Queenless

The Queenless are Vaurcae that do not fall into the lineage of any current queen or lesser queen but remain from the same Hive. For whatever reason, these Vaurcae were sourced for the Hiveship outside of the lineage of the lesser queens, perhaps for different traits only found within their line or brood. In the case of the four hives, Queenless are only an issue within the K’lax and Zo’ra Hives.

Queenless Vaurcae may believe that the Lesser Queens currently in command of the Hive have gone outside of what the High Queen originally intended for them. Other broods may view them with pity, or see them as restless servants of the Hive without a queen to call their own. In general, they are often ignored by the larger Hive populations, with many having little to no oversight by the other hive-cells or broods within their own Hives. Despite this, the Queenless are still supplied larvae, albeit at a greatly reduced amount than other cells, and given limited access to their Hive’s Virtual Reality when available, though they are the most likely to be denied. It is partly because of this that most Queenless Ta tend to hide within the Interstice.

Life and Organization

Instead of the Queens, communities of Queenless tend to build themselves around their mother Ta, who raised them since larvae. Unlike the traditional Vaurcae, the bonds are much more similar to the nuclear human family, and they openly consider themselves children of the Ta that raised them. Although many try to be self-sufficient and live fulfilling lives, their training is limited mostly to the teachings of their Ta and their elders, in something similar to homeschooling. Thus, even the best Queenless may be limited in job opportunities due to their education.

Typically the mother Ta of a Queenless Vaurca is the highest authority one can go to, but there have been documented cases of multiple Queenless Ta working together, for different purposes. As for the Ta themselves, some have resigned to their status, and are comfortable with ignoring and being ignored by the lesser queens as a whole, recognizing the shadow that they live under, and the roles that they must carve out for themselves and their spawn if they are to survive. The most hopeful ones believe that the light of their High Queen will never truly be lost, that out of the horrible illumination of the unknown, the High Queen will return to right the direction of her wayward daughters, and to align all surviving broods under her will.

Some communities have Xakat’kl’atan brought from Sedantis. Because their Ta lack formal authority, however, new masters cannot be elected. In result, some Queenless groups have made their Xakat’kl’atan Pantheons, with these figures deemed as gods. Their Ta, while holy, is rarely regarded as a Goddess. That title is reserved for High Queen Zo’ra or High Queen K’lax only.

In reality, the Queenless are amongst the poorest and secretive of the Vaurca upon Tau Ceti. Some may resort to crime, drugs and other less than legal means to maintain any comfortable standard of living they might possess.

It is important to note that there are no Queenless Type E Vaurca, also known as Bulwarks, due to the fact their creatio is heavily monitored and restricted under existing broods.

Notable Queenless groups

Queenless communities are a varying vast spectrum, with many possibilities and differing sizes, but a few have risen to prominence due to their deeds, whether good or bad.

Ky'klux

This Zo’rane Queenless group is mostly known for their flashy signs with apocalyptic messages in broken Basic, and can be found all over Mendell City, especially in bus stops or the metro system. Although their rhetoric can be seen as violent or rightward obscene, Ky’klux mostly keep to themselves and use their beliefs as a way to acquire pocket change.

The most accepted reason behind their doomsday mentality is that their Xakat’kl’atan predicted the phoron shortage galaxy-wide since Sedantis. Now that the effects of the shortage are clear in the economy, they believe that the remaining phoron should be redistributed to Vaurcae, suggesting humanity to find alternative means of energy. Although their beliefs are not widely accepted, some radical environmentalist or anti-corporate groups have identified and endorsed the Ky’klux.

Ak'riix

Also known as Venom Mandibles, the Ak’riix are a rebellious faction of Queenless Zo’ra that have taken over Flagsdale. While many know them for their crimes in neighboring districts, they are also infamous for their repurpose of Da’loks in biker cells inspired by Tajaran street gangs of Little Adhomai. Although many Ak’riix gangs have beefs with each other, most are in good terms with young Tajara bikers, with whom they share an anti-authoritarian sentiment. Additional information can be found here.

Mi'kuetz

The Mi’kuetz are known for being a cheerful, easy-going group of Vaurcae from the Moghesian Wasteland. More about their importance to their ecosystem and relationships can be read here.

Yiaa’mak’tzut

Commonly shortened as ‘Yiaa’, and also known as the Metal Mi’kuetz, this group of K’laxian Queenless have found affinity with the Aut’akh. Unlike the Mi’kuetz, they are not endorsed by the Hegemony or have close relationships with the K’lax Hive, as official policy requires K’lax to not consider Aut’akh as allies. Because of the nature of both groups, some Aut’akh communes have adopted Yiaa’mak’tzut as their own, believing their struggles to be shared.

