The Stars Are Bright

Tarka:

Prologue: Cycle eight of the year 3456.

The light flickered on the bridge again and Jaaka watched as his pilot turned about within her crash seat. She held her headset and neural links within her lap. There were tears in her large lemur eyes. "Captain, it is no use, the ship no longer responds to my touch. It's engines are dead."

He looked up again at the forward screen, and the glowing sphere that was below them. It was a living world that breathed with life, none of it intelligent. His duty was clear to him. He knew what he should do. "All hands, this is the captain speaking, make preparations to abandon ship within the hour." He set down the speaking mike and waited. Soon he could see the lifepods sprouting out of the sides of the ship, like seeds on the wind. He turned his chair to Ensign Tover when all but the last few pods were away.

"Tover, listen to me carefully, a distress signal has been sent home. It will take a very long time to get there. A handful of the crew and I will stay with the ship and see if we can land it. There is not much of a chance that we will be able to, but we have to try ...for it is our duty. I want you to Promise, though. Watch the stars. Will you watch the stars?"

The captain waited as the otter looked at him and slowly nodded. He bowed his head. He had the promise. Finally he looked up as the last pod left the spaceship. "Good luck, my children."

Time: Year of the Red Gasawa.

Tr'tes held very still as the gasawa pack roamed the area. They were ten times the size of the bearfolk and liked the taste of the people. She was of the catfolk though, and knew how to hide, how to wait. This world was full of huge beasts that would eat you. All of the people learned how to hide... how to wait, or they died.

Soon they were gone and she made her way home. Her friend Tailstar of the otterfolk was still there sleeping. He woke as the sun went down for the day, and climbed up onto the rock by her den, lifting his head like he always did to watch the stars. Today though he sang and she perked her ears to hear.

Listen, listen, and be wise

Moonlight, sunlight, matter not

Always, always, remember this

Watch the sky so everclear

Watch the stars to promise keep

Then run and play in undersky

To find the water that is deep.

Tr'tes laughed. She had heard the song before. It was always such a funny little song. It was sad that the otters were so serious about it. "What does it mean, Tailstar? You have never said."

Tailstar dropped his head for a moment, then looked back up into the starry sky. "We no longer know what it means, my friend. We don't know."

Tiana:

"But there must be some sort of explanation." Tr'tes looked up at her friend.

By Tarka

"Moonriver said there was a story about it, but she never told me." Tailstar looked up at the moon thoughtfully. Finally, when Tr'tes had decided that he'd forgotten about her, he answered. "The meaning of the story is as obscure as that of the song. It has been passed from father to son and mother to daughter for as long as we can remember." He lapsed back into silence.

"Could you tell me?" asked Tr'tes, after another long pause.

"Long, long ago, so it is told, the otters did not live here..."

"That's what our tales say, too," interrupted Tr'tes, "that the otters came from up the river and settled here."

"Oh, the otters came from further than that, perhaps even across the ocean."

Tr'tes never quite figured out what The Ocean was, but thought perhaps now was the wrong time to ask.

"Long, long ago, a tribe of otters led by the Elder Tover settled here. At first they were homesick, but the fish were plentiful and the land was gentle, and the otter population soon grew. But Tover was afraid his people would forget their origins, so he wrote that song and made each generation promise to teach it to their children."

"But if you don't remember what the song means...?"

"But we remember more than we would have. Tover also told stories about the great Jaaka, who some say was the king of the otters, and some even say was not an otter at all. Jaaka had sent Tover and his followers to this land, but had made Tover promise that when he - Jaaka - returned, all the otters would be ready to follow him. Some people believe that story," Tailstar shrugged. "Myself, I think there must be some other explanation... and I'd like to find out what it is."

B.J.:

That night...

Tailstar sat alone on Horizon Rock, lost in thought. The rest of the otters were participating in the nightly star-watching ritual, and most likely wondering where he was. No matter, he thought to himself, he would get to the bottom of this legend. Tonight, he would watch the stars alone, pondering Elder Tover's words aloud. "Watch the sky so everclear... - "

"Watch the stars to promise keep."

