Dalacari

Dalacari
Survey Data
Star System:	Dalacar
Quadrant:	Delta Quadrant
Classification:	Class M
Political Information
Affiliation:	Friendly
Capital:	Brya
Political System:	Republic
Population:	5.8 billion
Biological Information
Type:	Binary Humanoid
Atmosphere type:	Oxygen / Nitrogen mix
Development Stage:	Warp-Capable
Character:	Peaceful
Typical Lifespan:	Typical Lifespan - 120 yrs
Number of Eyes:	2 per bioform
Empathic species:	No
Telepathic species:	Limited (See Below)
[ Source ]

Homeworld

• Planetary Data
• Class: M Class Planet
• Type: Planet
• Native Species: Dalacari
• Location: Gamma Quadrant
• Day / Night Cycle: 36 Earth Hours
• Year Cycle: 376 Earth Days
• Satellites: Two
• Affiliation: Ally. (United Federation of Planets)

• Gravity: 1.3 Earth Standard
• Equatorial Radius: 8,719.6 km

Dalacar is a large planet possessed of a rich and a diverse biosphere. Only 45% of its surface is water, leaving plenty of room for the indiginous lifeforms to roam. Diverse and rich landscapes ranging from deserts to frozen tundras detail its surface, while topography from forests to mountain ranges create beautiful vistas to enjoy while sightseeing. Due to a very minor axial tilt, seasons are very mild and the transition from one to the next is sometimes difficult to notice.

Government

The Dalacari are a republic. Elected officials represent various states and districts in all major positions of power. Governors, Senators, etc. Though there is no position of president or any other singular position of authority. Though there is a singular building to house the upper tier of elected officials.

The Dalacari republic spans twelve worlds. In order for a world to be considered for habitation there can be no other indigenous sentient life on it. Dalacari respect the sovereignty of existing life. Plus if relations turned sour the Dalacari don't like to consider war or genocide.

Physiology

Dalacari bear a resemblance to an evolved and humanoid version of the Earth creature known as an 'ermine'. Possessing lithe, muscular forms with males showing slightly more bulk and definition, and a thick furred tail trailing behind them to aid in balance. Their hands and feet end in vestigial claws, though their sharp teeth and forward facing eyes show a predatory ancestry. Fur color tends to favor the lighter end of the spectrum. Dark colored Dalacari are rare, but not unheard of.

A Dalacari's vision and hearing are no better or worse than the standard Human's perception, though their sense of smell is much sharper. The reputation of a Dalacari's perceptiveness is more earned because there are two points of view, rather than any actual acute senses.

Dalacari are a binary lifeform. They evolved from swarm mentality predators that, as they became more advanced, the swarm lessened in number until sentience emerged and the 'swarm' dwindled down to just a pair.

Dalacari are always born in pairs, and those pairs are linked through a low-level telepathic bond: Each twin in the pairing is half of the whole. A Dalacari is always composed of two parts, and each part can think and feel and act though usually a Dalacari prefers to keep each of its bioforms within a certain range of the other. Information known to one bioform is accessable by the other as each half shares memories and experiences. This also means sensations, and if one bioform is injured the other will also feel the injury though they will not sympathetically sustain it. When one of the two bioforms is rendered unconscious the other will remain with it but will be very timid, almost withdrawn. This lack of completeness bothers them greatly. Should one die, the remaining bioform is referred to as a Single Dalacari.

Dalacari are completely infertile outside of their own species. This isn't just a biological aspect; they find the prospect of a Dalacari bearing a Single child to be fundamentally wrong. Any single child detected during a Dalacari pregnancy, or a third child in the case of multiple offspring, will invariably be terminated extremely early in the pregnancy.

One of the more jarring concepts concerning interaction with a Dalacari is their focus shift. At any given point in time one of the two bioforms is considered Dominant. That twin will be the twin to initiate conversation or any other form of action. At some point during the conversation, or at some point during the activity the dominant twin may simply switch to the other bioform. During activities this usually won't hinder or affect anything, as each twin is capable of performing independent tasks. During a conversation though, this means that the speaking twin might actually just stop talking completely, while the newly dominant twin will pick up the conversation without missing a beat.

