Unathi in Dominia

Despite barely making up a single percent of the entire Dominian Population at most, the Empire’s Unathi population is noteworthy for their action, history, and now importance in the social and political scene of the Empire. Arriving in 2440, the Unathi of clan Han’san and Kazhkz now play a surprisingly influential role in Dominia’s development and growth over the last decades, despite the relatively small size of House Kazhkz.

History

Though not all Dominian Unathi bear these names, the history of Dominia’s Unathi population is often tied to the history of the Kazhkz and Han’san clans.

Pre-Contact War

Scarce records were made and even scarcer with the devastation brought by the Contact War, so much so that the only sources for the two clan’s pre-Contact War history are stories told by members of the clans themselves, sources of which the validity are often discussed. Nevertheless, most seem to agree on the following elements.

Earliest known elements of the Kazhkz clan describe their kingdom as a bit of a jack of all trades. With their clan originating in a small city East of Lake Sahltyr, it grew in size over the centuries, from fishing originally, then incorporating more workers, artisans, and soldiers, until the late 2200s when the Kazhkz became a proper Kingdom thanks to their growing wealth, territories, but also political dabbling. Even before the First Contact, however, the Kazhkz Kingdom was far from being popular with those most loyal to the Hegemon. The Kazhkz were known for being overly boastful, leading to the occasional diplomatic incidents and slip-ups. After the First Contact, as tensions started to rise in Moghes, the Kazhkz were quick to pick a side, though it wasn’t until Firebrand Summit that Clan Lord Seryo Kazhkz officially announced his Kingdom’s new allegiance.

The Han’san are much more elusive, though testimony generally indicates that it had always been a very military-focused clan. While it wasn’t a proper Kingdom, it was still a very influential clan in its immediate surrounding, maintaining unique relationships with its neighbors. By the time the Kazhkz clan turned into a proper Kingdom, the Han’san had already reached their zenith. With their clan Lords living in a massive fortress located North-West of Darakath, they were praised by other clans for their fearsome warriors, seen as paragons of might and discipline. Cooperation with other clans by sending Han’san men, either to fight wars for them, bolster their numbers, protect essential elements, or train troops, among many other jobs, allowed Han’san leaders to influence their partner clans. Han’san often had a say in the political affairs of friendly Kingdoms in the area, and this could hardly be more true with the Kazhkz Kingdom, which by the time the First Contact happened, had half of its forces either being Han’san directly or otherwise trained or bolstered by Han’san elements. Being surrounded by Traditionalist allies, the Han’san joined the Coalition when the time for war came.

The Contact War

It is once again hard to know where or how the Han’san and Kazhkz fought exactly during the war, the main sources for the little information at hand being claimed first-hand accounts or partial records found by the Hegemony on Moghes. The final battle of these two clans and its outcome is undisputed, however.

The 6th of June 2439, merely two months before the Nuclear Exchange, would see a battle known as Seryo’s Last Landing unfold. By June, the forces of the Hegemony had managed to take the upper hand and were now advancing, though slowly, into Traditionalist land. Bloody battle after bloody battle only gave Hegemonic troops a few kilometers of land for each victory, but it was undeniable that they had the advantage, and the Traditionalists were starting to lose hope in a victory. Many daring plans to put a swift end to the war were drafted, but only one was ever put in motion, Seryo Kazhkz’s.

In a desperate move to end the war, and “save Moghes from the alien-backed, corrupt Hegemony”, the Kazhkz lord sold his entire Kingdom to neighboring powers for funds that he’d use to acquire alien weapons of his own: advanced shuttles. Though not armed, they could be used for incredibly fast travel to wherever they wished on Moghes, and he acquired hundreds. The plan was to engage in a daring landing on Skalamar, to take over the Hegemony’s capital itself and dethrone the Hegemon directly. It was a young clan Lord Kasz Han’san that was ordered to prepare the battle plan for this entire operation.

Due to the Kazhkz Kingdom no longer existing, with its lands sold to neighboring powers, Seryo was forced to let his force, along with many civilians who were loyal enough to their lord to follow, remain in Han’san territory which by then happened to be dangerously close to the frontline as the Hegemony had already broken through Bahard’s mountain range. It was expected that they’d have enough time to prepare, but a sudden breakthrough by the Hegemon’s troops saw them get close enough to let them spot the massive base the Kazhkz had set up, and the countless shuttles within it. Soon enough, overwhelming artillery fire rained upon Kazhkz-Han’san forces, taking out half of their shuttles before they could even take off, and resulting in massive casualties. Despite the whole operation being nipped in the bud, Seryo ordered all of his combat-capable men to head to their shuttle and head for the Hegemonic capital. The little shuttle fleet found itself harassed during the whole flight, taking losses from both defenses based on Moghes, and early forms of Unathi military spacecraft. The operation itself ended 15 kilometers above Skalamar when Seryo’s own shuttle was taken down by a missile fired by a Hegemonic Sky Behemoth. Right after, it is told that Kasz Han’san contacted the shuttle of Seryo’s son, Salak Kazhkz, aged 19 at the time, to ask for a retreat.

