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History of the Hiigaran Landfall
Kiiths
Kiith Kaalel
Kiith LiirHra
Kiith Somtaaw
The Taiidan Republic
The End of the Imperial Era
The Taiidan Republic
The Imperialist Faction
Turanic Raiders
History of the Hiigaran Landfall
The End of the Imperial Era
The return of the Exiles to their Homeworld did more than mark a new beginning for life on Hiigara; it also helped to bring about the end of the Taiidani Imperial line, which had ruled continuously for nearly 3,000 standard years.
The Taiidan Empire of Year 0 AL (Year 2924 by the Imperial Calendar) held 275 star systems in its grip, but not easily. Emperor Khaldeesh the Second was rapidly approaching his 4th century of life, and his pogroms and agendas were becoming increasingly bloody and erratic. Relations with other Galactic civilizations were at an all time low, with the Empire receiving regular censure from the Galactic Council during their twice-per-decade assemblies. The Frerrn Aggregate was in a state undeclared war with the Taiidan Empire over a number of border issues on the Far Rim, and even the Bentusi had suspended all trade contact with the Taiidan in the year -7 BL (Year 2917 Imp.)
Internal Taiidani politics was faring even worse in these last years of the Empire. Tax revolts in the outer systems were a common occurrence, as Emperor Khaldeesh's increasing paranoia led to a prohibitively large and expensive military. The Taiidan Assembly of Lords, a token political body whose task was merely to "rubber stamp" edicts from the desk of the Emperor, even began to question some of Khaldeesh's more outrageous demands. The entire political system of the Imperium was corrupt and on the verge of collapse when a Mothership of unknown design breached Taiidani borders, and destroyed 3000 years of political stagnation.
A powerful group of military, political and economic figures had been plotting a coup in secret for years, staying only steps ahead of one purge or another as they looked desperately for the trigger that could sway 560 billion souls against their God-like Emperor. Oddly enough, it wasn't the plight of the Kharakian Exiles as much as the mindless obedience of the Taiidanii navy which created that trigger. When the first propaganda images spread through the Empire showing yet another victory, this time against an ancient and forgotten enemy, it soon became obvious that a serious mistake had been made on the part of the Emperor's political advisors. Instead of reassuring the Taiidani people that their nigh-immortal Emperor was all-seeing and all-powerful, the Taiidan reacted with near-universal horror and disgust. Again and again they were forced to watch one of their fleets commit an act of genocide against 300 million aliens, who had committed no crime greater than entering hyperspace and violating a long-forgotten treaty.
The Emperor reacted quickly and ordered the Home Fleet to hunt down and destroy the Exiles before they could penetrate Taiidan space, but it was too late. The political damage had been done, and the secret conspirators launched their coup against an obviously mad Emperor. While the initial groundswell of support was very strong, the conspirators and the general public seriously underestimated how prepared the Empire was for just such a rebellion, and how far their leaders were willing to go in order to maintain their stranglehold on power. After the first few heady days of rebellion, the Emperor declared full martial-law across the Taiidani worlds. According to his edict, no act performed in the defense of His Throne would be judged in civilian courts.
The death and destruction that followed this announcement throughout the Empire beggars the imagination. For every military unit that defected to the Coup, two others launched an orgy of brutal reprisals. Dukes and Governors that were unwilling to massacre protestors en masse were executed and replaced by ones who would. Entire rebellious asteroid cities were exterminated when navy corvettes destroyed their life support systems, and the slow death throes of millions were recorded, to be shown as an example to the rest of the population. By the end of the first month it was obvious to all but the most optimistic that the Emperor's grip on the Taiidan could not be thrown off. The final blow was nearly struck at the battle of Vorshan's Rift, where the gathered rebel Navy was ambushed and devastated due to a high level defector, who led the rebels into a trap. The ranking surviving military member of the coup fled for his life, directly into the arms of the one force in the galaxy that was successfully resisting Imperial power: the returning Exile Fleet. Luckily for the rebellion, the Exiles aided the Rebel officer, allowing him the chance to escape and regroup the tattered remnants of his fleet.
When news broke that the Exiles were actively aiding the rebellion, it was the final insult to the Emperor. Khaldeesh declared that he would personally command the Taiidani High Guard fleet in their crusade against the interlopers. The final battle took place high above the Exile's ancient Homeworld, Hiigara, and when it was over the Emperor lay dead and his Elite guard fleet was shattered.
In the resulting chaos, the Rebels seized their last chance and destroyed the Imperial Gene Bank. Without a clear line of succession through cloning, the Emperor having long ago executed any living relative who might try to kill him and take power, the Imperial structure collapsed. In its place was erected a new Taiidan Republic.
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The Taiidan Republic
Even after the death of the Emperor, the new Taiidan Republic has had anything but a smooth ride from tyranny to democracy. What was supposed to be a quick and relatively painless coup flared into a full blown civil war after the battle of Hiigara. Various factions tried to seize control of the Empire, while entire sectors fought for independence. After five years of skirmishes and all-out battles, the Taiidan Republic finally stabilized and established an uneasy peace within itself...but by the time the shooting stopped, only 160 out of 275 star systems were willing to call themselves Taiidani. Most of these loyal worlds are centered in the Galactic Core, while the spiral regions of the old Empire have splintered into a variety of small kingdoms, duchies and independent democratic states.
The Republic has restored order both internally and externally. In year 6 AL, the Republic signed a formal non-aggression and co-operation pact with the Exiles, which recognized their ancient claim to Hiigara. A five-light-year sphere of influence was also granted the new Hiigarans, in recognition of their aid to the Republic during the dark days of the Coup. Currently, the Republic and Hiigara share excellent relations, which has only been helped by the Republic's willingness to extradite war criminals who took part in the Kharakian Genocide. The Republic has also re-established trade relations with the enigmatic Bentusi, and it is rumored that the Bentusi have been crucial in supplying the new Republic with the technology, infrastructure and information it needs.
