"Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far." - Roosevelt -- SilverRey
Welcome to Pantibole Prime. Mind how you go. Picture, if you will, a planet divided. For centuries, the Ventith and the Tigraas have been, if not at war, then at minimum intense rivalry since their history began. It has always been aquas against magentas. Either in bloody war, guerilla conflict, or beating the pants off the opposing side in sportsball... there has always been a rivalry between the two.
They heard -through various misadventures and at least one prehistory encounter with a colonial Human[1]- the phrase, "Speak softly and carry a big stick". Thanks to varying misinterpretations about how this is supposed to work, this has lead to the leaders speaking the softest and wielding the biggest sticks.
They are no longer mere lengths of wood, but elaborately carved extravaganzas of woodwork, inlays, and beset with gemstones. They are herculean efforts of artistry, impressive in size, width, girth, and weight. They jangle with dangling charms and, after the treaty of One-Person-One-Stick, the maximum possible weight that a singular Phantibi can lift and move on their own[2]. Much care is taken with the centre of balance, as well as the artistry involved.
Phantibi space stations, both magenta and aqua alike, have very large doors and airlocks so that their leaders have the freedom to travel wherever they whist. This has lead to a problem when travelling with more... Galactic conveyances.
"Do you have to cart that tree with you everywhere?" said the local space transit captain.
"It is not a tree," said Magenta Primary. Although 'said' is too strong a word for the breathy whisper that, caught by a special microphone, displayed their words on a screen for anyone who couldn't hear them[3]. "It is my staff of office and indicates my rank amongst my peoples."
"Okay, but it's not going to fit through any doors. Can you take it to pieces?"
The assembled coterie surrounding Magenta Primary gasped as they were deeply offended. "Diminish our beloved leader?" squawked a minor adjudant. "Reduce their status amongst others? Impossible!"
Magenta Primary breathed the words, "Softly, honoured staffmember. You already embarrass yourself."
The adjudant returned to a murmur. "My sincere apologies, Primary. I was upset."
"Me must therefore travel further on the Primary Yacht, and perhaps conduct business in its territory."
"Er," squeaked a flunky. "The Ambassador for Lethelio refuses to meet us anywhere but Lentali territory. And. Um. They have very small doors."
Once again, the Phantibi encountered the same obstacle they usually encountered when entering the greater Galactic trade space.
[1] The Sol system has the dubious blessing of having a large volume of entrances to one-way wormholes and thus has scattered colonies all over the known universe like one might scatter food to domesticated birds. This has lead to many species accidentally encountering at least one Human and therefore altering the course of their history in the process.
[2] Wheels on the bottom of these Leader-sticks have been banned since an ancient leader of the aqua faction lost control of her big stick and accidentally crushed an entire trade consortium to death.
[3] Given this late stage of trained diplomatic softness of speech, that means everyone who's not a diplomatically-trained Phantibi.
[Image (c) Can Stock Photo / thomasmales]
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