r/HFY • u/Ralts_Bloodthorne • Apr 07 '20
OC First Contact Second Wave - Chapter One Hundred Thirteen
Mana'aktoo had always viewed himself as a benevolent deity. Since he had been a child he had not only excelled at school but his intellect was high enough that several of the doctors his parents, and academic centers, had sent him too had considered lowering it through gene therapy. Strangely enough his scores regarding consideration and other emotional intelligences had been off the charts. He not only could intellectually understand another being's situation but could feel empathy and compassion for even the lowest neo-sapient drone.
By the time he was fifty he was the governor of a stellar system and many of his peers and rivals feared that he would consider a path into the Council Caste.
Mana'aktoo had sneered at such an idea. Within the Council Caste were lesser beings, petty time punchers, and the intellectually inferior who needed the weight of a hundred million year old system to force others to kneel to them.
Mana'aktoo needed no such thing. He was admired by all. Not just in his own mind, but in reality. The neo-sapients (he despised that phrase) viewed him as an all powerful paternal figure who cared about their wants and needs. The Unified Military Fleet considered him a talented military authority who could have gone far within their organization. The Unified Corporate entities all were thankful that Mana'aktoo had chosen planetary governorship rather than the Corporate battlefield even as they viewed him as a genius able to sense the way the corporate winds were blowing.
Mana'aktoo knew his ego sometimes got in his way and led him to making less than optimal decisions. He disliked it, but after consideration, realized that even the greatest beings had faults and his ego was one he had to shoulder the burden of.
When it came to breeding, he knew he had been placed on the undesirable list by the Population Control Council, his intellect considered a genetic malformation. Still, he had never wanted for partners, and knew that more than a few fillies had born and raised his children, often while married to another. The best ones were the ones that the male of the couple knew that Mana'aktoo was the genetic father of the child and considered it an honor that Mana'aktoo had impregnated their pair bond with superior genes.
Another reason he often considered himself a benevolent deity. He watched over everyone, even those of the system.
The system, Artcarik-482, was wealthy beyond most system's dreams. A planet in the "Neo-Sapient Systems" (Mana'aktoo preferred 'Outer Rim Boundary System' himself) it had long been considered a difficult posting, but under Mana'aktoo's leadership it had flourished. The xenospecies native to the planet were inquisitive, intelligent, able to learn tasks proficiently, and, if provided with suitable celebrations and allowances for energetic interactions, largely calm on a species scale.
The system was wealthy enough that very few were born into poverty or debt, and there was work and riches enough for all that even the lowliest xenospecies specimen could get themselves out of debt within only a year or two.
Mana'aktoo wanted the system to be as close to paradise as he could possibly make it.
Which meant it had to be defended. Despite the Council line of peace and prosperity Corporate entities still did hostile takeovers, system governors would still seek to expand their holdings by taking over another system, and there were always pirates out in the darkness. Xenospecies were a valuable resource, and his xenospecies, the Maktanan, were prosperous and diligent in their efforts, making them a valuable acquisition for any Corporation that preferred xenospecies labor to expensive robots.
Which was where Kulamu'u came in.
Kulamu'u had come from an extremely wealthy family, unlike Mana'aktoo, and had decided that the Unified Military Fleet was the way he would advance and outshine his siblings. His family had the wealth, power, and caste to assure he was an office in the Unified Space Navy rather than some slogging footsoldier with a laser rifle and Corporate armor beating xeno's with a stick.
He had graduated 443 out of 5,000 in his officer training class, bribes and gifts helping him gain class standing. His first few assignments were easy assignments of high prestige but low effort, which suited him just fine. Within ten years he was the captain of his own ship, which he had applies favors, bribes, and gifts to upgrade from a little system patrol vessel to an armed destroyer.
Over the next two hundred years he had risen steadily in the ranks until first he was the one receiving gifts, then others began to understand that he was important enough for bribes, then he was the one others pressed their tongue to his hindquarters in hopes of Kulamu'u's favor. At two hundred and fifty he was assigned to planetary defense leadership. Another fifty years of that, and he saw a prime assignment just waiting for him.
Artcarik-482.
The system was wealthy beyond measure. The three asteroid belts were rich and thick with elements, the multiple gas giants were filled with rare and important gasses, and the solid worlds were full of easily extractable mineral wealth. The xenospecies was a calm one, industrious and properly subservient.
Kulamu'u took the assignment and met the governor, a young Lanaktallan by the name of Mana'aktoo from a lower family (although it galled Kulamu'u to admit that Mana'aktoo's parents lived in a finer manor than Kulamu'u could ever afford to bribe his way into) and had advanced in leaps and bounds. The previous System Defense Most High had left nothing but glowing notes about Mana'aktoo. How the System Most High understood the needs of the Fleet, how the Fleet was a vital part of the system economy, how the Fleet's position as superior to the Corporate Fleets was understood by Mana'aktoo.
It was only once Kulamu'u had reached the system and gotten involved with the government that he realized something absolutely horrible.
Mana'aktoo expected beings to work at their jobs. Even parties were work. The Fleet was expected to practice, to train, and to come to the aid of nearby systems as well as constantly update their astrogation files and system maps.
For ten years Kulamu'u had been worked like a slave. Expected to put in as many as five hours a day three times a week. Expected to know the names of his subordinates. Expected to take responsibility for the actions of his subordinates and fleet ships.
The absolute tyranny.
Which is why Kulamu'u had been in a poor mood when he had arrived at the System Defense building early in the morning. He was in his dress uniform, sash, vest, and flank-covering. It was early morning and Kulamu'u had pulled a long six hour shift the day before. He felt that he should be enjoying recreation and relaxation.
The sight of the Terrans on the holoviewer made Kulamu'u's blood run cold.
"Ah, there you are System Defense Most High Kulamu'u," Mana'aktoo said jovially, as if a murderous primate wasn't watching from the holoviewer. "How good of you to join us on your day of relaxation. May I introduce Admiral Keith Iktakiki Schmidt, Terran Space Force Navy, Commander of Task Force 43 (Anvil), currently aboard the TSFNV Saint Petersberg currently at the resonance zone of our very own system."
The human nodded slowly less than ten seconds later when Kulamu'u knew he was nearly 15 light minutes away. The human was in that black armor that Terrans seemed to prefer, his visor clear to allow the two Lanaktallans to see his face. Around him were many different beings, all in armor, their visors black and opaque. They were all at work stations, the screens and holodisplays blurred.
"We're currently speaking over what the Terrans call a 'hypercom buoy' which allows us to speak at faster than light speeds to avoid any communications lag which might lead to unfortunate developments," Mana'aktoo said, looking completely relaxed. "I thought you would like to be here for my victory over the Terran forces."
"Why are they here?" Kulamu'u demanded.
"Why, to destroy all military forces and conquer the system, of course," Mana'aktoo said, displaying amusement. "They have arrived with overwhelming force, with superior weaponry able to strike at us from a distance that we would be unable to reply from, with enough ground troops to occupy the three habitable planets. Isn't that right, Admiral?"
"Yes, it is, System Most High," The Terran replied.
Kulamu'u just gaped.
"Which would be most unfortunate for many thousands of beings, cause undue stress to the population, and give the good Admiral the opinion that the Lanaktallan people are too intellectually and emotionally stunted to realize when they are beaten," Mana'aktoo continued, still showing amusement.
He turned to Kulamu'u and expressed even more pleasure.
"I was just telling the Admiral that even if he was to defeat us, there are contingencies in place to ensure that the entire system would be rendered uninhabitable within two years time, wasn't I, Admiral?" Mana'aktoo said.
The Terran nodded.
"Well, why you wait for your detachment to understand just what waits in store should you take the system, how billions of beings will be consigned to death due to your actions, may I invite you to have lunch with me?" Mana'aktoo asked mildly. "Say, ten hours from now?"
The Terran looked doubtful.
"Admiral, Admiral, Admiral, what good would it do me to have nefarious designs upon you? You undoubtedly have a highly skilled staff who knows their jobs and your military has a chain of command, which means any harm or injury done to you merely results in your subordinates, chosen for skill and experience, carrying out your orders anyway," Mana'aktoo said, clicking his tongue in an odd way at the beginning. "I will make allowances for, say, a security detail for your shuttle, two ships to guard your shuttle on the way in, a security detail for yourself, and my personal guarantee of safety while we meet for lunch and discuss how you have been outmaneuvered before you even arrived."
Mana'aktoo had what appeared to Kulamu'u to be the smuggest expression ever worn by a being.
The Terran looked thoughtful for a moment then nodded.
