Skrell Society

Politics

One could say that modern skrellian society is built around concepts similar to those of constitutional monarchies, oligarchies or of aristocracies, although with quite a few noticeable differences. Skrellian territory is divided into Kingdoms, who are ruled by a ‘Qrii-Skria’, or in skrellian, ‘King’, which must necessarily be a Qerr-Katish. However, most planets in skrellian territory have more than one kingdom, and can have thousands in the case of higher-density worlds like Gilkrol’Qarr. When a reasonable number of kingdoms exist on any given planet, the Qrii-Skria of each kingdom form an alliance denominated a ‘Qrii-Qerria’, in which the Qrii-Skria engage in diplomacy for the mutual benefit of all kingdoms on the world’s surface.

When a star system has multiple worlds, the Qrii-Qerria of each planet send representatives to form the Qerr-Qerria, appointing a ‘Speaker of Kings’, or ‘Qerr-Skria’. It is important to remember that, while this figure has some authority over their assigned system, they are expected to act as the orator of their system more than as an absolute ruler. This Qerr-Katish also has added responsibilities, as they must represent their system towards the ‘Qarr-Qerria’, an assembly of all the Qerr-Skria in Skrell territory who debate and discuss the politics of their entire empire when it is necessary. A “Qarr-Skria”, which translates quite roughly to ‘King of Kings’ is a life-long position given to one Qerr-Skria who is deemed worthy, and they are expected to act as a tie-breaker and to guide debate and dialogue when it is needed, as well as serve as the face of the entire skrellian civilization. Despite this centralization, individual kingdoms share a lot of independence from each-other, and with diplomacy being such a tenant of skrellian society, open conflicts in-between city-states are an incredibly rare occurrence which often takes a much more subversive approach when diplomacy does fail.

The Qrii-Skria holds indisputable, absolute legislative, executive and judiciary power over their assigned kingdom. In spite of that, they are seen as more of a representative of the city state, someone to guide debates and act as a tie-breaker than an absolutist ruler. At the Qerr-Skria's death, their title and authority is passed down to one of their children, generally designated by the Qerr-Skria themselves. When no successor has been chosen, it is the role of the Qerr-Koal to designate an heir.

The Qrii-Skria is 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-Skria is accompanied by at least one Qerr-Koal of each caste. The bigger a kingdom/city-state is, the more Qerr-Koal of each caste it will have. Additionally, Qerr-Koal may come from all walks of life, and although they are often teachers or professors, particularly brilliant Skrell employed in all manners of activities can also be appointed a Qerr-Koal. Depending on the city-state, The Qerr-Koal may take a more passive role in skrellian society, being summoned to advise the Qrii-Skria or discuss a new law only when necessary. For kingdoms with a higher population, however, it is not uncommon to see the Qerr-Koal as a full-time job.

When a kingdom grows too big to be able to be effectively managed by a single Qrii-Skria, some form of fragmentation often happens as the King decides to either divide their territory in two and appoint a new Qrii-Skria (Who often is the most prominent Qerr-Katish Qerr-Koal), or fund the construction of another kingdom and appoint a new ruler. Qerr-Katish do not get into the headtail-measuring contest of ‘Who has the biggest kingdom’ because it is individualistic, selfish, and brings unnecessary suffering to their citizens, and because Skrell view expanding their population as an investment. Regardless, different city-states handle their territory differently once it becomes too big, but should a new city-state form, it is always independent from the ‘parent’ one.

The legislative power is handled by the Xaq Moglar, an assembly composed of the City-State's Qerr’Koal and teachers, making skrellian Academies the heart of skrellian politics. Seats are automatically granted upon employment, and should a member of the Xaq Moglar ignore their political duty, their place in the Academy might be revoked as a result. The Qerr-Katish teachers, however, are an exception: being politically represented by the Qerr-Skria, they are most of the time forbidden in participating to the Xaq Moglar and limited to their academical duties, although this does not always happen in all city-states. Similarly, not all teachers have the same amount of power: those who teach the Keri-Glo'i, the students in the last stage of their education, are called professors and their voice holds twice as much power in the Xaq Moglar as other teachers. While not allowed to directly participate in the debates, the Keri-Glo'i themselves are allowed and encouraged to attend sessions of the Xaq Moglar to better their understanding of the political process.

