Matsu (Mass Effect: The Next Cycle)

A massively industrious and progressive race, the Matsu are an insectoid race located in the former Terminus systems. Their empire is one of the largest civilizations in the galaxy, second only to the Ursan Empire. Hailing from the world of Kovan, the Matsu reproduce at an unseen rate. Their achievements in biomechanics is unprecedented by the other races in the galaxy.

The Matsu have been deemed an aggressive race after the Great Galactic Wars. Though they helped the forces that would become the United Races in the Second Galactic War, their aggression during the First Galactic War is met with distrust, especially among the Talorai, who were devastated in the Second Galactic War. Still, the Matsu today seek to redeem themselves.

Biology
Matsu can be described as an insectoid race. They possess a pair of dominent arms and legs with manipulator arms, which are becoming more vestigial with each passing generation, tucked into their torso segments. 15% of Matsu do not have manipulator arms. The Matsu are unique in that their reproductive yield is generally a few dozen offspring per batch. Matsu reach sexual maturity at a relatively young age, resulting in the birth rate of the Matsu being off the charts.

Matsu have two hearts and a circulatory system that prevents them from bleeding out if they lose a limb. Wings are tucked into the back segments and can provide limited flight. A Matsu will tire after several minutes of sustained flight, though they can train themselves to fly for longer periods of time. Matsu eyes are large and designed to take in more light due to low-light levels on Kovan. The Matsu exoskeleton is noted for being one of the hardest organic substances in the galaxy. However, Matsu have average strength and an individual Matsu will be quickly outmatched by an Ursan. What the Matsu lack in brute strength, they make up for in size. The number of Matsu in the galaxy is astonishing. In addition, Matsu possess powerful biotic powers and abilities.

Pre-Spaceflight
Matsu evolved from insects on Kovan. The modern Matsu evolved sometime around 40,000 years ago. Matsu quickly built hives around Kovan. While the hives could work together, some hives could go to war against each other. As technology progressed, hives could be several miles in diameter and/or depth. Some time before the Matsu discovered spaceflight, the hives went to war against each other in a massive war known as the Hive War. Matsu swarmed each other's hives before finally, three centuries after the start of the Hive Wars, Queen Tkakta and her legion won the Hive Wars. Every hive on Kovan swore allegiance to Queen Tkakta, effectively placing the Matsu under one rule.

The Matsu hive-cities grew in size and number. Meanwhile, scientists in Tkakta Hive created a proto-starship. The hive-city was supported by metal and was unforgiving to disasters. Right before takeoff, a massive earthquake struck, resulting in the collapse of Tkakta Hive. Metal was quickly abandoned for a new form of construction; biomechanics. As metal was phased out in favor of bio-engineered structures that could move and sway to accomodate tension, travel became biomechanic too.

In time, the sinkhole that was once Tkakta Hive was reinhabited. New Tkakta City (nicknamed Sinkhole City) was founded. The proto-starship plans were accomodated to fit biomechanical starships and the Matsu finally achieved spaceflight.

Expansion
Kovan was becoming overpopulated. Colonies on the somewhat habitable twin of Kovan, Kovar, were established before the Mass Relay was discovered at the edge of the Kovan system. With this, the Matsu spread their empire out even more. By the time they had stumbled upon the Citadel, the Matsu had already colonized several dozen worlds, each with massive hives being built.

The Matsu were quick to join the Pan-Galactic League. They were eager to join the galactic community and, together, achieve a singular goal. However, it soon became evident to the Matsu that working this closely with the galaxy was not in the best interest of the Matsu, who continued to suffer from overpopulation. Deals with the Yahg were attempted; the Matsu needed more worlds. The Yahg declined, forcing the Matsu to turn to the Talorai. When the Talorai also refused, the Matsu began to sit quietly.

Over time, the Matsu began to terraform worlds to suit their needs. The Matsu Empire, already controlling 23% of the known galaxy, consolidated its power. Their massive population could prevent systems from being taking conventionally. Still, the number of habitable worlds and terraformable worlds quickly ran out and overpopulation issues began to kick in.

