Originally posted by Quarto
There's plenty of evidence in WC that mankind in 600 years is exactly the same as it is today. Heck, right until the Kilrathi war, Confed is busy pushing anti-Pilgrim rhetoric, while the Pilgrims do vice-versa - and both are human. Indeed, by the time the Kilrathi wiped out the Shata, Confed had already fought its first interstellar war. What happened to the never-again-heard-of Yan? Did they just... disappear? Or is it that they were - dare I say it? - exterminated, exactly like the Shata?
Since we haven't heard of them again, we can't assume anything except the fact that humanity fought and won a war against them. Maybe they left. Maybe the defeated remnants of the Yan encountered and were obliterated by the Kilrathi. Maybe the Yan were actually a renegade human state that was defeated and reabsorbed, much like the Pilgrims were. The fact is we don't KNOW what happened to them, and ANY fate we suppose for the Yan is nothing more than guesswork at best.
We know that the Varni remnant that was captured by the Kilrathi are kept on preserve worlds and hunted like animals by the Kilrathi (Action Stations). We also know that they do a similar thing to human POWs (WC1). We ALSO know that they consider the brutal extinction of an alien race that had not committed a single aggressive act against them to be a funny joke (Fleet Action). Does this sound like a very admirable culture to you? Especially in light of the way the Confederation treats POWs? Yes, they're kept in camps (Fleet Action), but they are kept alive and treated reasonably well (Freedom Flight). We also know that human warships have VIP quarters specifically designed around alien biological needs (Freedom Flight).
We also know that in the middle of the most desperate war in human history, the Confederation is willing to protect alien primitives from enemy aggression (WC1), and allow new alien species to enter the Confederation (SM2).
There have been plenty of cultures in human history which seem to us today to be pure evil. Yet, to judge the entire race based on the actions of just these cultures would be wrong, if not downright stupid. Similarly, it is wrong to judge the Kilrathi based on what little we know of their culture and history. You may disagree, and point to how many different races they've wiped out in the four hundred years leading up to WC. But the only reason the humans didn't subjugate (sure - 'subjugate' may be considered better than 'wipe out' by some, but the truth is both are equally despicable) so many races during this time is because they were too busy fighting each other.
During the 400 years leading up to the beginning of WC1, the Confederation made PEACEFUL first contact with several alien races, including the Varni remnant and the Wu. The ONLY war that we know of that the Confederation fought during that time period against an alien power was the war with the Yan.
One major war in 400 years is an incredibly good record - look at how many wars the United States fought during the last 200: the War of 1812, the Mexican-American War, the American Civil War, the Spanish-American War, World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War and the Gulf War.
By the early 2600s, the Confederation consists of no fewer than four races. The reason why First Contact with the Kilrathi was such a shock is BECAUSE it degenerated into fighting.
They're the "bad guys", just admit it Quarto!
No. The Kilrathi have done a lot of bad things, but so have humans. I suppose it may be that both are evil, but that's not a particularly appealing idea. [/B]
We don't have evidence of any admirable Kilrathi cultures, and in fact, the evidence that we do have suggests that Kilrathi history is a series of wars so bloody they make the worst of humanity look nice (Victory Streak). In the WC3 Victory Streak manual, a report on Kilrathi psychology penned in 2658 (and written to brief commanders on how Kilrathi think and fight, not to fan the flames of anti-Kilrathi hysteria among the population) notes that the Kilrathi have never had a period of prolonged peace and artistic and scientific development like ancient Egypt or the Renaissance. Kilrathi architecture and art are entirely centered around warlike motifs, up until their defeat in late 2669/early 2670. The first evidence of artistic and cultural evolution in the Kilrathi doesn't come until Wing Commander IV - AFTER their defeat by humanity leaches out their hubristic view of the universe.
Perhaps one day, the Kilrathi will develop an admirable culture. That time has not yet come. Perhaps, in the grand picture, the destruction of Kilrah was a good thing, not just for the survival of humanity... but for the survival of the Kilrathi as well.
[Edited by Iceberg on 02-26-2001 at 09:06]