SMALL ALIEN EMPIRES

Saw this as I was working on a smaller alien "empire".	Whilst I'm sure
many of you have worked on some, I'm happy to offer them up (I've tried
to follow the Tuffley-Tenets of making sure they're *different*):

- Based on an older, space-faring race, more advanced, low numbers
- Fundamentally apolitical (rather than biased like the SVK) unless
disturbed.  
- Basic ethos is (as far as Human, KV, Phalon and SVK understand) the
old-SF one of "knowledge acquisition for greater understanding" though
the more cynical believe they are "searching for something".  
- Live in space habitats (Nivens Outsiders?).
- Ships merge and break up as required.  
- Technology differs (not just redundancy but multi-function - Nive-
Pournelle Moties perhaps?) - impact on Damage Repair
- mixed "real"-cybernetic-biotec, adapting form to some degree for who
they expect to meet: vaguely human wiht human, vaguely Phalon to Phalon,
vaguely KV to KV.  Not sure how they look to SVK yet.... (if teh SVK
would admit)

If anyone's interested I can get a summary up on the web.
-- 
Tim Bancroft