From Introduction:
Almost a thousand years ago, the overlords of the planet Xalvoria were at war with the theocratic republicans of Sargosyala VII, a rocky, metal-rich planet at the edge of the dark nebula. Due to the military superiority of the Sargosyalans, the Xalvorians could see no way to turn the tide of battle — until they went looking for solutions in their own biotechnology sector.
The vat lords of the Xalvorian criminal underworld bartered the perfect weapon for their own political rehabilitation. In light of the potential spoils they could see coming from an end to the war — and an end to the Sargosyalans —t he overlords were more than happy to oblige. The results of this alliance tore Sargosyala VII apart from the inside out.
Grown in vats by unlawful geneticists, the vertiginous infiltrators are perfect copies of the Sargosyalan race, able to mimic the mannerisms and behaviours of anyone they could observe. They were deployed against the Sargosyalans and quickly took over key positions within that race’s leadership. Not only did they capture vital military resources for the Xalvorians, but the paranoia these double agents created within the Sargosyalan ranks was a setback they could never recover from. Within a few short decades, a war that had rages and stalled for more than a century was over, and no true Sargosyalan remained alive.
With their homeworld and all their colonies overrun by the Xalvorian overlords, the vertiginous infiltrators are all that is left of the Sargosyalans. Undying, they continue to serve their masters, infiltrating the societies of other alien races — but no subsequent success can compare to their original triumph over the beings they were made to mimic.