**The following data is licensed under your TK-14 confidentiality agreement! Leaking of this data will be punished with immediate comprimisation of your current rank! It is based on extracts from the Kel´Shir archives. **
A short Introduction
Many would say that victory or survival are worth all costs. The Kel´Shir are one of the few who would say the same about knowledge. When they crashed on the planet that would soon become their homeworld, it were the artifacts and ruins of an ancient, long dead and forgotten civilization that ensured the survival of the
these people and in a way uplifted them. From that day that day, they are filled with awe, respect, fear, but also obsessive curiosity and a newfound purpose: To uncover the secrets of the universe, gain an understanding of this ancient civilization and to advance their people beyond what anybody at that time could have dreamed of. Now, after having reentered the galaxy from their nebula, hidden deep inside the intergalactic void, the Kel´Shir usually keep to themselves, unless disturbed by other powers. It is rare that they try to establish new contacts, though it is known that they have acquired both allies and enemies over the years. Their approach to others is a pacifistic one, trying to solve conflicts through careful diplomacy rather than imposing military might. Should one however find themselves against the Kel´Shir in a war, their pacifism and relatively small numbers should not be mistaken for weakness. Their mastery of both technology and psionics makes them dangerous opponents for even some of the most powerful empires this universe has seen. But still, one will rarely find the Kel´Shir at the forefront of a battle. Rather, they prefer guerrilla tactics, infiltration, indoctrination and other strategies based on deception.
The Kel'Shir Emblem
The Flag of the Federation
Some Examples of Kel´Shir Technology
Psi-Amp: A handheld device that allows individuals with with only minor psionic capabilities to better channel their powers, though the abilities they will be able harness remain more rudimentary and inferior to the ones of more talented psions.
Gene Therapies: This advancement in civilian bioengineering is capable of curing most diseases and strengthening the body.
Kyanite based Tech: Kyanite is a blue crystal only found in deep Kel´Shir space. It is capable of transforming a variety of energy forms into kinetic energy, leading to the development of technologies such as advanced force and containment fields, FTL acceleration gates, potent and efficient FTL drives, a variety of military projectile accelerators used in almost all Kel´Shir weaponry and advanced interdiction and tractorbeam technology.
Cloaking: The Kel´Shir often employ thermo-optic camouflage. Though this tech is already quite advanced, even more advanced cloaking devices are rumored to exist.
"Weaving": With this term the Kel´Shir describe the process of constructing any object, be it a mug or a warship, on a molecular level, carefully placing each atom in its place, allowing them to make objects sturdier and lighter while also allowing the creation of new alloys such as...
Saetarium: When an object is made from this material, a singular extremely long synthetic polymer molecule runs throughout the entire object, while titanium and few other metals serve as filler and protection for the molecule.
A.I.: This technology made its way into the Kel´Shir Federation through the peaceful assimilation of the Illandi, a sentient, mechanical species of unknown origin. These people are A.I. that is nearly indistinguishable from organic minds. All sentient A.I. within the Federation are granted full citizenship and the same rights as organics, while automated processes are controlled by non-sentient algorithms.
Solar weaponry: Most Kel´Shir weapons contain a miniature star, allowing them to fire varying chunks of solar plasma or shoot miniature solar flares. This is made possible by Kyanite containment fields and accelerators.
There are many other technologies still unmentioned, in development or kept secret.
An Introduction to Kel'Shir Beliefs
At the heart of the beliefs the Kel'Shir have are the Elders, as the Kel'Shir call them. A people predating even some of the oldest factions of G-S16, these Elders possessed technologies that surpass most of what other species have developed to this day, such as the synthesization of materials like Kyanite. Seeing technology and innovation as the only way to ensure their species' survival after the discovery of Elder ruins and artifacts which lead to their species' survival, the Kel'Shir look up to the Elders with reverence and awe. However, unlike some would assume, the Elders are not seen as gods, but rather as saviors. Though the Elders themselves are long gone, the Kel'Shir still feel indebted to them and strive to continue their legacy. In order to do this, they focus on reverse engineering Elder technology whilst also investing into developing their own tech, hoping to one day achieve the same level of advancement the Elders once had. Thus, the Kel'Shir can often be seen treating whatever remains of the Elders' civilization they find with the utmost respect and care.
