Cisst

The Cisst are a species of predatory pack hunters, mighty insectoid scavengers and plunderers who posed a scourge to the peaceful Xakzen since the earliest stages of their evolution. Capable of taking down Matriarchs in their groups, they are renowned combatants and fighters, feared, deplored, and admired throughout the galaxies.

Predators and Prey
The Cisst, in the earlier stages of their sentience and evolution, existed as natural predator to the Xakzen. They dominated the food chain of Hive, a powerful, unstoppable force of terror for thousands of years, long into the development of both species' societies. As the Xakzen formed tighter-knit relations between themselves, defensively developing under the watch of the Matriarchs, the Hivemind's power only growing, the Cisst learned how to penetrate their defences, slaughter their kind and plunder all they had. Their scavenging capability became so adept that the Cisst could dismantle and interpret the Xakzen technology better than the Xakzen themselves, leaving the Cisst to become a more scientifically advanced species through the advances of their foe. The Xakzen always found themselves the prey, always inferior to their opponents, and with no choice but to be complicit in their own crisis.

Tissk's Exile
Takall Tissk, the Cisst leader, was a mighty warrior, and was initially nicknamed 'Wauceq a Qua', or 'Assassin of Queens'. However, during Tissk's particularly offensive reign, the Matriarchs collectively agreed to combat this enemy. The borders of 'Cisst territory' were shrunk by the mobilisation of the Matriarchs and their billions of Workers. Knowing of the Cisst's plans to expand elsewhere through space, the Matriarchs literally forced them from the planet.

Tissk at first saw the uprising as a meagre threat to be stamped out, but under the control of Hivemind Qya, the huge numbers of the Xakzen were too effective. The Cisst's power shrunk exponentially as the Workers became proficient in repelling them, despite Tissk's orders to combat them. At the final Xakzen push, as the Cisst population retreated to their last stronghold, Tissk was plagued with a dilemma that took a year of Xakzen siege for him to answer - whether to fight to the death, or flee for the interest of the Cisst species. Tissk ultimately decided on retreat.

In the brutal Cisst society, Tissk's decision saw him labelled 'the Coward', despite his once-revered history. The great warrior hung his head in shame as the Cisst fled their homeworld in their millions. Upon their arrival at Krossk, only a few weeks into their settlement, Tissk was killed by Frisq, a challenger to his rule, and believer in Cisst superiority. Whilst the humiliated leader addressed his people, crushed by a psychological weakness that followed him to the grave, Frisq slew the Takall with his bare hands - Tissk did not fight back. Under Frisq, who became known as the Callous for his brutality and anti-Xakzen sentiment, the Cisst vengefully buckled down to prepare for their future: a future that would belong to the Cisst.

Modern Relations
The modern relationship of the two insectoid species is a tense, much studied one. Whilst each side holds a burning hatred of the other, and the powerful place of the Xakzen among other species leading to general antagonization of the Cisst, each side appears to hold a hidden remorse or guilt for their actions. Although the Cisst expulsion occurred several hundred years ago, Frisq's mantras and ideology have since ruled his species' culture. Takall Jhisck, an older Cisst, despite not possessing Frisq's legendary short temper and fire, maintains a brutal, unflinching resolve against anything Xakzen related.

Unfortunately for the Cisst, a great deal of their numbers are extremely violent marauders and bandits, intent on the rebuilding of their society. Though the Cisst expulsion occurred around 2100, 200 years ago, it is true that their civilization has a great deal of recovery to do. Due to their lack of diplomatic effort and little care for the consequences of their violent actions, the Cisst are largely excluded as villainous by galactic society.