Shivan

The Shivans are mysterious, omnicidal aliens that for reasons unknown seek to destroy all non-shivan life forms. Little is known about the true disposition of the Shivans or their goals. They serve as the main antagonists of the Freespace series.

The Great War
In the later days of the Terran-Vasudan War, Shivan warships began to appear and lay waste to Terran and Vasudan worlds. Their ship technology was superior to those of the Terrans and Vasudans, placing them at a disadvantage. After capturing a Shivan craft, the SC Taranis, the Shivan flagship SD Lucifer appeared and destroyed the cruiser. The Lucifer was the most powerful Shivan warship of its kind, examplified with the Lucifer sterilizing the Vasudan homeworld, Vasuda Prime, with a devastating orbital bombardment (a la the Protoss). By this point, the Terrans and Vasudans put aside their differences and joined together against the Shivans as the Galactic Terran-Vasudan Alliance.

They knew that the Lucifer possessed nigh-impenetrable shields that they could not breach. However, a discovery was made at the ruins of a race called the Ancients, who had been exterminated by the Shivans many many years ago. They had learned that the SD Lucifer was only vulnerable when it is in Subspace. Upon this, they had found that the Lucifer had moved to the Delta Serpentis system, upon the periphery of the Terran home system, Sol. A desperate attack was launched on the Lucifer near the Sol Jump Node. An anonymous fighter pilot attacked the Lucifer as it moved into Subspace, ultimately destroying the mighty ship. The Lucifer's destruction had sent the Shivans into full retreat, virtually disappearing from GTVA space. However, while victorious, they had paid a heavy price, for the Lucifer's death had destroyed the Jump Node to Sol, cutting off humanity from Earth.

Thirty Two Years Later...
Thirty-two years after the end of the Great War, after several skirmishes against the Neo-Terran Front rebellion, a shocking discovery was made by the GTVA. The Shivans had returned, ready to face their age-old foes with a vengeance. They were first found in the Gamma Draconis system. They had arrived in the system via a massive Subspace Portal created by the Ancients(dubbed Knossos by the GTVA). Several new Shivan craft were identified here, such as the SF Mara and the SC Rakshasa. After securing the Knossos, the GTVA sent their flagship, the GTD Aquitaine, to investigate what lay on the other side of the portal. They had found a huge nebula, possibly the remains of a supernova. The 107th Ravens deployed fighter wings Alpha, Gamma, Iota, Kappa and Zeta to explore the Nebula. At the first SitRep, Kappa Wing did not report in which deeply disturbed the recon team. Shortly after this, Alpha Wing and Zeta Wing encountered a wing of Shivan Manticores. After taking out the fighters, they had found a damaged GTC Fenris nearby. It identified itself as the NTC Trinity, and after several short negotiations, the Aquitaine agreed to send in a transport to resque the Trinity's crew. Suddenly, a huge Shivan attack group appeared and destroyed the Trinity. Thankfully, the evac shuttle got away safely.

After the encounter in the Nebula, many Shivan conflicts followed.

The SJ Sathanas
After many skirmishes with the Shivans, a Vasudan task force had discovered yet another Shivan warship. However, this particular ship was different from other Shivan craft, easily outclassing the SD Ravana or even the SD Lucifer in size and power. It was identified as the SJ Sathanas, the first warship to have its own unique class(Juggernaut). The GTVA moved to prevent the Sathanas from entering their space by destroying the Knossos Device in Gamma Draconis with powerful Meson Bombs. The gate was successfully destroyed, but to the Alliance's dismay, the Jump Node remained stable, allowing the Sathanas to emerge from subspace shortly after the portal was destroyed. To counter this, the Alliance deployed its newest and most powerful warship, the GTVA Colossus. After a Vasudan bomber wing softened up the juggernaut's forward weapon systems, the Colossus and Sathanas fought in the Capella system. After a long struggle, the Colossus destroyed the SJ Sathanas.

