Kig-Yar

The **Kig-Yar** (*Perosus latrunculus*), often referred to as **Jackals**, are a sapient avian species among the former members of the Covenant.

## Biology

The Kig-Yar are derived from maniraptoran dinosaurs, from Earth, seeded on Eayn by the Precursors during the Cretaceous Period.

Kig-Yar are a sexually dimorphic species, where males feature quills as crests and on their elbows, while females have osteodermic plates on those locations.

Kig-Yar blood carries the protein haemerythryn, making it purple.

### **Subspecies**

The Kig-Yar are notable for exhibiting enormous phenotypic diversity, moreso than nearly all other species in the galaxy. Three subspecies, all capable of interbreeding, exist;

#### **Ruuhtian**

The Ruuhtian subspecies (*P. latrunculus* *latrunculus*) is by far the most numerous, and the one most often seen outside of Covenant space.

#### **Ibi'eshan**

The Ibi'eshan subspecies (*P. latrunculus* *ibi'eshensis*) are a more basal "breed", exhibiting more traits from the species' common ancestor than the other two. Ibi'eshans are more physically imposing than the other subspecies.

#### **T'vaoan**

The T'vaoan subspecies (*P. latrunculus* *t'vaoensis*) originates from the asteroid colony T'vao. Higher gravity, severe atmospheric anomalies, and a number of other environmental factors led to the colonists evolving into their own separate group rapidly. In the Covenant military, T'vaoans were segregated into their own units. Human and Citadel military personnel most often refer to them as "Skirmishers".

## History

### Ancient history

The Kig-Yar's civilization started out divided into clans that sailed across Eayn's seas as merchants and pirates. There are stories that early Kig-Yar society was influenced by invisible hunters with glowing eyes who sought out the strongest of their warriors to take them as trophies.

The various clans agreed on the common goal of uniting and making developing to take them up into space. Their efforts proved successful, and they established colonies upon numerous asteroids and planetoids orbiting Chu'ot, independent of Eayn's government. This, however, led to many of the colonies becoming pirate havens. Those on Eayn were forced to form ruthless Commando units to fight the pirates, who had rendered commerce in space near-impossible.

### First contact with the Covenant

The pirates and Commandos would soon face a common enemy, however. In 1342, Covenant expansionary fleets had reached the Y'Deio system. The fleets were assaulted by Kig-Yar pirates, so true Covenant battlefleets followed soon after, leading to an arduous war throughout the system.

Eventually realizing of the nonexistent likelihood of them winning the war, as well as concluding that gaining access to trade throughout the rest of the galaxy would be beneficial, the Kig-Yar accepted Letters of Marque sent from the Ministry of Tranquility. The Kig-Yar would now serve the Covenant, yet still continue their marauding lifestyle, raiding the Covenant's enemies.

### Unggoy Rebellion

When the Unggoy were absorbed into the Covenant hierarchy, they were placed on the same level as the Kig-Yar, which resulted in much animosity between the two races, who shared a bitter rivalry. On High Charity, the growing Unggoy population put pressure on the Kig-Yar as many of them were forced to relocate their homes and nests to accommodate the Unggoy. The massive relocation created severe stress for the female Kig-Yar that were undergoing their incubation cycles which as a result Kig-Yar infant mortality rose on and the birth rate declined. To exact vengeance, a radical group of Kig-Yar shipmasters poisoned infusions on both High Charity and those on the vessels operated by the Kig-Yar leaving many male Unggoy sterile. As a result when the High Council looked into the case, the offending Kig-Yar were not imprisoned and the guilty shipmasters were simply fined for damages leaving them unpunished and the case closed. The increased tensions between them, spurred along by Salarian manipulation, along with the Unggoy's general mistreatment by others, sparked the [Rebellion|Unggoy Rebellion]. The Unggoy attacked not only Kig-Yar, but all other Covenant races, forcing an Arbiter to glass part of Balaho to end the insurrection.

### Human-Covenant War

The Kig-Yar missionary ship *Minor Transgression* was the first Covenant craft to make contact with humans. Over the planet Harvest, *Minor Transgression* raided a human freighter, and the incident would in part instigate the Human-Covenant War. Kig-Yar scouts were often responsible for finding human colonies.

During the war, the Kig-Yar were the only Covenant member race humans had any chance of peaceful interaction with. A notable occurrence of this was the "Rubble" asteroid field, co-inhabited by humans and Kig-Yar. In the end, the community was destroyed, but even brief coexistence is notable.

## Culture and society

The society of the Kig-Yar is matriarchal, with females being dominant from the familial to governmental level. While males are subservient, females are also subject to much higher expectations.

Kig-Yar are extremely individualistic, although they do place some importance on kin.

Throughout their history, there has been one facet that has remained unchanged - the romanticizing of the pirate. To them, the pirate is the epitome of freedom, which is of unparalleled importance to them due to their individualistic nature.

## Trivia

The idea of Kig-Yar being descended from dinosaurs brought to Eayn by the Precursors is a fanon concept created by Sombraptor, who details the hypothesis here.