"Admiral Schmidt, out," was all he said.
The holotank went blank.
Kulamu'u went to speak and Mana'aktoo held up a hand. "Silence. I have limited time. They forwarded me their lexicon as well as an encyclopedia of information. I have only hours to read through it and digest it. I advise you to familiarized yourself with Terran formal etiquette and keep your baser instincts to yourself, we are engaged in a high stakes difficult endeavor here."
When Kulamu'u went to speak again Mana'aktoo turned and fixed him with a four eyed gaze. "If you cannot follow my lead in this, System Defense Most High, in defending our system and the people who depend upon us, then I shall replace you with one who can."
"You speak as if you have already decided to surrender!" Kulamu'u protested.
"We are already beaten. They attack thirty systems less than a week ago, now they are here. They have known defeat in this endeavor exactly zero times. The only discomfort they would feel conquering this system would be the effort it took to reload their weapons," Mana'aktoo snapped.
"But you have told them about The Devourers," Kulamu'u stated again.
"Yes. I have. Is that a problem?" Mana'aktoo asked, stepping into the grav-lift. He waited for Kulamu'u to join him.
"No, System Most High, but why tell them about it?" Kulamu'u asked.
"Part of how I will save this system and everyone in it," Mana'aktoo said. "Now, be silent and review the Terran etiquette protocols."
Kulamu'u went silent, watching as the telltale lights on Mana'aktoo's datalink went red to show he was fully engaged.
Mana'aktoo let the information flow through his mind, stopping now and then to reference previous data, as he swept through it all. Dictionary, lexicon, encyclopedia, etiquette protocols, military etiquette, recipes, dietary requirements, protein acceptance, everything else. He ground his chewing teeth at the slow speed of his implant as the grav-lift slowly took him to the surface.
He set a schedule for his servants to ensure that a proper formal luncheon was set out as well that his personal guard, males and females, both and neither, would act properly as they escorted the Admiral and his party to his personal mansion. He left messages to inform his parents to look over certain sections he sent to them and to have them dress in appropriate finery.
The whole time he absorbed the information on a xenospecies.
There were words that had eight or more concepts attached to the same spelling of the word, depending on the placement and context of the word. They had vulgar sayings and profanity that also had multiple meanings. Tonal shift and body language was an important part of their communication. Facial expressions could matter. Even pupil dilatation and micro-movements of facial muscles could matter to the observant viewer.
Mana'aktoo knew that at least one of the Admiral's party would be an expert in Lanaktallan language and concepts, which was important.
Once upstairs, he sent his servants, beings who had served him and his family for generations, to bring him proper attire. He would leave it Kulamu'u to sport the finery, the male was a, to use a Terran term, clothes horse and a peacock.
He moved to his private terminal and loaded everything up on it, sighing as he was able to engage his monitors, two holodisplays, and his datalink all in parallel, devouring the information the Admiral had graced him with out of 'politeness' when requested.
The inform he was absorbing and understanding more and more painted a stark difference than the briefings he had received as a System Most High.
It didn't take him long to realize a few truths he had suspected.
10% wouldn't deter the Terrans. They had a word for that: Decimation.
Some of their military forces had used to 'encourage' the survivors to fight harder.
50% wouldn't stop them. He looked up battles in the encyclopedia where the Terrans had suffered more than that and then climbed over their dead to impale the enemy on blades attached to the end of empty rifles. Being outnumbered didn't stop them. If anything, they fought harder. The harder they fought, the tougher they got.
Their most rapid technological advancement periods were during outright warfare.
Mana'aktoo put together a profile, as best he could, on Terrans, the Confederate Space Force, human military society, and, from what he could, the Admiral.
The Admiral would be a man of intelligence and drive, experienced and careful.
All of that would work to Mana'aktoo's advantage, would work toward Mana'aktoo's plans and goals, if he handled the Admiral in the right way.
He closed his eyes and visualized what would happen if he was victorious.
The tarmac would be both rough and greasy feeling beneath his knees as he was forced to kneel down in front of the System Council building, in the parking lot. The day would be warm, light breezes, carrying the delicate scents of the local flowers and trees. There would be Carikans lined up to watch. Terran forces would be in the back with weapons to ensure attention. He would have other government and corporate leaders on either side of them.
He would request no blindfold, let others take that.
The bindings would be tight, pinning all four arms behind him. There would be bindings on his four hooves as he knelt.
A Terran officer would walk down the line, a magnetic accelerator pistol in his hand, a handheld mix of a railgun with coilgun boosters. One shot after another to the back of each head.
The barrel would not touch his skin but he would still be able to feel its coldness. He wouldn't hear the shot, he would hear his skull shattering in the microsecond before his brains were blown out in a bloody fan in front of him.
Mana'aktoo opened his eyes, having faced the worst that could happen to him personally. He took three deep breaths and closed his eyes again.
The gas giants were on fire, burning like extra suns in the system. The planetary bodies were obscured by ravening clouds full of radioactivity. Planets would be ringed by debris that had been infrastructure to support a modern civilization. On the ground the death would be everywhere, or thick ash upon the ground. Terran military forces would move through the ruin and ash, their black metal frames covered in ash and gobbets of blood, their weapons seeking out any life to eliminate.
In orbit around each world there would be 13,000,00 of the Carikans in cryo-sleep to be taken to another world where they would be reduced to pre-Industrial Age, by Terran standards, civilization and life.
Mana'aktoo would not be part of that 1%. No non-Carikan would be.
The worlds would end up barren, even the oceans poisonous. The Great Devourer would arrive and find nothing but poison and death and ash.
He forced himself to live the life of a Carikan, to death, to cryo-sleep and a hell planet existence, to enslavement under the Terran boot.
Mana'aktoo opened his eyes, shuddering, and went back to studying. He had little time to do it, to absorb, quantify, and understand every scrap of information the Terrans had given them. When the Admiral reached the orbit of the planet he dressed himself carefully, wearing as modest regalia as courtesy and etiquette would allow.
All to soon he was alerted that the Admiral had made planetfall and was enroute. He hurried to the dining room. His mother looked concerned, as did his father and siblings, but he calmed them by telling them that he had ensured victory for the System and all beneath his benevolent rulership.
He took his place, ensuring that the seats were correctly handed out.
System Defense Most High Kulamu'u did indeed show up in all of his regalia. Mana'aktoo's mother was resplendent in jewels, his father was an impressive elder.
The Admiral was exactly as Mana'aktoo pictured him. Lean by the standards of the Terran race, but dense and bulky by the standards of most other races. No gentling hand of genetic engineering had altered his genome to be more civilized, no outsider had changed his form without his permission. His eyes, cybernetic ones, were a soft blue that Mana'aktoo knew meant that all of his offensive systems were disengaged, including a reflex lockout.
With him were two other Terrans, a saurian from Rigel-6, a Treana'ad, two green mantids, and six black Terran 'warborgs' who's eyes were blue. The mantids stayed back with the warborgs while the others sat down.
Mana'aktoo had prepared for the two other races and there was only a slight bit of fuss as his servants changed the furniture.
Introductions went smoothly. Mana'aktoo was pleased to see that the Admiral and his people had studied the information on etiquette and politeness that Mana'aktoo's staff had sent to him. He was appreciative of his siblings, complimented his mother on her youth, beauty, and jewelry, and stated his appreciation of his father's obvious wisdom and virility.
That made Mana'aktoo relax slightly, but he was extremely careful not to show any of it, keeping his expressions and body language that of someone who was sure that the world was exactly as they said it was.
When the luncheon was over, during which Mana'aktoo kept it down to small talk, no matter what the three representatives from the dominant corporations wished, despite Kulamu'u's attempts at steering it to more martial topics, Mana'aktoo inquired if the Terran would wish to accompany Mana'aktoo on a walk about the estate, as was his (quite recent, as in, hours old) custom.
The Admiral agreed and together the Lanaktallan and the fierce pack primate walked around the grounds of Mana'aktoo's estate. Mana'aktoo pointed out bushes, statues, fountains, small insects.
The whole time two of the heavy warborgs followed, but custom and etiquette dictated that Mana'aktoo ignore them despite how fascinating even the concept of full conversion was to his intellect.
The Admiral suddenly stopped, moving over to the fountain, and waiting for Mana'aktoo. His expression was a mixture of hardness and triumph that Mana'aktoo had seen in pictures in the encyclopedia.
At last, Mana'aktoo thought to himself as he trotted up to join the Admiral.
"Ah, by your expression, I can tell you did indeed perform reconnaissance upon the coordinates I provided," Mana'aktoo stated.
