The destruction of the SD Lucifer in 2335 sealed the Sol-Delta Serpentis jump node and all its contingent phasing nodes, bringing the Great War to a halt and cutting off all contact with Earth. With GTI's Shivan research projects buried, and the question of Earth's fate preoccupying Terran civilization, many aspects of the Great War remained largely uninvestigated. What conclusions could be drawn about Shivan behavior, organization, and objectives remained highly classified.

In the wake of the Capella disaster, Shivan behavior during the Great War underwent rigorous re-examination as part of GTVI's participation in the Threat Exigency Initiative. In spite of this examination, and in part because of it, numerous questions remain unresolved.

Where did the SD Lucifer and its accompanying fleet originate? Why did these Shivans exhibit technology that differed from that of the Shivans of the Second Incursion? If the Shivans were able to equip the Lucifer with an invulnerable sheath shielding system, why did they not also arm these vessels with beam cannons, flak guns, or subspace weapons as seen during the Second Incursion?

Conversely, why did Lucifer-class destroyers or their shielding systems not appear during the Second Incursion? This inexplicable variation in Shivan technology levels suggests that some deeper process is at work, one which Alliance analysts do not yet understand.

The most critical question concerns Shivan behavior after the destruction of the Lucifer. With the superdestroyer gone, Shivan forces in Allied space lost strategic cohesion and ceased to aggressively pursue objectives. Almost overnight, the Shivans degenerated from a major threat to the survival of the Terran and Vasudan species and into a crumbling army of stragglers.

Some researchers have suggested this as evidence for a 'hive mind' model of Shivan behavior, with the Lucifer as a queen or leader. But GTVI investigation contraindicates this simplistic model. Moreover, no such hive or source of command appeared during the Second Incursion, where the Shivans conducted defensive operations in the nebular theater, deployed a Sathanas probe into Capella, and then pressed an overwhelming attack into Allied space.

Given these inconsistencies, the GTVI has been unable to determine the motivations beind their behaviour. As a result, further official studies have been put on hold until more data can be accumulated.