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Description

          The Vekoo were first seen on the galactic level, many centuries ago, when their home world faced an environmental crisis. Their civilization's method of energy production and industry was causing a massive degradation of their landmasses. This issue was stemming from the gaseous by-products that came from their production facilities and power plants. The Vekoo had initially studied the by-products to make sure that they would not harm their health or safety, and the tests had shown the gases harmless. The gases were capable of degrading certain materials, but it required long periods of time and high doses. To add to that, the materials vulnerable to these by-products were not used by the Vekoo in construction or manufacturing, so they did not think much of it. Unknowing to them, the gaseous by-product was capable of eating away at a major mineral that was prominent in their landmasses. The harmless nature of their by-product was only if it was in small concentrations, and the Vekoo had been pumping it into their air for decades. To make matters worse, the Vekoo had extensive mining programs that were used for resource gathering. With this combination, the gas was able to seep down into the many tunnels and bore holes, and slowly eat away at the mineral deposits. Over the course of years, the gas caused large deposits of the mineral to degrade and collapse, which only exposed more areas for the gas to strike. By the time the Vekoo were able to rally the attention to the problem, it had already reached a critical point. The gas had destroyed so much of the mineral that large portions of their land was becoming unstable and prone to collapse. That combined with drastic changes in environment threatened their entire civilization, and the Vekoo were desperate for help. Their technology and resources were not nearly enough to fix their problem, so they turned their eyes to the stars.

            At the time, the Vekoo had achieved space travel, but were in no way prepared to evacuate their planet. With no feasible way to flee their collapsing lands, they instead sent dozens of ships out to seek the help of other species. This desperate act was able to catch the attention of the Galactic Council, who revealed themselves the Vekoo. They allowed the Vekoo to come to a Council meeting and present their issue to the many species who were a part of it. The eager Vekoo agreed, believing that their catastrophe would be quickly solved. Unfortunately, the actions of the Council were slow, and the Vekoo were not official members. The whole act of debate, voting and planning on how one would start planning was much too slow to the Vekoo, who still needed to undergo the long process of joining the Council itself. The Galactic Council agreed to help, but the whole process would take far too long to be officially approved. Desperate, the Vekoo took a different approach. While the Council was busy with their debates and paperwork, the Vekoo reached out to other species on the Council, offering trade with them so that they could get the supplies they needed to fix their planet. With money and resources now involved, many species agreed and opened up trade with the Vekoo. While the Vekoo did not have the sheer size and power of other places of commerce, they had their crafty nature to make up for it. The resources and goods that they received from their trades were turned to other markets and species, turning goods for a profit, and then using it to bring in more trade. In no time, the Vekoo became a major dealer in the Galactic economy, and the resources needed to stabilize their lands came flooding in. By the time the Galactic Council came to agreement and stepped in to help, the home world of the Vekoo was already on its way to stabilization.

            Centuries later, the Vekoo are one of the many species on the Galactic Council, and one of the biggest trading giants in space. Their kind is now involved in all different types of trade and commerce, which all stems from their home world. While their planet is no longer facing a catastrophe, there is still large portions of damage that can never be repaired. The Vekoo have succeeded in patching these wounds, but these can never heal, and threaten to burst open if not constantly monitored. To top it off, their home world is practically stripped of all resources, due to their feverish trading spree that was used to save their kind. Now the Vekoo use their trading system to bring in goods and resources to upkeep the stabilizers and keep life going on their planet. The Vekoo have spread out to other nearby planets, but colonization is not their goal. Instead they strip them of resources to add to their markets to keep their system running. Though they could move to a more stable planet, the Vekoo refuse to leave. Some say it is because they put too much effort to save it, so abandoning it would be a waste. Others claim that the Vekoo believe that leaving their planet would upset their seat in the interstellar trade market, and would result in them losing both power and profits.

