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Four weeks after my attempted escape, I said goodbye to Doctor Anjus. It had been a hard thing, keeping my illicit activities on Mhaedros under wraps, but the Doctor was a respected Laeonid with friends in high places, including the Imperial Navy. My dislodged window had been repaired before the day had ended, and I resumed my routine. One thing that had noticeably improved was my walking, and I could walk anywhere on my paws without the slightest bit of worry or need for aid. Tira had proclaimed me a natural, and that there was no further need to continue. It struck me as ironic, that I would in all likelihood require yet more physical therapy to get used to walking on plantigrade feet again once the Nova Terra Domain doctors were able to have a look at me and reverse this feline metamorphosis I had undergone. That was the hope, anyway.
After everything I had been through, capture, recovery, escape, and more, I was now finally simply being sent home. The frontier clashes had ended in a stalemate, and a tenuous state of mutually-assured destruction was emerging around the disputed space between Nova Terra Domain space and Laeonid Empire boarders. I was brought to the communal hall where the other human prisoners of war were being gathered. They stood smartly, if only slightly less disciplined. They had not forgotten their training during their captivity. From what I could see of the cells lining the walls of the communal hall, their stay had not been as luxurious as mine. I knew they might hold that against me. It was something I was prepared to endure.
“Just… try not to expect too much.” Anjus had said to me as a final warning when he released me from his care. I knew it was good advice, but I was too excited to listen. It was almost over, this nightmare. The changes and mutations, the isolation, the captivity. I wasn’t going to be broken, but my life in the Nyx defense forces had not prepared me for this. Planetary defense forces were home guard, not soldiers with the same kind of training as the Nova Terra Marines. I was looking forward to being returned home, putting in my papers, and maybe finding some kind of peace outside of the specter of constant war.
Hours later, they had us all crammed onto a transport shuttle. The Nova Terran government and the Empire’s ruling board had made arrangements to give us all up in a prisoner exchange. The first of many, I hoped. 60 Nova Terran personnel, for 55 Laeonid soldiers. I was happy they would be going home as well. My experiences on Mhaedros had changed many of my perceptions on the feline aliens. All of that propaganda about the savage alien threat, about the fleabag aliens seeking to root out humanity’s place in the galaxy. All of it had been a load of kritza, I thought. The old Laeonic curse for ‘shit’ slipping into my thoughts. Meeting my comrades had been difficult. When I was marched in to stand alongside them, every one of them gave me a look of confusion or naked apathy. They wondered what a Laeonid was doing there, surely. It had taken an announcement from the detention Warden to inform them I was in fact Lieutenant Nadia Kantor of the Nova Terra Domain navy, and what had been done to me had been done in order to save my life. I could tell that they reacted with suspicion. A few asked me challenging questions. I answered them all to the best of my ability, aided by my complete lack of a Laeonic accent. The revelation that a human had been so thoroughly altered by the alien species disturbed them greatly, and I imagined they would be reporting this to our superiors back in the Nova Terra Domain Navy.
“Your government has been informed of your survival.” The officer in charge informed us all from a gantry. “You are being taken to Hierophant station. There, you will be released into the custody of your people. There will be a designated boarder that has been declared Laeonid Empire soil. Once you have crossed it, you will be officially out of our custody.” I looked around. All of the discomfort, the hard looks and suspicious glares, I had expected them. I could endure them. We were told that this transport shuttle was on route to the edge of Nova Terra Domain space. One of their frontier space stations had been converted into a temporary neutral ground. No weapons were being permitted beyond a quartet of armed guards on each side. I watched out the window of the shuttle as a tiny speck in the distance of space grew larger and larger, the orbital facility revealing its true size. No one was sitting next to me on the shuttle, and that suited me just fine. I was ready to be done with this life. I wanted to go back to my family. And soon, I would be.
The warning lights began to flare. Our pilot spoke in perfect Terran. “Prepare for docking procedures.” He said over the ship comm. The Ship was very close to our destination now. I felt the inertial dampeners compensating for the massive G-forces around the shuttle. Once we had landed, we were roused from our seats, and stood in file. We marched out of the shuttle in good order. Few of my comrades were even giving me harsh looks now, which was a welcome change. They must have been as eager to get home as I was.
I felt the glare of artificial light as I stepped out of the ship. I had never been to this station before, but I was familiar with the name. I looked around the hallway as the embarkation corridor widened out into a larger, more open space, filled with lights and air recyclers and the cold, metal feeling that you got from most orbital installations. I saw that a large painted line had been etched onto the deck plates. Two rows of lines each representing the Nova Terran and Laeonic sides of their boarder. The Laeonid Prideguard marched out before and after us, taking up watchful positions at the corners of the room. I was expecting the humans to have sent a delegation, but what I had not expected were the civilians being held further back beyond the processing point. Stations like these had a large civilian contingent, I knew. This was likely the most interesting thing to have happened to them recently. But these were not the station’s population, or at least I didn’t think so. They were being held further back, beyond barricade. There was a smaller number of human civilians who were allowed further up close to the boarder. They looked too well-dressed to be just passing by.
