“It is my hope that this place will become more than a place you stayed. I truly wish this to become a home for those who live here and that the time will come that this will only be the first of many places where our peoples live side by side. To meet, to connect with and to understand people other than humankind has long been a dream for humanity. This place represents the first concrete step in making this dream a reality.”
Speech by Donald Ray, the Director of Prometheus Corporation At the opening of Leotaur POW Camp #1 AKA Leotaur Camp
* * *
The Director looked around the Leotaur Camp after the speech and ribbon cutting. The place was still spartan, but he could see where homey touches had been added here and there. The speech had been attended by a few of the Leotaurs, and it was his first chance to see one up close. They were a beautiful people, both at rest and in motion. They were also massive. The leader of them was nearly eight feet of muscle and power and probably weigh at least 500 pounds. My party consisted of Tony, Rodolfo, Angelia, and I. We were set next to eat lunch at the Community Center (which someone had renamed with a handmade sign the Centaur Center.) Rodolfo was busy chatting with one of the Leotaur females in the Leotaur language. The language’s cadence reminded him vaguely of Gaelic, but as he spoke neither language, he had no idea if there was any actual correlation. Tony was in an intense conversation with the Leotaur leader that had him looking thoughtful.
Angelia leaned over and said, “The Leotaurs are making connections. This is better than I thought.”
“Yes. I had hoped for something like this eventually, but this is already happening. My dear, this may just be awesome.”
Angelia looked sharply at him. Awesome was a word that he saved for special occasions when he saw big things changing in a good direction. Once again she wished she could see what was going through his mind. Long ago he had promised her that they could change the world together and he had fulfilled that promise many times over.
They entered the community center an the first thing he noticed was the lack of chairs. There were folding chairs along the walls, but the Leotaurs obviously could not use them. The human staff grabbed their chairs on the way in, and most likely put them back on their way out. The tables were spaced out a bit more than was usual to accommodate the Leotaur’s long lower torso. A central table had obviously been prepared in advance with chairs nameplates in appropriate places. The Director helped Angelia to her seat and then took his. The Leotaurs sat down with all their legs folded under them.
The Director turned to the camp director and asked. “Is Leotaur food compatible with Human digestion?”
Jeff chuckled, “More than human food is with Leotaur tastes. The have more sensitive taste ans smell than we do, so their food tends to be a bit bland, but I find that judicious use of ketchup and steak sauce can make up for it. It’s funny that even though the’re form another world, the eat a lot of the same things we do and they have taken a real liking to potatoes and fries.”
The Director’s party all ordered a human portion of the Leotaur course. (The human portion is a plate, while the Leotaur portion is a platter.) When the food arrived, the Leotaurs sang a short but solemn song before eating.
Jeff noted, “That seems to be the Leotaur equivalent of saying grace. Not all of the Leotaurs do so, but Salvar always does.”
Angelia gasped when the Leotaur leader took out a pair of simpler prosthetics with a fork and a spoon on them … and then casually took off his hand. She looked around the room and became aware that all the large gloves that the Leotaurs wore were actually prosthetics for where they had had their hands cut off. She tried to keep herself calm, but she could not keep the tears from flowing. Her empathy for all the pain and suffering as well as finding the courage to begin again just overwhelmed her.
The Director leaned over, “Are you OK?”
“I finally understand why we must fight and why we must win this war. I need to cry for a bit, but I’m OK.”
The meal went on and the Director learned the names of the four Leotaurs at his table. That Salvar had three of the few females in his household was a matter that made the Director’s curiosity itch, but years of training by Angelia was able to restrain it. Salvar and Favla were obviously talented and already working for him with ties to his leadership group. This merited more attention from him, as it could accelerate a number of his plans greatly. He just needed a way to get them more involved as soon as possible.
When the dishes were cleared, Tony spoke softly to Salvar. “Now would be a good time.”
Salvar stood and moved a little ways away, and then turned toward the Director. He prostrated himself, laying with his face on the ground, “Dee-rect -ter, will you hear what I have to say?”
The Director was caught completely off guard by them. Angelia prodded him and he said, “Yes, of course.”
Salvar raised his upper torso off the ground. “The Leotaur here have been made family by our pain together. We have named us the Leotaurs of the Human Family. This was not done easy. Our own people betrayed and cut us apart, while your people rescued and healed us. We have decided to join our walk with yours and serve your plans. Further I promise myself to do everything I know for you to help in this war. I was once called the Voice of Saving and served as the great war-leader and general of the Leotaur. I now give all of my strength and mind to you, and the Leotaurs of the Human Family will also give all to you.” Salvar then abased himself once more.
The Director was thinking furiously. This changed a lot. But he had to stop to address the Leotaur before him. “Get up Salvar. I accept you as champion and war leader. I accept your people as my own people. I am dedicated to bringing this war to an end, and you will be a crucial … important part of that. Will you be my strength and stand beside me until peace … is between our peoples?”
Salvar rose to his feet, “You have my promise before the One Speaker.” The room erupted in cheers and stomping from the Leotaurs and applause from the human staff.
