The Hive
Stretching in all directions, as far as you can see through your viewport, is an irregular brown and gray surface. The surface of this structure is a several kilometer thick rock with various ore deposits. Your comm system is filled with buzzing noise on all channels. It sounds like the same buzzing you heard on the comms during the Great Reset. Most disturbing is what your sensors see inside this giant structure. It’s a honeycombed structure with giant insects and a space gate. Because of the thickness of [The Hive] walls, the only way in is through the Hive Gate.
You know this can not be good.
Space wasps – the active player will place [The Hive] sector with the Hive Queen and 2 drone insects. Immediately roll a d4 to add that many more drone insects and distribute them to the various gates using a d6 for each drone. Once all the spaces that a ship could occupy when entering a gate is covered by drones, the gate becomes impassable. Also, once a gate is full if another drone is to be added, simply move to the next gate in the list that has an open position.
- Deltus Gate
- Expedior Gate
- Lacerta Gare
- Samara Gate
- Thenēr Gate
- Tigris Gate – The insects can somehow use the Tigris Gate even if it is not retethered.
Each drone can take 10 damage, its chitinous body functions as a d6 shield, and it can do d8 damage to a ship it shares adjacency with. An individual drone will seek vengeance on anyone that attacks it, or the Hive Queen, flying up to 8 spaces and never going more than 1 sector away from a gate.
The Hive Queen can take 20 damage, her chitin provides d8 shielding, and she can do d12 damage to a ship she shares adjacency with. The Hive Queen can move 6 spaces, but does not leave [The Hive]. If the queen is killed, whomever made the kill shot will be hunted by all remaining drones.
There is a set maximum of 16 drones and one Hive Queen. When any of them are destroyed they do not respawn. The chitin on their bodies has a high metal alloy content and when they are killed they will also cause debris fields, if the optional debris field when ships are destroyed rule has been applied.