Then one of them began to wave, and one of my fellow Soldiers waved back. The entire row of human prisoners of war being exchanged began to crowd around for a close look, trying to pick out people that they knew. Then it hit me. Of course. Families. Nova Terra Domain had brought the families of the returning Soldiers out to welcome them home. My heart began to pound. I had known that this would happen, that I would have to face my own family. Explain what had happened to me, but I had thought to at least be able to have the chance to see a Doctor first. Be debriefed by the Domain, have some kind of plan worked out for me. Here I was, being expected to instantly face down my mother and father without a moment’s notice?
This was it. The first time seeing my parents and family since I was considered lost in the War against the Laeonids. The alien felines had found me, and nursed me back to health, but the cost had been high. To save my life, my recovery had required infusions of Laeonid blood and DNA. I was human no longer, and was effectively one of the elegant spacefaring felines now. I still thought of myself as human, and I still knew what side I was on. Not that most Humans would see me that way. There was still a widespread xenophobic hatred of aliens all throughout Nova Terra Domain. Despite my high and privileged status in captivity, I had still been a prisoner all these months during her recovery as the Human-Laeonid war continued. Now that I was finally being released, I had to admit that I had been wrong about a great many things about my captors. They were not the alien savages Earth-Domain presented them as. As I looked around at this thin and fragile seed of Humans and Laeonids cooperating for the first time, I had Maetra. I had hope now that maybe one day... There could be peace.
I was brought forward among a line of human prisoners. None of them were cuffed or restrained now. The line distinguishing human territory from Laeonid was clear. Then I saw them. Mason and Freida Kantor. My parents were on the other side of that line, waiting to see their daughter again, after so long thinking she was dead. I began breathing heavily, waiting for the command to go. A line of Laeonid prisoners was being brought forward from the Human side as well. In columns of two, we were prepared to march. With a deep breath and a nervous heart, I heard the instruction to go sound out in both Terran and Laeonic. And the parties began to move. As we passed each other, I saw the Laeonid men and women returning to their own people, and heard the cries of happiness go out as families long divided were at least reunited with each other. I saw no one paying any attention to me. They likely thought I was some sort of Laeonid guard or escort being sent over with the humans. When I stoop upon the Nova Terran side of the boarder, I saw my parents looking for me. They paid me no mind at all, looking over me and past me without lingering for a moment. I felt my face fall. They did not recognize me.
After a deep breath, I stepped up before them, fingers meshed before me and waiting. They looked confused, no doubt wondering why this alien was standing before them. They were looking for their Nadia. Their daughter. 'They don't recognize me.' I thought to myself again, before breathing in and speaking the words that would make or break my entire future.
“Hi Mom, hi Dad.” I said barely above a whisper.
That got their attention. They asked me to repeat myself. I did so, and began to blurt out things that only I would know. Things about our lives together, and about what had happened to me since leaving Nyx with the Nova Terra Domain forces. They were stunned, silent, and breathless. I could see denial growing across their faces. They didn’t want to accept this. It was some kind of joke. They asked a few more questions, and spoke a few more words. All the while, I saw something like fury growing in my Father’s eyes. I could understand that. It wasn’t normal, what had been done to save me. But then I realized that it wasn’t the procedure that had saved me that enraged him so. It was this. It was just looking at me, saying the things that I was saying. My mother's hand tightened round the grip of her cane. "My daughter is dead." She spat at me with an icy coldness that I had never experienced or believed her capable of before. “My daughter died a hero, fighting for humanity. Whatever... you are.” She scowled. "You are not my daughter."
And they turned to leave. The other Humans were leaving now too, heading to the processing area for debrief and interview after a brief, but happy reunion with their families. Mine paid me no such mind. I called after them, begging, pleading with them to listen. Trying to say things that would mend their broken hearts. They did not stop or respond. I felt the cold chill of their apathy and disdain. I fell to my knees, feeling tears swelling in my eyes. Rejected by the two people who were supposed to have loved and nurtured and protected me more than any others in my life, I simply broke down, and began to cry…
Another face reference drawn by the supremely talented MiximReinart. This was actually drawn as part of the other two, but I wanted to write its own story blurb for this one. As that face just gets me T_T
Four weeks after my attempted escape, I said goodbye to Doctor Anjus. It had been a hard thing, keeping my illicit activities on Mhaedros under wraps, but the Doctor was a respected Laeonid with friends in high places, including the Imperial Navy. My dislodged window had been repaired before the day had ended, and I resumed my routine. One thing that had noticeably improved was my walking, and I could walk anywhere on my paws without the slightest bit of worry or need for aid. Tira had proclaimed me a natural, and that there was no further need to continue. It struck me as ironic, that I would in all likelihood require yet more physical therapy to get used to walking on plantigrade feet again once the Nova Terra Domain doctors were able to have a look at me and reverse this feline metamorphosis I had undergone. That was the hope, anyway.
