Kig-Yar Union

The Kig-Yar Union is an alliance of the Kig-Yar clans into a single government body. While rife with crime and piracy, the Union is also bustling with trade and discovery. Though their new found freedom would be sacrificed for protection, the Union became a stand in for the Kig-Yar race as a whole, though its eventual collapse killed any promise of a "Kig-Yar" state, and the puppet state built in it's absence never measured up to the Union at its height. 
==History==
===Creation===
When the Covenant Loyalists crumbled, the Kig-Yar broke away, finally free for the first time in centuries. Many of the commanding Kig-Yar Clans wanted to go back to their original way of Piracy, while the other Clans wanted to finally band together into an efficient state. Ultimately, the loudest voice were the Unionists, who formed the first Union senate. Banding together for trade and mutual protection, the clans forming the Union cemented this new alliance with trade deals that made them all stronger. 
Always an uneasy neighbour, the Union was stuck between the growing barbarity of the Jiralhanae Kingdoms, their internal wars occasionally spilling into Union space, and Sangheili territory, still stuck in internal strife as they fought to ascertain dominance. Union clans would raid, and be raided in return, and mercenaries made a good pay from selling their services to any in need. 
===Remnant War===
Union is largely neutral, though clans sell their services without much internal strife. Some Covenant expeditions are met with unified resistance, forming the first unified military of the Union.
===Border Skirmishes===
a series of disastrous border skirmishes with the Swords of Sanghelios create tension in the Union. Despite Senate assurances that it is a diplomatic incident, the machinations of Dekd Nok inflame these concerns. He also caused the skirmishes 
===Union Clan Wars===
fading trust in the power of the Union gives power to rogue non-government parties 
Dekd Nok, a powerful but unpredictable maniac, the cunning Jor Ruk, Chol Von, a would be revolutionary, the swasbucker Trak F'Kor, and the influential Chaj Gul'Yar
===First War of the Confederacy===
Union, under Dekd Nok, wage war on all parties, taking significant territory and become stronger.
===Interbellum===
internal strife as newcomers threaten Dekd's power, and Dekd becomes more and more brutal in trying to hold it, slipping from people's hero to dictator. 
===Second War of the Confederacy===
war fares poorly over all. What should have been startling victories were reduced to ash. Rebellion by Freeholds, and victories by the Coalition result in drastic loses in territory. A vengeful and renewed SOS cause a series of casualties. 
less radical elements of the Union secede and join the Freeholds. Others become vassals of the SOS. A small element is held onto as it decends into civil war. Jor Ruk leads a betrayal of Nok on behalf of his masters, the Demiurge, and secures his territory, and a large chunk of Union space as a Demiurge vassal. The rest descends into civil war, with SOS staying clear, and Jiralhanae Kingdoms picking at the scrap. In a final insult, Eayn becomes a thrall world. 
==Culture==
Few Kig-Yar have a religion, though some peasants and workers believe in spirits in trees and rocks, along with the ancient Kig-yar gods. During the time of service in the Covenant, some Kig-Yar started to believe in the Great Journey, though the majority did not. Several of these believers later adopted the Path to Ascension faith created by the Sangheili after the end of the Human-Covenant War. 
During the early years of the original Kig-Yar States, there was no effective schooling system. Mostly the younglings had to learn from experience and from their parents all since they hatched. But, when the Kig-Yar Union was formed, a schooling system was planned, based a bit off both human and sangheili systems. Kig-Yar younglings start their studying at the age of 5, then go in school until they're 14, where they're forced to choose either a civilian or military career.
==Clans==
The KYU was created from a total of 12 clans (plus widespread settlements of peasants) and two thirds of the population is from one of these clans. However, "Clan" in Kig-Yar terms is not the same as it is for other species. Kig-Yar clans doesn't entirely consist of people from the same family, they can also consist of many random Kig-yar that are accepted into a clan (the clans have different trials for acception, although the rules do not apply to the clan's creating family and their relatives). 
(Note:If a Kig-Yar from the KYU achieves a status of Shipmaster or higher, they receive an addition to their name, the word being the Kig-yar word for that rank. For example, a Ship Master gets to add "Chur'R" to the start of their names. This is a new naming system established by the Sangheili during the Kig-Yar's time in the Covenant, opposite to the naming used by the Kig-Yar Pirates, who went back to the old Kig-Yar naming scheme.). 
The clans are:
===Zan Clan===
The Zan Clan is the generally most powerful clan in the KYU, and have always been since the Union's creation. It was the first clan that initiated negotiations about creating the first Kig-Yar Empire, which would later convince the 12 Union clans to band together and the Pirate Clans to leave their home systems. The Zan Clan also controls most of the Kig-Yar trading companies, and have the most seats in the Senate. Therefore, the current Grand Senator is from the Zan Clan, Dok'G-Lak.