Despair
After the SJ Sathanas was destroyed by the Colossus, a Vasudan task force headed by the Vasudan flagship GVD Psamtik was sent into the Nebula. Later in their mission, they had found a second Knossos Device deep in the Nebula. Upon approaching the portal, a new SJ Sathanas emerged from subspace and destroyed the Psamtik. Terran Intelligence journeyed beyond the Knossos 2, which had brought them to a binary star system where a fleet of Sathanas Juggernauts was forming. They had also found yet another Knossos portal, which possibly lead to a Shivan colony or even the Shivans' home territory. A fleet of sixty Sathanas Juggernauts moved into Alliance space, decimating all that stood in their path. A Terran ship from the Great War, the GTD Bastion, was used to halt the flow of Shivan reinforcements by using Meson Bombs to destroy the Capella/Gamma Draconis Jump Node. The Colossus was sent to protect the Bastion, as a Sathanas had moved in to counter this maneuver. The Colossus was ordered to retreat, as the Shivans were too strong for them, but the ship refused to back off and continued to hold the line for the Bastion. The Colossus was then destroyed, but not before the Bastion reached the Jump Node and destroyed it.

Destruction of Capella
After the tragic loss of the GTVA Colossus, the Alliance ordered the immediate evacuation of the Capella system. The Sathanas Fleet had then moved to the Capella star while their escorts engaged the escaping ships. Several minutes later, the juggernauts began to emit a strange energy signature, which was then followed by Capella suddenly going supernova. The last of the evac transports and fighters, along with the Shivan Fleet, fled the area before the shockwave destroyed them.

Affiliations
There were only two factions that were affiliated with the Shivans, the Neo-Terran Front and the Hammer of Light.

The NTF was a Terran rebel alliance headed by Admiral Aken Bosch. They were made up of those who still hated the Vasudans, even after the end of the Great War. However, this was only to cover up Bosch's true agenda. Held aboard his flagship, the NTF Iceni, was the prototype ETAK device, which was developed and abandoned during the Great War. The ETAK was developed as a means for communicating with the Shivans, and Bosch planned to use it to gain the favor of the aliens. After the NTF was defeated, he fled into the Nebula and met with the Shivans. After making contact, Admiral Bosch and his closest subordinates boarded several Shivan Transports just when a GTVA task force arrived to capture the Iceni. It was then scuttled by the Shivans. No one knows what happened to Bosch after that, but since he was assisted by the Shivans, it can be thought that he had managed to negotiate an alliance with the Shivans

Shivan Facts

 * Based on how their body is built, it is believed that the Shivans evolved in zero-gravity.
 * Shivan craft generally have black/ash-grey and red hulls, usually featuring spikes, ridges and jaw-like bows.
 * A Shivan has five limbs(two arms and three legs), a durable airtight carapace and a cluster of insectoid eyes.
 * It is unknown why they destroy all non-Shivan life forms, but with their supposedly nigh-infinite starfleet, they sure as hell are good at it.
 * It is possible that the Nebula beyond the Knossos Portal in Gamma Draconis was once a star that was destroyed by the Sathanas Fleets.

Notable Shivan Ships
SD Lucifer: The most powerful warship in existence before the GTVA Colossus, and then later, the SJ Sathanas.

SF Mara: One of the new Shivan warships. Why are they important? You get to fly one later!

SD Ravana: A new destroyer that took out the GTCv Lysander and GTCv Actium.

SF Dragon: Very fast, very strong, causes some pilots to wet themselves.

SJ Sathanas: The newest and most powerful Shivan warship known. One blew up the GTVA Colossus. Sixty caused Capella to go supernova.

Shivan Territory

 * Gamma Draconis: The entry point of the Shivan fleet.
 * The Nebula: Also known as the Shivan Nebula, this place is full of Shivan warships.
 * Binary System: An unidentified binary star system found on the other side of the Knossos Portal in the Shivan Nebula. A massive fleet of Sathanas Juggernauts was amassed here. A third Knossos Portal was found here, possibly leading deeper into Shivan territory.

Etymology
The Shivans are named after Shiva, the Hindu god of destruction.