Video

[tough_love]

Who: Princess Looma Red Wind
Broadcast: OPEN
Action: After broadcast (if it's wanted), in the markets around Dasil'di. She's gotta make sure she has everything she needs, after all!
When: Backdated to 3/13

[The Fleet's resident war princess, now bored of temple shenanigans and itching for more action, has decided the Bishop needs a little redecorating. So what better way to do that and alleviate some boredom than organizing a hunting party? That's why she'll appear over the network in a new, non-chewed-by-giant-water-beasties wetsuit and sporting a lot more Pointy Things than she started with. Four arms means you need way more harpoons and knives than the average human, after all!]

Attention fellow off-worlders! Many of you do not know me- I am Princess Looma Red Wind. For those of you not assisting the locals or cowering in your ships, I have a proposition.

This planet has no shortage of dangerous predators. I intend to kill some of them, and offer you the chance to accompany me. What you kill, you keep, though a portion must be given to the Dasioe as a tribute in good faith.

[She's mostly in it for the challenge, but she can't say no to being able to get a new trophy and food that doesn't come in gel form. She'll also be satisfying that new, nagging compulsion to help people who need it by giving a decent chunk of whatever she nabs to the locals for their own bellies. No one tell her they don't eat meat, that's weird.]

If you wish to accompany me, say so. You will have one day's time to prepare!

[The hulking alien princess almost ends the broadcast there, but seems to remember something just after shutting off the communicator, and quickly flickers back onto the screen.]

Oh! And if you happen to kill any creature with gills, keep it to yourself. The locals won't appreciate it. Good battle to you!

[Okay now she's done, and happily ends the broadcast with that unusual farewell.]

Comments

[tough_love]

One familiar to them. And I would not be undertaking this venture without their blessing.

[There is a definite, plainly implied warning to stop questioning her there. Not just in her tone, either- she's gotten very good at delivering pointed looks over the years.]

Now, you are either interested, or you are not. Only one of those options is worth my time, human.

[universal_charm]

_{[ Good luck with that. He gets those looks from Spock, Bones, Uhurah, and a number of the admiralty and dignitaries on the regular. He's learned to let it roll off him like a duck. ]}

I was just concerned - we don't want to be messing up local ecosystems and then just leave. As it is, I'm fine not tangling with things with to many teeth. Already did that with the giant moray.

And my name is Kirk, for the record. James Tiberius Kirk.

[tough_love]

I didn't ask.

But if you are uninterested in our excursion, Kirk James Tiberius, then I fail to see the point in contacting me.

[She's kind of from a world where environmental impact reports aren't a thing, so yeeeah.]

[universal_charm]

Indulge me - human manners.

_{[ He can play this game. ]}

Call me a concerned citizen. We should do no harm to the places we visit, after all, since we won't be here long enough to clean it up.

[tough_love]

I indulge you humans enough as it is. I have no interest in learning more of your customs.

[She's already adopted the finer points of "dealing with someone who annoys you without threatening to crush their skull" and that one took about as long as you'd expect.]

Even if your concerns were not misplaced, I fail to see how claiming a few predators would do any harm.

[That last part's an actual, honest statement- and consequently lacks the same level of obvious annoyance attached to everything that preceded it.]

[universal_charm]

Considering there are a lot of us in the Fleet, it might not be such a bad idea.

_{[ Logical argument is logical, god Spock you've gotten into him deep haven't you? ]}

Because ecosystems depend on a balance of predator versus prey animals. Removing even a few could damage that balance - it means the prey animals start populating out of control in most cases, which just leaves other problems.

_{[ It's always something that the Fleet takes into consideration when studying animals - you must understand the balance before you go in and do anything to it, especially if the desire is to capture one specimen for study, or even two. ]}

I just don't want these people being stuck with more problems than they already have.

_{[ Not to mention he isn't a big fan of hunting in the first place, but he doesn't quite say that. ]}

[tough_love]

[Oh, that suggestion gets a scoff.]

And I suppose if there were more Tetramands, you would be so eager to abide by all our customs? Most of you would be dead or maimed within one of your weeks.

[She has, fortunately, already grudgingly accepted that it's something best not applied to living with humans. Or any other race that can't take Tetramand levels of abuse.]

As for your other observation, the solution would be to simply cull the prey animals. Most beings understand how to count, after all. Or is that one of the differences between our universes?

[Yes, someone explained the whole "multiverse" thing to the giant alien brute and she actually listened. Admittedly, not during her jaunt around this universe, but it stuck all the same.]

[universal_charm]

I didn't say all the customs, just some. Though I can probably guess at a few of yours. Your culture is sounding similar to another race I'm quite familiar with.

_{[ Yes, maiming is bad. As is being dead, as Kirk knows. He would rather not have to go through that again, thank you very much. ]}

We have a similar practice in my world, but that's ineffective and costs a lot of manual effort in monitoring herds, watching for disease, as well as monitoring how it's affecting the rest of the environment in terms of available food. It also assumes that the local people even want to hunt, or don't have some other reason for not killing that particular animal. It's far more practical to keep the local predators in place.

_{[ So yeah, there are a lot of reasons, Looma. He is forever line facing at you because he always has the hardest time with the war monger races. ]}

[tough_love]

Oooh, now that sounds like fun!

[She'll leave the ecological stuff alone for now- this was a much more tempting topic. Besides, he'd already been assured everything was above board, so if that wasn't enough to satisfy him, he could pester the locals about it.]

Begin your guessing! I will correct or confirm for each one! In exchange, you will tell me of the race you are familiar with! I believe that is a fair trade, wouldn't you agree?