Tailstar jumped slightly at the second voice and turned around abruptly, whiskers twitching. It was Tr'tes, the feline girl...

"I - I'm sorry if I scared you. You looked like you were thinking..."

"Tr'tes? What are you doing so far from your village?"

"I snuck out. I wanted to find out more about this Jaaka, and this is the best place to watch the stars outside the otter village - so I figured you'd be here alone."

"Well, you found me out... But I'm afraid I don't know much more than I told you already. The rest of the otters are performing the nightly vigil, watching the stars just like they've been for as long as anyone can remember..."

"So?"

There was a pause. Tailstar could see the confusion in the girl's eyes... "I think - and don't you dare tell anyone, Tr'tes - I think they've been misinterpreting the legend."

Tr'tes tilted her head to one side. "Mis-trip-what?"

Tailstar ruffled the girl's headfur. "It means they think it's something it isn't."

"Oh... What do you think it is?"

"Moonlight, sunlight matter not. It's that one line... What if we were supposed to watch the stars during the day, when they couldn't be seen?"

"Huh?"

"What if it's already happened, and we've been too busy watching the stars to notice?"

Argon:

Tr'tes looked at Tailstar, "But what are we supposed to watch the stars for? what's going to happen to them?

Tailstar looked at the ground, "I'm not sure. But it must be important. It must be something that will affect all of us."

"Maybe we should ask Greysnout. She is the oldest otter I know maybe she can tell us something.

Tr'tes and Tailstar decided to meet in the morning. They both were curious and wanted to find out what this legend and song were about. And for some reason, they felt it was important to all of them, not just the otters, but to the felines as well, and all the rest... and they felt they had to find out soon. That something was going to happen, something important, and when it did, there would be important decisions to be made. They sat on horizon rock for a while, watching the sky, and finding themself casting shy glances at one another. After an hour or so, they left, promising to meet in the morning, to talk to Greysnout.

The next morning, Tr'tes and Tailstar met outside the otter village. Tailstar took Tr'tes by the hand and led her through the busy lanes past busy otters selling fish and hunting supplies, clothes, and even toys for the otter pups.

Soon they reached the home of Greysnout. Tailstar knocked gently on the door. They heard a shuffling inside, and the door soon slowly opened to reveal an ancient otter.

WalksFar:

The ancient elder squinted to see who stood in the door blocking the sun's glare. "Children, children, come in! What do I owe for the pleasure of this visit?"

Tailstar and Tr'tes entered the dim interior of the elder's home.

Graysnout gestured toward a set of cushions on the floor. "Sit. Tell me what need you have of this old one."

"We are curious," began Tr'tes.

Tailstar nodded. "We were wondering if you could tell us about the song and the star gazing rituals?"

Graysnout's ears lifted slowly. "You doubt them?"

"Oh, no," Tailstar added hastily. "We do, but we . . . I think we may have misinterpreted what we should do. I think we should be watching during the day, as well!"

Graysnout nodded. A smile spread back along her muzzle. "Sometimes I have thought the same as you, young one. However, if we all spent our time watching the sky day and night, we would never catch any food, nor build, nor fall in love, nor marry."

Tailstar sighed. "I can see that, but . . . shouldn't someone watch? The song says neither moon nor sun. Doesn't that mean we should watch the sky for signs all the time?"

Graysnout offered Tailstar and Tr'tes a candied, dried fish. "Should we?"

Tr'tes accepted the snack eagerly. "I think something very important will happen. The Elder Jaaka said . . . ."

"Jaaka. . . ." Graysnout grinned, showing her yellowed and worn teeth. She chuckled. "You talk of the legends! They are TRUE, you know. He WILL come back and we all must be ready!"

Lillieth:

Tailstar nodded as he listened to Graysnout, and thought about what she had told them. "I think that to be truly prepared, we should take turns watching. Some of us could watch during the daylight hours and some others could watch during the night time. You could post a schedule, Graysnout."

