Haruun Kal Civil War

Haruun Kal Civil War

Yet Haruun Kal had never known peace. The planet's extreme environment had also given rise to some remarkable species.

The most valuable among them was the Diesel tree (Thyssel tree). Its roots were highly developed, and after absorbing the toxic substances deep beneath Haruun Kal's surface, it had developed unique properties.

If eaten raw, its bark caused intense hallucinations and excitement in the brains of intelligent beings, far stronger than ordinary spice. Consuming too much could even cause irreversible, permanent brain damage, leaving a person forever lost in fantasy.

But more wonderfully, if systematically roasted and processed, the harmful effects of Diesel tree bark could be removed. Its powerful hallucinogenic and stimulating effects remained, while its side effects nearly vanished—less harmful even than a glass of light wine.

Moreover, because of its unique growing conditions, the tree was practically impossible to cultivate artificially.

Thus, Thyssel tree bark became an extremely expensive commodity. Many wealthy people in the Inner Rim and Core Worlds favored this side-effect-free spice. And because chewing Thyssel tree bark stained one's teeth red for a day or two before it faded, two nobles revealing red teeth to one another would often exchange knowing smiles.

(Yes, this stuff was based on betel nut.)

With something so valuable, it naturally attracted covetous eyes.

Ever since the Diesel tree had been discovered, bounty hunters and smugglers had begun coming to Haruun Kal to harvest its bark. These people gradually formed communities of their own, hunting the forest's animals in large numbers and extracting Thyssel tree bark.

This brought them into fierce conflict with the native Korunnai.

The Korunnai lived a very simple nomadic life. Their occasional exchanges with other planets mostly involved buying daily necessities and small spacecraft capable of leaping between different mountain peaks. The