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The Qer’Kal’ol Oligarchy
 
The Skrell are a species of highly logical amphibious humanoids hailing from the now broken world of Qerr’balak: Before, a hot, humid planet with numerous swamps and jungle, and now, a sad testament to a bygone era of turmoil and desperation.
More technologically advanced than humanity, Skrell place great importance on tradition, honor and, above all, knowledge, attempting a more methodical approach to most issues they face.






This document is still being written, and as a result, it is largely incohesive.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
History
 
The Skrell trace their origins to the humid, warm world of Qerr’Balak, a planet filled with numerous swamps, marshes and other similar wetlands, and a fair amount of densely forested jungles filled with beautiful and dangerous examples of alien fauna and flora. However, nothing in Qerr’Balak can truly capture the beauty and potential of the planet’s biosphere like the Skrell.
As one of the oldest known civilizations In the galaxy, rivaling only the Ascent, Skrell have a rich history and culture which predates that of Humans, Unathi and Tajara. Skrell tend to be very protective of their technological secrets, and while their own expansionist tendencies tend to make them interested in influencing other civilizations, they are very leery about outside interference into their own business.
Here is a global timeline of their history. The dates have been adapted to the human calendar for more clarity.
30.000 BCE - The first traces of skrellian civilization along with the founding of the first city in Qerr’balak are recorded. 
1500 BCE - The Skrellian industrial revolution begins with the invention of the first assembly line.
1400 BCE - The first aeroplane is invented.
1200 BCE - The first Skrell is brought into orbit above Qerrbalak.
1082 BCE - Skrellkind rejoices as the first successful launch of a Space Shuttle lands Astronaut Q'ikkori Xallic on Qerrbalak's second moon, Qixim.
800 BCE - The first Skrellian colony is established on Qixim.
100 BCE - The first Skrellian bluespace engine is finally functional after decades of testing and development. The rapid colonization of nearby star-systems and the establishment of research and military facilities throughout nearby space begins, bringing great prosperity to Qerr’Vallis.
400 CE - A vast mining complex in the Kali’ruuq system is inadvertently attacked by an automated strip-mining fleet of unknown origin. The security forces of the system manage to drive away the aggressor vessels, taking heavy casualties in the process. Further contact with the Ascent is made just a few months later as they have decoded the basics of the Skrellian language. With no diplomatic progress, both sides end up escalating into an open battle. The beginning of the Kali’r war is marked with a rapid intensification of recon efforts, skirmishes and full scale orbital assaults by the Ascent on Skrellian colonies. The Skrell manage to secure many decisive victories early on, but, despite the destruction of one hive, they are eventually driven out of the system by the start of 401 CE.
404 CE - Both sides have fully ramped up a military industrial complex, and is fully committed to the fight with relatively equal footing. Any chance at peace withers as communications break down, and the war impacts internal trade avenues, causing the hyper specialized worlds on both sides to face extensive quality of life drops from shortages and blockades. As time goes by, the war continually transitions further into a total war, with more and more resources being put to winning over a period of decades. Products start to be designed with a focus on practicality, and Qarr-Morr’kon and corporate RnD divisions alike adopt less extensive (and less ethical) bureaucratic processes to quickly further the development of weaponry, ship hulls and ordnance.
546 CE - The beleaguered City-states further centralize, forming a martial oligarchy led by the Qrii-Qerria of Qerr’Vallis, as well as Qerr’Voal SDTF commanders. Any notions of democratic rule or support programs beyond the bare minimum are forgotten as systemic propaganda efforts attempt to normalize the forever war. Widely seen as too little too late, this marks the beginning of the most horrific losses of the war as the Ascent aggressively drive the Skrellian navy back, system after system in the “Decade of Fire”. Orbital bombardment of Skrellian worlds are commonplace, and is the time where the tempo of the war is at its highest, as the cost of the fighting is measured in worlds, millions of tons of war ships and billions of lives.
557 CE - The Ascent halts their advance, and begins fortifying the worlds they have taken. The Skrellian species attempt to initiate an armistice, with all communications ignored.
560 CE - A Skrellian counter offensive is attempted, and is stop-thrusted. The single greatest battle of the conflict occurs. During the vicious fighting, the majority of Skrellian vessels are destroyed. The Qerr’Vallis system is taken by the end of the year.
603 CE - Following a prolonged period of silence,the Ascent suddenly declare their conquest finished. With the skrell broken, scattered, and with their homeworld lost, the Ascent do not engage them further. Communication eventually opens to short and terse messages dictating the end of the conflict. Gilkrol-Qarr, a technical and bureaucratic hub deep inside Skrellian territory, is declared the new capital of the empire, owing to its strategic location within a nebula and powerful manufacturing capabilities.
784 CE - Mantid patrol reserves are short stocked and routed away to more critical sectors, and a plan with a century in the making begins. the fight re-ignites.
800 CE -  Qerr’Valis is liberated, and the Skrellian people mourn for their murdered kin. The fight continues, and only a few, failed attempts are made to reverse the damage done to their worlds.
825 CE - A stalemate occurs. fleets are ground into dust, and the war continues, though not nearling the tempo of the decade of fire as Skrellian tactics and strategies continually allow many small victories.
900 CE - A series of technological refinements allow for the deployment of perfected warships, capable of mounting more powerful weaponry and shielding systems. The stalemate ends as more Mantid Warships burn.
1000 CE - The old Skrellian borders are taken, and further combat is deemed non-viable due to the presence of actual Ascent colonies, fortresses and supply lanes. Communication is opened with the Ascent, and it is generally agreed on by historians that this marks the end of the Kali’r war. 
1050 CE - Restorative terraforming of Qerr’Vallis is declared non-viable. The Nano-viral agents in Qerr’Balak’s atmosphere are steadily wiped away by continuous electromagnetic bombardment. The poor conditions for the vast majority of Skrell are gradually lifted as they are moved away from worlds ravaged by industry and war into other systems with better infrastructure. Skrellian consumer and industrial goods start to progressively re-enter manufacturing, with a focus on quality and safety instead of practicality and cost. The many experiments orchestrated by research-and-development companies start to take an increasingly ethical approach to their new findings once again.
1220 CE - With the construction of extensive, space-based infrastructure and “habitats”, the situation of Qerr’Vallis starts to improve. Over ensuing decades, the system steadily regains industrial, bureaucratic, and cultural prominence.A number of failed attempts at terraforming further destabilize Qerr’Balak’s delicate atmospheric composition. The planet is formally declared lost, with the Kanin in charge of restoration acceding that the project may require technological advances beyond what is currently possible.1500 CE - Population returns to pre-war heights, and quality of life is comparable. Meanwhile, the Qerr’Qerria in Gilkrol-Qarr are forced to relax their grip in Skrellian territory due to the increasing bureaucratic burdens of direct command, allowing Qrii’Qerria families to have more autonomy and control over their assigned territory once again. This marks the return of a more decentralized empire, although the Qerr’Qerria ultimately remain as the de-facto rulers of the Skrell, for all practical purposes.
1710 CE - Major breakthroughs in skrellian research facilities make the construction of mega-structures feasible, and a project to build a ring-world around Qerr’Vallis quickly catches the attention of system’s governing Qerr-Katish. The project generates an empire-wide need for materials, experienced engineers, architects and biologists as an attempt to replicate Qerr’Balak’s original fauna and flora across the ring-world’s surface is made.
1840 CE - A habitable section comprising about 30% of the gigantic ring-world is finished. A plethora of skrell from the brutalized Ascent-facing border immigrate en-masse, with many major skrellian corporations such as Krii’gli moving their headquarters there. This world is christened Qerr’Kal’ol, and the grueling task of finishing the remaining sections begins, which end up being filled with vast residential, agricultural and industrial complexes, although such tasks would take well over a century due to the gargantuan resource demands.
1960 CE - The completed section of Qerr’Kal’ol is christened as the new capital and administrative hub of the Skrellian space in an empire-wide celebration. The Skrell begin to explode outwards - this is the beginning of what is largely considered the Skrellian golden age, as they truly embrace the mien of Empire.
2080 CE - The Age of Expansion comes to a gradual close, the Empire sprawling much further across the arm than ever before. Due in part to an extended resource shortage caused by the need for frontier goods, additional work on Qerr’Kal’ol’s is indefinitely postponed. 
2400 CE - Ue-Katish pirates steadily grow in power as more border worlds are established. With less of a solid grip over their territory, and as the Ue-Katish population expands on these worlds due to difficulty in avoiding cross-caste matches, the freebooters offer an enticing economic option for the typically second-class citizens.
2521 CE - The Skrell first encounter Humanity. First contact is made between a large exploration convoy and a human reconnaissance fleet, and whilst tense the contact is ultimately amicable. Skrellkind receives the news of another advanced species with apprehension, after their first experiences with the Ascent.
2529 CE - The suspicion and fear of humankind eventually fades, and negotiations begin to establish the Galactic Assembly, intended to be a framework for the sharing of technology and cultural exchange between the species of the galaxy.
2565 CE - The modern day. Skrellian technological advancement has greatly stagnated over the last few centuries.  Regardless, the Skrell are commonly considered one of the most powerful civilizations in the galaxy and one would be hard-pressed to find reason to cross them.
Origins 
The first traces of Skrellian civilization date back to around 20,000 BCE in the southern part of Qerr’Balak’s continent of Qorr'gloa. Findings and artefacts from this time indicate the first Skrell were organised in sedentary tribes of gatherers, living off the rich vegetation of the swamps they settled on. The founding of Qarr'kloa, considered by many to be the first skrellian city, is estimated to have occurred around the same time period, gradually attracting the surrounding tribes who preferred its safe walls to the dangers of the region's fauna.
Writing first appears around the same period, which provided insight into the organisation and history of the city at the time; the first rulers of the city were the elders of the various tribes composing its population.,  Government was considered a communal affair, and all decisions were taken as thea consensus of a council. During the next 2,000 years, Skrell spread across the southwestern area of Qorr'gloa. Several expeditions with the goal of colonising the inner lands were carried out, and while the skrellian civilisation spread across the coastline and outer areas, the government remained centralised in Qarr'kloa. Tensions began to fester among the other cities, as Qarr’Kloa’s colonialist interests began to stifle their development.
The situation kept deteriorating until, in 10,156 BCE, a coalition of independence-seeking cities seceded from Qarr'kloa, thus starting the first war in recorded skrellian history. The conflict lasted for nearly 70 years, deeply changing the political landscape of Skrellian civilization. Many cities started forming coalitions on their own, sometimes even switching sides between the Loyalists and Separatists. Among the atrocities committed during the war, the first traces of slavery were documented: City states would force captured skrell of other city-states to work for them in a system similar to chattel slavery. By the end of the war, most of the city of Qarr'kloa sat in ruins, and the Separatists forced the elder council to sign a treaty guaranteeing their independence. Most of the cities formed their own, independent governments during this tumultuous time, but some of them would preserve the coalitions they formed during the war, forming small groups of five or six cities working together under a single government. This is also the time where the first Skrellian kings appear, even though most of the cities, Qarr'kloa included, remained under the oligarchic elder councils.
The damage caused by the war deeply scarred Skrellian society. Thousands of Skrell died in the conflict, and the reconstruction of their cities proved to be a gargantuan task, taking approximately five decades.
The next millennium was a mostly peaceful one for Skrellkind, allowing the Skrell to spread on the northern coasts of the continent and inner areas. By 9,000 BCE, most of the cities of the continent adopted the monarchy system that first appeared during the independence war, and the coalitions born from the same conflict had collapsed. While this millennium is still considered as a time of great advancement for the Skrell, it is still controversial to many modern Skrell because of the common practice of slavery (whose definitive abolition would only occur in 1000 BCE).
The colonisation of Xi'krri'oal began in the early 7th millennium BCE, first starting along the continent’s western coastline. Until then, most cities existed in relative autonomy from one another, but the discovery of new resources and an increase in commercial industry suddenly pushed the Skrell to compete and collaborate. A fierce race to obtain monopolies on these newly found lands began, provoking a rush of frenetic activity that captured the focus of much of skrellkind. The overcrowded cities of the old continent experienced a sharp population decline,with many Skrell heading to the new continent in the hopes of fortune and a better life. To the surprise of all, tribes of Skrell were found in the southern areas of Xi'krri'oal. While their technology was grossly inferior to that of the majority of skrellkind, the tribes experienced a relatively peaceful and rapid integration into modern skrellian society.
Although the skrell were relatively united culturally,While historically, the Skrell were relatively united culturally, the Skrell from Xi'krri'oal began to behave quite differently from their siblings. Qorr'gloa’s growing lack of space and resources had long since made the Skrell a very ascetic society, more interested in efficiency and frugality than amenities and excesses. The vast, resourceful and peaceful lands of Xi'krri'oal, combined with the disproportionate distribution of young bond-less individuals to the colonies, eventually led to a far more relaxed and indulgent culture. This precipitated a large cultural gap between the two continents, with the Colonial Skrell considering their brethren as too moralistic and careful, while they themselves turned to increasingly hedonistic lifestyle choices.
The active trade of the early days of colonisation between the continents soon came to halt, and both societies grew increasingly distant from each other. While the Skrell from Xi'krri'oal had access to a large range of resources, they neglected and ignored many opportunities to advance, and technological progress slowed down in most areas. On Qorr'gloa, however, the lack of ready access to much of Xi'krri'oal's resources pushed the Skrell to act in even greater cohesion and focus on the sciences in order to improve their technology and compensate for their lack of abundance. Similarly, while the Skrell of the old continent knew the dangers of war and the need for cohesion, the Colonials regularly engaged in small conflicts with each other.
By the middle of the 3rd millennium BCE, the two continents displayed completely different civilizations. On Qorr'gloa, the Skrell had made great scientific and cultural progress, relaxing the caste system’s pervasive social demands and rituals, while also developing a number of advanced tools and practices that placed them on the cusp of a full industrial revolution.  On Xi'krri'oal, however, the situation was dire - while the population expanded greatly, very little effort was made to advance, either technologically or culturally, with concerns largely being focused on short-term concerns and gratifications, as well as personal excesses. The small conflicts that had punctuated colonial history transformed into large scale wars for control of territory and rapidly-dwindling natural resources. While most of their technology was still akin to the human 12th century, their weapon technology advanced to greater levels, with them making heavy use of gunpowder and chemical products such as the Krra'mo'gal, comparable to the greek fire seen in the human Middle Ages.
The deterioration of Skrellian society on Xi'krri'oal finally culminated with the coming of what the modern Skrell call the War of the Qerr-Skria, lasting from 2400 BCE to 1800 BCE as the various City-States of the continent suddenly started to try to conquer each other, quickly forming and dissolving kingdoms. The most famous of them is the kingdom of Glo'morr Krrixi who, starting from the city of Mi'qoxi, conquered most of the northern section of the continent. The result is catastrophic : Over the centuries, tens of millions of Skrell die, either from the war itself or as a result of it; Famines are frequent and illnesses quickly spread as the archaic Skrell lack the medical technology and knowledge to cure them. Entire cities are burnt to the ground and, according to some of the most alarmist Skrell of Qorr'gloa of the time (the cities of the old continent did not choose to intervene in the war, for fear that it would spill over to their own city states), it was only a matter of decades before the entire continent would be deemed unfit for Skrellian life. In the southern part of the continent, a chemical fire started by one of the belligerents soon spread out of control, and is said to have burned for three whole years, wiping out half of the largest forest of the planet.
Eventually, by 1800 BCE, the state of perpetual war came to a halt as the kingdoms collapsed and the surviving population reconciled, seeing that their wars had crippled them completely, with much of the known and available resources having been wasted. Only then did the Skrell from Qorr'gloa decide to intervene. Indeed, the situation on the old continent was stable enough so that they would be able to provide Xi'krri'oal with food, materials and equipment to rebuild everything they had lost. The reconstruction took nearly 700 years, during which the surviving Skrell of the scorched continent slowly adopted their brothers’ culture, having acknowledged their folly.
From this point, the Skrell know a long period of relative stability. Most tension on the political stage is mostly due to ethical and methodological divergences in the scientific field, and are generally settled during long debates organised by a city states academy. Around the 1500 BCE, the Skrell see a sudden leap in their technology, as the Industrial revolution spreads rapidly across the City-States, and Xi'krri'oal is able to catch up on the technological advances of their brethren. Most of the cities form a loose coalition known as the Qerr’balak League, which would later become the basis of a confederated Skrellian state.
As the colonisation of space starts around 100 BCE, Qerr’balak reaches a Golden Age, as most of the production of goods is transferred to the colonies, while it itself becomes a centre of administration and bureaucracy. A heavy, partially romanticised emphasis on colonizing new systems and worlds is seen all across skrellian civilization, as they continue to focus on internal growth and expansion for the following years, giving some of today’s most well-recognized skrellian companies ample chance and time to grow. Some of them still thrive to this day:
- Krri'gli Corp. : Originally building aeroplanes, the Krri'gli Corporation became one of the most powerful skrellian corporations when it expanded into space habitat and vessel construction and started building ships and stations for most of Qerr'balak's City-States. Controlling the process from concept design to construction, they have a reputation of manufacturing the safest infrastructure Skrellkind can provide in terms of space colonisation.
- Qorr'moa Inc. : Founded in the aftermath of the War of the Qerr-Skria, Qorr'moa Inc. quickly established itself as the biggest food manufacturer of the planet. While its manufacturing sector is still growing to this day, it has recently opened to new opportunities, most notably in the field of genetic engineering to widen its range of products.
- Gloa'Morr Corp. : Initially a branch of Qorr'moa Inc. specialized in pharmaceuticals, Gloa'Morr was made an independent entity by a royal decree of the city of Mo'glar two centuries ago. It now provides most of Qerr'balak's health centres with medicine, along with several other colonies within the core of Skrell space.
- Qerr’Kimikruuv Technologies : Founded shortly after the skrellian industrial age, Qerr’Kimikruuv is  now one of the oldest suppliers of military equipment to city-states and SDTFs alike. Qerr’Kimikruuv has pioneered the development of pulse-based technology as well as magnetically accelerated projectiles, and is often credited with their wide adoption across skrellian space defence forces.
- Ki’Maqrerr Inc : One of the best-known attire suppliers in skrellian space, Ki’Maqrerr specializes in traditional, expensive and handcrafted garments from headtail bands to more complex clothing attires for those who can afford it. It is not uncommon to see Qerr-Katish or other members of a star system’s committee sporting such outfits as a show of good taste, especially during important occasions.

