@ bevvy

Seems with the words of OP that this is about an intelligent acting crystal-like lifeform, we both wer a bit right on track with our research in the crystaline structures of compounds (pag 200-201) ...lol...

Somehow I want to get a deeper look into that.
To see if qualiteis of cristals are to be linked with the behavior of that "THING" out there.
What crystals do act upon magnetism and electrical charges ? (a lot I know) Wich ones could form like metal fibers flocking ? and cary radioactivity or an other type of frequency output in the very low or infra red spectrums ...

Maybe we can come up with more things that might carry clue's.

I am not good in that navy and coup and rebellian stuf ... lol... so I try to be helpfull in area's that are more close to home ;)