Wanderers

Some civilizations treat space as a gap between their colonies. Some civilizations treat space as a place to inhabit. And then there are the Wanderers. Strictly speaking, they are not any one specific species - it is a collective name for all those for whom space is not just a place to live, not just an interstellar void. Organic modifications, mechanical technology - the paths are different, but the ending, the main distinguishing feature of the Wanderers from the rest of the other species, is the same.

For most galactic civilizations, space is an absolute hostile environment. The need for supplies or cultivation of food, the need for a pressurized atmosphere, gravity, protection from harsh radiation, and other more subtle things - all this means that ordinary species can only remain in space. Absolute autonomy is not available to them. Even cosmites, such as the Star Pilgrims of the invertebrate Sashli, treat space with fear and respect, able to live only within the confines of their metal shells.

Wanderers, on the other hand, consider space their home. For them, the vacuum of the interstellar void is a comfortable environment that gives them everything they need to live. Stars give them energy, they find matter for repairs in asteroid fields and nebulae. Many of them are fully mechanical, some retain traces of organics, but in any case, each Wanderer is more like a sentient spaceship than a terrestrial creature adapted to the conditions of space. They come in all varieties and can be millions of years old, but a Wanderer can always be unmistakably distinguished from other ships at almost any distance because of its structure, which is radically different from any ship ever registered.

An encounter with a Wanderer is a relatively rare event about which there is no consensus among the population of the galaxy - some consider it a good omen, others consider them harbingers of trouble, many give Wanderers a significant halo of mysticism and mystery.

Biology

Each Wanderer is more of a mechanism than a living being, to one degree or another. They could be called intelligent ships, but they seem to be very little like ships. The structure also differs, which many explain to the fact that the Wanderer is more of a developmental stage than any particular faction. The Wanderers' corpses are extremely rare, and most often contain exotic technologies that have little resemblance to the technique of the Alliance or the artifacts of the Ancients, being something unique. Two completely identical Wanderers have not yet been found, but nevertheless, they all retain a certain weird feeling of relationship despite their wild variety of forms.

Military doctrine

Wanderers do not have an army, military forces or something similar. Nevertheless, each Wanderer is far from being helpless, and most often carries powerful weapons. However, not a single case of the Wanderer’s unprovoked attack was registered - they always attack either in response to aggression or as retaliation. It is not known how the Wanderers communicate with each other, but somehow they always find out who and where attacked their member. If the attacking ship survived, the Wanderers will certainly soon appear chasing it, relentlessly again and again, until the aggressor is destroyed. Wanderers always take revenge only on individual ships, but among the many cosmic forces of the Galaxy there is a belief that if you were on the ship that attacked the Wanderer, then from now on you will yourself be a target for retribution. This, however, is not true - Wanderers completely ignore the condition of the crew of the ships.

State system

Anarchy. At least, it looks like this: every Wanderer, or a group of Wanderers, is on their own, but nevertheless, they will get help if they need it. Wanderers cannot be called a monolithic cultural group, but nevertheless, they all consist in a kind of community, where there are neither oppressed nor favorites.

Society (general mentality, special features)

There is definitely nothing evil about the wanderers, but there is nothing about them that the mind of a land creature is familiar with either. Their intentions, desires, and aspirations are so different that few can understand them. Wanderers rarely make contact, but they like to stay long in the star system, basking in the rays of the star, watching the dance of sunspots on its surface, or listening to the local music of the various electromagnetic waves. There's a good chance the Wanderer will establish contact during this time after all. Somehow, they always know what language to answer in, and no linguists were ever needed. Apparently, the only valuable commodity for the Wanderers is information - at least, they have never exchanged anything else with the Alliance. The Wanderers' speech is always extremely vague, full of allusions, allegories, and elusive comparisons. The ambiguity and cryptic nature of their speeches have caused more than one headache. It also only contributes to the reputation of the Wanderers as mystical and mysterious beings who are enlightened to the mysteries of the universe, who know the answers to all questions, and for them to share their wisdom - it is enough just to ask the right question.