Psionics

StarCraft

The protoss are masters of psionic powers and are natural mind-readers. The protoss can use their psionic abilities to shield themselves, charge their tools and weapons, and to make, manipulate or meld matter. A very small number of protoss called preservers have the ability to hold the memories of many other protoss from centuries or millennia ago, even claiming to hold "all the memories of the Protoss". The high templar's powers are so great that they can even focus their psionic energy to create terrible storms of psychic energy that destroy the minds of other living creatures. If two high templar would merge, they would create a creature of pure psionic energy known as an archon, so powerful that they can independently erect a resilient shield and direct psionic shockwaves.

A hybrid destroyer

The terrans exhibited a powerful psionic potential and are only a few steps away from developing into a formidable psionic power. Very few terrans can use psionic powers, but most that can become "ghosts". Some weaker psychics can become wranglers, used to hunt other psychics.

Terran children are tested at a young age for psychic potential, and both the Terran Confederacy and Dominion went to great lengths to ensure that all such children joined the Ghost Program. However, a number of psychics slipped through the cracks; this was especially common in the fringe colonies.

Terran psychics can be rated on the Psionic Index scale. A terran with a PI of 2-5 can sense psionic powers but generally cannot use other psychic abilities. Some such psychics are employed by the Ghost Program as wranglers, employed to hunt other psychics. Psychics release alpha waves which can be detected by other psychics. Other such weak psychics have demonstrated abilities such as resisting telepathy. Psychics with a PI of 5-6 are telepathic. Psychics of this level are recruited to become ghosts. Those with a PI of 8 or more have telekinesis. Ghosts generally do not have the ability to block thoughts; ghosts find each other very easy to read.  

Original reference

The Zerg Swarm

StarCraft

The Zerg Swarm is a terrifying and ruthless amalgamation of biologically advanced, arthropodal aliens. Dedicated to the pursuit of genetic perfection, the zerg relentlessly hunt down and assimilate advanced species across the galaxy, incorporating useful genetic code into their own.

Alongside the protoss and terrans, the zerg stand as one of the three dominant species of the Milky Way and are universally feared, hated and hunted as such. The Swarm in itself makes up a third of the power of the Koprulu Sector.

It has been difficult for observers to determine the full extent of the zerg intelligence, but it is clear that they are a very cunning species, and they are capable of higher reasoning. Although they do not utilize technology, they demonstrate a clear understanding of it, and have been known to open airlocks and doorways in colonies that they have raided. As a group they also react intelligently to attacks and are adept at tactical combat. On an individual basis, though, the zerg seem to be hardly more than savage animals with little or no concern for self-preservation.

The amount of control exerted over a zerg force also impacts on their intelligence. Without this control, the zerg will become little more than animals, attacking everything on sight, at times, even their own kind. These zerg are referred to as feral zerg and can generally only operate at the lowest level. In contrast, primal zerg are intellectual individuals, with no links to a hivemind.

Zerg can be "lobotomized" to lose contact with the Zerg Swarm. The Terran Dominion conducted this experiment as early as 2500, using zerglings to seek psychic terrans.

The zerg are able to create rifts into warp space to transport themselves at faster-than-light speeds. These rifts have been utilized multiple times.

Original reference

Nathema

Star Wars: The Old Republic: Revan

Nathema, originally known as Medriaas, was a fertile agriworld located in the Nathema system of the Outer Rim Territories' Chorlian sector during the time of the Sith Empire. The planet's Sith ruler, Lord Dramath, was deposed in 5,103 BBY by his own illegitimate son Tenebrae at the age of ten, and the child received the title of Lord Vitiate and rulership of Medriaas from the reigning Dark Lord of the Sith, Marka Ragnos. Renaming the planet Nathema, Vitiate kept his world isolated from the power plays of his fellow Sith over the next century, and his isolation spared Nathema from the Great Hyperspace War in 5,000 BBY. The following year, Vitiate summoned the eight thousand remaining Sith Lords to Nathema in order to save the crumbling Sith Empire, but the powerful Vitiate dominated their minds instead and proceeded to use their strength in a complex ritual of Sith magic that granted him immortality while stripping the Force from the entire planet.

Every living thing on Nathema was instantly killed by the Ritual of Nathema, and the planet became a barren wasteland devoid even of droids and technology as Vitiate, now known as the Sith Emperor, hid his past and the hyperspace routes to Nathema from his newly reconstituted Empire. Nathema's rediscovery and the revelation of what he had done to the world sparked a plot among the members of the Empire's ruling Dark Council to unseat their Emperor and prevent him from repeating the ritual, but the destruction of the conspiracy once again erased knowledge of Nathema from the mind of the Empire.

Original reference