Personal notes 124871x71
This was hopefully the most eventful portion of this trip. Full details included as part of this log for official ISB records as well as legal enforcement agents. [Markers for ISB, LEAs].
[Begin notes on Laroth Mumuni]
Laroth had little to talk about with me, but was rather different from Lilith or the described Carter. It wasn’t that he, humans being divided primarily into a dioecious culture, but one that has struggled with non-dioecious components being introduced (even pre-contact), was unfriendly or even standoffish (suggested alternate word – stoic?). He simply was present. Undeniably present in fact.
One was always aware of his presence, even if you hadn’t heard or seen him. It was a kind of sense you got from the air or the deckplates. It was not that Laroth smelled or was especially heavy compared with the other beings of the crew, myself included. But rather that Laroth simply had a kind of presence that emanated like a kind of aura.
Based on preliminary research, humans are not known to possess telepathy or means of equivalent communication, despite the imperial logged pre-contact claims by a number of humans. Extensive testing by the Empire has revealed no known humans with these perported abilities. These abilities remain the sole area in which the sole Imperial trading partner, the Nthixis, possess over all the species within the Empire.
Either way, Laroth was a quiet, but present crewmate most of the time. I was paired with him occasionally during various tasking throughout the ship.
Perhaps what surprised me most about Laroth was that he was strong compared even with the ship’s Captain, a Mpthili. [Insert reference to Mphtili homeworld at 2.1g of Imperial Standard, leading to a higher.]
Perhaps it was the length of his arms that made it that way.
In what few conversations I had with Laroth and the crew who had been with him for some time, I managed to compile a reasonable history for him.
[Begin Laroth history notes]
Laroth was born approximately 53 imperial years ago, midway to present following the imperial absorption (Laroth specifically uses the term ‘conquest’) to parents on a southern continent.
Of his formative years, not much is expressed other than Laroth being in and out of the various schools across the region due to disciplinary issues. To that effect, Laroth was not granted entry to imperial preparatory schooling due to lack of base certifications.
Laroth’s pregenitors and culture were highly human centric and so Laroth ended up arrested multiple times for violence against Centurions. [Arrest record not available – insufficient clearance].
Of what Laroth has described to myself and the crew, he was much more at home planet-side than void-side, but when the question was raised as to why Laroth is in space then, the question seems to die there.
There is apparently some degree of taboo in asking Laroth why he is in space, both for regular members of the crew and myself. An inquiry to the captain revealed that while the captain knows more about Laroth’s history, they are bound to not share it for any non-authorized being.
Based on my prior investigative history, this suggests that Laroth may have been sentenced to imperial service – a kind of work-release program – as the Empire finds it especially unhelpful to imprison useful beings. However, given what has been stated about Laroth, it seems difficult to believe that he is likely to have committed a sufficient action to warrant being sentenced to void-side service (service typically being carried out on a being’s homeworld or near orbit). This suggests a more substantial action having been completed or special circumstances being introduced.
In ports, Laroth typically remains with the ship and only enters stations as needed to retrieve wayward crew members. This is apparently a task which suits the captain and the rest of the crew rather well as some would have gotten into unwinnable fights or similarly poor situations were it not for the arrival of Laroth.
Citing a specific example: the navigator had been in an establishment supporting exotic displays of various species’ disrobings along with consumption of various intoxicants for nearly a full imperial day and had run up quite a tab. While making motions to pay their tab, nearby beings began making suggestions that the navigator should accompany them and that the tab they [the navigator] was paying was insufficient given their apparent funds.
The navigator protested and continued to attempt to pay, but the establishment staff appeared to ignore this and the actions of the aforementioned beings. Feeling in danger, the navigator tapped their comm-band, alerting the ship to the navigator being in trouble.
While waiting for support, the navigator continued to try to pay and leave, but found the staff were re-directing the navigator back to the table of the beings. The beings were apparently intoxicated, but maintaining a substantial hold over any/all beings who entered for reasons that were unclear [organized criminal organization suggested].
One of the staff even went so far as to place an additional intoxicant at the setting for the beings specifically for the navigator’s species (it being in an obvious container as comparable to what the navigator had been consuming previously).
It was over the course of several minutes that the beings, who all but forced the navigator to sit with them, became more open about their interests. The navigator was an unusual for this station and therefore the beings were interested in having the navigator perform in the establishment. In exchange, their tab would be taken care of.
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“No,” was the quiet but resounding answer that dropped into every aural sensor within the establishment.
Laroth had apparently entered and took that moment to step up behind the navigator. The beings apparently considered Laroth for a short time and simply made motions of dismissal/acknowledgement. The navigator admits to being hazy as to why this appeared to be, but wasn’t going to question the rescue.
The staff seemed willing to take payment at that point and the pair returned to the ship, the navigator retiring to allow themselves to be cleansed of the particular intoxicants.
Since then, several equivalent events have happened among the crew (the captain included) and in each case, Laroth simply arrives and retrieves the beings from their predicament and takes them back to the ship.
Given Laroth’s potential previous involvement with anti-imperial humans and associated arrest history, this is somewhat anomalous, but at the same time, in each case, Laroth seems to specifically avoid using emergency responses, suggesting that he perhaps is making the avoidance deliberately and focusing instead on a created community of self-policing.
This ‘bonding instinct’ has been mentioned in various texts regarding humans, but none go into it with any detail, citing potential cultural or biological reasons and subsequently ignoring it.
