Notable Skrell Systems and Locations

Skrell Systems and Locations

Nralakk, depicted by an infographic designed in the early days of the Skrell.

The Nralakk Federation exerts control over some 1236 planets spread across 800 star systems, representing billions of Skrell citizens. Of those 1200+ planets, only about 500 are colonized with permanent settlements, the rest being used mainly for a mix of mining (of metals and gases), and scientific research. A good portion of Skrell are concentrated in the core system of Nralakk.

The majority of the planets in Skrell space have been terraformed to suit their nature. A typical Skrell planet is covered in swamps, jungles, and the occasional large body of water. On planets where this kind of extreme terraforming is not possible due to natural preservation laws or extreme terraformation cost, the Skrell construct large biodomes and habitat structures to live alongside the xenoflora and fauna.

Almost all planets have accompanying observation posts on their moons or in low orbit, which monitor various things from biodiversity changes to civil unrest. Those on planet are required to send status reports to this observation post, which then determines if any issues are worthy of being sent further up to system-wide management for response. It is expected of the communities on planet to simply solve the problem before sending up this report - including the issue and how they resolved it.

The Core System : Nralakk

Considered the origin of the Skrell, Nralakk is largely renowned for being the jewel of the Nralakk Federation, as well as being the origin of its name. Historically, it has served as the centre of the Federation, but also as a home for almost a quarter of the Orion Spur's Skrell population. Soon after first contact with humanity, Nrallak gained the colloquial name of "Jargon", in reference to the difficulty pronouncing or translating many Nral'Malic terms and phrases as well as the difficulty in reading Skrellian emotional expression. Roughly twice the size of Sol - the Blue Giant gives off a vibrant green-teal on Qerrbalak, a dazzling turquoise on Qerr'Malic and finally dashing celeste on Aloise when observed from within the respective atmospheres (if there is one) of the various planets. Closer to the star, there litters thousands of Glorsh-era orbital factories powered by its rays, now left behind to slowly dissipate into the giant star they orbit. Nralakk is also home to the cetus gestalt The Conglomerated Choir of Nralakk, which has orbited the system's star since first contact between Dionae and Skrell was made.

Fjylo

Fjylo is the smallest and closest planet to Nralakk. The scorched planet currently has an orbital period of 67 days, and has been noted to have a decaying orbit - proved due to its orbital period being 74 days when it was first recorded by Skrellian astronomers. It is named due to its small, violently burning composition that often leaves a trail of celestial material that has been known to create beautiful patterns before finally being drawn into Nralakk. It was named after a species of flora on Qerrbalak known in Tau Ceti Basic as the "Firevine" - reddish vines curling around one another, with thorns awaiting to sting despite their beauty.

Meyk

Meyk is the second planet in orbit from Nralakk. It orbits Nralakk every 121 days, and rotates on its axis every 179 days - in terms of percentages, Meyk takes considerably longer to rotate on its axis than any other planetary body within the system. Similar to Fjylo, Meyk is without any satellites, and was discovered during the early days of the Skrell. For millennia, Meyk wasn't considered to be a planet but instead a dwarf planet and it wasn't until 523 AD that it was finally recognised as a planet, and eventually nicknamed the "Trivial" due to its small stature. It was stripped bare by mining endeavours shortly after the Skrell began off-world operations.

Toqli-Fet

A binary set that are the third, and sometimes debated, fourth planet from Nrallak. They lie in Qerrbalak's orbit, and can be seen directly west in the twilight phases of the Homeworld's rotational phases, the original reasoning for their nickname due to appearing as eyes that seemingly 'watch' the Skrell. Bearing no atmosphere, low gravity and close orbits, Toqli and Fet were primarily considered to be inconsequential to any greater purpose than mining until the establishment of observation outposts, and now the planet only operates as observation outposts for the rest of the system, staffed by a few hundred workers that ensure the safety of the system through various bureaucratic measures.

Qerrbalak

See: Qerrbalak

Qerrbalak is the origin of the Skrell. One of two habitable planets within the system, comprised of various climates ranging from taigas to tropical rainforests. Qerrbalak is 1.8 times the size of Earth, and sports an atmospheric composition of 82% Nitrogen, 17% Oxygen and 1% other. Qerrbalak is currently undergoing slow terraforming efforts to reduce the damage inflicted by the Skrell during unenlightened times.

