Chitain

This article has a separate continuity. This article is in the Richard Hatch Novelizations separate continuity, which is related to the Original Series. Be sure that your contributions to this article reflect the characters and events specific to this continuity only.

The Chitain are a warlike alien species native to Xerik-7, the only sentient race indigenous to the Xerik system. They are savage warriors with naturally armored bodies and poisonous bone-tipped tails, characterized by their serpentine lower bodies and scavenging culture. The Chitain establish alliances with the Cylons and engage in conflicts with both the Sky and the Colonial Fleet.

Physical Characteristics

The Chitain stand well over two metrons tall, making them significantly larger than humans. Their torsos are plated with what appears to be natural, scaled armor resembling thick tortoise shells, colored a dark gray-green so deep it is nearly black.

Each Chitain possesses four appendages: a pair of upper arms ending in three sharp, slender digits closer to talons or scimitar-like fingers, and a lower pair of thick, trunk-like enormous pincers. The arms are a dark, bloody crimson color, described as the color of the rarest gems or spilled blood.

Below the torso, the Chitain are serpentine, with lower portions matching the crimson color of their arms. Impossibly, they carry themselves upright like humanoids despite having fundamentally snake-like bodies on a much larger scale—described as "snakes that had learned a particularly good trick." This serpentine lower trunk allows them to glide across sand with a hideous whisper, a rasp of thick scales, moving with lightning speed despite their great bulk.

The lower trunk ends in an upraised tail equipped with a needle-sharp spine resembling a scorpion's stinger. Every centimetron of their bodies appears designed for battle, suggesting they evolved on a harsh world with few natural predators.

Facial Features

Chitain heads are flat, wide shells that appear almost tucked between broad shoulders, initially resembling helmets. Their near-featureless faces have four thin, slitted eyes and a wide mouth at the very bottom of the head with menacingly flashing teeth. To human observers, their faces appear expressionless, making it difficult to read their emotions.

Sensory Adaptations

The Chitain possess eyes adapted for different light frequencies than humans, allowing them to see clearly in what humans perceive as shadowed dimness. This adaptation to their desert homeworld gives them a significant advantage in their own environment.

Culture and Society

The Chitain are an extremely intelligent and advanced species, though inherently warlike. They view visitors with a mixture of amusement, disdain, and fascination, along with a strong current of hostility.

Social Hierarchy

Chitain society uses subtle forms of differentiation rather than the accoutrements of rank common in human cultures. Individuals vary in the shade and striation of their armored torsos. They practice ritual scarring that appears symbolic of status or achievement, with the number and style of scars conveying meaning within their society. Leaders and high-status individuals display significantly more scarring than others, with some scars appearing almost artistic, added for aesthetic purposes.

The Chitain do not wear clothing of any kind, relying entirely on their natural armor and scarification patterns for differentiation.

Scavenger Culture

The Chitain are scavengers by nature—nothing is wasted. They leave nothing behind, not even the bodies of their own dead. Their cities are built from the hollowed shells of their fallen, using dried carapaces as fundamental building blocks in their architecture.

Ships are taken as salvage, and captives are either eaten or enslaved depending upon the palatability of their race. The Chitain are ruthlessly efficient, plundering what they can use and consuming what moves.

Slavery

The Chitain maintain enslaved humanoid populations for labor, including genetically mutated descendants of the original Poseidon colonists. They view their actions of taking dying populations from poisoned worlds as "saving" them, though they maintain these populations as permanent slaves. When enslaved populations produce offspring that are too damaged or die, the Chitain seek new slave populations to replace them.

The enslaved humans refer to the Chitain as "stingers," a term reflecting both their physical scorpion-like tails and their oppressive nature.

Language

The native Chitain tongue sounds unlike anything in human experience—less like insect sounds than the screech of metal against metal, the loud, chilling rasp of sandpaper, yet somehow even worse. Despite the alien nature of their speech organs, some Chitain learn to speak Kobollian, though their mouths appear incapable of forming the syllables.

Architecture and Aesthetics

Chitain architecture demonstrates a surprising appreciation for beauty. Their cities feature strangely angled spires that gleam like black glass, stabbing, ridged, and twisted toward the sky in disturbingly beautiful configurations. The fundamental building blocks are the dried carapaces of dead Chitain, forming mosaics on outer and inner walls shored up with mixtures of sand and chemical compounds.

The Grand Palace showcases glistening multi-colored walls that cast shadows and ghosts around chambers when lit by lanterns. The Chitain have no need for chairs or ground transportation, as their serpentine bodies allow them to curl up on floors and glide across surfaces.