Unlike other Queenless, which are tolerated by the Hives to various degrees, the Yiaa’mak’tzut are despised by most K’lax, especially those that are completely loyal to the Hegemony. The only exception would be the Vedhra brood, which are known to be less hostile, though they tend not to get too close as to not cause any misconceptions.

Ni'mii'katz

Ni’mi’katz are the other prominent group of Queenless in Flagsdale, formed entirely of K’lax. The exclusivity is so that no Zo’ra or C’thur can be formally made a member of this exclusive group. Translated as ‘The Dealership’, they operate the biggest market of stolen electronic goods in Biesel, which is only able to operate due to the difficulties the police have accessing District 9. More information can be read here.

Klat'xatl

Because of the size and organization of the C’thur Hive, as well as the fact that they are still reigned by their original Queen, the concept of Queenless Vaurcae is foreign to them. However, some Tas have fallen into the category of punished or Klat’xatl, alongside their respective hive-cells. Despite what the name originally implies, not all punished communities have been disdained by the Queens. Some have simply fallen out of communication from the Hive, which has isolated them further. Punished Tas do not receive any eggs and, thus, their populations can only decrease. This ultimate wish for survival is what fuels the leaders of these communities, who may take drastic measures for their survival.

Whether they like it or not, they still carry C’thur in their names, and their colorations are characteristic of those from their original brood.

The Lost of the Traverse

Composed mostly of stranded Vytel Warriors among the Skrellian Traverse, the Lost of the Traverse (also known as the Xi'larx) are a result of a failed colonization attempt shortly after C’thur’s arrival to the Federation. Unbeknownst to both Skrell and Vaurcae at the time, the remote, mostly uncharted sector of Qii’miiq has a zone of radio silence capable of even interfering with Hivenet communications. This radar failure is what caused the Skrell pilot to emergency land in a hostile deserted planet, tolerable to Vaurcae, but fatal to the remaining Skrell crew. Due to violent actions taken since this initial landing the Lost of the Traverse are widely disdained by the rest of the C'thur Hive. More detail on the make-up, history and current status of the Lost of the Traverse can be read later in the article.

The Zinos of the Underworld

When the C’thur Hive was in the first stage of negotiations with Einstein Engines, a Xetl embassy traveled to the Eridani Federation in order to meet with Einstein Executives, as well as to offer cheap labor from their fleets. This resulted in the rest of the Queens, and Xetl herself, to become upset with the delegation and, ultimately, consider them outcasts, while also alerting Einstein Engines that they did not represent the Hive. Although it is rumored it was in fact Xetl who launched this embassy in order to be included in the Hive’s negotiations and politics —and what these Punished Tas claim—, they have been left for dead in the system, as C’thur continues to strive there.

A minority of these Vaurcae still believe they have a chance with Einstein Engines, and remain in Eridani IV with little success. Most of them, however, moved on to Eridani I, at first in hopes of being noticed by other megacorporations.

Despite this, most of the C’thur from this rogue delegation have found refuge in Eridani I's undercity, nesting themselves in what they consider ideal because of the little light and vast corridors. Called ‘Cinos’ by the Dregs, and ‘Zinos’ by themselves, they’re still at large unfamiliar with Eridian society and culture, but share the disdainful sentiment towards those that live above, especially the C’thur that have managed to find themselves jobs there.

In short, a Zino is not a Dreg, but is familiar with the Dregs and their lifestyle. They’re usually pacifist with other groups and gangs, and avoid involvement in gang disputes, mostly because of their low number of Warriors brought with them. Zinos are known for dealing cheap augments, sometimes even going as far as looting those augments of any deceased in the Underworld.

Because there have been no official efforts by the Hives to promote a Freespeak translator to the voice modulators, Zinos have managed to create their own, which is regarded as broken and, sometimes, even making communication impossible. If a Zino were, due to some uplift or for some other reason, employed at Tau Ceti, it’s likely it would trade its bootleg Freespeak modulator for a Basic one.

The New Gibson Refugees

Direct descendants of High Queen C’thur herself, they had been in dispute with the rest of the Hive since before their discovery by Skrell. Believing in diplomacy, as well as inter-hive unity, the breaking point in their relationship with the rest of C’thur was regarding the Glorashi rendez-vous, which they claim was a C’thur betrayal of K’lax. The Tas of this group believe the Lesser Queens are irresponsible and, because of the current state of Queen C’thur, one of them should raise and become a new Lesser Queen.

