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The Alpha Centaurans were a hexapod species, known for their nervous temperaments.
Biology
The Alpha Centaurans had tentacle-like limbs, each tipped with claws. Their heads were featureless except for a large eye, with equally large optic blood vessels that nourished these eyes bulging from the skin around their heads. They were normally green in colour, though they would change in hue to match their emotion. (PROSE: The Dark Path) Red, pink and black was for anger, purple was for sadness and yellow was for fear or nervousness. Alpha Centaurans could be incapacitated by a blow to the side of the head, and struggled to right themselves if knocked off their feet. (PROSE: Legacy, The Monster of Peladon)
Despite their female-like voices, Alpha Centaurans were hermaphrodites and should properly be referred to as "it". Nevertheless, the Doctor generally used the masculine to refer to the Federation ambassador to Peladon. (TV: The Monster of Peladon) Every few years, they would develop certain urges and, if convenient, they would create an offspring. (PROSE: Legacy)
Culture
The Alpha Centaurans were known for being hypochondriacs. Alpha Centaurans never drank alcohol and could not see the appeal of it. They didn't understand humanoids, and believed many humanoid races were barbaric. Although they clearly didn't mean to do so, many of them were tactless and made remarks about various races. One Alpha Centauran commissioner in the Federation did not understand the appeal of the human game poker, believing it to be stressful. (PROSE: The Dark Path) The Alpha Centauri were known for being adept at politics. (PROSE: Mission: Impractical) The Alpha Centaurans were greatly opposed to scandals and would do anything to cover them up. (PROSE: Shakedown) Apparently they enjoyed playing table tennis, having a Table Tennis Club. (TV: Robot) A f'gan was an Alpha Centauran instrument. (PROSE: Rescue Mission) They opposed violence. (AUDIO: The Bride of Peladon)
The most common and singular article of clothing used by Alpha Centaurans was a high-collared cloak that fitted around their necks and draped over the full length of their bodies to floor level. (TV: The Curse of Peladon, Art Attack)
They also showed an appreciation for finer interests, such as browsing galleries which held items of great artistic value. (COMIC: Art Attack)
Alpha Centaurans created poetry. The Eighth Doctor's TARDIS contained various unfinished drafts of Alpha Centauran poetry. (PROSE: Longest Day)
History
Alpha Centaurans developed skills in politics due to their home planet not having any natural predators. (PROSE: The Monster Vault)
Alpha Centaurans sent a spaceship to Mars in 1881. (TV: Empress of Mars)
In Shanghai in 1941, the Doctor, "a couple of centuries" prior to his fourth incarnation, helped a group of stranded Alpha Centaurans return home. (PROSE: The Shadow of Weng-Chiang)
The Eighth Doctor and Sam Jones saw an Alpha Centauran on holiday on Kursaal. (PROSE: Kursaal)
Though Alpha Centaurans could be found in the Earth Empire, (PROSE: Original Sin, Shakedown, PROSE: Mean Streets) on worlds such as Earth, (PROSE: Original Sin) and Proxima 2, (PROSE: Tomb of Valdemar) they became full members of the Galactic Federation. (TV: The Monster of Peladon)
Some Alpha Centaurans performed archaeological digs on Proxima 2. (PROSE: Misplaced Spring)
In 2679, the Alpha Centaurans benefitted from the Chalnoth Hegemony and the Teklarn Incorporation remaining at war as neither they nor the Draconians wanted them eyeing up their territories. (AUDIO: The Havoc of Empires)
On the ship Piri Reis, the cultural advisor was a Alpha Centauran named Epilira. It was later removed from existence by the Darkheart. (PROSE: The Dark Path)
During the entrance of Peladon into the Galactic Federation, Alpha Centauri acted as a diplomat. (TV: The Curse of Peladon) It later stayed on during the later war with Galaxy 5. (TV: The Monster of Peladon)
On the planet New Old Detroit, an Alpha Centauran named Hecto Shellac was such a brilliant lawyer that countless gangsters sought to use it to escape justice. Desperate for retirement, it prepared a World Bomb — capable of altering the whole planet according to the user's mind — to keep them off its back. Its dangerous actions were stopped when the Doctor activated the bomb and created a beautiful world with grass fields, supposedly because he "thought of England". Hecto survived, albeit somewhat humiliated. (COMIC: The Deep Hereafter)
In the 26th century, the Alpha Centaurans had a presence on Megerra. (PROSE: Shakedown, Mean Streets)
An Alpha Centauran appeared at the grand opening of the Oriel art gallery in the 37th century. (COMIC: Art Attack)
In 4010, Alpha Centaurans were on board the Cressida to watch a rare chemical reaction in the atmosphere of Uranus. (PROSE: Uranus)
Undated events
At some point in their history, the Alpha Centaurans held an annual Alpha Centauri Olympics. (AUDIO: A Requiem for the Doctor)
The Second Doctor, Ben Jackson and Polly Wright encountered Venusians, Draconians and Alpha Centaurans at a spaceport bar. (PROSE: The Murder Game)
Fitz Kreiner once saw two Alpha Centaurans playing a game of multidimensional chess. (PROSE: The Blue Angel)
An Alpha Centauran was present on Paradost. (COMIC: The Glorious Dead)
Alpha Centaurans had a presence on Coralee. (PROSE: Storm Harvest)
An Alpha Centauran was present in the Frenko Bazaar. (COMIC: Bazaar Adventures)
As shown in the Anubian Book of Deliverance, the Anubians attacked the Alpha Centaurans. (TV: Curse of Anubis)