Fauna
The wildlife of Qerr'balak is similar to what you would see in an earth jungle or swamp, the main difference being that instead of mammals making up the population of the larger animals, Qerrbalak has creatures that are essentially dinosaurs they are large reptilian creatures that make up a good portion of the population of medium to large animals, the other portion of the population is taken up by strange, amphibious creatures that thrive within the swamps of Qerr'balak. Although such specimens were mostly annihilated during the glassing of Qerr’balak, many of them have been successfully reintroduced in the habitable ring-world sections of Qerr’Vallis with the use of cloning technology and DNA samples.
Mektal
These are large, bovine sized creatures that are similar in many ways to Komodo Dragons on Earth, They are fast, efficient hunters that kill through biting and clawing, if the overall physical damage they inflict on you doesn't kill you the toxins they release through their bites will. They often hunt smaller animals and their territory includes both swamp and jungle areas of Qerr'balak.
Neaera
These creatures can be essentially described as an odd mix of Salamander, Frog and Monkey, they often travel about the swamps via the trees and they hunt the larger insects of the swamps as well as much of the native flora. While they are practically tame and meek in the presence of Skrell, they seem to fear humans greatly and flee if they see one.
Kerr'k
A large, fish like creature which travels in the swamps of Qerr’balak, they are considered very dangerous and often attack any creature which is smaller then it (which includes most of the planets fauna, it is safest to travel in known Kerr'k territory in a large vehicle). The creature is in truth, not a true fish but an amphibian, which is shaped similarly to a snake. It often eats its prey whole and digests everything, including the bones.
Th'oom
These creatures are large reptiles that travel in packs, they are often used by the Skrell as cattle, carrying loads and providing fertilizer for crops. Although Skrell have never cooked one themselves due to their bodies being unable to digest meat. They naturally come from the jungles of Qerr'balak, but due to their usefulness they are seen across the entirety of Skrell space, having been imported to many colony worlds early in Skrell history.
Flora
The Flora of Qerr'balak is vast and in human eyes, strange. The swamps themselves are coloured an odd, dark blue caused by moss that grows in the areas, whereas the trees of Qerr'balak are more akin to extremely large bushes then actual trees, as they have no bark on them and the insides are green, some humans have mistakenly said that they are large vines. The jungle itself lends to that as parts of it are densely populated by large patches of thorny plants that grow into each other giving the appearance of vines. Such examples of flora are now widely available on the habitable sections of the Qerr’Vallis ring-world, mimicking the original environment of Qerr’balak flawlessly.
Krro'a
A parasitic mushroom, the Krro'a grows on most of the species of small bushes found on Qorr'gloa. Feeding on the host, it spreads as a thin, white web over its surface and stays on it until it dies, after which the flexible but tough tissue withers and disperses around the dead plant to find new hosts. While the Skrell use it in many culinary ways, it is highly toxic for humans.
Th'oom'al
What initially started as a mild mycosis on the Th'oom of Qerr'balak ended up being the culinary event of the 18th century for Skrell. Growing between the scales of the oldest reptiles, the Skrell discovered that, while being neither harmful nor painful to the animals, the Th'oom'al was actually a very nutritious and tasteful mushroom the Kanin-Katish were quickly able to harvest in large quantities, leading the newly found organism to become a major ingredient in many skrellian dishes. While having no tangible effect on Skrell, the various psychotropic substances inside the mushroom were found to be dangerous to other species.
Qokk'loa
One would be too quick in describing the Qokk'loa as simple moss : While it bears some resemblance to the earth species in its first stage of life, this blue plant solidifies after a few months, taking the aspect and texture of bark, forming large patches over the southern forests of Xi'Krri'oal. The Skrell quickly discovered that, during this second stage, the Qokk'loa contained large amounts of what could be compared to green sap. Once exposed to air, it is only a matter of hours before the sap solidifies into a smooth, fragile structure. The solidified sap is now consumed as a snack throughout the skrellian territories. Lethal to humans, the Skrell still feel the mind numbing, relaxing effects of the sap for a few hours after consumption. Qokk'loa is often distilled and refined further to make what is known as Qokk'hrona, known to humanity as skrellian wine, it is the Skrell equivalent of alcohol, with similar effects to Earth alcohol, though the effects only last for approximately six hours, depending on the amount consumed. Overdosing can result in a coma and, sometimes, death and is mainly enjoyed by Skrell at significant events, celebrations and funerals.
Ximi'koa
These slander red stalks reminiscent of Earth worms grow in the waters of Qorr'gloa's swamps. While having close to no nutritional value, their sweet taste makes them a common condiment in traditional skrellian dishes. It is safe for consumption for non-Skrell.
Go'moa
Possibly among the most familiar-looking species for humans, the Go'moa is a small, orange mushroom growing in large fields on the plains of Xi'krri'oal. Not only one of the main ingredients of mainstream skrellian food, it is also a curious spectacle for the newly arrived tourist, as the spores of the plant, slightly bio-luminescent, give an eerie glow to Qerr'balak's fields at night.
Kol'mo
The Kol'mo is among the largest species of mushrooms found on Qerr'balak. Growing in random shapes, capable of growing up to three metres in height and six metres in width, it is a favourite among the Talum-Katish for it allows them to craft the beautiful (and edible) sculptures some of the most skillful skrellian culinarians are famous for. It also varies wildly in colour and can range from a dark blue to an orange-red depending on its growing conditions.
Mi'krrixi
A small bush native of Qorr'gla, the Mi'krrixi produces small, round purple fruit with a skin similar to lemons, used in skrellian dishes since the time of tribes. It is advised to squeeze the fruit before consumption, as the amount of hallucinogenic substances it contains can be potentially dangerous, even for Skrell. Human consumption is not advised, though possible in small amounts, the consumption of which leaves a human on a psychoactive trip for days.
O'krri
A mushroom that grows as a thin yellow layer over small ponds, the bitter taste of the O'krri has made it a reliable ingredient for skrellian recipes for centuries. While not strictly dangerous for humans, it is known to make them dizzy, sometimes to the point of somnolence.

