Despite starting out on Earth in the solar system, I found another Earth in another solar system completely identical, full of full original homo sapiens, after I found an ice world tundra full of another species of humans. They're pretty unhappy with me so far because I've kept them temporarily enslaved for their own good, but my Empire now has three species of human in it. Snow humans (charismatic, quick learners and adapted to tundras), Earth #2 humans (nomadic, quick learners, adapted to continental life) and Earth #1 miroslavs (conformists and continentals). Now I just gotta keep watch on the Earth humans who are still in feudal ck2 stage of life, and stop extraterrestial migration into their planet (sharing the same preferred planet as the larger human species will make it difficult to protect them if they're ever integrated. Maybe keep them as independent vassal planet states?)
Yeah, planet-states sounds good. They'll be little technobubbles of extrahumans
Some molluscoids in the way of my strategic resources accidentally nuked itself. This was a partial accident as I was too busy trying to stop a meteorite strike on the other side of the galaxy, but even so if I had succeeded in uplifting them I'd have just put them on a prison planet like the rest. Probably for the best that they nuked themselves.
Sister Miriam's falling on hard times
And I finally found an alternative to Stalining all the xenos who hate me with a vengeance, gulag planet is working along pretty damn juicily. When I finish with one gulag planet I give it its own mineral sector and move onto the next one - once this planet is full, I'm looking forward to exploiting the output of an especially mineral rich planet (+15% minerals!), whilst being able to evict all those pesky squid people who keep trying to crusade democracy onto my planets. One thing I found especially intriguing is that with extermination, not only do you permanently tank all diplomatic relations with the galaxy, but you lose out on some real special species. Right now I've got Juvan slave armies with enough force to invade a planet three times over, with the Juvans themselves being incredibly strong species. The Juvans are also pacifists, but that's not stopped me from giving them ripper drones! Now if there's only some way to reeducate them into conformism so I can make use of the scientist species, but alas I think that's bugged as they level off at neutral. Also seems this is not a perfect diplomatic solution as the entire galaxy still hates my guts, all except for one hive minded species of arachnids that have zero qualms with exterminating all other life - except my own Empire, for now. We super best swarm friends 4ever <3