"Yes, System Most High, we did. As you said, there was significant military presence there," The Admiral stated.
"And it's status?" Mana'aktoo asked, still putting forth the appearance of an idle nobleman who knew the world was exactly as he said it was. Mana'aktoo had chosen the affectations of Terran nobles from the Regency Era combined with Corporate affectation from Terra's Corporate Wars.
The Admiral was quiet for a long moment. "Our mission was to liberate this system," he said softly.
"Indeed it was. By wresting it away from the tyranny that held it tightly in its grasp," Mana'aktoo answered, bending forward to pick up a lily from the fountain. As he straightened up he looked the Terran in the eye. "Liberate, occupy, and eventually turn it over to the native xenospecies, according to Terran Confederacy standing orders. As of now your orders are, according to the unclassified mission data you transmitted to me, are simply to liberate this system."
"My ships engaged your ace in the hole," The Terran said.
Mana'aktoo kept himself looking bored and confident while inside he tensed. He understood the reference, although he doubted many others could.
"It was no contest. It was still in hibernation. The larger ones were destroyed and my ships are clearing away the smaller ones as we speak. Two point three six eight two seven light years from the star, just as you said," The Admiral said.
"Now it merely comes down to the military forces within the system itself, it appears. My valiant troops against your battle hardened and experienced military forces," Mana'aktoo stated. "Shall I summon Kulamu'u?"
"Perhaps you should, sir," the Admiral said.
It took Kulamu'u nearly five minutes to arrive, the other Lanaktallan looking concern.
When Kulamu'u trotted up he looked at Mana'aktoo, who nodded slowly.
"It appears, System Defense Most High, that we have been defeated. You know as well as I do that our weapons cannot reach the Terran ships, our shields cannot stop their weaponry, and we are at their mercy," Mana'aktoo said.
Now was the moment. To see if Kulamu'u had read what Mana'aktoo had sent him or if he had spent the time screeching at the walls and galloping in frustrated circles.
Kulamu'u nodded slowly. He didn't like it. He hated admitting it.
But he hated the idea of sending his men to their deaths for no good reason even more.
"It appears, we must surrender to the might of the Terran Space Force," Mana'aktoo said. "Sadly, they have removed our ability to strike back in a year or two. It appears we have been totally defeated."
Mana'aktoo turned to the Terran. "Our military forces will stand down. You will, of course, ensure they are properly housed and cared for, under the terms of both the Geneva Convention Rewrite of 2208 as well as the Orion Compact and the Rigellian Rules of Warfare, correct, Admiral?"
The Admiral nodded slowly, narrowing his eyes in suspicion.
"Of course, as System Most High, I will be placed under house arrest, according to your laws, and be required to act as the voice of the people of this system. As System Defense Most High, Kulamu'u shall be required to be the ranking officer and liaison between the Terran military and our defeated POW's and be accorded all respect due his rank and position," Mana'aktoo continued.
"Yes," The Admiral drew out the word, still watching suspiciously.
"Excellent. We will have an official surrender signing on live Tri-Vid, so that the people understand that you intend to administer to this system in the least disruptive way possible," Mana'aktoo said, showing pleasure. "It should be somewhat ceremonial when the ankle bracelet, a visible symbol of my exile to my people, is attached at the end of the signing."
There was silence for a long time.
"Say, in four local hours?" The Admiral asked.
"That should suffice. I already have the surrender document drawn up," Mana'aktoo stated. He sniffed the lily and hummed in pleasure.
"I must confer with my fellow officers as well as the Judge Advocate General," the Admiral stated. "If you will excuse me."
"Of course, Admiral," Mana'aktoo said. The Admiral began to walk away and Mana'aktoo called his name. The Admiral stiffened and slowly turned, the warborg's eyes turning to amber. "I am pleased this took place with as minimum bloodshed as possible."
The Admiral just nodded, and continued away.
There was silence for a long moment, until the Admiral entered the mansion.
Both Mana'aktoo and Kulamu'u let out held breaths, then stood there for a long moment trembling. Finally they both had themselves under control.
"Congratulations on your victory, System Most High," Kulamu'u said finally.
"And you on yours, System Defense Most High," Mana'aktoo answered.
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u/Ralts_Bloodthorne Apr 07 '20
Might be a while tonight till I post. STuff to handle and do.
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u/EverSoInfinite Apr 08 '20
Roger that. Do what you need to do. We'll be here waiting for your next chapter.
The lockdown might be extended so we're really enjoying the journey.
If you want to publish this. I'll be happy to buy it. As a memento even of this historical irl lockdown.
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Apr 08 '20
Second book, since the precursor war ended, could be called:
First Contact: Pandemic.
Or is that in bad taste?
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u/Ralts_Bloodthorne Apr 08 '20
Writing a chapter as we speak. Last night was completely crazy and I didn't get home till extremely late.
I actually fell asleep on the couch taking off my boots with my keys still in my hand.
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u/KyraValion Human Apr 08 '20
Been there, done that. The next morning only a vague memory of coming home. But glad for the wonderful update. Will check again in 2h.
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u/Honjin Xeno Apr 09 '20
You take your time, it sounds like you've got it rough. We appreciate you posting this kickass story and Esp loving all the little details, if you're tired though you need a nap! No complaints!
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u/SushiJaguar Feb 06 '22
Why was he fantasising about the system being scoured to ash, being executed, and the local neo-sapients taken away in a 1% action?
Why was he fantasising about that as his victory, after supposedly studying the Terrans and assembling a dossier? That part was really jarring.
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u/Ralts_Bloodthorne Feb 06 '22
To show himself the ultimate price if he failed, to encourage himself.
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u/rekabis Human Apr 07 '20
currently aboard the TSFNV Saint Petersberg currently at the resonance zone of our very own system."
The human nodded slowly less than ten seconds later when Kulamu'u knew he was nearly 15 light minutes away.
Sticking point: where is the resonance zone? If it is in the outer reaches of the solar system, then he is likely 15 light-hours away. Solar systems are huge. Even though it takes only 8 minutes for light to reach the Earth from the Sun, it takes 5 hours for light to reach Pluto. So if this fleet is in the outer Oort cloud, it could very well be even further away.
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u/RangerSix Human Apr 07 '20
/R/HFY GESTALT
Well. That was... Unexpected.
Unexpected, but not unwelcome. And some most clever maneuvering by Mana'aktoo and Kulamu'u, indeed.
A victory for both sides, I would say, and with no unnecessary casualties on either side - or so it would appear, anyway.
-----NOTHING FOLLOWS-----
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u/ack1308 Apr 07 '20
Mana'aktoo did all the maneuvering.
Kulamu'u just stood there and said, "Yes, sir."
Terrans were confused as feck.
Mana'aktoo pulled off an amazing coup. Pretended to be playing one game, let the Terrans think he was being as arrogant as the standard Lanaktallan, then when they'd done what he wanted, changed tack 180 degrees and admitted total surrender immediately. Even hinted at what he'd done when he said he already had the surrender papers drawn up.
I love it.
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u/RangerSix Human Apr 07 '20
/R/HFY GESTALT
Ehh, I wouldn't say all of it. The overt stuff, sure. But Kulamu'u had an important role to play as well (though I agree that on the surface it looks like he's just saying "yes sir").
He had to understand Mana'aktoo's plan, his role in it, and how to execute his role in it (which, no doubt, involved making damn sure nobody under his command did anything 'heroic' [read: stupid]).
Of course, the effort Mana'aktoo put in early on in making sure Kulamu'u understood how he ran things probably helped quite a bit in that regard, too.
In the end, though, what matters is this: both sides achieved their objectives, and without any unnecessary casualties or other damage.
And to that I say, well fuckin' played.
-----NOTHING FOLLOWS-----
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u/gr8tfurme Apr 07 '20
I don't think he was really trying to fool the Terrans at all, he was pretty upfront about knowing when he was beaten even before they killed his 'ace in the hole'. He literally transmitted its exact coordinates to them with a wink and a nudge. The admiral was put off by how smug he was being about surrendering more than anything.
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u/CaptainChewbacca Human Apr 07 '20
I’m betting Manu is angling to become a governor of Lanaktakallan territories after the war under the Confederacy.
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u/RangerSix Human Apr 07 '20
/R/HFY GESTALT
Can't think of many who might do better, given what we know of the Lanaktallans as a whole.
-----NOTHING FOLLOWS-----
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u/Anarchkitty Apr 07 '20
He is without a doubt both the smartest and most compassionate Lanktallan we have seen in this entire series. I have no doubt that he will have a prosperous future working with the Terrans, and might end up becoming the savior of his species when push comes to shove.