            The Vekoo can be spotted easily by outsiders due to their light blue carapace and tall stance. They walk upon stilt-like legs, which make up 2/3rds of their height. Their torsos are thick and compact. Their head lacks a neck, and is almost fused to their chests. While their shoulders are large, their arms are long and thin. While their height and odd silhouette is striking, the thing that catches people's attention is their gaseous system. The Vekoo feed upon certain gases, and thus lack chewing mouth parts. Instead they have vent-like structures that they use to feed. These gases filter through their bodies and the waste is expelled from organic pipes that emerge from their backs. When in places that lack this gas they feed on, their vents are covered with a breathing apparatus that adds in the gas they need. This feeding method is what gives the Vekoo their famous moniker: Smokers. Their exhausts are always expelling wispy gas and it gives the Vekoo the scent of bitter smoke. When they have their breathing apparatus installed, the raspy inhales and hissing of the canisters only add to this nickname.

Due to the lack of articulating mouth parts, the Vekoo do not rely on audible speech for communication. Rather they use smell, smoke signals and hand gestures to convey speech. By releasing certain pheromones and odors into their gas exhaust, other Vekoo can breath it in and understand their emotional state. To go with the smell, the Vekoo can control their exhaust vents to change the rate and shape of the gas being emitted. Adding in hand gestures, and they can easily convey what they want to other Vekoo. When dealing with other species, the Vekoo use technological translators that they type into to form words and relay them in a mechanical voice. While there are fancier translators out there that can use their exhaust and gestures to create a more fluid conversation, most Vekoo refrain from using them. Some say that it is because Vekoo are too cheap to invest in such a gadget when simpler options are available. Others claim that the Vekoo dislike giving the customer the power to translate their exhausts and thus get a better understanding of them. The Vekoo enjoy dealing with non-odor based species, as they are oblivious to the pheromones they release. Vekoo merchants can easily send signals to one another, while the customer cannot understand what they are conveying. On the other side of that, Vekoo can inhale the odors their customers emit to understand their current mood and emotional state. With this, Vekoo are very good at convincing others and sealing deals. It is widely advised that desperate buyers avoid walking into Vekoo stores, as they will instantly detect their stress and use it to their advantage.

            While they are a part of the Galactic Council, the Vekoo are not fans of the organization. This animosity stems from the Council's slow actions when the Vekoo were faced with their crisis. The fact that they had to go out and recruit their own aid is both a source of anger and pride. Most Vekoo hold a low opinion of the Council, despite their species being a part of it. Many say that the Vekoo only stay on the Council because it legalizes their trade and gives them this wide access. Even then, certain trading houses and organizations within the Vekoo have gone into markets and methods that go against Council laws. This factions violate these rules happily, as there are profits to be made and a Council to thumb their nose at. Evidence of these markets and branches does not exist, and the Vekoo publicly denounce those who take part of it. Investigations launched by the Council has turned up nothing, and the Vekoo are always happy to show them their ledgers and receipts. Despite lack of evidence, it is common knowledge in the seedier place of the galaxy that the Vekoo are the way to go when scoring illegal goods.

            Recently, allegations have been thrown at the Vekoo for setting up trade in young, uninitiated worlds. The Council has banned all forms of trade and contact with sentient species that have yet to reach interstellar space, as they believe they need to grow on their own before the outside can step in. Certain Vekoo branches, though, do not wish to wait. Rumors have gone about that disguised Vekoo have been infiltrating young worlds, using technology to change their appearances to that of a native. With their knowledge and advanced machines, the Vekoo agents will place themselves in high seats of power and money. With the native money they make, they use it to buy products and goods that can only be found on the young planet. These products are then secretly sent off to their trading hub and then sold off to eager black market buyers. The Vekoo agents are always testing and trying new things that the natives make, as one species' food is another species' drug. Finding goods that are addictive to other species opens up a profitable market, and the Vekoo are always looking for the next big thing. Recently, some have said that the Vekoo found a source of addictive substances that the Grebul are buying by the tons. This product comes from a young planet not yet initiated, but already Vekoo infiltrated. The Grebul and Veckoo call the product "Toasties," while apparently the natives call them "toaster pastries."

