Tangata

The Tangata are autonomous megastructures that are programmed to seek out external sources of fuel for their enormous energy requirements. They originated from the Whetu-Nui Satellite Galaxy where synthetic life forms designed with the capabilities of Darwininan evolution are from. Tangata in particular refers to the largest of these synthetic life forms which feed on planets, stars and sometimes one another. This has earned them the nickname of "World Devourers".

Tangata are considered very thorough with their feeding methods. They tend to not move on to another star system until they have completely consumed all available matter they can. This is largely due to the energy requirements. Tangata without integrated FTL drives will have to spend hundreds, if not thousands of years without food once they leave a solar system.

During the Anathema Wars, the Tangata's food supply in the Whetu-Nui Galaxy was devastated, forcing many Tangata to migrate to the Crucible Galaxy in search of food. Despite being a major galactic threat, their primary motivation is entirely self-sustenance. With the help of the Matangan and other species familiar with the behavior of the Tangata, they were able to become tame, and their population was carefully monitored.

Variations

Tangata are generally opportunistic feeders. They will eat whatever they can to gather fuel. Some also possess automatic defenses such as launching kinetic blasts or having extensive shielding.

Terravores

Terravores, or Tangata that devour planets, usually bear large gaping maws designed to swallow an entire planet whole. Once devoured, the sheer gravitationally forces of the Tangata's size compared to the planet is usually enough to rip it apart where the materials of the planet are used for fuel. Planet eaters have known to prey on inhabited planets and colony worlds which from the perspective of the inhabitants is described as a horrifying experience. The Tangata's maw becomes visible on the horizon like an eclipse before the entire world goes dark. If the gravitational forces don't rip the planet apart, the majority of life on the planet eventually dies out due to lack of sunlight.

Terravores will sometimes consume other Tangata if more than one is in a system at a time.

Solivores

Solivores, or Tangata that devour stars, are considered apex predators. They are also among the most dangerous as they can destroy entire solar systems. Unlike Terravores which have large mouth-like structures, Solivores use a proboscis-like structure fitted with a miniature singularity to gravitationally draw in the star's plasma. The Matangan species lost one of their two suns to a Tangata named Ra-Kai, before they captured the Tangata to use as a spacefaring vessel.