[She almost ends it there, but given her past dealings with humans, she does feel like one more thing needs clarifying. So she promptly raises both right hands and shows both open palms to the camera, evidently the Tetramand equivalent of a human oath.]

Oh, and be assured that no insult will be taken by your guessing, James Tiberius Kirk.

[Willfully spreading misinformation after the fact, however, that's another matter- one that she has a pretty good feeling she does not need to caution against.]

[universal_charm]

_{[ How had it turned into this? Really? He has a rather shocked look at first, not sure what to make of it, but hey, why not? He hadn't necessarily needed the reassurance, but it was nice all the same. Probably. None of this exchange was making a lot of sense, to be honest - almost giving him whiplash. ]}

Okay - I'm going to guess that your society puts a great deal of worth on martial prowess. Your status is earned through military exploits of some sort, or otherwise distinguishing yourself in some form of combat.

_{[ That felt like the easy one. ]}

[tough_love]

[Hopefully he didn't get too used to it, because with a guess that easy, he's certainly hammering away at any expectations she might have had. He's going to just get the flattest, most unimpressed look- because really, you're starting there? Still, she had agreed to it, there would be no backing out.]

You aren't wrong- but that's hardly all we care about. To the extent you are correct, the highest status is earned through battle and conquest- a warrior's strength and skill determines their status, and the greatest warrior is chosen to rule. Anything below that is not so easily determined.

[So, it is a pretty big thing, she'll give him that. But his assessment's also simplified to the point it leaves out everyone who isn't a warrior.]

But the whole galaxy knows of our love for battle- hardly an impressive observation. Let me guess, this other culture- they also enjoy battle?

[He's set the bar pretty low with that being his first guess, so is it any surprise she doesn't sound very excited at hearing that answer?]

lol, oh no what hole have I dug myself into?

[universal_charm]

_{[ Hey, have to start somewhere. Star small and build big, right? ]}

A little more than love. Their entire culture is built around conquest.

Which brings me to my next guess.

I'm going to guess that your culture, along with putting a lot of weight on martial prowess, puts even higher importance on 'honor' . This can be earned through battle, but it's essentially your specific code of ethics and conduct. Even if you win a battle, if you do so dishonorably, it casts you down in society's eyes.

_{[ He raises a brow, waiting to see if he's right or wrong. Such a thing would bring her quite close to the Klingon in some respects. ]}

idk but a Spock somewhere is probably proud

[tough_love]

[Well that was a bit better, she'll grant him that.]

Conquest can mean many things. We may not be as alike as you think.

[But he'd have to guess that out for himself, ha.]

As for honor- that guess is almost as bad as the first. Still, you are more right than wrong.

There are exceptions- but neither my father or I are among them. But we also do not tolerate it outside of battle. There is no honor in any deception- no matter how trivial it may seem to anyone else. Like my father, I also do not approve of lying, cheating, or breaking an agreement.

[So, not the person to have on your side if you plan on swindling anyone. To put it mildly.]

What else do you believe we have in common?

or horrified, lol

[universal_charm]

I didn't mean to imply it was only in battle you expected honor, it was just the example I gave.

And for clarification - I meant conquest in the general sense of taking what is not yours. In the case of the Klingon, they have built an empire through the taking of worlds and turning the people there into slaves.

_{[ He would hope Looma's people were not like that, and he does not think so given she seemed to be concerned with having the Native's blessing, but he doesn't necessarily think she has qualms claiming things that might not rightly belong to her either. ]}

Your preferred method of diplomacy is threats.

but tbf this is the longest he's ever gone at diplomacy / cultural exploration and NOT been attacked

[tough_love]

Then we are far from similar.

[And there's just enough obvious anger there that she'll definitely consider any implication an insult going forward. But, per her word, Kirk is safe for the time being.]

While we certainly can claim ownership of another's property on Khoros, even that has its limits. It is only permitted against those who would challenge our right to rule, and even with them we do not engage in slavery. Or the conquering of other worlds- even if the situation on Khoros is ever resolved. The culture you describe has far more in common with the Incursean Empire than we Tetramands.

[Momentary indignation aside, she should really get back to answering his questions. So after a brief moment to calm down, she's right back at it.]

Our preferred method is to avoid it. We prefer to keep to our own affairs, and extend the that courtesy to others. If we threaten violence, it is because that is often the most assured way to end whatever situation we are dealing with- be it an outsider interfering in our affairs, or someone foolish enough to insult us.

Re: but tbf this is the longest he's ever gone at diplomacy / cultural exploration and NOT been atta

[universal_charm]

'The situation on Khoros'?

_{[ He's shoving everything else aside to focus on that. He would admit he had jumped to some conclusions given her attitude and the way she had reacted to him, but he wasn't entirely wrong either in that she and the Klingon did share some traits. He had found, though, that many warrior races did to some extent. None were carbon copies of each other. Far from. But traits such as honor seemed to always crop up as very important within their cultures. ]}

I'm guessing that is your home world?

[tough_love]

[She'll just nod her head once in affirmation on that one.]

There is no unified power in place like on other worlds. Rival kingdoms and Houses battle for dominion over the rest of the planet.

It is likely we had a unified kingdom at some point, but no Tetramand can even recall hearing of it. No one can! We are just taught that it has been this way for at least several hundred years.

[And very likely predates human history because they are a very stubborn bunch]

[universal_charm]

Has a council of the houses and kingdoms ever been tried? Or is one in place?

_{[ It just feels like such a waste to spend all that time fighting. His world had already done so and it hadn't done much for them honestly. It just left a rather sad and sometimes embarrassing history behind. Not that he wasn't proud of certain aspects of his world. He was. But their history could make a person wince for sure. ]}