Ur-Quan

The Ur-Quan are a fictional race of beings featured in the sci-fi Star Control computer game series.

The Ur-Quan were originally part of the Sentient Milieu which existed several thousand years before the 2100's and spanned half the galaxy. They were one of the 7 known races of the Milieu (the others are the Drall, Faz, Mael-Num, Taalo, Yuli and the Yuptar).

While they were part of the Sentient Mileu, the Ur-Quan's bodies were brown. However, the Dnyarri later made them into two separate subspecies: the green-bodied Kzer-Za and the black-bodied Kohr-Ah.

The original brown-bodied Ur-Quan resembled huge, predatory caterpillars like those found on Earth's Hawaiian islands. They are said to have been fiercely territorial with primal motivations. When first contacted 25,000 years before the 2100's by the Taalo, the Ur-Quan believed they were under attack and prepared to defend themselves. When the Taalo explained their peaceful intentions, however, the Ur-Quan rested their defenses. They soon became cooperative, productive members of the Sentient Milieu and remained as such until the Milieu was taken over by the Dnyarri. It is unclear if the original Ur-Quan still exist somewhere in the galaxy or if they were made extinct when the Dnyarri created the two Ur-Quan sub-species.

It is known that the original Ur-Quan were a starfaring species when they joined the Sentient Milieu, but there is no specific information about their vessels. The range of the Ur-Quan's atomic-powered exploration vessels before their first encounter with the Taalo is restricted to exploration of their own solar-system. It is not unreasonable to suggest that their space vessels were not capable of traveling longer distances at that time. After joining the Milieu, however, the Ur-Quan became the boldest of all the member races, readily traveling deep into unknown territory. Perhaps the expanded range of their travels could be attributed to the introduction of hyperdrive to Ur-Quan vessels.

On their home planet, the original Ur-Quan are said to have developed tools and intelligence to ensure their survival among physically larger and stronger species. It is safe to assume that some Ur-Quan technologies were developed for defensive purposes, but specific details regarding these or any other Ur-Quan technologies are not available.