Talgoz

A secretive species that (usually) stays hidden from other sophonts at all costs. They make ships that look like asteroids and other natural space formations to avoid detection as they explore space in search of new genetic materials to assimilate and repurpose.

Shapeshifters of a mysterious origin, they tend to hold a belief that all other species are untrustworthy, and that they especially cannot be trusted with important matters that concern the greater good of everyone. They perceive humans, mantidons, and skates in a similar way to how we would perceive a parrot or monkey. Smart, sure, but as a whole stuck in a childish and/or simple way of thinking. Younger talgoz are more open-minded to contact and cooperation with non-talgoz.

Due to their fluid nature, they can look like just about anything. Only another talgoz can tell a shapeshifted talgoz apart from the animal it's pretending to be.