Difference between revisions of "Ur-Quan Hierarchy"

Latest revision as of 21:33, 14 November 2022

Ur-Quan Topics
Species
Ur-Quan Kzer-Za • Kohr-Ah
History
Sentient Milieu Slave Revolt Slave War The Words Doctrinal Conflict Second Doctrinal War
Personalities
Kzer-Za • Kohr-Ah
Philosophies
Path of Now and Forever Ur-Quan Hierarchy • Battle Thrall • Fallow Slave • Oath of Fealty Eternal Doctrine Death March Doctrinal Conflict
Ships
Dreadnought • Marauder • Sa-Matra
Science
Excruciator • Slave Shield • Talking Pet

The Ur-Quan Hierarchy, also known as the Hierarchy of Battle Thralls or simply the Hierarchy, is an interstellar empire created by the Ur-Quan Kzer-Za to manage their conquests that perpetuate the Path of Now and Forever. In our corner of the galaxy, the Hierarchy consists of the Ur-Quan, seven Battle Thralls and at least four Fallow Slaves, including the Humans.

As the Kzer-Za become embroiled in the Doctrinal War against the Ur-Quan Kohr-Ah, the New Alliance of Free Stars is established in 2155 and the Hierarchy begins to unravel as Battle Thralls start defecting or attacking one another.

History[edit]

It is unknown how this system has operated in past regions conquered by the Kzer-Za; they did not bring along the ships of any previously conquered races upon attacking our region, though it is possible that at least part of the crew of their Dreadnoughts originate from other regions. Also, the growing instability of our own Hierarchy near the time of the Doctrinal Conflict suggests that it might be dangerous for the Ur-Quan to keep Battle Thralls outside their direct supervision and control.

The Kzer-Za have a policy of modifying alien cultures to varying degrees in order to pacify them and make them useful to the Hierarchy after conquest. The extent of this most likely depends highly on the situation. For instance, the Kzer-Za were forced to take radical steps to prevent a nuclear war among the Thraddash — replacing Culture 18 with Culture 19 — while apparently leaving the Yehat clan system intact after both of those species became Battle Thralls. On Earth, they destroyed all Human dwellings, monuments and archaeological sites older than 500 years, including some of which the Humans were not even aware, apparently to forcibly uproot a culture they found troublesome and allow it to be completely replaced with a more Ur-Quan-friendly one. How often this was practiced for conquered worlds is unknown, though the Spathi claim to have undergone a similar process.

Enemies[edit]

From February 2155 onwards, the New Alliance of Free Stars emerges as a counterweight to Hierarchy dominance, leading the Kzer-Za to threaten The Captain with the decimation of Earth should he continue to violate the Oath of Fealty.

The Ur-Quan Kohr-Ah are a rival superpower to the Ur-Quan Kzer-Za and both are engaged in the Doctrinal Conflict. On 17 February 2159, the Kohr-Ah begin the Death March to exterminate all races, be they members of the Hierarchy, Alliance or neutral.

Command Structure[edit]

The Ur-Quan Kzer-Za are the supreme commanders of the Hierarchy. When a race is conquered, they are given the choice to become Battle Thralls or Fallow Slaves.

Battle Thralls are essentially henchmen who obey Kzer-Za commands and act as agents to help subdue other species, and thus keep some degree of political autonomy and the freedom to travel through space. They are responsible for occupying Fallow Slave systems to ensure compliance and they are forbidden from fighting civil wars and conflicts against other Thralls.

Fallow Slaves are races that take the Oath of Fealty and then their homeworld is encased in a Slave Shield. They are maintain a Starbase by providing resources, crew and labor for the construction, repair, and refueling of Hierarchy vessels. Transport between the Starbase and the planetary surface is performed only under Ur-Quan supervision. Violation of the Oath is punishable by destruction of the shielded planet and thus the entire race.

Membership[edit]

As of February 2155, the Hierarchy consists of the Ur-Quan Kzer-Za, seven Battle Thralls and four Fallow Slaves.