Tr'tes smiled and nodded in agreement with her friend. "I would be willing to help set up the schedule and watch as well."

The otter elder bobbed her head at the enthusiasm of the two youngsters. "You do realize that Jaaka may not come back during your lifetimes? You could spend your whole lives just watching. Are you willing to do that?" Graysnout carefully watched the expressions of Tailstar and Tr'tes. She chuckled and they nodded gravely, then smiled. "I will hold you to your promise to help then. First I must take this suggestion to the circle of elders and discuss it with them. They meet this evening... you will not have to wait long for a response. Now run along and see if you can recruit some volunteers to take the other watches."

Fiachra:

As this meeting on the planet took place, another meeting was being held upon high. "Captain, we have reached the coordinates sent by that distress signal. There are no signs of wreckage of any sort, and only one habitable planet within range of a lifepod system of that time period."

The feline captain nodded to the otter science and sensor specialist that was making the report, "Very well. Have you scanned the planet for any sign of civilization?"

"Yes sir. We've only noted small villages, nothing quite as large as a city. There are a few pathways, and a possible road or two, but nothing else."

"Understood. What is the probability that they'd still have an operational comm system?" The captain asked, though he already knew the answer.

"Nil. We can broadcast, in hope, but I don't think that they'll even be expecting a ship to be coming. Sir, they've been down there for *centuries*! How can we expect them to see us as saving them?" The otter looked like he'd rather be on his way back to the home system, instead of out in the reaches of nowhere.

The captain turned his slate grey eyes on the science officer, "You know our orders, Lieutenant. Whether they want us or not, we're here. Have comm start broadcasting. I want to have a contact team on the planet within the next thirty-six hours. Dismissed."

The otter nodded stiffly, and spun, leaving the briefing room in a hurry. The captain sighed, the lieutenant was right, how could he take a group from this planet, and teach them what they need to know to survive in *his* world? Whatever the answer, he needed to be ready when the time came. With that thought in mind, he started reviewing the crew list once again, forming the contact team in his mind....

Chit:

"We have to find more people, Tailstar," Tr'tes said, looking at the schedule. Only Nadia of the Wuzzles and the otter Deepstream had agreed to help them, and it wasn't likely that either had expected to be asked to watch for a quarter of the day.

"More people will help us once the elders approve of the plan," Tailstar replied, only a little worried at the chilly -- or worse, mocking -- reception their plan had gotten. Even the otters thought he was taking an old legend far too seriously. But once the clan elders had given their support, they'd be sure to listen.

"I wish we could speak at the meeting," Tr'tes said, "But I'm sure Greysnout will convince them."

The two of them waited impatiently at the edge of the ring of light from the council fire, listening to the elders speak in hushed tones, but not quite able to make out what was said.

Finally, it was Greysnout's turn to speak, and he did, briefly. The elders also spoke amongst themselves briefly, and then moved on to other business.

Greysnout slowly made her way from the fire to where the two youngsters waited impatiently. "Did they give their support for our plan?" Tr'tes asked as soon as she was near enough to hear.

Greysnout lowered her muzzle and shook her head slowly. "They said that you could watch if you wanted, but that there is too much work to be done to ask people to stare at the starless skies. They gave their approval but not their support."

Tr'tes' tail drooped, and her ears lay flat against her head. "Then we're doomed. We only got two people to agree to help us, and neither of them will watch for a quarter day."

"There's still the two of us," Tailstar said quietly, "We can take turns watching during the day, and hunt while the others watch at night..."

"And become like hermits never seeing another living soul?" Tr'tes growled. "That's too much to ask."

Greysnout chuckled. "We've gone without daylight watchers for hundreds of years, surely we can go a few more. Don't be so sad, not everyone can change the world."

Tailstar looked at his two companions and shook his head. "No. If you won't help me watch, then I'll watch by myself. When Jakaa comes, I'll be ready."

