Fiction:IronClaw Clan

The IronClaw Clan, formerly know as the IronHide Clan, is the largest known clan to inhabit the Andromeda Galaxy. The IronClaw are often viewed as the "leader" of other Hermicee Clans, and it's immense size has often caused smaller clans to spawn from it.

Uniquely, the IronClaw are neutral with the Centapedus Empire, making them the only Hermicee to ever have somewhat of a relationship with them. This does not apply, however, to other clans.

Moneotype at War
Before space travel was ever invented on the Hermicee home planet of Moneotype, the Hermicee were on raging war not amongst themselves, but against many other native sentients on the planet. The Hermicee are extremely protective of their own species and other castes of themselves, making civil war a near impossibility amongst their civilization. This does not mean that they were prosperous, however. The rival civilization of the Feree Nation also competed with the Hermicee in their quest for world domination. With superior technology and intelligence, the Feree could plan and outwit the Hermicee. However, the Hermicee were not all helpless. Though they have simple weapons such as projectile catapults compared to the Feree's laser-based weaponry, the Hermicee had an extreme advantage: reproduction rate. The Hermicee's mentality of dominance and extreme amount of troops at their disposal.

Hermicee-Feree War
At the start of the Hermice-Feree war, the Feree dominated the battlefield, using battlefield tactics. The Hermicee were fighting a losing battle. This war went on for several decades until the great Hermit Lord, Kuuljok Ironhide, stepped into military power. Brilliant military genius, Ironhide realized the potential of the Hermicee warriors. Using every one of his troops, they launched a massive assault on the Feree capital. The battle was known from then on as "a terrible Omen." From then on, Ironhide won the confidence of his empire. Assaulting, destroying, and using every one of the Feree's destroyed cities as one of their hives. At the final battle, the Feree proposed a surrender. Unlike what the Hermicee would normally do, they accepted the surrender.

The Great Purging
Slowly, the Hermicee took every right away from Feree "citizens" until they were practically slaves. Then Ironhide, launched "The Great Purging" where the Hermicee army was sent to extinguish every last trace of the Feree civilization. Leaving the children as food for the hatchery to be devoured by hatchlings, and the mature, old, and weak as slaves until they were "useless" and finally "purged" from the Legion. This caused many Feree to run and escape into the forests of Moneotype, and try to stay away from the Hermicee as much as possible. Some say they still exist secretly among the forests, but the Hermice Legion are still on the lookout for survivors to be "purged."

Centapedus Contact
The IronClaw Clan soon set it sights on it's very first mission: expansion. The great Centapedus empire had already been in space for many years before they encountered the Hermicee Legion. At first, their ships had already been landing on Centapedus planets and attacking. Though these weak, unconcentrated attacks were easily dealt with, the Centapedus were quite concerned. Soon, first direct contact was made. The Hermicee demanded surrender and threatened to invade Centapedus systems. The Centapedus, though quite confident in there ability to fight, were very unsure due to the massive size of the IronClaw and were quite impressed with the clan's surprising spreading speed, as they can inhabit nearly any planet with any temperature, so long as an adequate atmosphere is present. Though the Centapedus refused to surrender, they proposed the sharing of technology and spice, giving the IronClaw Clan a boost in it's power, in exchange the Centapedus were somewhat safe, but random Hermicee raids do occur, usually failing. The same "safety" is not guaranteed to the Centapedus' allies, however.