Ishtari
The Ishtari were a species of insectoids that were native to the planet Assur II in the Assur System in the Unknown Regions. They were first encountered by the Emperor’s Hammer at the First Battle of Tusorix.
Biology and appearance
The Ishtari were bipedal insectoids, standing roughly 2 meters tall on average. Unlike many insectoids, the Ishtari had only four limbs (two arms and two legs). Their heads were dominated by large compound eyes. They also had two antennae, one located above each eye, which were used for communication with the rest of their hive. Their hardened carapace was as flexible as the skin of other creatures, yet tough enough to deflect a blade or even absorb a glancing blaster bolt. Ishtari had two sets of mandibles, outer and inner, which they used to gesture. They also had a pair of wings, which allowed for greater vertical mobility in both work and combat.
Society and culture
The Ishtari were a caste-based species separated by positions that included drones, warriors, and queens. Ishtari were born into hives with each led by a queen. The queens of each hive were led by The Empress, the overall ruler of the Ishtari species. Drones made up the majority of Ishtari society. They were responsible for all of the manual labor, including food production, starship construction, and processing of resources confiscated from neighboring systems. Warriors were focused entirely on combat and raiding, pillaging resources from other worlds to feed the ever growing Ishtari population.
TIE Corps Encounters
Battle of Tusorix
The First Recon Division encountered the Ishtari for the first time at the planet Tusorix in 30 ABY during Raise the Flag 2021. The TIE Corps was taking shore leave on the beach-covered planet when the aliens attacked the fleet by surprise, forcing the pilots on the planet to rush back to defend their ships. It was here that the swarm tactics of the Ishtari were first observed, as countless fighters launched suicide attacks on the Emperor's Hammer capital ships, ramming the larger ships until they were knocked out of action. Eventually, the Ishtari abandoned their assault and retreated from the Tusorix system.
Hunting the Hunters
The First Recon Division decided to chase down the Ishtari, who they learned had been raiding local systems for food and supplies. While the SSD Avenger stayed behind to protect Tusorix, the three Battlegroups and the Secret Order split up to investigate the possible destinations of the Ishtari escape vector for Raise the Flag 2022. The results of the scouting mission pointed them to the Ishtari home system. Grand Admiral Rapier decided to bring order and stability to the region by launching an offensive against the Ishtari seat of power.
On the Offensive
The First Recon Division arrived at the Assurian Halo to free the planets from the insectoids control and hopefully destroy them for good in Imperial Storm V. After a month long campaign full of small battles that slowly chipped away at both the TC and Ishtari forces, the TC was able to push into the core planets of the system. Vicious fighting lasted until the last day, where the TIE Corps eventually proved triumphant, dealing significant damage to the Ishtari.
Ishtari Neutralized
The fighting in the Ishtari home system had heavily damaged the vast majority of the TIE Corps' fleet. Every ship had been forced to return to the dockyard at Tusorix for repairs, with the exception of the ISDII Warrior. The Warrior was assigned to guard the dockyard while repairs took place.
While the Assurian Halo campaign had effectively neutralized the ability of the Ishtari to raid nearby systems, the homeworld of Assur II managed to avoid complete destruction. With the Ishtari ability to quickly reproduce and the unshakeable focus of their hive mind, it's hard to say how long before the Ishtari attempt to reassert their dominance over neighboring worlds.