The order for a general retreat was given, and the remaining shuttles left. With their base lost and Han’san lands being taken over with next to little resistance as most of their men had been mobilized during the landing operation, Salak ordered that the remaining forces of the two clans leave Moghes. The remaining shuttles landed by the Han’san fort to gather nobles of their clans, troops, and civilians and left for Ouerea.

The Piracy Days

The flight to Ouerea itself was a bloodbath, with early military spacecraft opening fire on the escaping shuttles. Claims that civilians were onboard were ignored, as the very same shuttles were just about to unleash traditionalist forces upon the Hegemonic Capital. They did, however, manage to reach the colony. With the whole operation complete, and both Clans having lost nearly everything, the Kazhkz’ authority over the Han’san was gone, with many even blaming the Kazhkz for Seryo’s recklessness. Yet, Kasz still saw it wise to tag along with the Kazhkz side of this shuttle fleet, deeming that they’d stand better chances to survive together.

Before better access to warp technology and the discovery of Ha’zana by pirates, Unathi piracy was purely limited to the Uueoa-Esa system. When not sailing through the system, most rested on Ouerea, with its criminal underbelly, at the time, being almost entirely made up of pirates. The Nuclear Exchange and its consequences on Moghes prevented the Hegemony from doing anything meaningful to stop it for years, allowing the Han’san and Kazhkz to grow once more as they found a new way to survive in piracy. Salak Kazhkz turned out to be a surprisingly talented tactician in naval combat, and their shuttle fleet provided countless crafts to deliver Han’san warriors to targets to board. Kasz himself ensured that relationships with the slowly developing fleets of the time remained mostly positive, and even had the fleet acquire greater ships, all of alien manufacture, may it be through transactions or hijackings. By January 2440, the Han’san-Kazhkz turned into a proper fleet, and with enough warp-capable ships, extended their operations.

The Han’san-Kazhkz still had the issue of their civilian population, however. The presence of countless families of refugees from the fallen Kazhkz Kingdom and Han’san clan in their ships, which included women and hatchlings, went against the Star Code itself and was always something to keep in mind when engaging in any kind of piracy. Though Salak seemed to have accepted this new way of life, and so did many of the Kazhkz, it was clear that the pirate life was unsustainable for their people.

First Contact

The discovery of Moroz, and the Empire of Dominia in late 2440 was more than just a promise for a long-needed reprieve. The locals had surprisingly many things in common with Moghesian culture for Humans, namely the importance of faith, or the prevalence of a code of honor; and the Emperor happened to be in need of a fleet to bolster the forces of his burgeoning Empire. It was the Unathi’s chance at a new life, something more proper than survival through piracy.

The leaders of both clans agreed to swear fealty to the Empire, but not all approved of this decision. Some members of the fleet disagreed, either refusing to be at the order of Humans, living in an alien civilization (after all, many fought the Hegemony to push back against “alien influence” on Moghes), or simply refusing to let go of a life of piracy they would have grown accustomed to. This led to a part of the fleet refusing to land on Moroz, with a rebellious Kazhkz at their head, and eventually devolved into a battle, in which the rebels were defeated and forced to flee, led by the rebel leader’s wife, Fer'is, who would create the fleet of the Hiskyn Revanchists soon after; a thorn in the Empire’s side, and a mortal enemy to all Dominian Unathi nowadays.

Over the weeks following their arrival on Moroz, Dominia would undergo a minor phase of turmoil as both humans and Unathi had to acclimate to each other. It was the first time many Dominians would meet non-humans. And for the Unathi, not only were many meeting Humans face-to-face for the first time, they were now to live among them. Thankfully, the Emperor took matters into his own hands and ensured that the whole affair went as smoothly as possible, quickly enough establishing a seat for the Chief Minister of Unathi Affairs in the Chief Minister of Unathi Affairs in the Imperial Cabinet, , one that was given to Kasz Han’san, the other option being the much-less politically correct Salak Kazhkz.

Not every Dominian welcomed, let alone tolerated their new Unathi neighbor, but their use was undeniable. Though many complained about them being made Primaries for merely swearing fealty to the Emperor, the might of Han’san warriors more than bolstered the ranks of the Imperial Army, and the Kazhkz fleet’s support to the Empire’s as loyal privateers was of great use.