Great Galactic War
Desperate, the Matsu amassed a fleet outside of Talorai space and invaded. The Talorai were quickly scattered, losing their planets quickly. The Yahg offered an alliance to the Matsu, who accepted. The Yahg declared war on the Ursan, protecting the Matsu from their mighty navy. Before long, most Talorai worlds had been annexed by the Matsu Empire. The Raloi offensives attempted to regain the lost Talorai worlds, but the Matsu easily pushed them out.

The victory was short lived, however. As former Talorai space was settled by brave Matsu citizens, one of the last remaining Talorai worlds had been producing a massive quantity of war machines and synthetics. The Ursan fleets had carved a path through the Yahg, resulting in the massive Ursan fleets reaching the Matsu fleets. When the Talorai war machines were unleashed on the Matsu Empire. The Matsu Empire put up a big fight, but many colonies were destroyed and hives were collapsed. The Matsu Empire surrendered.

Rebuilding
The Matsu Empire came out of the Great Galactic War with less territory than they had going in. A bioweapon was discovered by the Ursan to keep the Matsu numbers down. The bioweapon was designed to sterilize many Matsu and prevent many eggs from being fertilized. While the Matsu did not immediately notice this, the effects were noticed within several generations. It was not known who unleashed this plague on the Matsu.

Since an army could not be raised traditionally, a clone army was produced in case the Ursan or Talorai attempted a strike on the Matsu again. Ships were produced and supplies for another war were gathered. Meanwhile, request for aid from the Yahg continued to go ignored. Eventually, the Matsu-Yahg alliance was broken.

Second Great Galactic War
When the Yahg invaded the Ursan Empire, the Matsu took a temporary sigh of relief. However, evidence was planted that pointed to the Yahg being the creators of the bioweapon that made natural birth next to impossible. The Matsu wanted blood. Furthermore, they realized that they had made a massive mistake in launching the First Great Galactic War. Its previous aggression had prevented it from diplomatic relations with most of the galaxy.

The Matsu Empire declared war on the Yahg Confederacy, quickly invading the empire. Swarms darkened the skies as the Yahg worlds. With the Ursan offensive on its side, the Matsu and the Ursan pushed the Yahg to the edge of the galaxy before the Yahg surrendered. The Matsu military, while devastated, was seen as a lesser evil.

Peace
When the United Races was drafted, the Matsu were offered to join the alliance. As the Matsu moved into former Yahg space, the empire became the second largest civilization, owning about 30% of the galaxy. Roughly 400 years after the end of the Second Great Galactic War, the bioweapon was cured by Matsu scientists, though cloning and artificial fertilization has remained popular, keeping the population at a reasonable level.

Culture
To an outsider, Matsuan art and architecture is crude, though some can take it as modern. Rather than build cities up, like the other races, the Matsu build their cities in the ground via tunnel networks or around a hole such as a sinkhole. Matsuan cuisine does not taste very good to the other races of the galaxy. The Matsuan language is impossible to accurately speak or understand without a translating machine.

Government
The Matsu Empire is run by an Arch-queen, who is a wise and noble leader chosen by her peer queens. The Queens are in charge of a specific colony. Much like the Ursan, it is difficult to get every Queen and the Arch-queen together during a meeting. Most meetings take place over long-distance communications calls. Every so often, however, a meeting takes place on Kovan. Every Queen and the Arch-queen will attend this meeting.

Religion
The Matsu worship each Arch-queen as living gods. The living Arch-queen is a divine voice that should be considered at all times. The Arch-queen is guided by previous Arch-queens. Past Arch-queens guide all Matsu, but they especially pay attention to the living Arch-queen. All Arch-queens, living or dead, are to be respected, though different opinion and political views are respected by the Arch-queen.

Behind the Scenes

 * The idea behind the Matsu race was drafted months ago when several fire ant colonies decided to pop up in my backyard. The original idea had them as a more ant-like race with a hive mind, leaving an individual helpless, but a group intelligent a la the geth.
 * The technology employed by the Matsu can be described as biopunk.
 * Matsu are descendants of the Kirik, a canon species of animal in Mass Effect.