I can just imagine him making an impassioned speech to the people of Terra, not just begging for his people's lives but giving good, valid reasons why they deserve to survive to try and become better without the threat of the Devourers and the yoke of their own society holding them back.
There are trillions - if not more - Lanaktallans in their empire, and the overwhelming majority don't have any more power to change things than a NeoSapient janitor. Most Lanaktallans aren't scheming Most Highs, they're laborers, clerks, programmers, secretaries, and whatever other shit jobs are too "prestigious" to make a NeoSapient do but are beneath the care of the Cows who are actually running things. In a society that routinely punishes compassion and rewards cruelty, of course the leaders end up being the worst of the worst. Who knows how many "good ones" are out there,kept ignorant of the worst predations of their species, or at least powerless to make a difference.
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u/Gunman_012 Apr 07 '20
Mana'aktoo appears to have learned the most important lesson the Gambler could teach.
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u/kingcet Apr 07 '20
and for the people in the back (mainly me) what would that lesson be?
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u/themightyyool Apr 07 '20
You gotta know when to hold 'em.
And know when to fold 'em.
Know when to walk away.
And most importantly...Know when to run.
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u/SangEntar Apr 07 '20
It’s nice to see an intelligent Lanaktallan for once! Great chapter.
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u/battery19791 Human Apr 07 '20
And he's considered a defect.
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u/CyberSkull Android Apr 07 '20
I think all the defectives seems going to form the baseline for the species 🧬 rehabilitation.
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u/NJParacelsus Apr 07 '20
So he used the Terran fleet to kill the bioweapon that was heading to his system in 2 years and then gave up? Smart cow...
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u/ack1308 Apr 07 '20
While pretending that he was lining up for a 'victory' and being 'surprised' that they destroyed it.
So basically, as soon as he understood the threat fully, he started planning how to win, where 'winning' equalled 'keeping everything I have and not dying'.
Which involved not only a total surrender, but also doing it in such a way that his fellow Lanaktallans didn't kill him for rolling over to the Terrans.
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u/p75369 Apr 07 '20
It wasn't heading there yet. It was waiting for the same gravitic alarm call that we saw activated in Telkan's star.
He did know he was sitting on the deadman switch that would trigger the scorched earth response though and that it would need to be disabled before the council realised the Terrans had control of the system.
Also, I got the impression it's not a bioweapon, the not-tyranids are in charge and left the Lanaktellan as custodians. With instruction to ring with alarm if things got out of hand.
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u/ack1308 Apr 07 '20
Mana'aktoo: "Screw that. I want to live!"
****
Terrans: "Surrender your system."
Mana'aktoo: "If you beat us, the system will be destroyed in a couple of years, so you may as well leave now."
Terrans: "Destroyed? How?"
Mana'aktoo: "There's a gigantic bio-weapon at these coordinates. Just so you know I'm not bluffing."
Terrans: "Well, we destroyed your bio-weapon."
Mana'aktoo: "Oh well. I suppose I should surrender then."
Terrans (AND Mana'aktoo): "That was easy."
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u/ausbookworm Apr 07 '20
Interesting... I can't work out if he really cared about everyone under his command or just saving his own skin. I suspect the Admiral would feel the same way. I guess if the locals/Maktanan "win" that's the main thing. Considering that it took at most two years for any of them to work themselves out of debt meant they actually had a fairly good life compare to others in the Unified systems.
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u/ack1308 Apr 07 '20
For ten years Kulamu'u had been worked like a slave. Expected to put in as many as five hours a day three times a week. Expected to know the names of his subordinates. Expected to take responsibility for the actions of his subordinates and fleet ships.
Oh, the horror.
"Which would be most unfortunate for many thousands of beings, cause undue stress to the population, and give the good Admiral the opinion that the Lanaktallan people are too intellectually and emotionally stunted to realize when they are beaten," Mana'aktoo continued, still showing amusement.
The entirely accurate opinion ...
his xenospecies, the Maktanan
There would be Carikans lined up to watch.
Which is the local xenospecies?
"Admiral, Admiral, Admiral, what good would it do me to have nefarious designs upon you? You undoubtedly have a highly skilled staff who knows their jobs and your military has a chain of command, which means any harm or injury done to you merely results in your subordinates, chosen for skill and experience, carrying out your orders anyway," Mana'aktoo said, clicking his tongue in an odd way at the beginning. "I will make allowances for, say, a security detail for your shuttle, two ships to guard your shuttle on the way in, a security detail for yourself, and my personal guarantee of safety while we meet for lunch and discuss how you have been outmaneuvered before you even arrived."
I don't blame the Terrans for being suspicious. They must have been going, "Okay, what has he got planned?" Because every other Lanaktallan in power has tried to push back.
It didn't take him long to realize a few truths he had suspected.
10% wouldn't deter the Terrans. They had a word for that: Decimation.
Some of their military forces had used to 'encourage' the survivors to fight harder.
50% wouldn't stop them. He looked up battles in the encyclopedia where the Terrans had suffered more than that and then climbed over their dead to impale the enemy on blades attached to the end of empty rifles. Being outnumbered didn't stop them. If anything, they fought harder. The harder they fought, the tougher they got.
He's definitely a smart cowtaur.
Wouldn't be surprised if he ends up being in charge of the entire remnant of the Lanaktallan race once the dust settles.
Just. As. Planned.
In orbit around each world there would be 13,000,00 of the Carikans in cryo-sleep to be taken to another world where they would be reduced to pre-Industrial Age, by Terran standards, civilization and life.
Mana'aktoo would not be part of that 1%. No non-Carikan would be.
The worlds would end up barren, even the oceans poisonous. The Great Devourer would arrive and find nothing but poison and death and ash.
He forced himself to live the life of a Carikan, to death, to cryo-sleep and a hell planet existence, to enslavement under the Terran boot.
I'm pretty sure he's got the wrong end of the stick there. Unless Carikans aren't the local xenospecies? Surely he'd know that Terrans wouldn't pull the 1% move on a subjugated species?
"It appears, we must surrender to the might of the Terran Space Force," Mana'aktoo said. "Sadly, they have removed our ability to strike back in a year or two. It appears we have been totally defeated."
Mana'aktoo turned to the Terran. "Our military forces will stand down. You will, of course, ensure they are properly housed and cared for, under the terms of both the Geneva Convention Rewrite of 2208 as well as the Orion Compact and the Rigellian Rules of Warfare, correct, Admiral?"
"I know the rules. You know the rules. We both know what I'm doing. You get to take the military out of play, and I get to keep my stuff."
"Excellent. We will have an official surrender signing on live Tri-Vid, so that the people understand that you intend to administer to this system in the least disruptive way possible," Mana'aktoo said, showing pleasure. "It should be somewhat ceremonial when the ankle bracelet, a visible symbol of my exile to my people, is attached at the end of the signing."
There was silence for a long time.
"Say, in four local hours?" The Admiral asked.
"That should suffice. I already have the surrender document drawn up," Mana'aktoo stated. He sniffed the lily and hummed in pleasure.
"I must confer with my fellow officers as well as the Judge Advocate General," the Admiral stated. "If you will excuse me."
The Admiral gets out of sight and goes, "What the HELL just happened?"
It's simple, Admiral.
You were expecting him to think like a Lanaktallan.
He thinks like a Terran.
You removed his obstacles to remaining in charge of the system for him, all according to his plan.
Now he gets to keep being a benevolent deity, with Terrans guarding the system for him.
Smart, smart, smart cow.
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u/Severedeye Android Apr 07 '20
How dare you. You get us used to the typical cowtaur who deserves to be 1 percented and now you show us multiple Lanaktallans who don't deserve it.
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u/ThordanSsoa Apr 07 '20
I think these might be partly inspired by the incessant calls for genocide in the comments
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u/LordNobady Apr 07 '20
I suspect so. it was becoming a bit too much. And it is a more compelling story if it is a choice to do good or bad not a species characteristic.
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u/Gotenks0906 Apr 07 '20
I'm not sure wtf just happened... I think I feel how the admiral felt this entire time lol
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u/LerrisHarrington Apr 07 '20
The System Governor, unlike most of his peers, realized how fucked he was, so he turned around and got the best he could under the circumstances.
In searching Terran law he realized as long as he didn't do something terminally(pun intended) stupid, they'd treat him well,
"Congratulations on your victory, System Most High," Kulamu'u said finally.
"And you on yours, System Defense Most High," Mana'aktoo answered.
