Hidden Secrets

It isn't a particularly bright day for Tashana, the Shawana or High Priestess of Shakaran, as she is not looking forward to the dreaded council meeting. Political discussions aren't exactly her forte, especially not with Vareljo, the Regent of Shakaran, known as the Kavarin, who has a blazing hatred for the clerics. However, soon after the council meeting, her best friend, Kitanjo just barely avoids a collision with an alien ship as it crash-lands on Shakaran. Tashana's immediate worries are forgotten as the two of them set out to investigate the crashed spaceship.Laris, Captain of the Traveller, is not having a great day either. While dealing with the ongoing complaints of her passengers, her ship is hit by an ion storm and is flung into unknown space. As they are sent hurtling towards an alien planet with no means of avoiding a crash-landing, Laris fears that this will be the end, and she begins to pray to all the gods who may listen.The survivors of the ship are offered temporary refuge by the Shakari.The society on Shakaran, with their money-free democratic system, functions quite differently than that which the Sarvians are used to. While they await their fate to be determined, the Sarvians and Shakari are forced into each other's company. This becomes a time of discovery and learning experience for both. Their resilience and courage are tested to the limits.Will the Shakari help building a new ship for the Sarvians? How will the Sarvians cope with the cultural differences they are confronted with?The novel includes quite a few images of characters and surroundings. For those who only have black & white devices and would like to see the images in colour: I will upload most of them to RedBubble (see link in my Smashwords profile).