===Hag Clan===
The Hag Clan was the second of the three primary clans that wanted to band together to form the Kig-yar Union. They control many trading companies that sell luxuries, like rare fruits or animals that other races can eat as delicacies, including Thorn Beasts, Mraks and Spike Apples. A notable member of the Hag Clan, Huk'M-Tum, is a member of the Senate.
===Agm Clan===
The Agm Clan was the third of the three primary clans that wanted to band together to form the Kig-yar Union. The clan is known for their warrior-like nature, and most of the best officers and soldiers are from the Agm Clan. A notable Agm Clan member is Narvak, a Kig-Yar Shocktrooper.
===Minor Kig-Yar Clans===
*Nik Clan
*Zat Clan
*Vhyr Clan
*Khok Clan
*Nhaw Clan
*Lor Clan
*Ugk Clan
*Poq Clan
*Vur Clan
==Technology==
The Kig-Yar Union use USR ships, weapons and vehicles, although they are forbidden by the USR to use more powerful pieces of technology, due to mistrust between the races. 
The Kig-Yar only have one original piece of technology, the Kig-yar Point Defence Gauntlet. By 2589, it was upgraded, with much help from Machina scientists, to be able to resist plasma technology and grenades better, their former weaknesses. While they're still weak against these arsenals, the Shield can now take more of it before failing.
==Military==
The Kig-Yar Union military is based on three principles; speed, teamwork and manoeuvrability. Their greatest strength is the agility of their units, and flexibility for combat operations. 
The military is divided into Talons, each of which is a self sufficient military unit combining air, ground, and fleet assets. 
===Warships===
*-class Sloop
*Raider-class Corvette
*Dirge-class Heavy Corvette
*Pillager-class Heavy Destroyer
*Vanguard-class Light Cruiser
*Invader-class Attack Cruiser
*Barrage-class Battlecruiser
*Violator-class Armoured Cruiser
*-class Command Cruiser
*-class Carrier
*-class 
*-class 
*-class 
===Vehicles===
===Weapons===
===Personal Equipment===
*Fang Harness: A standard for Harnesses used by the KYU, it is lightweight, and with good freedom of movement. This is most commonly seen used by their non-specialist infantry, and Phalanx troops. This armour uses light nanolaminates, and has little additional features beyond an Identify Friend-Foe (IFF) beacon and communications gear. 
**Minor
**Major
**Heavy
**Officer
*Claw Harness 
**Minor
**Major
**Murmillo
**Champion
**Commando
*Talon Harness 
*sniper gear
**Visor 
**eye piece 
**Helmet 
*ranger harness 
*Cestus Harness 
*Storm trooper harness 
*Baiter Harness: (trapper) 
*Reaver Harness: (stealth) 
*Mamluk Harness
**Minor:
**Major:
**Ultra:
**Adjutant:
*Mamluk Light:
**Brigand:
**Provocateur: 
*Mamluk Heavy:
**Heavy:
**Gladiator:
**Kheshig:
*Mamluk Janissary: 
*Mamluk Ranger:
===Structure===
*Minor: Light infantry, they are often equipped with short rifles. Far from line infantry, they often act closer to light infantry, engaging in hit and run strikes that bleed the enemy. 
*Major: Experienced soldiers, they often lead smaller files. 
*Skirmisher minor: Light shock troops, Skirmishers overwhelm the enemy in high-speed assaults that rely on their superior agility. 
*Skirmisher Major: Veteran Skirmishers often lead small units themselves. 
*Phalanx Minor: Hardened shield infantry, Phalanx are usually experienced to some measure, and use point-defence gauntlets to attack or hold ground.
*Phalanx Major: with more experience, comes superior gear, that improves their performance in the field. 
*Heavy Phalanx: Heavily armoured shield infantry who form the spear head. These elite troops often form cadres of hardened soldiers. 
*Storm: More multipurpose scouts, they often have carbines, and back up other units on the assault. 
*Champion: Champions are specialist officers, who directly liaise between soldiers in the field, and those in the rear line. They keep their forward elements under strict control, and ensure rear officers are aware of how the battle goes. They themselves are fearsome and experienced soldiers. 
*Line-Lieutenant: The Line-Lieutenant is the ranking officer for field battles, and is usually subservient to a Captain. They direct military operations during ground actions, and usually have multiple units fighting across large areas. 
*Specialists
**Sniper: Elite marksmen and snipers who engage enemy forces at range. They are somewhat more aggressive than UNSC sniper doctrine dictates, often closing with the enemy for further shots. 
