Honor Bound
What if we met people that had truly honor bound leaders.
“Stop right there,” the big-headed green creature said from across his desk, holding up his boney fingered hand. Its eyes narrowed down, and he pushed the proposal back across his desk before going on. “I’m sorry, but I don’t even have the power to grant this exclusive contract request, even if I thought it a good idea, and I don’t. Only the emperor or one of his counselors can do that, so you might as well stop trying to convince me. I have to take bids each season. That’s the rule.”
Needing that contract if he was to succeed on this planet, Joe went on, “It is a great deal for both our races. If you would pass on the request…”
The green scaly creature started barking, spittle flying everywhere. Joe hated that Kavan were so messy when they laughed but kept it off his face.
In time, the boney-faced creature got himself under control. “You do not want any nobleman, much less the emperor, even aware your race is out here in the beyond. If they consider you an animal, they will not talk to you, and there could be no more joint ventures with animals. You could still buy and sell to us, but we could not have contracts. But it would be worse, much worse if they considered you an equal. All noblemen are honor bound to kill thieves, liars, and any equal who practices deceit. Your whole human society is built on deceiving others. If he sees your people as equals, he would be honor bound to order the nobility to start killing your politicians and most of your businessman and he would never betray his honor. That is what makes him The Emperor, able to command all. He cannot act dishonorably and allow that to pass. I, a third-rate factory owner on a backwoods planet, is as close to our nobility as you ever want to come.”
Joe could not help but stare. Kaven were rare in this part of the galaxy, but how could they see human society as being built on deceiving others? Kaven didn’t lie, and this information just might make up for not being able to get that contract if he could just figure out how to exploit it.