Creature:Gigapedus

"Incredible genetic specimen and example of Natural Selection. Too bad they don't understand the concept of natural rights."

- Centapedus Empire

"You big! Big and dumb!"

- The Hermicee Legion

"Analysis: Impressive specimen, higher brain function, short temper. Threat Level: High. Conclusion:EXTERMINATE"

- The Grox Empire

Overview
Centapedae gigis are an incredibly powerful species of the Centapedus Genus. They display similar traits to other Centapedus, such as long, segmented bodies, multiple limbs, and mandibles. There are several key differences, however. They are incredibly muscular compared to the other somewhat scrawnier Centapedus species. Adorned with several sharp crystals and horns, Gigapedus are much taller, towering over enemies at a massive 12 feet. They also closely resemble the Milipedus in terms of appearance.

Dominion
Unlike the rest of the Centapedus, they separate themselves from the rest, and rage an ongoing war with them. Though their dominion is not quite as large as the Centapedus Empire's, they do have similar technology and superior battlefield reliability. They are far more savage and boastful compared to the Centapedus's relatively humble personality. This sense of arrogance even drives many of them to use primitive weapons such as conventionally bladed weapons. They commonly rely on sheer strength and ambush in battle, and will not hesitate to use pack hounds in direct combat.

The Gigapedus believe in a zealous form of Natural Selection, in that only the fittest may survive. So far, they have not been proven wrong. As such, the Gigapedus are incredibly intelligent, despite their personality, and have stunning physical capabilities. They often go about the Galaxy and kill off any species they see as genetically unfit, taking their technology for their own use.

The Gigapedus rule in a democracy, much like their "lesser" cousins. They also have strong elements self-worship, in which any species they deem as "genetically unfit" is either banished into slavery or even killed outright. Gigapedus practice piratism, much of their resources are stolen from conquered empires. Blrince, being the Gigapedus's true homeworld, is taken by their sworn enemies, the Centapedus Empire. This has caused the Gigapedus to adopt a nomadic style, having no true base of operations or settlement.

Exodus from the Centapedus Empire
For many years, tension between all subspecies of Centapedus and the Gigapedus was extremely high. The Gigapedus have always thought that superior genetics should rule over all others, while all other species of Centapedus, especially the Crystalpedus, thought that all should be equal. The Gigapedus thought that any baby that had physical disabilities or was mentally challenged, was not worthy, so the they tossed them out of the hatcheries. The Centapedus did not know they were doing this for quite some time. They did not know why the babies were disappearing or how. On one day while a mother went into the local hatchery she caught them stealing her young. For a while the Centapedus thought that it was only this particular Gigapedus who was taking them. Soon more were caught. That's when the Crystalpedus accused all Gigapedus of being Octauragawd's (the Centapedus devil) minions. This angered the Gigapedus, and so they started to murder the Crystalpedus. Soon the entire planet was abuzz with rumors about the Gigapedus. Soon they found evidence of what the Gigapedus were planning. They were planning to take over the entire Centapedus government. That's when war started. All Centapedus along with their subspecies were at war with the Gigapedus. The war lasted over 130 years. Until all Gigapedus were driven out of the cities. Once space technology was invented, the Gigapedus were banished from Blrince and forced out of the empire. The Gigapedus became bandits in space. They started raiding other empires and laying waste to civilizations. They grew and began to attack the Centapedus once they're empire was big enough.

The Hermicee Legion
After decades of being in space, the Gigapedus had made it's first contact with the Hermicee Legion. The Gigapedus had heard stories of the Hermicee's insatiable appetite for destruction and viewed them as, despite being an extreme example of "genetic inferiority", a possible useful asset to success in the war against the Centapedus Empire. When the Gigapedus proposed an alliance with the infamous Hermicee clan, the IronClaw, the Hermicees were very quick to deny. After several successful raids on Hermicee colonies, the Gigapedus had once again contact the Clan for another proposal of an alliance. Lord Anaka IronClaw, the current leader of the IronClaw Clan then ponders the offer. After a consult with many of his finest Marshals and Generals, they came to the conclusion that the Gigapedus could very well be used as a viable "fodder" and "buffer" for the Clan. The Clan and the Gigapedus agreed, and a deal was struck, they became allies and still maintain a somewhat shaky relationship with the Hermicees.