Qerr’Malic

See: Qerr'Malic

Qerrbalak has only one moon, Qerr'Malic. It has a surface area of roughly 17 million square kilometres, with an abundant amount of minerals found both close to the surface and deeper within its mantle. Akin to most moons, Qerr'Malic is without liquid water and an atmosphere - however, one notable difference is the effect it has on the tidal activity on the Homeworld. Its elliptical orbit generally comes closest to Qerrbalak during Xepus-qog, which results in most of the coastal regions becoming submerged by the various oceans down below.

Aliose

See: Aliose

Aliose has a heavy atmosphere of cold nitrogen, requiring internals and heated clothing to survive outside. To combat the planet’s much colder temperature, early colonies were subterranean, and heavily utilised geothermal energy for cooling and power production. As it gradually became dotted with cities and laboratories as much of Qerrbalak’s scientific elite sought to take part in the first planetary colonization by the Skrell and over time gradually resulted in Aliose becoming the scientific powerhouse of the Federation.

The Elemental Systems: The First Waves

When Skrell finally ventured beyond their solar system, they did so with great enthusiasm, scouting out the perfect worlds to colonize. In the 1000s BCE, the first waves of colony ships expanded beyond Nralakk into these systems, building up highly populous planets with well-developed infrastructure and healthy trade routes. With the Federation's strict colonist-recruitment systems and idealistic view on exploration, there was only a small amount of crime in this golden age of colonialism. The quality of life and level of technology seen in these systems is comparable to the core systems.

Aweiji

See: Aweiji

In 983 BCE, Aweiji became the first planet outside of Nralakk to have a permanent Skrell colony. The planet was rockier, drier, and more mountainous than the settlers’ home planet of Qerrbalak, but advances in biodome technology gave settlers adequate shelter while early terraforming technology made the planet’s atmosphere habitable. The first settlers landed on a plain between two mountains, an area which would become the city of Tresja. Because of its history as the first Skrell colony outside of Nralakk, Aweiji would eventually be chosen as the location of the largest political meeting in the Nralakk Federation’s history, the Tresja Agreement.

Waughai

Waughai was one of the first planets outside of Nralakk, alongside Aweiji, to be colonized by Skrell. From the start, the colonization of Waughai was intended to create permanent settlements on its surface, rather than focusing on creating facilities for resource extraction. Waughai is one of the more mineral-rich planets and as such, it hasn’t developed much further than its large mining bases with utilitarian living spaces for its workers.

After Glorsh-Omega, the planet rose to prominence as its inhabitants took to using the planet itself as a form of art; one of the most common hobbies practised on Waughai is carving poems or sculptures into barren rock, with some even going further as to carve into one of the many asteroids that can be found in the system. One of the most renowned pieces is a twenty-mile long-phrase carved into Waughai’s moon by an unknown author: “In longing, there is a future.”

The Contingent Systems: The Second Waves

As the core of the Nralakk Federation grew, smaller settlements sprouted to support them. This second wave of colonization efforts saw the spontaneous rise of many colonies with single purposes, like mining outposts and farming operations. Some of these systems would go on to become thriving, if not modest, communities of varying levels of self-reliance, often with highly specialized citizens. Now, the Contingencies serve as manufacturing giants that provide the inner-worlds of the Nralakk Federation with much-needed luxuries. Technological advances within the Contingent Systems lag, but are not too far behind.

Xaqixal

Xaqixal is considered to be the biggest provider of cash crops to the Nralakk Federation. It consists of a single noteworthy planet, which had a liveable atmosphere and an alpine climate suitable for the farming of wulumunusha on a large scale, while close to the equator are island chains allowing for the cultivation of dyn. A colony was quickly established on Xaqixal I shortly after its discovery, but the colony would remain relatively small in size until 1755 CE when more resources were allocated for its development. It has since become one of the biggest suppliers of both wulumunusha and dyn in the Federation, although its current output is not nearly enough to meet demand.

