Sectoids: Dossier

Hive Commander 001

"Hive Commanders are loyal to none but their own, and 001 is a look into how the Hive Commanders really see aliens."

- Quisilia

Analysis Record: Hive Commander 001

Current Role: Hive Commander of Helion-7 Hive 001

Current Interference Level: Low

Threat Level: Medium

Usage Level: Low

RESTRICTION: Zar'Chon'ravarian'vitiary

Brief Assessment: Hive Commander 001 is a Sectoid that could only be loosely classified as an 'ally' to the Collective. What little I was able to fully learn of him is that he has no respect for alien species, and would see all who are not subjugated under the Greater Hive Commanders destroyed or enslaved to them. He would be more easily classified as a Sectoid supremacist, and does not make attempts to hide this.

This would not be much of a concern, were it nearly any other Hive Commander, but 001 is one who wields considerable influence within the Hive, and more to the point, is perhaps the oldest Hive Commander currently alive. We have been unable to confirm this, but the designation '001' does indicate that if he wasn't the first Hive Commander, then he is one of the oldest.

Regardless of his age, he has considerable influence over nearly all aspects of the Greater Hive Commanders. The structure of the Greater Hive Commanders is such that he does not have complete control, but knowing how even the Hive Commanders hold extremely similar views to each other, he will put into practice whatever he can.

Hive Commander 001 does traditionally restrict himself to residing on Helion-7, and has only made a recorded trip off-world once, and that was to meet with one of the Elders. The inner workings of his Hive are unknown to us, but they are suspected to be primarily focused on Sectoid genetic superiority and are home to dozens of experiments that would be restricted anywhere else in the Collective.

001 is amoral and apolitical within the Collective itself. I genuinely do not think he honestly understands or cares about alien species, and would go so far as to say he despises them on some level. Remember this is the same Hive Commander that subjected an entire team of Vitakara scientists to their experiments for a simple misunderstanding. 001 showed no remorse and offered no apology for this incident, and was one of the first in a series of events that have soured relations between the Greater Hive Commanders and the Aui'Vitakar.

Despite this, sanctioning the GHC is extremely difficult because at this point in time, they do not care. It has not reached the point where the stability of the Collective is threatened, and since the Hive Commanders restrict themselves to the Helion system, it limits their impact on the wider galaxy, and the horrific, but few incidents can be waved away.

Hive Commander 001 is a figure to watch in the GHC because despite his demeanor, he is perhaps the most reliable source into what the Hive Commanders are actually thinking. What others will hide to keep the illusion of peace, 001 will say out loud. He does not hide his disdain for aliens, nor does he capitulate to alien interests without a fight.

He states what all Hive Commanders think, and that is something we can use. Whether this is intentional, or if he simply does not case is not important. Eventually the other Hive Commanders will bring him in line or his voice will only get louder.

We should prepare for either possibility.

- Zar'ulissi'vitiary

REPORT: 100011110001

TARGET OF INTEREST: HIVE COMMANDER 001

KNOWN ALIASES: NONE

CURRENT POSITION: HIVE COMMANDER OF HELION-7 HIVE 001

SPECIES: SECTOID

INFORMATION OF NOTE: UNOFFICIALLY RECOGNIZED LEADER OF THE GREATER HIVE COMMANDERS

INFORMATION OF NOTE: CONTROLLED HIVE SPECIALIZES IN SECTOID GENETIC ALTERATION AND ENHANCEMENT

INFORMATION OF NOTE: OPENLY ANTAGNOISTIC TOWARDS ALIEN SPECIES

INFORMATION OF NOTE: PSION

PSIONIC SPECIALIZATION: TELEPATHY (SUSPECTED)

THREAT LEVEL TO ANDROMEDON FEDERATION: MEDIUM

ADDITIONAL MANUAL COMMENT: Hive Commander 001 is a target of interest for several reasons, namely that despite the official stance of the Greater Hive Commanders having no designated leaders, but working interdependently with each other, 001 is without a doubt the voice of the Greater Hive Commanders and no decisions of importance are made without his approval.

Hive Commander 001 is a clear threat not just to the Andromedon Federation, but all other alien species because he has openly stated on multiple occasions within the Hives and to others that he views other alien species as inferior on a genetic, social, economic, and cultural level. I do not believe this line of reasoning can be fully understood unless you are a Sectoid yourself, as making such a statement, especially when comparing others to the Sectoids, is ludicrous.

