Sarkhai is a small planet in the Mid Rim, notable for its dense, relentless forests. Once cleared, a stretch of Sarkhai’s gnarled undergrowth can grow back in days, and its foliage hides some of the most vicious wildlife in the sector. As a result, Sarkhai went unexplored for millennia; its indigenous people joined the Republic less than a decade ago. Surrounded by this hostile environment, the Sarkhai people developed impressive shielding technology to protect themselves and their cities. Safe zones and paths are created with networks of force fields. Republic scientists have now begun incorporating Sarkhai characteristics into new shield designs. The Sarkhai tradition of face-painting also comes from the dangers of the Sarkhai homeworld. Originally a method of frightening predators, for