Kalderan

The Kalderans are an avian species from the Andromeda Galaxy.

History
The Kalderans evolved on the planet Kalderash that was located in the Lesser Magellanic Cloud and noted for being a pleasant world. (Website: All Systems University Kalderans) In the year 859 CY, a High Guard vessel managed to fall within Kalderan hands and allowed the species to reverse engineer slipstream technology. This eventually catapulted the race into an interstellar empire by 870 CY with the formation of the Kalderan Alliance who combated the encroachment of the Vedran Empire that were arriving in the Kalderans home galaxy. Over a period of a decade, the Kalderans fought against their foes and managed to drive them out of the Lesser Magellanic Cloud completely. Despite this one notable resistance against the Vedran Empire, the Kalderans were ultimately defeated when the High Guard pushed towards their homeworld. This saw Kalderash being conquered and occupied by the Vedrans who forcibly absorbed the Kalderans into their empire after the disbandment of the Kalderan Alliance. (Website: All Systems University Timeline) As such, they were well known to had joined the Vedran Empire as gun point and later became members of its successor government namely the Systems Commonwealth. (Episode: Last Call of a Broken Hammer)

After the Nietzscheans Uprising which saw the downfall of the Systems Commonwealth, the Kalderans began to re-assert their historic claims to the Greater Magellanic Cloud during the Long Night. This saw them forming the Kalderan Commune as their official government and they embarked on a campaign of brutal suppression of all rivals that challenged their sphere of influence. (Website: All Systems University Kalderan Commune) It was known that the Kalderans often made attacks against any attempts at forming an interstellar government or restore civilization. (Episode: Last Call of a Broken Hammer) As a result, the twenty world alliance known as the Magellanic Alliance led by charismatic leader Doyen Isabella Ortiz became a force that challenged the Kalderans rule. However, the Alliance was ultimately routed by the Commune's Popular Militia in the year CY 10078 thus ending any further resistance to Kalderan domination. (Website: All Systems University Kalderan Commune) Kalderan raiders were known to had assaulted the planet Tarazed that cost the lives of thousands of people but were driven away on two occasions by the actions of Telemachus Rhade who was wounded twice as a result. (Episode: Home Fires)

Among the worlds that was hit hardest by the Commune's assaults was the mining outpost known as Svarog's Anvil with the Kalderans making open attempts at eliminating the Alliance's leader; Ortiz. It was known that the Kalderans had hired a bounty hunter to track Ortiz with the goal of capturing her or killing her but this failed. Later, they used a mole by the name of Hsigo to travel to Svarog's Anvil and uncover whether Ortiz lived on the planet. Hsigo reported back to the Kalderans who launched a raid on the planet with the intention of killing Ortiz but faced opposition from Captain Dylan Hunt and his crew. The entirety of the Kalderan strike force was eliminated by the actions of Captain Hunt thus preventing them from achieving their objective. (Episode: Last Call of a Broken Hammer) In CY 10088, the Kalderans managed to temporarily capture a Vedran and discovered the resort world of Ral Parthia. This led to them deploying a large fleet of cruisers, tenders and ore ships in order to stripe mine the planet as a final act of spite against the Vedrans. However, they faced opposition from the lone Vedran operative known as Admiral Uxulta who was assisted by the planetary watchmen known as the Warders that were also assisted by Captain Dylan Hunt who intended to restore the Systems Commonwealth. The entirety of Ral Parthia later disappeared into slipstream as a result of the Vedrans actions. (Episode: The Fair Unknown)

During the formative time for the New Systems Commonwealth, Marshall Man-ka-lupe was known to had led a containment campaign against the Kalderans which secured his place as one of the founding fathers of the restored Commonwealth. (Episode: The Leper's Kiss) Afterwards, Captain Dylan Hunt of the restored Systems Commonwealth was involved in getting a non-aggression pact signed with the Kalderan commune. (Episode: The Lone and Level Sands) During the Pyrians offensive against the Known Worlds, the New Systems Commonwealth sent ambassadors to the Kalderans to get their aid to fight off the invasion forces which fortunately ended during the victory at Samsarra. (Episode: Point of the Spear)

Background
A Kalderan was seemingly stronger than a Human and was easily able to lift a member of that species up into the air with a single arm. Their speech often consisted of screeches and shriek-like noises which seemed to be their primary method of communication. As the species evolved from pack hunters, it was known that they made their decisions as a collective and often charged enemy positions. Once the Kalderans had agreed to a plan, it was stated that they followed their decision to the bitter end and that one should not underestimate their race. (Episode: Last Call at the Broken Hammer) It was common knowledge that it was not wise to pick a fight with the Kalderans as they were well known for being both vicious and brutal (Episode: The Fair Unknown) They were noted for being considered one of the toughest fighters in Known Space. Their empire in the post-Commonwealth period was noted to had fought Nietzscheans, Than and even Magog as well as a number of other powers over matters that ranged from simple trade disputes to any perceived insult over Kalderan pride along with sovereignty. The sheer power of the Kalderan Commune meant that even the feared Drago-Kazov Pride tended to give the Kalderans a wide berth and allowed them to remain as the indisputed masters of their territory. (Website: All Systems University Kalderan Commune)

Kalderans held a great deal of hatred for the Vedrans who they referred to as their ancient "blood enemy". They were known to conduct operations in order to remove any trace or signs of the Vedran civilization; even despoiling beautiful worlds cherished by their foes. In fact, they equipped their ground weaponry with a biological component that was abhorrent to Vedran biology thus preventing them from being healed from their wounds as well as slowly killing them. (Episode: The Fair Unknown)