The Kali’r War
It was only a matter of time before the Skrell encountered other sentient life, especially given their somewhat aggressive expansion into new star systems. Unfortunately, this first encounter was not particularly pleasant and would forever scar the skrellian society and the way that they see and interact with alien lifeforms.
With the many improvements in faster-than-light travel, colonizing promising systems in deep space for the purposes of habitation, industry or science was starting to become a promising envoy and an industry in itself, and at this point, with an already extensive territory, many skrell were starting to believe that other forms of sentient life did not indeed exist, but this could not be further away from the truth, which the Skrell would soon learn.

Kali’ruuk was a relatively unknown, binary star system composed of an orange dwarf orbiting a yellow giant. Despite being relatively away from the main “Blob” of skrellian territories and never truly colonized due to the inhospitable nature of the system’s exoplanets, tens of thousands of skrell moved into semi-permanent orbital residencies in order to carry out mineral refining and extraction operations from the system’s pristine, metal-rich asteroid rings in late 380 CE. In the following years, Kali’ruuk quickly became a relatively major provider of raw materials and a particularly lucrative system for the many skrellian companies interested in making a profit, which in turn brought the attention of security companies to provide protection to the many cargo ships going in and out of Kali’ruuk, mainly against lone Ue-Katish pirate elements.

Unfortunately, the Skrell were not the only ones who were aware of the system’s rich mineral reserves. It was 400 CE when many signatures all appeared on the sensors of the corporate warships tasked with the protection of civillian vessels as a particularly huge automated strip-mining fleet of, unknown to them, mantid origin inadvertently attacked most of the system’s installations, causing a great loss of life on the many orbital structures in the system. A chaotic fighting ensued as the Skrellian forces just barely managed to overpower the automated vessels, destroying a majority of them while the rest of the automated ships retreated with unmatched speed. Upon closer examination, it was revealed that such ships were much, much different and fairly more advanced than the standard skrellian designs, which quickly catched the interest of the Qrii-Qerria all across the skrellian space. Fearing new incursions, many city-states near Kali’ruuk decide to quickly finance a new Qarr-Morr’kon to deal with this new menace: The Kali’Mak SDTF.

Some of the surviving automated vessels were recovered for examination while the Kali’ruuk system was evacuated to prevent further loss of life, and a month later, a hastily thrown-together fleet of Kali’Mak warships made their way to Kali’ruuk, securing the system further. A few days later, a small fleet of mantid warships approached Kali’ruuk, and established their first formal contact, having cracked the basics of the Skrellian language. The somewhat upset Skrell demanded an apology and repatriation for the lost lives, but the Ascent were not accommodating, and after a few hours of fruitless diplomacy, insult-exchanging and threats of increasing hostility, both fleets commenced hostile actions against each other. The Skrell win, but with heavy losses, partially due to the unusually advanced technologies utilized during the battle by the much smaller Ascent fleet.

Further mantid fleets are sent to the system, but the use of superior cohesion and strategies allows the Skrell to lure out and destroy the mantid fleets in a series of calculated ambushes, taking advantage of their increased knowledge of the star system, but unsure of the size or total strength of their adversary, and with mounting casualties, the Kali’Mak regroups with other SDTFs and launches a counter-offensive. Backed by the full force of their empire's entire military force in the region, they manage to slowly, painfully drive the hive back from it's outer systems and dense orbital infrastructure, until they are engaged in open battle in orbit above the hive's primary. During the indiscriminate bombardment, incomplete mantle-terraforming equipment on the surface inadvertently activates, causing the hive's upper crust to rapidly decay into it's now open mantle. Nearly all on-surface lifeforms, including the Gyne are lost. With heavy losses but otherwise with a victory in their hands, Qarr-Morr’kon commanders celebrate a hard-fought but swift victory by the end of the year. 

 As the remaining ships begin to maneuver to leave the system, a number of large, advanced mantid fleets appear in the system. The automated defense infrastructure of the hive also re-activates, dealing crippling blows to the exposed Skrellian fleets. The Ascent vessels move with cold precision, with the assistance of the reactivated defenses and a widespread ECM attack against the mobility systems of the Skrellian vessels. Although most vessels manage to escape, heavy damage is suffered on almost every ship, and many others are destroyed or completely disabled.
Further fleets of diverse SDTFs make their way to secure their own territory against the Ascent incursions, and although this ultimately proves to be effective, they are slowly pushed back to the inner skrellian worlds due to the advanced technology in use by their adversaries and by their sheer number. In the following years, a further centralization of the Skrellian society is noticed, as the seemingly endless war continues to rage with stalemates and minor victories on either side. However, the Ascent slowly start developing more and more aggressive strategies to use against the Skrellian defenses, managing to further push them back until Qerr’Vallis is taken in 560 CE after many centuries of bloody, chaotic fighting. At one point, the Raskinta population had diminished so much from the frequent losses that Kanin, Malish and even Talum-Katish were often tasked with the duties of their brethren, often with relatively poor performance. By the end of 575CE, the situation was so severe that even Ue-Katish were entrusted and allowed to fight for the critically under-manned Qarr-Morr’kon. With multiple failed skirmishes to retake their home system, Skrell would soon learn to live under the fear of further Ascent invasions. With most SDTFs partially or completely destroyed, orbital facilities deep inside the remaining portion of the skrellian territory work tirelessly to develop and provide new ship hulls based on the technology of captured Mantid vessels on the years following.

