VUX
| VUX | ||||||||
| VuxComm.png A Very Ugly Xenoform | ||||||||
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General
The VUX hail from the Luyten constellation. To an Earthling, a VUX resembles a bipedal, one-eyed cross between a hideous green octopus and an anteater. They are most often seen wearing well-decorated suits and sitting at a rather ornate command console. In mindset, the VUX are a bigoted lot, judging entire races off their appearance alone.
History
Much of VUX history is not known due to the VUX's staunch unwillingness to communicate with other races. However, the events in the recent two wars are common knowledge to many species. During the First War, the VUX seemingly remained neutral and kept to themselves. The Alliance of Free Stars, hoping to gain another ally against the Ur-Quan, sent the human Captain Jeffry L. Rand to parley with the VUX. Many historians regard what occured as the single biggest mistake the humans committed during the war. Captain Rand opened communications with a VUX commander, and when the commander appeared on the viewscreen, Rand joked with a lieutenant about the name VUX meaning "Very Ugly Xenoform", unaware that the VUX translator devices were already operating and relayed these words to the VUX captain. The VUX were incredibly offended, and cut off communications there and then.
With the hope that the VUX would join against the Ur-Quan in tatters, the Ur-Quan themselves saw their opportunity and promptly subjugated the VUX. The VUX chose to become Battle Thralls (possibly to gain revenge against the Humans), and their Intruder fleets under the command of Admiral ZEX played their part in the Hierarchy's eventual victory over the Alliance. Shortly afterwards, the Ur-Quan were pulled into the renewed Doctrinal Conflict against the Kohr-ah, and the VUX were left to their own designs. They seemingly did little other than patiently wait for the return of their masters.
During the Second War, the VUX were steadfastly uncooperative, despite The Captain attempting to remain polite and reasonable with them. The VUX were known to have cited that Rand's insult and their subordination to the Ur-Quan were the reasons why they refused to listen to The Captain's requests for diplomacy; however, it is not as well known that eventually, after The Captain has persistently attempted to reason with the VUX, one of their commanders eventually snapped out of sheer fustration and admitted that the VUX's real reason for hating humanity was that they found their appearance so horrible, they were simply unable to tolerate it and felt the need to regurgitate uncontrollably whenever they set their eye on one.
Despite the VUX as a whole refusing to listen to reason, they did on occasion direct The Captain to speak with Admiral ZEX, who had been exiled from VUX society after the first war was over, for the reason that ZEX, in his own words, "enjoys" humans. Unlike the other VUX, ZEX was very cooperative with The Captain, if in a somewhat overbearing and uncomfortable manner. ZEX had been keeping a menagerie of various beasts from around the galaxy that he considered to be beautiful - yet one beast had eluded him and his men, much to his fustration. The Captain struck a deal with ZEX; if he could recover the VUX Beast, then ZEX would give his cryogenically frozen Shofixti Maidens to The Captain in exchange. The deal was done; however, ZEX attempted to betray The Captain, as it was really The Captain himself he wanted to put in his menagerie of beasts! The VUX Beast managed to break free from their holding cells however, and went on a rampage that eventually resulted in ZEX's death. After The Captain had recovered the Shofixti females from an installation on the planet surface, his dealings with the VUX were over.
After the end of the Second War, it is not known whether the VUX will join with the new alliance, or remain neutral as they did during the early parts of the first war.
Culture and Society
In VUX culture, concepts of appearance and fashion are of tantamount importance, and their mindset seems to be stuck in a "Victorian England" kind of thinking. To their eyes a lifeform as bizarre looking as a humanoid is a new dimension in horrifying ugliness, a monster. So it's no surprise that they view the other humanoid races, Syreen, Androsynth and Arilou with equal disgust. Despite all of their clearly bigoted views towards other races, the VUX claim that they are an open-minded, rational species, though this could all be explained simply as their narcissistic, high image they have of themselves. Any deviants from this norm are punished; Admiral ZEX was exiled to Alpha Cerenkov due to his importance. It is not known what happens to lesser VUX who betray the standards of VUX society, but one can presume it is not pleasant.
Relations with other races
Humans
The VUX hate the humans with a passion, due to both the VUX's inability to withstand the humans's staggering ugliness, and the insult by Captain Jeffry L. Rand made. The Captain actually found out that it is the former reason which takes precedence, and the latter was merely a cover story to take away some of the embarrasment from the former, which even the VUX themselves realise is unreasonable and immature.
Orz
The VUX encountered the Orz early after they had entered this dimension, coinciding with the disappearance of the Androsynth. The VUX managed to anger the Orz by asking too much about what had happened to the Androsynth, prompting the Orz to attack. In The Captain's conversations with the Orz, they refer to the VUX as *silly cows*, which is known as a term for someone they will attempt to kill on sight.