Update history:
-January 2
Spelling corrections, minor clarifications. Added a paragraph about duels in the Criminal Justice section.
-January 25
Added more info on the synthetic bodies. New minority species to accompany the humans, Shindrashekhar. Added picture in the Physiology section. Still no religion, but the short version is: Similar to the Hindu religion, minus most of the gods and the caste system.
-April 16
I hope nobody minds, and this
will be the last update. I have wanted to do this since fucking February, but somehow it always slipped my mind. The change is rather slight, no longer does every single adult Mekidar have a synthetic body, just the great majority.
The Mekidar Republic
The Mekidar are an ancient civilization, back during the Silver Age and the massive wars that marked the Steel Age, they were a comparatively minor power. Through fortune and some shrewd diplomacy the nearby powers were completely committed against each other, and the few forces anyone could spare to send against the Mekidar were not enough to stand-up against their fleets. So, the Mekidar were safe, for a while.
The chaos of war eventually did reach them, as it reached everyone. The mighty Mekidar fleets were blasted through, and their worlds bombarded and invaded by their enemies. Yet they survived, they survived as empires much greater and powerful than they fell into dust and ruin. The Mekidar survived the horrible cataclysm that had engulfed and destroyed so many others.
Physiology
At first glance, a Mekidar can be quite intimidating. The thick rippled muscles, sharp claws, serrated teeth, and narrow focused eyes, are all the marks of a dangerous predator. The fact that the body of this predator is made of advanced and durable materials and that the claws and muscles behind them are designed to be strong enough to tear through these materials easily should be even more intimidating. The only truly organic parts of most Mekidar are the central nervous system and reproductive organs. Everything else is made of synthetic materials.
A Mekidar kind of looks like a humanoid in a sort of half crouch, it "stands" at 1.5 meters. However, when its legs become outstretched, like after leaping off the ground, the body measures some 1.75m in length. Arms are proportionally slightly longer than a human's, and end in clawed 6-fingered hands. The head resembles, for lack of a better analogy,
Eva 01's head without the useless things sticking out of the chin and forehead. Synthetic muscle tissue bulges beneath the artificial skin, the color of which ranges from dull yellowish brown to rich golden brown. The overall impression is one of a being capable of great strength, speed, and agility.
A picture is worth a thousand words. So, keeping in mind the above description, a Mekidar
would look like this.
Evolutionary History
The Mekidar homeworld, called Meklon, is the second planet from their sun. The thick upper cloud layer reflects most of the incoming sunlight away and prevents the life below from being cooked-off, while a powerful magnetic field protects the atmosphere from being blown away by the solar wind. In Human terms, the surface of the planet is hot, with an unbreathable atmosphere, uncomfortable pressure, and ~2g of gravity.
The best Earth analogues for the Mekidar are the felines from ancient Earth, particularly lions, since they hunt in groups. However, their diets are more like that of bear (if bears hunted deer twice as big as they are). In the ancient days of pre-sentience, a Mekidar ancestor would approach as stealthily as possible upon its prey. Then, in a flurry of motion, it sprints towards the animal and jumps upon it, claws and teeth grabbing hold of the animal's flesh. A claw cuts through an important blood vessel and the predator jumps-off and waits for the beast to fall. Group coordination became very important for herding wounded prey, and to attack again if necessary. Natural selection favored smarter proto-Mekidar, who were able to better calculate ballistic trajectories as well as predict the behavior of the spooked prey, the better to jump-up on them in a manner that would fell them quickly. Advanced hunting tactics and defending territory from rival predators both of the same and different species further fostered the evolution of intelligence. Eventually the Mekidar ancestors figured out how to use tools, and natural selection favored those who were better equipped to make and use them. So, the modern Mekidar have more dexterous fingers, smaller claws, and considerably bigger brains than their ancestors.
Stone Age to Steel Age
The history of the Mekidar during this time period resembles that of many others. They spread across their solar system and colonized the various planetary bodies in it. Then they sent sleeper ships to nearby systems. Primitive FTL drives were available when the recently formed Mekidar Republic made first contact with alien species. By the end of the Silver Age, the Mekidar were a minor power in the grand scheme of things.