The judiciary power is handled by groups of high-ranked Raskinta-Katish complemented with other castes, handpicked by the Qerr-Skria and the Qerr-Koal, whose role is to apply a proper punishment to the guilty party after thorough examination of their crime and its impact on society, culpability being proven or disproven during the initial investigation led by the city-state's police forces. The laws themselves, rather than a complex code attempting to cover every possible situation, work more as guidelines for the courts to use in their assessment. Prison sentences are seldom used, generally reserved for high crimes such as murderers or political nuisances, and tend to be for life, while seizure of property, fines and community work are preferred for lighter crimes. The death penalty is virtually unheard of in the city-states, but it can be a rare occurrence in SDTFs.

Economy

Skrellian view their economy in a far, far more different way than humanity. For one, money is not used by individual citizens at all, and is instead kept as a bargaining token for the exclusive use of city-states and production conglomerates to facilitate interactions and trading. Materials are often also accepted as a form of payment, and it is not uncommon to see them being used instead of money. A treasury is still required in order to allow the bills to have value, and as such, one is located on the administrative hub of the empire, in the Qerr'Kal'ol ring world.

Skrell are also often not paid for their work, and the notion of a salary is alien to them. Instead, their city-state caters to their basic needs such as housing, healthcare, food, water and education and allows skrell to request other goods from the city-state for the purposes of, for example, entertainment or work. A number of criteria are taken in consideration when approving certain requests, and while basic entertainment apparatus and worktools may be easily acquireable, more expensive goods often require some form of waiting list. The skrell notion of private property is often temporary at best, and if a product is not required anymore, it is often returned to the city-state or given to someone else.

On the corporate side of skrellian society, corporations are far less capitalist, and have exceptionally close ties to both the city state in which they are headquartered and the academies that supply much of their workforce. As such, skrellian corporations tend to have a heavy focus on exchange. One would be mistaken to believe that they do not aim for a profit. Indeed, they still require a net positive balance in order to be able to afford the production of more goods and the expansion of their own industrial capabilities. Skrellian companies and city-states see no point in hoarding money if it can be spent, and it is often quickly exchanged with other city-states and corporations for goods and resources.

Human money is a complicated matter for the skrell. It is no more than a piece of paper for them, or perhaps a memento, or a souvenir. Skrellian production conglomerates and city-states are generally wary about trading with humans and other alien species for this reason, along with possible technology reverse-engineering. On the few cases where it happens, skrell prefer to receive their payment through raw materials or another form of non-monetary compensation.

Immigration, Emmigration and Tourism

Immigration and tourism of xenos are two very complex issues within the skrellian empire. Skrell may easily visit other city-states at their will. Immigration is only slightly more difficult as a result of the bureaucratic footwork necessary, but often easily achievable, especially if for the purpose of work. As for citizenship, the oligarchy does not allow a skrell to renounce their citizenship, and it is common to see skrell who are citizens of two or three different city-states. Moreover, should a skrell be hatched outside of their borders, there are a number of programs that seek repatriation and re-introduction into a caste system. A skrell who desires such, however, must first renounce their citizenship with any other non-skrell entities.

Non-skrell will not face this ease of access, however, as entry within the skrellian territory will prove to be far more difficult. The overwhelming majority of city-states do not allow the entrance of aliens within their territory. Humans and other aliens do not fit into the caste structures of the Skrell, and nor will they find the environments that the skrell thrive in to be comfortable or even healthy. As a number of issues must be addressed in order to allow their presence, the overwhelming majority of city-states often disallow the practice of tourism, let alone immigration.

Some of the city-states within Mi'tor'qi make up an exception to this standard, allowing the temporary residence of xenos for the purpose of tourism during a set period of time, which must be agreed upon previously. It is also not free, and the city-states that do allow tourism often request a number of non-monetary goods in order to issue a valid visa, granting tourists access to food, water, healthcare, entertainment and shelter during their stay. A guide is often employed by those city-states for the purpose of keeping visitors entertained and in-check. A number of procedures must also be agreed prior to their visit, such as adherence only to certain areas of the city-state and being submitted for a number of medical exams upon arrival and exit, as to avoid the introduction of human pathogens to the skrell population and vice-versa. Souvenirs and mementos are sometimes given, depending on the city-state, and a rigorous security complement is in place to ensure that nothing else is taken out of the skrell territory upon the end of the trip.

