Shapeshifter Administration
The Shapeshifter Administration is the directorate that governs all Shapeshifter-claimed planets and sectors, spanning a substantial portion of the galaxy and encompassing numerous subject civilisations under its rule.
In exchange, the civilisation forfeits the right to colonise other planets without prior Administration approval, and its members are expected to undertake tasks and missions assigned by the Shapeshifters. Every SCC civilisation to date has accepted these terms , since the other option is the eradication of their species.
The Administration also engages in the genetic modification of SCC civilisations, citing purposes such as improved compliance, reduced aggression, and greater submissiveness. The most prominent example is the Greylians, whose ancestors, the Reticulans, attempted open revolt against Shapeshifter rule. The resulting modifications made to their lineage remain the most extensive and well-documented case of such intervention.
Others approach the arrangement with cautious optimism, acknowledging that life under the Administration does provide genuine protections and material comforts. There are also those who accepted the terms with full awareness that refusal meant annihilation, and carry that knowledge accordingly.
This exclusion has extended in practice to individual Shapeshifters as well since even those with no affiliation to the Administration have historically faced difficulty obtaining Union membership, a blanket suspicion that has generated considerable resentment.
By contrast, the Galactic Security Institution has maintained an open recruitment policy and has welcomed Shapeshifters without condition, attracting a significant number of those turned away by or disillusioned with the Union.
The Ahurans, for their part, regard the Shapeshifters and their Administration with what can best be described as fond amusement. Their view of the Administration is that of an impressively organised, if ultimately small-scale, enterprise that is very endearing in its ambitions. This attitude has produced a peculiar diplomatic dynamic, with the Administration extending formal courtesies while the Ahurans respond with something closer to affection.
There are multiple documented cases of Ahurans attempting to take individual Shapeshifters as personal companions or pets which the Adminstration has found to be diplomatically difficult to address. The Outworlder Handbook has a dedicated section for Ahuran encounter guidance.
Sectors
The Administration is divided into sectors, each overseen by a designated capital system. Occupied planets within each sector are assigned classifications based on their primary function:- Capital: Shapeshifter-majority planets that administer the surrounding sector.
- Agricultural: Planets whose flora and fauna can be processed into useful materials.
- Mining: Planets with mineral deposits suitable for extraction and processing.
- Sanctuary: Planets deemed worthy of preservation, with their natural environments actively protected.
Second Class Citizens (SCC)
Species residing within the Administration who are not Shapeshifters are collectively designated as Second Class Citizens (SCC). There are two routes by which a civilisation may acquire this status: either by achieving space travel within Administration territory (often having been under covert observation beforehand), or by being absorbed through hostile takeover following conflict with the Administration.The Choice
When the Administration determines that a civilisation is sufficiently developed, it is presented with what has come to be known as "The Choice." Acceptance means integration under the Administration, bringing with it access to advanced technology, continued habitation of their home planet, protections against hostile external forces, and assistance during natural disasters.In exchange, the civilisation forfeits the right to colonise other planets without prior Administration approval, and its members are expected to undertake tasks and missions assigned by the Shapeshifters. Every SCC civilisation to date has accepted these terms , since the other option is the eradication of their species.
The Administration also engages in the genetic modification of SCC civilisations, citing purposes such as improved compliance, reduced aggression, and greater submissiveness. The most prominent example is the Greylians, whose ancestors, the Reticulans, attempted open revolt against Shapeshifter rule. The resulting modifications made to their lineage remain the most extensive and well-documented case of such intervention.
Relations
Within the Administration
Responses to Shapeshifter rule vary considerably among subject civilisations. Some have come to regard Shapeshifters as gods or demi-gods, having joined the Administration willingly.Others approach the arrangement with cautious optimism, acknowledging that life under the Administration does provide genuine protections and material comforts. There are also those who accepted the terms with full awareness that refusal meant annihilation, and carry that knowledge accordingly.
Other intergalactic bodies
The Shapeshifter Administration has not been granted a seat in the Galactic Union, which cited the Administration's genetic modification policies and the coercion of weaker species into second-class status as grounds for exclusion.This exclusion has extended in practice to individual Shapeshifters as well since even those with no affiliation to the Administration have historically faced difficulty obtaining Union membership, a blanket suspicion that has generated considerable resentment.
By contrast, the Galactic Security Institution has maintained an open recruitment policy and has welcomed Shapeshifters without condition, attracting a significant number of those turned away by or disillusioned with the Union.
Ahura
Oh, the Shapeshifter Administration? Yes, they're still at it. Very industrious little things.The Ahura are among the few civilisations the Administration treats with genuine respect, a recognition that the Ahurans' extreme longevity and formidable power place them in a category the Administration has no interest in provoking.
The Ahurans, for their part, regard the Shapeshifters and their Administration with what can best be described as fond amusement. Their view of the Administration is that of an impressively organised, if ultimately small-scale, enterprise that is very endearing in its ambitions. This attitude has produced a peculiar diplomatic dynamic, with the Administration extending formal courtesies while the Ahurans respond with something closer to affection.
There are multiple documented cases of Ahurans attempting to take individual Shapeshifters as personal companions or pets which the Adminstration has found to be diplomatically difficult to address. The Outworlder Handbook has a dedicated section for Ahuran encounter guidance.
Capital
Official Languages
Controlled Territories
Notable Members
Related Species
Comments