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The modern Hiigaran emblem, a combined form of both the Kushan emblem and the Hiigaran Empire's emblem found on the Guidestone's pedestal.
The Hiigarans are a humanoid race hailing from Hiigara at the edge of the Galactic Core. Previously, they were known as the Kushan and as the Exiles, and through their trials they have proven to be a group of proud, cunning and intellectual people.
Throughout the course of their history, the Hiigarans dwelled in several homes: their original homeworld, Hiigara; Kharak, a desert planet they called home during the period of their exile from Hiigara; the Great Nebula of Kadesh, a nebula which was home to a splinter group of Hiigarans during their exile; and the Nimbus Galaxy, a faraway galaxy in which kiith-based Hiigarans would dwell in the wake of the kiithless takeover of Hiigara.
Origin[]
Hiigarans are humanoid, as shown by various cutscenes in Homeworld 2 and Homeworld, (as well as promotional posters of their Fleet Command) and display similar levels of emotions and intelligence. They worship Sajuuk the Great Maker, a deity also worshiped by two other major races: Taiidan and Vaygr. Homeworld 2 implies that Hiigarans were not indigenous to the Homeworld galaxy; but rather, they are the descendants of the Progenitors, an expeditionary fleet from another galaxy who also possessed a great warship called Sajuuk.
Social Structure[]
The Hiigarans have a very loose structure of family and business relations which are equivalents to countries and nations. These nation and business-like relations are known are kiiths, and these clans serve as the basic division in Hiigaran society.
The Great Daiamid[]
The Daiamid is the central governing power of all the Hiigarans. They make choices for the entire race as a whole. In Council form they are either Kiith-Sas or Ambassadors from different Kiithid.
Kiithid[]
The Hiigaran equivalent to nations and businesses are 'Kiithid'. These Kiithid are really families or several families tied together with one goal or idea in mind. They may also have several 'Vassal' Kiithid serving under one Kiith. Each Kiith is led by a Kiith-Sa, a god-father figure.
Vassal Kiithid[]
Vassal Kiithid are families that wish to serve a larger and more powerful Kiith. They may want to feel included, be protected or learn of the Kiith's knowledge - which is guarded very tightly.
Early History[]
The First Time[]
The Hiigarans' story records stretch all the way back to c.3500 GSY. Other than that, little is known about their ancient past. They discovered Hyperspace technology around two thousand years later, after which they began to expand. They organized themselves into a republic, led by the Daiamid.
During the First Time, the Hiigaran civilization stretched far and wide inside of the Inner Rim, having colonized thirty-nine other planets. Alongside the Bentusi and fourteen other civilizations, they founded the Galactic Council. However, upon discovering the Second Core, they used it to wage war against the neighboring Taiidan Empire, a rival superpower whom they had a border dispute. Through a quick display of tactical prowess and swift understanding of the Progenitor Hyperspace Core, the Hiigaran strike was met with little resistance and resulted in the decimation of the Taiidan Empire's seat of power, their namesake homeworld of Taiidan, in only 67 hours.
But the Hiigaran victory was short lived as the Galactic Council issued a decree of their surrendering of the Hyperspace Core and a large portion of their naval forces. Knowing full well that it would spell their demise, the Hiigarans struck the deal, their Core was to be given to the Bentusi. But again the Hiigarans displayed cunning and attacked the Bentusi when they arrived to collect the Core. An epic battle unfolded and the Hiigarans were soundly beaten by the Bentusi, though they managed to take the Hyperspace Core to safety. However, with the majority of their navy destroyed in the battle against the Bentusi, the Hiigarans were defenseless - and the recovering Taiidan Empire took opportunity of this moment of weakness to launch a relentless assault on Hiigaran territories cutting a swath of destruction until they sat in orbit over Hiigara.
The Galactic Council and the Bentusi reasoned with Riesstiu and the victorious Taiidan, calling for an end to the onslaught, and the Taiidan relented under one condition - the Exile of the Hiigarans, of which a portion was sent to the desert world, Kharak, and another ended up in the Great Nebula of Kadesh.
Exile[]
Main article: KushanThe Hiigarans travelled to Kharak in a space convoy of slow-than-light starships. After reaching Kharak, the ships landed or crashed on planet, and the survivors settled there. With time, they lost not only almost all their scientific knowledge, but also their real origins.
The Re-Emergence[]
After 3000 years of civil strife, environmental hardships and crippling war on Kharak, the Hiigarans, attained peace at the hands of Kiith Naabal, and they soon discovered they were not, in fact, from Kharak; they were actually from another planet entirely. The race then went on to form a collective effort and unity on a scale never witnessed before on Kharak. all for a quest to find their old home - though they did not know why or how they had left it. They fully dedicated to the cause, because they knew Kharak was a doomed planet, and all life on it was to perish in a few decades.
The Hiigarans designed a new Mothership which they would use to cross the stars. However, when the Taiidan found out, they launched an attack on Kharak whilst the Mothership was away and testing its hyperdrive. The reason given for the attack was a violation of a four thousand year old treaty forbidding the Kushan/Hiigarans to develop the hyperdrive.
The Homeworld War ensued, in which the Kushan/Hiigaran fleet reached Hiigara and won it back from the Taiidan and resettled there after destroying the Taiidan Empire.
List of Hiigaran starship classes[]
During the Homeworld War (Homeworld Era)[]
During the Beast War (Cataclysm Era)[]
During the Vaygr War (Homeworld 2 Era)[]
For the Homeworld 2 Era, compared to Vaygr ships the Hiigaran ships are tougher, used in slightly smaller numbers (such as Strike Craft squads and Carriers) and are more adaptable against multiple opponent types. They do each have an ideal target ship type but can be at least semi-functional against others, however they won't be as good as the Vaygr counterpart also intended for that ideal target ship.
Sources[]
- Homeworld Historical and Technical Briefing
- Homeworld
- Homeworld 2
- History of Hiigara: Prelude to the End Times