Paataatus Hiveborn
The Paataatus species' nation was known as the Paataatus Hiveborn. Its location was within the Unknown Regions, where their worlds, including their homeworld and the holy Paataatus space, as well as the Hiveborn's hive-city, Nettehi, were situated. Around 46 BBY, warships of the Paataatus attacked a Boadil survey ship that belonged to the Chiss Ascendancy within the Pleknok system in the Unknown Regions; however, the Chiss Defense Force responded, inflicting a severe defeat upon the Paataatus. By 27 BBY, the Paataatus had returned to Pleknok, only to be forced into retreat by the Chiss Mid Commander Mitth'raw'nuru, whose core name was "Thrawn," along with a Paataatus light frigate and six gunboats.
Some years later, specifically in 19 BBY, the [Nikardun Destiny](/article/nikardun_destiny] hegemony, led by Nikardun General Yiv, subjugated the Hiveborn, compelling three Paataatus warships to attack Csilla, the capital planet of the Ascendancy. However, the defenses of Csilla obliterated the attackers. In response, the Ascendancy deployed Picket Force Six to strike the Paataatus on Nettehi, leading to a battle where the Paataatus fought back with numerous fighters, the majority of which were destroyed by the Chiss.
In 18 BBY, after the Chiss had reduced the Destiny to remnants, a surviving faction of the Nikardun controlled the Paataatus and their capital, threatening the life of the Paataatus Prince Militaire to ensure the Hiveborn's compliance. However, Thrawn assisted the Prince Militaire in eliminating the Nikardun remnant. That same year, the Illumine Kilhorde battle fleet of the Kilji Illumine nation conquered several nations situated to the north and northwest of the Hiveborn, a development that the Paataatus found unacceptable. Thrawn retrieved data regarding the Kilji fleet from the Kilji picket cruiser Hammer and shared it with the Hiveborn, who, in gratitude for Thrawn's assistance in destroying the Nikardun remnant, dispatched a Paataatus attack fleet to obliterate the Kiljis.
Description
The Paataatus Hiveborn, situated in the Unknown Regions, represented the nation of the Paataatus species. It encompassed various planets, including Nettehi, their homeworld and capital. Their military assets included fighters, Paataatus gunboats, a Paataatus light frigate, at least one Paataatus heavy frigate, and several warships, some of which were outdated. The military also possessed a comprehensive Paataatus attack fleet. The Hiveborn was served by the Paataatus delegation, and the position of prince militaire denoted a leadership role within the nation.
History
Early History
Around 46 BBY, the Hiveborn undertook a survey of the Pleknok system in the Unknown Regions to assess its potential for development. Concurrently, a Boadil survey ship from the Chiss Ascendancy's Boadil ruling family was also studying the star system. Subsequently, a pair of Paataatus warships attacked the Boadil vessel, inflicting damage; however, the [starship](/article/starship] managed to escape to the Ascendancy. The Chiss Defense Force retaliated, delivering a significant defeat to the Paataatus. By 27 BBY, a pirate crew hijacked the Chiss Stybla family's Vivan cargo ship V-484 and brought it to Pleknok. The Stybla patrol ship Jandalin and the Clarr light cruiser Orisson attempted to recapture the Vivan cargo ship; however, a Paataatus [light frigate](/article/light_frigate] and six gunboats arrived at Pleknok, rapidly approaching the Jandalin.
Given the Paataatus' swarm mentality, which prioritized the weakest target before moving to the next, Mitth'raw'nuru, the Mid Commander of the Jandalin, whose core name was "Thrawn," decided to leverage this characteristic. As V-484 was damaged and therefore the weakest vessel, the Paataatus frigate and a gunboat moved to attack it. Thrawn anticipated this, deploying a Crippler net in the path of the Paataatus warships to disable them, prompting their retreat. After rescuing the crew of the Vivan cargo ship, the Jandalin's crew discussed the encounter with the Paataatus with Stybla'mi'ovodo "Lamiov," the Stybla Patriarch, who revealed that V-484 was carrying the second item—a second Starflash [superweapon](/article/superweapon]—and expressed concern that the Hiveborn might retrieve the item and decipher the weapon's technology.
Subjugation
In 19 BBY, the Paataatus launched several raids into Ascendancy territory, prompting the Chiss Syndicure to dispatch several emissaries to engage in discussions with the Paataatus delegation. Following these discussions, one emissary cautioned the delegation that the Chiss would initiate a destructive attack if deemed necessary, highlighting their optimal attack vector in the process.
