Kalasto

A living wonder of the universe, Kalasto, or "Space Whales", are leviathan space-native creatures that swim the void. They achieve naturally what so many sapient species struggle to achieve: faster than light travel.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Space whales are leviathan creatures. When they are born they are already 50 meters in length, and can grow up to two kilometers. They resemble terrestrial quatic life, though they glide through the empty void rather than water. Their body is primarily purple, with turquise 'fins', and their head is usually covered in a large bony growth called a 'shell'; the only bone in their body.

Biological Traits

Perhaps the most biologically amazing native creature in the galaxy, the Space Whale is able to perform a Space Fold by itself, while being relatively small compared to Starliners. An individual Space Whale however requires significant time and food to build up the energy needed to make a jump. Rather, a pod of Space Whales with coordinate together to make long distance jumps between known sites of food. Space whales also rely on bending space, combined with their bio-plasma bladders, to reach incredible sublight speeds.
Kalasto are technically boneless creatures, instead possessing dense and powerful muscles though they develop what resembles a prominent 'skull' on their head and forebody. This is actually the result of exposure to the Spatial Tangent during fold jumps. Space Whales do not form a proper quantum bubble when they jump, instead they form a sort of vortex that they launch themselves in to. This exposure causes the front their body to harden over time becoming harder than diamond. This has the side effect of giving them protection and making them excellent rammers.
A Kalasto can be a more dangerous opponent than one would expect. Offensively, they possess great speed and a diamond-hard ram. They also can use their bio-plasma bladders to deliver barrages of plasma-fire. Defensively, they are nimble and can bend space as a group to deflect attacks. A Kalasto with high energy reserves also has a natural sort of electro-magnetic reactive armor. In addition, most Kalasto are crawling with Itikka eager to defend their host.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Space Whales possess an advanced form of photosynthesis, practically akin to solar panels. They use this for their Space Folding ability as well as to sustain themselves should they go a long time without food. Space Whales otherwise have a somewhat diverse diet of the airborne creatures of gas giants, as well as being able to self-process typical star ship fuels like deuterium.

Additional Information

Domestication

Kalasto are to many species, the inspiration of Space Fold drives. In some cases, some species even capture and study them. The Delkhiin are the only known species to enact widespread domestication of space whales. A Delkhiin space whale is somewhat smaller than a traditional space whale, due to a combination of carefully controlled diets, and their siphoning of the whale's bio-electricity to power their homes and weapons. However, they are also typically healthier and skilled combatants in their own rights, some Kalasto boasting legends as great as a Khan's.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Having no eyes and no need for hearing, Kalasto instead possess a sensitivity to various forms of radiation. They can even sense normally hard to detect waves such as gravity waves and Holzmaan waves, the latter of which the whales can use to communication between star systems.

Symbiotic and Parasitic organisms

Most space whales are infested with a colony of Itikka . These insects live both on and inside the space whale, sharing its food supply and energy. The space whales generally use it to clean itself, and the Itikka are able to defend the Space Whale by acting as bio-plasma weaponry.

Lifespan

5-10 Thousand Years

Average Length

50m to 2000m