And with that he ran off, leaving the two to look nervously at each other, wondering if he was serious in his intent.

Tarka:

Moonriver was busy by her den. Cleaning a freshly caught fish when her son came bounding up to her. "Why hello, Tailstar! I hear that you have been making a mess of the elder council." She smiled at him and hugged closely, bushing out his tail with the star shaped fur spot that gave him his name.

Tailstar looked into his mom's eyes and hugged her. "I am going to watch in the daytime now mom, like our people once did long ago. This is a thing that I think I must do."

Moonriver nodded. Her son always did follow the songs path. Like so many of the true stargazers of the past. There had not been one for many years. "You do what your heart tells you my son. Be well and eat many fish."

Tailstar was up the next day at the Horizon Rock looking up into the bright sky. It was much harder then watching at night. There were not as many things to look at and your eyes would hurt after a bit. It didn't take long before Tr'tes and Greysnout showed up though and sat by him without a word. They had talked it over among themselves. They would watch too. At least for a bit.

Far overhead Krdin was sweeping the Lonch Bay with his sonar. He didn't like his walker harness but had to wear it here in the non-water-filled parts of the ship. He waved his fluke and chirped at the rest of the team. "Ok now, we are going down to a planet where there are the descendents of a ship's crash. We don't really have any idea of what we are walking into, and I don't think that they will even know that we are here to 'rescue' them. Are there any questions?

The assembled team asked a few questions, most of which the dolphin couldn't answer as he didn't know. "If that is all, we take off in one hour!"

Argon:

Tailstar went out early the next morning to stand at his watch. He had found some smoked glass, and some wire, and had made some 'eye windows' as he called them to protect his eyes from the sun. He stood on Horizon Rock today, which gave him an unobstructed view of the sky for miles around. As he stood and watched, he felt something, a feeling, that 'it' was going to be today. He wasn't sure what 'it' was, but he felt that he and his friends' work and sacrifice would all be worth it somehow... today. He watched with exceptional keenness, standing at the first flutter of a bird, or the sigh of the wind in the trees below.

At noon, both Tr'tes and Greysnout came out to the rock to bring him some lunch and relieve him for a few moments. He handed his eye windows to Tr'tes so she could watch, as he ate some fish and berry jam that she had brought.

"Any sign of anything, Tailstar?" Tr'tes asked?

"No, nothing yet... I feel that something is going to happen though, I don't know why."

The three of them sat on Horizon Rock, eating their lunch and waiting... but on what they didn't know.

As they ate, a deep, subsonic rumbling began. Too faint to hear, they felt it more than anything. As they looked at one another, the rumbling got louder.

"Earthquake?" asked Tailstar

"Thunder?" asked Tr'tes looking at the cloudless sky "No, it's neither," said Greysnout, "I think it may be what you have been waiting for... look there!"

Greysnout pointed towards the horizon, where a pinpoint of light was streaking down the sky... As it grey closer, the deep rumble was replaced by a shrill shriek of claws upon shale.

All three of them got behind the rock and sheilded their eyes against the harsh brightness of whatever it was, they trembled in fear and expectation as it grew closer, slowing as it approached the village. Soon, it stopped above the town, hovering like a bee in front of a hive, it's bright light casting shadows on the ground, making the sun look dim in its acitic intensity.

The could now see it was a bottle, or a vessle of some kind, larger than any they had ever seen, its surface smoking from the heat of its speed. As it came closer to the ground, legs popped out of it and it settled to the ground... The light was doused and it stood slilent.

Tr'tes whispered to Tailstar,"What do you think it is?"

Tailstar got to his feet, "I don't know, but I want to go find out, are you all coming with me?"

"Greysnout stayed behind the rock, "I'm too old to be of any use to you young folks, but I'll go to the village and tell them what has happened."

Greysnout moved off down the back of the hill, as Tr'tes and Tailstar made their way towards the ship. As they moved down the hill and got closer, they could hear the sound of metal clicking and squealing as it's temperature equalized. They felt a start at each sound, but gallantly made their way to the base of it.