Leaders[edit]

Ur-Quan Kzer-Za

Hierarchy Battle Thralls[edit]

Fallow Slaves[edit]

Faz
Syreen
Humans
Chenjesu and Mmrnmhrm (together on a single world)

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 {{UrQuanNav}}
-__NOTOC__
-The '''Ur-Quan Hierarchy''', also known as the '''Hierarchy of Battle Thralls''' or simply the '''Hierarchy''', is a system created by the [[Ur-Quan Kzer-Za]] to manage their series of conquests that perpetuates the [[Path of Now and Forever]]. As the name implies, it is an external expression of the Kzer-Za's philosophical view of the universe, one in which all other races exist for the purpose of protecting the existence of the [[Ur-Quan]] species, and are therefore assigned importance in proportion to their value to the Ur-Quan. The Hierarchy as we know it consists of the races in our region of space which, after being conquered by the Kzer-Za, offered to obey Kzer-Za commands and act as Kzer-Za agents to help subdue other species, and thus keep some degree of political autonomy and freedom to travel through space rather than being confined under a [[slave shield]].
-It is unknown how this system has operated in past regions conquered by the Kzer-Za. Some speculation assumes that the Hierarchy is a construct intended only to allow the Kzer-Za to efficiently subdue a whole region of space, and that their intention is always to eventually slave-shield all species in a given region, though the process of fully subduing such a region may take centuries. Such a proposal seems more likely than the alternative supposition that the Kzer-Za administrate a series of permanent Hierarchies that rule various regions of the galaxy. The congenital Ur-Quan distaste for the dealings of "inferior" species and the small, streamlined size of the Kzer-Za fleet seem to discount this possibility, since it appears that the whole of the Kzer-Za fleet travels through the galaxy in each conquest cycle, and we can find no references to ancient conquests of the Kzer-Za that did not, eventually, end in slave-shielding. The growing instability of our own Hierarchy near the time of the [[Doctrinal Conflict]] suggests that, had it not occurred, a phase of slave-shielding of the Battle Thralls might have followed. All this remains speculation, however, as the [[Alliance]] has still not yet traveled to any region of space previously conquered by the Kzer-Za or observed the functioning of any other Hierarchy but our local one.
+The '''Ur-Quan Hierarchy''', also known as the '''Hierarchy of Battle Thralls''' or simply the '''Hierarchy''', is an interstellar empire created by the [[Ur-Quan Kzer-Za]] to manage their conquests that perpetuate the [[Path of Now and Forever]]. In our corner of the galaxy, the Hierarchy consists of the Ur-Quan, seven '''[[Battle Thralls]]''' and at least four '''[[Fallow Slave|Fallow Slaves]]''', including the Humans.
+As the Kzer-Za become embroiled in the [[Second Doctrinal Conflict|Doctrinal War]] against the [[Ur-Quan Kohr-Ah]], the [[New Alliance of Free Stars]] is established in 2155 and the Hierarchy begins to unravel as Battle Thralls start defecting or attacking one another.
+==History==
+It is unknown how this system has operated in past regions conquered by the Kzer-Za; they did not bring along the ships of any previously conquered races upon attacking our region, though it is possible that at least part of the crew of their [[Dreadnought]]s originate from other regions. Also, the growing instability of our own Hierarchy near the time of the [[Doctrinal Conflict]] suggests that it might be dangerous for the Ur-Quan to keep Battle Thralls outside their direct supervision and control.
+The Kzer-Za have a policy of modifying alien cultures to varying degrees in order to pacify them and make them useful to the Hierarchy after conquest. The extent of this most likely depends highly on the situation.  For instance, the Kzer-Za were forced to take radical steps to prevent a nuclear war among the [[Thraddash]] &mdash; replacing Culture 18 with Culture 19 &mdash; while apparently leaving the [[Yehat]] clan system intact after both of those species became Battle Thralls. On [[Earth]], they destroyed all [[Human]] dwellings, monuments and archaeological sites older than 500 years, including some of which the Humans were not even aware, apparently to forcibly uproot a culture they found troublesome and allow it to be completely replaced with a more Ur-Quan-friendly one. How often this was practiced for conquered worlds is unknown, though the [[Spathi]] claim to have undergone a similar process.
+==Enemies==
+From February 2155 onwards, the [[New Alliance of Free Stars]] emerges as a counterweight to Hierarchy dominance, leading the Kzer-Za to threaten [[The Captain]] with the decimation of Earth should he continue to violate the [[Oath of Fealty]].
