Rise of the Zerg
A new hiveminded society appeared in the southeast of the Outer Rim known as the Zerg Collective, spanning across several systems directed by a hierarchy of drones (consisting of various sub-species with the largest being Zerg Leviathans), queens (aka Cerebrates), and the Zerg Overmind directing the entire hivemind, which HAWK took interest in investigating. Shortly after forming, they rapidly spread across the local region of space they inhabited and infested each planet they could get their hands on with their hive, coating each planet with living structures and tar-like organic films, raiding various civilizations such as the Imperium of Kings (who spared them due to interest), Ilyena Syndicate (who repelled them with their spacefleet), Yeqwiqu Collective, and Protoss Empire. HAWK decided to learn more about the Zerg by paralyzing a lone Leviathan to analyse its genome to figure out how it communicated with its Hivemind, but logistical issues delayed any such process due to their 18-kilometer-length and internal colony of organisms, so HAWK instead decided to settle on external behavioural observations until an effective bioweapon to counter them if they were to spread out of control was developed. HAWK gathered some samples from Feral Zerg, learning that its DNA adapted, mutated, and changed rapidly with Drones mutating and morphing into buildings that acted like organs for a nest connected with 'Zerg Creep' and Larvae morphing into other subspecies, with Zerg being capable of assimilating other species into zombie-like creatures connected to the swarm controlled by the Overmind's lesser Cerebrates. HAWK decided to try telepathically contacting a Feral Zerg, but it refused the connection and became aggravated which prompted HAWK to keep observing their behaviours, learning that they subsisted off of the 'Zerg Creep' (a thick viscous fluid coating the ground and poisoned it) produced by Zerg Tumors and Hives that create Zerg Worms to spread it, with said Creepy reacting violently by creating more Zerglings within seconds after HAWK drones took samples of it.
HAWK decided to telepathically contact the Overmind, speaking to it through its mind.
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A Zerg raiding group attacked a CSIS patrol fleet, successfully destroying said fleet, which prompted the CSIS to deploy a fleet of 10 battlecruisers to attack this raiding group, successfully killing many Zerg and injuring those that survived. HAWK decided to capture an it to examine it while healing its wounds, with the Psyionic disturbance field this created causing other Zerg to come to investigate, attempting to attack the HAWK craft there. HAWK's craft remained in place and disabled its psy-disturbance field, telepathically contacting the creature to wake it up and to tell it to follow the Zerg which came to investigate before withdrawing its ships. This Leviathan seemed to consider HAWK to be its friend because of this, and enthusiastically kept trying to contact it.