The Fall of the Han’san

Over the following years, the two Unathi Clans, now united under the banner of the Kazhkz-Han’san great house, would slowly adjust themselves to Dominian society. Finding their role as the Emperor’s Hand, they’d also ensure that the Unathi wouldn’t just remain relevant to the Empire, but an essential part of it. This situation led to the Han’san being considered the more influential of the two Clans at the time.

This changed after the battle of Three Peaks, on the 3rd of April 2454. As part of their service to the Emperor, Unathi Regiments, mainly comprised of Han’san troops, were sent to Fisanduhan lands, starting in 2450 to root out and eliminate the threat of the Fisanduhan Freedom Front, as well as any other terrorist element once and for all. Though their presence was enough to drastically reduce 3F presence, the number of their operations, and even their success rate, asymmetrical warfare proved to be something they had difficulty adjusting themselves to, something that reached its climax in the battle of Three Peaks. This battle saw the Han’san throw nearly all of their forces into what was assumed to be a sudden and final strike against the Fisanduhan Freedom Front. The 32nd Mountain Brigade of the 3F, along with various other forces had been routed into the Three-Peaks mountain range after a battle against Imperial Fisanduhian Gendarmerie forces. With seemingly nowhere to run, it seemed like the Fisanduhan fighters were done for, and thus it was ordered that the Han’san would come to utterly crush them and get rid of these at long last, hopefully crippling the 3F and stealing them of any chance to commit to any kind of effective operation against the Empire.

However, the Han’san landing site happened to be near a Fisanduhan settlement, one in which the population remained loyal to the Confederated States of Fisanduh. The Han’san up to now remained undefeated in direct confrontation, but they were used to “proper” warfare, to the battlefields of Moghes, or even piracy done in the more “honorable” Unathi way. Thus, sabotage and other acts of civilian resistance were rarely if ever taken into account by the Han’san forces. This proved to be a fatal error. All but two of the landing crafts were taken out of the skies by defenses hidden and operated by the locals, letting the forces of the 3F swoop in and finish the rest. This utterly humiliating defeat was made all the more terrible for the Han’san clan’s reputation when it turned out that the 3F had captured and kept most of the Unathi soldiers in captivity for months, over which they would make demands and start executing them if these were not listened to. The Emperor refused to cooperate, with Kasz Han’san’s backing, and followed months of attempts of transmission of executions of Han’san prisoners by the 3F in an attempt at psychological warfare and propaganda by the Fisanduhan rebels.

Besides the utter humiliation that crushed the Han’san Clan’s reputation, the defeat of the battle of Three Peaks led to the loss of over three-quarters of their adult men; any Han’san men, soldier or otherwise. Some families were so devasted by the loss that they shunned the militaristic nature of their own clan and chose to focus on other matters. In any case, this utterly crushed any chance of political presence for the Han’san, already seen as a faction among the smallest of the Great Clans, to the point where, over the next years, most non-Unathi would stop acknowledging the Han’san at all and call the Unathi House simply “House Kazhkz.” If not for Kasz Han’san being Chief Minister of Unathi Affairs, the Han’san would’ve turned into Kazhkz, or left the great house by now.

Settling Down

The standard of House Kazhkz now represents the overwhelming majority of Unathi on Dominia, may they bear the Kazhkz or Han'san

As time went on, the Unathi of Dominia properly got to settle down and get used to life on Moroz, and over the Empire. Many got used to the frigid temperatures of the Imperial Homeworld, while others moved to different worlds like the much warmer Alterim Balteulis. Though most Unathi in Dominia are part of the Kazhkz House, one can see on rare occasions sinta in rare, very minor Unathi houses or living as secondaries. Still, the overwhelming majority of Unathi in Dominia are primaries.

To this day, the Han’san side of the Unathi House exists in all but-name. Though the new generation started to take over the broken one of the days of the defeat, it will most likely take many more generations to properly fix the damages of the Battle of Three Peaks. Thankfully for them, Kasz Han’san lives on and still retains the seat of Chief Minister of Unathi Affairs in the Imperial Cabinet, representing all Unathi in the Empire to the best of his abilities, but also ensuring the survival of his own Clan. They still provide the Empire with few but fearsome soldiers who are generally put into the small but effective Unathi Regiments. While ultimately led by Human-staffed high command (generally Strelitz, though reluctant at leading Han’san troops after their humiliating defeat), it is also often where Han’san men get to shine as officers as well, and not just mere troopers, giving them hope for a chance to become relevant once more on the political scene.

