Homeworld Conflict

by Lily Lain

Hiigara?

Author's Note:

If you haven't played the games, and/or have simply little to no knowledge of the Homeworld universe, I'd like you to point out anything that doesn't seem to make sense, or that appears to require inside knowledge to understand, in the comments. I will either alter the story to explain it, or simply explain it myself in response.

The timeline of the story is set prior to the finale of Season 4, nothing further from that in the canon has been implemented.

Preread by Chicago Ted.

2016 (around 2 years after releasing the story for the 1st time):
Some people have worked on this story since, most notably Majora and Alicorn Priest. Hopefully got it at least slightly better.

Edit: Spoilers in the comments. You've been warned.

… the Exodus is the name used to refer to the journey undertaken by the Mothership Fleet and survivors from the Kharakian Genocide to Hiigara. The Exodus was a large emigration of Kushan people enforced by the Taiidan Empire via their attack and destruction of Kharak. Having gathered the remnants of their population from Cryo Trays in orbit by the planet, they set off towards Hiigara, believed to be their world of origin…

… it soon became a brutal war for survival, as the Kushan were forced to face off with numerous enemy factions in open combat. Despite the overwhelming odds, they managed to overcome their enemies. After many battles, primarily with the Taiidan Empire, they reached the apparent end of their journey, less than 550,000 (of Kharak's original 300 million) strong…

… the Kharakian Genocide, or the Burning of Kharak, was an unprovoked attack by the Taiidan Empire on the planet of Kharak, that had began the Exodus and the war that came with it. The only known reason for it was the development and attempted use of a hyperspace drive which, unbeknownst to the Kushan, had broken a 4,000 year old treaty their ancestors had signed with the Taiidan Empire at the beginning of their Exile…

… due to the usage of Atmospheric Deprivation Weapon by the Taiidan Empire, all of the planet’s population has been annihilated, and all of its infrastructure destroyed, rendering the planet uninhabitable, and forcing the remnants of the Mothership Fleet to press on and find a new home for their people…

Excerpts from Encyclopaedia Hiigaara

The journey is over. We have reached our homeworld.
The Mothership is intact.

The Mothership, its hull shaped like an ancient sabre; its intricate systems capable of dissolving resources into the most basic particles; its hangars housing numerous battle-ready and battle-christened starships; its Cryo Bays, housing space, and cloning chambers… all were, despite slight damage, operational.

“Fleet Command’s alive and operational, my physical body is intact, and my connection with the Mothership is back and stable.” Weariness sounded through her usually calm voice.

The remaining Fleet is reassembling.
The Taiidan Empire ships are leaving.
The Taiidani Rebellion ships are leaving. According to their message, their further plans involve the disassembling of the Empire’s structure and forming a republic on its ashes. Their help will not be forgotten.
The Galactic Council has assigned the planet to us.
This is Hiigara.
We are home.

Despite his training to keep utmost control of his voice, the speaker of the Fleet Intelligence – a body of men designed to analyze sensory data and form mission objectives – could not contain the emotions swirling in his mind. They were home.

The planet was a desert, without a trace of ocean, sea, or greenery.

“Scan the planet,” Fleet Command ordered. “Something is wrong.”

The resources in the storage were broken into atoms, which were then assembled into alloys and components that formed a set of small, rocket-propelled, computer-steered Probes, and sent them to the surface of the planet. At first, Fleet Intelligence were silent as the Probes completed their duty. Then, they were silent because they couldn’t believe their eyes.

No life on the surface of the planet detected.

“Send in scout units.”

Three groups of five small, agile Fighter-type ships shot out into the vastness around to scan the surface of the planet. They looked like jet planes with their wings folded inward, so that they would resemble arrows, with two connected projectile turrets on one side and their jets expanded to fit the whole back of the ship, turrets included.

The Scouts were swift to report.

The planet cannot support life. It has been unable to do so for years.
All formerly inhabited buildings on the planet are in ruins. They are of Taiidani design.
Unknown signal from four closely aligned points. Investigating the signal.

The cameras attached to the Scouts showed a vast desert, sometimes changing its colour and shape, indicating the former presence of lakes, perhaps a sea. From the flat desert, a glittering spire grew abruptly, a tall spike of unknown design, made out of unknown metal, placed without rhyme or reason on the surface of the planet. Four more followed to form a rectangular shape.

The sensors indicate that there used to be water on this planet. It would have covered these spires completely.

Mass-destruction weapons were used in order to remove the water, making the planet uninhabitable and killing all life on it in the process.

“Examine the spires.” Her voice wavered with a tinge of desperation.

The spires are connected underground. They are a part of some device of unknown origin and destination.

They can be accessed from the ground level. Considering the atmosphere of the planet, the spires should be examined with the use of space suits.

