Wraith Hiveship
The Wraith Hiveship is a type of spacecraft that features in Stargate.
Contents |
History
The Wraith Hiveship were a type of large spacefaring spacecraft developed by the Wraith. They prowled worlds in the Pegasus Galaxy for humans to replenish themselves.
After Wraith Darts captured Colonel Sumner, Teyla Emmagan, and several Athosians, the victims were brought deep within the vessel's cavernous, biological interior to be held for feeding. Inside, the ship’s Keeper interrogated Sumner, using telepathic probes to learn of a new, rich feeding ground called Earth. When Major John Sheppard and Lieutenant Aiden Ford infiltrated the ship to stage a rescue, they discovered the vast scale of the hibernating population. The Hiveship's primary in-universe action occurred when Sheppard fatally shot the Keeper; her death triggered a fail-safe telepathic signal that coursed through the ship's biological systems, prematurely awakening every Wraith within its pods. This mass awakening transformed the vessel from a silent, landed structure into a fully active threat, prompting the Atlantis team to flee in a Puddle Jumper through a blockade of Darts and the planet’s Spacegate. Shortly after the team's escape, the Hiveship departed its world, leaving behind a massive crater where it had rested for centuries as it began the first new culling of the galaxy. (Episode: Rising)
Overview
In appearance, the Hiveships was a large Wraith mothership that were home to an untold number of Wraith who hibernate for centuries at a time. (Episode: Rising) The large ships are capable of interstellar travel<ref name="The Siege">Template:Cite episode</ref> and landing on the surface of a planet<ref name="Rising">Template:Cite episode</ref><ref name="Underground">Template:Cite episode</ref>. They also have an enormous amount of firepower<ref name="The Hive">Template:Cite episode</ref> and are protected by an organic armored hull which can regenerate itself<ref name="Allies">Template:Cite episode</ref>.
The interior of the first encountered Wraith Hiveship was a dark, cavernous expanse characterized by a distinct biomechanical and organic aesthetic. Its winding, dimly lit corridors were filled with a low-hanging, eerie mist that clung to the floors and biological walls, which pulsed with a faint, greenish glow. Within this massive vessel, the team discovered vast chambers housing thousands of vertical, translucent hibernation pods where the Wraith slept for centuries. Other sections of the ship contained storage areas for human captives, who were held in sticky, web-like organic cocoons or within specialized stasis units designed to preserve them for future feeding. The ship's central hall, where the Wraith Keeper held court, featured high, vaulted ceilings obscured by shadows and a long, skeletal dining table, reinforcing the predatory nature of the vessel's inhabitants. Every surface of the ship’s interior felt alive, composed of a biological polymer that functioned as a living organism capable of self-repair and telepathic interface with its crew. (Episode: Rising)
The first Hive-Ship encountered by the Atlantis team was concealed beneath the surface of their home world - so much so that they did not realize it was a ship at all. It sat undisturbed on the surface for so long that tall trees grew on its dorsal surface. Only the Keeper and a small number of Wraith warriors were on guard to defend the sleeping race; after the Keeper was killed, the sleeping creatures began to awaken<ref name="Rising">Template:Cite episode</ref>.
Each Hive-Ship functions like a carrier, accompanied by a huge number of Wraith darts and sometimes three Wraith cruisers<ref name="Letters from Pegasus">Template:Cite episode</ref>. Wraith Hiveships are approximately 11 kilometers long and 7 kilometers width. Also they appear to be many hundreds of meters high and seen by the lights there are a lot of rooms. Evidence throughout the serie suggest that a hive can carry thousands, maybe even millions.
Interior
The ships appear to have a bridge with three to four consoles present that are controlled telepathically by the Wraith (or someone with Wraith DNA like Teyla Emmagan) in the same way that the Puddle Jumpers can only be controlled by someone with the ATA Gene<ref name="Misbegotten">Template:Cite episode</ref>. Deeper inside the craft lies a "Royal chamber" where the leader of the Hive-Ship sits<ref name="The Lost Boys">Template:Cite episode</ref><ref name="No Man's Land">Template:Cite episode</ref><ref name="Sateda">Template:Cite episode</ref>. A holographic system generates a misty screen in front of the throne to allow the Wraith a view of events<ref name="Sateda">Template:Cite episode</ref>.
