If you were in the world of Seikai for real

Let's play a little game

Imagine yourself in the world of Seikai for real, not as in some RPG, or part of the story which always has this "invisible hand" that guides you, makes you more important than all the lesser characters and saves/promotes you just in time... Forget it - you are average joe in Seikai world, part of the crowd, a human on a planet conquered by Abhs just recently.

Also forget about Jinto and a cute little princess - you'll probably never meet them (though it's not impossible, but you didn't read\watch story about them, remember?), or any of the Seikai book/anime characters.

You can choose background for yourself or be as you are in a real life(since it obviosly affect your opinions and decisions), you can choose age as well (if what you wanna do\be requires it)

So here you are - your planet was conquered, but you only know about it from the news.
There is basic information availible about Empire and Abhs and there's new Abh "ambassy\recruitment center" on the planet as well. Most people do not sympathize Abhs for obvious reasons (your famili/friends probably too, but you know better).

Now, how do you feel about Abs and why? Do you hate them, like them, do you want to join them, or do you want to oppose them (if there was a way)?

(When you answer - describe who you are and why you feel this way, try to be as realistic and honest as possible)
__
I'll make it more complex in following posts
P.S. Almael, can you help with some info: what age you have to be to apply to SF, what other jobs you can get from Abhs (servants etc) and how do you apply. If there's any space related career you can have without joining Abhs directly? In other words - what our options are

The Abhs themselves don't really have an age limit for applying to the Star Force. Applicants have to take a test before being admitted. In other words only advanced educated Abh (highschool/college level) can do the test.

For Landers age is more important as the technological level on each planet differs. Therefore, you can only apply if you have reached the legal age. Most likely the age limit is set between 16 and 18 years of age. One reason being necessary education to bring applicants up to imperial education standards. Even if you are going to be an enlisted personnel you still need to have certain reading or math skill.

As a private person you can go to a civilian school to learn Baronh, the Abh language. Such a school is typically run by former Abh vassals. You will also learn about Abh society at such a school.
However, it should be noted that information given by former vassals are not always correct or are even biased.
There are all kinds of possible reasons for this. One being out of grudges or out of devotion by those who believe they have to spread the word.

If you want to be a vassal to an Abh aristocrat, you can attend such a school beforehand, but it is not really necessary.
Most Abh employers educate their own vassals, and provide them with job specific education.

There are two ways to become an Abh vassal.
Either you get recruited or you apply yourself.
Getting recruited happens mostly if you have connections which likely comes from having been in the Star Forces.
You can apply directly if an active vassal is around on your planet.
Otherwise you can apply through trade channels or the imperial postal services. Both services are available planetside and inside an orbital space elevator and space station.
It may be possible to apply to another Abh aristocrat than your own local Abh ruler.
The best place to apply to many Abh employers is within a busy star system like the capital or any other major imperial systems.
Those places have likely a recruitment service or agency center.
However, you likely don't have the necessary cash to travel and personally apply there.

Non-imperial related space careers are within the local space companies. Education is up to the local space agency/administration, if any, or the existing companies.
Both are dependent on local laws working within imperial imposed laws.
Even if you attain captainship with such a career you are not allowed to command an interstellar ship because you will lack interstellar navigation knowledge.
Besides, you can only receive education and qualification for interstellar navigation within the Star Force.

There are any number of possible careers within a local space company. There are no restriction other than what the company requires.

A local aeronautic company can offer special careers for engineers, researcher, technician etc.
However, space craft/-vessel design is restricted to non-interstellar sublight ships or craft.

The local government could also offer space related careers ranging from crewman, pilots to advisors.

The local government could offer bodyguard carreers as a service to the local Abh aristocrat dependent on existing agreements.
You may have to pass a security screening at the local government's discretion. Security screening may also be done by the Abh aristocrat himself or his vassals.

The local government or space agency or space administration could offer space police careers, instructor and inspection careers.
Other security agency careers are possible but are likely not on military level.

Other career options are information brokers, negotiators, translators, import/export, local (fashion) shop,

Other special careers are within a mercenary company. Like anyone else they are no allowed to have interstellar ships.
They are likely to offer local space careers within their home system. Depending on missions you may use your skill elsewhere.
However, you may have to obtain a license from the local space administration. Further, mercenary companies have to follow the rules of the mercenary guild.

Imperial traders need an imperial merchant license from the merchant marine.

In a large star system it is possible to start a career as a pirate.
However, you will likely be hunted by the local police or hired mercenary companies or even the Star Force.
The more you act the more likely you will face destruction sooner.
It has to be noted that a Star Force vessel has not been captured by pirates for many centuries. The last time any Star Force vessel was captured by anyone was during the Jimuryua Rebellion.
The Star Force will certainly hunt you down if you acquire an interstellar ship or modified ship. In any case, anyone will be eager to hunt you down to further their own careers.

