Originally posted by
SidonianGal
Every one of us has been drilled on the importance, the delicacy, involved in First Contact scenarios. They're unpredictable by their nature. So we have no idea how these hypothetical aliens will perceive that message. Or how they'll react. That's why we use sensor masks with probes in the first place."
She glances around to see if everyone finally sees her point. It's incomprehensible to her why most of these folks don't get it, while she and Kylah--frickin' Kylah of all people!--do.
Then it hits her. Oh yeah. I'm dealing with a half-dozen humans and a Vulcan who've been in the Federation as long as they've lived. They have no clue what it's like to be one of those aliens.
To them, the Federation is benign and safe, has the good of all races and peoples in mind. So how could anyone misunderstand its intentions?
But that's not how everyone views them--Nia's planet, for a start. Sidonia's impending death is the only reason her people had to cry out for help. Even then, most Sidonians distrust Starfleet and the Federation. They're at the mercy of Starfleet's goodwill, such as it is, and not surprisingly, Sidonians don't like asymmetrical relationships. In fact, they resent the hell out of that.