            While no allegations have been made of it yet, there are whispers that the Vekoo may be working with the R-D-Es. It is believed that the R-D-Es may be striking a deal with the Vekoo, involving the sterilized planets that they create. These silent accusers believe that the R-D-Es use Veckoo agents to infiltrate young, sentient worlds and trick them into a nuclear disaster. Once the planet is a radioactive wasteland, the R-D-Es will claim the dead planet and colonize it. The planet's ores, minerals and other no perishable resources will then be sold directly to the Veckoo at absurdly discounted prices, which they can then easily turn for a profit. No accusations have been made on this yet, as there is no evidence and it is one that will surely anger the Vekoo. No Council member wants to insult one of the largest traders in the galaxy, as it is a good way to get absurd taxes and tariffs slapped onto them.
            To combat the supposed infiltration of Vekoo on young, sentient worlds, some species have been secretly sending messages to the natives. Such communication is never direct, and is never two-way. The conspirators will simply send a message or transmission down for a native to "luckily" stumble upon. Unfortunately, they cannot divulge too much information, as the natives are too naive to understand and the threat of Vekoo is not yet fully known. With that, some natives on planets around the galaxy have stumbled upon strange messages that warn of a hidden threat. An odd piece of advice that some find puzzling. To be wary of those who smell of smoke, yet never seem to partake in the practice. Of those who never draw in a single puff, yet reek of stale cigarettes.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Been a while since I did something sci-fi-ish, so decided to draw up one of my alien species. The Vekoo were recently brought up in an art trade I did, but now I am drawing my version of them.

There was supposed to be light grey smoke coming from its back, but I cannot tell if you can really see it or not.

And now that I have mentioned the R-D-Es, my mind instantly wants me to draw them again, so here go again...

Description

          The Vekoo were first seen on the galactic level, many centuries ago, when their home world faced an environmental crisis. Their civilization's method of energy production and industry was causing a massive degradation of their landmasses. This issue was stemming from the gaseous by-products that came from their production facilities and power plants. The Vekoo had initially studied the by-products to make sure that they would not harm their health or safety, and the tests had shown the gases harmless. The gases were capable of degrading certain materials, but it required long periods of time and high doses. To add to that, the materials vulnerable to these by-products were not used by the Vekoo in construction or manufacturing, so they did not think much of it. Unknowing to them, the gaseous by-product was capable of eating away at a major mineral that was prominent in their landmasses. The harmless nature of their by-product was only if it was in small concentrations, and the Vekoo had been pumping it into their air for decades. To make matters worse, the Vekoo had extensive mining programs that were used for resource gathering. With this combination, the gas was able to seep down into the many tunnels and bore holes, and slowly eat away at the mineral deposits. Over the course of years, the gas caused large deposits of the mineral to degrade and collapse, which only exposed more areas for the gas to strike. By the time the Vekoo were able to rally the attention to the problem, it had already reached a critical point. The gas had destroyed so much of the mineral that large portions of their land was becoming unstable and prone to collapse. That combined with drastic changes in environment threatened their entire civilization, and the Vekoo were desperate for help. Their technology and resources were not nearly enough to fix their problem, so they turned their eyes to the stars.