As the Steel Age dawned and warfare tore the Galaxy asunder, they managed to survive against the great juggernauts of the time. The mighty powers waging interstellar war could barely spare any resources to try to take their worlds, so the Armed Forces of the Mekidar Republic were able to repulse the enemies who sought to invade them.
Eventually, as the frontlines and theaters shifted, their worlds became strategically important. So it was that the Mekidar saw heavy fighting across their space, and many of their worlds were ravaged by war. Shrewd diplomacy saved them from a return to the Stone Age. They had picked sides as soon as the war drifted their way, and eventually they cashed in their chips. The Mekidar leaked important information about their "allies" to the powers that were in the best position to use it, then they began to leak misinformation and declared neutrality. The theaters of operations shifted, and the giants withdrew their fleets to different places that were now more important.
While there was no such thing as a "peaceful area" during the latter parts of the Steel Age, Mekidar space saw comparatively little shooting. So, their Republic received many refugees, in particular a lot of Humans, most from a nearby Star Nation that had been broken by war. Since the end of the Steel Age until now, the Mekidar and those they have adopted have been hard at work rebuilding the destroyed worlds of the Republic.
Mekidar Reproduction
The Mekidar have no gender differentiation, any two adult Mekidar can mate and produce offspring. When two organic Mekidar engage in sexual intercourse, their sex organs emerge from their bodies and begin to merge. Once an external sack of tissue has been created, the organs inject various egg cells from both parents, which then combine into zygotes. Generally between half and a full dozen zygotes are created. The sack of tissue then detaches itself from the parents and the external tissue hardens. This process lasts several hours and is very draining on the parents as they each loose about half a kilogram of mass. The egg sack must be cared for and nourished by the parents for about a year and then one or two (rarely three) infants emerge from the sack. It takes about a year and a half before a Mekidar can reproduce again.
Nowadays with their synthetic bodies, Mekidar reproduction is somewhat different. Egg cells are extracted from the parents and allowed to fuse in a petri dish. The best candidates are chosen and genetic tweaking may done at this stage. Then the zygotes are placed in an artificial egg sack. Periodically the fetuses are checked and some of the least promising ones may be removed. Generally, one child is given to the parents in the end, unless they request more.
Like in humans, Mekidar feel pleasure during sexual intercourse, unlike humans it is more an emotional thing than a physical one. For them, the differences between "sex" and "cuddling" are that after sex they are very drained and have an egg sack to take care of. This deep emotional bond, and pleasure, that Mekidar can feel just from lying together in each other’s arms without any actual sexual intercourse is probably an evolutionary response to the need for the Mekidar to have a very close relationship as they care for and nourish the egg sack and, later, child(ren).
Synthetic Bodies
The Mekidar synthetic bodies can be very easily mistaken for organic bodies at first glance, as mentioned before, they are very similar to the real deal. Though there can be no mistake, even at first glance, as to which is which if an organic and synthetic Mekidar were to be put side by side. Most adult Mekidar have synthetic bodies, generally switching some time after reaching adulthood. While deaths do occur during the transfer procedure, their number pales in comparison to the number of young Mekidar that have died from things that would have been non-fatal to a Mekidar in a synthetic body.
Mekidar often decorate their bodies in many ways. Most leave the basic features intact, and add some minor modifications to personalize it. Some will change the entire color, carve intricate designs in the artificial skin, and generally use their bodies as a medium of self-expression. Since they wear no clothes, military personnel have name, rank, and various insignia carved or pinned directly unto their skin.
The synthetic bodies made by the Mekidar are truly an impressive technological achievement. They are a triumph of intelligent design over the randomness of natural selection. Compared to the organic bodies the synthetic ones are more durable, have longer lasting power systems, stronger muscles, and much sharper claws that as a bonus are retractable. They can give vacuum the finger, and laugh-off extreme temperatures and pressures. The fact that a civilian Mekidar can tear through a modern car as if it were made of wet cardboard, with hir bare hands, means that assaulting Mekidar cities can really be a bitch.
The Mekidar are long lived thanks to their synthetic bodies. Death generally occurs when brain tissue degenerates into uselessness. Advanced medical technology, and the fact that there are no other vital organs that can be failing or getting diseases, brain failure can take some 250 years.
