GROBYC

Hair Color: Varied
Eye Color: Varied
Height: Human standard
Move: 10 (5)
Other Features: Circuitry light patterns along their skin

Attribute Dice: 12D (18D for Players)

DEXTERITY: 1D-3D+1
KNOWLEDGE: 3D-5D
MECHANICAL: 3D-5D
PERCEPTION: 1D-3D+1
STRENGTH: 1D-3D+1
TECHNICAL: 3D-5D

RACIAL ABILITIES:

Grobyc Nanites: The Grobyc's nanites grant them great technological abilities, and is both the key to their people's great intellect and technological aptitude, as well as a potential weakness to be exploited should anyone ever catch on to how vulnerable they are to io weaponry and similar effects.

-Techno-Organic Universal Computer Interface: They have the equivilant of a universal computer link and can link to any computerized device with a connectable port.  This takes the form of small tendrils that proturde from the knuckles on the back of the hand (think Borg from Star Trek).  When connected, they can use Computer skills to affect such technology, though this can be done easier with a datapad (+1 Difficulty Level when linked and operating technology not their own, unless using a linked datapad to make it easier).  They also have data information storage, able to store great amounts of computerized information within their bodies when linked up.  The Grobyc also have a weak "wifi" abilitiy, and can link with some wireless controllable technologies from a short distance (10m per 1D in Knowledge).  This could also act as a commlink when within range.

-Biological Reinforcement: While the Grobyc's nanites are active, they gain a +2D to their physical Attributes, but this bonus never takes them beyond the maximum of their species (3D).  This grants them the "hardiness" they possess when they still look as though they should be frail.  This also allows them the health to resist physical illness and injury likely to be found on other worlds, and makes them quite adaptable to other environments.

-Vulnerability To Ion Weapons: If they are ever hit by Ion weaponry or effects, they will take damage similar to other droids and machiens.  Ion weapons can cause "Wounded" results to a Grobyc, with the penalties from Wounds being put against ALL the Grobyc's Attributes.  Their physical Attributes will never reduce below the Grobyc's normal stats (if they had 3D in Dex, Per or Str, they will keep it), but their mental stats will continue to decrease the more they take Ion Weapon damage.  this is because the Grobyc's physiology and intellect has become so closely interlinked with their nanites that one cannot exist without the other.  With the mental effects, ion weapons also count as a kind of stun effect on them.  Their Speed is also reduced by half (5) due to their disorientation.  After recieving ion damage, they can recover in time, just like any other droid or machine.  However, it should be noted that extreme or prolonged ion effects have been known to place Grobycs in a coma, and some have been known to never recover from this effect, either never regaining conciousness, or losing their sanity when they do.

Technological Prodigy: As long as the Grobyc's Nanites are functional, the Difficulty for any skill rolls involving technology or intellectual matters is reduced by 1 level (-5).  If they recieve damage or penalties from ion weapons, or if the nanites are unavailable for some reason, the Grobyc lose this ability until the nanites recover.  This is not exactly from the nanites, more a result of guided evolution where the Grobyc's physiology has adapted to work with the nanites for improved mental capacities.  Therefor, when the nanites shut down from ion damage, it is effectively shutting down a part of the Grobyc's own body.

STORY FACTORS:

Arrogance: The Grobyc can at times have an ego abpout them, especially when comparing levels of technological achievement between species.

Curiosity: Despite their supposed egos, Grobyc have a deep curiosity of all things technological, even if the tech seems less advanced.  All technology, especially different designs not present in their society, could lead to new ideas and innovation for them to produce new technology of their own.  This even leads some Grobyc to want to leave the fleet for a time, exploring the galaxy at large amd see what is out there to satisfy their curiosity.  Some of these Grobyc even become advance long range, long term scouts for the Migration Fleet, gathering information on galactic affairs to one day report back to the fleet with their findings.

Exiles: Sometimes, a Grobyc will lack the patience of his people, challenge their ideas and philosophies, and push things to the point where they may be exiled from the Migration Fleet.  If this happenbs, sometimes it will be temporary, giving the individual time to cool down and learn from their mistakes, to mature and then return.  Other times, the individual is exiled for good, given what is needed to reach populated space in supplies and a small "low-tech" starship without the astrogation coordinates to return to the fleet.

Migration Fleet: The Grobyc have been based aboard large city ships in their Migration Fleet for decades, since Palpatine's rise to power and the birth of the Galactic Empire and well into the eras of the Rebellion and New Republic.  Their fleet wanders the edge of known space, such as the galactic Outer Rim, or even the satellite galaxies Firefist and the Rishi Maze.  It is wondered by some in the know if the Grobyc have Hyperdrives or some other form of Faster Than Light technology that can pierce the galactic barrier preventing hyperdrive travel beyond its borders.

Technological Superiority: The Grobyc are one of the most technologically oriented species in the galaxy, meeting and perhaps even surpassing other species such as the Verpine and Sluissi, among others.  It is thought that the only species that can match or beat them would be the Columi, or perhaps the Ancients themselves, those responsible for creating Centerpoint Station (and by extension the Corellian star system) and The Maw.  As the Gorbyc are known to have evacuated their entire species within a two year span of time aboard a fleet of city ships that were somehow constructed during this relatively short period of time, and also drastically altered their homeworld to leave almost no trace of them to be found, it is curious to wonder just how powerful their technology really is.

Wanted By The Empire: Palpatine knows of the Grobyc, and may be directly or indirectly responsible for their depatrture in the Migration Fleet.  He may not be the only individual to know about them, but he certainly does have the most detailed information next to the Chiss or other species in the Unknown Regions.  He also has a good idea of how powerful the Grobyc are in technology, and he wants that power for himself by any means possible.  It is unknown how much of this information he has shared with Darth Vader, though Vader surely knows something of the matter.  The Empire would surely pay a large reward to anyone who could provide information leading to the capture of the Grobyc Migration Fleet.