Most analysts consider the worst to be over for the Taiidan Republic, and the odds are good for new prosperity to begin, as stability breeds economic confidence and diplomacy replaces open warfare. With a few years of planning time, the Republic has stopped trying to match the Imperialist factions on a gun-to-gun basis, and are now trying to seize the high ground by using advanced technologies. Whereas the Empire had begun to stagnate technologically, the Republic has embraced new thinking in both science and industry, resulting in several breakthroughs that can be applied in both peace and war. Of course, all this progress could be destroyed overnight, should the surviving Imperialists find a way to overthrow the Republic, and return a new Emperor to the ancient Throne of Worlds.
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The Imperialist Faction
With the Empire shattered, it was to be expected that many major Imperial figures would flee the Republic to carve their own domains in the splintered frontier worlds. Many of these Imperialists call themselves "Loyalists," and support any one of hundreds of "lost heirs" that have sprung up over the past 15 years. While the Imperialist fleet is but a battered shadow of its former power, it is still a significant threat on the frontier, where many secret naval bases from the Imperial era are intact and functioning.
Imperialist power remains in the hands of the fleet, and while these once-proud ships have been forced to work as equals with pirates or hire themselves out as mercenaries, they are still a force to be reckoned with, and still a major threat to the stability of the Republic. Twice in the past 15 years the Imperialists have tried to unite the splinter kingdoms by force of arms, only to be defeated their by own factionalism and the military intervention of the Galactic Council.
Apart from the desire to overthrow the new Republic, the only other thing that binds the Imperialist Factions together is their deep, abiding hatred of the new Hiigarans. The Imperialist hold the Exiles and their quest for their Homeworld directly responsible for the Emperor's death and the fall of the Empire. Amongst Imperialist supporters, it is an oft-quoted prophecy that Empire will only rise again when the Imperial Fleet once again orbits Hiigara, and the work begun with the Kharakian Genocide is finished once and for all.
Needless to say, a state of open warfare exists between Hiigara and all Imperialist factions. Three times in the past 15 years, (in 4, 9 and 11 AL) the Imperialist have led major incursions into the Hiigaran sphere of influence. In the latter two invasions, strike fleets reached Hiigara itself, only to be thrown back with heavy losses on both sides. While Hiigaran shipping is constantly being harassed by Imperialist forces, either operating by themselves or in conjunction with the Turanic Raiders, it has been four years since any significant fleet actions took place in the Hiigaran sphere. This had led some analysts to conclude that the Imperialist forces are more interested in consolidating the splinter kingdoms than wasting more strength and technology on a blood feud with a single world. Others merely consider this to be the quiet before another inevitable storm.
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Turanic Raiders
No other group has profited more from the anarchy caused by the retaking of Hiigara and the resulting Taiidani civil war more than the Turanic Raiders. Nothing is known about the origins of this nomadic race of pirates and mercenaries but theories range from a disposed race of refugees to former slave race run amuck. Attacks by Turanic Raiders were first recorded during the year -475 BL in the Turan Sector and hence the name given to this enigmatic warrior species. Turanic hordes have infested the trade lanes of the galaxy at least twice a century since their arrival and no matter how much effort is put into hunting them down by one government or another, they always survive in some hidden base to emerge years later. While most of this growth-and-retreat cycle is spent raiding lone ships or unprotected convoys in order to slowly build up their power base, when the Raiders are at the height of their power they field full carrier groups and are capable of taking over entire asteroid settlements.
The Turanic Raiders have never been stronger than they were during much of the 1'st century BL when they enjoyed the patronage of the Mad Taiidani Emperor Khaldeesh. While most details were covered up at the time, new documents released by the Taiidan Republic during various war crimes trials have revealed the Turanic Raiders were supported by Imperial funds and supplies and served as a covert mercenary fleet. Many of the targets hit by the raiders during this period were of special military value and Intelligence gathered during these attacks aided the Emperor and stymied the efforts of neighboring galactic powers to limit his ambitions. Reliable estimates place Turanic Fleet strengths at nearly 20 carrier groups spread throughout the Imperial Frontier before the Homeworld War.
Unfortunately for the Raiders, the death of Emperor Khaldeesh and the fall of the Taiidan Empire brought about their fall as well. As if sensing the wake of history that rippled away from the Exile fleet as it approached Hiigara, the Turanic Raiders went into hiding and denied the Emperor their firepower when he faced the Exiles in final battle over Hiigara. The reasons for this may never be exactly known but when the Taiidani Empire fractured from the pressure of civil war, the Raiders were in perfect position to seize power in many outlying provinces of the Empire. These new "Bandit Kingdoms" as they have become known, are centers of power for a new, organized Turanic presence in the Galaxy and, in a final irony, it is now Imperialist factions who come to the Raiders seeking patronage. The current level of Imperialist/Raider co-operation is not truly known at this point but there have been scattered reports in recent years of mixed fleets performing strike and capture operations.
Despite these reports, Raider activity has been relatively low and most experts agree that the Turanic Raiders are in a build-up phase and will be for quite some time. The only dissenting voice in the Turanic analysis comes from several Hiigaran Warrior Kiith who point to a growing number of Hiigaran combat and transport vessels that have been lost in anomalous circumstances in the past two years. The animosity of the Raiders towards the new Hiigarans is well known and these losses may be due to new or exotic technologies being introduced into the Raider's fleet by their Imperialist Allies.
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