The cargo transport touched down on Searth bringing more supplies to forward command center number eighty-six. The hold opened, and two half-track type vehicles came rolling out already filled with supplies. There were other equipment and supplies to unload. Thirty people with their exoskeletons cranked up so that even two-hundred-pound containers were lifted with ease. They formed a relay line at first but would use forklifts and carriers to complete the task of emptying the one-kilometer transport.

"Come on, let's move like you got a purpose," Major Janson barked at the men disembarking out of the smaller personnel transports. "If you don't know your assignment, then come and see me." Which was code for you better know your assignments. The men stepped up the pace and got to work. His unit brought startup supplies to the new command center. It was the twenty-first base of operations the major had started since the asteroid hit a year ago. The command centers managed a myriad of encampments and smaller bases that directly worked with the clans. They have all been working hard night and day ever since. The major had no idea just how many Te'Hat lived on this planet, but they were all finding out.

The military under Admiral Johnson on the Intrepid was responsible for infrastructure, supplies, and equipment. The nitty gritty of going from clan to clan and help with whatever was needed fell on the Valiant and her crew. The aid and rescue operations were organized and supervised by the military. There were cave-ins and structural damage which needed immediate attention, and temporary housing needed set up so they could be secure while repairs were made. The Te'Hat also needed help with food. The humans had been around the Te'Hat long enough to understand the biochemistry of their food and could replicate a nutritious substitute.

During this process of dealing with the global disaster, the Te'Hat came to see the humans in a different light. They could make things happen which would have taken generations of Te'Hat to make the same dent in the calamity. The humans were a force of will. Their generosity and compassion for a species which were going to boot them off the planet had been something that perplexed the grateful Te'Hat. Melon had been reflecting on this when his mate Karleen caught up with him on his way to the Mat'Ma meeting at the dome.

"You seem distracted, my always." She was concerned with the burdens Melon had to carry, especially now since he had become the Mat'Ma for the clan.

"I was just thinking about the two-legs and why they give without thought of return. I asked Admiral Johnson about this, and he said, 'we're just funny that way'. I do not understand what he means by that statement. When I asked him to clarify he just said, 'don't worry about it.' I sometimes worry the two-legs may ask for repayment of their efforts at some later time. They may think enslaving us for an unknown time would be an appropriate payment on this monumental debt."

Karleen had not thought of such a dire outcome. "Do you think they would do such a thing?"

"You've seen how powerful they are. How could we deny the humans anything?"

"I had not thought about this as a repayment of a debt. Oh, Melon, what can we do?"

"With the other Mat'Mas from all the other clans together, we will leverage clarity from Admiral Johnson."

Karleen stressed, "Walk carefully, Melon. These two-legs are powerful indeed. We do not want to force a mindset for disaster. It may be just a misunderstanding."

"One of the largest concerns about the two-legs is their capacity for deceit. It is something I struggle with in dealing with them. I do not know how much to trust them. Even Admiral Johnson! Especially after the conflict between themselves which killed many Te'Hat. I want to trust them. But the wrong decisions could mean a terrible trail to walk later."

Karleen stopped him before they had arrived at the dome. "My always, I know you will do your best, as usual. It warms my hearts that you care so much for all the clans, not just ours. I am not worried about the outcome. Solutions follow you wherever you go. I will wait here for your return."

"Do not wait for me Karleen. I will see you at our nesting site."

"It is no trouble. I have a feeling you will need the company on the way home."

"You are unique, my always. The way you are always predicting the future like you have acquired the Shrim'ra!"

Karleen a little indignant said, "You may have the Shrim'ra, but I do not have to guess what will happen if I put the Amaran nectar on my claw. I know a Plentaka flitter will soon be by! You should be on your way to your meeting."

"I meant no harm, my always. I do not keep choosing you to mate because you are easy to live with. You are strong. And we have had many strong younglings together. We make good partners in life. I am fortunate I chose you first. Wait for me here if you wish. I would be grateful for the company on the way home. Until I return, my always." He affectionately reached out and touched her dominant third leg. Karleen responded in kind.

"Until you return, my always," she said as Melon turned to go up the hill to the dome.

As Melon topped the hill, he saw many small transport vehicles scattered around the dome. Some were coming in, and some were going out. Mat'Mas from all over the planet were converging on the dome. We will get some answers soon, he thought. This had been the seventh of this kind of meeting since the disaster. The humans felt it important to gather the leaders of each clan all together at once so decisions could be taken back to the individual clans upon their return. In this way, everyone received the same information at the same time.

There were upwards of ten thousand Te'Hat representing their clans. They were all packed in every square inch of the dome's park. Since Melon was acting host clan, due to their proximity to the dome, he provided translation to the rest of the representatives. Their range of telepathy is not very far, so the ones farther back from the podium were not going to understand Admiral Johnson when he spoke. This made what he had planned easier. Melon slowly slogged his way through the masses to arrive next to the Admiral at the podium. Located at the center of an overarching walkway overlooking the park. It was designed to be a focal point for the dome.