Xenophobic: Between the original contact with the Sith, the vague incident with Palpatine's expeditionary fleet, and who knows what other contacts gone bad that happened in between, the Grobyc have adopted a wary view on outsiders.  Many of the Grobyc think they are better off staying away from the other species and cultures of overall galactic society.  The better to keep their people safe from harm.  If another species were to find the Migration Fleet, being captured and detained indefinitely, perhaps forever, would be getting off lightly.  Many of the Grobyc would rather silence such individuals by killing them outright.

DESCRIPTION:

   The Grobyc species hails from the Outer Rim of the Unknown Regions in the Star Wars galaxy, though they are not "fixed" to that location.  While they lived on their homeworld far away and out of sight to the governments and empires of the galaxy, as well as many other closer sentient species, their existence still reached the ears of Emperor Palpatine in a time before, during or after the Clone Wars came to a close.  How this came to pass is unknown.  Between the events of the Outbound Flight Project and contact with the one-day Admiral Thrawn with his own knowledge in things concerning the Unknown Regions, it is quite possible knowledge of the Grobyc came to Palpatine during this time.  This would shape the Grobyc in very extreme ways over the course of the years building up to the Rebellion Era.

   The Grobyc are a Near-Human species in the Star Wars galaxy.  They live in their Migration Fleet of highly advanced city ships and other vessels, wandering the galaxy along the Outer Rim territories and pockets of supposedly unexplored Wild Space.  Using their technological aptitude, it is common for them to hack into data networks such as the Holonet to stay appraised of galactic matters, gather information, and keep an eye out for any major movements that could lead to the discovery of their fleet.

   The Grobyc are a wandering people without a homeworld.  They have a shy attitude towards outsiders, some would say they are xenophobic, but they are not cruel or unkind.  They simply wish to remain safe and secluded from those that would do them harm.  From time to time they may encounter outsiders who earn their trust and respect, and with these individuals they may have dealings with, and perhaps even offer some of their technology if circumstances allow (or demand) as long as relations remain good.

TECHNOLOGY

   Due to a form of artificially guided exolution, the Grobyc were altered down to their genetic structure to become more in tune with their nanites, which in turn led them to be able to interface with ancient and highly advanced monolithic structures that existed on their homeworld long before they ever found it.  As a result of this genertions-long process, they are able to interface with almost any kind of computerized technology, as well as becoming very adept in matters of intellect, science and technology themselves.

   The course of their history, events of contact with other species, conflicts, and this artificial evolution process, all of these combined to push the Grobyc's advancement of many forms of technology.  As a result, they generally have a technology standard (a step or two) ahead of the galactic standard.  Their technological feats include but are not limited to: medical devices that can aid in the regrowth of missing limbs using artificially cultivated stem cell material, accelerated growth, and their own nanites to guide the growth process to form new limbs; overall weapons technology that is more powerful and longer ranged than standard weapons in the galaxy, or weapons that have a few more tricks up their sleeves; computer systems and technology that allow for advanced artificial intelligence to run complex processes in Grobyc society such as automated fabrication facilities of a wide variety of products to larger forms of construction (but the Grobyc still maintain personnel present to oversee these functions), and even allowing for greater automation of starships to reduce need for crew; overall higher standard of living within the city ships, which is needed to prevent degredation of their society; gravimetric propulsion drive systems, which they learned from the monolithic structures linked to their nanites and that created their city ships; higher standards of technology and mass production quality; common services of individuals requesting custom one-off creations from fabrication service providers; many other technologies used throughout the greater galaxy but much more refined with reductions in size and power consumption; overall technology miniaturization of those galactic standard technologies; various devices allowing a more intimate and simplified interface and control with the Grobyc through simple skin/surface contact and interaction between computer systems and their nanites which convert mental impulses into commands for actiona and function (in essence, the ultimate touchpad!), which can be used for everything from touching computer control panels, holding datapads, holding and using weapons, and even wearing powered body armor (in effect, machines usually requiring buttons and switches no longer use these, and due to requiring nanites to operate, are almost exclusive to the Grobyc!);  more efficient power generation systems, storage and amplification, as well as several forms of regenerative power supplies that have an effective "time" of supply instead of "ammo count"; They have an advanced network between their city ships that allows realtime communications between the city ships no matter how far apart they are in the galaxy (this is done by a system similar to the Holonet combined with data transmission through Hyperspace, much like the realtime holographic transmissions other governments use but with greater range and less likely to be blocked); and many more.

Fabrication And Production

   The Grobyc's fabrication technologies are one of the more wonderous features of their culture and achievments.  They seem to be able to produce almost anything, and to do so very quickly.  The few who have glimpsed these marvels of engineering have wondered if the Grobyc have in actuality master the concept of matter manipulation itself, able to rearrange raw matter and energy into whatever form they desire.  However, this is not the case, and any Grobyc would admit quickly that such a feat is far beyond them, and they don't even know if such a thing is even possible (before taking a sideways glance at the structure of their city ships and wondering privately to themselves).

   Grobyc fabrcation technology has some similarities to other production facilities found throughout the galaxy.  One base similarity is that of automation to control these facilities.  In the Star Wars galaxy it is quite common to have many droids run a facility meant to produce something, be it assembly lines for building more machines of any kind, to water collection and treatment, to agriculture for food production (or even a chemical plant that produces artificial foods).  Droids are even used in day to day personal services, such as medical treatment and as clerks to sell services to customers.  It is even common to have a single droid brain used to control and entire automated facility of some kind, where that facility would technically be the droid's body.  among Grobyc culture, though droids and automation technology have their place, and though these are used, they are not the key to Grobyc fabrication and mass production as other businesses would do in the galaxy.  far from it.