Glorashi

A small five-planet system, Glorashi is considered crucial for its mineral wealth, however, there have been delays in its exploitation. The chief concern is the proximity of most of the resource-rich planets to the system’s star, and most attempts to further expand in the system have halted since Glorashi today is the system where the majority of C’thur reside in the Federation. Glorashi IV, also known as Diulszi, is the only planet that has been colonised so far. The planet of Diulszi acts as the ‘homeworld’ for the C’thur hive and where the majority of Vaurca in the Federation reside, while the capital city of Xevrax hosts the location of High Queen C'thur, currently being treated for her injuries. The city and the surrounding area is off-limits for everyone aside from the C'thur and authorized Nralakk Federation officials. Outside of the capital the planet mostly hosts research facilities, with some high-end resorts run by the C’thur hive directly to provide some income.

Outside of Diulszi, there are planetary bodies that are utilised but with no permanent colony. Glorashi V, or Jaqvas, is a small ice giant with two moons: Kyeqil and Oyepiit. Kyeqil houses an observation outpost utilised by the Federation to monitor C’thur activity in the system, while Oyepiit is a military base that takes on the bulk of Vaurca who enlist with the Lukala. Finally there’s Glorashi III, also known as Akerlim, which is the main producer of k’ois in the Federation, forcing Vaurca who live outside of Glorashi to depend on regular imports of the fungus for survival.

Tri-Qyu

A system once renowned for its brillaint three stars, it now stands a morbid reminder of the terrible past looming over the Skrell. Before its destruction in the Tri-Qui Calamity, the system was a mining outpost and fuel production site for nearby systems owing to a large deposit of Helium-3. Over time, it grew to be a major pillar of the southern areas of the Federation. Currently the system is a graveyard immersed in a cerulean nebula rife with anomalous properties.

Main Page: Tri-Qyu

The Tetramerous Systems: The Traverse

The flag used by The Resistance and Free Traversers to advocate for a Traverse free from the Federation.

The frontier of the Nralakk Federation is known as The Traverse, with the name itself meant to convey the importance Skrell culture has historically placed on the stars. Many believe it is a skrell’s duty to traverse the stars. Whilst settlements across the Traverse vary drastically, most will have common trends within the districts they are within: The Pluat Ven’qop, Qukala-Median Treqki, Q’elpi, and Zeiqi-Trqn. Depending on the status and economical importance of a district, the Federation will offer boons and increased protection from the dangerous lurking in the shadows of space. Despite this, the Traverse is a hotbed for anti-Federation secessionists and social deviants, thanks to an overall decrease in Federation presence compared to other territories.

Pluat Ven’qop

The “crown” of the Traverse, the Pluat Ven’qop (or the Pluat Cooperative) is host to much of the Traverse’s industrial facilities. Besides Pluat itself, several other planets and megafactory stations take in raw resources imported in from other areas in the Traverse or the Spur at large for manufacturing civilian and military goods for the Federation. Though, the majority of the goods produced here are necessities rather than luxury items.

The standard of living is comparable to living within the Contingent Systems, thanks to the importance and support the Federation places on the district. Qukala Patrols are a common sight here and piracy rates are extremely low. Technologically speaking, citizens enjoy advanced industrial designs and slightly outdated, but enjoyable luxury devices.

JFS Forlorn Nova

In the distant orbit of Pluat lies the sprawling bureaucratic capital of the Pluat Ven’qop, the Forlorn Nova. The station was originally built as a small-scale monitoring outpost, but as the needs of the surrounding colonies grew, the station was gradually expanded on. During the reign of Glorsh-Omega, every skrell on the Nova was sealed inside and the AI forbade any others from the outside from entering. After Glorsh vanished, the station was reclaimed by the Federation, though no trace of the previous inhabitants were found. In the present, the station is home to all of the administration and politicians of the Pluat Ven’qop, in addition to their endless swarm of assistants.

Despite this, the Forlorn Nova has become a wildly popular rest stop for traveling spacers and off-duty Qukala personnel. Largely owing to its expansive entertainment districts and lax policies on conduct compared to the Core Worlds’ standards. Its popularity has only grown since the Federation relaxed its insular economic policies, which now allow the exporting of older models of skrell starship components. While more expensive compared to their human counterparts, these skrell components tend to last longer and are much less prone to failure. The sole downside is, only the most talented or foolhardy spacers are willing to fix them if they do break, thanks to the bizarrely delicate nature of skrellian engineering.