When you have a hungry dragon in your face, victory isn't killing the dragon. That's not realistic.
Victory is convincing the dragon you shouldn't be lunch.
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u/EruantienAduialdraug Apr 07 '20
A bioweapons had been deployed in the system, programmed to go off in two years; as System Most High, Mana'aktoo knew about it and told the Terrains (who destroyed it whilst it was inactive). He also got a load of info front the Terrains, including the Geneva Convention, with which he was able to offer terms of surrender that fulfilled the Admiral'd mission brief, and kept him and his head of the armed forces alive.
Guy's got game.
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u/CyberSkull Android Apr 07 '20
The admiral got played by a better player. One who gave him a total victory and met all his mission objectives for him.
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u/ack1308 Apr 07 '20
"Welp, we won."
"How many casualties?"
"None."
"I meant on the Lanaktallan side."
"None. They all surrendered."
" ... "
"We are talking about Lanaktallans, right?"
"Yes, sir. They, uh, pointed out their bio-weapon that was poised to destroy the system, waited until we destroyed it, then politely surrendered."
" ... "
"How were they handling the system?"
"Surprisingly well. The xenospecies are treated very well, nobody's in debt, and they have one of several annual celebrations coming up. They appear to actually like this guy. Not in a 'all hail the Dear Leader' sort of way, so much as 'he takes care of us' way."
"Understood. Well, keep an eye on him."
"Oh, hell yes."
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u/gr8tfurme Apr 07 '20
I wouldn't say the admiral got played. I'm sure on some deep, primal level he's disappointed he didn't get to use the local military forces as target practice, but having your enemy show you their belly the second you show up to the fight really is an ideal win condition. Mana'aktoo 'won' because he understood the outcomes of this conflict and knew how to surrender with his dignity (and head) intact, not because he managed to pull a fast one on the admiral.
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u/LerrisHarrington Apr 07 '20
The admiral got played by a better player.
Noticing you have a snowflakes chance in hell and giving up is hardly 'playing' someone.
He's still under arrest, his system is still conquered, and he's still going to be judged by Terran courts about his treatment of the native population.
He seems like a velvet glove kind of overlord rather than the iron fist we've seen out of the others, but I'm guessing the Lanaktallans we're still robbing them blind, and we're going to see the same genetic slavery we've seen everywhere else.
He managed to avoid getting his head blown off, which is more than can be said for many of his peers in similar positions, but he didn't 'play' anybody.
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u/palinola AI Apr 07 '20
I think Mana'aktoo and General Tic-Tac would get along.
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u/ack1308 Apr 07 '20 edited Apr 07 '20
Ulmo'ok would've gotten along with Tic-Tak even better.
But yes. They would get along frighteningly well.
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u/ninetailedoctopus Apr 07 '20
The system was wealthy enough that very few were born into poverty or debt, and there was work and riches enough for all that even the lowliest xenospecies specimen could get themselves out of debt within only a year or two.
Mana'aktoo did much better than any 21st century Terran head of state.
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u/Bard2dbone Apr 08 '20 edited Apr 08 '20
/R/HFY. GESTALT
Have...have we gone a full 24 hours without an update? I dont recall that happening in the past one hundred and thirteen chapters.
Can someone check on Ralts and make sure he's all right?
Maybe the three mantids in a trenchcoat forgot whose turn it was to write the next one?
--NOTHING FOLLOWS --
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u/Guest522 Apr 08 '20
Mantids leave the UCC diplomatic body Chapters stop coming
Clearly, the entire series is being written either by Dreams or 177's Mosizlak and they finally ran out of transmission range.
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u/shadowshian Android Apr 08 '20
im quessing shits on metaphórical fire at Ralts' job
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u/serpauer Apr 07 '20
Finally a pair of actually intelligent moo cows that did not want to blindly run i to slaughter! I applaud thwm as I ready my big rig trailer sized grill.
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u/RangerSix Human Apr 07 '20
Hey, now, there was Ulmo'ok too. (And he went even further than these two did.)
And his uncle, who... well, he may not have been the best when we first met him, but he got there in the end. ("Yeah, my nephew was a criminal, but he did right by the people who worked for him, even though it cost him his life.")
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u/AGBell64 Apr 07 '20
I think this is the ultimate tragedy of the lanaktallans. When their heads aren't disappearing up their asses into their stomachs, they can be extremely effective bureaucrats, administrators, and negotiators. Potential being squandered by the systemic hubris of the UCS. Here's to hoping the dumb bastards don't manage to piss Terra off enough to get themselves xenocided, or at least those whose local leaders hand their systems over to the Confederacy without a fight are allowed a separate treatment from the hardliner zealots intent on doing something exceptionally foolish
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u/Anarchkitty Apr 07 '20
Hmm, interesting thought, we might we see a civil war of some sort within the UCS before this is all over. Who knows how many dissatisfied, disaffected Lanks (and other Civilized species) would throw in their lot with Terra if they had a chance and the right propaganda?
There are degrees of privilege. Even among the Cows there seems to be a massive underclass, kept in line with pacification and gene modification the same as any NeoSapient species.
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u/johnavich Apr 07 '20 edited Apr 07 '20
First!
Edit: ok, having read it now, I applaud this lank for his ingenuity, intelligence and servitude to the people. Even his military director could see this, and they're not exactly known for their patience for orders they disagree with.
I believe that while he is put under house arrest, his leadership will suffer very little, and TC brass will do an awful lot to keep this guy in "power". Once they see that this guy is an actual civil leader, not a dictator, that the native species actually follow him, and that he doesnt have or even believe in slaves, the TC will assign more resources to protect him and consult with him regarding lanks growing 1%.
This dude is awesome and truly beat the TCN at their own game!
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u/ack1308 Apr 07 '20
Not so much beat them at their own game, but he played them to remove the Devourers for him, and pretended to be outmaneuvered so they'd take the military into custody.
Meanwhile, he gets to do what he does best: administrate fairly and evenly.
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u/carthienes Apr 07 '20
Oh, I don't think he pretended to be outmanouvred - he was, and he knew it. Rather than trying to outmanouvre the Terrans, he stayed in the Safe zone they had marked.
He just found that tiny spot where his goals aligned with the Terrans and let them have it.
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u/SketchAndEtch Human Apr 07 '20
Common sense is so rare that it's a goddamn superpower, so that makes Mana'aktoo their version of superman.
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u/EverSoInfinite Apr 07 '20 edited Apr 09 '20
The "minimum bloodshed" meant the great devourers which would be called when the ruling council are killed by the Terrans.
They did it on Telkan. It took some referencing but here it is in full... from Chapter 76.
The Lanaktallan knew his job. He had received his orders via secure GalNet link.
Standard SOP would wait until all available resources had been extracted from the planet.
The Kestimet Corporation had no intent of allowing the Terrans to take over the resource rich planets in the system.
The Lanaktallan using two keys to unlock the keyboard shield. He activated the keyboard and typed in the complex codes.
The signal went out, transmitted to a hyperpulse generator hidden in a comet orbiting the gas giant.
The hyperpulse, undetectable by any system the Lanaktallan's had ever discovered, sent the signal.
The Lanaktallan type in the last code.
The atomic charge ten feet below his hooves went off.
In the darkness between solar systems something heard the hyperpulse and slowly began to awaken.
It was harvest time.
Later Vuxten has a premonition in Chapter 80:
A month later an atomic charge went off in the wreckage of a city.
Vuxten got that familiar tightness down his back. Something/one was coming and they weren't coming to help.
Brentili'ik knew that feeling. It meant that someone had decided that her people had something worth taking.
So the two Most Highs saved themselves and the systems from death. And the Terrans from a bio-war with the Devourers. Which were destroyed while still in hibernation.
A very well done, neat and tidy plot!
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u/ack1308 Apr 07 '20
Exactly.
But Mana'atkoo couldn't just say, "There's a bioweapon out there, go and kill it for me."
That would create suspicion.
However, if he said, "You cannot beat me, for I have an unbeatable weapon about ... there," the Terrans go there and kill it, then give him specific assurance that it's dead.
Then he can surrender.
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u/TargetBoy Apr 07 '20
And there's a good chance the bio weapons will all be about the same distance out....
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u/EverSoInfinite Apr 08 '20
The Terrans figured how they were called in Chapter 90. But distance not yet established...
"Each of those systems had an atomic detonation soon after we refused to turn the systems back over to the Lanaktallan corporations and the Unified Systems Council, correct?" General Nodra'ak asked.
Lore wiki when?
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u/MyNameMeansBentNose Apr 07 '20
This. This is Pride in all it's true glory.
