Just as we were making preparations to return, I got an answer (in words not combat probes) to my daily message declaring my peaceful intentions!
The Grassbladians must have grown a tiny bit accustomed to my continued presence, or perhaps they tire from going red alert every time I send a friendly message in local.
Theodosius Savnar > Greetings, Grassbladians.
Theodosius Savnar > I am an explorer, interested in the regions bordering Jove space; I am flying around in an unarmed anathema and my intentions are peaceful.
Theodosius Savnar > Have any of you observed any anomalies, perhaps abandoned gates, specifically related to the Jove?
Dr Rebot > I have not sir, pardon the histeria but the unarmed exploration ships tend to be the most dangerous
Polite, even!
Dr. Rebot must have recognized a fellow academic, or looked up my record, and that instilled trust in him. This could be either my academic record, or my 100% snuggly combat record.
Dr. Rebot explained that the Grassbladian peasants have been tormented by a deadly gang of robber pirates. They are led by a devilish woman, only known by her mysterious callsign "Flight Deck". She pilots a buzzard-class exploration vessel, fitted with a cynosural field generator.
She approaches unsuspecting travelers, peasants, miners or any other Grassbladians that she encounters, sometimes luring them with siren calls or false promises. When she is close enough, she paralyzes her prey's warp drive and then her associates jump over to her ship, and kill all those nearby.
Flight Deck has been a real scourge all over the Grassbladian systems, and their King cannot deliver his subjects from this robber gang. The poor Grassbladians have been living in terror of this witch. Naturally, when I appeared in the Indagatrix, they assumed that it was a ruse, that she had used some witchcraft to disguise herself in a respectable Amarrian friar. That was the cause of their "hysteria" as Dr. Rebot diagnosed it.
Ah, if only I were a valiant paladin! I would offer my sword to bring peace and justice to the Grassbladians. King Vulpine would offer his daughter in marriage, but I would refuse, contenting myself with the knowledge of having done a good work. Alas, I am but an unarmed friar, unskilled in combat. Moreover, I have a vow of celibacy.
Anyway, the good doctor offered a simple remedy to gain their trust:
Dr Rebot > perhaps an Astero might be a better choice as it cannot fit a cyno
Of course! I will remember this next time I explore barbarian lands in the outer rim. Soon, the other Grassbladians were chiming in with less useful tips:
Perfect Stance > explore with a drake next time
I think I will stick to the Astero. In fact, I have one, the Ratakh Hubrau. I consider it a gift of God at the start of my quest, even before I joined the Societas. Now I finally learned its purpose, and for that Dr. Rebot has my gratitude.