The Kazhkz were not as lucky. While the Unathi House is called Kazhkz due to representation, their actual contribution, may it be on the political or even military scene, remains limited. Over the years, the Kazhkz specialized in working as the Empire’s fortune secondary fleet, though their privateer status means that their work goes often unnoticed by the bulk of the Dominian people. Most of the Kazhkz that wanted to remain in this field got two main options, either work in the Imperial Fleet proper, with incredibly limited options for a career due to their Zhao leadership proving mostly hostile to Unathi, or keep on working the same way for the Empire as privateers. Many chose the latter path, and among them, Salak Kazhkz himself, who to this day, takes the opportunity of the freedom that privateering offers to strike Hegemonic assets, naming his fleet of privateers “The Grudgebearers”. Of course, it does not mean that all Kazhkz work as privateers, and many took more unique roles to better represent their House while most of their housemates took to the stars.

Unathi Role in the Empire

The Emperor’s Hand

Beyond bolstering the Imperial Army’s ranks or working as privateers, the Unathi proved to have an even more important role in Dominia, especially in the eyes of the Emperor himself. Being a new house, entirely separated from a vast majority of the history, culture, and politics of the Empire until very recently, Dominian Unathi never gained the importance or influence of the other great houses such as the Strelitz with their control of the Army, or the Zhao, with their control of the navy. Yet, they still have warships free of the influence of the Zhaos, trained infantry (mostly) outside the Strelitz’s sphere of control, and are so small that without the grace of the Emperor, they would cease to exist as a great house. This has made them the perfect enforcers of the Emperor’s will, should he be unable to rely on other great houses for assistance.

Free from most of the trivialities of being a great house, and wholly reliant on the Emperor to maintain their position, House Kazhkz has become the Emperor's personal problem-solvers, deployed to deal with issues that the other great houses cannot be trusted to deal with, or have caused themselves. They are primarily used in this role as peacekeepers, accompanying the human emissaries of the Emperor as a personal guard to mediate inter-house disputes and apply the necessary force to ensure peace when such disputes turn violent. It is not uncommon for an inter-house dispute to pop up and soon thereafter see Unathi heavy Infantry marching down the street of whatever village, town, or area the dispute is located in, ensuring compliance with the Emperor's will. They have also begun to offer these services to other great houses, for when they need to enforce their will on their own vassal houses. However, the Emperor cannot rely on Dominian Unathi for everything, as their small numbers limit their ability to shield their Emperor from a massive crisis.

Outside of keeping the peace between great houses, Dominian Unathi are often deployed on missions at the whim of the Emperor. An example might be Kazhkz privateers used as "Edict Hunters," envoys tasked with finding renowned criminal Edict Breakers and bringing them back to Dominian space when all else fails. But the most notable of these was their intervention in Imperial Fishanduh, where they replaced regular Imperial Army units as occupiers in the region for a time when it was politically necessary for stability in the region. Widely considered a success at the time, the Unathi temporarily proved much more effective than the regular Army at pacifying the sections to which they were deployed, liquidating several cells of the Fishanduh Freedom Front during their short deployment. This earned them the appreciation of those Fishanduhians loyal to the Empire, and the hatred of those who weren't. But their deployment could not continue indefinitely, and the defeat at the Battle of Three Peaks had the Han'san, which made up the bulk of the Unathi land forces take such heavy losses that the House had to be re-deployed elsewhere, and wouldn't return in full force in Fisanduh for years. They were replaced by regular Imperial Army units, and the 3F soared again. The Emperor’s will was still accomplished and Clan Kazhkz, now mostly in control of the great house, marked a victory in their books.

Political Influence

Due to acting as the “Emperor’s Hand”, Dominian Unathi have oversized influence over Imperial politics. While they are technically the smallest and least powerful of great houses, their unique role also means that the Emperor will generally be more open-minded with their proposals than with most other Houses.

This influence is never enough to drastically change the Empire’s course or challenge other great houses and is used to its fullest to instead ensure that the Unathi merely remain relevant in Dominian society. This goes from negotiating the creation of infrastructure fit for a Unathi population like an increased meat industry to securing a proper spot for some Unathi officers in the Imperial army, ensuring that the possibility for better spots than merely foot soldiers remained.

Life for the Dominian Unathi

Life Conditions

Life for the average Dominian Unathi is generally one of relative comfort. With nearly all being Primaries, they get to live like minor nobles at least, enjoying the fruits of wealth though at the cost of loyal service to the Emperor when such is required.

Cultural Differences

Being entirely different species, many cultural differences can be noticed right away between the Unathi and Humans. Perhaps the most striking, though one most expected, might be fashion. Moroz is cold even by the standards of Humanity, but for the average sinta it has the potential to be outright lethal. Even in the relatively warmer equator, Unathi that are not properly dressed when outside can risk passing out, and even dying if outside for too long. This leads to the common sinta generally being seen in multiple layers of clothing of heavy, fur-stuffed coats and jackets. This led to the “puffed up Unathi” cliché, the idea that sinta cover themselves in so much clothing that they appear round from it; an image both popular in Dominian satire, but also Hegemonic and Ma'zal media when mocking the Unathi of Dominia. Just like most other primaries, Unathi prefer to wear brightly-colored, extravagant clothes.