The ground was charred and smoking beneath it, and both Tr'tes and Tailstar had to be careful that they didn't burn their feet. As they stood looking at their discovery, a clank and a whirr started from above them. Within seconds, a doorway opened and a ladder extended down to set on the ground right in front of them!

As they stood, too shocked to move, something in a silvery suit came down the lander. It looked sorta like they did; it had two arms and two legs, but it's face was covered by what looked like a cooking pot, and a silver mirror covered the area where the eyes would have been.

It stood looking at them for a moment, and then in a voice that came from its chest it said... "Take me to your leader!"

WalksFar:

Bravery left them. They vanished into the forest faster than they had come. The visage of the silvery horror ate at the edges of their minds threatening to wrench them into chaos.

"Wh-what was it? WHAT WAS IT?" Tr'tes screamed after Tailstar, who ran just ahead of her.

"I don't know! I DON'T KNOW!" Tailstar stopped and stared wide eyed down the trail they had just come up. His eyes were large, dark, colorless globes filled with fear. "Wh-what . . . Horrible!"

"Is-is this what we were warned to watch for?" demanded Tr'tes. "What can it mean? Do we fight it? What do we do?"

"Greysnout will know!" Tailstar was off again. Tr'tes followed at his side.

"It was horrible . . . all silvery . . . no face . . . just glassy and we could see our faces in its face!" Tailstar paced anxiously before Greysnout. "It-it spoke to us! ...something about a leader!"

Greysnout crawled cautiously onto the promontory rock and lifted on her toes so that she could gaze down at the small clearing far below and far from the village. She blinked with surprise, then turned to look down at Tailstar and Tr'tes. "It's . . . gone. . . ."

Tailstar scrambled onto the promontory with Tr'tes at his side. The place where the silvery object and the walking horror had been was empty. Nothing remained to show it had even been there. Villagers flooded into the area, having been alerted. They milled about confused.

"No one will believe us!" Tailstar jumped down and grumbled. "We saw it! We heard it! No one will believe. . . ."

"I, too, saw it come from the sky," added Greysnout. "They will listen to me!"

Tr'tes trembled. "Wh-what if it comes back?"

"Then, we protect the village!" snapped Tailstar. "Let's go! We have to make them believe! They HAVE to know!"

The elders listened with concern. Villagers ringed the impromptu meeting and noone spoke. All ears and eyes were focused on the elders and Tailstar and Tr'tes. The gray furred Elder walked before them and gestured to them contemptuously. "These two who would change ritual and have us look during the day when we cannot see the stars. We know your reputation, Greysnout. As an Elder you carry much weight in this coucil, but these two are young and excitable. How are we to believe their tale?"

"Then heed what I say!" Greysnout rose before the council. "I saw what they saw. What they beheld when they arrived there I did not see, but I have not known them to lie!"

The lead elder began to speak. A commotion on the edge of the village distracted them. Hunters and fishers tumbled into camp in a panic. The meeting broke down as they invaded pell mell.

"They TALKED! THEY TALKED!!"

Greysnout held one of the fishers down gently.

"They Talked! They talked!" he cried fearfully. "Elders, what does it mean? They TALKED TO US!!"

"Who talked to you?" asked Greysnout.

"The FISH! THE FISH! Big, grey FISH!" cried the fisher.

The elders turned and gazed at the gathered assemblage of huddled fishers and hunters and saw by their faces it was true.

"Can you describe these . . . fish?" asked one of the elders.

The fisher took a small twig in his trembling paw and sketched in the dust. A strange fish took shape. Eyes widened in awe.

"DELPHI!!" Greysnout grinned. "Delphi!"

"Delphi? The legend?" The lead elder blinked and looked closely. The lines of the fish took meaning in the dim memories of a youth far in the past and the sacred drawings passed on to him so long before. "Tis true! Delphi! then . . ." He stood quickly. "Who will go with us? We must greet them. It IS the legend come to us! We-we must bring gifts! We must greet them."