   The key difference in fabrication and production is the very process with which the Grobyc produce their wares, not the workforce that makes them.  In this, the Grobyc have moved a few steps ahead in advancement, just as with almost everything else they do.  One part of this technology similar to "3D printing" (similar to real world modern technological developments through the 2000s, 2010s and beyond), where an automated machine builds an item from raw materials layer by later until the item is complete, printing the materials much like a simple paper printer, but to build a physical object.  While other cultures in the galaxy have an advanced form of this to some degree, the process still has its limits when implemented on a large scale; machines for this purpose are either best used on the large scale to create simple objects that are then used in assembling more complex items through labor (droids), or a single large device is used for making more complicated machines that acuatlly have technological components such as circuits and wires.  The larger complex version is used in a similar fashion as real world 3D printers, for the creation of prototypes to be tested before entering mass production.  Using these decives for mass production itself on a large scale always has its flaws and drawbacks.  For instance, if a flaw enters the design being created (such as in the software programming), then every item it produces will be flawed.  The same happens for any flaws in the hardware.  To complicate matters, this kind of technology requires constant maintanance and is prone to break down.  The slightest degrading also leads to flaws in the cretion of these items.  This is why mass production still relies so heavily on droids and other manual labor in the galaxy.

   The Grobyc seem to have worked out the kinks in this technology.  They have learned how to miniaturize the machines used for creating very detailed machines and other items and have discovered how to advance the technology to the mass production scale, and they even have dedicated droids that are effectively walking talking general purpose material fabricators.  The genersl term for these kind of devices is Material Fabricators, MatFab, or MatFabbers.  With such near flawless production in Grobyc society, this is why so many of the Grobyc can focus on other endeavors, be it art, science and other intellectual persuits of academia, government, their Defense Fleet military, and other such things.  For a Grobyc to actually persue manual labor is not uncommon in their society, but to do so is looked down on by some, and seen as an art form by others as their wares have a very personal, custom touch to it.  Such produced items are more rare in the city ships, and therefor more expensive.  Such laborers do their work very well, and since such work is highly prized, it affords high payment for the high standard, and therefor leads to a very profitable pay off.

   The other type of Grobyc production is much more complex, Liquid Nanomesh Assembly (LNA, or LuNA Forming).  The general name for such devices that use this process are called LNA Formers, or LuNA Formers.  This could be said to have relations to the bacta tank, or real world methods of suspending metal flakes in a liquid container to adhere to an object to produce gold and silver plating.  The process may look like this, and my even share some simple base concepts, but that is where the similarity ends.

   A vat of purified liquid medium contains a collection of modified Grobyc nanites.  Where Grobyc have nanites within their bodies and as an intrinsic part of their physiology, they have also learned how to make nanite variants for other purposes.  In fabrication and production, these are often called labor nanites/labornites or worker nanites/worknites (not to be confused with laboratory nanites/ labnites).  This vat has a control system as part of its integral systems, used for directing the nanites inside.  This system is built to interface with a Grobyc's touch and be directed by their thoughts and will, which can control the nanites inside to build whatever think think about.  Or, the system itself has a computer that can recieve data of designs, schematics, blueprints, etc, and begin fabricating the design on its own.

   When the system is ready to build, other substances are introduced into the liquid medium.  These can be liquified versions of other elements, compounds, polymers, and just about anything that the Grobyc can put in a liquid state to inject into the vat tank.  However, other substances can be introduced as dust and fine powders as well, such as just about any kind of solid metal.  The nanites then go to work.  Molecule by molecule, they construct the item, and very quickly, assembling molecules, reforming a liquid into a solid or gas, or bonding dust and powders to form harder substances and metals, or even forms of plasteel, durasteel, duracrete and other superhard substances.  When finished, the item is risen out of the liquid medium vat, cleaned off, and voila, a new item is created!  This item can be anything involving solid, liquid or gaseous substances, so long as the computers understand the chemical and elemental makeup of the substances involved.  About the only thing they generally cannot do is create a device with a full charge in its power cell.

   This form of fabrication can produce just about any technological item one can think of and then some, including but not limited to, blasters, body armor, powered armor, vehicle and starship components (if the Grobyc could build one large enough they might be able to build entire starships!), medical equipment, supplies and medicines, cybernetic and droid parts, artificicial AND living tissues such as skin and bone, computer and other tech components and entire machines, and tools of just about any kind.  LuNA Formers are so detailed that they can produce very complicated items of almost any kind, and can also make items composed of very dense materials.  They could even produce a material similar to that used in many Jedi and Sith artifacts thought to be nigh indestructible.  The downside is tht the more complicated the item is, such as in design complexity or material density, the longer it will take to make.  An indestructible artifact-level holocron (or something similar to this), or a fully detailed, fully functional complex living replacement organ of some kind would take hours, perhaps days or weeks to fully fabricate (biological organs depend on complexity of species).

   The main purpose of LuNA Formers for Grobycs is similar to less advanced MatFabbers in other societies, that of producing prototypes and rare devices and materials and other items.  The concept is the same, just a "step up" from the rest of galactic society.  The purpose of the LuNA Former also decides certin details, such as how big the overal machine needs to be, how much power and worknites it needs to function, and how broad and generalized or how specific and unique its purpose is supposed to be.  A LuNA Former with a specific dedicated purpose, especilly a single purpose, could be relatively small, while a general purpose one would be quite large, at least the size of a decent room (or house), or more depending of the size of the items it is meant to produce (remember that comment about starships?).

   A LuNA Former for medical use could be small enough to take up the space of a table or counter in a room if needed to produce small items like medical tools or medicines (the same for those used in just making small tools, devices and other instruments), however these smller versions are very expensive and used for producing rare and difficult items.  There are businesses that set up small shops on Grobyc city ships to offer the services of these smaller LuNA Formers to the general public like vending machines, where people simply input a design or interface with the LuNA Former to create the item as they go.  These smaller LuNA Formers are still somewhat pricey to use.

