Akwin have elongated skulls, with a mouth, pai of eyes and two blowholes. Cilia grow from their heads and faces and could be mistaken for hair, with colors ranging from white and silver to grean, blue, and black. Akwin also have gills on their necks, directly below the jaw.

Akwin are amphibious, but they have no real desire to spend much time on land. Their eyes are configured in such a way as to help them see in the dark depths of the ocean. Their hearing is also very acute. The Akwin diet consists of small sea creatures which they raise on "ranches," and many aquatic plants which they grow on special underwater farms.

As a species, the Akwin are peaceful sea-dwellers who live in huge cities on the ocean floor. Each city exists as a separate city-state, ruled by a king or queen.

Technologically, the Akwin are on par with the human Lazerians who dwell on the dry land, though the former have no interest in space travel. The Akwin have made tremendous strides in perfecting water-resistant technology. Although the Akin love swimming, they have developed their own fast-moving craft so they can travel vast distances quickly. The Akwin even have their own ore mines and manufacturing plants, though they are careful not to take too much from them or damage the environment.

The Akwin enjoy music, coral-sculpting, and drama. They keep historical records of their people, who evolved from savage sea creatures tens of thousands of years ago. Communication between the Akwin is handled by either spoken word or limb gestures.

The Akwin do not encourage contact with the Lazerians. In the Akwin world view, the Lazerians live on land, the Akwin live in the sea and both are content. Akwin see no reason to disrupt this situation. There is, in fact, a hint that the Akwin consider themselves to be superior to the Lazerians - after all, they can live on land or sea while the Lazerians are confined to the soil.

This point of view has been reinforced in the Akwin's minds by the fact that, while the Akwin know much about the Lazerians, the Lazerians have yet to even establish the existence of the Akwin. There are stories and rumors of sea-folk, but most of these are dismissed as mirages, legands or the effects of too much drink. The Akwin are amazed at this short-sighted reaction. As a result, official Akwin policy is to perpetuate the Lazerian idea of myths, since in the Akwin mind, the Lazerians are clearly "not ready as a species" to deal with the idea of sharing the planet with another advanced civilization.

It would probably alarm the Lazerians (and the Empire as well) if they knew just how much the Akwin know about the surface-dwellers. Thanks to scouting parties and monitoring routine planetary broadcasts, the Akwin have a full understanding of Lazerian culture and geography. The Akwin are not impressed - they see Lazerian society as stagnant and uninspired. The only way the Akwin would make their presence know were if the Lazerians dumped pollutants into the sea. Fortunately, the Lazerians are as proud of their environment as the Akwin, and take steps not to damage the ecosystem.

They tend to look down on races who cannot breathe air and water, though this will not rule out communication and cooperation. They keep to themselves, and do not go out of their way to seek out alien contact. If the Akwin should meet an alien aquatic race, they would be more willing to make contact.

The Akwin are aware of the existence of the galactic civil war, thanks to their interception of transmissions from both sides. At this time, the Akwin consider the war the logical result of immature species. If a Quarren or a Mon Calamari were to apporach the Akwin, this view could change in favor of the Alliance. Since the Lazerians are pro-Imperial, the consequences of this could be severe.