Plot
The game takes place fifteen years after the original game, and establishes the Kushan as the canonical race of Homeworld. After the death of their Emperor and the return of the Kushan to their homeworld, the Taiidan Empire collapses into civil war. The Taiidan Republic rises as an ally of the newly-minted Hiigarans, while the Imperialists continue to raid both Hiigaran and Republican space.
The campaign begins with the Kuun-Lan, a mining vessel belonging to Kiith Somtaaw (one of the Hiigaran clans), performing mining operations in deep space before being called to help defend Hiigara from an Imperialist attack. While aiding a Hiigaran destroyer attacked by Imperialists, they soon find a derelict beacon pod, which the crew decides to capture and research with the aid of the research vessel Clee-San, sent by their clan leaders back on Hiigara. As they study it aboard the Kuun-Lan, a strange virus begins to take over the ship. The part of the ship containing the derelict is jettisoned; the Clee-San then scans the jettisoned part of the ship to determine what happened. As it scans, the jettisoned portion of the ship fires a beam at the Clee-San that subverts control of the ship. Shortly thereafter, the Kuun-Lan escapes.
Further research suggests that the derelict pod carried techno-organic nanobots which they call "the Beast", that can take control of machinery and even people. As other ships begin to become assimilated by the Beast, the Kuun-Lan discovers that while the origins of the Beast are unknown, it was first discovered by an alien vessel called the Naggarok. Before the Naggarok was fully assimilated, the drives of the ship were destroyed by the crew, but the ship released a distress beacon, which the Kuun-Lan discovered.
After several battles with infected vessels and planetary bases, the Kuun-Lan discovers a siege cannon, which has the potential to be an effective weapon against the Beast. It soon proves ineffective against Beast-controlled vessels as-is, so the Kuun-Lan begins searching for the Naggarok so they can use a sample of the Beast to upgrade the cannon. After they obtain a sample, and as they modify the cannon, they learn of a battle station known as the Nomad Moon, constructed by the Taiidan Republic; though the Republic had intended to offer its use to the Kuun-Lan to battle their enemy, the Beast seeks to take it for its own purpose.
They soon find the Clee-San and the abandoned half of the Kuun-Lan, which the Beast has been using as a mothership, and destroy them. They then seek out the Nomad Moon, and find it under the control of the Beast. The Naggarok is there with the Nomad Moon, and offers the Kuun-Lan an alliance. The Kuun-Lan refuses, and in a heated battle destroy both the Naggarok and the infected Nomad Moon. In time, the remainder of the Beast-infected ships are destroyed and a vaccine to the infection is discovered. Kiith Somtaaw is honored with the title of "Beastslayers" for their prominent role in the destruction of the Beast.
Read more about this topic: Homeworld: Cataclysm
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