Diet is also a very important aspect, as Unathi are after all, carnivorous. Ever since their arrival, both the fishing and cattle industries were drastically expanded. Importation of Buthanol and other sinta-friendly drinks was to be made as well, and it’s not rare to see restaurants and bars in major cities of Moroz, offering Unathi-friendly options. When heading to villages and other smaller settlements, however, Unathi tend to bring their own food.

Unathi-owned businesses are rare, but not for a lack of trying, nor any kind of Dominian hostilities. The main issue is simply the Dominian system, like any Human society’s, being widely different from anything Unathi were used to up to now with economies ruled by guilds and customary contracts. Unathi can engage in and work for businesses, and nothing prevents them from attaining powerful positions within said businesses on paper, but Unathi-owned businesses in Dominia are a rare sight and are generally led by particularly progressive sinta or ones that managed to adapt to the local system.

Unathi gender roles have been a point of contention in some instances, with it being generally frowned upon by many Dominians; though at large there have been no major issues on this specific topic.

Hobbies and other forms of entertainment can often differ from the average Dominian. Fencing is very popular among Unathi, just like with the rest of Dominia, though they rarely fence against Humans, both due to the physical differences of both species and interests, with most Unathi choosing sabers over the more popular rapiers. Wrestling is also popular, and for the more well-off ones, hunting is also something highly appreciated. Finally, the younger generation of properly Dominian-born also turned out to be surprisingly fond of video games.

Religious Matters

Perhaps a major point of contention between Unathi and Humans in Dominia is religion. Unathi tend to be incredibly spiritual, and religion is also extremely important to the Empire.

On the one hand, the importance of faith in Dominia is one of the reasons why the Kazhkz-Han’san ever considered joining the Empire in the first place, finding an alien society that shares values with them. An issue, however, might be what faith is being followed. Many of the more conservative Unathi, generally on the Han’san side, had a very hard time converting to the Imperial faith. Many think that, if not for Kasz Han’san’s work as Chief Minister of Unathi affairs, they would never have. Instead of focusing on the faith itself, Kasz convinced his kin to convert over honor, as it would be dishonorable to not oblige to the customs of the people that effectively saved them by not only welcoming them to their world but also making them relatively important nobles. Nowadays, all Dominian Unathi follow the tribunal, officially, though some obviously do with much less zealously than others, seeing this more as a chore than anything else.

Nevertheless, a large part of Dominian sinta eagerly embraced the Moroz Holy Tribunal, to the point where some of the more devoted elements even had some influence over the Tribunal itself and some of its edicts. There are still issues on the proper interpretation of the Dominian state religion, however. More conservative ones, generally Han’san that chose to worship the Goddess, take a more radical route, usually following the Kaelkahist interpretation of the edicts. Kazhkz and other more progressive sinta however, follow the Jakakhist route. While rare, some Unathi do get involved with the Tribunal, with a few seen working as acolytes, though there have yet to be proper Unathi initiates.

Non Han’san-Kazhkz Unathi

The overwhelming majority of Unathi in Dominia are part of the Kazhkz House, either bearing the Han’san or Kazhkz name. In much rarer cases, Unathi that do not want to bear these names can be found in minor houses.

Some Unathi secondaries can be found in exceptional cases. These are not ex-Han’san or Kazhkz, but rather Unathi that migrated to the Empire, and yet for one reason or another, did not join the Kazhkz House, or any other House. These Unathi still find themselves treated like primaries by the secondary population, and yet treated like secondaries by the primaries in turn, preventing them from really fitting anywhere. This frequently leads to these Unathi doing something about their situation as a secondary, either joining another clan-house, or leaving Dominia altogether.

Relationships

More informations here.

Kazhkz-Hansan relationship

The Kazhkz and the Han’san maintain a sort of brotherly rivalry nowadays. Tensions between the two are obvious, and even Humans can pick up on the occasional spat between members of the two clans. The first and main reason may come from their original failure against the Hegemony during the contact war, with Han’san Unathi blaming their Kazhkz counterpart for Seyro’s plan being their downfall, while the Kazhkz blame the Han’san for this defeat with Kasz being the main strategist behind the landing at the time.

Along with that comes more general banter, as historical issues are left to the older generations that fought on Moghes, with Unathi mocking each other for being landlocked, a fortune navy, lackeys for this or that greater house, and more. All of these tensions, however, tend to vanish regarding issues that go beyond strictly Unathi affairs. When it comes to facing issues that come from the rest of Dominia, or even the Spur as a whole, the entirety of the Kazhkz House, no matter what name they bear, quickly gets to unite to face and resolve these.