Pluat

An extremely hot planet. Mostly desert but with some small seas in the northern and southern hemispheres. The equatorial regions are too hot for most species, and so the only settlements are situated in the extreme polar regions. Despite the harsh conditions of Plaut, it has seen tremendous success. Miles and miles of the planet have been converted into automated facilities that in turn manufacture goods for the core worlds of the Nralakk Federation. It was during Glorsh-Omega's reign that the planet was retrofitted to instead become a haven for robotics. Thousands, upon thousands, of different machines were created including that of mining drones, observation drones and more. Glorsh-Omega would often work the skrell station on Pluat beyond their abilities, and subsequently almost destroyed the workforce. Today, Pluat remains active and overseen by a few thousand skrell that have since devised various systems to ensure that no other individual is pushed beyond what they can handle.

Yui'qui'gliop

The moon to a large gas giant with an atmosphere mostly composed of hydrogen, Yui'qui'gliop was scarcely inhabited before the rise of Glorsh-Omega. designated as a 'cesspool' in which the Nralakk Federation sentenced criminals to repay their debt to society. It was abandoned by the tyrannical intelligence shortly after it rose to power, with the penal colony essentially being left to die out, where it remained abandoned for over a century until rebels rediscovered the planet, and converted it into a base-of-operations to fight against the intelligence. The gas giant in which the moon orbited allowed for easy access to refuel, but also a cunning way to disguise the skrell's true intentions when veering towards Yui'qui'gliop. Today, it stands as a converted massive communications hub, where it controls a large portion of the Nlom Relays scattered throughout the Traverse.

Recently, it has become home to a small Einstein Engines helium extraction site, though its purpose is more scientific than economical. Even after allowing human corporations to operate in select zones within the Federation, this site is still heavily monitored by the Federation, despite its distance from the Core.

Epsilon Ursae Minoris

Initially discovered by skrell probes in 2342, Epsilon Ursea Minoris, or generally referred to as EUM, is a habitable world home to multiple Dionae civilizations and clusters. While not the homeworld of the species, EUM is the largest-known world to have been colonized exclusively by Dionae without contact or help from outside species, being home to the Dionae for thousands of years prior to discovery. EUM is independent of the Federation Government and not considered a part of its territory.

CT-EUM’s relationship with the Pluat Ven’qop is largely transactional in nature. Respecting the Federation’s wishes to grant EUM their independence, the Ven’qop administration trades food and raw resources from EUM in exchange for industrial equipment produced by the district’s factories.

Qukala-Median Treqki

Also known as the Median Naval District, it was created shortly after first contact with the Solarian Alliance, this district was to serve as a firm wall between human and skrell territory. The Qukala established several military bases and patrol outposts in the region to handle potential piracy, be it humans preying on skrell or vice versa. The region was largely unoccupied prior to the Qukala’s establishment in the area, outside of a few mining and agricultural colonies. Thanks to warm relations with the Alliance, the Qukala never had to make much use of their power here, until the Solarian Warlord States arrived in force. Recently, occasional skirmishes have broken out in the Median as opportunistic raiders swelled in numbers in the wake of the collapse of Solarian authority.

Skrell from the Median are few and far between, especially those that decided to venture out in the Spur. Most of the population are farmers, miners, Qukala, and those that make up the services to support them. The planets in the district were developed enough for the Qukala to purchase local food rather than importing it from the inner worlds, but little more support than that has been received from the Federation.

The Halcyon Shield

Situated on a barren world in the Median lies the Qukala’s largest base outside the Federation’s Core. The base sprawls over and under the planet’s crust, providing shelter for Qukala ships and the shipyards necessary to repair them. Like most of the bases in the region, it was founded to defend the Federation from potential human aggression, piracy or invasion. With that in mind, the Halcyon is large enough to act as a logistical hub for any military action for several lightyears in any direction.

Its most notable feature is a massive “planetary” shield defending the surface. The shield does not actually extend around the entire planet, only covering roughly 35% of the surface. The Halcyon’s entrances and shipyards are nestled under its protection. Any invading force would be forced to go around and under the shield to breach the Halcyon, which would make them convenient targets for the base’s heavy batteries.