"It is good to see you again, Melon." The Admiral gave a short bow.

"It is good to meet with you also, Admiral Johnson." Melon said diplomatically.

"We will be starting shortly; is there anything I can get you?"

Now that Melon thought about it, he decided the Admiral had been a kind fellow in the past, and deserved the benefit of the doubt. "Perhaps some answers."

"If I can answer them quickly; go right ahead."

"I still do not understand why you humans would choose to help us, even when we decided to ask you to leave?"

The Admiral smiled and knelt to speak to him in a more personal way. "My friend, you only need to understand about our passions."

"What do your mates have to do with helping us?"

"No, no," he chuckled. "The word 'passion' has other meanings besides our mates. A passion can mean a strong feeling toward any person or thing. Just like you and the Elders have a passion for guiding your clan. You take the responsibility seriously, don't you?"

"Yes, we do."

"A common thing most humans are passionate about is righting a wrong. When we see something wrong, we cannot help but try to fix it. The trouble is, humans often have trouble defining that wrong, and disagreements abound. Our little rebellion was just like that. It is a long story about our history, but humans have not figured out yet how to live with the universe instead of fighting against it. One side wanted to colonize at all costs, even if it meant the Te'Hat expendable. They thought it wrong to pass up a perfectly good planet to live on than to take the risk of never finding a new home. The other side did not want to stay here if it meant disturbing your culture and way of life. It is said we sometimes let our passions get in the way of our compassion. We have settled our differences and are united as one to help our friends fix a wrong."

"You have expended a legendary effort to help us. How can we ever hope to repay this debt?"

Leo saw his chance. "Maybe someday, you may be able to help us out. Helping a friend does not require a debt. Just as you give affection for your mate freely, we give our affection for your species freely. Does this help you understand?"

"It had been wrong of me to judge your clan prematurely. It is only that you are so powerful! It is like being in a room with hundreds of younglings. They are so small and so many, the possibility of stepping on one and causing harm is great. It is not intentional but harmful just the same. It is difficult to know how to deal with your kind and not get harmed."

"I will let you in on a little secret which your predecessor probably did not tell you about. Life is not without risk. Life does not ascend if it doesn't solve problems or take risks. I can imagine if we were in your position. It would be a difficult thing to decide. How much to trust? How far to go before turning back? And is there a way to turn back? That is why our kind had our great struggle. A part of us wanted to take this risk, and part of us did not."

His comprehension of these humans had suddenly expanded. "I understand. In many ways, we are very much the same. But we are very different in other ways."

"And this is the larger secret, my friend, it is the differences which allow us all to grow."

"You are indeed wise. But, I think we should start the meeting now."

"Agreed. Did I help you understand?"

"Yes, Admiral Johnson. Thank you."

Leo stood up and approached the podium. He spread his arms wide which the Te'Hat recognized as like the Mat'Ma's call for silence. Leo waited for them to settle down and then began his briefing. He spoke without the microphone. Leo used the implant for the benefit of any humans which may also be attending. Melon translated his speech in their language using the microphone for any Mat'Mas which were not close enough to sense the Admiral's thoughts.

"Welcome to all who are attending this day. Most of you have traveled great distances to be here. I appreciate your efforts. I hope you are all well. First, I wish to update you on the current state of the planetary crisis."

"The human contingent has ninety-six command centers which service just over three thousand base camps assisting over ten thousand clans across the planet. Between the two ships in space, there are roughly five hundred thousand humans, of which half of that population is down here in some capacity. One of the biggest problems encountered is gravity. The first colonists who came here had to use exoskeleton devices which assisted them in moving around easier on your world. They eventually became used to the two times gravity. Since we had to send a great number of us down quickly, we had to manufacture an exoskeleton for each person on the planet."

"The second problem had been supplies. With many humans on the planet, support for food and equipment was immense. Alice, on board the Intrepid, ran logistics and coordinated the implementation of the operation. Getting equipment and supplies down on the planet quickly became a major challenge. The meteorite impact had been a scenario we just were not prepared for. At the year mark, your planet's time, logistics, and implementation have smoothed out greatly."

"The third problem to overcome was resources. We are currently operating at ninety percent capacity. Mining on the two moons has been in full swing for several years. This last year has put a strain on their capacity to output raw materials which can be used in the manufacturing of equipment and supplies. In rare circumstances, and with your permission, we have mined on the planet's surface for metals or elements which are not available on the moons. We do not wish to disrupt any place that could be of use to the Te'Hat."

