Hirogen

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The Hirogen are a fictional race in the Star Trek universe. They are spacefaring and nomadic and featured in Star Trek: Voyager. Resident to the Delta Quadrant, the Hirogen are roughly technologically equal to Starfleet, though they have a tribal social structure. Under this structure, the Hirogen are divided into packs and each pack is led by an "Alpha", with a "Beta" serving directly under him.

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1 Culture
2 Appearance
3 Tactics
4 Voyager
5 Similar species
6 External links

[edit] Culture

The Hirogen view all other races as prey, and make sport of pursuing what they deem worthy adversaries. With this in mind, some far-sighted Hirogen believe their society, which has broken up into a number of factions each engaged on their own hunts, has become too divided to survive in the hostile Delta Quadrant.

[edit] Appearance

Hirogen are typically much taller than a human, perhaps seven to eight feet in size. They are powerfully muscular. Hirogen hunters of all ranks wear tough blue armour, generally with face masks (if the atmosphere is inhospitable to oxygen-breathing life). Before a hunt, all Hirogen hunters colour their faces with some type of war paint.

[edit] Tactics

In battle the Hirogen rely on strong armour and, in face-to-face encounters, their physical resilience to survive. They carry tetryon rifles into combat. These powerful assault rifles utilise a form of energy that Starfleet has so far been unable to harness.

[edit] Voyager

The U.S.S. Voyager encountered the Hirogen sometime around 2373, and the Hirogen, sensing worthy prey, attacked in force. Voyager's weapon systems were initially unable to penetrate the hull armour of the Hirogen fighter craft. Many conflicts ensued between Hirogen and Voyager as the aliens continued their ritualistic hunt, but, under Captain Janeway's expert guidance, the Starfleet crew were able to survive each encounter.

The final confrontation between Voyager and a Hirogen war party in 2374 was so devastating to both sides that a cease-fire between the two was reached (An unprecedented event in the entirety of Hirogen history). The Alpha in charge of the Hirogen party had initially invaded Voyager in the hopes of obtaining holographic technology and, though he fell during the combat, Janeway delivered the technology to his successor. The Alpha acknowledged that, by chasing 'prey' across the entire Quadrant, the Hirogen people were losing all cultural and national unity and would eventually be overcome by other species in the Galaxy. By creating holographic hunts, with the safety systems off, they could continue to have lethal and challenging hunts while remaining united in a single portion of space. Unfortunately, the Hirogen lust for violence overcame all reason and their holographic prey soon became the aggressors.