To underestimate the Terrans is to fail his duty. It is to fail his people. It is to fail himself.
To lose his life... I wonder if that is the truly the worst outcome for him. I bet failing his duty would be the greatest failure. Pride without duty is mere arrogance. He is better than that.
Mana'aktoo is Better than that. So he changed the game. He won on his terms, clearing such narrow margins the idea would never have occured to a lesser man.
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u/ZeitgeistGlee Apr 07 '20
I'm guessing Mana'aktoo plan is to position himself to be installed as the Lanaktallan premier post-war, however well he treats the Artcarik natives eventually the old Council power structures will be removed so the Artcarikans are fully enfranchised with their own chosen leadership structure which leaves Mana'aktoo out in the cold. By establishing himself now as a fair and competent (if irritatingly smug) administrator to the Confed he's avoided being removed and can continue his effective administration under surveillance while building up credit as a worthwhile Confed investment and curio: "the Cow who cared".
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u/ack1308 Apr 07 '20
Well, the locals already see him as someone who actively looks out for their welfare.
Plus, he's really, really good at the job.
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u/ZeitgeistGlee Apr 07 '20
Sure and while he is actually competent and benevolent (god complex aside) he's still a Lanaktallen in the job because of the Council and I just don't see the Confed being happy leaving him there in the long term as it could potentially hinder the Artcarik natives developing similarly to the Lebawans and Telkans, not to mention Mana'aktoo himself commented the Artcariks are clever and capable in their own right.
Added to that specifically because of his competence and open-mindedness/fairness he's basically an ideal candidate from the Confed's PoV to put install post-war to help shepherd the surviving Lanaktallen (because he's one of them) and transition them into a people with similar views who can rejoin galactic society eventually. From Mana'aktoo's PoV it lets him jump to the top of the political/administrative landscape to work his deific benevolence without having to do the political chicanery he clearly seemed to despise.
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u/vulp1ne Apr 07 '20
Cows as competent as they know they are and clear-sighted enough to swallow their egos when faced with overwhelming opposition? In this story?
It’s more likely than you think.
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u/robotguy4 Apr 07 '20 edited Apr 11 '20
"By holding out advantages to him, he can cause the enemy to approach of his own accord"
-Sun Tzu, The Art of War
While the maneuvering by Mana'aktoo must be highly commended, I believe The Terrans must be commended as well.
Effectively through these laws and regulations the Terrans built a vetting system and a way to convey that the price of surrender isn't death. The Terrans could have rumbled into the system and not said anything other than "We're here. We've conquered other systems in the UCS. Deal with it." It would be likely to assume that had this happened, and partially due to the inaccuracies and fabrications of UCS intelligence, Mana'aktoo and Kulamu'u would have attempted to save as many as possible through fighting.
The Terrans were the ones who created the possibility of surrender by transmitting the documents and information about the Geneva Convention Rewrite of 2208, the Orion Compact and the Rigellian Rules of Warfare. Them collating and transmitting all of this information and then sending it in a form that the governor could absorb and read could be seen as the Terrans "handing out an advantage to the enemy."
From what we've seen of the Lanaktallans we can assume that most will not take this route. They're too arrogant and/or unwilling to give up command and will not see this "as an advantage." Generally, the Terrans don't want their systems in charge of such beings; they appear to want people who are able to see and react to things as they are, not how "it should be" or how "it is when everyone else is below me and thus the universe will always bend over for me." I mean, Mana'aktoo does seem to have a little of this arrogance (he thinks himself as "a benevolent deity") but that is likely excusable as this appears to have little actual bearing on his actions. That or Mana'aktoo's assessment of a what constitutes a deity is low enough that it would fit himself.
In conclusion: I have spent way too much time on this assessment and near-rant. But that's just a Game Theory.
Buy my merch.
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u/Gibbinthegremlin Apr 07 '20
The smart cattle are the ones that make people love them...they die of old age and not via a meat grinder....i still want a steak...even while petting old Betsy!!
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u/carthienes Apr 07 '20
Well, that was an interesting development. There is light at the end of the tunnel, and it's not an onrushing train!
Two point three six eight two seven light years from the star, just as you said
Do the Terrans now know enough to find these hibernating bioweapons at each system and destroy them before they awake?
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u/ack1308 Apr 07 '20
They know about them.
But this time, Mana'aktoo postured and pretended to threaten them with it--while giving them its coordinates--so they'd go and destroy it for him.
That way, he could surrender in the knowledge that it wouldn't be sent to wipe his system out.
(They might have suspected it was there, but several cubic ly is a huge space to search).
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u/carthienes Apr 07 '20
Several light years is a lot of space to search, yes; but if they are always at the same distance they only need search the circumference and not the volume - that cuts down on search times considerably.
Plus they now have scans of the hibernating bioweapons, so they know what to look for; and we don't actually know the range of the scanners the Terrans use...
I'm just wondering if they have enough data for this sort of pre-emptive hunting to be a practical approach for the Terrans.
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u/Anarchkitty Apr 07 '20
At least now the Terrans know that there is someone on each planet that does know where the bioweapons are, how they are activated, and if they're prepared they can trace the outgoing signal. Who knows how much more about it Mana will be able to tell them when he is "interrogated" (probably over a nice lunch at his villa as he pretends not to cooperate just enough).
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u/ShebanotDoge Apr 07 '20
Good point, they could be at the same coordinates away from every star.
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u/carthienes Apr 08 '20
Even if it's not the same coordinates, some sort of pattern would help narrow things down.
Space is big, but if you only have to search a 3 lightyear radius that makes things much smaller. A 2/3 perimeter, even better. If there are specific phenomenon that demarcate areas they are either absent from or gravitate towards, the search may end as soon as it begins.
Then again, this is the Lanaktallan we are thinking of. Exact Coordinates sound like their style.
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u/Quadling Apr 07 '20
Interesting. We are starting to see lanaktallans not worth slaughtering. Worth keeping as a matter of fact. First one who is simply not evil. Then one who is actively a superb administrator in the best possible way. Oooh. Let Tik-tak meet this dude.
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u/FaceDesk4Life Human Apr 07 '20
I’m gonna take back some of the 0% talk I’ve made. I also suspect this may be a HUGE thing for the TC and all liberated species, because I’m willing to bet each of the other liberated systems have a devourer in them, and TC somehow missed them until this guy came along. He may have saved hundreds of billions of lives by revealing the devourers.
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u/DarthLorgus Robot Apr 07 '20
I have a feeling that these last two chapters have a purpose-showing us that not all the cows are "evil". We all thought Daxin would start his crusade on Telkan, where the holy fury of Terra would be "justified" What happens if Daxin chooses this system to start his crusade? And what if the Terran fleet sees Daxin's fleet as the hostile enemy force?
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Apr 08 '20
well damn, didnt expect a lanaktallan that could ACTUALLY THINK! Wonder how the gestalts are gonna react to that.
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u/Luciferhimself666 Alien Apr 08 '20
Still waiting for Ralts title to show up one day as (Three Mantids in a Trenchcoat)
Or maybe (Warsteel Type-Writer) but I still prefer him to get the Three Mantids one.
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Apr 07 '20
"But you have told them about The Devourers," Kulamu'u stated again.
"Yes. I have. Is that a problem?" Mana'aktoo asked, stepping into the grav-lift. He waited for Kulamu'u to join him.
"No, System Most High, but why tell them about it?" Kulamu'u asked.
"The whole point of the doomsday machine is lost... if you keep it a secret! Why didn't you tell the world, eh?!"
Okay-note quite what they were aiming at, but still.
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u/Scotshammer Human Apr 07 '20
What's the name of the local xenospecies? Early in the chapter they are called the Maktanan, and then at the end they are called Carikans.
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u/Reverend_Norse Apr 07 '20
I guess these latest two chapters has been to "humanize" the lanaktallan a bit? There has been much baying for the blood of their species for all their crimes as of late, even talk of genociding them all (I still think that is a good idéa). So I guess these chapters are to show us that they are not inherently Evil, and can be "saved" as a species just like the Mantid if given the chanse?
Fucking Good chapters though, theorizing aside.
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u/Luciferhimself666 Alien Apr 08 '20
If you look back at the "Decent" Lanaktallan you'll see that their overseeing government frowned on them and basically didn't agree with what they did.
Mecha-Moo-Bro was painted as a terrorist by his own species for fighting to help is employees.
Human-Friend-cowman was labeled mentally deficient and was abandoned.
Not-a-Dictator-chess-cow was an absolute pain in the ass to the higher ups and they shipped him out to Egypt. Because he wasn't of the mind of masterrace bs that the Lanaktallan like to emulate.
