Smi'Tar

Smi'tar are a relatively old civilization, apparently already past the peak of "youthful maximalism." As a result, there is a vast empire, the known boundaries of which show that its area is at least equal to the area of ​​the entire Alliance, and its military power corresponds to size. However, the empire is heterogeneous and restless, civil wars and attempts of revolution constantly flare up in it. Smi'tar are extremely mysterious because of their overly inflated territorialism — any ship that has penetrated into their territory more than one and a half light years is destroyed without hesitation, the means of their detection are unknown. This is not related to xenophobia, as the regions constantly involved in wars and see only spies of their enemies in any unidentified vessels. Fortunately, two things impede the war with the Alliance - firstly, the Smi'tar are old and extensive enough to stop being interested in expanding territorially, and secondly, the Smi'tar can exist only near extremely active giants who generously bathe their few planets with monstrous doses of hard radiation, so they have nothing to gain in the habitable part of the galaxy, and Alliance members in turn - in their solar systems. Before accidental contact with the scientific expedition of the Alliance, the empire generally considered the space outside its territory to be "dead space" - an area where life is impossible due to the extreme lack of radiation. Nothing is known about the whereabouts of the initial planet of civilization, Smi'tar are extremely discreet with the information about themselves, and when asked to let diplomatic ships pass beyond one and a half a light years into the Empire's territory, they respond with a categorical refusal. They, in turn, are not very interested in studying the Alliance and its members, for which they are only grateful - all members of this civilization and their technology emit large doses of radiation. However, this does not prevent the empire from conducting trade deals with the Alliance from time to time, the object of which is most often the exchange of technologies for resources. An interesting fact is that Smi'tar use a different technology of FTL travel that apparently does not relies on the Ancient technology and use of Hephrene. However, the properties are identical to the technology used in the Alliance. And this technology is included in the list of things that can not be sold under any circumstances.
Average height - 120-150 cm.
Estimated life expectancy - Unknown.
Average weigh - 220-270 kg

Biology

Smi'tar are an inorganic species based on a not yet determined crystalline element. They have threefold symmetry - a small body rests on three short legs, from which three thin and flexible manipulators grow, as well as three visual organs and three organs, presumably allowing Smi'tar to see or feel ultrashort wavelengths. Individuals do not have a mouth or respiratory tract, and they draw all the energy they need from radiation, so it is assumed that Smi'tar do not need an atmosphere to exist. However, this is only speculation - no one has ever been on any of the planets of the empire, or got close enough to them to perform spectral analysis through observation. The internal structure of the organs is also unknown, Smi'tar representatives refused to submit bodies for research to scientists of the Alliance, and scanning a live representative did not produce any results - it simply absorbed the radiation from the scanner. The Science Corporation unofficially offers a huge reward to those who can provide them with a body of a Smi'tar, but this reward remains unclaimed to this day - Smi'tar rarely die in habitable space, and they never die alone, and the thought that killing or abducting one of them might start a galactic-spanning war of unprecedented scale cools even the most hotheaded adventurers. Outside their solar systems, Smi'tar travel on ships that provide them with the necessary level of radiation for life. With a lack of radiation, a Smi'tar is able to live no longer than a few weeks.

Military Doctrine, State System

Due to the constant civil wars, the armament of Smi'tar is well developed, and the overall military potential is extremely high. Any solar system is able to contain the invasion of an average attacking fleet. Analytics show that an attempt to invade the territory of Smi'tar is doomed to failure - warships will have to spend a lot of effort to protect against radiation, while the military of the empire will not have this problem. Formally, being an empire, upon closer examination it turns out that these are several areas, or states, with their rulers, who in turn submit to the "emperor" ruling the whole empire. In view of this, each district acts as if it is on its own. Due to the complexity and danger of research and observation, nothing is known about the trade relations between these areas, as well as about the cause of all these civil wars. The fact that the warring parties do not seek to secede from the empire or to attack the emperor suggests that these wars are not the cause of population unrest. Recently, the theory is gaining popularity that wars are initiated by the emperor himself, but for an unknown purpose.

Society (general mentality, special features)

If you can describe Smi'tar in one word, it would be "paranoid". Smi'tar are extremely suspicious, and they suspect everyone in everything. This greatly complicates contacts with the empire, but with enough experience, negotiations can take place relatively calmly. Apparently, paranoia raised to the cult is the main component of their civilization and culture. Despite this, one cannot say that they are aggressive. Smi'tar are rather neutral and would prefer to hole up in defense rather than attack. In addition to these two features, it is extremely difficult to assess the psychology of Smi'tar. As a consequence of the inorganic mind, their logic, desires and incentives are, at best, not obvious to researchers, and at worst fundamentally incomprehensible. Similarities begin and, to a greater degree, end only on basic concepts — the need for self-defense, the need for nutrition, the need for reproduction. The only thing that can be asserted with certainty is that the psychology of organic beings is equally mysterious for Smi'tar themselves.