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The Skrellian Diplomatic Fleet
Aptly known as just the Skrellian Diplomatic Fleet, or SDF. The Skrellian government is made up of two bodies. The Skrellian Interest League that's responsible for all domestic affairs and oversight, and the Skrellian Diplomatic Fleet that oversees foreign affairs, first contact and colonization expansion efforts. While both are under the Skrell's tried and true caste system, the divide of power is a product of the large territory and population of the Skrell.
The Skrell were an anomaly in reaching spaceflight earlier than most species, only a century or so after their industrial revolution. Mostly pressed by widespread pollution, while being no more intelligent than most other type 1.5 species today. However the resource and metal composition of Qerr’balak afforded them a much needed leg-up in production of atmos-escaping rockets. Yet while they had escaped their planet relativity early in their time. Systems outside of Qerr'Zrx'qwi were a mere pipe dream - much like humanity, no colonist wanted to be stranded generations from any help.
The Skrell however were the first to have discovered the curiosity that is Bluespace, even if they didn't call it such. Much like humanity and the Tajaran the Skrell discovered it's more applicable use, relatively safe FTL travel, short range teleportation and quantum matter containment. Being so early in the bluespace race, it's unclear what other applications or discoveries the Skrell have made ahead of others - if so, they're very much secrets they have not, or will not share.
The Skrellian Interest League formed out of the varying bloodlines of the Qerr-Katish caste, with the goal of keeping outer-system colonies and governments under 'guidance' of the Skrellian culture, while they were free to self-govern to an extent. Total independence or self-reliance was harshly discouraged, and still is today despite the SIL's diminishing control over so much territory.
The Skrellian Diplomatic Fleet however was a product of contact with the Unathi. Having no prior engagement, or even inkling other life existed, the SDF grew out of a scientific and military detachment meant to try and make peaceful contact with the Unathi. Met with overwhelming success in the form of a defense pact, the SDF soon grew in skrellpower and funding to become the SIL's foreign powers branch responsible for first contact and external naval affairs.
The Skrellian military doctrine tends to favor avoiding fighting altogether through the usage of whatever means necessary, closely followed by pre-emptive strikes and precise, small-scale warfare. Spies, assassins and counterintelligence are still highly regarded, and the Skrell’s strongest tools of warfare. And while the SDF’s Patrol Fleet is laughably small, it is because each system keeps its own personal defense Force. Its military is thus decentralized, scattered over Skrellian (and in some cases null) space.
The Skrell military structure is also divided into small teams, fragments, most commonly ranging between 5-50 members, which then form into spearheads. fragments expect their members to trust their members as much as they can, and while tensions between fragments do flare up, the fragment’s own members tend to be one of the most mutually trusting parts of Skrell society.
The caste system has been present in Skrell society since the middle ages. While at first a rigid system, it has gone through many revisions and “revolutions”, and currently exists in various, occasionally differing versions of itself.
- Qerr-Katish(High Caste): The effective ruling caste of Skrell society, the Qerr are made up of dozens of bloodlines that are entrenched in positions of financial and political power all across the Skrell territories. The Qerr caste is regarded as the the most cutthroat caste within Skrell society with competition for power and control is endless and often deadly. A member of the Qerr-katish is, for example, a king, a president, an SIL member as well as a low bureaucrat or tax collector.
- Malish-Katish(Caste of the Mind): The Malish Caste are known as the leaders in Skrellian scientific minds and often regarded as the brightest in the galaxy to other species, credited with the discovery of Bluespace for the Skrell centuries ago. The advanced life of the Skrellian people stems from the clans within Malish and their scientific, but also philosophic and other findings. A member of the Malish-katish can be, for example, a scientist, a coder, a researcher, a historian.
- Kanin-Katish(Caste of the Builder): The Kanin caste oversees a large amount of the Skrell's colonization efforts, the bright minds within the caste experts in life support, materials science, spacecraft, bluespace drives and other nessecities that support extra-planet life. A member of this caste can be, for example, an architect, an engineer, or a construction worker.
- Talum-Katish(Caste of the Artist): A minor caste within Skrellian society. The Talum is a caste of bloodlines proud of their contributions to Skrellian culture. Years of art, music, holofilms and fashion stem from the passionate souls of the Talum. A member of the Talum-katish can be, for example, a painter, a singer, a writer, or a graphic designer.
- Raskinta-Katish(Caste of Warriors): The Raskinta-katish are warriors and soldiers of the Skrell, as well as their spies, assassins and bogeyskrell. Now the key figures of the SDF, the Raskinta caste bloodlines are regarded as the Skrell's brightest and most cunning naval and diplomatic minds, their sharpest eyes, and their longest blades.
- Yxian-Katish(Caste of None): The Yxian-katish tended to be convicted criminals, enemies of the state, or simply beggars and the poor on the streets. Those regarded as dregs of Skrell society. Nowadays, while that meaning stays, the Yxian-katish have also become a movement of Skrell striving for the abolishment of the caste system or those who want to help the “nobodies”, with a few prominent figures self-identifying as Yxian-katish. A member of this caste can be, for example, a vagrant, a criminal on the run, a certain kind of activist, or anyone identifying with the movement.
Today it's nearly undisputed the Skrell are the majority power of the known Galaxy with only the Solarian people coming second. However outside culture contact has caused a worrying erosion in Skrellian values that have stood for centuries since the revolt on the Qerr’Glia. Giving the SIL cause on just how much control they really have.
Credit for Skrell goes to Rock and Hawkv3, who put so much effort into the Skrell.