Under the direction of "Jixtus," a Grysk operative, his servant General Yiv of the Nikardun Destiny conquered and subjugated several nations surrounding the Ascendancy, including the Hiveborn. The Paataatus people were unhappy with Yiv's subjugation of their nation. Yiv then ordered the Paataatus military to use three antiquated warships to attack Csilla, the Ascendancy's capital planet. The Chiss vessels orbiting Csilla destroyed the attackers, and the world's defense platforms destroyed the Paataatus missiles, obliterating the Paataatus in fifteen minutes. Although the Chiss did not know who had attacked them, a member of the Syndicure theorized that the Paataatus were responsible. Due to this suspicion, and primarily due to the increasing number of Paataatus raids into Chiss space, Admiral Ar'alani's Picket Force Six was dispatched to conduct a retaliatory attack on the Paataatus at Nettehi. Arriving at the attack vector indicated by the Chiss emissary, they were ambushed by a force of at least fifty Paataatus starfighters. Upon seeing the swarm of Paataatus fighters, Thrawn disobeyed his superior's orders, breaking formation and feigning weakness to draw the Paataatus fighters away from the main force, prompting them to form a tight cluster around his cruiser. This allowed the other Chiss vessels to regroup and counterattack, destroying most of the Paataatus vessels. Thrawn was confident that this defeat would stifle the Paataatus' expansionary desires, at least until their current generation had passed. Following the battle, Ar'alani met with the Paataatus commanders in the inner system. This meeting confirmed Thrawn's prediction; the Paataatus diplomats were fully committed to withdrawing to their borders and leaving the Ascendancy alone.
After the Chiss captured Yiv and defeated the Nikardun Destiny at the battle over Primea, a Nikardun remnant continued to control the Hiveborn.
Liberation
The remnant's leaders threatened the Paataatus Prince Militaire's life in exchange for the Hiveborn's cooperation, seeking to enslave its people. In 18 BBY, Prince Militaire was involved in a Nikardun military operation aboard his Paataatus heavy frigate, which was surrounded by a Nikardun enhanced cruiser housing the remnant's leadership, five Paataatus enhanced cruisers, and at least twenty fighters, when Thrawn's Springhawk arrived over Nettehi. The senior captain sought to confirm rumors of a Paataatus alliance with the Vagaari pirates, and the Prince Militaire warned that Thrawn was intruding holy Paataatus space. Thrawn assured the Prince Militaire that the Chiss came in peace, but the Nikardun ordered the military exercise to reposition into a defense formation around the Prince Militaire's frigate. The Nikardun cruiser, specifically, moved from immediately behind the frigate to a ventral guard position behind and below the frigate. Thrawn would later reiterate his intentions of peace but told the Prince Militaire that they would see the "full might of the Chiss Ascendancy" if the current situation remained the same. Thrawn, recognizing the Nikardun's presence and threat to the Paataatus, challenged the Militaire to focus on the precise words of his statement. The Prince Militaire, in turn, recognized Thrawn's true intentions and, wanting to destroy his Nikardun overlords, ordered a fake attack on the Springhawk. The Paataatus fighters used low-power lasers keyed to the interplanetary dust profile to make the attack look real to the Nikardun, and the Chiss fired back in the same manner to maintain the illusion. The Springhawk then fired two breacher missiles and four plasma spheres at the Nikardun cruiser, with the Paataatus theatrically maneuvering out of the way. Once the projectiles slammed into the Nikardun enhanced cruiser, the Paataatus carried out a furious attack on the vessel, destroying it and killing the Nikardun. The Prince Militaire then thanked Thrawn for his assistance, remarking that it was a unique experience to have the senior captain as an ally. As a gesture of gratitude towards the Chiss, the Paataatus Hiveborn allowed Thrawn to use its long-range triad transmitter to inform the Chiss Ascendancy of the battle. They also informed Thrawn of potential areas where Vagaari pirates could be operating.
Attacking the Illumine
In the same year, Jixtus formed an alliance with Generalirius [Nakirre], the ruler of the Kilji Illumine nation, and dispatched the nation's Illumine Kilhorde battle fleet to the southeast of the Ascendancy as part of the Illumine's conquests of enlightenment. Shortly after, Thrawn retrieved data containing information on the fleet's weaknesses in combat doctrine and its design from the Kilji picket cruiser Hammer, sharing the data with the Hiveborn. As the conquests of enlightenment were taking place to the southeast of the Ascendancy, they also took place to the northwest of the Paataatus nation, which the Paataatus deemed unacceptable, sending a Paataatus attack fleet to obliterate the Kilhorde. The Hiveborn attacked the Kiljis, destroying their battle fleets and liberating the nations it had conquered as a favor to Thrawn in gratitude for his assistance in the liberation of Nettehi.
Behind the scenes
The Paataatus Hiveborn made its debut in the 2020 novel Thrawn Ascendancy: Chaos Rising, which was the first installment in Timothy Zahn's Ascendancy Trilogy. Its official designation was established in the 2021 novel Thrawn Ascendancy: Greater Good, the second volume of the Ascendancy Trilogy.