The Hive-Ship contains an untold number of hibernation pods which are used by the Wraith for sleeping over centuries<ref name="Rising">Template:Cite episode</ref>. The ships also contain several holding cells for individuals waiting to be dealt by the Wraith. These cells are also controlled telepathically<ref name="Rising">Template:Cite episode</ref><ref name="The Hive">Template:Cite episode</ref>. Another method of holding prisoners are a number of cocoon alcoves which are used to store humans for later feeding<ref name="Allies">Template:Cite episode</ref>. The alcoves use tentacle and spider-web like substances to hold the prisoners and can preserve people and prevent them from dying which is used only once on Lt. Ford who suffers from enzyme withdrawal<ref name="No Man's Land">Template:Cite episode</ref>.
One of the largest parts of the Hive-Ship is the hangar bay in which all the Wraith Darts are stored. The bays have a large number of honeycomb-like openings in the walls through which the Darts fly when they enter or leave the ship<ref name="The Lost Boys">Template:Cite episode</ref><ref name="The Hive">Template:Cite episode</ref>.
Weapons and Defenses
A Wraith Hive-Ship has a large number of weapon ports stationed across the exterior of the ship. These ports rapidly fire blue energy pulses which are powerful enough to destroy another Hive-Ship after several hits<ref name="The Hive">Template:Cite episode</ref>; working in concert with each other, Hive-Ships are able to bring down the Asgard designed shields of the Daedalus in less than an hour. The ship does not appear to have any point defence weapons to fight off smaller ships such as F-302s. However, the Wraith Dart has been shown to defend the hive from incoming fire<ref name="The Siege, Part 3">Template:Cite episode</ref>.
After the Earth ship Daedalus used Asgard beams to transport nuclear warheads aboard three Hive-Ships, the Wraith reimplemented a jamming technology which prevented beaming objects either on or off a ship<ref name="The Siege, Part 3">Template:Cite episode</ref>.
Significantly, the Hive-Ship differs from other known combat vessels of comparable size due to the fact that they do not have energy shields for defence during combat, something previously not encountered amongst ships constructed by technologically advanced alien races. Instead, they rely on an organic armoured hull which allows the ship a limited ability to repair itself (literally "healing" the damage). The hull and armour of the ships are shown to be able to withstand a direct hit from Mark III tactical naqahdah enhanced nuclear weapons, although the ship suffered serious damage and was rendered largely inoperable, but can only survive 3 hits from Asgard plasma beam weapons. This armour is also affected by hyperspace radiation which forces the ships to leave hyperspace after some time so that the hull can repair itself<ref name="Allies">Template:Cite episode</ref>.
Propulsion
Due to the large size of a Hive-Ship, it is not as maneuverable as a Daedalus-class battlecruiser or Goa'uld Ha'tak class vessel<ref name="The Siege, Part 3">Template:Cite episode</ref>. However, as seen on "The Siege, Part 3" they are able to alter course to intercept ships quickly. It is also known that they can enter the atmosphere of a planet and break orbit when needed<ref name="Allies">Template:Cite episode</ref>.
Like other races the Wraith Hive-Ships use hyperdrives for FTL travel. Their hyperdrives are however not as efficient as that used by other races, such as the Asgard <ref name="The Siege, Part 3">Template:Cite episode</ref>. Instead they have to travel in a series of jumps and, depending on the distance, must take breaks to allow the organic hull to recover from the effects of hyperspace radiation<ref name="Misbegotten">Template:Cite episode</ref>. The Wraith Hive-Ships also do not have intergalactic hyperdrive capability but can be outfitted if the species gets access to the knowledge which is seen when the Wraith gain access to Ancient intergalactic hyperdrive technology by stealing the Aurora mission reports by hacking into Atlantis's central computer, after the Wraith falsely befriend them.
Notes
- The Wraith Hiveships were created by Robert C. Cooper and James Robbin where they featured in the setting of the Stargate universe.
Appearances
- Stargate: Atlantis:
External Link
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