After everything I had been through, capture, recovery, escape, and more, I was now finally simply being sent home. The frontier clashes had ended in a stalemate, and a tenuous state of mutually-assured destruction was emerging around the disputed space between Nova Terra Domain space and Laeonid Empire boarders. I was brought to the communal hall where the other human prisoners of war were being gathered. They stood smartly, if only slightly less disciplined. They had not forgotten their training during their captivity. From what I could see of the cells lining the walls of the communal hall, their stay had not been as luxurious as mine. I knew they might hold that against me. It was something I was prepared to endure.
“Just… try not to expect too much.” Anjus had said to me as a final warning when he released me from his care. I knew it was good advice, but I was too excited to listen. It was almost over, this nightmare. The changes and mutations, the isolation, the captivity. I wasn’t going to be broken, but my life in the Nyx defense forces had not prepared me for this. Planetary defense forces were home guard, not soldiers with the same kind of training as the Nova Terra Marines. I was looking forward to being returned home, putting in my papers, and maybe finding some kind of peace outside of the specter of constant war.
Hours later, they had us all crammed onto a transport shuttle. The Nova Terran government and the Empire’s ruling board had made arrangements to give us all up in a prisoner exchange. The first of many, I hoped. 60 Nova Terran personnel, for 55 Laeonid soldiers. I was happy they would be going home as well. My experiences on Mhaedros had changed many of my perceptions on the feline aliens. All of that propaganda about the savage alien threat, about the fleabag aliens seeking to root out humanity’s place in the galaxy. All of it had been a load of kritza, I thought. The old Laeonic curse for ‘shit’ slipping into my thoughts. Meeting my comrades had been difficult. When I was marched in to stand alongside them, every one of them gave me a look of confusion or naked apathy. They wondered what a Laeonid was doing there, surely. It had taken an announcement from the detention Warden to inform them I was in fact Lieutenant Nadia Kantor of the Nova Terra Domain navy, and what had been done to me had been done in order to save my life. I could tell that they reacted with suspicion. A few asked me challenging questions. I answered them all to the best of my ability, aided by my complete lack of a Laeonic accent. The revelation that a human had been so thoroughly altered by the alien species disturbed them greatly, and I imagined they would be reporting this to our superiors back in the Nova Terra Domain Navy.
“Your government has been informed of your survival.” The officer in charge informed us all from a gantry. “You are being taken to Hierophant station. There, you will be released into the custody of your people. There will be a designated boarder that has been declared Laeonid Empire soil. Once you have crossed it, you will be officially out of our custody.” I looked around. All of the discomfort, the hard looks and suspicious glares, I had expected them. I could endure them. We were told that this transport shuttle was on route to the edge of Nova Terra Domain space. One of their frontier space stations had been converted into a temporary neutral ground. No weapons were being permitted beyond a quartet of armed guards on each side. I watched out the window of the shuttle as a tiny speck in the distance of space grew larger and larger, the orbital facility revealing its true size. No one was sitting next to me on the shuttle, and that suited me just fine. I was ready to be done with this life. I wanted to go back to my family. And soon, I would be.
The warning lights began to flare. Our pilot spoke in perfect Terran. “Prepare for docking procedures.” He said over the ship comm. The Ship was very close to our destination now. I felt the inertial dampeners compensating for the massive G-forces around the shuttle. Once we had landed, we were roused from our seats, and stood in file. We marched out of the shuttle in good order. Few of my comrades were even giving me harsh looks now, which was a welcome change. They must have been as eager to get home as I was.
I felt the glare of artificial light as I stepped out of the ship. I had never been to this station before, but I was familiar with the name. I looked around the hallway as the embarkation corridor widened out into a larger, more open space, filled with lights and air recyclers and the cold, metal feeling that you got from most orbital installations. I saw that a large painted line had been etched onto the deck plates. Two rows of lines each representing the Nova Terran and Laeonic sides of their boarder. The Laeonid Prideguard marched out before and after us, taking up watchful positions at the corners of the room. I was expecting the humans to have sent a delegation, but what I had not expected were the civilians being held further back beyond the processing point. Stations like these had a large civilian contingent, I knew. This was likely the most interesting thing to have happened to them recently. But these were not the station’s population, or at least I didn’t think so. They were being held further back, beyond barricade. There was a smaller number of human civilians who were allowed further up close to the boarder. They looked too well-dressed to be just passing by.
