Crabi
Race Name (human coloquial): Crabi
Race Name (proper): Series of clicks and whistles
A.K.A.: Side-walkers
Tech Level: High
Galactic Distribution: As a secondary founder member of the Galactic Council, crabis are a common, and broadly found races in the Galaxy.
Appearance: 2.5′ tall to back of shells, with eyestocks that rise up another 1′ over that. Crabis are vaguely hermit crab-like in appearance but have four tendrils that extend from their chins which are used for fine manipulation was well as a small and giant-sized pincer claws. Crabis walk along their side profile (not forward like all other races).
Traits: Capitalists extraordinaire, the entire society is based on profit taking and self-interest. They are almost exclusively found in roles where they have control over their own income. Rarely will one work for a set wage, or do manual labor (that’s what plactori’s are for), it’s seen as disgraceful. While you can certainly get an honest deal from a crabi trader or business owner, you’d best be prepared to haggle, because they will gladly take any amount you’re foolish enough to part with. Crabi’s have a unique view of law, seeing laws not so much as rules to be followed to the letter, as guidelines to be used to gain an unfair advantage while remaining out of prison (which is highly unprofitable). Crabis are one of the last remaining races that engage in slaving but they keep it on the down low as there are growing anti-slaving sentiments across the galaxy.
Abilities: Crabis have a protective shell that can withstand almost any physical trauma up to light blaster fire. Their giant pincers are capable of crushing rocks or tearing most any race in two. Even the mighty McMacazorkians (the strongest known race) fear a crabi’s claw crush. They survive equally well in air or water environments.
History: One of five races discovered during, but not involved in, the 1,000 year war that proceeded the Galactic Federation. Crabis being the profit seeking, smooth communicators that they are, successfully remained neutral, even while supplying trade goods to both sides of the war. This was a highly profitable time for them and gave them access to technology of the more advance races, so they quickly caught up to them.
Crabi’s home star system is the only one in the galaxy to host two separate and unrelated members of the Galactic Federations from two different worlds (see Dzillartons for an example of separate but related): crabi and plactoris. Indeed the discovery of the then primitive plactoris on a neighboring planet in their solar system dramatically altered the course of crabi society.
Crabi’s are by nature self-serving profit-takers and the closest term for ‘loyalty’ for them prior to meeting plactoris would translate to roughly ‘mutually unprofitable to betray each other’. However the gigantic, simple-minded plactoris care nothing of profit, desiring only to meet their basic needs and are incredibly loyal to those that provide those needs.
For the first time ever, crabis were able to get hired (or slave) help that they could trust to never stab them in the back, revolutionizing how they conducted business. While this may seem highly unfair to the plactoris, it also elevated their society to a standard of living they would have otherwise never achieved and they are perfectly content with this arrangement. Indeed, if not for crabis, plactoris would never have become space-faring or a member of galactic society.