching the names of objects and actions in more than one language. In your case it is Atewa, Standard, and Órarduine. Once they have a grasp of those, we begin having conversations in each of those languages. The courses include writing and reading as well. The lessons are tailored to the student.”

“Best of all we can use them,” said Wiazmeria. “They have courses similar to those we had in school, so it looks like we can pick up where we stopped.”

“Excellent,” responded Meynote with a smile. “You all seem much more comfortable today.”

“Oh, we are,” beamed Atmeriza.

Ciarriaze said, “Sally and Aoife introduced us to their lions. After the celebration the lions are going to show us where we can exercise safely.”

“Tara and Emma suggested a way for us to carry our clothes with us after we shift.”

Eleánóir said, “You know, if you wandered around Tara with the lions while in your other form would soon be accepted as one of the lions companions and no one would be the wiser.”

“An interesting idea,” responded Atmeriza apprehensively.

Several times during dinner people would stop by to speak with someone at the table. When it was close to time for the evening meeting Keriann said, “Meynote, it appears that a lot of people are curious about your spouses. If they are agreeable, you could introduce them at the beginning of our meeting this evening.”

Emma said, “If you do you should introduce yourself as well, although many have seen you around, they may not know your name or that you are with the Atewa Consulate.”

“Ah...” he stuttered as he hesitated.

“Meynote, we are fine with you introducing us,” said Ciarriaze with her spouses nodding.

“Well, if you are sure?”

“We are,” they replied.

“Keriann, how do I arrange this?”

“Already arranged, I’ve alerted this evening’s hosts.”

“But...” started Wiazmeria, “oh, you used your telepathy.”

“Yes. It can be very handy.”

“I can see that it would be nice to have at times.”

“Were you all evaluated for telepathic abilities when you had your physicals?” queried Joyce.

“I don’t remember anything like that, but I could have been as I wasn’t paying close attention because we were anxious to see Meynote.”

Judy said, “Would you mind if I reviewed the results?”

“Not at all, but why?”

“Well you indicated that you were in a hurry and you don’t remember the telepathic evaluation, so I suspect the staff skipped some of the less critical items knowing you would be back to review the results. By reviewing the results of your physical beforehand I can schedule you for any tests that were missed. While you are there we can go over the results and do the telepathic evaluation.”

“That is fine. How about two days after Landing Day?”

“Sounds fine. You can schedule the visit using your communicator, by doing it that way you will be reminded and it will also be noted on my schedule.”

“Oh, I never thought of keeping the communicator with me, I left mine on Iarracht.”

“If you’re sure about the date, I can initiate it from mine. You will receive a request to confirm.”

“Can all three of us come together?”

“Sure.” After a moment she added, “Done; now all three of you will receive an appointment notice, with a request to confirm.”

“Ah, I just received it,” responded Ciarriaze. “But how?”

“Using telepathy I asked Star, Dóchas’ Master AI, to place the appointments on my schedule for the 3^rd of Fivmonth. By the way, an alternative to not having the communicator nearby would be to use one of the general use terminals here or on our ships.”

“Is there a tutorial on using the communicator?” inquired Atmeriza.

Joyce said, “The device has one. There is also one accessible on the Learning Center terminals. My preference is the Learning Center, since I can try while following the instructions.”

“Well it looks like I need to spend some time in the Learning Center after tomorrow’s celebration.”

“I think all three of us do,” added Ciarriaze.

Meynote smiled as he watched his spouses. While he had been hesitant about moving his family here, he was now very pleased to have them with him. It was obvious that his spouses were more comfortable here than they had ever been in the past.

Sarah said to Meynote, surprising him, “A part of their comfort comes from not having to worry about being outed as shapeshifters. While they are not announcing their ability, they know that if it is discovered or noticed it will not cause them a problem. I didn’t mean to surprise you.”

He looked at Sarah and winked.

“Have you been evaluated for telepathic ability?”

Meynote shook his head no.

“Why don’t you go with your spouses when they visit Judy? Besides, they will appreciate you going with them. Although it wasn’t mentioned the children should also be included. I am surprised Judy didn’t include them.”

“Because I thought it was being too pushy,” said Judy. “If the children come at the scheduled time, fine. If not, we can schedule them for another time.”

Meynote thought, “So telepathy is an essential characteristic of the Órarduine.”

“I am not sure describing it as ‘essential’ is correct,” replied Sarah. “It is an enabler, and has a significant positive impact on many aspects of our lives.”

After dinner Sarah said to Meynote and his spouses, “We are going up to Dóchas and can give you a lift to Iarracht if you like.”

“There should be one of Iarracht’s shuttles at the space port,” said Meynote.