Homo Mekidaris
The great majority of the refugees that arrived in Mekidar space upon the close of the Steel Age were Humans, who arrived in great numbers. The Mekidar took them in with minor reluctance. A ~1g moon revolving around a gas giant very close to the home Mekidar star-system was selected as a new homeworld for these refugees. The terraformed world nowadays looks a lot like a heavily industrialized Earth that has fairly large protected natural areas. The greatest concentration of humans is on the moons of, and in platforms inside, the gas giant. The Humans permeate every level of Mekidar society, having become fully integrated into it, and very few Mekidar spend so much as a day without seeing one. Almost all Humans have basic cybernetic implants (kind of like what Togusa and most average folk have in GitS). Also very common are artificial limbs, enhanced eyesight, and enhancements that make Human bodies more durable and resistant to damage. Full cyborgs like the Mekidar are not very common, and Humans without any cybernetic implants are rare.
Many generations of living in the Republic, a complete integration into Mekidar society, a Mekidar-guided genetic tweaking and cyberization program, constant sweat and blood poured into rebuilding and defending the Republic's worlds across many star systems… When one considers all of this it unsurprising that the Humans in the Republic consider themselves as much a part of it as the Mekidar themselves. To express their distinction and separation from any Human nations they have renamed their species
Homo Mekidaris (note that the name
Homo Sapiens Mekidaris is probably better, though it remains to be seen whether they are still capable of producing fertile offspring with standard
Homo Sapiens). Trying to play these Humans against the Mekidar is akin to trying to play the liver against the heart.
Partial cyberization, the easy availability of advanced medical technology, genetic tweaking, and the fact that they can get a full synthetic bodies if they can afford it, means that a human can live ~180 years.
Shindrashekhar
An insectoid species that arrived at the cluster from somewhere else in the galaxy. More or less around the time the Age of Silver was transitioning into the Age of Steel. They initially hired themselves out as a mercenary force. They fought in various wars, more than once changing sides as contracts ran out and their former enemies out-bid anyone else. Eventually they were hired by the Mekidar. Years passed and the Mekidar hired them again and again, the two species became endeared to each other. Eventually, the Shindrashekhar came to the Republic with a surprising and audacious proposal. The Shindra would cease all mercenary activities, and focus all of their military on defending only the Republic. In return, they only wanted one thing, a home. The Republic came back with a counter-offer that surprised the Shindra, they offered to give the entire Shindra population full citizenship into the Republic, with all the rights and obligations that it entailed. The Shindrashekhar accepted, and they were granted a homeworld close to the center of the Republic.
The Shindra physiology is, in basic terms, a rip-off of the
Freespace Shivans. The main differene is that the Shindra are smaller. It seems that they have been genetically engineered, either by themselves or by someone else, to be crews on space ships. Their physiology is built towards operating in 0g environments, but are capable of withstanding many Gs of acceleration. The design is so good that the Mekidar military actually adopted a synthetic body based on it as standard maintenance and damage control equipment. The bodies are part cybernetics and part organic. Unlike the Mekidar, they cannot survive without the cybernetics, which are integral to their lives from cradle to grave.
Shindra are primarily female, the role that males play in their society will remain a mystery due to creative bankruptcy on my part.
Government
Mekidar Republic's government is divided into three branches, Executive, Legislative, and Judiciary.
-The Executive branch is headed by the Princeps, who is elected by popular vote and serves a term of ~12 (Earth) years. The same person can be elected Princeps for an unlimited number of non-consecutive terms. The Princeps's role is to lead the nation, shaping domestic and foreign policy, as well as take care of the day to day running of the country. To do all this more effectively, zie can appoint people to various Ministries and other positions. These people must be approved by the General Assembly and be uncontested by the High Court of the Republic. The Princeps is also Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces. Zie is expected to set general strategies and goals and leave everything else to the various subsidiary Commanders, however as SCOTAF the Princeps can do as much micromanaging as zie pleases. The Legislative branch can limit the level of micro-managing the Princeps does if the military brass can convince the Assembly that it is hurting the war effort.