Suddenly, in 784 CE, there is a shift, and the Ascent begin to pull away, slipping back through devastated systems before disappearing into the destroyed hive's territory. The Skrell tentatively re-secure their territory. With the slowly ramping-up their military complexes once more, succeeding in securing Qerr’Vallis from the Ascent automated orbital defenses no sooner than 800 CE. To their horror, the system has been decimated. Qerr'balak's surface has been effectively stripped away with targeted kinetic bombardments, rendering it not too dissimilar to the ruined hive. Furthermore, a network of atmospheric nanites continuously processes it's remaining gaseous layer into increasingly exotic and lethal concoctions, preventing even cursory rehabilitation. The other colonized planets in the system are not quite so thoroughly salted, but their surfaces are pretty much dusted via bombardment. For all intents and purposes, Qerr'Vallis has been totally destroyed. With two more centuries of technological progress and fierce fighting against a smaller presence of Mantid ships, Qarr-Morr’kon fleets undertake the grueling task of slowly re-conquering their lost systems and planets against automated ascent defenses. Aided by new, improved ship designs, the Skrellian territory is restored to its former glory at around 1000 CE as the system of Kali’ruuk is recaptured, although it has been stripped of most mineral reserves, rendering the system practically useless for any economical efforts.

Further hesitance to press on into the much better defended Mantid homeworlds end up in an informal cease-fire as the Skrell start to secure their borders once again, with the establishment of vast defense systems and anchorages on Kali’ruuk and nearby systems, and the continuous improvements of the Qarr-Morr’kon fleets. At this stage, skirmishes from both parties are still frequent, but on a much smaller scale than before, and it is not long until both parties lose interest in continued fighting, although defense operations remain at an all-time high.
In the aftermath of this long, destructive war, the Skrell start the gargantuan task of aiding the affected colonies and rebuilding their infrastructure, taking approximately 500 years to fully recover from the fatal blows dealt to them, allowing the Raskinta population to return to normal amounts as the SDTF fleets are continuously modernized and equipped to deal with Ascent threats. Unfortunately, despite their best efforts, Qerr’Balak and most of the planets in Qerr’Vallis are still beyond saving. The biggest priority of the Qerr-Qerria in the following years is making sure that such atrocities against the skrellkind will never happen again, while also focusing on rebuilding what was lost. Gilkrol-Qarr would remain the capital and administrative hub of the now Skrellian territory until its shift to Qerr’Kal’ol, in early 1960 CE after the construction of the massive ring-world.
Society
Politics
One could say that the modern skrellian society is built around concepts similar to those of oligarchies or of aristocracies, although with quite a few noticeable differences. Skrellian territory is governed by committees and groups of Qerr-Katish royal families, who often take care of managing the bureaucratic burden of planets, stars, and sometimes entire clusters of systems. This group of ruling Skrell is often denominated “Qrii-Qerria”, and they all enjoy relative but small independence from Qerr’Vallis, although they are still formally bond and subjective to the wills of the Qerr-Qerria, the de-facto leaders of Skrellian civilization, and the royal family that takes care of the current capital, in the ring-world of Qerr’Kal’ol, built around Qerr’Balak in Qerr’Vallis.
 
The Qrii-Qerria hold absolute legislative, executive and judiciary power over their assigned territory, second only to the Qerr-Qerria. They are advised by the Qerr-Koal, members of each caste who are considered wise enough to engage more actively in politics. It is rare to see a Qerr-Koal under the age of 85, even if age does not come into account when deciding to elevate a caste member to one, and each Qrii-Qerria committee is accompanied by at least one Qerr-Koal of each caste.
 
 
Economy
For the Skrell, money is a temporary thing. Skrellian currencies are printed with a temporary filigree, made from the spores of a very specific luminescent mushroom on Qerr’balak and other Skrellian planets. The luminescence fades completely after two years, after which a skrellian bill is no longer usable. Each filigree includes the date of the bill’s printing, allowing the verification of the bill’s authenticity by comparing the date and the expected luminosity of the spores.
This means Skrell cannot hoard money, and are instead incentivised to spend it, be it by buying goods and services, or investing it in various endeavours. If a Skrell wishes to preserve money for future projects, or simply for financial safety, their only recourse is to loan that money, without interest, to the City-State, for a set duration decided at the start of the loan. When the government gives back the money, the bills are freshly printed for a new 2-year long period of use.
That way, the Skrellian City-States are consistently supplied with their citizens’ money, negating the need for taxes in their society. Since money is constantly printed and destroyed, inflation is a very minor phenomenon, and the gap of wealth between the various castes, while still existent, is far less consequential than in human societies.
While human money is technically unusable in the Skrellian territories, most City-States accept it in exchange for freshly printed Skrellian bills, which the government then uses for exterior trade and to exchange with Skrellian corporations wishing to trade with humans.
 
 
Language
The Skrell language — commonly known as Skrellian — can be best described as a series of hums, warbles, and croaks; while it would not make sense to other species, the Skrells intricacies of communication can display a wide variety of emotion and meaning that many human languages cannot. A human speaking this language (with the required implant) would likely sound robotic and cold, with a limited vocabulary.
With other languages, such as Zurich Accord Common, Skrell take on the accent of the person who taught them the language.
Skrell have trouble expressing emotion through simple words and body language when speaking in Zurich Accord Common but are capable of expressing emotion better than a human would if they were to sing or play an instrument due to their use of tone when speaking their native language. However, how different emotions are expressed between different species often differ. It is for this reason that, to a Skrell, humans and most other alien species appear to be emotionally stunted, incapable of feeling or expressing as great a range of emotion as a Skrell is.
Skrell unfamiliar with galactic customs can confuse the sexes of other species and struggle to adapt to the gendered pronouns of Zurich Accord Common, which they find unwieldy and hard to remember. Although a Skrell more well-versed in xeno diplomatic affairs may be well acquainted to them, this is often not the case for the majority of warbles in the galaxy, and as such Skrell often prefer to either use gender-neutral pronouns such as ‘They’, or try their luck with one of the gendered pronouns.
Skrellian written language is, similarly to the spoken language, hard to understand for a non-Skrell. Based on logograms, it contains thousands of different signs, leading to vocal homonyms only differentiated by small variations in the tone and the pitch of the speaker.
Because of the need to facilitate easy naming and communication with other species and the difficulty of the Skrell language, Skrell adopt different naming conventions for use in non-Skrell space. While a normal Skrell name may be Uwooziivriziichinovrix Xrivrator'Kloa (far from common, and they are usually considerably shorter than this) this is considered difficult, lengthy and unwieldy for non-Skrell, resulting in broken up, shortened, rough translations such as Uwoozii Vri'Vrix being adopted for interspecies communication. In some cases, Skrell choose to forgo such a name style and instead take either a nonsense name or one of a specific alien culture for convenience. As such, names like Bartholomew Aramaud and Tria Marsa are also found in use by Skrell in human space.
Castes
The caste system has been in place for millennia in the Skrellian society, taking its current form shortly after their early space age. While the specifics of the system vary from city-state to city-state, the core five castes and their organization are common to almost all Skrell societies. This is reinforced by the significant degree of partial speciation created by millennia of directed breeding, resulting in low fertility rates in cross-caste breedings.
The caste system was established because of the Skrellian desire for order and harmony in their personal life, and the planned colonization of many of Qerr’Vallis’ planets increased this need for efficiency. By raising Skrell in castes, they are steeped in the traditions of that caste, giving them a leg up in their future work. A Skrell's caste influences their life from their birth to their death.
Not all professions fit neatly within a caste. Both Kanin-Katish and Talum-Katish have claims to architecture, and both Malish-Katish and Qerr-Katish have claimed to be the head researcher of a sociological lab. In cases like these, the differing traditions of the caste system would lead the Kanin to focus on efficiency and safety in their designs, and the Talum on aesthetics; for the Malish to lead by example by working longest and hardest and the Qerr to focus on creating an environment that allows each researcher to work as hard as possible. Management, especially, is an area with a great deal of flexibility as to which caste is "appropriate".
 
Not all Skrell believe in the caste system. It is difficult for Skrell living in or near human space to maintain the constant mindfulness of place that enforcing the caste system requires, and many Skrell in human mid or coreworlds are pressured into cross-caste pairings by nothing more than the rarity of their kin. Even on Qerr’balak itself, there are young Skrell who view the caste system as an unfair imposition of the ruling class that prevents each Skrell from reaching their full potential. Dissidents such as this often have no choice but to leave Skrellian space for the company of the individualistic humans or turn to a life of piracy.
Skrell will often use the first part of a caste name as an honorific for individuals from that caste, replacing most human honorifics. There are many currently in use by Skrell, some of the most common, informal honorifics in use are ‘Qerrishkin’, for Qerr-Katish; ‘Malishkan’ for Malish-Katish; ‘Kanishtan’ for Kanin-Katish; ‘Talushkin’ for Talum-Katish and ‘Rashkin’ for Raskinta-Katish. A more formal honorific is achieved by adding the particle ‘ita’ to the end of the honorifics. This results in ‘Qeriishkinita’; ‘Malishkanita’; ‘Kanishtanita’ and so on. Qerr-Katish nobles are often addressed by their function: A Qerr-Katish who is a Qrii’Qerria should be addressed with Qrii’Qerria’i as a honorific, for example, and the same holds true for skrell inside SDTFs in high leadership positions: While a Qrii’Vuxix may be addressed with a caste honorific (Formal or not, depending on the situation and on how intimate they are to the other skrell), they may also be addressed by their position. A small exception exists for Qerr’Koal, who are addressed both by their caste and by their position. (A Kanin Qerr’Koal would be, in a formal and polite environment, given the ‘Kanishtanita Qerr’Koal’ honorific, for example.)
Skrell also make use of the word ‘kin’ when they wish to talk to someone in a non-formal, but affectionate or respectful way akin to how humans use ‘buddy’ or ‘friend’. Anti-Honorifics also exist in the Skrellian language, but they are considered to be incredibly crude insults and slurs, typically only seen in use by Ue-Katish Pirates. While a normal skrell will often resort to cold, creative insults that seek to criticise someone’s (poor) performance, the Anti-Honorifics in use by Ue-Katish Pirates will almost always seek to degrade and humiliate an individual. Characterized by their shortness, Anti-Honorifics have very unpleasant, non-melodic, harsh pronunciations and always come after another being’s name. Although there is a large amount of them, some of the most common are ‘Glak’Xapaqx’, a curt, rude insult that deems someone to be weak-willed and useless; ‘Ta’xa’kall-vix’, one that deems the target to be unworthy of affection, love and friendship; and ‘Kixarr’Vattux’, which calls in question the quality of one’s genes and deems them to be a genetic dead-end.
 
