Chivalry, Bushido, Honor and Glory
Hello! I'm new here, but endlessly fascinated with a certain pair of species: the Yehat and the Shofixti.
The Yehat and the Shofixti are truly interesting to me--enough to speculate endlessly on them. Yes, we get quite a bit of info, but not enough for me! So...lemme run through this. Please do comment upon anything lackluster, as I tend to have a SEVERE problem with articulation.
The Shofixti are the Yehat's children, this is clear. But...if that is the case...why would the Queen abandon them at all? Even if she still allied with the Ur-Quan, why would she not make an attempt to save the Shofixti? It stands to reason that, once upon a time, her ancestor gave the order to uplift the Shofixti, and there must be diplomatic relations at the least...so why?
My answer? Only the Starship Clans ever formed that bond. Think about it. Even when they uplifted the Shofixti, it's not at all likely the entire planet will uproot itself to deal with that. And afterwards, well, they say it in game--the Homeworld warlords have never even set foot on a starship. At least, that seems to be implied, as the exact quote is "nae seen true combat", but with peace on their planet, the only "true combat" is in space.
So who's there to teach the Shofixti, watch them with pride as they learn, as they contribute the resources needed to give them a good chance as sentients? The Starship Clans. In pretty much every sense they took the role of adopted parents...and the bond of teacher, if the cultures their's are based on are any indication, is a powerful one to begin with, so that aided the race-bond as well.
Now, the Shofixti...if I'm right, death was pretty much an inevitability to the lot of them since their culture's beginning, if their fast rate of reproduction/maturation is ANY indication. They'd have lifespans roughly a quarter to a half of a human lifespan--hard to tell, as Tanaka/Katana never said how old they were when their species nearly wiped itself out. There were about twenty, twenty-five years between the two, at any rate. And that HAD to have developed as a result of natural predation (
zarla happened to point that out in some sketches, and I definitely agree) so death must have been a constant threat to them and their offspring. So, the Glory Device was probably their way of maximizing their potential in combat, without having to adapt to a new set of "instincts"--a Scout is small, short-ranged, much like a Shofixti. However, what ELSE does a Shofixti do? It dies. They just made that a weapon.
That SAID, the Yehat, while accepting it is noble to die for the sake of others, would want to instill a healthy respect for LIVING too. I doubt that Yehat have many children in their lifetimes, perhaps three or four at the OUTSIDE, considering their clan nature. Shofixti, meanwhile, seem to put rabbits to shame--so a few lost Shofixti are practically NOTHING. Particularly with an uplifted culture that reduces death rates. The Yehat, by this point having formed at least a teacher-student bond with that race, would need to teach them about the value of LIFE. They already seem to have the value of death down.
Now, with the Shofixti crew being so small compared to a Yehat crew, I have a theory as to how the parent-children bond developed. As I said, the Yehat would not have many children in their lifetime, and most likely they leave those children in their homeworld Clanhomes, to be raised by whatever clan members were unable to pilot--those who can't, teach, after all. They imply their eggs are left in a single place, so a planetbound Clanhome makes the most sense. Therefore, a Yehat in a Starship clan will, more likely than not, never be able to raise children. But, they still have parental instincts, otherwise the homeworld clans wouldn't work either, and I ASSUME fresh blood is occasionally brought in.
So, let's say they teach a Shofixti Scout tactics, to make them more effective. With the small size of the Scout's crew, it would be easy for individual instruction to take place. And, as they would be teaching them things they would one day teach their grown children, a bond most likely similar to what their Clan forms would begin to form. However...with only a few MONTHS until maturation, I doubt the Shofixti soldiers would know MUCH. Enough, perhaps, but not MUCH--their mothers would be raising more children then their instincts can take, as their litters were to make up for heinous amounts of predation. So, the Yehat would teach them things they'd teach hatchlings and fledglings too.
And, instinct being instinct...that's where the bond began to form. The Yehat would teach them of war and strategy, and then give them little gifts of FunROMS and endearments, and hold them as close to their hearts as their own children would have been. The Shofixti, being protected, taught, and guided by the Yehat, would view them as their parents--infallible, invincible, immortal (because of their lifespans), trusted. Shofixti culture would learn the value of life, and of honor...and yet still always remember that in death they can fix the mistakes of the living.
So let's go to the more recent events. The Queen allying with the Ur-Quan. They said this one was a true harridan, compared to previous queens, and I think I know why. Power-shift. If the Homeworld clans wished for a more tractable queen, they need only to influence one from birth onwards. And if properly distracted (by, say, alliances, impending war, that sort of thing) the previous Queen wouldn't even notice, until it was too late.
So, power shifted to the Homeworld Clans. The importance of bloodline seems to be the best bet on what they taught her. With the Starship clans not staking much importance in bloodline over experience, she would not stake much importance on them. As for the Shofixti, they would be allies, true, but wasting resources, lives, and possibly angering the Ur-Quan over them? No way. So she gave the order to withdraw.
The Shofixti, with their parents, were willing to to fight. Willing to defend, perhaps even evacuate to another planet, to raise up some more troops, if they could hold them off long enough. Then their parents left them. Completely alone. Against a great Kzer-Za fleet.
A child does not deal with their parents' betrayal well. And, more often than not...they blame themselves. Therefore, to regain honor...to bring their dear parents honor, that they must have lost defending them, to be called back by their very queen, they did all they could. And their dear parents could only watch as their children were destroyed.
This is my theory at any rate. I apologize for it being so freaking long! So yeah, anyone got any other ideas? Am I completely off the mark? Got something to contest? I really can't edit this as I am literally falling asleep on my keyboard, so please, have at!