Immigration is an even more complicated issue. The city-state of Vol'x!a in Mi'tor'qi is the only one known to allow some form of permanent residence for human and other xeno citizens, with a gargantuam list of requeriments, such as advanced knowledge of the culture, history, language, society and laws of Vol'x!a and of the skrell, along with the willingness to accept the constant indocrination of skrellian values onto them, and acceptance of intermittent monitoring to assure their assimilation within the skrell society. Should all this criteria be sucessfully met, a given individual will be assigned a honorary caste depending on a number of conditions, but most importantly, their profession, and will be recognized as a citizen of Vol'x!a.

Emmigration to the outside of skrellian territory is a slightly more difficult thing to perform, be it for the purposes of research, skrell tourism to xeno systems, or even immigration to another species' territory. Generally, most restrictions are in place to ensure that sensitive materials and data will not accidentally fall into the hands of someone else. Conversely, civillian vessels leaving skrell space are often either well-escorted by an SDTF squadron or given severely outdated vessels and equipment, to avoid reverse-engineering.

Alien diplomats are, obviously, an exception to most of the rules above, and often received at the administrative center of the empire within the ring-world in Qerr'vallis. Security is still kept tight, however.

Language

The common 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 skrell's intricacies of communication can display a wide variety of emotion and meaning that many human languages cannot.

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 skrell.

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 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. As such skrell can be expected to use different pronouns depending on their familiarity with humanity; the most conservative of skrell generally use the pronouns ‘vi/xil/xilself’, loaned from skrellian, to describe any sentient being. Those more acquaintanced with humanity will often use ‘they/them’ rather than this term, out of a respect for the human languages. Those who are more well-integrated with humanity, or who find themselves in a position where understanding is vital, will use gendered pronouns as appropriate.

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.

Ue-Katish Pidgin

The Ue-Katish Pidgin is an overarching term for a group of dialects all localized largely within Ue-Katish pirate communities. It’s evolved into its own largely mutually intelligible language over the past few hundred years, with some human influences as of recent. This pidgin is largely looked down upon, and any skrell speaking it is sure to face discrimination from those who obey the caste system. In stark contrast with skrellian, the tones in this language are largely flat and betray little emotion. This is an intentionally engineered trait, as to assure that speakers can lie and cheat undetected as needed, which is sure to frustrate any casted skrell. Speakers prefer to express their emotions in very direct terms, literally describing how they feel verbally.

Education

Skrellian education is the basis of skrellian society, and standardized for the whole empire. Tadpoles are educated by their parents and interactions 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 King.

Skrell are allowed to re-take Keri'gloa as many times as they want, should they wish to perform additional duties. This is, of course, free. The same can be said for skrell who choose to leave Keri'gloa at 18. They may return and become a fully-fledged Qerr-Mog later, with no additional charge. It is important to note that the thought of 'gaming the system' and spending their entire lifespan taking different Keri'gloa courses, and similar extremely individualistic thoughts do not exist within normal skrell society.

Extra-curricular activities also exist in the skrellian education system as a way to superficially learn a new skill, often for a hobby. This, however, is not always free, and depends on the activity chosen and on the caste. A Talum may wish to learn painting and do sewing for free as an extra-curricular activity, as those skills are closely related to their caste. A Kanin may also wish to do sewing as an extra curricular activity, and as Kanin tailors who specialize in bulk-produced clothing do exist, it would also be for free. Meanwhile, a Qerr, Raskinta or Malish who wants to do sewing for a hobby may have to pay tuition costs to the city-state. Unlike normal education, extra activities are not standardized, and a Qrii-Skria may judge sewing not to be a Kanin related activity, but may instead allow sculpting.

Castes

The caste system has been in place for millennia in the skrellian society, taking its current form after the founding of the first cities in Qerr’Balak. 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.It is also further reinforced by the psionic nature of the skrell, as different castes, today, are predisposed towards a certain psionic potential. Due to this, cross-caste breeding can often result in a tadpole who completely lacks any psionic potential, or, very rarely, one who acquires the psionic potential of both of their progenitors.

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. Contrary to popular belief, 'Upper' castes and 'Lower' castes do not exist. Skrell understand the mutual importance of each caste and function, and as a result, Qerr often share the same economical power with a Kanin.

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 skrell space for the company of aliens or turn to a life of piracy.

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. 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. Qerr-Katish headtails are famously long, reaching down to nearly their waists. The Qerr Katish's Psionic potential allows them to communicate with other beings through their mind, aswell as sense the emotions and thoughts of those nearby, to an extent. Some Qerr Katish are also able to read the minds of others with their Psionic potential, but this requires a great amount of concentration on their behalf.

