Synopsis: Legacy's Choice

Plot Synopsis for Legacy’s Choice

Part 1

Qual-ne confronts his brother Quant-ne with his pride and a Steinian priest challenges the youth to face the reality of the differences between the privileged and the impoverished on their world.

Quant-ne leaves the capital in secret and apprentices himself to a maverick teacher, a Shan’ka who has devoted his life to training talented but common students. This teacher accepts Quant-ne as an apprentice but has him start as a common servant to the students already in the school. Quant-ne faces his pride and the prejudice against the privileged class on his world. After the initial resentful response from all the students, Quant-ne begins to befriend some of the students, while not flaunting his privileged heritage.

Tension builds between Quant-ne and the more advanced students. This eventually leads to a confrontation and Quant-ne accepts a challenge to a feat of courage: Jumping off a cliff into the ocean. His closest school friend joins him and is seriously injured. To insure his friend’s treatment Quant-ne must reveal his privileged status.

The Shan’ka uses the opportunity to tell Quant-ne he knew, Quilcan-ne (Quant-ne’s father) and that although status is not a thing for pride it is also not a source of shame. The teacher then places Quant-ne as a full student and appoints him the successor to the school.

After Quant-ne’s installation as Shan’ka, his teacher trains the young man to be his shi-chung bearer to the gathering. Quant-ne fulfills this responsibility, marries Shyol-nes and returns to the school. He then establishes a series of schools throughout the world to make training in the sing’ha’ti more available to the common people of the world.

Part 2

Shymmel-nes, the second in rank in the political system, announces her intention to retire due to failing health. This generates a world wide Challenge to revamp the High Council.

Quant-ne and his network of instructions/students participate in this Challenge resulting in three of them ranking in the Council. Tension ensues between Quant-ne and his brother Qual-ne who also makes the Council.

This tension is further exacerbated when Quant-ne selects a talented and untrained youth, from the ‘Nesh (a heretical sect which does not acknowledge the Astrixian Gods nor the temple’s authority). This act creates an opportunity for the widow and aide of the disgraced treasonous Zilkay-ne to foment civil unrest.

In the ensuing riots and planetary turmoil, Quant-ne and Qual-ne unite to expose the conspiracy. Quant-ne realized that he has become the focus of the tension and decides to leave for the good of his world. He barely escapes and only the sacrifice of the ‘Nesh aide does he flee into the skyway for a self-imposed exile.