The Rising
Though allied with the mighty IronClaw clan, the Gigapedus still had trouble with constant attacks from smaller clans of Hermicees. Soon after the alliance with the IronClaw, the Gigapedus were soon being overwhelmed by constant stream of idiotic crustaceans, with the IronClaw doing nothing to stop them. Despite this, the Gigapedus did not show any signs of aggression towards to the IronClaw, and simply fought off the rest of the Hermicee attacks, with great success. Gigapedus started to capture Hermicees in order to examine their behavior. Gigapedus were surprised at how they behaved, and their extreme deficiency in intelligence quotient. They soon designated Hermicees as "genetically inferior", but still did not do anything to their IronClaw allies. It is unknown how or why they continue to maintain a "friendly" relationship with the Hermicees.

The Grox Campaign
Inevitably, the Gigapedus had heard rumors of the mighty Grox Empire and it's reputation around the galaxy. After the discovery of Grox colonies, the Gigapedus began a relentless assault on a large cluster of Grox colonies, outmatching them in ground combat. However, thanks to the Grox's superior technology, ship-to-ship combat was almost invariably a lost cause. The Grox soon launched massive counter-attacks on many Gigapedus worlds. Unforunately for the Grox, they had failed with no success. Evenly matched it seems, the Grox and Gigapedus still wage war against each other, one for the eradication of those who oppose them, and the other for the eradication for those who are genetically unfit.

Ranking System
The Gigapedus derive many of their system from their former alliance with the Centapedus. As such, they still carry on many of the same methods of organizing, such as military rank.

Leader Ranks
These Ranks typically are given to very, very zealous Gigapedus, and they rule the entire military.
 * Head Marshal - These Gigapedus are the absolute highest of all ranks. They require a very high education, as well as experience in the battlefield. Only one can exist at a time, and are second command to the Chief executive when it comes to the military.
 * Gigapedus Zealot - Usually given to Gigapedus of incredibly high combat experience, they are of equal rank to Supreme Commander and Field Marshal.

Naval Officer Ranks
These deal with Gigapedus Navy (space) ranks, given only to those are in this branch of the military and have an education along with a high amount of inflicted military casualties.
 * Supreme Commander of the Fleet - Absolute highest rank of the Navy. They command entire fleets of star ships.
 * Fleet Marshal - When no Supreme Commander is present, this rank commands the sleet. They also lead smaller fleets or squadrons.
 * Ship Marshal - These Gigapedus typically are in charge of very large star ships, such as Gigapedus Super-carriers.
 * Captain - Are usually in medium-sized ships, such as cruisers.
 * Naval Lieutenant - Gigapedus that are usually in small star-ships such as fighters and drop ships.

Naval Enlisted Ranks
These are the general class of the Navy, and make up the majority.
 * Warrant Officer - Typically, these have no power when it comes to commanding ships, or even fighters. But, in the event of enemies boarding the ship or in other emergencies, they act as an equivalent to Predominants.
 * Petty Officer - Same as the Warrant Officer, but lower in rank and equivalent to regular Devotees.
 * Crewman - They are part of a ship's crew. They usually are working in the areas of cargo or repair. Sometimes, they man the weapons on larger ships.

Army Officer Ranks
Centapedus army officers command the armed forces on the ground.
 * Field Marshal - They lead ground operations on entire planets and have the most power of any Army Rank. They are also seen taking up direct combat roles.
 * General - Only directly below the Field Marshal, Generals are far more common, and are usually seen leading large-scale ground operations that involve large amounts of infantry and vehicles at once.
 * Brigadier - Brigadiers generally oversee ground operations, such as tactical strikes or defense.
 * Colonel - Colonels typically lead strikes teams on the ground. They coordinate where and when to attack.
 * Major - Majors are involved in smaller Centapedus forces. They seem to fill a similar role to Colonels, but are often on the ground with there troops much more often.
 * Lieutentant - Lowest officer rank, they hold the power to command drop ships and large lances of troops.

Army Enlisted Ranks
These are the general ground infantry ranks of the Centapedus army, and are the greatest in number. They do not require education, but are promoted based on military casualties.
 * Predominant - Gigapedus who have become suited to lead forces of Gigapedus.
 * Devotee - Directly below the Predominant, they lead squads of Gigapedus troops and sometimes drive vehicles.
 * Fanatic - Corporals lead individual squads of Gigapedus in ground operations.
 * Warrior - Lowest and most plentiful rank of the Gigapedus. They are the general infantry and backbone of the armed forces.