The Draal is a nomadic pathogenic fungus which can infect virtually any living thing it comes into contact with by either projecting its spores into the air or directly into the blood stream of a new host via another infected lifeform.  Once it has entered the body of a living being, it begins acting like a parasite; feeding off the host’s fluids and nutrients before eventually spreading to the brain.  After gaining control of the muscles and basic motor functions, it forces the host to relocate to a more populated area.  Victims are fully aware of what is happening, but are powerless to stop it.  In its final stage, the fungus bursts out of its host and releases more spores to start the process all over again. 

What little information is known about the Draal has mostly been obtained from Zendathu surveillance records as well as a few rare encounters with the Human race.  This fungus is believed to be sentient in nature with every one of its spores having instant telepathic communication with each other across vast distances.  It is a highly resilient lifeform which can survive extreme heat, intense atmospheric pressures, and even the cold void of space, although a lack of available moisture will slow its progress.  Many scientists have theorized that the Draal originated somewhere near the core of the galaxy where it may have dominated its entire home planet before infecting a visiting alien spacecraft and inadvertently transporting it’s spores off-world.  It is thought that this fungal lifeform could have possibly roamed the galaxy for millions of years, contaminating one planet after another along the way.    

The first contact on file with the Draal occurred in the 47 Ursae Majoris system where it arrived within the infected bodies of nearly a dozen massive creatures that had been genetically modified by an unknown alien species to survive in space.  After intentionally forcing these hosts to crash-land on the only planet in the system bearing life, it immediately began spreading throughout the indigenous population.  From there, it infected a Zendathu vessel which subsequently transported it to the Beta Comae Berenices system where it dispersed its spores across their own homeworld.

The Human race originally encountered the Draal during a reconnaissance mission to gather information on the unexplained disappearance of the Zendathu.  What they discovered was an entire planet infected by the contagious fungus where nearly every living creature was intent on passing their spores onto these new potential hosts.  However, all but two of these Humans managed to escape unaffected.  Admiral Jason Thade was one of the two victims, yet he managed to survive on the Zendathu homeworld for several years before escaping onboard a contaminated vessel and becoming infected as well.  As the Draal began to take control of his mind, he was forced to pilot the ship in the direction of the Sol system where it nearly made it to Earth before finally being stopped.

As of now, the spread of this infectious lifeform appears to be contained and all of the known affected worlds are under strict quarantine by both Humans and the Zendathu.