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the Ruby Empire.
    Unfortunately, the empire had soon fallen. It wasn’t until a few centuries ago that the Raylican people had regained star travel. As they spread out across space again, they split into two factions, the Skolian Imperialate and the Eubian Concord. When Earth’s children finally reached the stars, they found their siblings already here, busily building their two empires. Earth formed a third civilization, the Allied Worlds. As far as Roca knew, this was the first time the Allieds had claimed an ancient Ruby colony.
    “This world,” she asked. “Hold it many people?”
    “Not a lot. We estimate two hundred thousand, all on this continent.” Brad rubbed his chin. “The Dalvador Plains have relatively small villages, but if you cross the mountains to the Rillian Vales, you’ll find larger towns. The Blue Dales are high in the northern mountains. Nomadic archers live there.”
    The names sounded like music to Roca. “Make you contacts with people?” Belatedly, her node suggested, Do you have many contacts with the people here?
    “Some.” His mood dimmed. “A resort company on Earth plans to develop the area, put up hotels, spas, that sort of thing.”
    It sounded like a good way to ruin a beautiful land. “People in village—know they you?” She meant to ask if the villagers knew about the resort, but it didn’t sound right. After a second, her node suggested, Do they know about this?
    “Most of them know me.” Brad grinned, creasing the laugh lines around his eyes. “I enjoy their visits to the port. I’m the entire staff, so it’s great to have neighbors.”
    Roca could see why they sought his company. “They are like you?” No, that wasn’t right. She wanted to ask if they were generally friendly toward offworlders.
    “Actually, they aren’t much like us.” His mobile face became thoughtful. “Their culture has backslid a lot. They have virtually no health sciences and know nothing about electricity. They no longer even have a written language.”
    None of it surprised Roca, except perhaps the lack of written language. This wouldn’t be the first Ruby settlement to lose its technology during its millennia of isolation. She spoke carefully. “This world is old Ruby colony.”
    “Don’t the Ruby settlers descend from your ancestors?”
    She nodded, relieved he understood. “Yes. They are part of us. Family, you see. Such worlds we think as Skolian.”
    Brad gave her a rueful look. “I don’t really know the politics. I just run the port.”
    “Is pretty world. I see why your businesspeople are wishing to develop it.” She thought of the pristine countryside. “Is sad, though, if they hurt this land.”
    His face flashed with anger. “Yes! The company honchos just care about money. The people here don’t understand. They think we come from some province over the mountains. The resort planners are going to rob them of their lands, lives, and world, and they don’t have a clue.”
    “Can someone help?” She tilted her head. “Someone like you, who has caring for their world?”
    “Lord knows, I wish I could. But if I hinder the developers, it conflicts with my job.” He pushed his hand across his tightly curled hair. “I might be able to help a bit, though, if I’m careful.”
    “I wish luck to you.” A distant rumble tugged at her awareness. She tilted her head. “Hear you noise?”
    “What do you mean?”
    The rumble deepened. “It come here.”
    Brad sat up straighter, his forehead furrowing. “I don’t—” Suddenly he laughed, an open, hearty sound. “Hah! They must have seen your ship land. They probably think it was the supply ship.”
    “The villagers?”
    “You got it.”
    Roca blinked. Got it? Her node had trouble with that one. Nor was she sure why villagers would come to the ship. Surely it didn’t provision the native population. Even if people here had somehow acquired the credit to buy offworld goods, selling to natives was of questionable