Corbi

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The corbi species was introduced in book 5, Croma Venture

Corbi Description[]

humanid, ape-like physiology, sentient
shorter than humans
long arms, short legs, can run on two feet or four
strong and hairy
athletic, quick moving
intelligent, more advanced than humans at similar civilizational era
curious, innovative
ingenious at mechanical engineering

Homeworld Rando[]

The Corbi homeworld is a lush green and blue planet named Rando, near Croma space, in the Reeh empire on the spiral rim
It has two moons, Feina and Dogba (RS-11)
Corbi is a genetic zoo, a madhouse of biological experiments on sentient and non-sentient animals
- changed creatures, including people, are called “kauda”
Corbi language is Lisha. Apparently most words have two syllables and end with a vowel: maju, rinda, kauda, Tiga, Rika, Jindi, Talo, Tano, Pena, Loga, Rando, Feina, Dogba, etc.
Talo: A continent on Rando: “Most of Talo was forest, a semi-tropical southern-hemisphere continent surrounded by oceans and island archipelagos. The earth and vegetation about her were mostly dry, but it was thick and green all the same. Insects chirped, and Feina shone down from what Trace had come to think of as late-afternoon, in the nocturnal fashion of the corbi resistance on their homeworld. In a few hours it would be morning" (RS-2)

Reeh Oppression[]

Corbi planet RANDO is now in Reeh space, but originally in Croma space, part of the Croma Wall
the Reeh overtook Rando, bombing cities to rubble
corbicans became wilderness farmers, hunters, gatherers, and fishermen, hiding from Reeh genetic splicers
planet Rando is now a big genetic experiment with a huge genetic splicer / prison
croma and reeh do not allow corbi ships to leave Croma Space to seek help from inner Spiral
About 140 corbi who tried to reach inner spiral live on Croma planet Do'Ran, in the mountains surrounding Ro'Gana, as guests of Croma' Dokran clan. This includes Tiga, a young adult female, an associate of Phoenix Crew

Resistance Rebels[]

Rando resistance: freedom fighters on Rando
Fleet resistance: Corbi freedom fighters who live in space and/or were born in space. They mostly gather intelligence
The smartest corbi are recruited to conduct research in hidden labs, attempting to undo genetic manipulation
Most corbi just try to survive and avoid detection on the planet

Corbi Characters[]

Most are in Rando Resistance or offworld Fleet Fighters

Bega - on Rando, a father from Jindi’s coastal village. "Bega was all that remained of that village now, standing at his side with jaw clenched tight and eyes wild with hope and fury. Bega didn’t blame Jindi for the strike that killed his family, and imprisoned his little girl in this place." Bega secretly snuck Jindi into splicer to find and free his daughter (RS-25)
Cedu — on Rando, an old Corbi scientist/ warrior, with old-fashioned spectacles within a wide mane of white hair that framed his face" (RS-4)
Dega lives on Croma planet Do'Ran, in the mountains surrounding Ro'Gana, as guests of Croma' Dokran clan, in old castle. His Corbi offworlders are not allowed to leave Croma space

"Dega’s not an expert, he says there are corbi scientists on Rando who have stolen or captured reeh technology and are using secret facilities to backwards-engineer genetic sequences to figure out what the reeh are doing. It’s a treasure-trove of information, we’re not going to get it from the reeh, so we’re going to go and get it from the next-best source." (CV)

Dreja — one of Tano’s men, a wise old veteran of space and ground battles who had the same crazy fitness regimen that Trace had seen on many marines, taken up more by native habit than any higher instruction. When asked why he kept coming downworld where most spacers would rather avoid, he said just that he liked the fresh air. Trace thought it more likely that he was just one of those hard sons of bitches who went where things were toughest by habit. She’d known plenty, and liked to put them in charge of things where they showed the aptitude.
Gido — went on Splicer mission. He’s one of Tano’s Fleet men, and had technical skills.
Jindi — a fisherman. He escaped from Splicer after years in captivity. His wife and child were taken /killed by Reeh years ago. Moved to beach village but eventually the Reeh slaughtered and kidnapped villagers. He suffers a twisted shoulders and a bad back. Invaded the splicer.
Kaysa - another resistance leader on Rando. Rude. He challenged Major Thakur to prove her worth by figuring out how to use a small device recently found in an old reeh wreck. (RS-13) Trace views him as too concerned about his rank and appearance. However, he joins the mission to invade the splicer and works hard to capture its data banks.
Loga — a position-proud resistance leader on Rando
Naeda — geneticist in science division. He works in abandoned stadium on Rando, reports to Tano (Fleet). Old, with long flowing white mane, beard, mustache.
Pena — smart female school teacher on Rando. She provided interpretation for Trace and Kino. Went to Splicer City with Rika
Rika - young male Corbi who fights at Major Thakur’s side during the Rando Splicer mission. "Rika shot it in the back and ducked in, moving fast along the wall… the kid was getting good, Trace saw, and had a real knack for angles and movement.” (RS-27)
Sigo — tribal warrior who joined the mission to take down the Rando Splicer.
Tano / Torep Tano — Supported Major Thakur’s mission to invade splicer and capture its data. “Tano was a corbi Fleet rank, Trace knew. It explained the hostility between Tano and Loga — Tano was Fleet, born and bred in space. It also explained his synthetically powerful grip.”(RS-7)
Tejo -- adolescent male resistance fighter. "Just a kid, younger even than Rika...She’d been astonished so many of them had lasted as long and well as they had, physically and mentally." (RS-29)
Tiga — 20-year-old (RS-5)female corbi who lives with Dega’s community on Croma planet Do'Ran, as guests of Croma' Dokran clan. She joins the resistance on corbi Fleet warship.(CV) She goes to the Croma’Rai planet Dul’rho with Phoenix to convince the Croma to help the Corbi (RS)

Tiga tells Erik: "Rando Resistance has assets that they occasionally expend on high value targets... extraordinary assets. I can’t say any more, but Rando Resistance capabilities are actually pretty amazing and they’ve been wanting to get some high-ranking alien military powers down there for a long time to see what’s going on. The only hope they’ve got is that someone else might see that it’s in their interest too to come and save them. To save Rando, and to save the corbi. Before we’re all extinct.” (CV-22)

Uri - one of the Fifth Team soldiers, in same unit as Jindi, under Bega’s command.
and see Tanifex for their role in Rando resistance

Corbi and Croma Wall[]

“The corbi homeworld is Rando. They had a small number of other systems at the time the reeh reached them —at the time they were fighting alongside the croma, perhaps a thousand years ago. But the croma retreated past them to the present position of the wall, and left the corbi isolated. The croma still don’t like to talk about it, they like to give the impression that their wall has always been permanent. In reality, all things shift and move over time, and the Croma Wall is no different." (CV)

Spoiler book 7[]

Warning, this spoils the end of book 7, Qalea Drop

With ships and captains from Croma and tactical brilliance from Machine-race drysine queen Laila, the corbi evacuated planet Rando
about 80% of the population evacuated Rando to start a new life elsewhere, hopefully to be free of Reeh control.
Jindi and Melu’s group settled on His'do, a croma planet near the croma wall.
With dreams of beautiful Barabo planet Vieno, they settle “temporarily” on His'do, under tight croma restrictions
"His'do was different from Rando -- roughly the same gravity, similar air... But even the warmer regions of His'do were not as warm as Rando. It rained more here, the nights were darker..." (QD-34)