Technology

Starships

Chitain warships are fashioned after their own bodies, serving as part starship and part armor. The vessels are long cylinders that taper to a point, with forward propulsion managed by engine strands (tendrils) that hang from the front of the ship and curl around to the sides. Each ship has a complement of at least twelve such tendrils, from which small jets of crimson energy burn.

The weapons system consists of a long tail originating at the back of the ship, equipped with a wide metallic stinger that generally curls under and forward. This stinger can fire laser pulses or whip about to physically shatter any starfighter foolhardy enough to venture too near. The stinger can be moved to fire in various directions.

Chitain craft house a three-member flight crew plus another trio wearing atmosphere suits who act as infantry if the ship lands. These three also serve another function: if a Chitain craft damages an enemy vessel, they synch up to that ship, leave their own craft, and attack it directly.

The vessels move with deadly speed, faster than anything Valor of the Sky had ever encountered, though they lack the instantaneous maneuverability of Sky armor-ships.

When combined with Cylon technology, Chitain-influenced base stars feature the cold Cylon mechanical aesthetic merged with technorganic Chitain weapons arrays.

Underground Movement

The Chitain possess the remarkable ability to burrow through sand and emerge from below to ambush enemies. Their serpentine bodies and powerful limbs allow them to tunnel through packed sand floors in their citadels, using this technique for both surprise attacks and rapid movement through their cities.

Advanced Climate Control

Chitain structures feature advanced climate control technology capable of maintaining perfect temperatures despite having narrow openings in high ceilings for starlight and fresh air.

History

Relations with the Sky

The Sky established diplomatic relations with the Chitain, building an embassy on the third moon of Xerik-12. For a time, the relationship was mutually beneficial, with the Chitain sharing aspects of their technology and culture with the Sky, though they never allowed close inspection of their vessels.

This peaceful relationship ended when the Chitain launched an unprovoked attack on the Sky embassy without warning or provocation—no prior slight, insult, or indication of hostility, only duplicity. The Chitain assault completely destroyed the embassy and killed approximately one hundred Sky stationed there.

This betrayal transformed the Sky-Chitain relationship into open warfare, with the Sky later intervening militarily when the Chitain attacked the Colonial Fleet.

Alliance with the Cylons

The Chitain formed an alliance with the Cylons, who established a massive underground installation beneath Xerik-7's surface. The Cylons supplied the Chitain with technology and firepower, strengthening their military capabilities.

The alliance proved mutually beneficial, with the Cylons maintaining a low profile in the region for at least six yahren while conducting operations. The Chitain served as willing vassals in return for technological guidance, a pattern the Cylons had employed with other races.

Contact with Humanity

When the Colonial Fleet arrived in the Xerik system and Commander Cain established a colony on Poseidon, the Chitain initiated diplomatic contact. Tcharken, a Chitain interpreter and advisor to Lord Schikik, communicated with Cain and later welcomed Apollo's diplomatic mission to Xerik-7.

Thousands of Chitain warriors surrounded the human vessel upon landing, ostensibly as a welcoming committee but clearly also as a show of force. The diplomatic mission was housed in the Grand Palace with Chitain guards posted outside their chambers.

However, the Chitain's true intentions were hostile. They did not want to destroy humanity but rather to enslave them, seeking new slaves to replace the genetically damaged descendants of Poseidon's original colonists. The diplomatic overtures were merely a setup to facilitate this goal.

Growing Hatred for Humans

Following their defeat at the hands of the Colonial forces, the Chitain developed a growing hatred for humans. Lord Schikik particularly wanted to see Apollo again after their previous encounter.

After the major battle in the Xerik system, the Chitain civilization began rebuilding itself on Xerik-7, fanning the flames of hatred against humanity. Three Cylon base stars remained in orbit above their homeworld, maintaining the Cylon-Chitain alliance.

Notable Chitain

• Lord Schikik: Chitain chieftain and leader who negotiated with the Colonials and worked with the Cylons.
• Tcharken: Interpreter and advisor to Lord Schikik, capable of speaking Kobollian.

In Combat

The Chitain are formidable warriors whose every physical feature is designed for battle. They wield long-bladed daggers that come to needle points, carrying multiple weapons in their four hands. Their ability to burrow through sand and emerge unexpectedly gives them a significant tactical advantage in their desert environment.

Their serpentine bodies allow them to undulate sideways rapidly to dodge attacks, moving with a speed that belies their great bulk. Combined with their natural armor, poisonous tail stingers, sharp talons, powerful pincers, and weapons proficiency, the Chitain are deadly opponents in close combat.

During space battles, Chitain forces employ their fast-moving warships alongside Cylon technology, creating a formidable combined military force.