            At the time, the Vekoo had achieved space travel, but were in no way prepared to evacuate their planet. With no feasible way to flee their collapsing lands, they instead sent dozens of ships out to seek the help of other species. This desperate act was able to catch the attention of the Galactic Council, who revealed themselves the Vekoo. They allowed the Vekoo to come to a Council meeting and present their issue to the many species who were a part of it. The eager Vekoo agreed, believing that their catastrophe would be quickly solved. Unfortunately, the actions of the Council were slow, and the Vekoo were not official members. The whole act of debate, voting and planning on how one would start planning was much too slow to the Vekoo, who still needed to undergo the long process of joining the Council itself. The Galactic Council agreed to help, but the whole process would take far too long to be officially approved. Desperate, the Vekoo took a different approach. While the Council was busy with their debates and paperwork, the Vekoo reached out to other species on the Council, offering trade with them so that they could get the supplies they needed to fix their planet. With money and resources now involved, many species agreed and opened up trade with the Vekoo. While the Vekoo did not have the sheer size and power of other places of commerce, they had their crafty nature to make up for it. The resources and goods that they received from their trades were turned to other markets and species, turning goods for a profit, and then using it to bring in more trade. In no time, the Vekoo became a major dealer in the Galactic economy, and the resources needed to stabilize their lands came flooding in. By the time the Galactic Council came to agreement and stepped in to help, the home world of the Vekoo was already on its way to stabilization.

            Centuries later, the Vekoo are one of the many species on the Galactic Council, and one of the biggest trading giants in space. Their kind is now involved in all different types of trade and commerce, which all stems from their home world. While their planet is no longer facing a catastrophe, there is still large portions of damage that can never be repaired. The Vekoo have succeeded in patching these wounds, but these can never heal, and threaten to burst open if not constantly monitored. To top it off, their home world is practically stripped of all resources, due to their feverish trading spree that was used to save their kind. Now the Vekoo use their trading system to bring in goods and resources to upkeep the stabilizers and keep life going on their planet. The Vekoo have spread out to other nearby planets, but colonization is not their goal. Instead they strip them of resources to add to their markets to keep their system running. Though they could move to a more stable planet, the Vekoo refuse to leave. Some say it is because they put too much effort to save it, so abandoning it would be a waste. Others claim that the Vekoo believe that leaving their planet would upset their seat in the interstellar trade market, and would result in them losing both power and profits.

            The Vekoo can be spotted easily by outsiders due to their light blue carapace and tall stance. They walk upon stilt-like legs, which make up 2/3rds of their height. Their torsos are thick and compact. Their head lacks a neck, and is almost fused to their chests. While their shoulders are large, their arms are long and thin. While their height and odd silhouette is striking, the thing that catches people's attention is their gaseous system. The Vekoo feed upon certain gases, and thus lack chewing mouth parts. Instead they have vent-like structures that they use to feed. These gases filter through their bodies and the waste is expelled from organic pipes that emerge from their backs. When in places that lack this gas they feed on, their vents are covered with a breathing apparatus that adds in the gas they need. This feeding method is what gives the Vekoo their famous moniker: Smokers. Their exhausts are always expelling wispy gas and it gives the Vekoo the scent of bitter smoke. When they have their breathing apparatus installed, the raspy inhales and hissing of the canisters only add to this nickname.

Due to the lack of articulating mouth parts, the Vekoo do not rely on audible speech for communication. Rather they use smell, smoke signals and hand gestures to convey speech. By releasing certain pheromones and odors into their gas exhaust, other Vekoo can breath it in and understand their emotional state. To go with the smell, the Vekoo can control their exhaust vents to change the rate and shape of the gas being emitted. Adding in hand gestures, and they can easily convey what they want to other Vekoo. When dealing with other species, the Vekoo use technological translators that they type into to form words and relay them in a mechanical voice. While there are fancier translators out there that can use their exhaust and gestures to create a more fluid conversation, most Vekoo refrain from using them. Some say that it is because Vekoo are too cheap to invest in such a gadget when simpler options are available. Others claim that the Vekoo dislike giving the customer the power to translate their exhausts and thus get a better understanding of them. The Vekoo enjoy dealing with non-odor based species, as they are oblivious to the pheromones they release. Vekoo merchants can easily send signals to one another, while the customer cannot understand what they are conveying. On the other side of that, Vekoo can inhale the odors their customers emit to understand their current mood and emotional state. With this, Vekoo are very good at convincing others and sealing deals. It is widely advised that desperate buyers avoid walking into Vekoo stores, as they will instantly detect their stress and use it to their advantage.

