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Turanic Raiders
No other group has profited more from the anarchy caused by the retaking of Hiigara and the resulting Taiidani civil war than the Turanic Raiders. Nothing is known about the origins of this nomadic race of pirates and mercenaries but theories range from a dispossessed race of refugees to a former slave race run amuck.

Attacks by Turanic Raiders were first recorded during the year -475 BL (GSY 9035) in the Turan Sector and hence the name given to this enigmatic warrior species. Turanic hordes have infested the trade lanes of the galaxy at least twice a century since their arrival and no matter how much effort is put into hunting them down by one government or another, they always survive in some hidden base to emerge years later. While most of this growth-and-retreat cycle is spent raiding lone ships or unprotected convoys in order to slowly build up their power base, when the Raiders are at the height of their power they field full carrier groups and are capable of taking over entire asteroid settlements.

The Turanic Raiders have never been stronger than they were during much of the first century BL, when they enjoyed the patronage of the Mad Taiidani Emperor Riesstiu IV. While most details were covered up at the time, new documents released by the Taiidani Republic during various war crimes trials have revealed the Turanic Raiders were supported by Imperial funds and supplies and served as a covert mercenary fleet.

Many of the targets hit by the raiders during this period were of special military value, and intelligence gathered during these attacks helped the Emperor stymie the efforts of neighboring galactic powers seeking to limit his ambitions. Reliable estimates place Turanic Fleet strengths at nearly 20 carrier groups spread throughout the Imperial Frontier before the Hiigaran War.

Unfortunately for the Raiders, the death of Emperor Riesstiu IV and the fall of the Taiidani Empire brought about their fall as well. As if sensing the wake of history that rippled away from the Exile fleet as it approached Hiigara, the Turanic Raiders went into hiding and denied the Emperor their firepower when he faced the Exiles in final battle over Hiigara. The reasons for this may never be exactly known, but when the Taiidani Empire fractured from the pressure of civil war, the Raiders were in perfect position to seize power in many outlying provinces. These new "Bandit Kingdoms," as they have become known, are centers of power for a new, organized Turanic presence in the Galaxy and in a final irony, it is now Imperialist factions who come to the Raiders seeking patronage. The current level of Imperialist/Raider cooperation is not truly known at this point, but there have been scattered reports in recent years of mixed fleets performing strike-and-capture operations.

Despite these reports, Raider activity has been relatively low and most experts agree that the Turanic Raiders are in a build-up phase and will be for quite some time. The only dissenting voice in the Turanic analysis comes from several Hiigaran warrior kiithid who point to a growing number of Hiigaran combat and transport vessels that have been lost in anomalous circumstances in the past two years. The animosity of the Raiders towards the new Hiigarans is well known, and these losses may be due to new or exotic technologies being introduced into the Raider's fleet by their Imperialist Allies.