Taalo

The Taalo are an ancient race who are the only members of the former Sentient Milieu (c.23000 BCE to c.20000 BCE) known to have inhabited the region of space that is now currently occupied by the New Alliance of Free Stars. According to the Melnorme, Slylandro, and other alien sources, their appearance was that of large, rock-like creatures. They were theorized to be a Silicon based lifeform simiar to the Chenjesu by the scientists that worked at the Earth starbase in the 2150s. Evidence exists that they have the ability to roll in some fashion. They also possessed highly advanced technology, with their final creation being the Taalo Shield.

History
Because of their unusual silicon-based physiology, they did not trigger the instinctual territoriality of the Ur-Quan, and soon the two species became friends, which resulted in the admittance of the latter into the Sentient Milieu. When the Ur-Quan were mind-controlled by the Dnyarri, which forced them to help them in their plans of controlling the minds of all Milieu races, only the Taalo were naturally immune, thanks to the same silicon-based physiology that saved them from the Ur-Quan territoriality, and they desperately began to create the Taalo Shield in a futile attempt to protect their allies against the mind-control; unfortunately, they were not fast enough, and the Dnyarri succeeded in enslaving the rest of the Milieu, who then forced the Ur-Quan to eradicate their former friends, putting an assumed end to the Taalo.

In more modern times, the Orz have expressed information leading to the possibility that some of the Taalo managed to survive the Dnyarri genocide by escaping into another dimension. While their relationship as a whole with the Orz is not known, it does not seem to be a beneficial one, as the Orz state that the Taalo were being "chased" by the Dnyarri, and that since there are no more Dnyarri, the Orz can now "chase" them instead.

Behind the Scenes

 * "Taalo" is pronounced Taw-Ay-Low.
 * The term "taalo" comes from Sami religion, and is the Finnish version of stallu. Stallu were malevolent inhabitants of saivo, the spiritual world. They were seen as large and strong, but simple, humanoid beings living in the forest that always traveled with a dog, ráhkka. Occasionally, stallu would steal young human girls to keep as wives. What, if anything, this has to do with the Taalo of Star Control is unknown.
 * According to the creators of Star Control, Fred Ford and Paul Reiche III, the Taalo are, in fact, still alive.
 * Ford & Reiche have stated that if they were to create a new Star Control game, that it would likely entail what happened to the Androsynth, which involves the Orz. Because this would very likely involve the alternate dimension(s), it could very well explain what has happened exactly to the remnants of the Taalo.
 * Some speculate that the Taalo may in fact have been the Chenjesu, and by relation, the Chmmr as well. While it is now considered non-canon and thereby is not true, the creators of Star Control III attempted to hint that the Clairconctlar were in fact the remnants of the Taalo.