With other Great Houses

Some of House Keeser, such as the Emperor himself, see Dominian Unathi in an extremely positive light for their contribution to the Empire. Dominian Unathi tend to be loyal to the Emperor, more than to any other House, and their role as the “Emperor’s Hand” certainly ensures they remain in the Emperor’s good graces and his family’s. The heir apparent, Crown Princess Priscilla, is rumored to have a much dimmer outlook on the “Emperor’s Hand,” perhaps due to her connections with Houses Strelitz and Volvalaad.

House Strelitz, perhaps due to their roots in military service, looks down upon the Empire’s Unathi as failures who were beaten by the Fisanduhians and have, as a result, prolonged the Empire’s longest military conflict for decades. The ire between Dominia’s Unathi and the Strelitz is perhaps only more intensely felt by House Zhao’s naval officers, and many Strelitz officers view every death in Fisanduh as the direct result of trusting Unathi military “tactics.” The Strelitz have long stymied the progress of Unathi in the Imperial Army, as even the modern Unathi regiments ultimately rely on Strelitz high command, even when it would benefit the Army, and are the major force behind the dearth of Unathi officers beyond the most junior ranks.

Generally seen as a progressive great house, House Volvalaad has long refused to work with the Unathi, who they view as brutish thugs utilized by more conservative factions in the Empire, to hang onto their power at the expense of the broader Empire. Little cooperation exists between the houses and suspicion runs rampant, though Volvalaad scientists are always willing to offer their counterparts gene-boosting — even if at an exorbitant price.

House Caladius is divided on the Unathi. Its religious arm largely sees the Unathi in a generally good light, mostly thanks to shared interests. Even putting aside the rare Unathi acolytes seen by the side of Tribunalist priests, the usually very spiritual nature of the average Unathi is something that many priestly Caladius hold in high regard. The merchant faction, which aligns itself more with House Volvalaad’s views, has long been leerier.

Out of all of the Great Houses, House Zhao is the least Unathi-friendly and is often outright hostile towards their alien counterpart. The main point of contention is their rivalry with the Kazhkz as the Empire’s means of naval supremacy. In practice, this rivalry generally leads to disputes in the Imperial Cabinets and very limited options and disadvantageous treatments to Unathi engaging in His Imperial Majesty’s Fleet.

With the Hegemony

Naturally, the relationship between Dominian and Hegemony Unathi is far from friendly. Putting aside the already tense relationship between the Hegemony and the Empire itself, the Hegemony still sees the Kazhkz and Han’san for what they were during the Contact War: enemies. Acts of piracy by Salak Kazhkz’s Grudgebearers are still seen by some as a continuation of the Contact War, namely many of these Grudgebearers themselves, and Hegemonic forces are generally allowed to open fire on these privateers at their discretion.

Thankfully enough for the Grudgebearers, the Hegemony’s navy sees more immediate threats that deserve more means than Kazhkz Privateers, namely the Izharshan fleet, and thus, while they are generally fired at when seen, they are not actively hunted down by Hegemonic forces.

With other Unathi

Unathi pirates tend to have mixed opinions, ones as varied as their own fleets. One thing they all agree on, however, is that they do not consider the Kazhkz House, before or after Moroz, to be proper pirates, recognizing that their piracy days were more of a transitory phase and that the Grudgebearers’ ties are way too close-knit to the Empire to be treated like proper pirates. Naturally, this means that no Dominian Unathi ever had access to the council of Fangs. Though it is rumored that some individually know about Haza’na’s location, the Grudgebearers officially do not go to the pirate homeworld.

Flag of the Hiskyn Revanchists Unathi fleet, once part of the same clans, now mortal enemies of all Dominian Unathi.

Perhaps the most notable fleet to the Dominian Unathi might be the Hiskyns. Naturally, besides being ex-Han’san-Kazhkz themselves, the Hiskyns are mortal enemies who will often go out of their way to hunt down their Dominian peers. On the other hand, the Izharshan see the Dominian Unathi, mostly through the Grudgebearers, in a mostly positive light for their shared hatred of the Hegemony.

Despite being originally part of the Traditionalist Coalition, most traditionalist Unathi living away from the Empire do not see their Dominian peers in a necessary positive light. Though opinions are diverse, the main point of contention generally is that, by getting so involved in an alien civilization, the Han’san-Kazhkz betrayed themselves, perhaps even going beyond what they could’ve accused the Hegemony of before the Contact War.

Imperial Relationships

Unathi are generally seen in a negative light by most Secondaries, who view them as “lesser” compared to true Morozians, and often undeserving of their titles. Most of the Empire’s Ma'zal population is hostile towards the Unathi, and most of these forms of hostility take on a xenophobia-laced anti-Imperial aspect. Burning effigies of Unathi is a common form of protest against the Empire due to their use as enforcement troops, and they are commonly featured in anti-Dominian media across the Spur.