Never persecuted and just disliked by the rest of the Hive, the New Gibson Refugees gained their name after their claims that Vytel Warriors attempted to assassinate their Tas. Although Queen Scay seems to be mostly indifferent to the group, the refugees claim it was both Scay and the Tau Ceti that managed to save them. Most of their Breeders have given up on these claims of royal succession, and have now focused on a Zo’ra-C’thur alliance, with many of the Unbound claiming they are both Zo’ra and C’thur alike. Despite the population in Xerexes and their efforts, no political repercussions have occurred because of this.

The Xi'larx

Translating to “Lost of the Traverse”, these C'thuric Vaurcae, mostly Warriors of Vytel'hyr'tkud's brood, have since become a notable group of Klat'xatl after getting stranded in the Traverse and being rescued by the infamous Ti’Rakqi.

Despite the ever on-going conflict of loyalty between the Hive and their peers, the Xi'larx are unlikely to ever reunite with the rest of their brood due to their newly found socio-political associations, putting them at odds with the C'thur Hive and the Nralakk Federation alike.

History

When the C'thur Hive was first able to become citizens of the Nralakk Federation, it was only obvious that Vytel's Warriors should be put to use in the Lukala branch of the military. Serving admirably, some of these Warriors were among Vytel's chosen to accompany an expedition out into the farther reaches of the Q'elpi Basin as a reward for their loyalty to the Federation. This uncharted sector of space was intended to serve as the C’thur hub of operations in the Traverse regions, particularly with regards to the Lukala’s anti-piracy operations.

The Bi’Plat was a modified generation fleet of the modern Ovlolis class equipped with all the prerequisites for Vaurcan longevity including robust K’ois hydroponics systems, egg growth chambers, and Cephalon networks. With a crew complement of few dozen Ta Aliates, thousands of Vytel’s Warriors and Workers, Skrellian Qukala serving as auxiliary personnel, and several hundred C’thuric bioforms such as Cultivators for hydroponics and Manglers for defence, it set out from Oyepiit, Glorashi in 2458, in search of a star system known as Glaraszi.

Despite the initial hopefulness of the Federation towards sending their newfound allies out into the stars, not all was well on the Bi’Plat during the initial stretches of the mission. The fleet was not sufficiently equipped for the k’ois production needed to sustain its population as originally projected, a concern from the Ta themselves that, at the time, was overlooked by the Federation government. Additionally, moderate panic set in among the crew at large after it was discovered that the number of eggs provided by Lesser Queen Vytel would not be enough to last the decades required to reach Glaraszi while still maintaining population stability.

Because of these circumstances, discontent grew among the Bi’Plat’s crew in the following years, which may have culminated in the attitudes displayed by the Xi’larx later on. They began to see themselves as having been relegated to just another version of their old Hiveship, the Kloxa’xia, and without the long-term psychological outlook of their Skrellian compatriots, ennui started to set in.

These struggles and dissatisfactions would come to a head in 2461 before the Bi’Plat would even come close to reaching Glaraszi, only 3 years after the Bi’Plat’s initial deployment, when the fleet happened to pass through a sector that was not fully charted in the fleet’s course. This sector, known as Qii’miiq, contained a sphere of electromagnetic interference, not dissimilar to Tattuqig’s, that the Bi’Plat was not built to account for. This interference not only affected the fleet’s lead ship controls and navigation systems, but also had the unfortunate effect of disabling Hivenet communications, leading to mass panic within the Vaurcan crew members as they found they could no longer communicate between decks, much less other outside sources to call for help.

For these reasons, the Bi’Plat was forced to undergo a mass emergency landing on a planet in the system now known as Eshu’gat (a word that, in Vaurcese, means "damnation"). The crew was alerted to find that the planet was heated, arid, and contained a noxious atmosphere, predominantly of ammonia, making it inhospitable to all but Vaurcae and forcing the Skrellian complement to remain confined to their chambers. Due to the failure of the Bi’Plat ships’ systems, oxygen was only able to last several more hours before the Skrellian crew perished that same day. These Skrell are now enshrined as martyrs by the Xi’larx, and their bodies were either buried or burned on Eshu’gat in keeping with Qeblak and Weishii tradition.