**Ranger: Rangers are equipped with void gear, protecting them in the harsh vacuum of space. They are a vital and respected part of any crew, being important in boarding missions. They also assist as scouts and marksmen for ground combat. 
**Murmillo: Murmillo are an elite cadre of assault troops, using shield bucklers to protect themselves, while closing rapidly to assault the enemy. Fearsome on the offensive, they usually cut straight through enemy positions.
**Commando: Tight-knit groups of sharp-shooters, the Commandos are hunter-killer groups, often given exacting parameters to conduct operations. Deployed against enemy personnel, they use precision firepower to bring down enemy forces. 
**Cestus: Cestus are heavy assault troops, carrying large shields to protect themselves, along with heavy armour. They usually carry powerful weapons, and demolition charges too. They are normally sent as the vanguard against enemy fortifications, but also tackle enemy armour as well. 
**Stormtroopers: Stormtroopers are the vanguard of a Union assault. Stormtroopers use a Kig-Yar variant of the Orbital Insertion Pod to drop swiftly to the surface. They conduct a variety of operations, including direct action against vulnerable enemy positions, commando raids, or secure positions ahead of the main force. 
**Night Fang: Originally the special forces of the Union, Night Fang were Sangheili-trained commandos who conducted sabotage, assassinations, intelligence gathering, and other similar missions. Following the fall of the Union, the surviving Night Fang members helped to train up new successor units to be in use with Dekd Nok's new government, expanding their numbers, and forces. 
**Butchers: Butchers are experts of stealth, and are cold-blooded killers. They kill key enemy commanders to tip the tide of battles, preferably without anyone knowing who did it. Dispatched directly by their Talon commander, they kill their enemy with a grim enjoyment. Often, they are clad in highly-advanced stealth gear, and carry long-barrelled weapons, especially particle rifles. 
**Bestiarius: Rare troops, the Bestiarius is a beast master, who uses tamed war beasts to fight his battles. They deploy sighting avians with cameras, vicious war hounds to track and drag down his enemies, are large beasts to carry them into battle. Such troops are also highly individualistic, often with their own wargear, and skilled in survival skills. 
**Retiarius: Elite trappers, they specialises in sniper and ambush actions, as well as asset retrieval. Largely loners, they operate freely of normal chain of command. They are often mercenaries or some measure, though they are sometimes pulled for experienced snipers. 
**Prince Guard: Another of Dekd Nok's inventions, the Prince Guard are soldiers dedicated to the protection of their liege, even at the cost of their own lives. Their unwavering devotion is earned with mental conditioning, intended to imbue them with loyalty. This results in an unquestioning bodyguard. 
**Sicario: Even with the increased stability from Dekd's rule, there is still contention for the roles of Prince, Marquis, and Captain. When these roles are challenged, they rely on specialists called Sicarios. Closer to secret police, they ensure the loyalty of officers, whether it be with a word, or with a sword. Each is an experienced and loyal soldier.
**Freelancer: Based on specialist units prized by Grand Prince Dekd Nok, the Freelancers are now widespread across the various Talons. Freelancers are made up of Kig-Yar too independent to follow orders, but too valuable to do away with. These specialised units are tolerated only as long as they produce results, usually in the form of Mev-ut or actionable intelligence. 
*Unique
**Black Claw: Dekd Nok's personal guard, each are experienced warriors further augmented with exotic armour and equipment, and vigorously conditioned to make them unflinchingly loyal to Nok. 
**The Infinite Talon: The Union's first attempt at augmented soldiers, they used geneforging techniques to introduce several new, and extreme elements into their DNA. The result are highly powerful commandos, with augmented musculature that allows them to run faster and jump higher, and tackle stronger enemies in close combat. It also gave them chameleonic capabilities, being able to adjust their skin's colours and tone to match their surroundings. However, it caused a number of crippling issues, such as rampant spine growth, and enhanced talon growth, both requiring constant care, otherwise they became easily infected, killing them. 
**The Adamantine Claw: While geneforging proved to be a poor fit, attempts were made at cybernetic augmentation on a mass scale. This too, was met with limited success, as while the operators became increasing more powerful, many suffered from cybernetic-induced psychosis, making them dangerous in the field. Augmentations included synthetic musculature, reflex-enhancing implants, dermal armour, cranial implants, and augmented vision. 
**Sable Fangs: After many abortive attempts, Sable Fangs were considered the final product. Combining knowledge gleamed from previous attempts, Sable Fangs mixed chemical, genetic, and cybernetic enhancements, creating Kig-Yar who were faster, stronger, and more resilient than any of their kin. These elite commanders had unique biological augmentations that allowed them to ignore severe injury, and granted them enhanced redundancy against organ, nervous, or pulmonary damage. 