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. 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. They have shorter headtails. The Malish Katish are able to use their Psionics to gather inforamtion from the environment around them. This translates into identifying chemicals, gas compositions and even the extent of another being's injuries, organic or otherwise.

Kanin-Katish (Caste of the Builder)

The main workforce of the skrell. While their population growth has decreased over the millennia of technological progress they are still one of the most populous castes. With activities ranging from goods production and services to engineering and construction they occupy the largest and most diversified sector of skrellian activity. The Kanin-Katish are a very tightly knit community, both within their families and with their coworkers. They possess a strong mental and physical resilience. Very traditional, they hold rather conservative views on the world, and their focus on the whole rather than self dampens much of their individualism. Their families are frequently large, three or four bondings, generally with a couple of partners, as their work is the life and blood of skrellian civilization. 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, orange, pale yellow, dark orange or black. They have very short headtails. The Kanin are also unique in that their psionic abilities allow them to manipulate the environment that they are in. It is not uncommon to see Kanin making use of their psionic potential, which manifests itself in the form of telekinesis, to lift heavier objects, grab objects from afar or even mend the injuries of another being.

Talum-Katish (Caste of the Artist)

Considering the skrells' emphasis on functionality and practicality, one would be mistaken to think they do not consider arts much. This very important sector of skrellian society is handled by the Talum-Katish, artists, aesthetes, entertainers, chefs, actors, writers, singers. They somewhat compete with the Qerr-Katish's role as representatives of skrellkind, although in a different way. As such, they are often mistaken for Qerr-Katish themselves, which might explain why this caste is generally seen as rarer and less celebrated than the others, while they are in fact frequently on the public scene. The Talum-Katish are the most individualistic members of skrellkind, although once again, they share the Qerr-Katish's taste for a busy social life. Highly cultured, they are the free-thinkers of skrellian society, often at odds with more traditionalist and 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 Kanin-Katish, as they often wear clothing that is colourful , adorned with embroidery and their headtails sparkling with various brilliant metals. Their skin is generally purple, blue, pink, orange, red or white. Talum-Katish headtails are a middle ground between the shorter headtails of the Malish and the extremely long headtails of the Qerr, and are an important element of Talum self-expression. Talum-Katish have psionic powers that allow them to communicate with nearby beings through emotions. Talum are able to project complex and intense feelings of joy, melancholy, fear and so on in the minds of those around them, some Talum are also able to manipulate light in order to make their artistic works look even more incredible, and their melodies, when sung, can be imbued with psionic energy to make those who hear it experience a range of different emotions and feelings, including plants!

Raskinta-Katish (Caste of Warriors)

Rarely seen outside the skrellian society, the Raskinta-Katish are however recognised and respected by their entire species, for 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, almost reactionary, and deeply committed to their community, caring very little for self-development and personal satisfaction. Their martial training leaves very little time for most intellectual pursuits, although they are trained to be expert tacticians and are only beaten by the Qerr-Katish in terms of organisational skills. They have large families of three or four bondings. 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 are often dark blue. Their skin is generally green, blue, black, brown or yellow. Raskinta headtails are extremely short, and this caste possesses four rather than three headtails, with the one in the back split into two. Uniquely among Raskinta, loss of a headtail is not seen as disfiguring, especially if it was lost in battle, and while many of them choose to procure repair surgeries, some do not. A Raskinta's psionic prowess can accumulate and manifest itself by increasing their physical capabilities, be it by enhancing their situational awareness, movement, pain tolerance, strength and so on, often depending on the skrell's line of work.

Ue-Katish (Casteless)

While not technically a ‘Caste’ by itself, the Ue-Katish make up only an incredibly small but growing 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 either inside human territory, nomadically, or as pirates. 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. Their headtails can vary, often being based roughly on their parentage but in some cases being inconsistent with even that due to genetic mutation. This can greatly limit their ability to pass as another caste in society at times. Their headtails can vary, often being based roughly on their parentage but in some cases being inconsistent with even that due to genetic mutation. This can greatly limit their ability to pass as another caste in society at times, as having two headtails of different lengths is a dead-giveaway of an Ue-Katish. Ue-Katish's psionic powers are able to manifest themselves in many different ways, or not at all. Ue-Katish with at least some psionic potential are often able to pass as another caste and live comfortably within Skrell society, as are those very, incredibly few select individuals who inherit both the psionic skillsets of their progenitors. However, Ue-katish are unique in that they can also be hatched without any Psionic potential at all, which often forces them to leave their home-system in search of a more tolerant colony, the Directorate, Humanity or an Ue-Katish pirate flotilla.