Qerr-Katish (High Caste) : Considered as the leaders of Skrellkind, the Qerr-Katish are the face and soul of skrellian society. Managers, diplomats, lawyers, they are notably the only caste allowed to fulfil the role of Qerr-Skria, Qrii-Qerria and Qerr-Qerria. Representatives of the Skrell,Qerr-Katish are highly social beings, sophisticated,and organized. They tend to be rather conservative, although progressive ideas regularly grow within the caste, as a stagnant society is a dying society. They generally are the richest people of a City-State, although their money is generally invested in various endeavours both in and out of skrellian society. Qerr-Katish families tend to be rather small, being generally limited to one, sometimes two bondings. They often dress in clothing made from softer, shinier materials, long and flowing and has often been compared to the clothing of ancient Chinese nobles by human scholars. Their skin is generally bright green.
 
 
Malish-Katish (Caste of the Mind) : If the Qerr-Katish are the face of Skrellkind, the Malish-Katish are its brain. Scientists of all sorts, they are the ones who allow skrellian society to grow, be it technologically or ideologically. Highly inquisitive, they are among the more progressive Skrell. However they are not very social, and their emphasis on methodical thinking makes them less capable of acting quickly under pressure and handling their feelings in public. They are less wealthy than the Qerr-Katish, but their status affords them much comfort. Their families are generally made up of two or three bondings. People within this caste often wear clothing made from the same materials as the Qerr-katish yet more simplified, white shirts and black pants with possible jewelry for decoration. Their skin is generally pale green, sky blue or pale yellow.
 
Kanin-Katish (Caste of the Builder) : The main workforce of the Skrell. With activities ranging from goods production to services and engineering, they occupy the largest and most diversified sector of skrellian activity. They are a very tightly knit community, both within their families and with their co-workers. Very traditional, they hold rather conservative views on the world, and their pack mentality dampens most individualism. Their families are frequently large, three or four bondings. As such, they are often among the less wealthy Skrell, but they do not seem to mind, as their work is the life and blood of skrellian civilization. They possess a strong mental and physical resilience. Their clothing is made to last, the personality of the Skrell often being shown through arm bands or headtail decorations of any kind. Their skin is generally red, dark orange or black.
 
Talum-Katish (Caste of the Artist) : One would be mistaken to think Skrell do not consider the arts much. This important sector of Skrellian society is handled by the Talum-Katish: artists, chefs and entertainers. They compete with the Qerr-Katish’s role as representatives of skrellkind, although in a different way. They are in fact frequently on the public scene. The Talum-Katish are the most individualistic members of skrellkind, though they enjoy busy social lives. They are the free-thinkers of Skrellian society, often at odds with conservative castes. They tend to reproduce a lot, multiplying their encounters with various partners. Their clothing is often an odd mix of Qerr-Katish and Malish-Katish, as they often wear clothing that are colourful shirts, adorned with embroidery and their headtails sparkling with gold. Their skin is generally purple, light blue, pink, bright orange, red or white.
 
Raskinta-Katish (Caste of Warriors) : Rarely seen outside skrellian society, they are the ones who ensure the safety and stability of skrellian civilisation, both against internal and external threats. The military caste of the Skrell, most end up working for the various city-states, either in the police or as a career soldier, although some of them end up working for private security or as entertainment fighters. They are very conservative, deeply committed for their community, caring very little for self-development and personal satisfaction. Their martial training leaves very little time for indulgences, and they are trained to be expert tacticians and possess organisational skills second only to the Qerr-Katish.They are among the poorer castes of skrellkind, with large families of three or four bondings. They possess strong social cohesion. These are often the hardest to spot among a crowd because they intentionally wear clothing other castes are known for while not working, however they tend to stick to clothing that is easy to move in and often dark blue. Most Raskinta have a quite robust physique, as a result of the rigorous training routines that they often have to undertake, although this is not always the case. Their skin is generally green, blue, black, brown or yellow.
 
Ue-Katish (Casteless): While not technically a ‘Caste’ by itself, the Ue-Katish make up only an incredibly small fraction of the total Skrellian population. Born to unions of Skrell of two different castes or two Ue-Katish, the Ue-Katish typically have no place in the regimented society of the Skrell. Many work in various forms of dangerous, unpleasant, and low-paying labor, and although they are still Skrell and individuals with rights, discrimination still ends up being extremely common. Many Ue-Katish try to imitate other castes in an attempt to pass as a Kanin, a Malish or another caste, or leave for a more tolerant life inside human territories, and some of them decide to live a nomadic lifestyle, or even join a pirate band. Ue-Katish are often not discriminated against as much in the colonies that are closer to the human border as a result of ‘cultural bleed’, but they are still viewed with mistrust.
 
Honorifics - WIP
Skrell will often use the first part of a caste name as an honorific for individuals from that caste, replacing most human honorifics. There are many currently in use by Skrell, some of the most common, informal honorifics in use are ‘Qerrishkin’, for Qerr-Katish; ‘Malishkan’ for Malish-Katish; ‘Kanishtan’ for Kanin-Katish; ‘Talushkin’ for Talum-Katish and ‘Rashkin’ for Raskinta-Katish. A more formal honorific is achieved by adding the particle ‘ita’ to the end of the honorifics. This results in ‘Qeriishkinita’; ‘Malishkanita’; ‘Kanishtanita’ and so on. 
Qerr-Katish nobles are often addressed by their function: A Qerr-Katish who is a Qrii’Qerria should be addressed with Qrii’Qerria’i as a honorific, for example, and the same holds true for skrell inside SDTFs in high leadership positions: While a Qrii’Vuxix may be addressed with a caste honorific (Formal or not, depending on the situation and on how intimate they are to the other skrell), they may also be addressed by their position. A small exception exists for Qerr’Koal, who are addressed both by their caste and by their position. (A Kanin Qerr’Koal would be, in a formal and polite environment, given the ‘Kanishtanita Qerr’Koal’ honorific, for example.)
Skrell also make use of the word ‘kin’ when they wish to talk to someone in a non-formal, but affectionate or respectful way akin to how humans use ‘buddy’ or ‘friend’. Anti-Honorifics also exist in the Skrellian language, but they are considered to be incredibly crude insults and slurs, typically only seen in use by Ue-Katish Pirates. While a normal skrell will often resort to cold, creative insults that seek to criticise someone’s (poor) performance, the Anti-Honorifics in use by Ue-Katish Pirates rely heavily on their pure shock value and almost always seek to degrade and humiliate an individual. Characterized by their shortness, Anti-Honorifics have very unpleasant, non-melodic, harsh pronunciations and always come after another being’s name. Although there is a large amount of them, some of the most common are ‘Glak’Xapaqx’, a curt, rude insult that deems someone to be weak-willed and useless; ‘Ta’xa’kall-vix’, one that deems the target to be unworthy of affection, love and friendship; and ‘Kixarr’Vattux’, which calls in question the quality of one’s genes and deems them to be a genetic dead-end.
 
 
 
Biology
Anatomy
Skrell are humanoids with a height ranging from 160 to 190 centimeters tall depending on the caste, with females being generally slightly taller than males. Their feet and hands are webbed. Their respiratory system is a complex combination of vestigial cutaneous breathing, lungs, and gills placed at the back of the neck and protected by headtails. Their bones are denser and more flexible than human ones, making them less likely to break under shock, Their blood is a light blue colour. Life expectancy ranges from 100 to 120 years, depending on various factors.
The Skrellian life cycle starts as a tadpole, hatching from eggs after the female’s eggs are fertilized by the male. Skrell do not have external genitalia, instead, they have something that would more closely resemble a cloaca. During the next six to nine months, said tadpole will grow and develop its adult limbs, along with gills and headtails during the later stages of development. During this phase, the Skrell is forced to live underwater, and is very vulnerable: illness, environmental changes, and even the most minor wound will brutally disturb the tadpoles growth. Out of the fifty spawn generally birthed at the same time, it is rare that more than five of them survive to infancy. The transition to their next stage of growth is progressive. The Skrell is around 30 centimetres long at this point and doubles in size over the next month. Underwater, the gills start functioning to compensate for a now insufficient cutaneous respiration system, and their now-developed lungs allow them to take their first steps on land. Once past the tadpole stage, the Skrell’s growth is far slower, reaching proper adulthood after twenty years, with no further radical change to their physiology.
 A Skrell’s skin can have a large variety of colours, ranging from dark blues and vivid reds to bright greens and jet black, with shades of various shapes across the body. It is slightly translucent in areas, especially the headtails, and exudes a thin layer of slime making the Skrell appear somewhat gelatinous at first sight. This slime has the added benefit of protecting the sensitive skin of a Skrell, preventing minor injury and irritation from chemical and gaseous substances out of the water. However, this skin can still become itchy and even crack in dryer atmospheres, leading to many Skrell on human vessels self-moisturizing by pouring water on themselves, taking regular showers, or swimming in available pools. Despite being insufficient to fully supply the Skrell in oxygen, their skin still retains its respiration capabilities: should one of the lungs fail, the Skrell can normally function, albeit with some difficulty. While they are used to heavy pressures like on their homeworld, the fragile organ that is their skin makes them extremely vulnerable to lower ones; in tolerable amounts, it will only lead to large hematomas while lower pressures will inevitably lead to external and internal haemorrhages and air embolism, causing far more damage faster than a human would suffer. It also allows chemicals to travel easily through the skin, making Skrell somewhat vulnerable to cutaneous contact with chemicals; many drugs developed in skrellian culture are used that way. The Skrell's sense of touch is overall more sensitive than a humans, but also more crude, lacking in detail.
 Skrellian heads are comparatively simpler than human ones. In place of a nose are simple slits, lips are almost nonexistent and while it has as many facial muscles most of them are located in the lower area significantly decreasing the Skrell’s ability for facial expressions. Skrellian ears also lack an auricle, its function being taken over by a complex inner canal. Their eyes are far larger than human's, generally occupying half their face and entirely black when observed from the outside: Their size and their position, being further apart than on human faces, gives the Skrell a broader field of view. They also allow the Skrell to see better underwater and in the dark, although they are very sensitive to bright lights and fast changes in luminosity. Skrell see colours more vividly, with blue being a predominant one and ultraviolets being partially visible. In addition to the eyelids, the eyes are also protected by a nictitating membrane, most often seen when the Skrell is underwater. Skrellian hearing is, in most regards, far superior to humans. Their hearing range is close to a dog's, and while they have more difficulties identifying the location of a sound, they do not suffer from a decrease in ability under water. While their sense of taste is very delicate, allowing them to detect potential dangerous substances in their food, their sense of smell is underdeveloped, both lacking in sensitivity and scent distinction. Their vocal cords, accompanied by internal vocal sacs, give them a very large range of pitch, the upper levels being inaudible to humans.
 The aforementioned headtails vary in size, being longer on females. A thinner skin allows the veins to be seen, much like hands. Their biological purpose is to protect the gills from external aggression, such as dust and microbes when outside of water. The sterile, dark and humid area quickly led female Skrell to store their fertilised eggs between the neck and the headtails, the slime preventing them from falling off except in case of violent movements. Later in their history, Skrell started decorating their headtails with jewellery and various decorations, despite this practice sometimes leading to infections near the gills.
These headtails typically contain muscle tissue, although there are Skrell whose headtails cannot move for various reasons. This muscle control does not include fine control, though one can generally raise, position, and often wiggle their tentacles. These are also used for emotional displays and gesturing, Skrell outside of Skrellian space tending to overemote with them.
 The Skrell's physical appearance leads to the more xenophobic elements in human societies calling them frogs, salamanders, squidheads, and other less pleasing names, although the Skrell pay little attention to these remarks born of ignorance and false assumptions.
 
