Chapter 321: Guide Needed
Salem adjusted the saddle on the horse. "So... you still have not explained our plan." Atlas pointed out as he adjusted his own saddle. Ram was out repairing the ship with Attilo. But Marcus had come over and joined the rest of them in the village and brought what Salem requested.
Which were just a bunch of laser rifles. But they had a longer range than most other rifles. They would also be far more quiet than their other weapons. She also had an idea on how to take down those personal shields they were using. That was the main reason they would be using them. That and the only other option was a bolt action rifle. They were not exactly kitted for a fight against enemies since they were sent to find someone.
Ram and Attilo were out repairing the ship. But Ram was furious since they had used a method he had never seen before. It looked like a ball of electro magnetic power that was used to knock out the ship’s power but it did not do the same to Ram. It even knocked Marcus and Attilo unconscious. It took him breaking open the power core to figure out what had happened.
They had used a method of remote electrical programming that would knock out non-sentient systems and organic lifeforms. Apparently during the Rogue Metal Legions’ rise it was a weapon. But it was also quickly outlawed and banned by the Rogue Metal Legion after they managed to get recognition.
Making the fact that they were using something AI both made and banned an annoyance for him. Not to mention it resulted in the majority of the ship’s systems being damaged; they could not even call the Union to let them know what they had found. He would have to go through and repair everything. It would take at least a month to get off the planet. But it would only take a week to fix the long range communications. So she had him working on that first.
Meanwhile she would have both Marcus and Dag stay here in town with laser rifles. In case the bandits came back while she, Atlas, and Yuti were going to their base. She had already taken them aside and explained to them the fault in the personal shielding technology that the bandits were using.
Now Salem, Yuti, and Atlas were setting the horses that had stayed behind when the bandits had run. She along with the others were going to ride the horses out to the bandit hideout and break in.
"I will when we get there." Salem responded with a chuckle already feeling excited by the idea she had. She was not sure about the internal structure of the bandit hideout. But she could say for certain that this idea was going to be annoying for the bandits at the very least.
"I am going with you." Salem turned to see Jebidiah up on a horse. He was still eyeing her with suspicion and doubt. Apparently he did not trust her despite seeing that she and her counterpart were two different people.
"No, we are not going to take time to protect you-" Salem started but was stopped by another person.
"Do not worry about it. He is not worried about you doing something silly. He is actually worried about the Kitinol." Madame Oracle explained as she walked over. The man that was working the counter was following her.
"I thought the Kitinol had been wiped out from this planet." Salem pointed out as she patted the horse. "Why would we need to worry about them?"
"Because we lied to the republic. We were here as a colony before they existed. We use a method of mind control and telepathy to keep them away from the village." Madame Oracle declared as she touched the horse and then patted the chitin growths that were on the skin. "That of course meant that the horses and other beasties adapted to the environment and gained some bug-like features. But this method works for us. It usually keeps bandits and pirates off our planets since they get surprised by the Kitinol."
Salem sighed as she realized where this was going, "so we are going to need a guide." She looked at Jebidiah, "and your son here knows the way to the bandit base and a way for us to avoid the Kitinol." She frowned and then shook her head and sighed. "Okay, but you are staying by the horses."
"One more thing before you go." Madame Oracle pulled something out and handed it to Salem. Salem blinked and then looked down at the wood carving of a tiger. It kind of reminded her of Cho. "Never doubt your path child, for you are walking your own path not another’s."
Madame Oracle then stepped back as Salem pulled herself up onto the horse. Pocketing the wooden carving as she thought about the woman’s ominous words. Yuti and Atlas pulled themselves onto their own horses as well.
Salem nodded to Jebidiah and he began riding his horse toward the direction the bandits had run. Salem was about to do the same but a young child ran out waving something. So Salem slowed as the child held up a cowboy hat for her. "So we can tell the difference!" The child told her nervously as she stood on her tippy toes.
Salem smiled and accepted the hat putting it on. She then winked at the child as they backed up. Salem quickly rode away to catch up to the others who had gained some distance.
This was a nice small town. It would do well when the Victorium and Vexical Military came to take control of the system. She expected it would actually be more popular among the Victorium if her idea about their fascination with human culture was right.
But for now she would have to do her best to get to the bottom of this strangeness. As well as stop this morphed reflection from giving her any worse of a bad name.