   A larger medical type of LuNA Former would roughly be the size of a bacta tank, specially designed to allow a humanoid individual to be entered into the liquid medium vat tank with a breather and worked on by the nanites.  The presence of the person would already allow the computer and nanites to modify raw stem cell material into all the biological matter and parts needed to work on the person.  With this type of LuNA Former, injured victims finally have a medical device that can do what they only wish bacta tanks could do, regrow or replace lost/damaged/infected limbs and organs.  These medical LuNA Formers have been known to replace the majority of a Grobyc's body in the past (though they probably regretted it when they saw the bill!).

   Other subjects involving LuNA Former limitations.  Though the Grobyc may never build a LuNA Former big enough to produce a whole starship, they are considering ideas to get around this.  For instance, a LuNA Former that could build while moving, creating a starship section by section as it moves in a zero-g or microgravity environment.  However this is currently unfeasible as nanites work best in some form of liquid medium and not very well outside of this, zero-g or not, and trying to make a LuNA Former that could do this WITh a liquid medium container has proven troublesome and has flaws that have not been worked out and may never be.  Furthermore, a LuNA Former of this scale would need raw materials in various forms constantly supplied to it, as well as fresh nanites to constantly replace those used as the consistent work load would burn out many loads of nanites before completing even a small starfighter (another reason LuNA Formers are not used in mass production).  LuNA Formers also cannot produce items with a charged energy supply.  While this means fully charged weapons cannot currently be produced by LuNA Formers (yet!), and starship with a fully working power core is completely out of the question.  If Shipbuilding LuNA Formers ever became a reality, the power systems would still have to be manufactured separately.

   NOTE!  LuNA Formers used in such a way could be constitued as an unnatural thing in the Force, and could incur similar penalties as the use of cybernetics.  GM Discretion advised!

Power Generation Technology

   Grobyc power generation technology is several steps ahead of the galactic standard.  They can make power cells that either carry more power (such as a blaster with more ammo, +1/2 to x2), or can make power sources of similar size to others in the galaxy that can regenerate their power supplies over time.  The regenerating power cells do have a dated life when they will no longer generate power, and they do so slowly (taking hours or days for a personl power cell, such as for a blaster).  Their power generation systems are also able to produce more power, as well as being outfitted with devices that amplify the output, contain and shield the greater power supply, as well as super dense capacitors that can store much more of that power (a turbolaser with a Grobyc power capacitor could fire much more often, and deal more powerful shots with a Grobyc-built power generator and if modified to handle the output).  This technology is especially used in Grobyc capital ships for powering their gravimetric drives and weapons such as particle cannons.

Weapons Technology

   The Grobyc generally have weapons that are a step above the galactic standard.  Where most use varied lasers, Grobyc use focal beams, and instead of turbolasers they have particle beams.  In general, equivelants in weapons have +1D to +2D in damage and +10% to +25% more range.  Some of their weapons also have a few extra tricks, such as the Hyperspacial Torpedo and the Multi-Warhead Missile (both of which are only capital scale).

Nanite Interface Systems

   Due to the Grobyc's unique biology and physiology with their nanites, they have been able to make computers and other technological devices that require no buttons, switches, levers, or other physical appartus requiring motion.  Instead they use an interface that simply requires them to make skin contact with the device.  When touching the interface surface, the Grobyc's nanites allow them to "will" the device to work, and then guide the operation of these machines with their thoughts and will.  As Grobyc have a very intellectual and technology oriented society, learning how to apply their thoughts to operate their machines is a part of their basic education for everyone.  This is one of the big reasons Grobyc have such strong patience.  They need it to operate even the most basic forms of their people's technology.

   These interface control systems are as widespread to them as basice buttons, panels and consoles and other control systems and surfaces are in other societies and cultures.  Effectively, it's as though the majority of their technology had a touchpad system that didn't even need icons on the screen to be pushed to operate.  The Grobyc simply thinks and wills the device to work, as well as controlling detailed functions of a complicated device.

   Grobyc, just like normal humans, have members of their people who have a harder or easier time with thought-operation than others.  Those with a more refined thinking ability to operate these machines has the ability to go far in Grobyc society, as machines needing minute concentration require such minds to use them and apply their functions.  A similar concept would be the real world difference between an average person who works in fast food or a factory or warehouse who doesn't have a knack for more advanced jobs, and a brain surgeon who has hd the education nd experience to go far, as well as having the natural abilities in mind and reflexes that would make them naturally good at performing brain surgery.  The same concept could be applied to Grobyc society in a very literal way, as devices used for detailed surgery for the Grobyc would require someone with a strong and focused mind to use these devices by only though alone.

   The best trait of nanite interfaces is security.  A system rigged with a Grobyc nanite interface system can be programmed to only allow access to a specific Grobyc.  Many forms of advanced security systems like this often require scans of various things such as fingerprints, facial recognition, optical scans, even blood and other tissue samples or other parts of the body.  A Grobyc security feature with a nanite interface is almost unbeatbale by other species, and even fellow Grobycs.  It works by regestering information sent by the Grobyc's nanite wireless signal contining all the Grobyc's biometrics (short term for everything explained previously).  This signal also carries with it the Grobyc's unique nanite "fingerprint", a mix of information unique to every individual Grobyc.  This information contains very specific data on the relation and interaction between a specific Grobyc and the nanites in their body, the very map of the nanites inside them and exactly how they're working in their body.  this information is then combined and crossreferenced with the rest of their biometric data for a match.  Very complicated, yes, but in the end it has proven almost impossible to duplicate in any way.  If the Grobyc with the lock winds up dead, their body could not used to open this security feature because the nanite fingerprint changes irreversibly after death (the body has died, blood has stopped flowing, and the nanite map is nothing even close to what it should be, let alone matching with a dead person's biometrics).

   Imagine the idea of a Jedi with a lightsaber that can only be activated using the Force, such as flipping a switch inide the hilt or some other means.  The Grobyc could do something similar with their general nanite interface systems.  Now imagine that this lightsaber would only ever work for you and never anyone else because it's keyed to something ion your body that is complex and unique and simply cannot be duplicated by another.  Interesting idea, yes?

