Mahra-Bondo

Mahra-Bondo (also known as the Fisiena Parasite) are large flying, amphibious arthropods with a complex life cycle. They are native to the remote planet Fisiena in the Atgal system, a star system which has no jumpgates directly linking to it.

Appearance

Mahra-Bondo when fully grown are approximately three inches long with a wingspan of 5 inches. They are dull brown in color and have a large proboscis. Their abdomens are transparent meaning it will turn the color of blood it drinks from its victims. In addition to being able to drink blood, Mahra-Bondo can also sting its enemies to defend itself.

Mahra-Bondo larvae are pale white with four mandibles designed to chew through tough organic materials. While the eggs are microscopic at first, they eventually grow in size to about one inch each.

Mahra-Bondo can survive underwater for limited periods of time and are known to not only target terrestrial life but also aquatic species.

Biology

A fully mature Mahra-Bondo starts off by drinking blood from a victim. While drawing blood, the bite will also inject a neurotoxin that will force the victim into having a ravenous appetite. Mahra-Bondo can target both terrestrial and aquatic life.

Mahra-Bondo eggs are laid upon many different food sources such as drinking water as well as inside various fruits. The victim with the uncontrollable appetite will inevitably consume the Mahra-Bondo eggs. Despite starting off as microscopic, the eggs are generally protected from digestive juices with a hard outer casing. The eggs will begin to absorb the nutrients that the victim consumes. This process will continue for approximately 2 days. During this time, the victim emits a pheromone to mark it as off limits for blood sucking so that the eggs can develop healthily. Those who have been infected will notice Mahra-Bondo adamantly protecting its victim. Victims have been known to become hungry enough to cannibalize their own species.

As the eggs near full size, the victim will begin to suffocate. The sheer size of the eggs growing inside them either block or crush their lungs and esophagus (or equivalent depending on the species) and completely stop the digestive tract from functioning. If the victim doesn’t die from that, the eggs will eventually hatch, and the larvae will eat the victim alive from the inside out resulting in a slow, painful death.

If the victim died alone and there are no potential predators nearby, there’s a possibility that the newly hatched larvae will continue to eat away at the corpse’s flesh until there is nothing left but bone.

History

The Mahra-Bondo at one point in Fisiena’s history had a major overpopulation that resulted in them completely overpowering and driving to extinction nearly every other form of life on the planet including deep sea life. This forced the Mahra-Bondo into dormancy with its mature form disappearing. The eggs remained dormant all throughout the planet’s various water supplies and plant life becoming increasingly rare as the eggs succumb to lack of nutrients. This resulted in Fisiena’s ecosystem nearly collapsing, but ever since the Mahra-Bondo went dormant, it has slightly recovered.

When the refugees from the Confederacy of Greenwater settled down, the Mahra-Bondo were reawakened when their water supply was contaminated with Mahra-Bondo eggs due to an accident. The refugees unwittingly resurrected the parasite when an infected individual spread the eggs into their food and water supply.

The Mahra-Bondo are thought to have gone extinct when the DEV Bor’Si bombarded Fisiena from orbit as a means of containing the parasite. This drew confrontation from the Mizani Empire who deemed the refugees as heathens for destroying a planet. However, the Roving Flotilla managed to broker a truce by claiming responsibility.