JaqHadan Civil War
During a time period where the JaqHadan were being treated as a uniform culture and not all clans were being represented properly with the BDA, one clan ultimately decided that verbal disagreements weren't enough and that the slow, bureaucratic processes they had in place weren't working, the system too broken to work as it was meant. The JaqHadan devolved into a fractured civil war between the clans, with complex and constantly shifting alliances. Some were in it for political or social reasons, but many were pulled in simply for survival and to defend themselves, and once involved couldn't get out again.
The Conflict
Deployment
The massacres within The Hand of the Void were actually some of the first fights of the civil war before surprise assaults on civilian centres were started by some of the Searah. While the Yigrid were obviously the fastest to get in and out of battlefields, they are not a naturally violent or aggressive clan, and spent a long time running and evacuating before starting to fight back properly.
Battlefield
While battles raged all across the Beta Sector, they quickly ranged outside of it to space technically in the hands of other species, though they were not space-faring yet. The worst affected by far was Terra, due to its close proximity to the Beta-zone border and very primitive societies. The planetary population was relatively low, and they were undeveloped enough to not pose much threat to combatants and for a number of them to not feel too bad about getting them caught up in the edges of their battles. It also reduced the chances of other factions, such as their traditional enemies, getting involved.
Conditions
Conditions could vary greatly depending on the battlefield, but some favoured some more than others. The Asmos effortlessly held water-based planets, while Searah dominated on gas worlds. Those, along with some of the Morphess, were also more combat focused clans than others, and tricks and clever tactics were needed by the others to manage a victory.
Terra, though initially a preferred battleground as it was more equal for them to fight on, had become a no-go zone by the end of the conflict, as the stories of combatants being swallowed by the earth or dragged to the depths of the sea quickly became no stories at all - no more JaqHadan were managing to even get off the planet.
Outcome
Wanting it to be over, the Niga-Dita siblings secretly followed some of the JaqHadan back to their meeting place, where they'd been meeting to discuss declaring Terra off-limits in future fighting due to the high number of casualties occurring due to unknown actors there. Once there, they slaughtered the leaders and gave the shocked survivors a Terran week to decide if they wanted peace or desolation.
There was bickering, both within and between clans, about succession and what to do, but ultimately it was determined that the attempt to stand against them would be too difficult, especially if they were to take the fight to their planet. They chose peace.
With the clan leaders all slaughtered, new ones had to be rapidly selected. While those power struggles were going on, orders to respect a truce and pull out from current conflicts were given, and draft attempts at uniting the clans into united governance were drawn up.
Aftermath
The long-standing conflict within the Beta-zone was set back an incredible degree by the events of the civil war. The BDA lost ground that took them thousands of years to claw back, and the JaqHadan numbers, which had been the highest in the fight, had been severely reduced and took a long time to recover, leaving the BDA stretched thin for a few generations even once the civil war was over.
However, it also led to the creation of the JaqHadan Clan Council, where every clan is fairly represented and has weight to determine the fates of their own people in the war. It is now one of the most tight-knit and swift-acting members of the broader BDA.
Furthermore, bringing the Niga-Dita family into the fold of the BDA led to multiple incidents of future assistance going both ways. The knowledge held by the BDA about intergalactic politics and sciences helped prepare them for when humanity reached the stars, and their knowledge of incorporeal abiliites helped them both with their Overseer abilities and their own innate ones. In return they recieved plenty of assistance in their war, leading to the defence of the sector against Stuqols raids and the wiping out of the Gellita in the sector.
Historical Significance
Legacy
Ever since the end of the war, the JaqHadan have held themselves beholden to the Niga-Dita family, especially so the ones that were actually involved in the war and had to live through it. They now boast a strong relationship, definitely the strongest between the family and any member of the BDA, and have worked together a lot over the years. JaqHadan will accept requests from the siblings that they wouldn't consider from anyone else, though as with all things the mileage will vary depending on clan and an individual's feelings.
Another unintended side effect is in the Terran mythos. Many modern-day mythical creatures are derived from interactions with and sightings of the combatants, some of them very obviously and visibly: the long ears and petite size of the Vanari clearly inspired stories of elves and faeries; the sharp fangs of the Aktangsi bring to mind vampires while their tongues are akin to asian creatures such as Aswang; Odari are thought to be the inspiration for zombies and undead while Raktajanta are for werewolves and similar creatures, and the JaqHadan covers many creatures across the clans. This only increased their desire to not interact with them, to avoid frightening humans or, in the case of some of the JaqHadan, giving crises of faith.
Conflict Type
War
Battlefield Type
Space
Start Date
304 BC
Ending Date
3 AD
Conflict Result
Resolution, hundreds of thousands of casualties
"Until then, the JaqHadan had been the peacekeepers of the Beta Quadrant, much like the Coalition in that regard. Impartial arbiters, dispensers of justice, the first and hardest line against the quadrant's enemies. And all of that gone, in an instant."
Belligerents
Strength
~400 million civilians, ~250 million combatants
Casualties
~140 million combatants
Objectives
To regain control of the Hand; to keep up the military honour of the JaqHadan; to contain the fighting.
Yigrid Clan
Led by
Strength
~210 million civilians, ~85 million combatants
Casualties
~60 million
Objectives
To be able to control when they were used by the BDA; better treatment for all the work they did.
Searah Clan
Led by
Strength
~160 million civilians, ~415 million combatants
Casualties
~190 million
Objectives
To retain control over the sector; to keep the JaqHadan military focused; to defend themselves.
Asmos Clan
Led by
Strength
~200 million civilians, ~310 million combatants
Casualties
~244 million
Objectives
Greater representation amongst the JaqHadan leadership; defending their allies, the Tolorite; decrease in military spending and action.
Strength
~200 million inhabitants, three Overseers
Casualties
~3.5 million over 200 years
Objectives
To defend themselves; to prevent further casualties through whatever means; to prevent Terra being used as a battlefield.
Tolorite Clan
Led by
Strength
~320 million civilians, ~60 million combatants
Casualties
~100 million
Objectives
Self defence, survival
