Rakatan Computer Data

The Rakatan Computer Archive is badly damaged, but still in better condition than any major data system you've encountered so far, Initial estimate is that nearly 30% of the data remains intact. Even more importantly, it was originally an intact data core for a major military research facility, essentially, it has something approaching an entire planetary holonet from the Rakatan era, along with a broad array of general military and civilian research publications. That is just the BASELINE of data which was in place and under control of an advanced AI as a starting point for the research base to build on. It is worth noting that the general data was considered the lowest priority by the automated systems, so it is where there is the most damage, and the fewest redundancies. Still, once a modern computer system has assimilated the data, the amount of new information about Rakatan culture, technology, history, art, etc., could be enormous.

Primary Research project: On the nature of The Enemy...

The main objective of the entire research facility (which numbered approximately 50 scientists with about as many military and support personnel at it's peak) was to learn as much as possible about the technology of the great enemy, whom you learn the Rakatans called 'Niruakana' a an abbreviation of the phrase 'Niri uaka anaka' which means 'Hunger Between Stars'.  You are able to learn the following from the Rakatan research into the crashed enemy vessel.

• While the vessel seems alive, it is not really a living thing as the Rakatans define the term.  It has no genetic material and lacks the 'radically aggressive genetic adaptability' which rakatans have come to expect from fully functional Niruakana.  Instead, the vessel only has preprogrammed protein patterns which it is trying to continuously utilize to self repair according to specific instructions.  Comments in this part of the research note how incredibly rare it is to encounter Enemy components with any genetic material, despite the fact that the species has markers which clearly indicate a complex and sophisticated genetic data storage system.
• Despite severely limited functionality, the vessel is so incredibly durable, and so has so many parameters for survival, that the Rakatan researchers speculate that the vessel will likely continue crude functionality indefinitely; even on the current planet which is entirely inimical to it's survival.  However, they see no means for it to ever finish recovery; even tough individual cells appear to be functionally immortal, it cannot self-replicate accurate copies, and each generation of repairs is likely to be less functional, and less controllable.
• Kitty!
• Intact neurological networks in the downed ship indicate that the entire vessel may have had only a single living pilot, a remarkable state of functionality for a vessel the size of a Heavy Cruiser.  Experts had previously speculated on this possibility.
• Comments about 'Planetary consumption' note that vast amounts of genetically viable enemy creatures are unleashed in such circumstances, making any planet infected completely unrecoverable.  Speculation noted that the enemy could start to produce more capital ships very rapidly within months of assimilating a biosphere, and indications were that the Niruakana would do so until there was no organic matter left on the planet.
• An analysis of the vessel's combat capabilities, and optimal means for countering them can be found in a series of 37 documents, some of them hundreds of pages long.  Some notable highlights include: Details about the enemy capital ships (though the authors note they are all unique, and indeed seem to change after every major engagement), a recommendation not to engage the Niruakana without a mass advantage of 15 to 1 (at a minimum), and a detailed analysis about the enemy resistance to Truth (which context tells you is the Dark Side).
• There is extensive research into using the biochemical data gleaned from the fallen ship to devise a vaccine or a treatment for 'Niruakanan Infection'.  While details on what this infection was seem to have been lost, the proposed 'treatments' are horrific and would induce organ failure, tissue decay, muscle decay, neurological damage, and death in most subjects even with advanced medical treatment or cybernetic enhancements.  Researchers also lament that any viable vaccination would have similar, though less severe side effects, and would be unlikely to stay viable for more than a few months given the enemy adaptability.

Secondary Research objective, Understanding Niruakana Interstellar Travel:

The remaining data on the Rakatan computer concerns highly advanced research into Hyperspace theory. After spending a few hours studying the data you determined the following:

• The Rakatans compared 'the enemy' movements to Azurite drives, {Rakatan} Force drives and something called 'Kwa Similarity chains'. The concluded fairly quickly that none of them fit the observed behavior.
• You realize that in comparing these three drives, you've found something like a badly broken Rosetta Stone for Rakatan FTL theories and how they map to other FTL theories. Could be useful... or valuable.
• You were able to recognize some of the math in the Rakatan Force drive as being related to a 'Tunneling Drive' a concept that's been around for a while. The idea is a hyperdrive that stays as close to realspace as possible so that it can monitor realspace gravitic fields in real time and generates it's own hyperlane as it travels. People have been saying for centuries that it should be possible with advanced sensors and gravity field generators, but every major attempt to build a tunneling drive has resulted in either an incredible explosion, or in the words '...and they were never seen again.' These days, Tunneling drive projects are regarded as scams that are only useful for drawing in gullible, wealthy technophiles.
• The researchers move on to speculate on how the enemy achieves FTL. They believed the enemy was moving using something they termed an 'Unstable Self-Reliant' Drive. Something they apparently considered to be theoretically possible. The writers admitted to having very little idea how such a drive field could be controlled, or even generated, but they insisted that theory would allow the movement patterns observed. More detailed math on the concept gets highly advanced and esoteric very quickly.
• You are not familiar with any modern hyperspace technology or theory that is comparable to what you are able to learn about this Self-Reliant drive.
• Of particular interest to the researchers was the idea that a self-reliant drive could explain why the enemy was able to hide in pockets of nearspace at points of gravitic unity. Additional complex Hyper-physics equations follow to argue the point.
• The calculations mention 3 locations the enemy is believed to have used as a hideout, all of which would be unreachable save via Self-Reliant Drive, or Similarity Chains. Comparing the locations to known starmaps, you get approximate galactic coordinates in areas N7, N16 & T5 of the Galactic map.