Overall, while there may still be the occasional xenophobic incident, Unathi are tolerated by their fellow Primaries, though often patronized and looked down upon as glorified pirates stuffed into noble fashion. Most Fisanduhans have proved to be extraordinarily hostile to Dominia’s Unathi population, due to their role in the occupation. Fisanduh Freedom Front saboteurs often try to target Unathi buildings and populations even if “softer” targets are available, and few Unathi last long in Fisanduh outside of the Imperial Army. Human Imperial Army units assigned to Fisanduh, such as the 56th Jadranic, often refuse Unathi auxiliaries due to the ire they bring from Fisanduhians.

Notable Individuals

Salak Kazhkz

Lord of Clan Kazhkz, Son of Seryo Kazhkz, Fang Captain of the Grudgebearers, Lord of House Kazhkz.

As the one and only son of Clan Lord Seryo Kazhkz, with his mother dying soon after his egg was laid, Salak was sheltered from the moment he hatched in August 2420, seen as the only lifeline the Kazhkz Kingdom had for a peaceful transition for when the time came. This however proved detrimental. Salak was adventurous, like his father and, in truth, most Kazhkz. A life spent pampered and protected only had his wanderlust grow with time. It’s no surprise then that when the Kazhkz and their Han’san allies were forced to retreat and leave Moghes entirely, Salak embraced the pirate life; and that, even after reaching Moroz, as he chose to keep on working as a privateer.

More than just adventurous, however, Salak is infamous for being cocky, rude, and generally quite politically incorrect, may it be in his takes or just his overall conduct. Coupled with the fact that most consider Kasz Han’san to be the de-facto leader of the Unathi of Dominia, many, Humans or sinta, took to underestimating the Kazhkz clan lord, sometimes even treating him like a foolish brute. Rare are the foes that underestimate him in such a way for long, however, for if Salak may be lacking in political tact, he more than makes up for it in tactical genius. Over his countless years spent privateering, and even before, Salak proved time and time again that he made a surprisingly cunning strategist and even a force to be reckoned with in direct combat.

Though he spends little time on Moroz proper to handle political affairs, leaving this to other Kazhkz figures, as well as to Kasz Han’san, Salak turned out to be an excellent leader as the "Fang Captain" of the Grudgebearers, one that remains personally undefeated in a space battle, and the Grudgebearer fleet has managed to even earn the respect of a handful of Unathi pirate fleets, namely the Izharshan themselves, with who he shares an unbridled hatred for the Hegemony. Still, the Grudgebearers and Salak himself are seen as agents of the Empire first and foremost by other pirates and were never given the coordinates of Ha’zana.

As privateers, the Kazhkz fleet does not have direct access to modern Dominian ships. Generally, they either use older (supposedly) decommissioned Imperial ships that they refit for their own missions, or crafts they buy with their own funds or acquire through other means. A few of their ships even date back to their pre-Moroz, piracy days.

To this day, Salak is certainly known for his practice of forcing the crews of the ship he boards himself to prepare a feast for him, a way to repay for what was done to his father, and the rest of the Kazhkz Kingdom and his father. The ferocity with which he fights the Hegemony has led to the Hegemon very often calling out the Empire for their actions, something the Emperor can easily dissociate with considering the Grudgebearer’s status as privateers and Salak’s eagerness to claim that his acts against the Hegemon are his, and his alone.

Kasz Han'san

Lord of Clan Han’san, Son of Uerasz Han’san, First Captain of the War Drum, Chief Minister of Unathi Affairs.

Hatched in February of 2405, Kasz Han’san was practically born to lead. With his father dying in battle while he was still a hatchling, his mother took to leading the Han’san until Kasz's 16th birthday, after a childhood spent being taught about leadership, politics, and military matters. On Moghes just like on Moroz, Kasz Han’san has always been an incredibly serious and disciplined man. His talents, may it be in battle (on the front in his younger years, then on a more tactical side) or in politics had him become more than one to respect for all Han’san and other Unathi, but also a model, even for some Humans.

His work as Chief Minister of Unathi Affairs to this day has ensured that the integration of the Unathi population went as smoothly as possible, without undermining the interests of the Empire either. He also managed to balance the authority of both Unathi Clans, as by the time they fled Moghes, the Han’san were no longer beholden to work for or with the Kazhkz, yet he made sure that the two people would stick together and work in relative harmony in order to give his fellow sinta the most chances.