The remaining Vaurcae of Vytel were forced to act quickly in order to survive, running K’ois farms and their Cephalon networks through the stretches of the crashed vessels, thus building their "society" around the crash sites, despite a lack of power beyond the use of what emergency generators they possessed. Although the Ta leading the expedition were initially able to keep their hive-cells calm and composed, more panic set in as the Bi’Plat’s initial struggles during flight meant that it was impossible to keep every Vaurca properly fed, and the distant hope of pleading for assistance from the rest of C’thur was still met with silence, even the crash site too isolated to connect to the Hivenet. Additionally, the usually resistant Cephalons had suffered serious damage, and much of the information within had been lost. The crashed Vaurca lacked many of the tools required to perform all but critical repairs and were unable to recover anything but the most rudimentary information, the rest lost for good. Due to this, the Cephalons, whose protocols should have been guiding them through this traumatic period of rebuilding, instead "behaved" erratically. For many of the crash-landed Vaurca, the discovery of their isolation and the damage to the Cephalon's was the most distressing they would make. So used to being connected to the Hive at large, some even fell into a deep stupor or developed unusual tendencies to cope; however, the remainder set about trying to adapt.

Much of the information regarding what occurred in the intervening time has been lost due to these circumstances. What is known, however, is that the Hive attempted to build their own localized Hivenet relay, a project that had some success but was deeply unreliable due to the same interference that had forced the Hive to land to begin with. With the Cephalon's so damaged, this rebuilding became a monumental and expensive task. Critical knowledge regarding Hivenet relays was lost, and a few Vaurcesian Engineering specialists were forced to build using what, to them, were the scraps of an alien vessel and poor-quality local materials. It was due to this that the lost C'thur found themselves restorting to more primitive communication methods, such as only sending short Hivenet communications due to information loss and even going as far as writing down important information, effectively resurrecting the language of ancient Vaurcese that until then had been all but resigned to scholastic pursuit.

It was not long before those Ta that did not remain loyal to the Federation formed schisms, convincing their own hive-cells, as well as some of the hive-cells whose Ta remained in Glorashi, to venture out farther into the planet and grow new k’ois farms in the dry soil, making the best they could out of the situation at hand. The Federation loyalists who were hopeful they would be rescued with enough time remained among the ships, providing them with benefits such as a higher quality of life and easier access to the infrastructure of the damaged Virtual Reality Network. This status quo remained until several months after the initial landing, when a group of hive-cells that had ventured out onto the planet, overseen by regional manager Ta’Akaix’Oliwarg C’thur, violently seized the Cephalons for themselves. Neither side willing to give up such a critical asset, the fighting displayed a level of brutality not seen by the C'thur for many years. By the time Oliwarg claimed victory, hundreds of loyalists’ and turncoats’ Warriors alike were dead.

The next year, often referred to as "the Struggle of Savages", would see gruesome, interspersed battles between the loyalists and turncoats. Despite refusing to uphold the Prime Means during combat, the turncoats eventually came out on top, though not without much bloodshed, killing off the remaining loyalists and conquering the ship sites for themselves. By the end of this struggle, the surviving Vaurcae had taken up the mantle of "Xi’larx", or "Lost Traversers". Having claimed victory the turncoats returned to life on Eshu’gat, tenuous as it was. This continued until 2463, when the Veq’Luuq fleet of the Ti’Rakqi Marauders, ships sufficiently shielded against the electromagnetic interference, was able to render aid to the remaining Vaurcae while passing through the system.

Initially distrustful of the Vaurcaes’ unusual presence on the planet, as well as knowing that the C'thur were collaborators of the Nralakk Federation, the Ta of the Xi’larx were able to dissuade the fleet of any possibility of conflict, explaining their Queen, their Hive, and the Federation had abandoned them to die. The Xi’larx were thus taken in by the Ti’Rakqi many of whom found themselves sympathetic to the Xi’larx's plight. Many of the Xi’larx opted to stay within the ranks of the smugglers, having found a valuable position, while others were transferred to different vessels in the Traverse and others still found themselves swept up in the exodus to the Republic of Biesel.

The Xi’Larx have become the contemporary subject of much scholarly debate among those in the Federation and the Vaurca as a group that managed to stretch the loyalties of its Hive to their absolute limits before finally breaking. Federation researchers, Skrellian and Vaurcese alike, have dismissed the disloyalties of the Xi’Larx as the hive-cells merely having been defective en masse; the Federation’s Traverser counterparts, some of whom have been lucky enough to meet these enigmatic people, are not so sure and are generally grateful to take allies in their cause for the Free Traverse movement, though there remains the worry that the Xi’Larx are still ultimately loyal to their Queens regardless.

