Creature:Karpine

"They are like us, and not like us at the same time. Where's we are driven to conquer and fight, they are driven to learn and build. Yet, we both embrace the ideals of Change, to constantly adapt to new struggles and ideals, and to always welcome potential new allies to Clan with open arms, and a warm drink. Yes, we may be different, but the similarities are enough to lead us to trust and respect one another."

- A Ugandalorian diplomat speaking of their alliance with the Karpine

The Karpine are an insectoid race within the who occupy a position of builders and engineers, and are among the Pact's most active and useful members. Early in Ugandalorian history, after the Great Time Slip, they set about reconquering old territory, and establishing new areas of control for their empire, gaining them allies among the s, and other warrior races. When they came across the Karpine, the weak insectoids impressed their potential conquerors with their technological prowess, and the Karpine remained an important ally of the Ugandalorians, joining their growing empire and providing engineering and scientific assistance, in exchange for the protection of the Mendel fleets and ground Legions.

Karpine have assisted the Mendel Pact for years, using their scientific knowledge to help build advanced fire arms and shields, as well as medical equipment and devices. Their abilities cause them much respect from the rest of the Pact, who view them as among their most beneficial allies, and not to be underestimated. Recently, the Karpine began expanding their efforts into the military sections of the Pact, providing some soldiers, and many war androids for use by the Pact in battle. However, their main home will always be research and development, as well as negotiation and diplomacy.

Early History
The Karpine do not know where they came from. After years of travel through space, it is said they settled on series of asteroids clustered around a Blue Giant and a Red Star, and made their homes there. Advanced space stations where built into the largest asteroids, as mining stations where blasted onto the surface of those with rich mineral deposits. Their industrial base lead them to create a vast host of various weapons and devices, which they traded with neighboring civilizations, and at times, used to defend against pirate attacks, who had made their nest near the asteroids of the Karpine.

Years into their trade, a mighty host of warships arrived in their system, lead by Strange, painted warriors in heavy armor. These beings, the Ugandalorians, had expanded from their original colonial holdings, and their empire had grown to encompass many races, from the mighty Kadalian Giants, to the wiry Kaguran, and even a number of humans. Intrigued by the Karpine, the Ugandalorians arrived in system, and, the Karpine worried, had come to conquer them. Instead, the Ugandalorian Chieftain asked to be taking aboard their satellite station, to speak with their rulers. He and his personal Guards arrived moments later, and meet with the Council of the Karpine. They spoke for many hours on the Ugandalorian Empire, it's expansion and power, and the Karpine's own abilities. The Karpine, wishing to partake in the Empire, desired to join, though it's leaders said they where not warriors by nature.

The Chieftain brushed aside such a thing. True, they might not have the power of soldiers, but they where intelligent and tactful, and would provide for the Empire in a far different, far more important way. The Karpine council considered his words for a moment, and, after much discussion, agreed to join them. In exchange for weapons, devices, and scientific assistance, as well as some Karpine scientists leaving their homelands to settle in Ugandalorian Research Stations, the Ugandalorians would provide a flotilla to protect their new comrades from pirates and other alien threats, and a compliment of warriors to watch over them and assist, as well as Ugandalorian scientists relocating to their capital asteroid, the Asteroid Belts of Kroche, to also help develop new technology.

This arrangement remained in place for years, the Karpine helping design new, dangerous weapons, and life saving medical treatments and devices, while the Ugandalorians protected them from any dangers. One of their most famous acts was when the Alpha Cyber Collective attempted to launch a campaign against the Karpine, but the Mendel Fleet in Kroche, and the satellite devices, managed to break apart the Collective Fleet before it could damage any civilian centers.

Unification of the Pact
The Ugandalorians, and their other members, would become involved in the Great War against the Dominatus, of which the Karpine took part, albeit indirectly, thanks to their scientific knowledge. Developing many new weapons for the battle, and helping greatly with the creation of UAE Olympian and Valhallan Programs, the Karpine where also tasked with studying Dominatus technology, though even their advanced minds struggled to fully comprehend the alien, and loathsome technology the Dominatus employed, that the Mendel looted from battle. Despite having a treasure trove of technology at their claw tips, the Karpine choose to not fully utilize their foes' technology near the end, and after the end of the war. Many questioned this, but the Karpine stated that too much knowledge, without restraint or values, could be twisted into something negative. While the Dominatus could be respected for their knowledge, the Karpine wished to reach such levels slowly, and with diligence to their own path of morals, and not be twisted by malice like the Dominatus where. One technology they absolutely refused to study, however, was the Bio-Drones employed as slave labor, many scientists that found the bullprints utterly disgusted, and demanded all blue-prints and designs captured by the Pact be destroyed immediately.

After the War, the Pact would unify, and bring the Karpine into contact with other races. While they found the Orgaat repugnant, they did enjoy contact with the Walgolorian, who where more scientifically minded then their Ugandalorian kin, and the with the Togunda, the short, stocky aliens having more advanced technology then what the Karpine had, and great mining abilities, the two exchanging scientific research, data and materials over the course of many long years.

As part of the Pact, the Karpine, during, assisted by developing a new android for battle against the Loron hordes, called KX-7 Hive Protector, a heavy vanguard droid developed with horde tactics in mind. The Karpine came to the Pact with their designs, hoping they could be of help to the War-Guardianship in battle, in some small way. While not as trusting of the machines as the Vashari, the Mendel leadership agreed, the KX-7 droids where deployed to help ground forces in battle against the Loron until the end of the war.

Due to their naturally diplomatic nature, and tendency to seek compromise, an increasing number of Karpine where brought into the fold of the Diplomatic branch of the Mendel Pact's government agencies, and a company of them joined a group of Walgolorian diplomats stationed on, in order to maintain relations with their new allies and "bond-brothers". Following the destruction of Mou'Cyran, the diplomats refused to leave, staying with the planet as it was destroyed, and dying with the people and political leaders of the New Cyrannian Republic.