The Lani People

Jac Kennon, a freshly minted veterinarian, spots a striking advertisement promising an unusually high salary for a newcomer on Kardon, a frontier world still in early development. The five‑year contract seems too generous, and he crunches the numbers, seeing a potential cash cushion that could launch his own clinic. With only a modest credit balance, a diploma, and a ticket home, he decides to take the gamble and apply.

Kardon itself is a bowl‑shaped valley dotted with white, butter‑colored towns framed by untamed forests, a place where modern comforts are scarce but opportunities abound. For Kennon, raised among the stars, the planet’s raw simplicity feels oddly inviting, offering a chance to become indispensable among its fledgling livestock farms. As he drafts his application, the sun‑lit horizon hints at both professional promise and the unknown challenges of frontier life.