Society

Dalacari are very aware of how fragile they are, and have placed safety and defense as their highest social priorities. Health and injury management, pain mitigation, and therapy are among their highest concerns both for their own people and for any visitors. Most of their medical breakthroughs cover care and compassion for Single Dalacari. With the loss of half their senses and an emptiness in all their thoughts and memories from the moment of loss on, such creatures become incredibly withdrawn, isolated, and clinically depressed. Special institutes exist to care for them as best they can.

Some Single Dalacari, though, become homicidal in their loss. They attack other Dalacari, insisting on forcing their pain in others.

Dalacari healthcare is second to none. Single Dalacari that spiral into depression are given expert care. Nurse staff are advised to dress each bioform distinctly and have different names that each answer to. They keep their answers short to avoid triggering a focus shift, but a few with enough experience can hold a short conversation without a focus shift.

Every possible method of injury prevention and safety training method has, at some form or another, been designed and implimented into Dalacari society. This initially started with the invention of drone robots to handle dangerous tasks, and the number of tasks deemed 'Drone Only' has increased over the past two hundred years. Transportation, hazardous waste disposal, and even military applications are now almost entirely dominated by drones. While some may not approve of the effect this has on the workforce, none will argue that it hasn't made Dalacari life safer.

A term adapted for use by Dalacari is 'Ghosting', taking to mean a Dalacari who's bioforms wandered too far for comfort. Most Dalacari are comfortable with about 5 meters of distance at maximum between their bioforms, provided there's still line of sight. When this distance is exceeded, the Dalacari becomes uncomfortable, even fidgity. During this time, the Dalacari will often describe themselves as 'hollow, thin, almost like a ghost. Maybe even two ghosts.', until the two bioforms are brought back to a comforting distance. While separated, Dalacari bioforms will almost reflexively try to travel to the last location where they remember both bioforms being present.

Family

Due to space constraints and the size of a Dalacari family, households are limited to three Dalacari without some degree of prior authorization from the regional housing and resources committies. Considering that 'Three Dalacari' are six bioforms, space becomes a premium resource quickly on any world housing Dalacari.

Religion

Dalacari have a monothesitic religion, centering around a singular Dalacari form that consists of a Male Bioform and a Female Bioform. This arrangement is impossible in the Dalacari genome, and exists purely as a theoretical divine figure. Simply referenced as 'The Maker', the individual bioforms are not given any further identification (Much like any other Dalacari form). Reverence varies among each Dalacari, from devout worship to lip service, though there is no stigma to having less faith than others. Marriage ceremonies held in churches are grand events. To symbolize a married couple, each bioform wears a bracelet that matches the others in some aesthetic. Though, should one of the couple become Single through injury or accident, the custom is to remove one bracelet. A Dalacari wearing a bracelet on both bioforms is to be cherished and congratulated, while a Dalacari wearing a bracelet on only one bioform has a spouse that has suffered one of the greatest losses.

Single Dalacari tend to amplify their feelings towards the Maker, with the more devout becoming almost fanatical while those with little time for prayer becoming borderline atheist, or even demonstrating nihilist qualities.

Language

The Dalacari native tongue is a nightmare for non-Dalacari lifeforms. It consists of words and phrases, as any other language should, but both bioforms become active in its speech. Fortunately, Starfleet linguistics decyphered the Dalacari language and added it to the linguistics database. Any Dalacari looking to work in the field outside of Dalacari holdings takes the time to at least learn a passing conversation level of the dominant language.

Food

Dalacari are described as primarily carnivores, with omnivore seasoning. A majority of their diet comes in the form of meats of various form supplimented with vegetable and other food matter. Replicator technology has aided in allowing larger concentrations of Dalacari to settle without putting too much of a strain on the local biosphere. Many Dalacari delicacies exist as two separate dishes that cannot be truly appreciated unless both are eaten at once.

Science and Technology

Dalacari offensive weaponry is slightly behind Federation standard on terms of raw power. Standard ship to ship offensive weaponry consists of a Biphase Array, an energy weapon that projects a beam that rapidly shifts between positive and negative frequencies. This rapid shift in modulation is what causes the majority of the damage. Aside from energy weapons, Dalacari ships also carry racks of ship to ship missiles with plasma warheads.