Yub’fungop

An ocean world in the Median, it's the most developed in the region due to its excellent conditions for life and subsequently, aquaculture. It exports large quantities of fish, plant crops, and medicinal herbs to buyers in the Median, in addition to a few human colonies near the border. The skrell populace of the planet enjoys a quiet, peaceful life as the heavy Qukala presence keeps most threats away. Recently, there has been an influx of Diona immigrants to the planet interested in assisting the growing aquaculture industry.

Benv-Opxi

A small unremarkable dust world that is wholly unable to support life naturally due to high temperatures and violent weather. The planet would have remained a footnote on skrell maps had Glorsh-Omega not taken an interest in the planet’s central location. The intelligence constructed a massive detention facility on Benv-Opxi capable of housing tens of thousands skrellian prisoners. Escape was impossible, as the climate outside the facility is immensely deadly to skrell life. It was here Glorsh-Omega sent a large chunk of the rebels it captured during its oppressive reign. It conducted all manner of unspeakable experiments on the skrell, seeking to improve their biology and find new ways to control them.

After the AI’s fall, the Federation rediscovered the mostly intact facility during one of the first few surveys of the Median. After scrubbing the prison clean, the Federation took control of it and now uses it as a black site to house some of the most vile criminals in Federation space. At least those that did not do quite enough to warrant cryogenic freezing or have valuable intelligence the Federation is keen to extract. Most citizens are unaware of its existence, and the Qukala heavily guards its star system.

Q’elpi

The Skrell residing in the “Basin” of the Traverse do not often feel the touch of Nralakk’s hand in their affairs, for better or worse. The region is largely decentralized with administrations being planetary in nature rather than covering large swathes of space. The Basin is home to barely habitable planets and plenty of asteroid fields. Outside of initial construction and colonization efforts, the Federation has provided nearly no extra support to the Basin. Most colonies and habitats get by via trading minerals and valuable gasses for food and domestic goods.

During the phoron crisis, it was revealed that around a dozen systems in the Q'elpi region were secretly collaborating with the Ti'Rakqi, the largest group of Marauders in Federation space. When the Qukala and local Nlomkala attempted a mass arrest of the civilian Government for their part in the collaboration, the systems quickly broke into open defiance of the Federation Government. The "Marauder Systems", as they came to be known, are currently under martial law as slow progress is being made to pacify them. The Federation has publicly stated its intention to return the systems back to a civilian Government once the collaborators have been detained and "dissident activity" has ceased.

Void-Chewer

The most populated body in the Basin is a super-massive industrial mining facility. Its core, the original station, is home to mining drone bays, advanced sensor suites, cramped habitation decks, and ore refineries. Over time, it was expanded desultory as skrell immigrated to the station, some seeking a steady job and others seeking to escape the ever watchful eyes of the Federation. Now it is home to hundreds of thousands of skrell and host to markets, shipyards, and comfortable housing.

The station was originally designed to be mobile, and even in its present state it retains this function. With thick shields to ward off debris, asteroids and other hazards, the Void-Chewer can gradually move towards new mineral deposits with large sub-light engines. This means it can take the station decades or more to reach far off deposits. To this end, many of the drones it deploys are equipped with basic warp drives to reach their targets. It's worth noting the drones are sub-AI automated machinery, and pose no risk of disobedience.

Hivju

Situated on the very edge of the Basin, where the Traverse meets the Human Frontier lies Hewju. A small, barren world presumed devoid of any life. Colonized by early skrell settlers victim to a decaying colony ship long off-target, the settlers only saving grace was the discovery of atmospherically sealed caves beneath the radioactive and meteor pounded surface. The caves were largely filled to the brim with water and a primordial algae-based ecosystem relying on geothermal vents for heat and sustainability.

The settlers recycled what they could from their colony ship and moved into the caves below, careful to maintain its seal as they did so. They subsisted on the cultivated aquaculture and introduced what plants they could from their ship’s seed bank. Eventually, the colony was discovered by a passing Federation survey team and reconnected with the Spur at large. Presently, Hivju is a peaceful frontier world largely removed from the politics of both the Federation and the Spur. The colonists live rather luddite lifestyles within the aquatic caves and rarely own more than they need.