We do not know the extent of what exactly 001 can do, and that can pose a potential issue for us in the future, should he fully turn against the Collective. Psionically, we can deduce that he is a telepath as all Hive Commanders are, but it would be a mistake to assume that is all he is capable of. Based on the designation and physical samples we have recovered, 001 is old, one thousand years at the very least, and he is likely familiar with multiple avenues of psionic application.

The known lifespan of Hive Commanders is roughly one thousand years, and as far as we know, the Hive Commanders simply designate new Hive Commanders with larger numbers, and do not replace the designation itself. So should Hive Commander 001 die, he would be replaced by, for example, Hive Commander 982, not another Hive Commander with the same designation.

However, this brings up a disturbing point that has not been realized until now, namely that we have never recorded the death of a Hive Commander before. The fact that 001 is still alive indicates that either the current system of the Greater Hive Commanders is relatively new, or that the Hive Commanders are hiding something significant.

In addition to his significant psionic abilities, Hive Commander 001 has perhaps the most protected Hive in the entirety of the Greater Hive Commander. Each level alone has a flat one hundred Helion-7 Defenders, fifteen patrolling Cyberdisks with twice that number of Drones, and the base is guarded by no fewer than ten Sectopods, and each floor above that has at least one.

The Hive of 001 himself appears to specialize in genetic experimentation and alteration of the Sectoid species itself. What exactly this entails is unknown, as direct penetration of the sealed levels is impossible, but it is a reasonable assumption that there are experimental threats that may be released in the event of an emergency that cannot be predicted.

What is of special interest to us in addition to all the gathered information is that 001 is notably not intimidated by the Ethereals. It is rare even among the Hive Commanders to not acknowledge the power of the Ethereals, let alone openly treat them as inferior, but 001 is perhaps the only one to do so. Whether it is bravado, arrogance, or stupidity is unknown, but it is abundantly clear to the Ethereals that 001 is not on their side, and they know the significance of 001 in context of the Greater Hive Commanders.

Which is that the Sectoids are using the Ethereals, much like the Ethereals use every other species. There is a very low chance that the Ethereals have not realized this, and they likely only tolerate the Hive Commanders, and 001 in particular, because they have more to gain from the Sectoids than removing those who are against them. It is a game of manipulation, and if the Sectoids do not realize the idiocy of plotting against the Ethereals so brazenly, then they deserve their inevitable demise.

I suspect that if 001 continues to be disruptive, the other Hive Commanders may be forced to act if only to preserve their illusion of an alliance. And until the Ethereals have no more use for the species, that is something they will allow.

RECOMMENDATION: PENETRATE HELION-7 HIVE 001; CONCEPTUALIZE ASSASSINATION OUTLINE FOR HIVE COMMANDER 001; EXPLORE OPTIONS OF INCREASING TENSION BETWEEN THE GREATER HIVE COMMANDERS AND THE ETHEREAL COLLECTIVE

REPORT COMPILER: SPECIAL OPERATOR 401; ANDROMEDON FEDERATION; [ERROR! DATA NOT FOUND!]

END REPORT

AWAITING REASSIGNMENT

XCOM Profile 166

Authorization Level: Internal Council

Subject: Hive Commander 001

Threat Level: High

Assessment Author: Aegis

Approved by: The Commander of XCOM

SECTION 1: Physical Characteristics

Hair color: None (Sectoid)

Eye color: Solid orange

Skin color: Orange-Grey

Height: 3'8"

Weight: 40-50 lbs. (Estimated)

Distinguishing Features: None unique

Physical Condition: Physically frail like most Hive Commanders, could likely be subdued by a Human of average strength.

SECTION 2: Assessment

As this war progresses, Commander, I believe it is important for all of you to become familiar with more of the leading figures in the Greater Hive Commanders, the rulers of the Sectoid species. They carry limited influence in the Collective itself, but nonetheless have the largest reach of any alien species in the Collective due to being the primary produces of non-infantry units and spacecraft. The majority of the Collective fleet is of Sectoid design, and this is unlikely to change even though the Andromedon Federation has been moving to take a greater role in the Collective fleet.

You are aware that Hive Commanders are not like regular Sectoids, but you should realize that even Hive Commanders are almost without fault identical in their goals and desires. Some are more aggressive, some less so. They develop different means to accomplish their goals of planned domination and subjugation, but make no mistake, they are unified by one vision.

Hive Commander 001 is the embodiment of the Hive Commanders. We know very little about his history, save that he is one of the oldest Sectoids in existence, and from what we have been able to find, has been leading the current incarnation of the Greater Hive Commanders since the beginning.

This raises several questions since the Greater Hive Commanders have been operating for longer than the lifespan of a Hive Commander, but this is covered in greater detail relating to the Greater Hive Commanders itself. Suffice to say that 001 is likely the architect of the entirety of the Sectoid species, and will likely remain so for the foreseeable future.

