Post by @ami_angelwings@urusai.social

2026-09-06 22:35 UTC

The Minbari seem to coexist with other species okay, so their customs may not be that unusual, either way, blaming them because "they did something WE consider to be hostile" is exactly why you need first contact protocol. Also a good first contact captain is willing to risk their life, ship and crew to AVOID STARTING A WAR. A lot of this was also arrogance by Earthforce coming off the Dilgar War believing that starting another war wouldn't be a big deal because they defeated the Dilgar. I thought about what Sheridan would do, he'd say if they meant to ambush they wouldn't approach with gunports open & it might be a custom. He's very good at thinking in the shoes of the other. He might also open gunports back since fair is fair, but order everybody to not fire unless fired upon first.

Replies (2)

@ami_angelwings@urusai.social 2026-09-06 22:36

None of the big 4 Starfleet Captains would mishandle that situation by firing first, not even Janeway for all her faults. You do not fire first in a First Contact situation. Ever. If you die, you die, but you do not start a war on your own because you're scared. That said, turning the death of their leader into a justification to genocide an entire race out of existence IS the Minbari's problem (in the book, Earthforce even offers Jankowski to them as a war criminal hoping to stop the war, and in both the movie and book, Earth offers to surrender over and over). Specifically it's on the 5 (at least 1 other had to be Worker or Religious) on the Grey Council who voted for war instead of trying to figure out what happened, and especially on Delenn for voting to "kill them all, no mercy".

Open ##5117834
@hazelnot@sunbeam.city 2026-09-06 23:19

@ami_angelwings@urusai.social damn I need to watch that show

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