The Ekose are a Fringe-world race of freight-haulers that have sailed their reliable star freighters to Nexus aiming to do business. Ekose will pick up and haul cargo of any kind, navigating the often treacherous space around Nexus with a shrewd eye and a steady hand. Having thrived for centuries in the wildest, most dangerous parts of the fringe, the Ekose are prepared to deal with roving marauder crews of the Halon Ring, but they are always on the lookout for brave spacehands to help out in their freight runs. The hard-working and resourceful Ekose can be found hanging around most spaceports on Nexus. They prefer to work with both major factions without getting directly involved in their growing conflict between the Exiles and the Dominion.
Physical description
Ekose are bipeds with both feline and humanoid features, with opposable digits, long necks, and heavy tails. They show unusual mammalian sexual dimorphism - females are physically smaller, with a more hunched posture. Both sexes range in color from deep blue to sky blue.
Freight haulers
Most Ekose encountered beyond the Fringe - especially in remote wildstar systems like Nexus - are freight haulers. They'll carry anything legal that fits in the holds of their ships, and anything illegal they can get away with. Most Ekose encountered on their homeworld Eko are also freight haulers, but either retired or in charge of their own freight companies with independent pilots and shiphands to do most of the work. Ekose who aren't freight haulers at all don't generally leave Ekose, and even other Ekose consider them quite boring people.
The competition between freight companies can occasionally get heated, with no dirty trick or piece of nonlethal sabotage out of bounds. Between Ekose, this almost never leads to violence. Murder is bad for the shipping business. If potential customers don't think Ekose can be trusted to haul their freight, all will suffer. That's why many Ekose freight haulers on Nexus hire offworld help whenever things might be getting bloody.
ADDITIONAL REFERENCE
Course locked, we're outward bound
The ship between the shores
She carries hopes, and cares and dreams
Locked safely in her stores.
Course set, we're on our way
No need to hop in cryo
We're on the planet Nexus run
Just like itw as yesterday.
Pirates off the portward bow
Do we dare to take a stand?
Better to keep the ship on course
Leave the fighting to shiphands.
-Freight Hauler Shanty