Holographic Interface Systems

   Holograms are very commonly used in the galaxy, especially when it comes to displays of any and every kind, such as status displays for any kind of computerized system there is, communications holograms to show a real life representation of who you're talking to, and even holovids in the entertainment industry.  There are even some species, governments, organizations and corporations who make use of interactive holograms, where a computer console could be projected in thin air out of nowhere, simply by projecting a hologram made of light, with special sensors to register the interactions between the person and what parts of the hologram they touch like a keyboard.  Across the galaxy, such use of interactive holograms has become more of a status symbol than anything else.  The wealthy and privileged or well resourced organization may have such interactive systems, but other worlds and peoples do not as these kinds of elegant technologies are costly.  Why both when simple buttons, keyboards and levers work just as well?

   For the Grobyc, like many other common technologies, they have taken this to the next level, and it has become a normal part of their technology and culture.  Holograms are just about everywhere for them, all across the cityscape of their city ships, inside every residential quarter, and in pretty much all of their ships and vehicles.  While the Grobyc have nanite interfaces, some find it harder to use these than others, and it is obvious for them to have an alternative.  While buttons and other physical interfaces for machines ARE present in Grobyc society (because nothing beats having a simple lever or switch to pull something open when all the power dies, it's just common sense!), they are not the norm, and make a good fallback, secondary, redundant or emergency option.

   Grobyc hologram interfaces, however, often fill these roles, wether a phycial counterpart is present or not.  Holograms have become so simplified for Grobycs that they can run and operate even on emergency power.  If all the power goes out on a Grobyc ship and only emergency power is left, holograms still light up to give displays of information and allow interface and control of whatever systems and computers may still be availabe in such emergency situations.  As hologram interface systems have been advanced and simplified to work this way, many of their computer and emergency systems do as well, with many system having a self-contained emergency power supply.  This comes in handy when locked behind some kind of thick door or hatch in a cramped space and being trapped when all hell breaks loose.  Chances are the door will have its own limited power to activate a hologram interface and allow access or exit for anyone trapped within.

   As Nanite interfaces can be keyed to read Grobic biometrics in conjuncition with each Grobyc's unique nanite "fingerprint", hologram interfaces can be built and program to work in a similar fashion.  The microsensors that register a person's physical interactions with a hologram interface can also register information provided by the Grobyc's nanite wireless signal.  this allows personal Grobyc gear that can operate using only holographic interfaces, and locking anyone who does not have the individual Grobyc's unique nanite fingerprint.

Interstellar Network

   Either from their own developments in computer and communications technologies, or because of their discovery of the Republic/Imperial Holonet (or both), the Grobyc have established an advanced communications system between their city ships.  Some of their larger capital ships also have this capability, but not with the complexity and range of a city ship.  The Holonet relies on buoys in space that gather ad transmit information from one sector of space to another across a network of buoys that relay that information to its destination.  this network also allows instantaneous real-time holographic communications between two points and the people at these points.  However, the Holonet, likeother marvelous technologies, has its limits.  It cannot transmit to an area not in range of a Holonet buoy.  It also is prone to jamming from any kind of space anomaly that gets in the way, and the more distant the points of communication the more likely the signal will be affected in quality, if not jammed all together.  Even worse if someone gets the bright idea to start removing Holonet buoys to prevent communications.

   The Grobyc liked the idea of having something like the holonet for their Migration Fleet, and over time they developed their own take on it.  Using the unique traits of the city ships themselves, the Grobyc were able to develop a new form of communications technology that could transmit a very powerful two-way signal between two city ships from vast distances across space, likely from one end of the galaxy to the other, and very possibly to other close galaxies like Firefist and the Rishi Maze.  The secret to making it work involved adapting tech from the city ships' Hyperspace Acceleration particle Cannons.  While the Grobyc did not fully understand how these weapons worked, they DID understand the basic principals behind using Hyperspace to accelerate and amplify particles and energy waves.  Where the Acceleration Cannons create a momentary opening in Hyperspace to fire and amplify their destructive beams, a similar device could be constructed to open and use Hyperspace in a lesser scale, much like the Hyperspace Gates of ancient days.  In this case, the opened aperture would be miniscule (cutting down power needs) and used to transmit a powerful amplified communications transmission.

   Another key to making this work was knowing how and where to direct the signal.  Since finding a way to open Hyperspace to amplify and send the signal was the easy part, this concept led to the next part.  City ships would be able to broadcast a type of homing beacon into Hyperspace constantly, that could be found by other city ships and used to direct their communications with minute, miniscule detail.  This would allow Grobyc city ships to establish a two-way signal, strengthen this on both ends using the city ships' inherent power, and close the gap through Hyperspace.

   Since this signal was established in hyperspace and not real space, it would also prove nearly impossible to track, or even find in the first plce.  The Grobyc had created a full-proof method for communications between their city ships that was practically undetectable, and even if it were, it was impossible to eavesdrop on or track back to a source.  Such is the chaotic nature of Hyperspace when it comes to communications and sensors.

MIGRATION FLEET

   The Grobyc Migration Fleet is made of several forms of ship.  The largest of these are the city ships, which start at the Type-1 class of around 5,000 meters in length and width, and increase in size from there.  These are their major centers of population, society, culture, government, education and employment, and most of these house various forms of the Grobyc's technological achievements for use by their society, including vast and extensive libraries of knowledge concerning their general knowledge, culture and history, as well as all the knowledge they possess in sciences and technologies.