Another possible special career is as a head hunter or bounty hunter or detective. It is rare for this kind of work to have anything to do with space but not impossible. However, such costly jobs are only possible with Abh aristocrats or the imperial families.
These jobs are also like performed by mercenary companies.
You will likely have to compete with them. Therefore, there aren't many who will join your company. Establishing connection outside your own system will be difficult.

There are interstellar venture companies or organizations. Most ventures are run by Abh aristocrat families or traders, though.
These companies offer all kinds of careers, especially for inspectors, notaries, and accountants. It is a big industry and business. Beware of shady companies and scams.

As part of the business there are some specialized insurance companies. Fraud detectives and inspectors are most common in the business.

Well if this is make believe can we be the opposite sex?


I want to be a firm Nationalistic teenaged girl who joins the UMK because
she loathes the Abh and thinks they're evil(yeah she believes all that crappy
propoganada)and so she joins the UMK underground as a courier/spy.Later she
escapes and enlists in the UMK land forces.

You scare me mitsuki but ok - just answer the first question then - why do you hate abhs?
The idea is to model realistic scenarios. (I'll post mine tomorow)
Explain why your girl hates Abhs, there must be some reason for it(social, psychological) - maybe her father was in UMK millitary and used to tell her about Abhs - ungodly/unhuman robots etc, maybe it's the ideology, maybe religion?

Here's a little scenario for you: you go to college, and after some time - some pro-abh people visit your class to explain how empire works to make sure young people get it right... there's a young (your age) Abh with them (possibly so that everyone could see a real abh and make sure they're not scary). They talk a lot about Empire, how it works, it's mission (to bring peace etc.), the possibilities if you work hard and decide to seek carreer among Abhs (see Almael's post) or even become one. You notice that most of the students listen and begin to trust what they hear... Now the guests ask if anyone have any questions and if you still hate abhs - this is your chance to tell what you think or ask them a hard questions...

____
Unfortunately - there's a real short list of what you can do with this "character class" of yours. You can become anti-Abh activist, march streets with large header, paint walls with anti-abh stuff but i guess that's it. Abhs probably won't care. And you can't become terrorist because there's no abhs to bomb on the planet and you won't get them in space as well...

Well, Mitsuki, you are likely the only one making it out (and back?). You can't join the grunts easily after becoming a spy. You will probably be kept safe and serve as propaganda puppet. Just like Gagarin. Never in your life will you ever again set foot anywhere without escorts.

The only target for bombing would be the Star Force recruiting center, the space elevator, and maybe the small communication base in it. Of course many non-Abh would die. Or if you got some billions in cash you could make a kamikaze on the Abh lord's orbital mansion somewhere in the system. This will incur the empire's wrath, though.

Non of these will effect the empire, though. Even if you try to put the interstellar economy into disarray, it will mostly effect the lander planets, not necessarily the mining operations of the Abh aristocrats or empire. The normal Abh traders and normal good commerce of the Abh will suffer but the empire's Star Force probably won't be.

Well nobody said you had to be on the Abh side of the war,and since we really don't get to see things too much from the OTHER SIDE of the war I just thought it would
be interesting to have a character that would choose to join the UMK from their own
motives.

My character isn't anti-Abh per se as much as she is a total Nationalist and is a bit of naive.Like I said she really believes all the crappy propoganda that the UMK has been passing around.Also don't forget that her homeland has been INVADED,so she's not going to look too highly on the invaders(if the invaders were the UMK or their allies
it would be the same but her anger would be applied to a different enemy).

I see her hitching a ride on a freighter and then hopping around until she found a way into UMK space.

One thing you need to remember also is that not everyone in the UMK is evil or bad.

Overall I see my character as being sympathetic,but because of what happens to her home planet rejects the Abh for the UMK.
Maybe at some later date she ends up on a planet where the UMK ground forces are forced to surrender to the Abh and she finally gets de-programmed from all her hate.

They really should come out with something that would detail the whole conflict from the other side.I think it would be an interesting take,just to view the same battles that Jinto and Lafiel fought in from the enemy perspective.

Well, the enemy perspective is simple i think - UMK probably view Abhs as Nazi - a nation that want to keep the space for themselves because they think others are too imperfect to make good use of it. Also formaly it's Abhs who declared the war...
Although the book mention religious aspect of UMK vs Abhs conflict i doubt it plays any bigger role than propaganda tool in UMK goverment hands...