* * *
The Director boarded the helicopter for the ride home. He had approved Salvar adding more Leotaurs to the security force and had watched him run through the weapons course twice. He was an amazing warrior and he needed to find him a place in the leadership quickly. He found out from Tony that he had already solved the problem of the exploding control rooms, which would mean more intact prisoners and technology. He has the potential to change so much, but I can’t just hand him power and authority without causing a huge backlash. Where can I place him that will let him earn it himself. The Director sat up and laughed to himself. Suddenly all the pieces fell into place. The sound dampeners were working as the helicopter took off and headed home. The director called up a vid-link on his tablet and waited until it was answered. “Herman I need you to build a specialized battlesuit for someone.”
* * *
Salvar watched the king of the under-mountain realm leave in his flying mechanism. The consecration had gone well and the king had accepted both him and the clan. Tomorrow he would induct both Giggles and Bulgur as reeves, That would free him to serve as the king’s war-leader. The only problem with being the king’s war-leader is that it would take him away from Favla’s side and this was not good. She was an amazing doe, but she was still fragile. For that matter, so was everyone in the entire clan, himself included.
He walked up beside his mate and she leaned into him. “Gracious doe, things have been happening so fast that I have not been able to consult with you as I would like. Although it is late, I wish to hear any wisdom my mate has for me.”
“Noble stag, to deal with a urgent matters is why we have leaders instead of just councils. We do need to set up a council as well.”
“I had not thought that far ahead. I am glad that I have such a capable doe by my side, for I make far too many mistakes on my own. Are there other matters that we should attend to as clan leaders.”
Favla laughed and then looked down. I was relieved when I realized that she looked embarrassed rather than fearful. “My mighty stag, I take it that you have not worked closely with a clan council before. The workings of councils was much of what my family did. There are a multitude of things that need to be done and recorded.”
“My gracious doe, could I beg your assistance in these things as I have no knowledge in such matters? Perhaps your cousin Sadra might help as well?”
“I will consider it noble stag.”
“Is there anything that this humble stag can do for the beautiful and accomplished doe that stands before him?”
Her attempt to look proud and aloof was broken by a giggle. “At least you have a silver tongue to persuade the council with. Do you have anyone whom you would see in the council?”
“Tebdur, Darca and Favla are the only ones that come to mind, and perhaps I am a bit biased on that last one.”
“My mighty stag, you are forgiven, you do not need to continue to flatter me.”
“My gracious doe, I truly believe that you would be an asset to the council with your knowledge of other tongues, your skill as a scribe and association with the Chaos-Kin. My only hesitation is that as your mate, I am not the appropriate one to nominate you.”
“You, mighty stag, will set my thoughts with the birds if I am not careful. Was there anything else noble stag?”
Salvar sighed, “Gracious doe, as I have embarked upon the path of the war-leader again, there will be times in which I will be temporarily parted from you. I am worried that you may feel betrayed by this.”
“My noble stag, If it were just you and I and your departure would leave me alone again, it might be too much for me to bear. But, besides becoming my mate and companion, you have given me kin, clan, and home once more. I will miss you terribly because you are my mate and my love, but my family and clan will keep the screamer form entrapping my mind.”
Salvar’s eyes misted over as this was the first time she had declared her love for him. Then he realized that he had never declared his love for her and felt immediately remorseful. “My dear gracious doe, how could I be so remiss as to not declare my deep and abiding love for you. You have given me such joy, comfort and peace as I have not felt since before I went off to war after the desecration by the Winged-Kin. You have stirred in me an attraction such as no doe have ever done. I wish to declare that i will love you forever, but I dare not lest I anger the One Voice. There is so much I wish to do and provide for you, but I can only start with my abiding affection.”
“You words are a true song to my ears, mighty stag. Come, let us return to our home, lest I behave inappropriately in public.”
* * *
Angelia accompanied the Director back to his office. Once the door had shut, she confronted him. “Don, did you know?”
“I had hints from reports, but never expected something like that, Angel.”
“They have savants among them. Salvar is definitely one and I’m pretty sure his mate, Favla is one as well. I need to get them counselors at once. Hell, I need to get the whole camp counselors, but where do you find counselors for Leotaurs?”
“The same place you find counselors for anyone. You find people who care and are willing to be a part of their lives and you teach them from there. Eventually you will find counselors among them, but that will take more time than we have now. When you can’t do what you want to, then you settle for what works until you can do things right.”
“What about the other aliens?”
“They’re probably in as bad a shape physically and mentally as the Leotaurs are.”
“I’ll need to get people in position as soon as possible. I also need you to get as many prisoners to us as you can. We don’t need than to be abused by humans as well.”
‘What about the soldiers we capture that weren’t maimed by their own people?”
“Honestly, I don’t know yet. We will have to get people to look into that kind of stuff and report on it before I know what to do.”
“What does your gut tell you?”
“Right now, it wants to string them up by their eyeballs, but I’m angry right now, so I’m not listening to it.”
He laughed, “I do think that bringing people from other races into the fold may be a key to winning the war, but I’m pretty sure that this is going to take any number of approaches. Just what we needed, my dear, a big complicated new project for our spare time.”
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The Taurian Invasion 