[snip]

After a moment passed where the priestess spoke to the Elder who in turn replied something where then the priestess was speaking quietly to the other lower tiered Elders finally relayed this back yet again to the High Elder. After a nod she spoke, =/\= After consulting His council below him, and consideration, the High Elder has decreed you may review the scrolls of knowledge except for the Ancient Texts which are to the left most corner on the highest shelf. Those are the ones most sacred to us and not for outsiders, not even those you called Klingons were allowed to view them, for which they respected. Agree to this and your person may look while under my guidance or by one of my appointed acolytes. =/\= She said.

=/\= Thank you, =/\= Glen replied, =/\= this is also agreeable to us. =/\=

Hunter gave a quick nod , his interest peaked at the mention of the ancient scrolls but had no other alternative then to obey.

After this she added, =/\= The High Elder also has agreed that your trade of aide to us is acceptable, he inquires to know what amount of Sun Crystals you wish for this in barter? =/\= She said.

=/\= How many would you think was reasonable and fair? =/\= Glen asked her. =/\= And before you answer that, they are in great demand, and we could probably take all that you can supply. However, as a valuable resource for your planet, I would advise you not to deplete it completely for a short term gain, but to maintain it for future generations to use. As I told you earlier, I’m a pilot not a diplomat. I’m a soldier not a negotiator. Officials from the Federation of Planet will visit you and begin trade negotiations and I have no doubt that you will hold out for the best deal you can get from them. =/\=

The doctor asked Verity if she would accompany him with her U.T and also if they would be able to read the context which would help ascertain its meaning.. If not he would drag the tall woman with the spear along .

Nodding in agreement, understanding the importance of maintaining the planet’s valuable resource while still benefiting from fair trade. Verity spoke up, her voice calm and measured. “It is not our intention to deplete the Sun Crystals as it would not be in the best interest of your people. We should negotiate a fair exchange that ensures the sustainability of your resources while meeting our needs as well.”

She turned her attention to the priestess, addressing her directly. “Honored Priestess, we appreciate the High Elder’s willingness to engage in trade negotiations with the Federation of Planets. This will ensure that both our peoples can benefit from a mutually beneficial arrangement. As for the amount of Sun Crystals we seek, we would be grateful for a modest quantity that allows us to establish a foundation for trade. We can discuss specific numbers and terms in detail when the Federation officials arrive.”

There was another murmur among the High Elder to those near him and the priestess. She then nodded and replied, =/\= You speak of being only one who error unknown word and being a solider not a diplomat. The High Elder wishes an answer to his query, we know what those you call Klingon wanted in exchange rates for their education to us, and to their support and enlightenment of what you call sciences and of others who ply the Heavens. Va tells us even before his supposed Agents came to us and enlightened us further, that some must make choices in the moment. The High Elder says you must make a choice if you wish to trade further for our Sun Crystals regardless of what value they hold. He says you must make a choice, further choices may come later from your officials, but right now, you Captain John T Glen must make such clear now in offer. =/\= She stated with a beefy finger point to him as if to drive home her point. Verity’s words just a moment ago seemed moot, they accepted it as part of the trade talks, but the High Elder wanted Glen to make a choice/offer, any choice/offer was fine it seemed but maybe it was just the act of being willing to make a choice or offer for better or worse that the High Elder wanted to see?

The group got the feeling that despite the perhaps rough tone or demand to the words. The High Elder especially seemed inclined to do what was best in his mind for his people within the scope of Va’s Wisdom whether pre-klingons or post-klingons. The group might also suspect that though these natives were quite primitive they also were not stupid as one might expect. The idea that even though they had been enslaved and in a fashion lied too by the Klingons did not bother them and in their own way had used the Klingons for their own short or longer term means whether their enslavers knew or not was up for debate.

While Aphelion and Hunter followed the appointed acolytes and went away to read the ancient scrolls, Captain Glen stayed behind to speak to the High Elder via the Priestess’s interpretation, just a little while longer. In the meantime, various other groups from the landing party and the shuttlecraft where being beamed back to the ship without warning.

=/\= If you insist on a numerical value for the number of sun crystals being exchanged to be made right now, then I propose that we take exactly the same number that the Klingons took. This will provide continuity for your miners and provide them with work, if that was partly you concern. What exactly was your arrangement with the Klingons in this regard? =/\= John T Glen asked.

OOC: We might split this thread here.

Verity then turned to the doctor, responding to his query about the ancient scrolls.

“Doctor, I will accompany you,” she said with a determined expression. “With the assistance of my universal translator, we should be able to decipher the context and meaning of the scrolls. Let us respect their cultural boundaries and proceed with caution.”

Verity picked up her universal translator, ensuring it was fully functional and ready for use.

‘’Great lets do it then ‘’Hunter replied grabbing her hand and leading Verity inside the hut. Being tall enough, he reached three of the scrolls laid them down on the ground and rolled opened the first one, knowing full well he would be unable to read its context without the help of Verity and her U.T.

As Hunter and Verity got to the scroll shelves with the two acolytes, they were able to reach the scrolls without trouble. Going by scans the tricorder could tell this scroll and case were about 80 or so years old. Made of a tanned fibrous and cloth/hide mixture native to the planet. Translating the writing was harder then the spoken language of the natives. So it took a little bit but soon the gist of the scroll was more or less decoded. The scroll front and back spoke of an appearance of Va’s ghost in the sky, it spoke of a great storm and shaking of the ground for many leagues around both to the northern and southern tribes. The scroll went on to describe some kind of vision that the High Elder prior to the current one had. Speaking of a great foundational change to the tribal lives and to Va’s Body. About 50 years ago near the end of the scroll highlights it seems the arrival of the Klingons who were heralded as Va’s Agents.

The next scroll Hunter would get ahold of was made much the same as the first, Its age was about 30 years old. After a moment more he got another gist of the scroll’s contents. The Klingons it seems had spoken over the past 30 years since their arrival and enslavement of the northern tribe as miners as being a period of enlightenment. The current High Elder they just were speaking too it seems heralded his tribal followers to embrace Va’s Agents ideals the concept of hard living, strength, honor, back breaking labor, conquering and such which while they had been present to some degree previously became more evident in the northern tribe’s society. Those who had been ‘blessed’ by Va were shown to have grown stronger, heartier, wiser, and smarter. While those tribes to the south who had mostly shunned such blessings, had continued to exist outside the sphere of influence of the Klingons or the northern tribe. While contact remained the southern tribe retreated further south into the deep hills and caves of the planet.

The next scroll Hunter got was one it seems of an older nature then the first two. Made the same true, but more fragile, it was well over 140 some years old. This scroll spoke of a period of sickness and drought among the northern and southern tribes. Each seeming to blame the other for one slight or another. It spoke of how Va’s Blessings for both tribes were seen as different sides of the same coin. Further information during this period spoke of high birth rates despite the sickness and droughts. The woman of the tribes it seemed made their men mate more for some unstated reason with the idea that more children would appease Va. It seems by the end of this period almost 20 years later the sicknesses and droughts had ended and the newer generation of children had been engulfed in Va’s Light and taken up to His Heavens.

Most of the rest of the scrolls seemed mostly the same in some form or another that they were given access too. Birth rates, information on the two major tribal factions to north and south, their relations, major events in the sky, health of the tribes, major choices or changes swayed by what the High Elder of the time for either tribe said was given by a vision of Va.

• Glen, CO