Rsh'Takkal is a rhinocerous beetle envoy sent by his wasp masters to negotiate a peace settlement and possible avenues of trade.

Though he wears the vestements of his government, the tabard shirt he wears is devoid of rank, medals or other honorifics, in this instance, to denote humility. The cords bound to each of his wrists signify powerlessness in the house of the rival, and willingness to suffer the consequences of imprisonment, or worse, if negotation proves not to be in good faith.

There are rumors however, that the weights at the ends of the chords can be utilized to some martial arts effect, and the envoy's body in general has no lack of pointy bits, resolute natural armor, and nice convex surfaces that will turn many blows that aren't dead on.

In the background is Neo-Vandenberg (or 'Chisk-sek-tiel' in Vespid) orbiting its gas giant Braun (Brisk-sek-chetta), the territories in dispute for this negotiation. Humans, unaware of the mining colony of living jellyfish-like harvesters -inside- the gas giant, settled its moon and began mining there.

As hydrocarbons within the moon's own atmosphere were scarce (and needed for conversion to breathable gasses and plastics synthesis), the humans began harvesting the harvesters with a few ingenious, but lethal to the harvesters, devices attatched to the scoops of small interplanetary craft. The harvesters, although not very bright, but psionic, sent out a distress call to their keepers, and a three month brushfire war erupted.

Despite the insects' overwhelming numbers, a number of human colonies under Imperial protection nearby were poised to join the conflict with the hope of getting Imperial sympathy, and thus Imperial firepower to back up Neo Vandenberg's claim to the gas giant.

Long term psychohistorical projectionists on both sides of Gateway sector forsaw widespread economic and cultural disaster, and the Imperium sent a peacekeeping fleet of dreadnaughts while the Vespers sent a tiny, 'contrite' diplomatic core.

The end result favored the insects in territory, travel and exploitation rights for the star system beyond Neo Vandenberg's atmosphere, though the language on the paper seemed to indicate the human colony won a major, symbolic, battle against the bugs, despite having to pay a hefty premium for the gasses that lie in seemingly endless supply right above their heads.