+The [[Ur-Quan Kohr-Ah]] are a rival superpower to the Ur-Quan Kzer-Za and both are engaged in the [[Doctrinal Conflict]].  On 17 February 2159, the Kohr-Ah begin the [[Death March]] to exterminate all races, be they members of the Hierarchy, Alliance or [[neutral]].
+==Command Structure==
+The '''[[Ur-Quan Kzer-Za]]''' are the supreme commanders of the Hierarchy.  When a race is conquered, they are given the choice to become [[Battle Thrall|Battle Thralls]] or [[Fallow Slave|Fallow Slaves]].
-All species that decline to formally join the Hierarchy as Battle Thralls are relegated to the status of [[fallow slave]]s and immediately slave-shielded. Fallow species, while a war remains ongoing in their region of space, are still required to indirectly serve the Hierarchy by providing resources and labor in the form of [[Starbase]]s maintained around their planets for the construction and repair of Hierarchy vessels, transport to and from planetary surfaces performed only under Ur-Quan supervision, since only Ur-Quan vessels are given the ability to travel through slave shields. After local hostilities cease and the Kzer-Za move on, this system is assumedly to be disbanded.
+'''Battle Thralls''' are essentially henchmen who obey Kzer-Za commands and act as agents to help subdue other species, and thus keep some degree of political autonomy and the freedom to travel through space.  They are responsible for occupying Fallow Slave systems to ensure compliance and they are forbidden from fighting civil wars and conflicts against other Thralls.
-The Kzer-Za have a policy of modifying alien cultures to varying degrees in order to pacify them and make them useful to the Hierarchy after conquest. The extent of this most likely depends highly on the situation; for instance, the Kzer-Za were forced to take radical steps to prevent a nuclear war among the [[Thraddash]] while apparently leaving the [[Yehat]] clan system intact after both of those species became Battle Thralls. Their most extensive known cultural modification program occurred on the slave-shielded [[Earth]], where they destroyed all [[Human]] dwellings, monuments and archeological sites older than a few centuries, including some of which the Humans were not even aware, apparently to forcibly uproot a culture they found troublesome and allow it to be completely replaced with a more Ur-Quan-friendly one. How often this was practiced for fallow slave worlds is unknown, though the [[Spathi]] claim to have undergone a similar process.
+'''Fallow Slaves''' are races that take the [[Oath of Fealty]] and then their homeworld is encased in a [[Slave Shield]].  They are maintain a [[Starbase]] by providing resources, crew and labor for the construction, repair, and refueling of Hierarchy vessels.  Transport between the Starbase and the planetary surface is performed only under Ur-Quan supervision.  Violation of the Oath is punishable by destruction of the shielded planet and thus the entire race.
-===Hierarchy Battle Thralls during the [[Ur-Quan Slave War]] ([[Star Control I]]):===
+==Membership==
-*[[Mycon]] - only known race to actively seek out the Ur-Quan and request Battle Thrall status.
+As of February 2155, the Hierarchy consists of the Ur-Quan Kzer-Za, seven Battle Thralls and four Fallow Slaves.
-*[[Spathi]] -  intended to become a fallow species, but were tricked by the Umgah into becoming thralls.
-*[[Androsynth]]
+===Leaders===
-*[[VUX]]
+*[[Ur-Quan Kzer-Za]]
+===Hierarchy Battle Thralls===
 *[[Ilwrath]]
+*[[Mycon]]
+*[[Spathi]]
+*[[Thraddash]]
 *[[Umgah]]
-*[[Thraddash]] - did not directly participate in the Ur-Quan Slave War.{{ref|1}}
+*[[VUX]]
+*[[Yehat]]
-===Hierarchy Battle Thralls at the beginning of [[Star Control II]]:===
+===Fallow Slaves===
-*[[Yehat]] - the only former [[Alliance of Free Stars|Alliance]] member to choose Battle Thrall status, the Hierarchy [[Veep-Neep]] government can later be [[Yehat Rebellion|overthrown]] by pro-[[New Alliance|New-Alliance]] Starship Clan [[Yehat Rebels|Revolutionaries]].
+*[[Faz]]
-*[[Mycon]]
+*[[Syreen]]
-*[[Spathi]] - can defect to the [[New Alliance of Free Stars]], then will soon after encase their [[Spathiwa|homeworld]] in a slave shield.
+*[[Humans]]
-*[[VUX]]
+*[[Chenjesu]] and [[Mmrnmhrm]] (together on a single world)
-*[[Thraddash]] - the Hierarchy's Culture 19 government can later be overthrown by pro-New-Alliance Culture 20 government.
-*[[Ilwrath]]
-*[[Umgah]] - eventually enslaved by the [[Talking Pet (device)|neo-Dnyarri]], but revert to Battle Thrall status once freed.
-==Notes and References==
-{{note|1}}''The [[Thraddash]] claim to have been Battle Thralls at the time, told to "guard the rear". They are usually not included in such lists because there is no mention of the Thraddash in Star Control I.''
 [[Category:Organizations]]
 [[Category:Kzer-Za]]
+[[Category: Hierarchy]]