Hmmm...
Just a few things I saw here that I thought I'd comment on:
After giving it some thought, I agree with Corsair about the definition of "Mother Creature." It probably applies to their queen. But as insects, are we to assume there are many colonies and many queens? Would one queen be the "Mother Creature" to all the colonies, or would it just be the queen of each individual colony, so that there would be many "Mother Creatures?"
To my knowledge, in religious texts, I believe the term "Nephilim" doesn't refer to the Fallen Angels themselves, but rather to their progeny - a half-angel, half-human abomination, and (as at least some of the stories go) the reason for the Flood (a deity's way of purging the world of these supernatural impurities that were/are allegedly against the grand divine plan). Not a religious nut myself, so I can't go into too much detail...just convey what I've read (in a few places, I've even read that this is the reason some Islamic people cover up their women...though I haven't read decent enough sources, it's perhaps an interesting thing to ponder about other religions and cultures...I apologize if I'm totally off on this, though - just conveying what I've read).
So what do the Nephilim in these ancient texts and the Nephilim in Wing Commander Prophecy have in common? Well, that's up to each person to figure out for himself/herself. Maybe nothing, maybe everything...I myself don't know.
LOAF is right (hey, when is he not?!) - in the game, the Confederation and the Confederation ALONE call the invading bugs "the Nephilim." In keeping with the Kilrathi Prophecy, the correct Kilrathi identification for this adversary would probably be "the Star Gods." And the bugs refer to themselves only as one of "the Aligned Races." All mean the same thing, but for them to hold any meaning and for us to have any discussion on them without confusing ourselves, we have to keep the origin of these terminologies clear. The bugs of the Aligned appeared in Kilrah, and so the Kilrathi spooked and started spouting their worries of Star Gods and Kn'Thrak (Armageddon, only on a grander scale). Once the crew of the Midway encountered the race for a few missions, Zero was the one who started telling the ghost stories of the biblical (were they even mentioned in the Bible?) Nephilim...and I guess it became an identification of the race in Confed's eyes ever since.
The bugs are likely the fulfillment of the Kilrathi Prophecy...it's unclear whether they figure into Terran Prophecy (Revelations?) at all, though.
OK...next thing:
Exarch, that's a pretty interesting consideration you brought up...the Steltek AS one of the Aligned. Boy, that would be a scary thought. Kind of an interesting point to ponder.
Personally, I don't know if I can lend anything to support it, unfortunately, cool an idea as it is. From what little I've read of the Steltek, they seem to like keeping to themselves and tend to be more peaceful (or at the very least reclusive and independent, rather than meddling in the affairs of other races). The bugs, on the other hand, seem to be more expansionist and violent, more inclined to do what they want when they want, start fights with whoever they want, and erase entire civilizations for maybe even simply being in the wrong place at the wrong time (unless there's more to the story that we were never told). It would probably figure that any other races of the Aligned would share this sentiment which might make it difficult for the Steltek to fit the mold. But nonetheless, that's a very interesting point you added there...something fun to think about, if nothing else. I like it!
Meson, based on what Haesslich outlined below, it'd be hard to assume that the Steltek would automatically win outright (though again, this is just a matter of opinion...none of us can say definitively; I'm just sharing my thoughts again). So little is known of both races, that it's difficult to determine how they would compare to each other. But there also seem to be some tie-ins with wormhole technology, the age of the two races, the fact that neither (probably) are humanoid...if they are not part of the same mix, one might think there has to be something that relates the two in their past histories.
There's actually a few more things to think about at this point then:
Could the Steltek have maybe created the Nephilim (and/or Aligned) at some point, whether intentionally or accidentally?
Could the Nephilim/Aligned have been the reason for the fall of the Steltek Empire? It's implied something in their endless pursuit of perfection and development caused its decline...could the Nephilim/Aligned have been that cause?
Could the Steltek maybe be hiding from the Nephilim/Aligned at the center of the galaxy?
Could the Nephilim/Aligned actually be maybe a group of Steltek that got separated during the decline of the empire and physically changed in the cold void of space, kind of like the Morlocks in The Time Machine? Or maybe they were violent separatists from the empire who ignited a feud way back when and were exiled? That could figure into the whole Flood scenario too perhaps...hmmm....
Well, sorry for that tangent...off to something else:
Of course, from Privateer (again, a game I haven't played), we know that Steltek technology is far ahead of Confed technology. And from Prophecy, we know that Confed seems to be able to combat the bugs fairly effectively. By that same token, though, there's no guarantee that Confed has ever witnessed the extent of the technological might that is the Nephilim, let alone that of the Aligned Races.
I still stand behind my original thought....it'd be hard to determine just who would win if we put these 2 against each other. But based on what we know (or have seen) about both races, I imagine it has the potential to be a pretty ugly match.
I definitely agree with you, though, Meson...at least as it stands now, the Aligned (or the Nephilim bugs) would probably be the ones to provoke any kind of armed aggression in such a conflict.
Many here favor the older battles between the Confederation and the Kilrathi. While those were good times, I myself have become more of a fan of the Nephilim story, because in my mind, it holds some kind of deeper meaning. All the races we know of are scared to death of this new enemy...even Blair himself seems really troubled by this new threat before it claims him (either as a POW or as a casualty).
Many stories focus on a battle between good and evil, usually with some pawns wedged in-between which play for either side. The ultimate good is often depicted as a mysterious, benign, and arguably lazy force of some small number which seems to be more interested in watching than doing anything...and the ultimate evil is often dipicted as an incomprehensibly violent and maliciously active force of exceedingly overwhelming number.
If you translated this over to Wing Commander, what races would better fit these categories than the Steltek and the Nephilim/Aligned? By even mentioning such things as "darkness," "evil," "Kn'Thrak," "Nephilim," etc....it suggests that the Aligned might very well be that epitome of evil. The Steltek just seem to fit the role of their opposite...
That's why I think it'd be an ugly battle...maybe I'm wrong. What do the rest of you guys (and gals, for any that might be present) think?
Your fellow fan,
FireFalcon ~};^