The Chigs received their name because they allegedly look like Earth chiggers (which are small, six-legged larvae of mites). The Chigs are an alien race, who, according to reports, decimated the two Earth colonies Vesta and Tellus, thus beginning the galactic war in which the 58th currently find themselves fighting. Chigs appear humanoid, though they are rarely (if ever) seen sans their armoured environment suits. Contact with human-breathable atmospheres apparently causes Chigs to dissolve, as does exposure to regular water. Chigs have also apparently allied themselves with the A.I.'s; however the true nature of this alliance is yet unknown, and is possibly one of mutual necessity.

It has been determined that the Chigs, having heard of Earth religions and their belief in the 'resurrection of the dead' and the immortal soul, are scared silly that soldiers whom they've just killed are going to rise up and begin attacking again. Therefore, to forestall such a thing, Chigs chop off their victim's head and hack apart the body, apparently theorizing that a body which has been so disassembled cannot possibly rise and/or resurrect.



Chig Evolution

Life on Earth began as a freak accident, and evolved at a furious pace. Eventually, dinosaurs ruled the Earth. 65 Million years ago, an astronomical body several miles across impacted in the Atlantic kicking up dust and debris. The change in temperature killed off the dinosaurs and let mammals gain the pinnacle of the food chain on Earth.

Meanwhile, ejects from the impact left the atmosphere and froze solid in the near vacuum of space. Included in this were bundles of frozen water containing microbes and other primitive forms of life. Some of these bundles achieved hyperbolic orbits, slingshooting around the solar system and eventually left for the darkness of interstellar space.

For nearly 5 million years, the bundles of terran biology travelled through interstellar space. Several of these biological packages landed on the Chig home world, sparking life there as well. The atmosphere and conditions on Chig Prime led to an accelerated evolutionary process. The end result of which is the race of intelligent humanoids we have come to know as the Chigs.



Chig Equipment
Fighters
The standard Chig fighter is faster than an SA-43, while being less maneuverable. It has three "wings", and comes in at least two versions, the standard black/purple fighter, and a red version, which has the ability to pass through the gravitational wash of a black hole. An advanced prototype Fighter has been constructed (and subsequently destroyed) which is almost invincible against modern SA-43's
Click on the image to see the blueprint courtesy by Georg Jörgens




Bombers
The Chig bomber is, to date, the only enemy craft of which we have even partial knowledge. It is controlled by bio-electric feedback, and is partially organic. The bomber is cone-shaped, almost like a dart. It has a range similar to Earth forces' capital ships. A captured Chig bomber provided us with almost all the knowledge we possess about them.
Click on the image to see the blueprint courtesy by Georg Jörgens




Destroyers
The U-378 Class-D Chig Destroyer is equipped with rockets, lasers, and mines. It possesses special microwave equipment that interferes with communications and reactors, causing their core temperatures to spike. The U-378 favours the "soft kill", destroying the enemy indirectly rather than through direct assault.






Motherships
The Chig mothership, briefly seen during the Battle of the Belt, is the largest Chig craft yet seen. Virtually nothing is known about these dual-wedge shaped craft.
Click on the image to see the blueprint courtesy by Georg Jörgens







Chig Satelites
These Chig satelites are placed in the orbit of planets, which had been conquered and habitated by the Chigs. They are used for some kind of IFF (identification friend-foe), a Security system, to detect and identify (and destroy) fly-bys. They are heavily armed but not heavily armoured which make for good target practice.







Chig Tank
The T-77 is a Chig tank, featured in Pearly, and has a very strong ceramic surface which makes it virtually invincible.









Chig Weaponry

Scythe
Chigs appear to favour a wickedly-curved blade, which they use to hack helpless Marines apart with. It doesn't seem to be too effective in actual hand-to-hand combat, but it sure makes for a good hack-'n'-slash-'em weapon.




Rifles
The Chigs carry a rifle, which appears to be an energy weapon. It is rather large and bulky, and uses a plasma accelerator to deliver its shot. Not much else is known about this weapon.



Buzz-Beams
Buzz beams are a nasty variation of a land-mine. It is activated by stepping on it. When the victim releases their foot, laser beams actively slice through the body from below, making a buzzing noise, which may be the origin of its name. It has been theorized that buzz-beams are connected with the Chig fear weapons.







Grenades
Just like the normal grenades used in 20th centuries wars, the chigs use their very own variant, with the same devastating results.








Fear weapon
The Chigs have apparently invented some sort of weapon which acts on the portion of the brain which stores fear memories. It accelerates activity in this area, causing a dull ache. The victim's worst fears are enhanced, and can often be debilitating. However, the effects are temporary, waning until the next exposure. Each exposure lowers the victim's resistance to the weapon, and it is unknown whether resistance can be built up. The 58th's worst fears were realized on Tartarus, when they first encountered this fear weapon.





Most (In)Famous Chigs:
Chiggie von Richthofen
Named for the Red Baron himself, Chiggie von Richthofen (CvR) was a Chig Ace of Aces, single-handedly responsible for destroying multiple SA-43 squadrons as well as many seasoned pilots. He flew an advanced prototype Chig fighter, powered by Sewell Fuel, which was impervious to the cannon-fire of an SA-43. Lt. Col. McQueen personally destroyed CvR in an explosive dogfight, avenging Lieutenant Winslow's death.









Chig Nurse
The true face of the Chigs. The Nurse is pretecting the gestation chambers on planet Anvil, harbouring unborn Chigs.