Malverans
A reptilian race the Krall met and exterminated several thousand years before encountering humans. They were an insect eating race that lived only on warm dry worlds, with 0.7 to .8 Earth g’s. Their slow metabolism made them easy prey for the Krall. The volume they’d colonized was about four hundred light-years in radius, adjacent to an area humanity would have been exploring in less than fifty years.
Discovery of Koban
It was a world in Malveran space, which had been far too hostile for the slow reacting Malverans to settle. They had a few dozen colonies, and those fell quickly to attacks by a single clan, the Dorbo.
A hundred thirty years ago, the Maldo, a small finger clan of Dorbo, were awarded a choice of unused former Malvern controlled worlds to build a base. They selected a lush looking heavy gravity world, later called the Testing Ground, or Koban (not a name, because Krall don’t name planets, domes, or Clanships. They just describe them or their ownership). They first built a standard open compound and dome on Koban. Native life nearly killed off the Maldo clan in their compound, twice. They learned they could survive there only by slaves building walls and electric fences, and they had to carry weapons at all times. If lightly armed, they were forced to run from rippers, and rhinolo, or die. This situation drew the attention of visiting clans, who had to see for themselves. They also tried and failed to live in the open on Koban, without walled compounds and weapons.
The world had heavy gravity, it was dangerous, violent, and deadly, so naturally they wanted it! However, not until they could be the top predator, even there. Generations of selective breeding and dietary supplements would be required to develop organic superconductor nerves. They decided to leave the world untouched until they could return and test themselves there again.
ENSLAVED AILEN RACES
Raspani
A spacefaring peaceful race with only about a dozen colonized worlds in a small empire. They were another client race of the Olt’kitapi, advancing under their guidance. After defeat became semi-intelligent, the Krall breed and use them as meat animals, raised in herds on many of their worlds. Resemble a centaur-like small hippo.
Prada
Bipedal, forest and jungle living, eats fruit, nuts, insects, and small game. The creatures are black or brown, with white markings. Resemble a lemur or monkey-like mammal, with a useful prehensile tail. About the size of an Earth Chimpanzee, they can use their five fingered hands (with longer middle finger for digging out grubs) and long toes almost equally well. They retain some arboreal ability. The Prada have large yellow eyes, and they were originally nocturnal animals. They are the Krall’s main assemblers and builders.
Their society took roughly seventy thousand Earth years to colonize a volume some three thousand light years in radius. They selected moderate gravity worlds of 0.7 to 0.8 g’s, and preferring dim redder stars than Sol. They befriended other races, unless such contact was rejected. Engaged in cooperation and trade with Olt’kitapi.
Now loyal and submissive to the Krall, they have lost their original language, so speak only “Low” Krall. They are the largest group of slaves and can build most things the Krall want for war, or have copied from other races.
Torki
A highly intelligent eight foot wide by five foot long, and three foot high land crab race with one large defensive pincher and a smaller one for grasping, and a hard deep purple shell with eight amber colored legs. The two in front are small and used as dexterous manipulators. Their eyes are on two-foot stalks, and they perform fine assembly of tools and electronics for the Krall, copying from plans taken from other defeated races.
As adults these land crabs are terrestrial and are found as far as ten miles from the shoreline, returning to the sea only to soak or breed. They sleep at night in cool burrows several feet deep, or at least to a level that will allow water to seep in for moisture. They are primarily vegetarians, preferring tender leaves, fruits, berries, flowers, seaweed, and some vegetables. Occasionally they will eat fish, beetles, or other large insects.
Like all crabs, they shed their shells as they grow. If they have lost legs or claws during their present growth cycle, a new one will be present after they molt. If the large claw is lost, males will develop one on the opposite side until their next molt. Newly molted crabs are very vulnerable because of their soft shells. They are reclusive and hide until the new shell hardens.
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Attention reader: This concludes our regularly scheduled broadcast at this time.
I hope you’ve enjoyed the story.
LOOK FOR:
Rise of the Kobani (working title)
Book three in the Koban Series
Expected late in 2013
Table of Contents
1. Gribbles’ Nook
2. Winter Hunt (Koban)
3. Slaughter on the Nook
4. Hub City (Koban)
5. Actions and Reactions
6. Caught by Surprise (Koban)
7. Poldark and Bollovstic
8. Mothers Provide (Koban)
9. This is not a Drill
10. Small Premonitions (Koban)
11. Operation Deep Lance
12. Wedded Bliss (Koban)
13. New Lance
14. The Blues Brothers (Koban)
15. Fjord
16. Sweet and Sour Sixteen (Koban)
17. Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner
18. A Homecoming (Koban)
19. The OK Corral with Knives
20. The Mark of Koban
21. On the Mark, Get Set
22. K1
23. Risk Factors and Three Missions
DRAMATIS PERSONAE
Koban: The Mark of Koban Page 68