However, I was able to see it in action for myself.
Piracy in the Empire is an ever constant threat. There always has been and likely always will be piracy within the Empire. It’s a fact as much as gravity.
The reasons for this are unclear, but the closest approximation that I can provide is that there are those who refuse to be bound by any rules other than their own. There are examples of these being in almost every species and culture within the empire. But this is besides the point.
Our ship was interdicted by a pirate vessel. Their vessel possessed enough cargo space and weaponry that we likely weren’t what they were after, but they weren’t about to let us go without a ‘tax’. And so we were boarded.
With the crew assembled and under guard of the heavily armed pirates, we didn’t notice initially that Laroth wasn’t present, thinking perhaps he was asleep. His resting quarters are somewhat separated from the rest of the crew due to space constraints. We were surprised none of the pirates had noticed him.
The pirates, multi-species as most void crews are, were frustrated by our lack of what they deemed worthwhile goods and so they were arguing as to whether they should take some of us as hostages for ransom, slaves (slavery still existing around the empire despite imperial decrees), or even for food. There wasn’t a clear determination, but it definitely appeared that not all of us would be leaving on this ship (if any of us).
At least, until there was a quiet grunt, barely audible over the normal sounds of the ship and the arguing of the pirates. One of the pirates groaned reflexively as they were thrown against the nearest wall.
It wasn’t until we all turned to look at said pirate (along with the rest of the pirates) that we realized that approximately 3 selim (human equivalent – 1 meter) of a rod of metal was sticking out of the pirate and appeared to have sunk into the wall behind the pirate, pinning them through their midsection to the wall.
The pirate in question was understandably distraught and leaking fluids. However, they did not appear in immediate danger, nor did they appear able to release themselves.
Following the looks of the group, we looked in the direction from which the metal rod had come from.
Laroth was standing there with several similar rods at his feet, one in his hand and his arm raised.
The rods themselves were sharpened and appeared to be decorated in a fashion, although to what end I was unable to say at the time.
A moment later, Laroth’s arm moved and the rod he had been holding was moving very fast and then through another of the pirates, this one being caught through two of their six lower appendages and being similarly pinned to the wall.
With barely a wasted movement, Laroth already had another rod up and in his hand.
The unpinned pirates were unclear as to how to respond as while they all possessed weapons, they seemed unwilling to use them against such an opponent. At least for a few moments.
One of them started to raise their weapon and found the rod going through the weapon in question and their body besides, getting pinned to the wall in the process.
The remaining pirates seemed unwilling to take on Laroth and so began trying to bargain.
“Take them and leave,” was Laroth’s only response, pointing at the rod pinned pirates.
Given that Laroth obviously had enough rods for every pirate and what he was capable of doing with said rods, the pirates did exactly that.
They grumbled in doing so, but they did so.
Laroth didn’t lower his rod until they had entered the airlock and opened the outer door.
There was some question as to whether the pirates would let us go or if they might simply destroy us, having the firepower to do so on their ship. But we never got an answer on whether they would have or not.
Imperial authorities turned up at that point and the pirates dropped the dock-link and ran, other than firing a few wild shots in the direction of the imperial vessels.
While the crew buzzed with what Laroth had done, he simply shrugged and collected the rods from the floor, setting them against the wall as he walked over to look at the wall where the pirates had been stapled to it.
I looked at the holes myself. The metal was relatively thin, it being more of a vanity covering over the ship’s more important parts and to protect against too much grime. It was still obvious that the force the human had used to defend the ship was substantial, the holes being nearly three feathers wide each. Whether by luck or chance, the human had managed to miss all of the wiring and plumbing which flowed in the wall.
The captain had punched Laroth in the chest at that point and Laroth seemed to take it in stride. [Mpthili culture – a strike to the chest is often a sign of equals and respect, while it does not have to be reciprocated, it typically is. It is rare for a Mpthili to strike the midsection/chest of a non-Mpthili.]
Imperial authorities arrived and took what information was available. I provided what credentials I required to indicate my business for the ISB to explain my presence. I did note however that no being drew attention to the holes which Laroth had created and Laroth himself was oddly absent. I followed the lead of the captain and simply stated that the pirates had gotten all that they could and so were trying to decide what to do with us when help arrived.
There was no need to mention that the help had been Laroth vice the imperial authorities, but they took it down as they interpreted my meaning. My journalist mentor would have been proud.
And with that, the event was over and we simply continued on our way.
The holes were patched, the rods disappeared into the ship somewhere, and no being made mention of the event having happened.
I asked the captain why not make mention of it to some authority, perhaps give an award or something of that effect to Laroth for his actions and defense of the crew. Such a thing might give Laroth a merit to help him later on, after his likely imperial void-side service was over.
The captain simply said that he couldn’t, but refused to explain why.
After a day or so, I decided not to press it and shortly thereafter, we arrived at my next station to transfer.
As I went to leave, Laroth presented me with a necklace and pendant. It wasn’t obvious the meaning of the pendant, but it was clearly human in origin and something which Laroth had created aboard the ship. It seemed oddly foreign and yet familiar.
I accepted it graciously and departed.
My next ship will be arriving in a few days, so I have some time to assemble notes ahead of this next ship. We’re heading to Ixetu-250 Station 7 (orbiting Planet 2.2) – human name “Alpha Centaur” and almost half of this ship’s crew is human. It’s worth mentioning this will be a passenger vessel so I will have more time among different humans to hopefully get a better gauge on human society.