The Ka’Abrel

The Ka’Abrel are a race of lazy, large amphibious creatures that enforce their rule through political alliances and intrigue, with a strong sense of (twisted) honor and vengeance. A standard Ka’Abreli looks like a bizarre but intimidating melding of a Terran/Earth crab, Terran/Earth lobster, a Terran/Earth scorpion and a Terran/Earth arachnid. They are very large, usually standing about 4 to 5 meters in height, with eight-spiny legs and a long tail with two stingers on the end. They are usually about 10 meters in total length. They spend their time largely in ponds of water, coming out only to handle matters of state. They tend to let the Fask’Jiit and their lower kind to handle the hard labor and leg work.

They say they once had a strong empire on the other side of the ‘Zone, until the Tarak’Mel came. In the beginning of the encounter with the Tarak’Mel, the Ka’Abrel collaborated with them, and helped them build an immense empire. They felt they were held in great regard in the eye of the Tarak’mel hierarchy. This was true until they were betrayed by another race jealous of the Ka’Abrel power, and the Tarak’Mel blamed the Ka’Abrel for an unfortunate incident that destroyed a major mining installation. They spent the next few centuries escaping the onslaught of this Tarak’Mel revenge. The Tarak’Mel are known by another name to Fleet; the Armagons. Now on the Consortium side of the ‘Zone, the Ka’Abrel have created a small empire of their own. The Ka’Abrelian Imperial Sector, a large sector of eleven closely knit systems, is known for its seclusion and tight security. It was clear to Fleet from the beginning that all they wanted was to be left alone.

The Ka’Abrel formed an empire by engaging, with the Fask’Jiit’s help (read: Seizing) other bolter races that came through their side of the ‘Zone. They gave them a simple choice; live under Ka’Abrel rule “… and live in glory…” or die. Most, with very little knowledge of what was on this side of the ‘Zone, joined the growing empire, but those that did not were destroyed by the Ka’Abrel’s impressive fleet.

Ka’Abrel rule over their constituents with a strong paramilitary hand. They take advantage of the bolters overwhelming feeling of hopelessness and their lack of knowledge of anything on the Consortium side of the ‘Zone. They base their strict society on the Rule of Fate, and the Forever Fight against the warriors of Fate. They view life is a battle against Fate, and Fate is always against them. “One must always be ready to fight the Forever Fight.” The Ka’Abrel society revolves around this concept, and all citizens are required to follow the doctrine. The Ka’Abrel Council of Fate dictates all decisions for citizens’ lives, and have a strong enforcement arm for those that do not follow. The elite warriors of the Fask’Jiit came with the Ka’Abrel when they crossed. The Ka’Abrel have their own standard military warriors (not of there own race, of course), but the Council call upon the Fask’Jiit for their “persuasion…” needs. No one but the Ka’Abrel themselves know quite what the Fask’Jiit warriors look like or what race they come from, because they are always wearing their ornamental armor and cloaks. It appears that the Fask’Jiit have a natural ability to manipulate the gravity around them. Their technology in field manipulation, matter-to-energy transference, and cloaking devices surpasses anything Fleet has ever had. Their armor is traditionally ornate in nature, but quite dark and sinister in design, rippling with weapons on demand. They base their armor on their “patron saints”, so to speak; any one of hundreds of demon-like beings in the mythology. They are definitely not of the same race as the Ka’Abrel, although some have theorized they might be genetic constructs. (See Fask’Jiit)

Of course, the Forever Fight is a smoke screen to lull the bolters into a sense of purpose. In actuality, they are building a slave army to go back and avenge their betrayal. They want to start a war with those that wronged them. Fleet, of course, regards their beliefs as simply alien, oblivious to the actual history and the connection to the enemy of the ages.

The Ka’Abrel hold a strong monopoly on many of the space-faring technologies with in their sector, primarily because of the trade agreement with the Consortium . The Consortium agreed to only trade with the Ka’Abrel, and any illegal attempt to trade, especially ship-building materials would be met with the Fask’Jiit, which is a stalwart threat in itself. Some smugglers found their fate at the hands of the Fask’Jiit, so now because of the threat as well as the remoteness of the sector, smugglers don’t try to break the treaty anymore.

The many bolters that populate the sector, refugees who saw it better than living in exile in space forever, live a strict life under the strong hand of the Ka’Abrel Council, the Ka’Abrel secret police and the Fask’Jiit. Any attempts to produce space-faring vessels with out Council supervision are met with mysterious accidents. The Ka’Abrel do not want to risk rebellion by outlawing the building of space craft, so the arrange for small accidents. However, if a faction or population were to succeed in developing a Q-Drive, the Ka’Abrel would probably honor their success and let them move on (.. while notifying the nearest shatrat group of the new prey.) The Ka’Abrel screened the bolters that came through for all scientists and engineers with knowledge of the Q-Drive, and eliminated them. The establish a strong control, they eliminated all knowledge of the Q-drive from the refugees, before they could figure out what was going on. The Ka’Abrel are always looking for signs of unregistered Q-Drive technology, sometimes conducting brutal raids on suspected dissidents’ homes.

Another factor in the Fleet deal with the Ka’Abrel is a section of space called the Wilds, a long strip of space that separates the Ka’Abrelian Imperial Sector and the nearest Consortium world, Lissere-1, (Fleet robotic outpost). This area of space is largely unexplored, and all but the most foolhardy scouts stay away from it. It is the largest concentration of renegade, unaffiliated bolter aliens known to Fleet. If bolters have there own versions of fringers, they are located somewhere in the Wilds. Fleet can not dedicate the necessary resources to bring that part of space under control. As part of the Treaty with Fleet, the Ka’Abrel agreed to bring that sector under their control, and go no further. It’s a not so well known fact that Fleet, after the Ka’Abrel finally take the Wilds, will move in and enforce Consortium rule on the entire sector.