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 kingdom. Tasked with local defence against internal threats and policing, those forces are known as the Qrii-Morr’Kon, and have a heavy focus on policing and combating smuggling.  Different Qrii-Morr’Kons belonging to kingdoms in the same planet or system often cooperate with each other, especially where criminal activity in near-space is concerned. Although trained for general offensives against their enemies, the particularly small numbers of the Qrii-Morr’Kon limit their effectiveness in times of war.

To compensate for this issue, the skrell formed what they call the Skrellian Defence Task Forces, or Qarr-Morr'Kon. SDTFs are independent entities formed by several City-States who pool together resources and manpower for their common safety. Once such a group is formed, they gain some independence from their creators,but they are still formally bound to them as they need the City States as a source of recruitment and financing. 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 organization. As for recruitment, each Qrii-Qerria provides 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 SDTFs are heavily romanticized and being a member entails some advantages over a regular inhabitant of a city; such as priority when it comes to healthcare, manufactured goods, education for their close family and more. Members of a SDTF also enjoy multi-citizenship across the various founding cities of the organization, 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, especially where militarized but inhabited space, such as Harr’Kelm exists, 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.

Most SDTF fleet doctrines are based around quick, devastating strikes using the agility of their craft. Larger vessels such as battleships are not often used and tend to have a much higher emphasis on agility and concentrated firepower, rather than durability and staying-power. They come with their own classifications, but, as they are often unwieldy, humans usually settle with acronyms such as “SSV'' for Skrell Scout Vessel, or “SFB”, for Skrell Fast Battleship.

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
Component	Description
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
Component	Description
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
Component	Description
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.)

Famous SDTFs

Qerr’voal

One of the oldest, largest, and best-known SDTFs, Qerr’voal is the role-model of most Qarr-Morr’Kons in existence. Due to their internal nature of protecting internal star systems, Qerr’voal is currently mostly concerned with insurgent Ue-Katish elements and fancy parades during skrellian holidays for Qerr’Valis and most of the systems in its immediate proximity. 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. Qerr’Voal often lends volunteering skrell from within their workforce to other SDTFs in need via an exchange-like contract that often lasts up to a few months.

Kali’Mak

An SDTF that predates the first Ascent encounters. Financed by a multitude of skrellian territories of which Gikroll-Qarr and Qerr’Vallis make part of, Kali’Mak is one of the most experienced SDTFs in Ascent-related operations, having fought against them in the Kali’r War. Kali’Mak vessels, defensive buildings, supply lines and forward-operating-bases can all be seen frequently and heavily entrenched into the surrounding environment as you move closer and closer towards the ascent border. Their administrative and logistical headquarters is based on the system of Kale’ta’q*, far away from the Ascent border and where the old capital of Gilkrol’Qarr exists.

It is without a doubt the most size-able SDTF currently operational, but not the only one that specializes in Ascent encounters.

Honorifics

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; ‘Malishkin’ 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’; ‘Malishkinita’; ‘Kanishtanita’ and so on. Skrell will forgo the use of most honorifics and instead refer to someone in the most practical way should they be busy with work or something important. This is not considered rude, as skrell value efficiency and pragmatism over 'politeness'.

Qerr-Katish in positions of leadership 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 do not give skrellian honorifics to Non-Skrell, instead choosing an appropriate term in their culture, such as ‘Sir’, ‘Ma’am’ and so on.

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 ‘companion’ 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 (Especially hurtful when coming from an Ue) and deems them to be a genetic dead-end.

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 disposal 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.

The caste system and monarchy that defines society in Qerr-Katish space is viciously hated by the vast majority of Ue-Katish pirates. However, skrellian nature is to tend towards rigidly-defined roles and hierarchies. To that end, nearly each ship is under complete control of their captain. The Captain chooses their successor from the population of their ship, and defines day-to-day life inside its confines. The Captain (and their staff, in large ships) assigns every permanent resident a role they are to fulfill while aboard, which they are expected to perform to their utmost ability or risk exile. These roles are decided upon through interview and negotiation, not fiat, and are considerably more fluid than the caste system, with many ships practicing role rotation to reduce monotony and discomfort. Balancing the absolute authority of the Captain is a deeply held belief in the right of mutiny, and unpopular or tyrannical Captains often find themselves floating outside the confines of their ship.