"Superhive" | |
---|---|
Production information | |
Manufacturer | |
Class |
Hive ship |
Technical specifications | |
Length |
Several kilometers |
Width |
~1 km |
Engine unit(s) |
|
Hyperdrive system |
Modified Wraith hyperdrive |
Power plant |
Zero Point Modules, Wraith power sources |
Shielding |
Regenerative hull |
Hull |
Reinforced bio-armor |
Sensor systems |
Enhanced Wraith sensor array |
Control systems |
Neural interface |
Countermeasures |
Jamming codes |
Armament |
Several dozen enhanced energy cannons |
Complement |
Wraith darts |
Passengers |
Tens of thousands |
Cargo capacity |
Hundreds of thousands of tons |
Other systems |
|
Usage | |
Role(s) |
|
Affiliation |
- "What you really need to know is that this hive is a work in progress. It has yet to reach its full potential, which means if you attack it now, you may be able to destroy it. But if you hesitate, it will be too late, and this hive will be unstoppable."
- —Todd
"Superhives" are heavily-modified hive ships originally developed by the Wraith to enable to them crush the Lanteans in their century-long war. Enhanced far beyond the normal limits of their technology, these titanic vessels employed stolen Zero Point Modules to grow near-impenetrable armor and boost weapons discharges to levels high enough to punch through Ancient and Asgard shields with ease. Thanks in large part to a number of brilliant holding maneuvers, however, all of the original superhives were destroyed ten-thousand years ago, resulting in the Wraith being forced to lay siege to Atlantis without them.
In the modern day, the rogue Wraith commander Todd would revive the superhive line when he used stolen Asuran ZPMs to transform one of his own motherships into one of the legendary superweapons. He had hoped to use it to allow a quick and decisive end to the Wraith Civil War, with him as its victor, but one of his subordinates betrayed him, stealing the vessel and deciding to lead it against Earth. In the climactic series of battles that followed, the superhive and its escorts were ultimately destroyed, but the door has been left open for more to be created in the future, threatening the fragile balance of power in the Pegasus Galaxy.
Overview[]
- "Inefficient power generation is the Achilles heel of Wraith technology."
- —Rodney McKayThe main advantage the Tau'ri have over the Wraith is entirely technological. The Wraith are stronger in number, but their technology is lacking. For instance, their hyperdrive systems are not capable of long-term sustained use, requiring periodic stops between jumps when traveling long distances. They also possess no shielding technology, and rely on the organic Hive's ability to "heal" itself. With the power harnessed from a ZPM, they are no longer technologically inferior; their weapons are orders of magnitude stronger, the hyperdrive much more efficient and the hull of the Hive both heals itself much faster and can absorb punishment on the same order as the most advanced shield technology used by the Tau'ri, making the hull nearly impenetrable even to Asgard weapons and Ancient Drone weapons. The increased power of the Hive's armaments can fully deplete the shields of a 304 in a dozen shots, and is capable of depleting the Atlantis shield when powered by three ZPM's in a matter of minutes. This stands in stark contrast to a fleet of Wraith Hive ships and cruiser escorts, which would have taken days to deplete a single ZPM powered Atlantis shield during the Wraith second Siege of Atlantis.
The sensors have also been made more sensitive, capable of detecting the energy signature of a cloaked Puddle Jumper, and the very weak transmissions normally overlooked by Wraith sensor systems that would usually give away their position.
Apart from growing in size and capability, the Hive had filled in the large gap in its interior. In all Hive ships prior to this, there has been a large gap in the forward section. The purpose for this new section is henceforth, unexplained. As with standard Hives, Wraith Darts are carried in large numbers for fighter screens, strike forces, and harvesting operations.
History[]
- Main article: Lantean-Wraith War
- Main article: Assault on Earth (Wraith Civil War)