Legate Dralson, ex-Dino Army and Security CouncilRecently i had the opportunity to join a Dino Army delegation visiting Sirikwan, a key ally of the Dinos now and a core member of the Dino Trade Association. The Sirikwanese themselves are Dinos, like the Bolitic they are descended from the first wave of Dinos who went out into space in a now almost mythical Classic Age (for those who don't know history a cataclism and a major war sent the Dinos of the Classic Age back into a pre-technological level of existance and our colonies on Castarian and Sirikwan were cut off and soon followed suit).
Happily unlike the Bolitic the Sirikwanese don't hate us. The Sirikwanese indeed are very easy going relaxed people who have eagerly restored links with us. The Sirikwanese are secure in their own culture and heritage while happily acknowledging their ancestral links with us. Maybe the Bolitic are insecure, well thats maybe a topic for another essay.
Although they are quite laid-back (and their flower outfits they like to wear take some getting used to) the Sirikwanese are very energetic in their detirmination to make the DTA work and to be the most important part of it after the Dinos. One Sirikwanese facilitator told me that the Sirikwanese wanted the DTA to be a major galactic power with themselves as a key member.
What role though do the Sirikwanese see for themselves. Yeng for example want to be the diplomats of the DTA, the Dinos obviously are the brains and engine room of the DTA but Sirikwan? It seems to me that Sirikwan want to be the "alternative". They want to counterbalance the might of the Dinos in the DTA to provide the alternative point of view. A POV that won't always be adhered to but existing all the same to help guide DTA policy.
I wonder how that plays out, the Dinos tend to pretty single-minded (which is why the brutal fascism of the SS is such a key part of the state) and why democracy is a recent experiment. Will we be able to tolerate a bunch of hippies in flower outfits telling us that we are wrong? Well that may be the thing which sees the DTA ultimately succeed or fail...
