I was reading some Cabal Lore a while back trying to get more information for my post here and I came across an interesting card. (not exactly sure which it was). The card states that the Psions aren’t part of the Cabal, and are some type of ‘slave?’ Is this why they have that magic melee and other Cabal don’t?
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The card you’re thinking of could be The Taken: Psion, since it tends to be brought up a lot when people talk about the Psions being another race:
Be still. Your endless vigilance is done. Nothing will enslave you ever again.
However, it’s never been outright stated whether or not they are another species. There’s speculation, though, such as from the Psion card:
Psions are smaller than all other Cabal morphs, and may be an unrelated species.
Their abilities are also mentioned in the same card:
[…]they possess strong psionic capabilities - including the ability to emit disorienting and deadly psychokinetic Arc blasts.
A few days ago, u/Ralfufigus over on Reddit posted this picture of what Psions look like in D2, and there was some discussion on what the purpose of those bolts are. (thread link)
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I think it’s SO strongly implied in the lore we might as well take it as a fact that Psions are a slave race?
Is that okay with you guys?
The Taken: Psion card definitely suggests that they are enslaved, but I would still prefer not to think of it as fact just yet. I’m hoping we get more information on their relationship in D2 
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Since D2 is very Cabal-based it’s very likely that we’ll get some information on the Psion-Cabal dynamic!
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The Psion Grimoire card itself leaves it ambiguous, as it speculates they are either Cabal morphs or another species entirely. The Taken card tips it toward “other species” but that could just mean they’re still a race of the Cabal enslaved by the main guys, like how the human Romans enslaved the human Africans.
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I never thought of it that way!
But then we have to wonder: what caused the psions to gain telekinetic abilities?
Were they caused by a freak accident?
Were they a form of genetic evolution (X-men Mutant style)?
It opens up a whole new venue of discussion!
I’d lean toward a divergence of evolution, like if a different species of human had survived to the modern day. The question then would be how did the Cabal make them subordinates?
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Maybe the fact that the [Space Turtle] Cabal had an advantage in numbers?
Maybe so, but then: how could the Cabal trust them with technology? What’s stopping the Psions from rebelling with their telekinetic abilities once they have the proper tools? (I mean, those “bolts” found in their heads could indicate mind control, but is it necessary after all of those centuries/millennia/however many years the Psions have been a part of the Empire?)
So many questions.
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Maybe it’s fear, or the fact that life isn’t that bad under Cabal leadership?
Hopefully we’ll find out in D2!