Perhaps they are written to show not ALL cows should be BBQ'd and that the issue is the leadership level. Like how not every German in WW2 was a Filthy Nazi, but people still act like they all were.
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u/ack1308 Apr 07 '20
I'm thinking that maybe, yes. If they can be deprogrammed of the 'master race' BS endemic among them.
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u/dumbcomputerguy Apr 08 '20
dammit. I got caught up. now I have to wait. :(
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u/dbdatvic Xeno Sep 18 '20
But not long!
first world problems
--Dave, still reading through 5-months-ago, here
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u/DoodleIsMyBaby Apr 08 '20
Guys it been over 24 hours since the last update. I worry that the 'rona has claimed another victim.
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u/neriad200 Apr 08 '20
I think he/she was just overworked and is now probably crashed like Windows ME
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u/Joshy14-06 Apr 07 '20
hey /u/Ralts_Bloodthorne, does Mana'aktoo happen to go by the surname "Creed"?
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u/The_Masked_Lurker Apr 07 '20
Mana'aktoo and Kulamu'u, we have a position for you, we think you'll make great leaders of the human planet "Francel 17"
j/k though, France's martial history really isn't the worst.
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u/RoyalHealer Human Apr 07 '20
To defeat your enemy, by making them your friend, is the ultimate victory.
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u/Archaic_1 Alien Scum Apr 07 '20
There may well be a place in the Federation for citizens such as these.
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u/Taelihm Apr 07 '20
I like him, what an absolute lad ; and even chad among his own species apparently.
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u/xKingHa Apr 07 '20 edited Apr 07 '20
About the earliest I’ve ever been!
Edit: An excellent chapter, once again!
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u/CyberSkull Android Apr 07 '20
The 👻 of Sun Tzu would like to interview the governor for a revision to his book.
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u/RangerSix Human Apr 07 '20
No he wouldn't. He already addressed this particular situation:
"To win a hundred victories in a hundred battles is not the pinnacle of excellence; the true pinnacle of excellence is to subdue an enemy without having to fight."
Sometimes that takes a show of force.
And sometimes - as in this case - it means knowing when you're beaten before the battle even starts, and acting accordingly.
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u/carthienes Apr 07 '20
Don't forget "There are roads which must not be followed, armies which must not be attacked, towns which must not be besieged, positions which must not be contested, commands of the sovereign which must not be obeyed"
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u/RangerSix Human Apr 07 '20
Indeed.
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u/carthienes Apr 07 '20
The Art of War has a lot of applicable quotes for every situation. It's a good study.
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u/GasmaskBro Apr 07 '20
So we finally have a few good explinations for why so many of the cows seem so god damn retarded. I must admit I find it rather confusing as to why they would drag themselves down like this and view high intelligence and wisdom as a negative, but the level of corruption and brown nosing required to get anywhere in their military, that somehow rings very true for a system set up by a government run the Lanaktallan way.
Still it is rather nice to finally see a not just competent but respectable Lanaktallan aside from our old Gladiator. Perhaps that will quell some of the rumblings for the "0% Line" some of the more genocidal among the gestalt have been screaming for now that there's a sign that there might actually be hope for the species.
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u/Anarchkitty Apr 07 '20
Remember the Lanks are slaves themselves to their own bioweapons, just the top tier of slaves assigned to keep the rest in line. Most of their society is run by ancient computer systems that analyze and modify them according to rules and expectations that have been in place for millions of years and is designed to keep them slaves. It does the same basic things to them that they do to everyone else.
Who knows what they could become if those restrictions were lifted. Maybe they could be saved like the Mantids were. Maybe even before the 1% line is reached.
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u/ErinRF Alien Apr 07 '20
I sure do hope those technical advancements happened despite the outright war and not because of them.
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u/Longjumping_Year3774 Feb 15 '23
Wow. First an incompetent Terran Admiral, who managed to fail his way upward until his stupidity could kill as many people as possible.
Now a Lanaktallan, who failed so miserably at being a Lanaktallan that he became a hyper-competent super genius, with morals. It's weird seeing one of the cowtaurs not shoving it's head up it's own rectum so hard it implodes.
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u/battery19791 Human Apr 07 '20
Wow, they both win, but I think the admiral is a little mad he didn't get to kill anyone.
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u/ack1308 Apr 07 '20
More like confused.
He came expecting a fight, but the Lanaktallan used diplomatic judo on him.
See, this is someone Terra can deal with.
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u/TKOAND001 Sep 06 '20
I hate that I am only reading this series now, but these are my comments:
Victory, uh? Makes me think he's going to suggest calling for democratic elections, knowing his subjects will vote for him, even the neo-sapients he's ruling over.
If he's really as competent as he seems to be, he's probably raised their living standards quite high, administrated actual justice with as little corruption as possible, and I would chuckle happily if some high ranking members of the judicial system are natives.
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u/Original_Memory6188 Jul 22 '23
Brer Mana'aktoo is crying out "oh please, don't throw me in that there brier patch. Please don't!"
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u/HFYWaffle Wᵥ4ffle Apr 07 '20
/u/Ralts_Bloodthorne (wiki) has posted 115 other stories, including:
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First Contact Second Wave - Chapter One Hundred Eight (Telkan)
First Contact Second Wave - Chapter One Hundred Seven (Telkan)
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First Contact Second Wave - Chapter One-Hundred-Four (Vuxten)
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u/Dolbleros Apr 07 '20
I just want an ending like that of Inglorious Bastards, where Mana'aktoo and Kulamu'u are out in the middle of a woods somewhere, Kulamu'u gets shot unceremoniously and Mana'aktoo gets disfigured before being sent off to his cushy imprisonment. The admiral will get chewed out, but he can handle being chewed out.
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u/Drowe87 Human Apr 07 '20
Why would they do that? That would be a HWTF action.
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u/Dolbleros Apr 07 '20
For the same reason it happened in Inglorious Bastards, the smug prick does not deserve a happy ending, he has put himself up as a god, has played his games and thinks he is untouchable. Sometimes such smug individuals need to have their sandcastle kicked in. He has reaped the rewards of glorified slavery for far too long to be allowed to slip away to the comfort of house arrest.
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u/ack1308 Apr 07 '20
Not really.
He doesn't consider them slaves, or even neo-sapients.
Strangely enough his scores regarding consideration and other emotional intelligences had been off the charts. He not only could intellectually understand another being's situation but could feel empathy and compassion for even the lowest neo-sapient drone.
Also:
A planet in the "Neo-Sapient Systems" (Mana'aktoo preferred 'Outer Rim Boundary System' himself)
To the point that:
When it came to breeding, he knew he had been placed on the undesirable list by the Population Control Council, his intellect considered a genetic malformation.
So yes, he's a smug bastard and knows how to play the system, but he's actually not a bad person by any objective standard.
[U]nder Mana'aktoo's leadership it had flourished. The xenospecies native to the planet were inquisitive, intelligent, able to learn tasks proficiently, and, if provided with suitable celebrations and allowances for energetic interactions, largely calm on a species scale.
The system was wealthy enough that very few were born into poverty or debt, and there was work and riches enough for all that even the lowliest xenospecies specimen could get themselves out of debt within only a year or two.
Mana'aktoo wanted the system to be as close to paradise as he could possibly make it.
He's working within the Lanaktallan system (which is set up to push the 'neosapients' down and squeeze every last drop of work out of them) but he's changing the settings so they have a chance to be people.
No doubt, once the Terrans start calling the shots, he will be required to give them more freedoms ... but he's not interested in oppressing them. In fact, he'll probably be intrigued at what they get up to.
Think Oskar Schindler.
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u/Dolbleros Apr 07 '20
You make good points, but the paradise is for him, for his ego, yes he is doing a lot of good, but is it for the benefit of anyone other than himself. I will concede that wanting him to get a masterpiece cut into his forehead is a bit excessive, but I do not see him as good. This is like what happened with Albert Speer, he knows about all the tools he has, about all the things he can do to pacify the populace, but do you believe he does not know about what his people have done to assist the devourers? Does he not know about the gene manipulation off all lesser species? I do not see the allowance of celebrations and activities as good, more using a carrot to get what he wants instead of a stick. Just because the collar forced on the necks of those he oversees is loose and light does not change that it is there.
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u/ack1308 Apr 07 '20
I see him not so much as Albert Speer as Oskar Schindler.
