The Insult

The Insult was a statement made by Human Captain Jeffry L. Rand to a VUX captain in early stages of the Ur-Quan Slave War, poisoning the relationship between the VUX and humans forever.

Reports of the encounter and the Insult are hazy and even contradictory on the year of the event,¹. The events transpired during a first-contact situation between the Human and VUX near Beta Mira. It is generally agreed Captain Rand, surprised by the images of a VUX captain, made some kind of derogatory statement concerning VUX appearance (and possibly even the VUX captain's parentage).² According to one account, upon first seeing the VUX captain, Rand said "That’s the ugliest freak-face I’ve ever seen!"³ Yet another account gives the Insult as simply "That's one ugly sucker!"⁴ While Rand had not intended the VUX to hear or understand his inadvertent statement, the far superior VUX translation technologies unfortunately delivered every nuance of that statement to the VUX captain. Being an extremely vain race, every VUX that heard of this statement (which was quickly all of them) immediately began to hate every human with an inexpressible loathing that lasts to this day.

It is believed that the Insult is one of the reasons why the VUX gladly joined the Hierarchy instead of the Alliance. Some in the Alliance even had hopes that the effects of the Insult could be reversed following the end of the Ur-Quan Slave War. In reality, the VUX use the Insult merely as an ostensible reason for their hatred, covering a true and deep disgust for the human appearance.

Notes and references

¹Commander Hayes states that the encounter occured in 2119. The SC2 manual gives the year 2126, which conflicts with certain other parts of Hayes' description of the War.

²Role Playing Resource Guide, pg. 53

³Star Control II manual, pg. 53 (PC) or pg. 34 (3DO)

⁴Star Control, "VUX Incursion" campaign in the Sega Genesis port.