Zeiqi-Trqn

The portion of the Traverse situated towards galactic west near uncharted space is aptly dubbed the “Deadspace Spine” when translated from Nral’Malic. The region was one of the first colonization targets of pre-Glorsh skrell. The colonies and installations here are very old, very occupied, and very lawless.

Due to the Tri-Qyu incident, much of the skrellian infrastructure in place to keep their interstellar empire intact was rendered inoperable, setting the species back with resounding force. Due to the distance, the Zeiqi-Trqn was one of the final areas of pre-Glorsh space to be “reclaimed” by the Nralakk Federation.

This reclamation took quite some time though, and during the decades prior, the skrell in the Zeiqi-Trqn recovered their ability to traverse the stars earlier than most due to their distance from the Tri-Qyu system. They lacked sufficient industrial power to produce the fuel and other necessities required to return to the core worlds, and instead opted to engage in communal trade to keep the region breathing until they could be found.

A few decades before rediscovery, a plague swept through the Zeiqi-Trqn. Its origins are unknown and widely speculated about, popular theories being that it was a Glorsh-Omega bio-weapon or some unknown bacteria from Deadspace. Regardless, the “Black-Blood” caused the blood of a victim to cease transmission of oxygen to the cells, eventual corruption of DNA and caused the body to use carbon instead of mercury in its blood, causing its infamous black color. The plague wiped out a few of the fledgling colonies completely and severely damaged the populace of the remaining planets and stations. Authority collapsed and the region descended into anarchy.

Desperate skrell turned towards piracy and exploitation to stay alive. Colonies were raided and burned, rival pirate fleets fought for any scraps of fuel or food, and countless others died from the indiscriminate conflict. When the Federation arrived, little was left to save. The Grand Council condemned the area as a “lost cause” and enacted measures to destroy colonies, ships, and stations suspected to contain traces of the Black-Blood. To this day, there is no cure to the disease, only early treatment can prevent cases from becoming terminal. Any skrell suspected of visiting the region is subject to screening to avoid spreading it to the Federation core.

Inside the Zeiqi-Trqn itself, skrell who refuse to bend the knee to Nralakk, prefer to live more criminal lives, or simply lack the power to go elsewhere live in squalor. The region receives no support from the Nralakk Federation, and no regular patrols outside of the ones on its border.

Estuaries

The Estuaries are the final frontier, and connect the Nralakk Federation to the greater Orion Spur. Mostly comprised of developing settlements, termed by many as "Boundary Worlds" or "Boundaries" for short, with dismal qualities of life - its almost the perfect location for independence movements to take hold and flourish. Patrols are far between, and usually only noted when there is a spewing of conflict seeping into the Estuaries - some Skrell even admitting to have never seen a Federation Spacecraft with their own eyes. The Estuaries are the least dependant on the Nralakk Federation, with most of the settlements within having to adopt "generalist" instead of "specialist" societies to facilitate trade and survival. Technology and quality of life within this segment varies wildly, with some systems being comparable to the Distribuaries, while other systems are still in the middle of being established.

Xrim

See: Xrim

Xrim is a flourishing planet with thriving jungles and tropical rainforests. It is filled with billions of different hostile exobiological species. From giant sloth-like lizards to tiny, bone-eating slugs, almost every part of this planet is eager to kill. Initially federation research posts dotted this planet in the early colonization efforts, bordering giant preserves where the then peaceful wildlife was kept for scientific study. During the Era of Synthetic Oppression, the organisms of Xrim were subject to esoteric scientific experiments of unknown purpose carried out by Glorsh Omega, seeding the planet with a variety of mutagenic flora and fauna that swiftly came to dominate the world. After the fall of Glorsh, the planet itself was left largely uninhabited by the Skrell mainly due to the now hostile ecosystem the planet supported. The planet was not completely devoid of sapient life, however, as during the second seeding by Glorsh Omega a series of Dionae nymphs where placed upon the world. The Second Federation then discovered the Dionae world and was once again reintegrated into the Federation as a whole. Still extremely inhospitable to skrellian life, the small number of Skrell scientists and citizens that dwell upon Xrim tend to live within structures produced by the local Dionae, working to study the local flora and fauna.