Cetians

Cetians are a psychic humanoid species from the planet A'Mairuno-mot, which orbits Tau Ceti in the Cetian Sector. They possess extensive empathic and psychic abilities. They are allies of the Earth Republic. Their space-based organization is the Astral Directorate, and their two classes of ship are the common Explorer class, and the less common Exigent class.

Humans and Cetians have a long history and have interbred for several generations. Cetians are very similar in appearance to humans and can be considered members of the same species. Because their culture is confined to islands on the equator of a hot world, the Cetians tend to have darker hair, skin, and eye color, though a great deal of variation does exist on Tau Ceti. The pressure, gravity, and humidity of Tau Ceti has resulted in some physiological differences; Cetians have stronger bones than humans and their bodies regulate temperature more efficiently through metabolic changes instead of simple sweating. Cetians tend to wear loose, informal clothing styles.

Culture
Cetians, amongst themselves, refer to their people as ah'Pel'ah'Oh, which means roughly "peaceful talking peaceful people," but is better translated as "Talkers," which is something of an in-joke among Cetians. They often adopt the appelations given to them by other species, and are happy to call themselves Cetians because it's what humans call them. The Cetians can feel the suffering and anguish of others, which motivates them to help other species when they encounter them, and discourages them heavily from fighting or engaging in wars. Cetians do not possess a hierarchical society, though they honor wisdom, accrued experience, skills and knowledge. They act based on psychic consensus, a consensus that is limited by space and time. Therefore, a ship that is out of consensus range for a long time fulfills the Cetians' desire for knowledge by learning more about other cultures and worlds, but it undermines their desire for consensus; when a ship returns home from a long engagement, they provide a sudden dump of new information, which the collective at home must integrate back into the whole and come to terms with. If a ship has been away too long, they might have strayed very far from the moderate line of consensus back home, which makes these dumps of information--including decisions that are difficult to swallow or integrate--increasingly hard to handle. Essentially, the longer a Cetian or group of Cetians has been away from Tau Ceti, the more they differentiate.

Cetians largely view sentient lifeforms as interesting, sympathetic, and in charge of their own destinies. They do not seek to interfere without serious consideration and consensus, and often do so only when a race is in dire straits. However, it is possible for the Cetians to revise this assessment and see a lifeform as a "hazard," which is not a wise direction in which to push the Cetians if the race in question is your own. Hazards are no longer worthy of much empathy or consideration--like natural disasters, they require averting, thwarting, and eliminating as far as possible to protect life in their vicinity.

Coadunation
The Coadunation is an annual spiritual event on Tau Ceti, and draws large numbers of Cetian pilgrims. It is usually the site of powerful psionic manifestations and an intensification of the empathic bonds that cement Cetian culture.

Philosophy
It is fair to call the Cetians more philosophical than religious, and this philosophy has a great deal to do with how Cetians are to negotiate their psychic powers, both in terms of discipline and ethics. The Discipline of Klaz is mental training used to still the mind and protect it from external influence, by meditating and purging in quiet for a number of minutes; for more difficult tasks, this discipline may take longer or could be beyond the abilities or training of the Cetian in question. The Guardians of Klaz are a mysterious group largely confined to Tau Ceti; they are more powerful psychics, with a great deal more of this philosophical training. It is important for a Cetian to be well-versed in such discipline, as it is an ethical attitude as well; a Cetian understands that it is unethical to read the mind of another flagrantly and without their permission, unless the situation is dangerous. Instead, a Cetian "reaches out," gently feeling for and prodding a mind, requesting its permission before making further contact, and learning as they go. If a Cetian's psychic abilities grow, or they undergo a traumatic event, or need further training in the Discipline of Klaz, there are monasteries on Tau Ceti (and even one in orbit, where non-Cetians can learn and seek sanctuary) where a Cetian may seek peace, stillness, counsel, and further training.

Relationship with Humanity
Cetians possess what can only be called a "special" relationship with mankind, as they were the first alien race to make first contact with humanity, they are humanoid, and they stepped in to assist the human race when it was at risk of destroying itself from radioactive and biological agents. Cetians made contact with the International Space Program first, before news of the aliens spread around the planet and showed humanity that they were not alone. The Cetians helped mankind repair Earth's biosphere, use cleaner power, and showed them how to use hyperspace to travel between stars. They have been dismayed by how much of this technology has, in human hands, been used to create weapons, and they are unwilling to give humanity more technology for this reason.

In return, however, contact with humans has given Tau Ceti the ability to expand. Wherever a bellicose ERSN ship travels, a Cetian Explorer is sure to follow, to build Acculturation Centers and learn about alien worlds and cultures. ERSN ships protect fragile Explorers and receive assistance traveling through hyperspace and other helpful scientific services; wherever the Earth Republic have expanded and explored, the Cetians are sure to have a presence. The two governments share scientific information and discoveries, and, as neighbors, have a mutual interest in terms of defense. Republic Space serves as a natural buffer between the Cetian Sector and many other belligerent species, and, being far more aggressive, the ERSN serves as a canary in the coalmine for Tau Ceti when danger is approaching.

More importantly, however, the two species are spiritually and physically family. They are capable of having children, and many half-Cetian, half-humans exist, as do the romances that produced them. The Cetians are not "allied" with any other race. Humans are gregarious, belligerent younger siblings who are half exasperating, and half wonderful. At times the two races do not entirely understand one another, and Cetians can appear incredibly patronizing to humanity, often feeling as though they are saving mankind from itself. Unfortunately, however, this is true to history, and not enough time has gone by for the Cetians to entirely believe that mankind will not destroy itself. The genetic fact that humans and Cetians, and a great many other humanoid races, are compatible and so very similar remains one of the greatest unsolved mysteries of the galaxy.

At the end of the day, what holds the Cetians to humanity is love. Though there are many arguments to be made about the mutual advantages of being allies, and many arguments to be made about the philosophical incompatibility of a military alliance between the two races, humans and Cetians are family now, and invested in each other's survival.