As for personnel equipment, Dalacari great heavily focuses on defense and medical treatment. Combat armor monitors vitals of the bioform wearing it. Weaponry consists of scaled down phase projectors, along with ground to ground or ground to air missiles with micro plasma warheads.

Dalacari starships have two of everything, including the primary reactor. Each alternates 60/40 activity to maximize lifetime. Shield generators project two layers of shields which, while each weaker than a single layer, allow the shields to be recharged faster. What they lack in offensive capacity they more than make up for in defensive thinking. Dalacari shields can recharge frighteningly quick, and their inertial dampening systems help soften the blows the crew would take from being tossed around the interior of the craft. To further aid in injury mitigation, Dalacari seats are equipped with a restraint system.

With the invention of the 'Thinking Engine', Dalacari drone technology escalated quickly. Machines that can be taught a task, and then teach that task to others, allowed for the integration of drone technology into many facets of Dalacari life. Most well-to-do Dalacari have a drone in their household to handle simple tasks, while military applications for drone technology have almost completely removed Dalacari from the battlefield.

Military

Dalacari do not truly hold a standing military thanks to the advancement of the Thinking Engine system, though there is still a volunteer force. Dalacari almost never train as standard infantry soldiers, though, instead training as Drone Operators, Long-Range Recon, or even snipers. Despite their reluctance to engage in military actions, it is of note that Dalacari make frighteningly efficient snipers. With their shared senses and two body / one mind physiology, a Dalacari sniper can spot and shoot with incredible precision and accuracy, then move to the next sniping location all without breaking silence. The only disadvantage of such a unit is the same disadvantage that comes with fielding any Dalacari unit: Injure one of the bioforms and you've effectively neutralized the pair.

To accent their talents as snipers, the standard issue Dalacari Sniper rifle is the GX-80, a coil rifle with a built in replicator and on-the-spot velocity controls for sub-sonic or supersonic projectiles. Mission specific and target specific rounds are replicated directly on an as-needed basis, from anti-personnel rounds composed of a soft metal designed to maximize damage against a soft target, up to osmium based armor piercing rounds with an iridium core, designed to pierce shuttlecraft hulls and lodge themselves in nacelles to impede safe formation of warp fields. The coil rifle is powered by an external source, usually carried as a backpack on the shooter.

Other standard features of the GX-80 include internal baffles for sound moderation, electronic observer optic package with automatic adjustment for coreolis, gravity, temperature, wind and air density. In the hands of a trained sniper the GX-80 is a lethal weapon that just needs a well trained spotter. In the hands of a Dalacari, the weapon is complete, and usually can keep a small force pinned down.

Military applications in drone warfare are leaps and bounds ahead of other fields. Thinking Engine systems installed in fighter jet craft keep the Dalacari safe. These virtual intelligences are not true AI but rather complex decision gates and protocols. Strict rules and protocols protect the Dalacari from a drone uprising. To prevent jamming of the Drones, each drone has a full copy of the full combat program routine, and only communicates to the other drones when an update to the battle stratagem needs to be shared. Effective battle tactics are promoted, while failed or less-effective tactics are demoted. In essence, the Dalacari combat drones 'evolve' with each passing minute.

Larger class ships also carry fighter craft, though the fighters are drones controlled by a "thinking engine", a military grade virtual intelligence. Hardly even close to AI, the virtual intelligence is nothing more then a hyper complex set of protocols and instructions. With each successful sortie, the VI recompile itself with the successful tactics of the sortie. With an entire wing in communication with one another, successful tactics get distributed as they are being implemented. With enough combat simulations and actual combats, the drones are ALMOST as good as flesh and blood.

Due to this advancement in technology, the Dalacari do not actually have a standing army. Dalacari armies are a volunteer force, supplemented by drone forces. Wherever possible, Dalacari rather lose a drone than risk lives. While others may view this as cowardly, the Dalacari will point out that sometimes the cowards are all that survive.

Drone fighter wings are identified by callsign. There is no actual lead craft, so there's no distinct callsign for the leader. The parent craft is simply "Actual" like many other military protocols.