Primoptican Assassins

Optican Prime is a planet populated by a race of people with a visual acuity that borders on superhuman. That is assuming of course that “human” is the standard in the universe by which all things are measured, which it isn’t, and “superhuman” is therefore the pinnacle of sentient development, which would also be a fallacy. In fact there is race of Fangorean gas-passing maggots that are the hosts of a parasitic tick that holds the position just ahead of humans in the category of sentient development. It is a piece of information that they are quite proud of and will bring up endlessly in cocktail conversation if given the chance.

The peoples of Optican Prime, however, are at the top of this universal list of distinction for their uncanny and startling ability to see for miles, over horizons and through dense jungles, to focus on a distant object with deadly precision. This ability coupled with a high powered rifle has made them very rich and very busy as galactic assassins.

The training for this odd but profitable global commodity begins very early in the life of Primoptican children. It is a military training steeped in tradition, built on devotion to planetary pride and instilled with a strict order of discipline. It is this discipline that gives Primoptican assassins their distinctiveness.

One of the first things that a child learns is to salute. It is a basic form of respect often employed by military minds and dissembled to recruits wherever bones are fashioned into weapons and bone bearing soldiers are taught to blindly follow the orders of their non-bone bearing superiors.

The Primoptican salute is altogether forgettable and mundane in its galactic uniformity save for the thumb which is extended in a crisp 90° angle from the palm. A properly executed Primoptican salute will predictably drive an eyeball from its socket, effectively rendering this unique visual gift useless.

Since it is held as a sacred and eternal truth on Optical Prime that there is no reason to solve a simple problem when you can just as easily engineer a complicated way around it; Primoptican elders and bureaucrats developed a solution. A training regime was inaugurated that kept military tradition and discipline intact while restoring the damaged depth perception, ensuring a healthy income for generations to come.Is for this singular reason that when and if you should ever meet one Primoptical assassin you will undoubtedly meet their partner. For Primoptical assassins always travel in mated pairs. (It is also the source of the insensitive aspersion: it takes two asses to make an assassin.)

Cultural note: While on Earth it may pass as the universal sign of well being, one should never give the “thumbs up” while in the presence of a Primoptican. It is received much like the “bird” finger is here, which curiously enough is how you express your gratitude on Prime Optical to a conscientious hostess, as in “Yes, your war eax tea was wonderful, (point at her with your middle finger) may I have please have another? (Raise the finger to its flag bearing position and smile.)”