Fex (the term is singular and plural) resemble humanoid terrestrial cats, with swift, graceful bodies, keen senses, and sharp claws. They have a short, downy coating of fur all over their bodies, ranging in color from a grey so dark it's nearly black to a light, tawny shade. The hair on their heads (often called a "mane") is thick and luxurious; the fur on their backs and lower legs also tends to be thicker.

Biology

Bipedal like Humans, Fex have bodies optimized for fast sprinting` rather than endurance running (they evolved from a hunting cat roughly similar to the cheetah of Earth, though they never have-spotted fur). Their feet and four fingered hands have large retractable claws, good for use not only as weapons, but to help with tasks like climbing. They have large, sharp teeth compared to Humans, but not large enough to qualify as "fangs." Their large, sensitive eyes work well in low light.

Fex subsist on a primarily carnivorous diet - they can even eat raw meat without difficulty, though almost all Fex prefer cooked food. Various types of fish and the orsec, a type of small domestic animal similar to a pig, are their favorite foods.

Fex come in the standard two genders and bear live young after a three-month gestation. The kittens remain in a pouch on the mother's stomach for a year after birth. When large enough, they leave the pouch and switch from a diet of milk to one of meat. The law considers them adults when they reach age 15.

Fexao, the Fex Homeworld

The Fex come from Fexao, an Earthlike world lying within the former territory of the Xenovores. The Xenovores easily conquered the Fex during the mid-200s, making them a slave/food species. When the Empire began to defeat the Xenovores and push into their space, fierce battles raged around Fexao; Xenovore attacks devastated the planet's surface. Despite this, the Fex willingly allied with the Tirithians.

After the Xenovore Wars ended, the Fex enjoyed a brief period of independence, but the Tirithian Empire later "convinced" them to join it. In truth, the Fex needed little "convincing"; they weren't foolish enough to think they could stand up to the God-like aliens, and knew they would be better off with them than against them. Most modern Fex are happy Imperial subjects and generally prosper as part of the Empire, though periodic rebel movements carry out occasional attacks against Imperial officials.

Smaller than Earth, Fexao has a gravity of 0.9 G. Overall, it has a dry climate - oceans cover only half the surface, and much of the land is desert. The northern hemisphere has the most fertile land, with several small continents and large island groups suitable for agriculture. The Fex have done much to roll back the deserts and increase the proportion of arable land. Today, Fexao has a population of 8 billion.

Society

Fex society is surprisingly peaceful, given their predatory ancestry. Scrupulously polite and honest, Fex try to remain calm and unruffled at all times. Xenosociologists attribute this restraint to the fact that angry Fex can inflict serious damage on each other with their claws; if they were prone to anger or fighting, the result would be a society of maimed, scarred individuals.

The government of Fexao combines democracy and meritocracy the Fex vote on candidates to fill all the important government posts, but candidates must meet a very strict set of requirements and pass examinations to become eligible to run. Recently the media has accused the Terran Security Service of meddling in the qualification process, trying to make loyalty to the Empire a key factor in eligibility. If true, such actions would likely cause a huge upsurge in anti-Terran sentiment among the Fex. Intellectually, the Fex have made important contributions to philosophy and law, but seldom have much interest in the sciences. A high demand for their sculpture and textiles exists throughout the Empire, and Fex dancers are famed for their grace.

Beyond their homeworld, Fex are most often encountered as traders, Imperial soldiers, and entertainers. A small number of Fex have risen to high positions in the Imperial military and judiciary, and the Mind Police have recruited a few of the relatively rare Fex telepaths. Fex have spread to many worlds in the Empire, and a few all-Fex colonies exist. The total Fex population is about 16 billion.

Fex technology was stable at the pre-industrial (ATRI 3) level when the Xenovores conquered Fexao. Using captured technology they advanced quickly to atomic and early spaceflight capability (ATRI 7), but the devastation of war prevented further progress. Under the Empire, technology-sharing and development programs have given Fexao an overall tech rating of 9 on the ATRI scale, and the inhabitants seem content with that. A couple of Fex colony planets have ATRI ratings of 11.