"There were endless other smaller problems I will not take the time to run down for you here. There are kiosks or stations, you can ask it questions and will give you the latest statistics and explanations for most questions you may have. If you do not find an answer there, you can input, or tell it, what your questions are. After the meal, I will take the top ten or so topics and answer them for you. The purpose of these meetings is primarily for you to get the latest information to take back to your clans. I strongly urge you to ask the stations questions about your specific clan so timetables and statistic information is of direct use for you and your clan."

"Lastly, I want to personally thank all the Te'Hat which have volunteered their services in helping with the search and rescue teams and reconstruction of clan sites. There were others who served as liaisons and cultural interpreters. Females and even younglings have been of great service to your clans and the surrounding neighbors. Non-Elders and females have served as runners for messages and relaying instructions to neighboring clans. Brave younglings have helped in search and rescue to go where adults could not go when investigating cave-ins. All these things and more have greatly helped the relief effort and make our job easier. I encourage more Te'Hat participation so we can serve all the clans faster and more efficiently. You have much to be proud of. You may have heard of the smaller ceremonies congratulating Te'Hat on their contributions. And now we will break up for a few hours of our time, for you to use the stations and network amongst yourselves. If you need to see me, please try the station first, and if it is of utmost importance, I will try to hear your concerns. Remember, there are ten thousand of you and only one of me. Thank you again for your attendance."

He turned from the podium and spoke to Melon. "Alice says you did a wonderful job translating."

"It was my honor assisting you. I want to thank you for taking the time to help me understand the two-legs, I mean, the humans better. And I want to thank you personally again for helping my clan first in the disaster."

"Well, you were the closest and most familiar clan."

"This is true. However, thank you anyway."

"You are more than welcome Mat'Ma."

"It is alright to call me by my given name."

"Just honoring your station. I must head to my office down there to entertain the clans from afar."

"I will see you after the meal." He turned to go down into the crowd.

Leo followed him on his way to his temporary office which had interfaces that could help him with many of the possible problems the admiral may be asked to answer. Like in the other meetings, he was mobbed on his way to the office. Many Te'Hat were chattering in Leo's head asking him questions. He felt like the old movie stars slogging their way through the paparazzi. Leo stopped, knew he didn't have to shout for them to hear his thoughts, and told them they had to wait to speak with him in the office or go to a station. They let him pass and get to the office. He shut the door and sat for a few seconds to catch his breath. Leo called the security person at the outer door to let the first one in. "Hello, how can I help you..."

After meeting with about one hundred or so Mat'Mas, Leo finally got to catch a breather and have some lunch. The Mat'Mas were also heading to their mealtime. An area a short distance from the dome were fifty, one-hundred-foot shallow trenches which were filled with a variety of different foods the Te'Hat likes. None of it palatable by human standards, but it was like a buffet for them. They found it quite enjoyable since they could mill about from trough to trough and discuss things while they ate. This was a singular dining experience that did not occur in their own tunnels because of space considerations.

The rest of the day had been exhausting, but productive as in past meetings. Melon found over the last few meetings, the tone toward the humans changed. They went from fear and distrust to more respect and admiration. He had met many who felt the way he did, about repaying a debt to the humans. Melon explained the conversation he had with the admiral, and why they did not have to worry.

Melon headed home. The weary Mat'Ma came down the hill and spied Karleen waiting where she said she would, ready to go home. He quickened his pace a bit and gave her an affectionate touch. "Let's go home now." Melon said relieved the day was nearly over.

"Did the day go wrongly?" She saw how tired he appeared.

"These meetings are always tiring. It is like an Elder's meeting, except it goes on all day instead of just a short time. I am glad you are walking me home. Thank you."

"How did the day go?" She reminded him.

"I received the answers I was looking for. You were right, my always. Admiral Johnson can be trusted, and my feelings about owing a debt were unfounded." Melon looked sad from the way his antennae drooped.

"But that is glorious news, my always! See, I told you, solutions follow you always."

"I do not know if I am worthy of being Mat'Ma. I should have known I could trust Admiral Johnson. How can I lead our clan if my judgment is clouded with distrust?"

Karleen moved closer to Melon and touched him affectionately. "When things are unknown, caution is not the same as distrust. There was so much at stake. Who could say how much caution was needed? Only a fool would trust blindly when no information is present! I am sure Admiral Johnson forgives your suspicions and concerns."

"He has said as much. Admiral Johnson said he understood if the situation was reversed."

"He is wise for a two-leg! Learn from this, my always. That is how good Mat'Mas become great Mat'Mas.

They turned to walk down the rest of the hill. Melon's antennae were not so droopy now. "What would I do without you, my always?"

"I do not know, what would you do?"

Melon's steps were surer, and a lightness in his hearts lifted his spirits. Karleen was smart and keen for a female. She always knew just what to say. Like other times when he needed her, Melon had been thankful they continued to choose each other every mating season. He could not imagine being with any other.