RE: The Kra'Vak

What an Effing great idea... We're the Kra'Vak's implacable foes.

Somewhere on the rim:

NAC Commander: No surrender to the Aliens! Take NO prisoners!

Kra'vak Overcommander: Vs! ka'tok Tr'A! Tcho'tak Kra'ka!A! (What the
hell
were they thinking?!? We were offering them the place of honored
defeat...)

> ----------
> From: 	jatkins6@ix.netcom.com[SMTP:jatkins6@ix.netcom.com]
> Reply To:	FTGZG-L@bolton.ac.uk
> Sent: 	Tuesday, October 06, 1998 11:50 AM
> To:	FTGZG-L@bolton.ac.uk
> Subject:	Re: The Kra'Vak
> 
> You wrote: 
> 
> >The Kra'Vak operate on a clan system based on familial units. They've

> been >coming up from somewhere in the Galactic core. No one knows hold

> 
> >about how they communicate or what their motivations are). There's no

> telling so >much how big a "Clan" is. Though each clan's ground forces

> are small in number.
> >They are a  hunter race. They're clan structure leads to much strife 
> within >clans and they are as apt to fight each other as they are apt 
> to fight each >other as aliens.
> 
> >It would seem that this kind of cultural would have several inherent 
> drawbacks >to prosecuting major wars. First off, the Clan system seems

> quite fragmented, >what with all the interclan squabbling going on. 
> 
> I know this is an old topic, but I've been sitting back and watching. 

> Tony Wilkinson and I exchanged some e-mails on this topic a while back

> and the Kra'Vak that emerged are an interesting bunch.  
> 
> Yes, they are an agressive species, even against other clans.  This is

> mitigated by a strong "surrender/switch" reflex.  When a Kra'Vak is in

> such a bad situation that further resistance is futile, they will, as 
> individuals or as groups, surrender and switch sides.  This has the 
> effect of limiting the damage inter-clan warfare does.  This carries
no 
> stigma for the defectors--in a larger or richer clan, they may need to

> work for additional priviledges, but a smaller clan may immediately
put 
> them in action-perhaps in the same battle.  Culturally they are
largely 
> innocent of betreyal, treason, or use of flase surrender/switches.  
> These reflexes are the glue that prevents species annihilation and 
> violators of this code are generally hunted down by all sides.  
> Leaders are also checked by this reflex--if a leader is doing truly 
> poorly, his followers/subjects may pack up and leave.  This is again, 
> normal and accepted.
> They will have deep problems with the human concept of fighting to the

> last man without considering surrender.
> This urge to limit the devestation caused by inter-clan conflict also 
> explains their prediliction for kinetic weapons as opposed to 
> beam--limits collateral damage.  Kra'Vak have a very long period of 
> 'adolescence' where the K is not fully mature.  Thise pre-sexual K
make 
> up most of the "enlisted" elements of their armed forces.  They are 
> competing for the right to progress to full sexual maturity, based on 
> the reccomendations of their superior "officers".  
> 
> John M. Atkinson
>