Not everything is perfect, though, and some have reservations about the old Unathi. Among other things, several see him as basically leading not just the Han’san, but also the Kazhkz from his position, no matter if he has the right to or not, effectively abusing his power as chairman to lead the Kazhkz too, if not all Unathi in Dominia. Perhaps the worst, however, is the large number of Han’san families resenting the decision of their leader after the blunder of the battle of Three Peaks, when he chose to back up Emperor Keeser’s decision in refusing any kind of negotiation of the Fisanduhan in the name of loyalty to said Emperor, and thus dooming any Han’san survivor of the battle that had been captured by the enemy. Besides the countless broken families, some feel like the Han’san would not be in their current position of weakness had he tried anything, and it is rumored that such a decision was something he came to regret even himself, at least in private.

Nevertheless, Kasz remains an overwhelmingly liked figure among Unathi and Dominians overall. Though he is starting to age, and some are already starting to look for who could be a replacement for the Chief Minister of Unathi Affairs, rare are those that consider currently getting rid of him, especially not the Emperor himself who has yet to be (publically) disappointed by the Kasz clan Lord.

Ksarkat Han’san

Son of Haraki Han’san, Lieutenant-Colonel of the 2nd Unathi Regiment “The Claws of Revenge”

Hatched in September of 2435, Ksarkat and his family left Moghes as the Kazhkz-Han’san forces evacuated what they had left before leaving their home world. From a young age, he dedicated himself to fighting just like his father, and the rest of the Han’san men, as paragons of military discipline and might, though more out of personal interest than anything political. This took a drastic change when the battle of Three Peaks in 2454 came, and Ksarkat’s family was one of the many left without a father. Aged 17 at the time of the battle, he joined the Imperial army the very next year, no longer in the search of glory and self-improvement, but in the search of vengeance.

The defeat of the Han’san saw a total reorganization of how Unathi were handled in the Imperial Army. By now, Unathi would either be seen in Unathi Regiments, or in rare cases, as part of small squads of special forces where their talent might prove relevant; in any case, in places where they would always ultimately be led by Strelitz elements. Contemptuous Strelitz leadership thus made it extremely hard for Unathi to get promoted even in their own Regiments.

Despite this, Ksarkat managed to rise through the ranks surprisingly quickly, something both due to his discipline, talent as a footman and then an officer, and a handful of heroics that managed to save the life of quite a few Gendarmes, fellow soldiers, and even the occasional Strelitz house member. Ksarkat’s work not only made him a popular war hero among the Unathi populace but soon enough among a part of the Human one too. If it wasn’t for his exploits, then Strelitz higher-ups would be forced to grant him his promotions because of the pressure that could come with any kind of perceived unfair treatment. Ksarkat’s own statements of seeing himself limited in his service to the Empire, and his vengeance against the “foul terrorists of the three Fs” certainly did help him too.

Ksarkat’s rise through the ranks seems to have stopped though, as he reached the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel. A dead end, as no other Unathi have ever reached this rank, let alone went beyond, and for good reasons to the Strelitz, as another promotion would put him at the lead of a purely Unathi regiment, second only to generals and the will of the Emperor, something they see as unacceptable. Still, the fact that Ksarkat went further than any other Unathi, and never gave up, even to this day, made him an extremely popular figure to Dominia’s sinta populace as well as some more Unathi-friendly Humans and a contentious one to the rest of the Empire. He has also become an example, or at least someone to empathize with for the better part of the current generation of Han’san, raised in families often broken by their monumental defeat in 2454, growing and eager to bring back their clan the glory it once had, or at least, take revenge upon the rebels of Fisanduh.

Zukri Kazhkz

Daughter of Fa’rak Kazhkz, Chief Minister of Unathi Affairs’ aide, “Dark Cloud”

Zukri Kazhkz hatched in September of 2439, on a Kazhkz ship. Never getting to see Moghes with her own eyes, she was properly raised on Moroz, making her a purely Dominian product. From a young age, Zukri turned out to be a very charismatic woman, both with sinta and Humans. Part of a rather progressive family for Unathi, she was allowed, and even encouraged by her family to engage in a political career, where she first became an aide for a Volvalaad politician.

Eventually, she was invited by the Chief Minister of Unathi Affairs to serve as his aide, as Kasz had noticed her particularly politically skilled nature. Both proud to be Kazhkz and Dominian, many see her as a much more interesting option than Salak to represent the Kazhkz themselves, and even he does not mind, choosing to let her speak in his place while he is off privateering. Named “Dark Cloud” by the Dominians for her dark scales, and apparent soft and kind personality, she turns out to be a surprisingly progressive figure for the Unathi.

Though still young, and having much to learn, many believe that she may have a grand future in Dominia’s political scene, thanks to her ability to understand both the needs of her kin and those of the Human population of Dominia, letting her effectively assist the Chief Minister of Unathi Affairs in his tasks. Some even theorize that she could be the one to take Kasz’s role when the time to replace the old Han’san would come, something that neither he nor Zukri herself has commented on.