   The Migration Fleet has wandered the edge of the galaxy for roughly two to three decades as of A New Hope (0 ABY).  The fleet tends to stay in or around the Outer Rim territories of the galaxy.  For the beginning of their voyages they usually stayed around the Outer Rim of the Unknown Regions.  By the Rebellion Era, they could (un)easily be found hiding their fleet in areas of unexplored Wild Space in the Outer Rim in known space, such as the empty void between the galaxy's spiral arms.  After the Rebellion era and during the rise of the New Republic, the fleet may be more wide spread, with portions of it still wandering the galaxy's Outer Rim, other portions having migrated to the Rishi Maze for more distance, and others still having opted to stay behind in safe areas of the galaxy they had discovered in order to start over in seclusion.  A Grobyc city ship could even be located in the unexplored space in the Corporate Sector Outback where the Trianii and few other races live.

   When safe areas of space are found, it is not uncommon for a city ship to elect to stay behind to form a base or waypoint of some kind, or even attempt to set up a new colony on (or off) of a new planet.  This has the benefit of allowing the procurement of resources and information that can then be sent back to the fleet.

   The Migration Fleet also uses many smaller craft for the transportation of military personnel and civilians in every capacity.  It is not uncommon for civilians to use personal small spaceships, much like using cars, to visit another city ship to enjoy their parks, visit family, or use some facilities not available in their own city ship.  Students, workers and soldiers may travel betwen city ships from home and to their place of education or wherever they happen to be stationed due to their jobs classification.  These civilian ships can range anywhere from a personal single, double or family sized transport with with propulsion meant for just this kind of interfleet travel, to much larger transport craft meant for ferrying large numbers of people (much like a short or long ranged airliner), freighters ferrying cargo between city ships, or even larger capital ships, smaller than the city ships, but large enough to house unique services or even an entire company of some kind.

   The Migration Fleet also has an impressive Defense Fleet of military combat ships.  Though the Grobyc had gone many generations in isolation on their homeworld with little need of an actual military at times, they quickly began developing one for their growing Defense Fleet after boarding the city ships and leaving their homeworld.  Most of this military's training involves space combat in many forms, from piloting and crewing starfighters and capital ships, to boarding actions against capital ships, and defending against similar boarding actions to protect their city ships, and even the training of special forces to sneak onboard other vessels using powered space armor to perform sabotage.

   In space combat, the Grobyc Defense Fleet's primary tactics are to use their Defense Fleet ships to take a stand in formation between attacking enemies and their city ships, becoming a defensive screen against all oncoming attack.  These tactics are usually meant to halt or divert the enemy, sow confusion and allow the city ships time to make the jump into hyperspace.  After this is done, the Defense Fleet then disengages from the enemy, make their own jumps at different vectors, and eventually rendevous at a preplanned location elsewhere in space.  Usually any attacker met by the Grobyc cannot stand up to their unified vessels and their powerful weaponry, who either retreat or are destroyed.  From time to time, the attacker may be too evenly matched, and when this occurs, the fleets rendevous when they can to reunite, then together make further jumps through Hyperspace to throw off the chance of being followed.  Sometimes the Defense Fleet will leave capital ship squadrons behind to lay an ambush just to make sure.

   A popular starship combat tactic worth mentioning.  Some pirate groups that have engaged the Grobyc fleet and survived to tell the tale speak of how the Grobyc ships seemed to retreat early in the engagement towards their city ships, to be followed by pirates thinking they've found easy prey.  The Grobyc capital ships seem slow at first, though some say they appear to gain speed as they withdraw.  As the pirate ships give chase they are engaged by another group of ships that open fire upon them, buying time for the retreating group to get to the city ship and disappear behind their massive hulls.  Sometimes the pirates continue persuing, only to be fired upon by the city ship's own weapons.  In either case, the persuers then have at least one front to deal with, perhaps two if the firing ships and city ships combine their fire against the outsiders.  Then, out of nowhere, the retreating groups flies out from behind the other side of the city ship's hull, at double their original speed, quickly overtaking the invaders and opening up on them with their own weaponry.  once this happens, the Grobyc ships' mobility outpaces that of the invaders' ships and they cannot withstand the Grobyc tactics.  Wise pirates would withdraw as quickly as possible, but some push on, too prideful to relent in their cause, only to be wiped out.  Some survive this incident in life pods or simply go against orders and retreat with their own ships into Hyperspace before being destroyed.

   The relevance of this tactic is Grobyc gravimetric drives, which most of their capital ships rely on.  If caught dead in the water, these vessels are slow at first and need time to build up their speed and maneuverability.  Capital ships take longer to do this than their smaller starfighter scale counterparts.  Therefor a quicker solution was found.  As most Grobyc ships will always be encountered clustered close to their city ships for defense, this becomes key to excuting this tactic.  The capital ships fly towards the city ships, which also have gravimetric drives.  But, these are much more powerful, with abilities that other Grobyc capital ships do not possess as they are in actuality the ancient structures from the Grobyc homeworld (whose full range of capabilities the Grobyc have yet to understand, and may never).  The Grobyc have learned that they can use the gravimetric fields of the city ships to help speed up their capital ships when flying towards the cities.  These capital ships then pull a "slingshot" maneuver around the vast hull of the city ship, speeding up further and using the momentum to literally throw them back into the fight with guns blazing.  With their increased speed, they can then outfly and outmaneuver just about any other capital scale ships similar to their size.

   This tactic is sometimes called the "Brick Joke Slingshot" by spacers.  A Brick Joke is the kind of humor where something is said or done in one instance, seemingly unimportant or like a joke that fails to deliver a punchline.  Later, the topic is revisited once interest in it has faded, only to realize the importance of the topic, and finally deliver the punchline of the joke as the later instance bring relevance and clarity.  Many Grobyc, when hearing about this nickname for their tactics, agree wholeheartedly and enjoy making sure outsiders get the "punchline" for endangering Grobyc peace and safety.

THE FORCE

   The Grobyc have a unique presence among the Force and its many users.  While they do register in the Force as sentient life forms and can be affected by Force users, they themselves have no established Force traditions.  Any Jedi who meet the Grobyc would quickly realize they have no one present in their society to teach about the Force, even as a tradition unrelated to the Jedi or Sith.  Many Jedi would become curious of this and seek to learn more about Grobyc culture and history to understand why this is so.