**Anathrak Mamluk: Anathrak was the name of a ancestor spirit in ancient Kig-Yar, one that could be bent to the will of an enemy through black magic. It leant it's name to the process of augmenting Mamluks to enhance their combat performance. While the upgrades themselves were somewhat shallow, moderately enhancing their speed and power. More importantly, it excises the majority of their emotions, while enhancing their combat aggression and loyalty through hormonal implants.
*Titles
**Shadow: This title denotes a specialist in intelligence gathering, for example a Shadow Marquis may handle the spy apparatus of a Clan, on behalf of their Prince. 
**Freebooter: Freebooters are captains and crews not directly tied by service to a Marquis or Prince. They rent out their services freely, often signing contracts for long term service. 
**Privateer: Privateers are independent Captains who signed contracts with the government prior to it's collapse. Often they were assigned to anti-piracy missions and harassing enemies.
**Buccaneer: Buccaneers are Captains who took short term commissions, from any source. They worked with pirates, Clans, the military, and the government, with no lasting allegiances to any. 
**Corsair: Corsair Captains have no allegiances to any faction, and freely raid any. 
*Officers
**Brevet-Lieutenant: Brevet-Lieutenants are executive officers, often serving under a Captain. Should the Captain be killed or incapacitated, they take over in their stead. They are often experienced officers, being groomed for command. 
**Captain: Captain applies to anybody commanding a vessel, with, in theory, any and all Captains being of equal standing, though often Captains in one Squadron or Talon will devise a hierarchy through social and military success. 
**Commander: Commanders are elevated from Captains to command squadrons of several warships, directing them as large extensions of Talons. 
**Marquis: Marquis are high ranking officers, who command Talons, roughly equivalent to a Legion or Division. Marquis mix political skill, mercantile knowledge, and military command. 
**Prince: a Prince is the commander of his Clan, and often achieve this position through ruthless political manoeuvring, and military might. 
*Mamluk: slave-soldiers in use by the Kig-Yar, based on Jor Ruk's soldiers. advanced indoctrination, and heavy training. 
**Mamluk Minor: Mamluk minors are fresh out of training and conditioning, and are armed with rifles and light armour. 
**Mamluk Major: Mamluk's who perform well are usually promoted, becoming more experienced soldiers in the process. 
**Mamluk Ultra: Those that excel in combat see themselves being placed into elite cadres of warriors that are used as line breakers. Afforded superior armour, and decent weapons, they make for lethal troops. 
**Mamluk Intendant: Those with a knack for commanding often see themselves promoted to Intendant, and tasked with commanding Mamluks in the field. While subservient to Kig-Yar, they direct their troops as ordered. 
*Mamluk Specialists
**Mamluk Ranger: Equipped as void troops, Mamluk Rangers are often used to support their master's in void combat. 
**Mamluk Heavy: Heavies are used to carry heavy weapons, man stationary weapons, or operate gun positions on vehicles, with superior armour to better protect them here. 
**Mamluk Janissary: Janissaries are taken from the most battle hardened and experienced Mamluks, and are equipped with stealth armour, and advanced weapons. They are often seen supporting other special forces, such as Night Fang, Butchers, or other troops.
**Mamluk Kheshig: Kheshig are small, but elite units of bodyguards, that are often used by Marquis, or lower ranked soldiers, who cannot warrant a Prince Guard. Taken from those who have shown unwavering loyalty, they are further conditioned, and never leave their charges side. 
**Mamluk Brigand: Some Mamluk's shown independence, even after conditioning, and are often selected for Brigand duty. These soldiers are scout-snipers, working in concert with Kig-Yar marksman and scouts to defeat the enemy. Often a Retiarius might keep a coterie of these on retainer to assist him at a moments notice. 
**Mamluk Gladiator: Elite assault forces, Gladiators show a tremendous amount of esprit de corps, usually as an effort of imprinting, and assist in assaults using their heavy armour. Some, are actual gladiators pulled from an officer's collection. 
**Mamluk Provocateur: As part of their spy network, often Shadow Captains and Shadow Marquis employ Provocateurs, mamluks cross-trained in espionage, assassination, and intelligence gathering. They can often pass for citizens of their own race without issue, though some are often re-conditioned after operations to maintain loyalty.
==Notable Kig-Yar==
*Dok'G-Lak
*Narvak
*Huk'M-Tum
*Vor'N-Ulu
*Whipp
*Keg
*Nit'E-Zan
*Sorina
==Related Pages==
*Kig-Yar Senate
*Eayn Military Arms
*Khaz'K
*Gruk
*Kurg
*Tarom
*Claws of Eayn
*Kig-Yar Union Armed Forces