Wiazmeria added, “Even so, it seems to make sense for us to ride with them. I know that each ship has a scheduled shuttle service between orbit and Tara but each time we’ve made the trip it seemed like it was a special journey.”

Joyce responded, “I suspect you used the Iarracht Command Staff shuttle. By doing that, it was available when needed by either of your groups.”

“But that would have inconvenienced them and we definitely don’t want to do that.”

“I can assure you that you haven’t as we have alternatives.”

“Are we going to walk?” queried Alison.

“It is a nice evening, so we are agreeable,” replied Ciarraize.

“What time does the Celebration start tomorrow?” asked Atmeriza.

“After breakfast at 12:00 hours,” said Jill.

“So late.”

“Atmeriza, you forgot that the days here are 30 hours long,” responded Ciarraize.

“Oops. I did forget.”

“It takes some time,” noted Jill. “The formal part of the celebration will start at 14:00 hours followed by the air show. After that it is whatever you want to do. In the evening, 3 hours after sunset, there will be a light show.”

“We are looking forward to it. It has been a long time since we attended something like this. It will be interesting to have Meynote’s special friend Leité with us all day tomorrow.”

Sarah queried Meynote, “They don’t know who She is?”

He thought, “They do, but may not realize you all do. It could be that they are just being cautious.”

“Makes sense.”

Landing Day, Sarah’s Clan was just finishing their morning exercises when Keri inquired, “Moms’, how soon will you be ready to go to breakfast?”

“Just as soon as we shower,” replied Alena.

“Good we will meet you in the dining room.”

“Fine,” replied her parents.

Some thirty minutes later they entered the Dóchas dining room and were surprised by how many were already there as the breakfast period had only just begun. Seeing their children had selected their food and were already seated, they went through the serving line then joined them.

“Good morning,” said Sarah’s Clan to their children.

“Good morning,” they responded.

“So are you all ready for today’s activities?” queried Iris of her parents.

“We think so,” they responded.

“Especially after the formal stuff at the amphitheater,” added Alison.

“So what are your plans today?” inquired Sarah of their children.

Jordana said, “After breakfast, those not participating in the air show are going to meet the other children on Iolar. The other Command Staff children will join us there to watch the ceremony and air show from there. After lunch all of us will come down to Tara.”

Keri added, “Jar, Blee, Winz, and Maz will join us on Iolar.”

Erin said, “I haven’t seen them recently, how are they doing?”

“That surprises me, as they’ve been spending most nights on Dóchas. They get a little frustrated with some of the adults in their group who are slow in adjusting to their situation.” Seeing her parent’s expressions she quickly added, “While they are happy to be alive and free, a few of them are finding it difficult to adjust to the change in their environment as well as the way things work here.”

Moya added, “From what they’ve said, the Elders are frustrated as they haven’t found a way to motivate them.”

Aoife asked, “Do you know if they are participating in the celebration?”

“We believe so,” replied Kennith.

“Then we will make sure to look for them.”

Iris said, “What are your plans for the day?”

Sarah replied, “After the Opening Ceremony and air show we plan to visit the various activities and entertainment areas. We will probably participate in some, but most of us need to be back here before dinner so Briana’s Clan can participate.”

“How long can we stay?” asked Earnán.

“Well you will have some very small children with you so you need to make sure they don’t get too tired.”

“Well we only need to chaperon them until after the air show.”

“Okay,” said Sarah firmly, “then you need to be on Dóchas by 26:00. You must stay in groups of five or more. Absolutely no one is to go off with someone you’ve just met or know slightly.”

“Is there a problem?” asked Marnia with a worried look.

“Not a definitive one,” responded Terry. “We are comfortable with you all out on your own at the celebration, but we also realize that there may be some who would take advantage of you.”

“Okay, I understand. Should we take our personal weapons with us?”

“Of course. While you do need to keep an eye on your surroundings, you should relax and enjoy the activities.”

“That sounds contradictory.”

“In some respects it is, but with your link and by staying in a group you shouldn’t have any surprises.”

“So situation normal,” responded Deirdre, “and you are just reminding us.”

“Sort of,” responded Sally. “In some ways it is a reminder, but it is also meant to point out that the composition of our family at Tara Ardchlár has changed. While we have no indications that it is more dangerous, the complexity of our family has grown so we don’t know everyone as well as we used to.”

Branwen said, “May I?” When she had everyone’s attention she continued, “Relax and enjoy yourselves while remaining a little paranoid about your surroundings, people, food, drink, etc. While it sounds hard, I know that you all can do it and still have a good time. I know I am looking forward to it.”

“You can join us,” said Alena.

“Thank you, but we just finished eating. My sisters and I have a few things to check on. We will see you at the ceremony.”