   Some Jedi may be hesitant to train a Grobyc in the Force due to the presence of their nanites and artificial evolution.  This is an unnatural process, and some would say it goes against the balance of the Force, and could easily lead to the Dark Side, if it hasn't already.  Other evidence in this manner looks at several Sith Force powers that are known to affect technology in many ways.  Though these are valid concerns to be wary of, no proof of these forms of corruption has been found to affect the Grobyc.  While they do register in the Force as sentient life forms, their presence often feels withdrawn and distant.  As though they had forgotten their connection to the Force, and often enough Grobyc have no or little knowledge of the Force and consider it to be superstition.

   If Force users attempt to use abilities to detect the Force aboard Grobyc city ships, they would feel a great and powerful presence very near at hand, so powerful that the Force user may feel blinded or overshadowed by it, powrful enpough to keep them from locating something or someone more specific in the Force.  This presence may even be powerful enough to interrupt strong bonds between characters established through the Force, even those thought to be unbreakable.  This anomaly baffles many Force users who have encountered the Grobyc aboard their Migration Fleet, and leaves many with an odd mystery needing to be explained.

   If the player persues this conundrum, and if the GM allows them to explore this subject, they may eventually find the truth, though this should take sometime to unravel.  The fact of the matter is that the overpowering Force presence emenates from the Grobyc's very own city ships.  The ships are so big and cover so much area that the Force presence overshadows everything aboard them.  What compounds this mystery is the fact that the city ships are heavily populated with all manner of life.  Not only the Grobyc species itself, but all types of flora and fauna from their homeworld, right down to healthy dirt, grass and large bodies of water that give off a sense of life in the Force itself.

   When a Force user such as a Jedi begins to see this for what it is and understand the true scale of it, they begin to notice certain details.  Everything living in the Grobyc Migration Fleet is connected, through the Force.  All of this life actually has a strong bond already through the Force itself!  This intricate web of life through the Force is very difficult to sense due to the overshadowing effect of the greater presence in the Force.  In a sense, a Force user would have to "step back" and look at the bigger picture.  When they do, they would realize that the massive Force presence comes from the Grobyc city ships themselves!

   The reason for this is largely unknown.  The only information that can help understand the matter is in the Grobyc's history, dating back to when they first arrived on their homeworld.  The ancient metal structures were already present.  So were the nanites.  The nanites permeated every form of life on the planet and did the same with the Grobyc after they arrived.  over time these changed the Grobyc into a genetic offshoot of Humans, allowing for their altered and very unique physical appearance as well as their unique abilities with intelligence and technology.  After centuries of self-imposed isolation, the Grobyc left their homeworld out of fear of invasion, due to the Empire and Palpatine no less.  During this time they discovered their true link to the structures, and that these monoliths could reshape to any form as desired by the inhabitants.  Using this to make their city ships, they loaded their entire population, as well as any and all life from their world they could take with them, and they left for space.  Later, the Grobyc would discover that their world had a devestated enviornment after their departure, and that this was because the monoliths had been responsible for terraforming the world before they had ever reached it.  Further information and records would show that long range sensory systems back in the ancient sub-light travel colonization era would reveal that this world had been seen to have life for a very long time before the Grobyc ever came to this world.

   With all of this information, connections can be drawn to rare records of technological artifacts that actually had connections to, if not powered by, the Force itself, whose functions involved manipulating the Force for varied effects.  Some examples of this are the artifacts left behind by the Rakata such as the starmaps, or the mythical Starforge.  Other examples include Centerpoint station in the Correlian star system, and other strange anomalies in the galaxy like The Maw.

   If this "bigger picture" is ever shared with players/characters, they could begin to undeerstand that the Grobyc actually DO have a strong presence in the Force, in a way stronger than most other lifeforms in the galaxy.  Their evolution and very existence has been closely tied to these strange monoliths, created by an unknown race in an age so far in the past that no one may ever discover the truth of their creation.  These monoliths are connected to the Force in a very real, very strong way.  The nanites they produce in turn connect them with every living thing they become a part of.  And in turn, this creates a very powerful, very bright presence in the Force that is almost blinding to anyone with strong senses in the Force.  In this, the Grobyc are not distant from the Force, but their life energies have become a small part of a much, much greater whole.

   The rare few who come to realize this may then wonder what would hppen if the Grobyc ever began developing their own Force traditions, or started to learn the ways of the Jedi or Sith.  Or even if they could, considering the unique nature of their existence with the Force and these ancient structures, which have now become their very home.  It would be interesting to see if the Force would develop differently for them, with strange new abilities perhaps focusing on technology and their nanites.

   As there exists the potential for so much power in the Force for these people, so too exists the possibility of this power falling prey to the Dark Side...

Ancient History

   The Grobyc are a Near-Human species.  They, like the Chiss and other far-flung cousins to humanity, are results from the age when humans would embark on colony ships in cryogenic stasis.  These ships did not fly at faster-than-light speeds granted by the discovery of the Hyperdrive, which would come later.  It is very possible that the Grobyc and Chiss were launched from their worlds of origin in the same era, perhaps even the same homeworld, and perhaps even the same launch of colony ships.  No one knows, and it is very likely no one ever will.

   While the Chiss landed on a very cold world that would change their physiology in very visible ways, the Grobyc would come to a world with a very comfortable environment and climate, though also having strange metallic structures spread among its surface.  The ancestors of the Grobyc did not have the knowledge and level of scientific and technological achievement to understand these structures when they came to this world.

   Having no means to study them, these structures would be ignored over time, though not forgotten.  The Grobyc began to build their colony from what was left of their ship and supplies.  Coming to this world met with similar results as the Chiss and others, leaving them with no means to return or communicate with the homeworld they left behind.