“Send in the Corvette ships. Examine the spires from the ground level. There must be something of use there.” Desperation in her voice turned into determination, and perhaps hope.

A group of bigger, manned Corvette-class ships set a course toward the planet. Their crew, equipped with proper space suits, descended onto the planet from the opened airlocks. Their helmet cameras showed a former campsite and numerous pieces of equipment abandoned in haste.

The Taiidan Empire had a group of scientists examining these spires. That might be a reason for high security in this region.

“They sent their mothership here along with the Emperor and protected the planet with a network of hyperspace inhibitors that wouldn’t allow us to jump straight into the planet. Why?”

No records on the project or on the structures found.

The equipment found is similar in design to Taiidani analysers. It holds no records.
There seems to be an entrance to these spires.

Awaiting the command to proceed.

“Proceed.”

One of the men pressed a flat button on the wall of the spire. The characteristic hiss of decompression sounded when the airlock door opened and slid downward. The men entered and waited patiently for the air to reset its pressure before the door to the inner structure opened. The leader entered without hesitation.

A flashlight included in the wrist piece of their suits lit an interior of complex machinery, computer displays and metal tubes. In a the corner, a white-clad scientist crouched, shaking.

A Taiidani scientist was found in one of the spires. He claims he was abandoned during the hasty evacuation mission after the defeat of the Taiidani Fleet.

The subject explained to us the functioning of the computer system of the spires. We are now working to activate it.

The subject survived the interrogation. He will be housed within the holding cells of the Mothership.

A recording showed the scientist trembling under the stern gaze of the interrogator. However, he spoke without difficulty, if in a slightly shaking voice. “We’ve found something on those spires. Some ancient recordings say it’s of Progenitor design.”

“If this is the Ancient Progenitor design, we must be watchful. They invented the Hyperspace Drive; who knows what these spires might hold, then?” Fleet Command mused, her voice uneasy.

Hiigara is dead.
We must press forward.
There is nowhere else we can go.

The Fleet Intelligence’s speaker’s voice wasn’t stern, nor demanding. He stated the grim obvious.

“They say there’s a pathway to the homeworld of our kind. I don’t know about that, but it seems the Emperor was dead-set on getting there,” the scientist continued. “He wanted to keep this planet away from you, but it seems he failed, didn’t he?”

“The Taiidani rebels have pointed out to us the supposed madness of the Emperor. He invested far too much into the legend of these spires, among other atrocities he committed during our journey. Are the spires operational?”

The spires have been prepared.
Awaiting the command for activation.

“Activate the spires.”

Four beams of light shot out into the air, stopping abruptly when they reached far out of the planet’s gravitational pull. They connected, forming a filled rectangle which swirled with every shade of purple from near-black dark to pink.

We are unsure whether it’s a one-way tunnel.
There might be something on the other side.

“All starships to formations. Launch all strike craft from the docks. All groups, protect the Mothership.”

“Group one in formation. Aggressive tactics. Full power to the weapon systems.”

“Group two in formation. Aggressive tactics. Full power to the weapon systems.”

“Group three in formation. Evasive tactics. Full power to the engines.”

Groups one to three ready.

Groups four to seven ready.

Fleet standing by.

No signal from within the tunnel.

The Fleet, although still unsure, breathed a collective sigh.

“Can we expand the gateway to use it for the Mothership?”

The gateway expansion and movement to warp the Mothership set.
Awaiting command to proceed.

“Proceed.”

The pinkish gateway expanded, allowing for the passage of the Mothership and the Fleet.

Time until jump, five minutes.

“Expedition team on the planet, pull back to the hangar. All Fighters to the hangars on carriers or the Mothership.”

All Fighters and Corvettes in hangars, expedition team on its way. Time until jump, three minutes.

Expedition team docked. Time until jump, one minute.

Prepare for a hyperspace jump.

The thin portal expanded in width to fit the entire Fleet. It moved straight at them, swallowing the mighty ships into nothingness.

The trip itself was unregistered by the crew, but it seemed different than all the hyperspace jumps they have experienced before. The gate was different, too. Why exactly they were different was yet to be announced.

Comments

[The Psychopath]

I couldn't follow anything that was happening here. I'm confused.

[OmicroniX]

I like It already

[OmicroniX]

6272061 It was a little hard to follow. Basically, these people, are searching for a new planet. After leaving their homeworld, they broke a 4,000 year old treaty (which stated that they were not to leave the planet's surface) on accident. As the treaty was 4,000 years old, their race had long forgotten it. (save for a few, but that's not really important). They went through a long war to find a new home, and are finally granted one by the end of the game. This story starts there. The home that they were granted, which was supposed to be habitable, turns out to be a completely uninhabitable desert planet. On this planet, "metal spires" are discovered. After an investigation, these spires are activated and create a portal through which the fleet flies.

[Dinokid11]

Great work