Diet
The Skrell are vegetarian, as indicated by their large, molar-like teeth. Not only are they unable to absorb animal protein, but doing so is likely to get them sick and nauseous, with food poisoning being possible if meat is ingested in too large quantities. Skrellian traditional foods are heavily based on the fungi-like organisms found on Qerr'balak, with prepared food being the average meal for the common populace. 
Despite an extremely low resistance to alcohol, Skrell have otherwise developed a high tolerance to a large amount of chemical substances, a result of their homeworld's flora being generally poisonous as a defence mechanism. Consequently, Skrellian food, and many of their medicines and herbal remedies are generally too harmful for human consumption.



Culture
The Arts
For obvious reasons due to their biology, Skrell give a lot of importance to music: It is actually quite rare to meet a Talum-Katish who does not at least possess average singing skills. While it would be impossible to describe their entire musical history, a few major points can be mentioned; First and foremost, skrellian music has abandoned tonal considerations, both in harmony and melody, centuries ago. While the Skrellian artists are still looking to produce enjoyable music, they prefer to avoid the restrictions of a codified system, allowing them more freedom in their creations, at the cost of more work to develop proper musical structures. Secondly, rhythm. While it is still very much existent in skrellian music, rhythm too went through a long phase of deconstruction in the musical process. In the last few centuries, the trend has been to subtly (sometimes not-so) shift the rhythm of their music over time, meaning a musical phase that starts as slow can finish very fast. The process is, however, not random. At last, voice plays a very large role in their music. Because of the specifics of their written language, Skrell did not develop a printing system until very late in their development, meaning knowledge had to be spread either by handwritten books or orally; in the latter case, songs quickly became the norm to transmit that knowledge. Skrell do have a large array of musical instruments, most electronic, to serve as a support to the vocal lead, but generally, voice stays at the forefront of mainstream skrellian music.
On the topic of written language, Skrellian literature has also evolved greatly over time. With the rise of advanced means of communications during the first centuries AC, its use as a narrative medium has slowly faded and nowadays, most of the new books published are poetry. In the last few centuries, skrellian writers have taken a step further down the road, by slowly removing narration itself from their work, using the visual impact of their complex, intricate written language to convey their message.
In the domain of visual arts, the Skrell have a long, complex history of painting and sculpting. In their early days, they used to spray dye made from their local, diverse vegetation onto small ponds, using the water as their canvas. Such works were ephemeral at best though while more stable platforms have now been widely adopted pond-painting is still a mainstay in skrellian art. However, the method did evolve over the millennia: the chaotic ponds were slowly replaced by artificial pools, complex colouring agents replaced natural dye… In the recent centuries, the art form evolved to a new stage, with molecular painting gaining popularity: three-dimensional paintings made in tanks of variable sizes have become more and more common in high society, a hybrid of painting and sculpture whose fragility is only matched by its cost.
Sculpting itself has seen its share of changes. While ancient painters were busy with their ponds, early skrellian sculptors saw potential in the massive Kol’mo, mushrooms that can be found on most of Qerr’balak’s surface. An easy material to work with, the Kol’mo stayed popular until the middle of the industrial revolution, with Skrell developing new tools and materials for their creations. However, the emblematic mushroom experienced a curious resurgance at the beginning of the second century AC, with the rise of genetic engineering in the scientific field; quickly, the Talum-Katish adapted to this new practice and thanks to the very primitive genetic code of the Kol’mo applied it to artistic expression, growing surrealistic mushrooms while completely bypassing the need for any physical sculpting. The practice still exists to this day, although the Skrell use many more plants for manipulation. This practice has not entirely replaced traditional sculpting methods, and great Kol'mo works can be seen in city states across the stars.
Sports
All Skrell practice sports to a certain extent, although the specifics generally depend on the caste. While the Kanin-Katish and Raskinta-Katish practice sports that do not shy away from physical effort, the more intellectual castes engage in sports that mirror their strengths. Most skrellian sports are played in teams, and with the exception of the Raskinta-Katish’s activities, often lack an actual adversary, preferring to place the players in front of issues waiting to be solved.
As a warrior caste, it is not surprising that the Raskinta-Katish place a lot of focus on fighting sports. They are, however, often team-based, and with a strong emphasis on coordination and dexterity. The most emblematic of them is Ka’morr; taking place over a pool, two fighters, each accompanied by a carrier, are supposed to fight until one of them falls in the water. They are maintained over water by their carrier, who stays underwater and keeps them standing with two platforms, just large enough to stand on. The carriers are not allowed to fight, but it are otherwise allowed to trick the fighting opponent into stepping on one of the opposing platforms to make them fall. Pairings are not taken lightly: Carrier and fighter generally practice together for years before reaching an acceptable level of skill. Styles vary wildly, with some teams focusing on studied, carefully executed movements, while others adopt more improvisational styles, only relying on the carrier’s ability to read the body of their partner and anticipate their moves.
A number of skrellian martial arts, originally developed by the Raskinta for use in war and refined over the millennia, are now regularly enjoyed as both sport, practice and entertainment beyond their original utility. Not originally conceived as sports, though the fact that they are focused on the disabling of an opponent has led them to, over time, become a competitive sport in some Raskinta circles and beyond. While there are now countless variations and subtypes there are two popular, and well known martial art forms. The first of these, Terr'Mapla, is an ancient martial art from the Qerr'Balak continent of Qorr'Gloa, where it was developed as a deliberate, careful defensive martial art designed to disable an attacker through a series of throws and pins. It is widely known, as it, or a variant of it, is taught to the vast majority of Raskinta-Katish. Given its deliberate, defensive stance, competitive Terr'Mapla is a long, slow, tactical battle focused just as much on the wits of the competitors as their strength and agility. Points in sparring matches are generally awarded for hard pins and clever use of tactics, deception and outwitting an opponent. A second, equally popular martial art, practised almost exclusively by Skrellian SDTF's, is known as Xorr'Mapla, and is designed with lethality in mind. Using overwhelming, rapid, aggressive strikes, it is designed to take down an opponent in a manner that is often lethal. As such, it is not venerated as an entertainment as Terr'Mapla is, though it is popular in private Raskinta gatherings and underground circles. Dedicated masters often combine both the Terr and Xorr'Mapla in order to create a fluid, highly adaptive fighting style, though this takes decades of practice.
The sports of the Kanin-Katish are much more based on endurance. Team-based, they often pit the players against environmental challenges. Contrary to Raskinta-Katish sports, they tend to include mild intellectual components, requiring the players to think before they act. The sports evolved along technology; the rise of artificial gravity, notably, had a profound impact on the playing field. One of these sports, Qel’xi, has actually gained popularity in previous century: Taking place in a specifically-built polyhedron (the actual number of faces depending on the team’s size and other factors such as difficulty), a group of Kanin-Katish must help their leader reach the centre of the room and stay there for a predetermined duration. The difficulty lies in the artificial gravity of the room, each of the faces generating their own in a limited bubble, forcing the participants into struggling against their own, conflicting weights. The centre of the room being flooded with overlapping gravity fields, it requires great endurance and coordination for a team to maintain a proper chain for more than a few seconds.
As expected of them, Talum-Katish merge sports and arts through dance: with a large number of them taking place in or under water, they also evolved a lot along modern technologies, antigravity environments partially replacing the former dancing pools. Waterdancing remains mainstay for Talum-Katish, as water offers entirely different parameters to evolve in. Oddly, skrellian dance often looks very martial, with human sociologists quickly comparing them to the kata of Eastern Asia.
Malish-Katish practice close to no physical sports. They instead focus on very intellectual activities, ranging from visual puzzles to logical riddles. These games are generally played in teams, although the players are often separated and cannot share information with their teammates. Each player has thus the task to complete their own part while having no knowledge of the bigger picture.
At last, Qerr-Katish, just like Malish-Katish, do not practice a lot of physical activities. They are, however, extremely fond of numerous strategy games, where their intelligence and organisation skills are put to the challenge. Countless games exist, with even more variations depending on the planet or city where it is played. With the rise of virtual reality and advanced artificial intelligence the concept was taken even further, with full simulations being developed, both as a training exercise and as entertainment.
Celebrations
While there are countless celebrations, anniversaries, holidays and observances celebrated across Skrell space, there are a few that are near universally celebrated, mostly to mark milestones of the Skrell's progress.
Some are, but not limited to (all dating provided in the human norm):
 
Xiq'zom'r, the Celebration of discovery - Observed on the 15th of June, this celebration observes the establishment of the first Skrell colony on another astral body. Typically celebrated by large gatherings, conferences and symposiums on a variety of scientific subjects and the unveiling of large engineering projects as well as reflection on the progress of Skrellkind. It is considered a more formal affair concerned with progress, technology, science and debate.
Xiq'Krall, the Celebration of friendship - Celebrated on the 11th of August, this celebration is the anniversary of the first sapient species the Skrell discovered, far on the unknown side of Skrell space. It has come to embody a celebration of all the sapients Skrellkind have encountered among the stars. Typically celebrated by social gatherings with an emphasis on trying new things, or, if available, experiencing something from another species, be that food, or technology or other.
Xiq'Qerria-pli'a, the Celebration of war's end - Celebrated on the 2nd of December, this is the anniversary of the Qrri-Qerria war, and the occasion is a solemn one, as the last true war between skrellkind, Skrell seek to remember the lessons learned from it, and mourn those who were lost. The observance has come to encompass the idea of peace in general, the tragedy of war, and the loss of life, and is a day of reserved gatherings and remembrances for those who have passed.
 