“We will look forward to it,” said several of the group before she departed.

Sarah said, “Children, I didn’t mean to come across as a wet blanket. There are times when my worry meter pegs for obscure reasons.”

“You didn’t,” replied Keri and several others.

Tara said, “I think it is time for us to get moving.”

“We’ll see you after the air show,” said Moya, “wherever you are.”

“Look forward to it,” replied her mothers.

At 12:00 hours the eight Councilor Clans stepped on to the stage of the amphitheater which was filled to the brim with attendees. On seeing them the audience quickly quieted down. When it was quiet the Councilors said, “Good morning.”

“Good morning,” roared the audience.

“It is a great day to be here in Celia System, on Planet Ananu at Tara Ardchlár on Gaillimh Isle.” After the cheers subsided they continued, “Today is to celebrate our landing here. It was a major step in establishing a new home. We’ve accomplished a lot in our first year here. Due to everyone’s efforts we are well on our way to establishing our home. During the past year we’ve had the added benefit of more people arriving from multiple worlds and assisting us in those efforts. Among those arriving have been a significant number who have opted to become citizens of Ananu.

“Another blessing is the presence of the Atewa and Monque Fleets in this system. They’ve joined us in the use of the entertainment and recreation areas as well as assisting in supporting and maintaining them. Recently the dependents of the Atewa Fleet relocated here to live alongside us while their quarters at their base near the 7^th planet are finished.

“Our passage to this point in time has been filled with a few trials and challenges. In responding to some of those challenges we’ve lost a few family members. While the numbers are small, we will always remember in our hearts and prayers the sacrifice they made so our family could survive. At this moment we will take a moment to remember them and pray for their well-being and wish them the best.”

As their prayers ended 2 flights of 4 Star Fighters in a V formation approached the amphitheater from the East. When each flight was overhead, the Star Fighter on the right of the lead abruptly turned up and quickly disappeared as the formation continued west. The Star Fighters made hardly any noise as they passed overhead, but their presence prompted everyone to end the moment of silence by looking skyward. The amphitheater was still so quiet that all you could hear was the soft breeze rustling the nearby leaves.

Once the Star Fighters were out of sight the Councilors said, “When we were seeking a planet to be our home, we were fortunate to discover this System. Based on our explorations of this planet we believe this System’s Deities have guided the creation of a master-piece. From our perspective, we feel that we were blessed to find Celia System and would like to offer the ‘thank you’ shown on the monitors to Them.

“Shall we?”

The audience responded by quietly standing to join the Councilors in saying, “God and Goddesses of Celia System, Planet Ananu, we thank you for the effort You spent in creating and nurturing this planet and this System. With Your guidance we seek to honor You by taking good care of it while causing as few changes as possible due to our presence. We thank thee O God and Goddesses.”

As their prayer finished a golden glow surrounded the amphitheater followed by a large image of Goddess Canu and God Laghdha appearing to float above the stage. Who together said, “Thank you for your compliment.

“I am Goddess Canu and with me is God Laghdha. We welcome you to Our System and Our World. Our family is very pleased that you chose this System as your new home. In the year you’ve been on Ananu, We’ve learnt a lot about you. We are impressed by the values you hold, your character, and your ethics. Because of these attributes we believe it would benefit both of us to have a more interactive relationship with you than you’ve had with other Deities in the past. Let us be clear, whether you, as individuals, choose to have a relationship with Us or not is solely your choice. To establish how this more interactive relationship will work We need to discuss this with you in the near future. We believe it is best to leave the arrangements for that in your Councilor’s hands. Now today is a day for you to celebrate the impressive accomplishments you have achieved since arriving, please go and celebrate with Our blessing.”

As She finished speaking the golden glow dimmed as Their images faded away. To the Councilors She said, “They will remember most of what they heard. As to our proposal to discuss our relationship, they will sort of remember it when you schedule the meeting. We do not want anyone to feel that they are required to believe in, or pledge themselves, to Us. This should be interesting.”

“Yes, it will be,” replied the Councilors.

After a moment, the Councilors said, “This closes the ceremonial part of the Landing Day celebration. Next up is the air show. We understand that it can easily be seen from where you are sitting. It is your choice whether or not you stay to watch.

“We wish you the best. Enjoy the celebration!!”

As the Councilors finished speaking, two Star Fighters appeared flying in formation about 100 meters above the ground moving from east to west. The formation did a slow rotation around their travel vector as they passed by and the show was underway.

Sarah said, “Are these the modified versions?”

Kelly replied, “Nope. It turns out the only changes needed were to the controls. The craft’s AI can sense which control system is needed. As a safety measure a pilot can override the AI’s choice, but it can get ugly if the pilot fails to interact with the AI.”