"Yes, captain," Szazzkur spoke up. He had been considering the matter for some time now during the voyage, and this could very well be his last opportunity to voice his concerns.

"While we should assume by default that the locals are friendly, or at least would be friendly once they have a chance to understand our intentions in venturing here, we must not forget that we know nothing of their culture, their religion, or of their form of goverment. We know nothing, Captain, and for all we know they know nothing of us. We must remember that what we would consider a normal greeting could very well be the highest insult for them, and vice versa.

"The situation could go bad, and very easily," he continued, "and what I would ask, Captain, is what do we do if this venture turns out to be more than we expected?"