A shriek of terror rose on the edge of the village. Tailstar stood quickly and stared in horror. His eyes became colorless dark globes of glass. At the edge of the clearing, the silver horror that had confronted them in the clearing by the great silvery sky thing had appeared. The villagers shrank back, huddled about the elders, and watched in dread silence.

Greysnout stirred. The old lessons, the legends taught to her as a child returned in sharp clarity. She whispered one word to herself and pushed from the gaggle of bodies that pressed close together and walked slowly toward the silver suited horror that now advanced slowly into the village. Tailstar shuddered. The one word, whispered, not meant to be overheard, froze him to where he stood . . . Jaaka. . . .

Chit:

Greysnout walked reverently towards the figure, eyes to the ground out of respect. The silver figure noticed her approach and waited until she stood before it.

"Great Jaaka..." Greysnout began.

"Who?"

Greysnout puzzled at the voice. It wasn't like a normal voice... but perhaps that was to be expected from this -- "You are a servant of Jakaa then? An emmissary?"

"No..." the voice said, "I'm working for Krdin right now. Are you the leader of this village?"

"But... but you are the messenger of Jaaka's return, are you not? The Delphi..."

The figure chuckled. "No, I'm not a god, and I haven't been sent by one. We're here to rescue you! To bring you home with us." It reached up to its mirrorlike head, and as Greysnout and the villagers gasped in fear, twisted it right off!

Beneath was a horrible, green scaly visage, with beady eyes and sharp pointy teeth, and not a sign of fur. "See? I'm just like you."

By Tarka

"A demon!" Tailstar shouted, and the others soon took up the cry. The hunters leaped forwards with their spears.

"No!" Greysnout shouted, turning to block them, "Don --" and then she slumped to the ground, unconscious.

"I didn't want to have to do this," the demon in silver hissed, pointing a small device at the onrushing villagers. "Just calm down and nobody gets hurt."

The hunters were undaunted, until several of them dropped silently, still many paces from the demon.

"Just come with me quietly," the demon said, "and everything will be okay." As the villagers quivered in terror, other demons appeared surrounding them, each carrying one of the terrible weapons.

Tr'tes ran with all of the speed her people were known for, running from the horror in the village. The demons had taken everyone, but she had hidden before their true form had been revealed. And she knew what had to be done. The demons might not be from Jaaka, but the Delphi -- the Delphi had always been talked about as friends of Jaaka and of the people. The Delphi would save them. She ran to the fishing place, and waded out into the water, glancing back nervously over her shoulder and shouting, "Delphi! In Jaaka's name, help us!"

Krdin saw one of the villagers wading out into the water and chirped, amused. A young native, it had probably never seen one of his kind before. Still, it was important that all the natives, or at least as many as possible, be present for the first contact... he swam up to the feline and spoke.

"What are you doing here?"

"Delphi!" Tr'tes screamed, "You have to help! You have to come to the village! They're --"

Krdin clucked. "Calm yourself, little one, go back to the village and join the others."

Tr'tes' eyes widened in horror. This Delphi -- this... this was an ally of the demons, and not a Delphi at all! She ran off into the forest with all her speed, not stopping until she collapsed, breathless.

"I suppose it's what I should have expected," the captain said upon hearing the report of the landing party. "We're a rescue team, not xenopsychology."

"I've put the natives in cold storage, they can be given a proper orientation when we get back to port. It'll all work out."

----

Tailstar sat on the edge of the lake, singing softly to himself, the song passed down from generation to generation among the survivors of the demon attack. The song that reminded them of their duty, that told them why they had to watch the stars, day and night, and live in the deep, deep out of sight...

Listen, listen, and be wise

Moonlight, sunlight, matter not

Always, always, remember this

Watch the sky so everclear

Watch the stars to promise keep

Then run and play in undersky

To find the water that is deep.