Then one of them began to wave, and one of my fellow Soldiers waved back. The entire row of human prisoners of war being exchanged began to crowd around for a close look, trying to pick out people that they knew. Then it hit me. Of course. Families. Nova Terra Domain had brought the families of the returning Soldiers out to welcome them home. My heart began to pound. I had known that this would happen, that I would have to face my own family. Explain what had happened to me, but I had thought to at least be able to have the chance to see a Doctor first. Be debriefed by the Domain, have some kind of plan worked out for me. Here I was, being expected to instantly face down my mother and father without a moment’s notice?
This was it. The first time seeing my parents and family since I was considered lost in the War against the Laeonids. The alien felines had found me, and nursed me back to health, but the cost had been high. To save my life, my recovery had required infusions of Laeonid blood and DNA. I was human no longer, and was effectively one of the elegant spacefaring felines now. I still thought of myself as human, and I still knew what side I was on. Not that most Humans would see me that way. There was still a widespread xenophobic hatred of aliens all throughout Nova Terra Domain. Despite my high and privileged status in captivity, I had still been a prisoner all these months during her recovery as the Human-Laeonid war continued. Now that I was finally being released, I had to admit that I had been wrong about a great many things about my captors. They were not the alien savages Earth-Domain presented them as. As I looked around at this thin and fragile seed of Humans and Laeonids cooperating for the first time, I had Maetra. I had hope now that maybe one day... There could be peace.
I was brought forward among a line of human prisoners. None of them were cuffed or restrained now. The line distinguishing human territory from Laeonid was clear. Then I saw them. Mason and Freida Kantor. My parents were on the other side of that line, waiting to see their daughter again, after so long thinking she was dead. I began breathing heavily, waiting for the command to go. A line of Laeonid prisoners was being brought forward from the Human side as well. In columns of two, we were prepared to march. With a deep breath and a nervous heart, I heard the instruction to go sound out in both Terran and Laeonic. And the parties began to move. As we passed each other, I saw the Laeonid men and women returning to their own people, and heard the cries of happiness go out as families long divided were at least reunited with each other. I saw no one paying any attention to me. They likely thought I was some sort of Laeonid guard or escort being sent over with the humans. When I stoop upon the Nova Terran side of the boarder, I saw my parents looking for me. They paid me no mind at all, looking over me and past me without lingering for a moment. I felt my face fall. They did not recognize me.
After a deep breath, I stepped up before them, fingers meshed before me and waiting. They looked confused, no doubt wondering why this alien was standing before them. They were looking for their Nadia. Their daughter. 'They don't recognize me.' I thought to myself again, before breathing in and speaking the words that would make or break my entire future.
“Hi Mom, hi Dad.” I said barely above a whisper.
That got their attention. They asked me to repeat myself. I did so, and began to blurt out things that only I would know. Things about our lives together, and about what had happened to me since leaving Nyx with the Nova Terra Domain forces. They were stunned, silent, and breathless. I could see denial growing across their faces. They didn’t want to accept this. It was some kind of joke. They asked a few more questions, and spoke a few more words. All the while, I saw something like fury growing in my Father’s eyes. I could understand that. It wasn’t normal, what had been done to save me. But then I realized that it wasn’t the procedure that had saved me that enraged him so. It was this. It was just looking at me, saying the things that I was saying. My mother's hand tightened round the grip of her cane. "My daughter is dead." She spat at me with an icy coldness that I had never experienced or believed her capable of before. “My daughter died a hero, fighting for humanity. Whatever... you are.” She scowled. "You are not my daughter."
And they turned to leave. The other Humans were leaving now too, heading to the processing area for debrief and interview after a brief, but happy reunion with their families. Mine paid me no such mind. I called after them, begging, pleading with them to listen. Trying to say things that would mend their broken hearts. They did not stop or respond. I felt the cold chill of their apathy and disdain. I fell to my knees, feeling tears swelling in my eyes. Rejected by the two people who were supposed to have loved and nurtured and protected me more than any others in my life, I simply broke down, and began to cry…
Another face reference drawn by the supremely talented MiximReinart. This was actually drawn as part of the other two, but I wanted to write its own story blurb for this one. As that face just gets me T_T
Category All / General Furry Art
Species Alien (Other)
Size 2047 x 1800px
File Size 2.14 MB
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