Bugs, Scabs, Chits, Chigs, Vrizn, Bllrrll, Flaa, Crabs…there are hundreds of names for this invasive species across the galaxy. They’ve been part of the Death Fields Circuit for as long as any beings can remember and exist even further back in the racial memories of species thousands of light years apart.
Bug infestations are a constant problem for the species of the galaxy. Advanced civilizations find them a nuisance and can quickly eliminate them before they become a threat. For primitive worlds they can represent Apocalypse.
An infestation can begin with just one of these creatures. Found cut off from the rest of a colony, a single bug can transform into a breeder laying its eggs in hidden places. As the eggs reach maturity and hatch, they immediately forge a connection with their egg mates and establish a new colony.
As the colony grows, more specialized forms emerge. Watchers who monitor the eggs and young bugs as they molt and grow, Warriors who defend the colony, Workers who build and manage the infrastructure, and Hunters who find new food sources.
Hunters paralyze their prey (human or otherwise) with their venomous bite and bring the disoriented and partially crippled “food” back for the rest of the colony to feed.
When threatened, Hunters and Warriors (and in extreme situations the rest of the colony) will work in tandem to eliminate the threat.
Warrior and Hunter castes were identified early on as an excellent addition to the Death Fields Circuit - although there have been some tragedies for owners who did not take their confinement seriously enough.
For humans in human space (i.e. not the ones that are part of the Death Fields), the first recorded encounter with the Bugs came in 2319 in the French arm. A scout ship inadvertently brought a single egg back to the frigate Languedoc while exploring a seemingly unpopulated world. Before the outbreak was contained, over 70% of the crew was killed.
There are rumors of “smart bugs” and bugs that have advanced weaponry. One Indian colony even claimed to encounter bug-controlled FTL-capable ships. These rumors seem to be unique to human space and the advanced civilizations of the wider galaxy only know the bugs as the primitive, brutal creatures they are.