Very little is known about this race. Its political and social order remains unknown, and so does its capital. Everything known about the Zherkyet comes from smugglers of the Sanahaz Empire, who sell the information in exchange for Sanahaz slaves.
The Zherkyet live in the western part of sector N-12, not far from the galactic centre, and border the Sanahaz.
The Zherkyet are a race that denies individuality. Everything in the life of each member of society is subordinated to a higher purpose set by the heads of society — the Yuti-Kaa. Reproduction and starting a family are forbidden without their sanction.
Zherkyet technology is so advanced that brain implants can read thoughts. They are overseen by the Ministry of Control — the Yubi-Moo.
If someone's thoughts do not match the goals of the Yuti-Kaa, they may be subjected to "intellectual sterilisation", and their personality rewritten.
This ruthless dictatorship was established after the war with the Star Wanderers. The war was set off by the so-called "youth revolution": the Yuti-Kaa of the day were overthrown, and power passed temporarily to a council of young members of the race who hoped to build a great empire of their own.
The defeat was catastrophic. The Wanderers inflicted enormous losses on the Zherkyet and forced them to abandon their home worlds. The Yuti-Kaa returned to power and imposed a policy of total isolation.
The only race the Zherkyet maintain relations with is the Sanahaz. Contact goes through interpreters — specially genetically modified Zherkyet.
For every other Zherkyet, any contact with another race is forbidden on pain of death.
Zherkyet technology is the dream of artefact hunters and smugglers: it fetches very high prices on the black market. So desperate souls keep trying to cross the border and grab anything they can. Such raids are extremely dangerous, but a single successful one can set a smuggler up for life.
One such prize became a legend: Ryubiz neuromancers broke through all of the Novotabars' ICE with an icebreaker of the Zherkyet civilisation bought on the black market.
In the illustration a Zherkyet looks like a centaur: an elongated body on four jointed legs ending in a red tail, and an upright torso with two arms. The skin is green, the elongated head bears an orange crest, and the face has red markings. It wears a blue tunic crossed with yellow stripes; a small drone hovers above it, with crystalline peaks behind.