The Kharaa will work together to defend their hives, or attack a large force or well defended base. Otherwise, it's each Kharaa for itself, gestating, evolving, and behaving according to their own objectives. Hit-and-run, ambush, and blitz tactics are common – but just as often, a Kharaa will bulk up and go toe-to-toe with any foe it can find. But for the unifying presence of the bacterium and hive sight, they would be little more than aggressive (and cunning) animals.

The marine section is organized by squad tasks, goals and equipment. These are the integral pieces of any military operation. The Kharaa section is organized by the progression of their growth. This reflects the crucial difference between the TSA and the Kharaa. Where we are deliberately responding to a threat, as near as we can tell they are simply reproducing, and instinctually overcoming obstacles (us) by drawing on more and more sophisticated responses (hives, species, and evolutions).