Death Ceremony
Skrell, unlike humans, do not typically hold funerals to mourn the passing of their deceased. Instead, they hold remembrances, typically two day long affairs which celebrate the life of the deceased, their accomplishments, feats, friends, family, service and other aspects of their lives. A positive affair, the focus is always on what the other brought and gave to the universe, and what they have left behind. Despite the jovial atmosphere and positive attitudes on display at these ceremonies, it is considered a highly important affair, and the best way to respect the deceased. Over the course of the period, a Skrell’s remaining family, friends, colleagues and other related people of import gather, give speeches about the deceased, observe items of significance on display from their lifetime, cherish memories and engage in a feast.

Family
The Skrell are non-monogamous, preferring a large panel of sexual partners for the purpose of reproduction. As such, the notion of human monogamy is alien to them, although some skrellian border colonies have seen more radical skrell toying with the concept. Despite this, Skrell need and enjoy a family structure, leading to another form of union, that the Skrell call Bonding. Instead of forming a constant familial structure to which offspring will automatically be attached, Skrell make a punctual Bonding when a couple produces a shoal to attach the children to this couple, and only this couple, making them, in effect, a family. This allows legal and social recognition of the progeny by both parents while letting them explore other reproductive opportunities.
 The parents rarely stay together after a Bonding, one being designated as the Qarr-Maqa, the main parent, responsible for the children, while the other becomes the Qrri-Maqa, who has more of a support role, financially and materially supporting the Qarr-Maqa
 Relations between two shoals who share one or both parents are quite distant; At best, they will see each other as something akin to cousins, but generally, they will tend to simply ignore each other, only to meet during important family gatherings concerning the parent. On a legal point, however, they do not share any kind of link but the same parent(s).
 With such a focus on pragmatism widespread reproductive partners it would be easy to assume that Skrell do not form long term intimate relationships. This is, of course, incorrect, and Skrell are very much capable of feeling love for another on the level of a life partner, there is simply no sexual attraction to this particular relationship.
 A traditional skrellian family is composed of:
 
The Qarr-Maqa, the main parent figure, tutor and caretaker of the children.
The Qrri-Maqa, secondary parent figure, financial and material support. On an emotional/relational standpoint, they might be compared to a human uncle/aunt.
The Qarr-Baqa, brothers and sisters from a same Bonding. Skrell not having as numerous strong familial as humans, the Qarr-Baqa often share stronger bonds than human brothers and sisters.
The Qrri-Baqa, children from another Bonding of one or both the parents. Generally having no or almost no contact with each other, their role in the family is non-existent.
The Maqa’lak, Qarr-Baqa of one of the parents. While being free of any kind of responsibility toward the children, they fill the same emotional niche than the Qrri-Maqa. They do not need the prefix "Qarr-" before their names, for a "Qrri-Maqa’lak" would be so distant from the family that it doesn’t need to exist as a concept.
Typically, Skrell do not engage in the production of offspring with those from castes other than their own. When this does happen (which is exceptionally rare) the offspring take the label of Ue-Katish. Other Skrell tend to view such offspring with distrust and derision.
For the Skrell, gender has no significance outside of reproduction. Skrell stopped having gender-specific roles before humans invented the wheel. 
Education
Skrellian education is the basis of skrellian society. Tadpoles are educated by their parents and interaction with the other Tadpoles of their Bonding. When a Skrell enters their “adult” shape, they first enter the first level of academic life, called by the Skrell the Mi-Gloa, the Early Enlightenment. At this point, they learn basic logic, elementary sciences such as mathematics and low-level physics, and skrellian history. All the Castes share the same lessons, except for the Qerr-Katish, who are taught apart from the rest of society and groomed for leadership.
At the age of 8, the Skrell leave the Mi-Gloa and enter the Qlor-Gloa, the Focused Enlightenment, where the different Castes are separated in different paths of teaching. Here again, the lessons are generalist and leave plenty of specialisation to be done later.
When they reach the age of 15, the Skrell choose the path that will determine their future work: They enter the Keri-Gloa, the Ongoing Enlightenment, for it is believed a Skrell never truly stops learning from that point. From there, a Skrell, called a Keri-Glo’i as long as they are in this system, can leave the Keri-Gloa at the age of 18, which means they will be a Qrri-Mog, a low-class worker, taught but not truly enlightened, or at the age of 25, making them a Qerr-Mog, a fully-fledged skrellian mind, expert in their area of work. Only the “Qerr-Mog” can hope to one day become Qerr-Koal, experts of their castes and counsellors to their Committee.

Military
The Skrell possess a highly diverse military, with different levels of organisation, expertise and various duties dependent upon who it is organised by.
 
The most common military forces seen operating in the interior of the Skrellian territories are the local reserves of each committee. Tasked with local defence against internal threats and policing, those forces are known as the Qrii-Morr’Kon, and usually have a heavy focus on policing and combating internal piracy, however rare. Although trained for general offensives against their enemies, the particularly small numbers of the Qrii-Morr’Kon limit their effectiveness in times of war.
 
In order to address this issue, The Qerr-Katish committees of their respective systems have invested in exterior-focused military forces. Known as the Skrellian Defence Task Forces, or Qarr-Morr’Kon in Skrellian, SDTFs can either function as an independent entity formed by and tasked with protecting a single committee (Such is the case of Qerr Voal), as a civilization-wide strike and defence force (Like the Kali’mak), or, more commonly, be financed by a group of committees belonging to different royal families, which is often the case for the SDTFs that patrol the vast border of the skrellian territory. Private corporations also have a part to play with the SDTFs, as they often sign contracts with them to sell equipment and ships at preferential prices. For the corporations, it is mostly a way to advertise themselves: The prestige of a partnership with an SDTF, along with the fact that such groups only procure the best equipment generally means a major boost in sales based on the reputation of the SDTF.
 
Unsurprisingly, SDTFs are not ruled by Qerr-Katish, but by a Raskinta-Katish commander, assisted by a variation of a Qerr-Koal council, in the form of the officers in charge of the various subsections of the organisation. A notable, however rare exception is seen from SDTFs belonging to a single King or Emperor. In those cases, those SDTFs are completely under the command of the Qerr-Katish, unless they decide to assign a Raskinta-Katish commander to take care of it and act on their behalf, which often happens regardless.
 
As for recruitment, feudums provide the SDTFs with volunteers after which the SDTF evaluates them under various criteria to decide how many of them will actually join the group. There is rarely a lack of volunteers for this task, as being an SDTF member entails a lot of advantages over a regular inhabitant of a city; Higher wages than with an equivalent ‘civilian’ job, priority when it comes to healthcare and education for their close family and more. Members of a SDTF also enjoy multi-citizenship across the various founding cities of the organisation, a perk rarely enjoyed in civilian life and a serious motivator for potential recruits.
 
Contrary to what one might expect, the Raskinta-Katish only represent half to three quarters of an SDTFs' manpower. Kanin-Katish generally have a strong presence in the task force and a smaller amount of Malish-Katish can be found working along their more physical brethren. A few Qerr-Katish work as diplomats and managers for the groups, while Talum-Katish are a very exceptional caste to be seen working in them, only for rare, punctual tasks related to the SDTF’s public image.
 
As for the castes, they take a more complicated shape within the skrellian military; while the main structure remains, they are subsequently divided into more diverse categorisations, themselves separated into smaller partitions to ensure every Skrell is performing their duty as a specialised, competent component of a greater machine. The sub-divisions are divided into the following components:
Raskinta-Katish Components:
Me’kerr-Ketish: Soldiers specialised in boarding operations and fighting in 0G, they are formed to perform lighting strikes, at their best in closed environments. They also handle rapid strike orbital strike operations.
Me’xoal-Ketish: The ground forces of a SDTF. Contrary to the Me’kerr-Ketish, they are formed for long range combat, patient and thorough in their actions.
Qi’kerr-Ketish: The skrellian space and air forces. Heavily trained in hit and run operations, mostly as a support and diversion for the infantry. While most are focused around the operation and piloting of fighter, bomber and strike craft they also helm the larger SDTF fleet vessels and a Qi'Kerr is usually found as the commander of the Fleet.
Qi’xoal-Ketish: The ground vehicles of a SDTF, their role is further divided into long range support to the infantry and as a lighting strike force for critical targets.
Malish-Katish Components:
Keloa-Ketish: Mostly fleet-based, this component is in charge of the Research & Development projects of the SDTF, generally working closely with the groups partners to improve and adapt their technology to the needs of the defence forces.
Mero'ta-Ketish: An SDTF's medical caste. This component is almost entirely responsible for providing medical services within an SDTF and has a variety of physicians, surgeons and nursing staff.
Toglo’i-Ketish: Technical support for Raskinta, these Malish-Katish often accompany them during operations to provide technical support. As such, they often tend to adopt some traits of their military brothers.
Kanin-Katish Components:
Megloa-Ketish: Work in collaboration with the Keloa-Ketish in R&D. Their close contact with their intellectual kin tends to make them more inquisitive and individualistic than other Kanin-Katish.
Xiqarr-Ketish: Fleet-based, they are in charge of operating, maintaining and piloting the SDTF’s fleet and starbases. Heavily engineering focused.
Goxo’i-Ketish: Similarly to the Toglo’i-Katish, they handle technical support for the Raskinta-Katish, generally accompanying the Qi’xoal-Ketish for vehicle maintenance on the field, but also engaged into demolitions and communications operations along the Qi’xoal-Ketish. The similar mindsets of Kanin-Katish and Raskinta-Katish consequently improve their capacity for cooperation.
Mero'tol-Ketish: Roughly equivalent to human medical technician/field medic roles these are combat trained medical personnel who accompany Raskinta infantry and provide medical support, patient care and emergency medicine on the battlefield. They also guard, maintain and establish field hospitals for the Mero'ta-Ketish, and their close work with both see them adopting some of the traits of both groups.
The Qerr-Katish and Talum-Katish, few in numbers, do not have larger component organisations within the SDTFs. As for the subsequent divisions within each component, they tend to differ from task force to task force, although some global patterns exist (separation of space and air forces within the Qi’kerr-Ketish, artillery and frontline vehicles within the Qi’xoal-Ketish and so forth.)
Here are a few famous SDTFs found across history:
Qerr’voal: One of the oldest, largest, and best-known SDTFs: Qerr’voal is the Qerr’Qerria’s “private” strike and defence force, being financed directly by the system of Qerr’Vallis and, indirectly, by the other many Qrii’Qerria committees. It is considered one of the most prestigious SDTFs in existence, and only the best volunteers from all across Skrellian space make it through the rigorous selection process.
 