It would be a mistake to assume that 001 is the undisputed leader, but it is not inaccurate to say that there is nothing that happens to the Sectoids without him being aware of it. When Hive Commanders meet, there is no question of who is actually in charge. In terms of seniority, there is none higher than 001.

001 rarely interferes or interacts with the Collective, and this is likely for the best since his views on alien species are…controversial, and it is likely only a matter of time before he manages to make an enemy of one of us, likely the Battlemaster. He is little threat to one such as the Overmind or Imperator, who see the use he has, but very few are tolerant of what the spindly alien espouses openly.

But Hive Commander 001 is not foolish. He knows he is valuable and cannot be openly threatened without consequences. However, I highly doubt that would protect him forever.

SECTION 3: Psychological Assessment

Hive Commander 001 is amoral, hateful, arrogant, and superior. Sectoids do not have a word that translates to 'morals' or 'ethics' so this is not unsurprising. Hive Commander 001 refuses to see aliens as mere individuals, and has little issue subjecting them to horrors in pursuit of the advancement of the Sectoid species. Notice that I said 'refuses'. I fully believe 001 is aware that species operate differently, but is selective about recognizing that.

He appears to take some enjoyment of preying upon unsuspecting aliens who visit the planet, using them almost as lures for experimental projects which he then forces their participation in, which is always fatal. He has thus been the source of several diplomatic incidents, and he, nor the Greater Hive Commanders, have ever acknowledged the mistake or apologized for it.

The Sectoid mindset is such that they do not see the death of, for example, a Vitakara, as a significant loss. It is simply another alien that fulfills a purpose, much like a drone for the Sectoids is to the Hive Commanders. I do believe that 001 does know this, but ignores it because he believes that outlook is inferior to the one he holds and does not acknowledge it unless he has to, which is generally only when speaking with Ethereals.

It is also important to understand that 001 does not fear the Ethereals, and genuinely believes that they are superior even to us, which is objectively false on every level. While it is certainly possible that he is aware of something we are not, this does not appear to be the case. He sees our power, but is not intimidated by it; instead he sees only opportunity.

Hive Commander 001 only cares about one thing: The advancement of the Sectoid species. This is not just his goal, it is the goal of every Hive Commander in existence, and there is nothing he will not do to achieve this. It is a never-ending goal, and even should they reach a level higher than our own, they will likely only continue to grow more powerful.

This is the only reason he has allied with us. The Overmind was able to dominate their minds, but controlling them indefinitely was not feasible. But he saw this goal, and all that was needed was to plant the seed in the mind of the Hive Commanders that they could pursue this goal faster if they were allied, than as enemies.

The Imperator is well aware that the Hive Commanders, and 001 in particular, is only using the Collective to further this goal, but he is curious to see what could be accomplished. The Sectoids are unreliable allies without intervention, we were aware of this, but in the end, the threat that even a Hive Commander like 001 poses is laughable. Perhaps the Hive Commanders will become as us one day, but it will not be for millennia.

For now, their psychology can be easily manipulated and exploited.

SECTION 4: Concerns and Abilities

Hive Commander 001 may perhaps be the most dangerous telepath in the Greater Hive Commanders. However, he could still likely be beaten by Patricia in a one-on-one fight, much less against myself. But he will not ever put himself into a position where it is ever a duel, and will surround himself with thousands of thralls.

His telepathy is extremely dangerous for any non-psions, and he does possess a subtlety that will turn soldiers not into raging traitors like Patricia is fond of, but into sleeper agents that only awaken at the worst possible time. He may reject the psychology of aliens, but he knows exactly how to subvert and corrupt it.

Hive Commander 001 is also an accomplished telekine, and possesses some ability to manipulate defensive and offensive psionic powers. He is old enough where there is little he does not know of psionics, at least in theory. Telepathy is his main weapon, but he is also skilled at the more physical aspects of psionics.

While the contents of this document might give you an idea to manipulate 001 into turning against the Collective, or otherwise recruiting him as an ally, I would heavily caution against that. Hive Commander 001 does not 'ally' with aliens, he only uses them. I do think it is very possible that he could be turned against the Ethereals, but the moment the Imperator is dead he would do the same to you.

Hive Commanders have no loyalty to any but their own, and to attempt to use 001 is likely to backfire severely. The species itself is flawed and warped beyond repair, and while 001 is more blatant than most, he speaks what the rest of the Hive Commanders think, and the only acceptable method of dealing with him is execution.

001 is dangerous, so do not underestimate him.