Alright, first and foremost:
Remember what the Colossus did it sacificed itself so that the refugees can flee (they kept at least part of the shivan force concentrated around them to give the others a chance).
Sacrificing so many Shivans so a few could make it through the node = Hive Mind mentality.
So in my mind there is no doubt that the shivans did the same thing. Remember that we were kicking theyr but all over the nebula no matter how many shis they sent at us. The losses on the part of the GTVA were a lot smaller then what the shivans semed to lose ,that is till they sent in the Sathanos.
Not true! I remember that early in the nebular campaign, right after the Actium and Lysander missions, a briefing mentioned that the alliance lost a DESTROYER and a few other warships when attacking the Ravana.
The alliance lost a Destroyer, two Corvettes, and numerous cruisers to the Shivans, while the shivans only lost the Ravana, 2 cruisers, and 1 corvette. And I'm sure there were many other missions that weren't flown by alpha 1 that ended in the complete destruction of the alliance forces. And remember, they were just playing around before they sent the first Sathanas in. And even still then they were just having fun. They only got serious when they sent in the Sathanas fleet that could quickly destroy the GTVA if they wanted to. The GTVA was running and hiding from the Shians because the Shivans ARE FAR MORE technologically advanced and FAR MORE numerous than the GTVA! And we haven't even begun to peer in to Shivan held systems deep within. If they have Sathanas class juggernauts on the fringes of the system, just think what type of ships they have in their core systems. And also remember that annihalation of the GTVA was not their top priority, as their sathanases favored doing whatever they were doing to the Capella sun rather then engaging the fleet. If the Shivans top priority was xenocide, then they surley would have killed off the GTVA quickly and efficiently as they have done with the ancients.
Well I believe that a specie that can constuct Satani has to be moe inteligent then a simple hive mind.
Hive minds are MORE intellegent than individual minds, because it's all the Shivans' brainpower lumped into one supreme collective intellegence.
No you would stay behind and ty to protect the "refugees" as they make a run for theyr home lanet and seal the door behind.
The Shivans dont care about other Shivan lives unless the hive mind dictates so, such as the sacrificing of the Sathanas at capella. This is evidenced by the lack of escape pods and the strucural weakness of the Shivan personell transports.
In conclusion, the Shivans could kill the GTVA at the flick of a finger if they wanted to, but the GTVA is obviously just a distraction for the Shivans, as the Shivans only send in their big fleets unless they ablsolutley HAVE TO. They must have someting far more important, and possibly sinister, on their agenda.