Kali’Mak: An SDTF that predates the first Ascent encounters. Financed partially by Qerr’Vallis along with numerous neighboring feudums, Kali’Mak is certainly one of the most experienced SDTFs in all Ascent-related incursions, although their task has been mostly one of deterrence since the Ascent-Skrell ceasefire. The Kali’Mak acts as a “Reserve” strike force when the border patrols of other SDTFs identify Ascent threats, and as a result, many of their members enter exchange programs with other SDTFs. They are based on the old capital of Gilkrol-Qarr.
 
Religion
As a civilisation with a long history and a large and diverse population, it would be surprising if the Skrell did not develop, at some point, some form of religious thought. Science being such a tenent of skrellian society, however, Skrellian religions are generally focused on the metaphysical study of the universe rather than the mythological aspect of religion. As a result, most Skrell hold particularly agnostic views, believing that the existence or the lack of an all-powerful being could not be proved, while most religious Skrell hold a monist view of the universe, with their beliefs often being akin to one form or another of pantheism.
Xilar Qall
Xilar Qall is the most common religion in Skrell space, though still vastly outnumbered by agnostics and atheists. It is essentially a codification of many modern Skrellian cultural features blended with local pantheistic beliefs. This was formalized as religion by elements of the Qerr-Katish in some colonies following the Kali’r war, in an attempt to both minimize strife and enforce discipline and progress in Skrellian society.
The teachings are as follows:
Keep your eyes to the stars.
Harmony comes from discipline.
A united society strives.
Harm only when harmed.
Stay forever inquisitive.
Medical Technology
Genemods
Although Skrell possess the technology to genetically alter themselves, they do not do so for cosmetic purposes. Because Skrell are highly traditional and value the whole over the individual, they see very little point in using this technology to change their own appearance and physical traits, which is often seen as some kind of taboo in Skrellian society.
Instead, Skrell make use of genemods almost purely for medical reasons in order to prevent and outright treat genetic disorders. Ue-Katish will often seek this out, though they may find it difficult to find accommodating clinics in Skrell space or affordable clinics in human space. A very rare but nonetheless notable exception is seen from Talum-Ketish Skrell, who, sometimes, may use genemods to temporarily alter their appearance during a performance. Even then, this is exceedingly rare and only used when holograms and other similar gadgets can not be used.
 
Prosthetics
Skrell tend to frown upon the use of prosthetics, much preferring to bioprint new replacements if needed. The exception to the rule would be the Ue-Katish pirates, who can often be spotted sporting steel, whether due to combat injuries or to make up for disabilities.
Crime
As a millennia-old civilisation spanning across thousands of star systems, it would be foolish to think the skrellian territories manage to stay free of criminals and illicit organisations. All across the territories, smuggling rings, extortion rackets, underground science labs engaged in gruesome experiments and organised crime can be found, operating behind the scenes.

Here are two of the most famous skrellian crime syndicates:
The Qerr-Glia
Ancient Qerr-Katish families, stripped of their status and power in the wake of the Qrri-Qerria war, turned to whatever activity, legal or illegal, could finance their fight to reclaim their former position, thus leading to the formation of the Qerr-Glia.
The Qerr-Glia were among the first to each new system colonized by the Skrell, always one step ahead of the law, and constantly deepening their grip on the Skrell. Today, their activities run the gamut from money laundering to the slave trade.
While the Qerr-Glia have at their disposition a very large network of relations and maintain several fragile alliances between various families, their only loyalty resides in their own family. They will temporarily hire anyone competent enough to fulfill their goals, willfully or forcefully, but only the members of the Qerr-Glia family are permanent members of a Qerr-Glia cell. Reciprocally, leaving a Qerr-Glia family is considered a high treason by its members, and any Skrell abandoning their siblings for any reason would find themselves fiercely hunted down by their former brothers and sisters.
The Qerr-Glia are often regarded as schemers and liars, and the sudden birth of a galactic community only presents new frontiers for the clever and resourceful royal gangsters.
Ue-Katish Pirates
Contrasting with the Qerr-Glia is a vibrant community of Ue-Katish pirates, who live in cargo flotillas on the edge of Skrellian space. Ue-Katish ships are floating black markets where everything is available for the right price, including some of the galaxy's most well-connected information brokers and most skilled guns-for-hire. The Ue-Katish present the greatest Skrellian counterculture and feature heavily in romanticized human media, although at their hearts they are in fact bandits and criminals, and the black markets are filled with goods plundered from human and Skrellian trade ships. Many of the Ue-Katish ships themselves bear the scars of the battle that brought them under the pirate flag.
Ue-Katish pirate culture is somewhat similar to many human countercultures, gleefully reclaiming slurs and subverting expectations for the sheer shock value. Nonetheless, Ue-Katish are still Skrell, and still organize in neat hierarchies under each ship's Captain. The Captain's word is absolute, and unlike the Qerr-Katish they lack any sort of anti-corruption institutions.
 
Relations with other species
When it comes to interspecies relations, Skrell prefer taking a slow and calculated approach that better suits their own interests. Although scarred and traumatized by their first-contact with the Ascent, Skrell are still often very curious to learn about alien cultures, traditions and ways of life, even if most Qrii’Qerria prefer to be cautious in regards to them.
Those are some of the average views held by the skrell on some of the other species of the galaxy, and opinions are ultimately very likely to vary wildly from Skrell to Skrell.
 
The Empire’s oldest relationship is certainly with the Ascent. Millenia ago, Ascent and Skrell were involved in the Kali’r war, a series of battles and skirmishes that eventually culminated in a catastrophic invasion of the Skrellian empire, and in the total destruction of the Qer’Vallis system. Today, skrell relations with the Ascent are, despite a few minor skirmishes sometimes happening along the border, mostly neutral, although diplomatic contacts are usually cordial. While the Ascent are still viewed with a lot of mistrust and caution, there is also a great amount of curiosity regarding them, and while some might say that tensions have been brewing up again, avoiding another war is in the best interest of the current Qerr’Qerria.
 
Humans have a mixed reputation among the Skrell, as is befitting their large range of activities and ideologies. Some Skrell consider them to be largely beneath their notice, while others see them as a valuable scientific, cultural, and economic opportunity. Although views of Humanity do vary wildly from star system to star system, most Qrii’Qerria maintain peaceful, cooperative relations with Human polities, a state that has only been amplified by increased Ascent activity.. Colonies along both shared borders often enjoy increased revenue from tourist activity in their worlds, and some very few planets such as Mi’tor’qi tend to allow immigration from humans after a rigorous application process, while others such as I’kri-tol in Harr’Kelm prefer to maintain a much more reserved posture, disabling human vessels that get too close to their planets, while also disallowing any form of xeno-tourism.
 
Skrell relations with IPCs are quite distant. Having never developed sapient AI because of the potential ramifications of doing so, the Skrell prefer to observe the IPCs with caution and curiosity. Many Skrellian academics are quite interested to see how a nation of synthetic beings will evolve. 
 
The Skrell have a turbulent relationship with the Unathi. Most Qrii’Qerria prefer to treat them with avoidance and caution, having mostly unpleasant interactions in the past. Although the depictions of Unathi by the Skrellian media vary wildly, they are largely considered beneath the notice of most of the populace. While many Skrell also see them with curiosity and attempt to learn more about their kind, the greater majority see them as violent, primitive beings who are only interested in disrupting trade vessels who venture out of the safety of Skrellian territory.
 
Vox are seen with mistrust in Skrellian society, with responses to their presence generally ranging from concern to open contempt. Most SDTFs have orders to not let Vox ships wander in Skrellian territory. Despite academic interest in their mysterious past, most Skrell would prefer to avoid having to acknowledge their existence as much as possible.
 
As a relatively small-scale experiment by human corporations, Giant Armoured Serpentids are known, but otherwise ignored by most Skrellian powers. However, news of their slave-like servitude to humanity has led a growing number of Skrell to question this posture of apathy, with some of the more ‘colorful’ Talum performing artistic protests in order to press the governing Qrii’Qerria to do something about it.
 
Skrell on the NTSS Dagon
Skrell onboard the NTSS Dagon can come from all walks of life, with varying levels of professional experience, employment and a myriad of loyalties, though they tend to fall into three distinct camps: Military, Corporate or independent.
On the uniformed services side, this represents all of the Skrell who are in the Solarian Government Armed Forces (SGAF) or in the Nanotrasen Expeditionary Fleet (NTEF). Following the negotiation of a number of deals with a number of Skrell SDTFs' and their sponsoring city-states, the NTEF and the SGAF have created an exchange program allowing S