Way of Life

Despite the differing opinions on their Hive that they may hold, the Xi’larx are inextricably linked with its existence and the biological and psychological indoctrination they have towards their (arguably former) Queen, Vytel’hyr’tkud. Having abandoned any sense of honor or hope, they no longer follow the Prime Means of their original brood, an important fact when considering that the majority of the Xi’larx is still composed of Warriors. Though not universal, a considerable portion of these Warriors, instead of sticking to their roots in combat, abhor the idea of security or military work due to the collective trauma experienced during the Struggle. This has led many of them to take up basic or manual labour, compounded by the Xi’larx's low number of Workers and their undesirability for modern pan-Vaurcese groups like the Ve’katak Phalanx. Additionally, having grown accustomed to isolation from the Hivene, Xi’larx who are reconnected often find themselves uncomfortable with the constant chatter. This only contributes further to their feeling of estrangement from the greater Hive.

At their contemporary core, however, the Xi’larx are ingrained in Traverser culture because of the time spent there. Although there are those who still wish to reunite with the Hive, they know that, as it stands, it is entirely out of the question. Due to this, their kind is split between those with more staunch anti-Federation views who associate with the cells of the Lyukal and other independence movements and those who remained as Marauders, who are simply trying to get by and primarily reside within the Q’elpi.

Due to the constant misfortunes experienced during their travel and subsequent emergency landing, fatalism is a prevalent belief among the Xi’larx, who know that, no matter what they may desire for themselves, returning to the days of old is now impossible. They tend towards lacking belief at all, but when they do, it is almost always a warped version of the Hive Pantheon, where they believe that, despite the inarguable importance of their Queens, their Ta and the few Xakat’kl’atan they hold onto are of more direct importance in the present. Consequently, they often center their worship and respect around these figures accordingly.

Though the Xi’larx are not Queenless, they share several traits in common, including difficulties (or in their case, impossibility) with reproducing, a focus on recognition and devotion around their remaining Ta, and the lack of the type E or Bulwark caste, as the caste was devised after their hive-cells formed the Xi’Larx. Unlike Queenless, however, they have at least achieved acceptance among any Free Traversers who don’t view them as inextricably linked with the Federation, giving them soft power in the form of a political and cultural ally, for however much it counts.

Diplomatic Status

The overall well-being of the Xi’larx begins and ends in the Traverse; in the Federation, and to Hive C’thur, they are seen as failures and traitors who fell apart in the face of adversity during their stranding. They are no longer welcome in the primary Federation territories, nor are they allowed to enter any C’thuric realms. Vytel herself views the Xi’larx with disdain and embarrassment for their inability to uphold the Prime Means and refuses to speak of them in further detail, saying only that another attempt at travelling to Glaraszi is not of interest to the Hive for the time-being. Most Vaurcae will be able to tell that some of a Xi’larx’s pheromones from Vytel have dissipated over time due to their isolation from the Hive and will often show confusion or prejudice towards these individuals, if not indifference.

As previously mentioned, the Xi’larx find a much better bargain within the Traverse, having found success in Resistance cells or just as simple Marauders, forming tight bonds, even Qu’draas, with their Skrellian counterparts. Since the Q’elpi Basin was placed under martial law in 2464, the Vaurcae that remained there have been placed in danger of being caught and returned to Hive C’thur, an act that sees them culled in all circumstances. This has led them to lean further on their allies in this time of peril, but has also increased the number of Xi’larx who have opted to travel abroad to safer locations.

An existing belief, though one in the minority, is that the Xi’larx should gather all their numbers, whatever supplies and ships they can gather, and make way for the Bi’Plat’s original destination, Glaraszi. Those who hold this view see it as a necessary exodus, much like the evacuation of Sedantis I, as there is no chance for their continuous survival where they remain now. Opponents of the idea say it is too dangerous to justify and that there is even less guarantee that they will find a way to survive there. Regardless of what an individual Xi’larx or their hive-cell believes, though, the existing diaspora in the Orion Spur makes it unlikely to ever come to fruition.

One place that many Xi’larx wind up at, especially during the Traverser migration of 2463, is the Republic of Biesel. Xi’larx here, unlike their Zo’rane counterparts, have no ability to collect citizenship since such an occurrence was never planned for during the formation of the Universal Citizenship Program, and they are often relegated to Flagsdale or other slums as refugees, where they enjoy even less fanfare than the other Vaurcae they reside with. They often come into conflict with the C’thur that reside in these places due to ideological and historical opposition. The few Ta of the Xi’larx that don’t reside in the Traverse remain in the Republic instead, acting as rights advocates and informants for their dwindling people.

Though Xi’larx exist in other locations, including in the frontier and even as far afield as the Coalition of Colonies, they are so reclusive and few in number that gathering any accurate information on them is next to impossible, ignoring the lack of protection or awareness by natives in those regions.