The Yehat and the Shofixti are truly interesting to me--enough to speculate endlessly on them. Yes, we get quite a bit of info, but not enough for me! So...lemme run through this. Please do comment upon anything lackluster, as I tend to have a SEVERE problem with articulation.
The Shofixti are the Yehat's children, this is clear. But...if that is the case...why would the Queen abandon them at all? Even if she still allied with the Ur-Quan, why would she not make an attempt to save the Shofixti? It stands to reason that, once upon a time, her ancestor gave the order to uplift the Shofixti, and there must be diplomatic relations at the least...so why?
My answer? Only the Starship Clans ever formed that bond. Think about it. Even when they uplifted the Shofixti, it's not at all likely the entire planet will uproot itself to deal with that. And afterwards, well, they say it in game--the Homeworld warlords have never even set foot on a starship. At least, that seems to be implied, as the exact quote is "nae seen true combat", but with peace on their planet, the only "true combat" is in space.
So who's there to teach the Shofixti, watch them with pride as they learn, as they contribute the resources needed to give them a good chance as sentients? The Starship Clans. In pretty much every sense they took the role of adopted parents...and the bond of teacher, if the cultures their's are based on are any indication, is a powerful one to begin with, so that aided the race-bond as well.
Now, the Shofixti...if I'm right, death was pretty much an inevitability to the lot of them since their culture's beginning, if their fast rate of reproduction/maturation is ANY indication. They'd have lifespans roughly a quarter to a half of a human lifespan--hard to tell, as Tanaka/Katana never said how old they were when their species nearly wiped itself out. There were about twenty, twenty-five years between the two, at any rate. And that HAD to have developed as a result of natural predation (
zarla happened to point that out in some sketches, and I definitely agree) so death must have been a constant threat to them and their offspring. So, the Glory Device was probably their way of maximizing their potential in combat, without having to adapt to a new set of "instincts"--a Scout is small, short-ranged, much like a Shofixti. However, what ELSE does a Shofixti do? It dies. They just made that a weapon.
That SAID, the Yehat, while accepting it is noble to die for the sake of others, would want to instill a healthy respect for LIVING too. I doubt that Yehat have many children in their lifetimes, perhaps three or four at the OUTSIDE, considering their clan nature. Shofixti, meanwhile, seem to put rabbits to shame--so a few lost Shofixti are practically NOTHING. Particularly with an uplifted culture that reduces death rates. The Yehat, by this point having formed at least a teacher-student bond with that race, would need to teach them about the value of LIFE. They already seem to have the value of death down.
Now, with the Shofixti crew being so small compared to a Yehat crew, I have a theory as to how the parent-children bond developed. As I said, the Yehat would not have many children in their lifetime, and most likely they leave those children in their homeworld Clanhomes, to be raised by whatever clan members were unable to pilot--those who can't, teach, after all. They imply their eggs are left in a single place, so a planetbound Clanhome makes the most sense. Therefore, a Yehat in a Starship clan will, more likely than not, never be able to raise children. But, they still have parental instincts, otherwise the homeworld clans wouldn't work either, and I ASSUME fresh blood is occasionally brought in.
So, let's say they teach a Shofixti Scout tactics, to make them more effective. With the small size of the Scout's crew, it would be easy for individual instruction to take place. And, as they would be teaching them things they would one day teach their grown children, a bond most likely similar to what their Clan forms would begin to form. However...with only a few MONTHS until maturation, I doubt the Shofixti soldiers would know MUCH. Enough, perhaps, but not MUCH--their mothers would be raising more children then their instincts can take, as their litters were to make up for heinous amounts of predation. So, the Yehat would teach them things they'd teach hatchlings and fledglings too.
And, instinct being instinct...that's where the bond began to form. The Yehat would teach them of war and strategy, and then give them little gifts of FunROMS and endearments, and hold them as close to their hearts as their own children would have been. The Shofixti, being protected, taught, and guided by the Yehat, would view them as their parents--infallible, invincible, immortal (because of their lifespans), trusted. Shofixti culture would learn the value of life, and of honor...and yet still always remember that in death they can fix the mistakes of the living.
So let's go to the more recent events. The Queen allying with the Ur-Quan. They said this one was a true harridan, compared to previous queens, and I think I know why. Power-shift. If the Homeworld clans wished for a more tractable queen, they need only to influence one from birth onwards. And if properly distracted (by, say, alliances, impending war, that sort of thing) the previous Queen wouldn't even notice, until it was too late.
So, power shifted to the Homeworld Clans. The importance of bloodline seems to be the best bet on what they taught her. With the Starship clans not staking much importance in bloodline over experience, she would not stake much importance on them. As for the Shofixti, they would be allies, true, but wasting resources, lives, and possibly angering the Ur-Quan over them? No way. So she gave the order to withdraw.
The Shofixti, with their parents, were willing to to fight. Willing to defend, perhaps even evacuate to another planet, to raise up some more troops, if they could hold them off long enough. Then their parents left them. Completely alone. Against a great Kzer-Za fleet.
A child does not deal with their parents' betrayal well. And, more often than not...they blame themselves. Therefore, to regain honor...to bring their dear parents honor, that they must have lost defending them, to be called back by their very queen, they did all they could. And their dear parents could only watch as their children were destroyed.
This is my theory at any rate. I apologize for it being so freaking long! So yeah, anyone got any other ideas? Am I completely off the mark? Got something to contest? I really can't edit this as I am literally falling asleep on my keyboard, so please, have at!