-The Legislative branch is embodied by the General Assembly. Each Assemblyman serves a term that is equal to 3/2 the length of the President's term. They are elected from districts that are carefully delineated taking many variables into account, among the most important being population. On average each Assemblyman represents more or less the same number or people. The General Assembly is considered to be the voice of the people in the government. Passing and revising laws, approving budgets, declarations of war, approval of treaties, setting of tax rates, approving Ministers and Judges, as well as various other things are all the responsibility of the Legislative branch. The Assembly, due to its sheer size, is heavily dependent on Comities. The Assembly may give, through majority vote, a Committee the power to investigate, deliberate, and decide on an issue. After doing so, they present their findings and decision(s) before the General Assembly and if no strong objections arise then the Committee’s recommendation is upheld as if the Assembly had voted in favor. The General Assembly is also responsible for the trying of prominent public officials, namely Princeps, High Court Judges, and Assemblymen.
-The Judiciary branch is in charge of the criminal justice system and serves as a check on the other two branches. The 21 Honored Members of the High Court of the Republic are responsible for telling the other branches when they have overstepped the bounds set by the Constitutionary Document for the Governing of the Republic (aka The Constitution). They are also the heads of the criminal justice system, and the Judiciary branch handles law enforcement as well as the Judging and sentencing of criminal offenses. When positions are opened in the High Court, the Princeps can nominate candidates, which must then be approved by the General Assembly. The term of a Judge is until retirement, unless sacked by the Legislative branch, which can tell the Court when it is overstepping its bounds.
Everyone of voting age can have hir say in the government. They elect everything from local level officials to the members of the General Assembly and the Princeps. Government guarantees base medical benefits for all citizens, more advanced stuff requires the citizen to provide their own money. Most people have faith and trust in the governmental system, particularly in their ability to make their opinions known through the ballot box and the ability to recall politicians through votes of no confidence. A sufficient number of signatures collected will force a recall vote at any level of government. A Princeps cannot be recalled without approval of their Assembly. However, Assemblymen have been booted out of office for not listening to the people and their ginourmous number of signatures.
Economy
Free market capitalism, with restraints on very large corporations and laws against monopolies and such. For the most part the government favors small businesses over corporations except when it hurts the economy to do so. Government for the most part tries to avoid interfering in the economy. Of course, opinions widely differ on when exactly the government should and shouldn't interfere. Major fuck-ups are very rare and not that damaging, so the right answer does, apparently, consistently emerge out of all that bickering.
Criminal Justice System
Crimes are punished in two ways, administering of unpleasant sensations (i.e. pain). and the denial of sleep and any sort of sensory input for a pre-determined amount of time. Small crimes are usually dealt with quickly; you take your "100 lashes" and are then paroled. The pain sensation is done by stimulating the brain directly, and the system is tweaked for each individual so that everyone, regardless of pain tolerance, feels equally unpleasant for the same crimes. Crimes that are more serious involve a few days of sleep and sensory-input denial. It’s kind of like jail, but worse, hence the considerably shorter time people are put in it. Those deemed incorrigible (i.e. serial killers) are given a more extreme variation of this, basically it lasts several weeks and the criminal's first sensory input after that time is calculated to curve violent and anti-social tendencies. In basic terms, it is brainwashing, which has been deemed superior and more civilized than the death penalty or operating on the brain to make personality changes. The Justice System reserves the right to use the death penalty if deemed necessary, it very rarely is.
Another aspect of the justice system is a sort of cultural quirk, and is pretty much the only use a Mekidar’s claws can expect to have over hir lifetime. Essentially, anyone that has a grievance with a person can legally engage in a duel. These duels require the approval of a judge, and that both parties agree to it. Getting judge approval can be tricky, as they tend to insist on negotiation, and when that fails, insist on some more negotiation. If a duel does get off the ground, it is a no holds barred fight until someone either gives-up or is unable to continue fighting. The fighting is done using claws, and a neutral referee ensures that both synthetic bodies brought into the fight are equal in terms of performance. Damaging the opponent’s central nervous system is illegal, and killing an opponent is more illegal. The sentences are lighter than if the same had happened outside a duel. Unlike the old Confederate States of America, Mekidar society has little hang-ups with a code of honor. A Mekidar can be ridiculed for proposing a duel and praised for declining one, depending on the circumstances.