            While they are a part of the Galactic Council, the Vekoo are not fans of the organization. This animosity stems from the Council's slow actions when the Vekoo were faced with their crisis. The fact that they had to go out and recruit their own aid is both a source of anger and pride. Most Vekoo hold a low opinion of the Council, despite their species being a part of it. Many say that the Vekoo only stay on the Council because it legalizes their trade and gives them this wide access. Even then, certain trading houses and organizations within the Vekoo have gone into markets and methods that go against Council laws. This factions violate these rules happily, as there are profits to be made and a Council to thumb their nose at. Evidence of these markets and branches does not exist, and the Vekoo publicly denounce those who take part of it. Investigations launched by the Council has turned up nothing, and the Vekoo are always happy to show them their ledgers and receipts. Despite lack of evidence, it is common knowledge in the seedier place of the galaxy that the Vekoo are the way to go when scoring illegal goods.

            Recently, allegations have been thrown at the Vekoo for setting up trade in young, uninitiated worlds. The Council has banned all forms of trade and contact with sentient species that have yet to reach interstellar space, as they believe they need to grow on their own before the outside can step in. Certain Vekoo branches, though, do not wish to wait. Rumors have gone about that disguised Vekoo have been infiltrating young worlds, using technology to change their appearances to that of a native. With their knowledge and advanced machines, the Vekoo agents will place themselves in high seats of power and money. With the native money they make, they use it to buy products and goods that can only be found on the young planet. These products are then secretly sent off to their trading hub and then sold off to eager black market buyers. The Vekoo agents are always testing and trying new things that the natives make, as one species' food is another species' drug. Finding goods that are addictive to other species opens up a profitable market, and the Vekoo are always looking for the next big thing. Recently, some have said that the Vekoo found a source of addictive substances that the Grebul are buying by the tons. This product comes from a young planet not yet initiated, but already Vekoo infiltrated. The Grebul and Veckoo call the product "Toasties," while apparently the natives call them "toaster pastries."

            While no allegations have been made of it yet, there are whispers that the Vekoo may be working with the R-D-Es. It is believed that the R-D-Es may be striking a deal with the Vekoo, involving the sterilized planets that they create. These silent accusers believe that the R-D-Es use Veckoo agents to infiltrate young, sentient worlds and trick them into a nuclear disaster. Once the planet is a radioactive wasteland, the R-D-Es will claim the dead planet and colonize it. The planet's ores, minerals and other no perishable resources will then be sold directly to the Veckoo at absurdly discounted prices, which they can then easily turn for a profit. No accusations have been made on this yet, as there is no evidence and it is one that will surely anger the Vekoo. No Council member wants to insult one of the largest traders in the galaxy, as it is a good way to get absurd taxes and tariffs slapped onto them.
            To combat the supposed infiltration of Vekoo on young, sentient worlds, some species have been secretly sending messages to the natives. Such communication is never direct, and is never two-way. The conspirators will simply send a message or transmission down for a native to "luckily" stumble upon. Unfortunately, they cannot divulge too much information, as the natives are too naive to understand and the threat of Vekoo is not yet fully known. With that, some natives on planets around the galaxy have stumbled upon strange messages that warn of a hidden threat. An odd piece of advice that some find puzzling. To be wary of those who smell of smoke, yet never seem to partake in the practice. Of those who never draw in a single puff, yet reek of stale cigarettes.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Been a while since I did something sci-fi-ish, so decided to draw up one of my alien species. The Vekoo were recently brought up in an art trade I did, but now I am drawing my version of them.

There was supposed to be light grey smoke coming from its back, but I cannot tell if you can really see it or not.

And now that I have mentioned the R-D-Es, my mind instantly wants me to draw them again, so here go again...