Keerzachi

The Keerzachi (//, singular also "Keerzachi") were an insectomammalian species from Yaellia in the.

Biology and appearance
The Keerzachi retained a number of insectoid traits, including prominent mandibles on either side of their mouths and armored skin. Rather than presenting an essentially seamless outer shell like true insect exoskeletons, however, Keerzachi had separate plates on their bodies which resembled armor. Although patterns varied, nearly all Keerzachi had several plates on the torsos. Due to their moveable lower jaws, most Keerzachi had either no lower jaw plate or one separate from their tough heads. They had antennae which they used for smelling, as they had no noses.

Keerzachi, like true mammals, had closed circulatory systems and internal skeletons. Their rib cages extended from neck to pelvis, however, and most of their internal organs moved about freely. They had a single lung each.

Male Keerzachi had retractable crests on their heads which were usually brighter in color than the rest of their bodies.

After intercourse, female Keerzachi developed embryos inside their bodies which grew inside placental sacs like most mammals. However, in the final weeks of pregnancy, the placenta hardened into an egg-like shell, which female Keerzachi delivered after labor. Eggs normally hatched within hours of delivery. Keerzachi grew to physical maturity in roughly thirteen standard years.

Society and culture
Keerzachi were like other mammals in that the biological family was the basic building block of society, rather than having a broader, hive-like organizational structure. However, most cities were made up of interconnected buildings; even private dwellings would generally have walkways leading to causeways which connected larger buildings. As a result, public transportation was atypically efficient on Yaellia, and while private vehicle ownership was not banned, it was usually considered an unnecessary luxury.

It was generally considered acceptable for Keerzachi to use their mandibles to pluck food from their hands and funnel it into their mouths. Some aliens found this sight disturbing, and many Keerzachi offworld learned to eat without their mandibles when trying to put mixed company at ease.

The native Keerzachi tongue involved a variety of clicks and glottal stops in addition to normal vocalizations.

History
The Keerzachi evolved from insects, although archaeologists and xenobiologists had difficulty ascertaining the exact evolutionary influences which led them to take on a mix of mammalian and insectoid traits. By the time Yaellia was discovered by the Golden Empire, the Keerzachi had made progress in nuclear engineering, though spaceflight remained elusive. They submitted peacefully to the Empire's rule, and many Keerzachi moved offworld to participate in the growing Empire.

In the galaxy
The Keerzachi Centurion Assayr served as a Royal Guard to Queen Rin Sakaros.