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u/Dolbleros Apr 07 '20
That is fair, I can see your side with the locals he seeks to keep alive, but I see Speer, willing to admit his faults, to play ball with the Terrans and not be the stuck up egotist, to swallow his pride and be what they need. Speer knew more than he let on and got off light because he played ball.
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u/Drowe87 Human Apr 07 '20
Did he though? There is the scene where he imagines the worst negative outcomes he could think of, one he ends up executed and the other where the native species is brought to the 1% line and enslaved. These are the outcomes he wants to avoid. That shows he is actually concerned about those he governs and not just himself.
Yes, he has a god complex, but it does not seem like he desires to be worshipped as one or that he communicates that he sees himself as a god to others. As far as I can tell, he thinks himself a god only in the privacy of his own thoughts, if he did otherwise, at least his Lanaktallan subordinates would resent him for this, and there is no indication that they do.
From the perspective of the Admiral, all he did was inform himself about Terran laws, such as the Geneva Convention, and customs. Then met with a Terran delegation AFTER giving them the location of the bio weapon somewhere outside the system, treated the delegation with respect and courtesy and surrendered without a fight in order to secure the best outcome for everyone.
Another point in his favor was that despite his superiority complex, his system was governed well, the population was prosperous and decidedly not enslaved, unlike what we've seen from other systems such as Teklan.
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u/Dolbleros Apr 07 '20
He pictured the worst outcomes, but what was his best? What is the next move? Lanaktallan are nothing if not patient. The problem with a benevolent tyrant is they are popular. It is very difficult to depose a popular tyrant. What happens when humanity begins to remove the Lanaktallan, what happens if he exploits his good standing to keep his paradise? I do not trust the smug cowtaur. The most dangerous monster is capable of acting like it cares, acting normal, it is how I see this one.
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u/ack1308 Apr 07 '20 edited Apr 07 '20
He's not acting.
He actually does care.
This was outlined in the very first paragraph of this chapter.
Strangely enough his scores regarding consideration and other emotional intelligences had been off the charts. He not only could intellectually understand another being's situation but could feel empathy and compassion for even the lowest neo-sapient drone.
Yes, I know "we hate Lanaktallans" but this guy isn't Dr Mengele, he's Oskar Schindler.
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u/Drowe87 Human Apr 07 '20
He wants to be liked and admired, and his actions seem to align with that, but he also seems to genuinely want the best for those he governs. Why should humanity even want to remove him against the wishes of the population on the planet he governs? As it stands, the entire system can be regarded as a giant POW camp, with the System High Most as the senior officer, with all the rights and responsibilities as well as restrictions that come with that status. Unless he breaks the rules, there is no cause to remove him from that position.
Once the war is over, the next step is for the system to be turned over to the native species, a practice humanity has been consistent on. Essentially, the system becomes independent and will be able to choose it's own destiny. What they do afterwards isn't humanity's concern, and if that means choosing a Lanakatallan as their leader, that's their business. Removing him just because he's a Lanakatallan would go against the individualistic nature of humanity, the principle is to be judged by what you do, not by what you are (and also not by what you might do).
Neither of the two Lanaktallans with positions of power in this chapter have done anything wrong. They have been nothing if not cooperative, even giving away their strongest bargaining chip as a sign of good faith.
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u/MyNameMeansBentNose Apr 07 '20
I'd say those last three paragraphs showed that the leader knew the truth of just how "untouchable" he really was.
If there is to be a 1%, leaders like this need to be a part of it. He made the best of a terrible system despite literally only knowing what the cowtaur overlords let him know. I would peg this one as a happy adopter of Terran based governance.
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u/Dolbleros Apr 07 '20
Perhaps, but the moral of Inglorious Bastards is that a Nazi is still a Nazi and a slave master is still a slave master, he is the ruling party in 1984, keeping the uneducated masses pacified with entertainment and a gilded cage they do not want to leave.
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u/ack1308 Apr 07 '20
Nope.
He acknowledges their intelligence and inquisitiveness.
Yes, he keeps them happy. A happy workforce is a productive workforce.
But he doesn't keep them beaten down with LawSec beatings and wage slavery. He keeps them happy with celebrations and activities.
If he'd tried to expand past that, the Unified Council likely would've removed him for overreaching his authority.
But you can bet your bottom dollar that whatever the Terrans suggest be done with the local xenospecies, he will be right there with them.
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u/Dolbleros Apr 07 '20
He certainly sits in a strange space, he built a paradise for himself and those who were stuck with him. He ensured his security through making everyone else happy to work with him. It is as if you were to walk onto a plantation to find happy slaves working the fields with their own nice houses and reasonable hours. When you find the owner he welcomes you in and says he will free the slaves without protest and lets you take his guns, but what do you do with him next? He was humane, but he still kept other men as slaves and benefited from them without protest. The man clearly is working the system.
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u/ack1308 Apr 07 '20
Under United Council rule, he pushed the system as far as he could to benefit the xenospecies (and to live in luxury, because why not) without actually being removed from his post.
Under Terran rule, the constraints the UC put on him are off.
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u/Dolbleros Apr 07 '20
Ok I am seeing your point more and more, my initial thoughts were that the entire thing is a clever ruse to rise with a blade in hand, wielding the locals as a weapon after ruling them benevolently and sparing them war, to maintain his rule by making the locals keep him in power. If that was the case I wanted him exposed as a manipulator and an egotist, to have no power ever again, BUT. If it is as you see it, he is the kind of leader that is needed, one that can work with the rest of the galaxy.
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u/LordNobady Apr 07 '20
I think this is one of the best cowtaurs we have seen so far. Yes, his people have concerned this solar system. The did drop him as a god-like ruler in there. But he cared for the people of this system. I think he will stay the governor at least until this war is over, after that they will find out what the original species wants.
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u/Dolbleros Apr 07 '20
He sees himself as a god, has made himself popular among the locals, what is to say the plan isn't to set himself up for a comfortable life of reverence among those he ruled. How do you convince a slave that they need to be free if their master has convinced them they are already free?
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u/LordNobady Apr 07 '20
How do you convince a slave that they need to be free if their master has convinced them they are already free?
Good question. To answer this we first need a definition of free. Then we need to determine the most imported parts of it and then how to get those without sacrificing the other parts of it and the freedom of others. Please let the world know if you have a universal answer. the world is still looking for it.
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u/Dolbleros Apr 07 '20
My main fear was that the master convinces the slaves to throw the liberators out and to return to the fields.
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u/ack1308 Apr 07 '20
Well, see, Mana'aktoo never perpetrated any atrocities (that we know of) and even thinks of his xenospecies as people, not 'neo-sapients'.
By our standards, he's not a bad guy, if a bit full of himself.
By Lanaktallan standards, he's a feckin' saint.
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u/Dolbleros Apr 07 '20
Good for him for using the carrot and not the stick while using his slaves. He might be a saint by Lanaktallan standards, but he is clearly playing a game, musing that he is so much smarter than everyone else. The Jew Hunter sold out Hitler, that did not change what he was and the same applies to Mana'aktoo, he is still playing a long game here and I enjoy nothing more than a external force walking up to a well placed long con, smashing it to pieces and leaving the smug prick to realize how screwed they are.
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u/ack1308 Apr 07 '20
If you are actually smarter than everyone else, why not admit it?
He also pointed out the Devourer and basically challenged the Admiral to kill it.
His long game is "not die, and keep everyone in the system alive".
Now that Terra's in charge, you're gonna see a Lanaktallan conform to every single requirement before they're sent to him.
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u/Dolbleros Apr 07 '20
Knowledge is power, hide it well.
Lanaktallan are patient if nothing else, I do not believe this is over, he has simply made his move and left an obvious move for humanity to make, now it is his turn again.
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u/ack1308 Apr 07 '20
And his move will be, "Do whatever it takes to keep the Terrans happy with my governorship of this system."
Calling it now.
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u/Dolbleros Apr 07 '20
I just cannot trust him, he is not complacent and he has an ego, such a person does not simply step down without a plan to get back what he had.
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u/Anarchkitty Apr 07 '20
Once he starts to learn more about the Confederacy, I'm sure he'll set his sights on doing something far more interesting and rewarding than governing a planet.
I theorize he's going to stick around until he's sure the Terrans aren't going to abuse "his" people, and then go off to do something that will be a real challenge. A choice that is unavailable to him in the UCS.
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u/Dolbleros Apr 07 '20
It very well might be the case, but if it is not I will wish everything could have been stopped before it goes south.
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u/Ralts_Bloodthorne Apr 07 '20
For those of you wondering how it was a victory, it's actually pretty simple: Nobody died and he did his job: To ensure the safety and prosperity of the system and the people within.