Expedition Travels to Bocastraeon

(1) The expedition members manage to sleep, but they don't sleep long. They roll out before noon - only about four hours after falling onto their cots, given Naeya's day which is roughly 30% shorter than Cyhnon's (and slightly shorter than the prototerran standard.)

Ester A'Dab comes out reading a copy of "My Sisters Can't be Dictators", shaking her head. She looks up "Ah, good morning everyone."

Corporal Jaxon: nods to the ladies and resumes checking the equipment.

Nolae is waiting. Even before the group finds the coffee that Corporal Jaxon's thoughtfully made, she says, "Today we must make it to the hideout in the village, if the wind allows. There you will get training and work on being accepted by the locals which will be very important."

Kaori has brought her carrylab out of the tent, and as Nolae speaks she opens it and places two soil samples in separate compartments for analysis. She looks up. "Good. There are such large gaps in our local knowledge." She checks her readout. "Yes, the islet's volcanic - and there are interesting silicates in the sand." She grins. "It's very valuable sand, from a manufacturer's perspective." She sets the samples aside and puts empty tubes in the empty spaces in her leather armbands. "I'm glad the planet hasn't lost the art of glass and ceramics - or that it's revived them."

Nolae says, "Priestess Kaori we need to get used to not using that for now on while here"

Kaori nods. "Yes - hence glass tubes, rather than plastex. A couple contain herbal headache remedies that were known on ancient Shylzan so they should be all right here. The lab stays on the island, unless you think it's a reasonable risk to take it to the hideout." She closes the lab and sets it back inside the tent.

Nolae continues. "I have one very important warning to give you. This needs to be understood so you do not go off getting yourselves killed."

Kaori turns back to Nolae attentively.

"The Shadow Knight and I have been researching and hunting a mysterious killer in the wilderness areas around the village." This time, as Nolae says 'Shadow Knight,' Kaori gets a clear image from the surface of Nolae's mind: John in medieval dress, arms crossed, standing next to Nolae on a bank above a body of water. Behind them are small sailboats; in the distance are dark mountains.

"Hmm killer in what sense?" Ester asks.

Nolae says, "From what we have gathered so far we believe it is a shadow assassin clan like we have seen in the old Cyhnon Federation."

Ester seems unstirred. "Well, as predicted, someone is breaking the treaty. and this Shadow Assassin is killing locals?"

Kaori frowns. "I may be able to detect them, but my training so far hasn't dwelt too much on what to do about them."

"It appears the Original Colonists may have arranged this to rid the planet of outsiders. They seem to target anyone that publicly uses forbidden tech or does not appear to be from Naeya. We have been successful in keeping them away from the village for a while. I think they have realized that we are Shadow hunters with special skills so they keep their distance now."

Kaori blinks slowly. "So why would a clan engaged to get rid of outsiders be killing Naeyans? Are we going into a hotbed of technological revival?"

"The locals believe they are like some kind of Spirit that punishes those who use or build forbidden tech. That is why this planet has not progressed in their technology over the 1000 cycles after being established."

Kaori shakes her head. "No wonder they fell into warfare and can't break the 300 million mark for population. Kill creativity - kill invention - kill the culture. The miracle is that they've survived the experiment - so far."

Ester says, "What is lost can be remade, so it is written."

Kaori smiles thinly. "Except that we have a treaty to keep. Unless some other party has broken it beyond repair, these people stay as they are. Peace in this generation - but that may have the effect of further stagnation." She shakes her head, pulling her padd out of a pocket and removing Lee's data crystal from it. "Nolae, does this crystal look enough like a local cut to pass? I was ordered to keep it with me - although the contents aren't as secret as the sharer seemed to think."

Nolae expands on the explanation. "This is planet was colonized by a group that believed it was Technology that destroyed their world of Shylzan so they believed. There was an agreement, maybe a Treaty, but not sure what it was called but an official agreement that this planet would be protected from outsiders so their chosen society or culture would be maintained. Now most of the locals don't know a lot of their past. There are some writings kept. I believe the Monk has a lot of history. I have collected a lot also but many consider the old writings to be evil and dangerous to even read."

"I suspect the reason the High Priestess had me study ancient Aerok was exactly to read them - a thousand non-tech, nonliterate cycles change a language so it's not too useful for interpersonal communication. I just hope any important texts aren't in ancient Ailartsuan." She does quick head math. "1600 Naeyan years, I mean. We have to avoiid thinking in Cyhnon cycles, or galactive standard years."

Ester says, "I am bit alarmed they are murdering someone because he decided a fork was good idea to eat his meals with?"

Kaori grins. "I hope that means chopsticks are expected. Much easier than forks for some items."

"Matter of personal taste, but most technology is quite prosaic"

Nolae says, "We have both languages in the books here but the Monk seems to know the Ailartsuan very well. I am more familiar with the Aerok. The hideout will be our outpost and its resources will help a lot. We need to get there today while the wind' s right for sailing into the harbour, so we will be leaving soon, to arrive before we have to fight the evening breeze from the land. One more point - we need to keep with the cover story for your group. Kaori needs to be called Priestess, she is the leader of the pilgrimage to meet the Unity Monk. I am like a guardian. All others are some kind of aid or helper for the Priestess."

Kaori nods. "Yes, we were briefed early on that much! Not much else, but that. We didn't even get the planetary survey report until last week." More slowly, she adds, "Perhaps, if the danger is a contracted Shadow clan, it means the Monk himself is perceived by them as a danger, and anyone who follows him as part of it."

"Yes I do agree. They do seem to not bother the Monk for some reason. Almost like the ones on Cyhnon stayed away from Myeong Gai Priestesses."

Kaori's eyebrow rises slightly. "Now that is interesting. Is the Monk a telepath, do you think?"