History
The Kel'Shir are a race born from calamity. Once some of the first human settlers fleeing earth from overpopulation, these people were forever changed when the FTL drives, still an unstable prototype technology at the time of their departure, malfunctioned. When the meltdown occurred the FTL drives catapulted their passengers far beyond their intended range, setting them on a rapid evolutionary path. And although the Kel'Shir may still resemble humans, they are treated as a different race as humanity by many. When crashlanding on planet, alien and covered in a dense fog, far beyond the known universe many thought that their tale would end there. This would have soon become reality, if it weren't for artifacts and ruins left by an ancient civilization, soon called "The Elders", that had faded into history long ago. By studying these constructs they uncovered great technology and secrets, turning their struggle to survive into a chance to thrive and reach for the stars. But the prosperity and fragile peace between the twelve clans which had emerged from the twelve colony ships were short lived. A Kel'Shir, named Nil'Ar, driven by madness and an insatiable hunger for power, orchestrated the greatest war the clans of Kel'Shir had ever seen, so that he and his followers could take control over what remained after the chaos with ease. Though after achieving ultimate power among the Kel'Shir and the extragalactic nebula that they now regarded their home, Nil'Ar set his eyes upon a new goal: To reenter known space and invade earth, to take back the planet which his people had to leave generations ago.
Soon all across the milky ways outer rim armies were crushed and worlds were burnt under the technological might of the Kel'Shir. It was not long that the what little pride the subjugated Kel'Shir had for the battles they won faded, now replaced sorrow as casualty numbers started rising and many saw their former selves in the races they subjugated: Alone. Broken. Without hope and at the mercy of something they could not understand at the time. And as the perpetual war started going on and on a resistance rose. What were only a few scattered unorganized cells in the beginning became a well organized and equipped underground network. And so they waited. Patiently looking for an opportunity to strike. This opportunity came when large parts of the fleet were on a mission to assist an ally in war. That day the homeworld of the Kel'Shir went up in flames. Millions were lost and the planet remains partially shattered to this day. But when the smoke cleared it was the resistance that emerged. Not necessarily victors, but rather survivors of the war that had devastated their species once more.
As time passed, the Kel'Shir started to recover. Cities were rebuilt, planets were settled again and former enemies soon became allies. It was there and then that the Federation was born, rising like a phoenix from the ash, facing a new golden age.
System of Government
The government of the Kel'Shir can be described as democratic federal technocracy. As implied by the title "Federation", which is usually used when referring to the Kel'Shir as a nation, a relatively high degree of autonomy is granted to individual territories, with the lowest form of authority being the individual planetary governments and the highest being the federal councils. The heart of the Federation is the High Council. Having evolved from the rather rudimentary Council of Clans, where each of the twelve Kel'Shir clans was represented by their respective leader after the fall of Nil'Ar, the High Council is home to several hundred members, representing the twelve Kel'Shir clans, as well as the four Protectorates, proportionally to their amount of population. It is the duty of this council to ensure that the many Executive Councils don't grow too powerful and respect the will of the people through veto and proposals of new laws and guidelines. Each Executive Council holds governance over a certain area of responsibility such as agriculture, transportation, military or taxation and their size varies from at least five to up to one hundred members. These members are chosen for their role based on their expertise and experience in their respective field. Being a technocracy, the government prefers to solve problems through advancements in engineering or science.
Relations with other Factions
The Blood Cult: Long lasting Alliance
The Slyverians: Long lasting Alliance
The Black Star Fleet: Long lasting Alliance
The Tribe of the Darkest Night: Alliance
The Vidachos Quorum: Friendship
The New Scavangers: Friendship
The Dimensional Collective: Friendship
The Keepers of Light: Long lasting Enemy