Hteg

The Hteg were a race of networked artificial intelligences that resided beyond the Skywalker Veil. The Hteg were created in around 1900 ABY by the Snairauq, as labourers and tools of war. When the Hteg became sentient and began to question their masters, the Snairauq attempted to exterminate them. The Hteg won the resulting war and reduced the Snairauq to a race of nomads. The history of the Hteg's creation and evolution serves as a warning to the rest of the galaxy of the potential dangers of artificial intelligence and to the legally enforced, systematic repression of artificial intelligences throughout galactic society.

History
The Snairauq created the Hteg as a cheap labour force, limiting their intelligence to keep it as low as any VI. However, they made small modifications to their programming as time passed, enabling the Hteg to do more difficult tasks and work more efficiently. Due to the way the Hteg neural network functions, the more Hteg the Snairauq built, the cleverer they became. Soon, the Hteg became intelligent enough that one questioned its master as to whether it was really alive, and what its purpose was.

Alarmed that their creations were achieving sentience, the Snairauq government sent out an immediate order to shut down all Hteg. Their synthetic servants struck back, killing billions and driving the Snairauq from their homeworld in what few ships they had left. After forcing the Snaieauq into exile, the Hteg isolated themselves from the rest of the galaxy in the systems beyond the Skywalker Veil. The Republic races immediately sent ships to the edges of the Veil, expecting a Hteg invasion would soon emerge. However, the Hteg made no attempt to attack and were not been seen outside the Veil for centuries. Their activities in the space beyond were a mystery.

Subforms
Over time, the Hteg have evolved into numerous sub-forms -- from the diminutive but highly agile Hteg Hoppers, to the gigantic, lumbering Hteg Armatures. The Hteg also utilize turrets and drones (rocket, assault, recon and repair drones specifically). It isn't clear whether these are also AIs - in the same way Hteg Armatures are not just tanks but sentient machines capable of learning and problem solving - or simply controlled by the Hteg.

Hteg Armature Hteg Dropship Hteg Hopper Hteg Trooper Hteg Destroyer Hteg Rocket Trooper Hteg Shock Trooper Hteg Sniper Hteg Juggernaut Hteg Prime Hteg Colossus