Maybe I'm wrong but I think the scale of fear & hatred is different. I think the Nazi analogy is rather weak as the Seikai universe already dealt with it in the Sylesian War.
Besides some nations like the Hania Federation probably aren't that human despite having democracies. We have lots of such democracies. Actually, the majority are like that.
And I don't think many people living in such oppressed/unfair societies can be turned that easy by such propaganda.
I think the UMK people have been educated to think of the Abh along the line of anti-life similar to the borg or replicators.
In their eyes the Abh take no prisoners, don't care about life, kill without distinction until all oppositions are gone.
The result in reality is not so far off, even though the reasonings are different. But then again anybody else's doing isn't that much different either.
This is how battles in are like after all. Chances of survival in the unforgiving vacuum or planespace is simply zero.
You can take Okinawa as an example. People would rather die than be caught by the Abh.
How the UMK reasons the existence of Abh ruled and prospering planets is a mystery.
Perhabs in their eyes the Abh use those planets as Human Ranches. They use the human lifestock for labor, sex and perhabs even food.
Needless to say all humans under Abh rule are brainwashed slaves. So killing them to save them is alright.
That's probably why the UMK soldiers shot wildly without regard to civilians on the planet Clasbul while hunting for Lafiel&co. (see wiki)
Perhabs in their eyes the Abh have psychic control over the humans so killing one would free their mind.
Abh hell is perhabs how the Abh suck up their victim's mind.

At least I think this is how the average civilian thinks.
I think the soldiers think a bit differently. After all they have to fight and die. They lead the hardest life and have grudges toward the Abh, too. Even if some do think/sympathize with the guy on the other side revenge and such feelings will make them cruel and hardened.
It's not like they can run away either. I do wonder if they could revolt, though.

Wow, that's not a pretty picture you paint
I think you exaggerate a little - people of such advanced age cannot think as your middle age peasant. I believe people under UMK rule are closer to truth that that, although i doubt they like it either. And don't forget that most of the humans should be perfectly aware of Abh history (i'm sure there was a lot of newspaper articles ever since they was created)

I think UMK resebles US of earlier times like cold war or even before that then Abhs are USSR (in the eyes of UMK) - the main differences and reasons for "hate" are ideological - you don't really need propaganda to make people fear/hate Abhs - truth will sufice.

As for soldiers - they certainly posses more information about Abhs..

*evil grin* I just know human nature.
Well, the truth and records don't mean much. Even japan today is still censoring parts of its history books. The chinese rewrite theirs since ever. The australian and canadian conveniently don't mention their holocaust or their anti-racism promotion in the UN. Or the slight difference in american books between northern and southern states.
Or the changes in dictionaries and science books in the past decade around the world... They may be little but are significant.
Burning books and records is still happening these days. Having computer makes it even easier to hide the deed.

I don't really believe people are dump and easily believe everything, but the young ones for sure. And more important people will follow the same.

I think UMK resembles both US & USSR having the industrial-military complex and military & bureaucracy inefficiency. The Abh, well, an evil empire. Have to ask mitsuki about the USSR view. He knows that better than us young ones.

Almael wrote:*evil grin* I just know human nature.
Well, the truth and records don't mean much. Even japan today is still censoring parts of its history books. The chinese rewrite theirs since ever. The australian and canadian conveniently don't mention their holocaust or their anti-racism promotion in the UN. Or the slight difference in american books between northern and southern states.
Or the changes in dictionaries and science books in the past decade around the world... They may be little but are significant.
Burning books and records is still happening these days. Having computer makes it even easier to hide the deed.

I don't really believe people are dump and easily believe everything, but the young ones for sure. And more important people will follow the same.

I think UMK resembles both US & USSR having the industrial-military complex and military & bureaucracy inefficiency. The Abh, well, an evil empire. Have to ask mitsuki about the USSR view. He knows that better than us young ones.

I may have been around long enough but what I do remember of the old USSR is the same as most every ordinary person:USSR=Bad Guys,USA=Good Guys.It was really the
political system,meaning Communism and not the people themselves that was looked
on as being evil.Though one could say some things about the '72 Olympic
Gold Medal Round.

mitsuki lover wrote:
I may have been around long enough but what I do remember of the old USSR is the same as most every ordinary person:USSR=Bad Guys,USA=Good Guys.It was really the
political system,meaning Communism and not the people themselves that was looked
on as being evil.

Thank you.
Mitsuki is the living proof of an average person's viewpoint.
It also shows how quickly we "forget" history not to mention the young ones. In the mass we are just sheeps of a simple herd. Easy to control and direct. It takes many group leaders & brave supporters for us to mount any resistance.

True that.