   As the genertions began to pass by, the Grobyc began to notice slight changes in their people's physiology.  Patterns began to develop in their skin, much too detailed and defined to be a birth mark or other random feature.  Later generations of children born with these features also showed a marked raise in their inherent intelligence.  Young Grobyc with these features began to take on the most daunting mental and intellectual challenges that their society had to offer, surpassing these studies, and then improving upon them.  In time, as generations passed and more and more Grobyc were born with these features, reaction to this anomaly slowly changed from initial shock and fear to acceptance, and even to be seen as a blessing to their species.

   The Grobyc did retain a level of technology after coming to this world.  Much was lost when they came to this world, but they still had a level of advanced medical technology.  As these changes began top appear, the Grobyc's medical experts wanted to understand this event, wanting to understand what was happening and what it meant for their people.  They eventually dioscovered a new element in their bodies.  Further studies showed that a form of artificial microbe was now present in the bloodstream of every Grobyc on the planet.  This had actually been discovered a generation earlier, as they were mindful of diseases and viruses present on their new world and readying vaccines and other medicines to fight such threats.  These microbes had been discovered, but were never shown to be any kind of threat or reason for any kind of sickness among the Grobyc.  In time, as the new features of the skin appeared in conjunction with the rise in intellect, it was discovered that these people were also becoming hardier than their fellows, more resistant top the diseases natural to this world.  As generations had passed by, the traits of this new homeworld were slowly changing the Grob, making them naturally weaker physically.  Grobyc with the skin patterns, intellect and microbes were retaining a degree of their original Human hardiness.

   With ongoing medical studies, it was fiinally proven that these microbes were directly responsible for this.  They did not affect the body as far as anyone could see with their best scanning euipment, for they left no effects that were readily noticeable.  Then it was discovered that the microbes worked more subtly than this.  They made slow changes to the genetic structure of existing Grobyc.  Instead of thes etraits appearing iin the current generation, they would be passed on to the next generation instead.  Furthermore, it would appear that these changes had actually been taking place since the very first generation of Grobyc came to this new world.  The genetic alterations had been weak at first, more of a passive or regressive genetic trait that at first would not carry on to the next generation, such as particular eye, hair and skin colors, body types, and other such traits.  Over the course of generations these traits were becoming less regressive, coming more and more to the forefront of the Grobyc's genetic heretage.

   While the Grobyc had the intellect and knowledge to understand the basics of what was happening to them, they had not the ability to stop or change the effect.  Their technology, while they still had some, was limited.  Though they had been presnet on this world for several generations, it would take generations still before they could recreate and mass produce the more advanced technologies of their original homeworld.  And so, the Grobyc let the microbes run their course, generation after generation.

   The skin patterns became even more defined.  While the base color of the skin itself became closer to a grey hue, the patterns developing on the skin would usually be of some darker color.  In time, the colors of the skin and patterns became even more wildly different, ranging from bright to dark, and just about any color in the visible spectrum.

   Then came the lighting of the circuit-like pattern along the skin.  The most evident proof that the change in the Grobyc had run its course.  Their skin had a waving pattern of light that followed lines in the form of "circuits" along their skin.  These light patterns would grow brighter in more emotional moments, and darker, even fading away during less emotional moments, poor helth, or loss of conciousness.  While the color pattern often showed visibly a Grobyc's personality traits, the light would often show their emotional state.

   Physically, visibly, the Grobic became weaker, yet the presence of the microbes somehow countered this and made them healthy.  It was eventually discovered that the microbes were effected by iontechnology.  Ion effects, similar to ion weapons, would make the microbes stall, tunr off, or go dormant, much like other technology and machines hit with ion guns.  When this happens, the Grobyc's skin goes very pale, they lose all richness of color, and the light patterns go dim, if not disappear all together.  When this happens, they also lose their hardiness, physically responding and matching exactly how frail they look.  Furthermore, they become stunned, as though suffering from a form of concussion.  These effects usually do not last.  When this happens, they also seem to lose much of the hightened intellect that has become the norm of their species after all these generations.

   As with most technology, the microbes eventually "reboot", restore their effects to the Grobyc's body, and in time they are fine.  But when this happened, it was the Grobyc's first real sign of what the microbes were, and how they had been affecting their species all this time.  Nanites.  Microscopic machines made of a size similar to blood cells, or even smaller, reaching the minute size of molecules.  These were the smallest such machines anyone had ever heard of.  they were not alive, at least not in the usual biological sense, but obviously had some kind of artificial origin.

   From this point, the Grobyc had been on their new homeworld for five generations, amounting to around 150 years.  They had began to recover technology thought lost to the voyage across the stars.  As it turned out, they were doing much better.  Any technology that was thought to take more than a generation to rebuild or rediscover, the Grobyc were finding ways to bring this into being within a single generation, or less.  Some with the vision to look back along the past, and far along the future, realized that their people would achieve great things over time.

   And so, this is how the Grobyc proceeded through the ages.  They achieved technology equal to their previous homeworld within just a few more genertions.  While much of this could be planned for and designed relatively quickly, it still took time to reach this technological level, as one level is achieved by reaching the leavel before it, and the one before that.  It took time, but the Grobyc achieved this.  Though they did not have the best patience, they would learn this as possibly their greatest virture over time.

   As time passed, the Grobyc species would eventually reach and then surpass their ancestor's level of technology.  They would create advanced computers, architectural construction, and even return to space.  They would explore their own star system, and then reach outwards to other stars with probes, much in the same way that their ancestors came to this world.  Along the way, the Grobyc maintained constant study of the nanites that had become such a common staple of their world.  Eventually, their studies in the nanites would point their sites back to the metallic structures present on their homeworld.  They in time realized the nanites came from these structures.  They were some remnant of ancient advanced alien technology, perhaps even some form of living technology of some kind, organic or biological in nature.  this would certainly explain the original confusion with the nanites being some kind of microbe.

   As the Grobyc developed more and more advanced technology, the nanites would continue to change their genetic structure, making them more in line with the machines they created, developed and advanced to make life easier for themse