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Skrell on Ouerea

The Skrell are not inexperienced when it comes to settling on the worlds of other species, having spread themselves out across Human space soon after they made first contact with Humanity. Settling on Ouerea came with its own set of unique issues though, and combined with a tumultuous history it has culminated in a subsection of Skrell who are culturally distinct from most of its species.

History

Shortly after first contact in 2403, a small number of Skrell moved to Ouerea. These Skrell were only Federation Representatives and their associates at first, their purpose being two-fold: develop relations with the Unathi and learn more about their culture and people, and assist their struggling first colony by turning it into a burgeoning, self-sufficient one. These first Skrell joining the colony would not go on to form the contemporary Skrell on Ouerea, but laid the foundations for what was to come for the species.

During the first month of diplomatic and cultural exchanges, the Skrell were also beginning to look at what the colony would need to truly be self-sufficient. It was obvious that educated workers and those who had experience in colony development were needed, so the Representatives made a request to the Grand Council. The call was barely received back in the Federation as many Skrell felt unease at the thought of leaving their homes for a pre-existing fledgling colony of a nation less advanced than Humanity. While a small number of Secondary and Primary Numericals accepted the call, it was mostly Tertiaries and other oppressed groups within Federation society who were willing to leave their home for a planet still struggling to survive. The influx of oppressed groups joining Ouerea influenced its already existing anti-Feudalistic movements, introducing foreign concepts that matched the Unathi colonist's goals for egalitarianism and democracy. These ideas were unimpaired by the politics of those who worked for the Federation, who had to keep the Hegemony in mind while on Ouerea, and these oppressed Skrell were more than happy to teach the colonists that there was a way of living that did not involve serving under the Izweski's or any lord's rule.

The move to Ouerea was slow, but over time Skrell moved to the planet on a larger scale than in Human space as the colony's needs outpaced any xenophobia held by the Unathi living there. Ouerea would soon become a well-known destination for those who needed to flee Federation space, either as a stop along the way to the Coalition of Colonies, or as a final destination for those looking to make a new life for themselves. It wouldn't be until the Contact War began and the Federation took over administration of the planet that their numbers would increase dramatically. A planet which the Federation administered appealed to many across all of Federation society; the average citizen saw it as an opportunity to safely explore the Spur, knowing they would not be at the whim of a xenophobic or unenlightened government, while Tertiaries and criminals saw it as an opportunity to leave the Federation and live where its laws are not heavily enforced without arousing too much suspicion. While still having to live secretly at this point, not openly practising their subversive beliefs, the comparatively lax monitoring of citizens on Ouerea gave the Skrell's unprecedented freedom compared to Federation space.

The Federation's administration of the planet would see democratic elections begin, as now freed from the feudal obligations of the Izweski the population took to implanting its long-hoped-for government. The administration created by the Federation was not a true government in any sense, instead acting more as an oversight committee, allowing the planet to form its own government and the policies that come with it as the people saw fit, rather than imposing their own. This is attributed to the lack of true support the Federation's Administration received, as the population of the Nralakk Core Systems saw no reason for their government to begin establishing colonies so far from home, especially in the de-facto territory of another species with whom they cooperated. The Federation's Administration would instead work with the locally elected government of the Synod of Scales, who it recognized as the legitimate government of Ouerea, assisting them in the growth and stability of the colony, essentially acting as a liaison group between the Synod and the larger Federation. To the surprise of many, while a majority of elected positions were still in the hands of Unathi, a large proportion of positions across all levels of Ouerean society would be held by Skrell when considering their minority presence on the planet, as they were some of the only colonists with experience or the slightest education in civil administration. At this point, the life for Skrell on Ouerea was compared to the early days of the Skrell Space Age. Advanced technology was not imported over in large numbers, and was only used by Federation officials to facilitate communication back home and to the Hegemony when possible. The Skrell's quality of life suffered, obviously, as they would be too used to what the Federation had, but many enjoyed the subsistence lifestyle Ouerea offered. The Skrell settling on Ouerea began to see the colony as an example of what cross-species cooperation could achieve if given the opportunity.

At the end of the Contact War, the Hegemony slowly began to stabilise and take notice of its holdings once again, and saw what became of its colony. The Hegemony took disproportionate action, taking a number of Skrell Kala officers captive and making a grand display of its fleet in orbit of Ouerea as a message to the Federation and Alliance: the Hegemony would not bow down to aliens, and Ouerea belongs to the Hegemony. The Nralakk Federation and Solarian Alliance would then "cede" their claims to the colony, not wanting to fight over a planet that didn't belong to them to start with and was too far away from their territory anyway, and took their citizens with them. Those who worked with the Federation directly, along with the Primary Numericals and many Secondaries, would leave the planet with their job of making Ouerea self-sufficient and considered complete. Those who fled the Federation and those who established roots and relationships in their local communities, however, were not interested in leaving their new home and had no intention of leaving. Those that stayed on Ouerea were forced to passively observe as the new Overlord began to tear down the equal society that they had helped create for the Unathi, unable to defend it in fear of xenophobic reprisal as discrimination against the Skrell almost immediately became common once the old Feudal system was put in place; as the Skrell were seen as a direct cause for the introduction of democracy and other "alien ideals" to the Unathi population, the new Unathi colonists and rulers were quick to view them with contempt. This said the Skrell were spared during the Months of Blood, serving prison sentences or simply being brought back down to the rank of peasant rather than the normal punishment of execution, as the Hegemon feared the response by the Spur's superpowers if he were to kill his alien subjects. After two years of uncertain fear of their status in the Hegemony and internal debate about what to do with these new alien subjects, the Ouerean rebellion began.

The Skrell's role in the rebellion was not insignificant, but the species was divided on where they stood. One side saw it as their fight just as much as it was the Unathi's now that they were considered Hegemonic subjects, while the other viewed their participation in the rebellion as a death sentence; so far away from home and no hope of escaping what punishment they may face by a Feudal ruler, many Skrell wished to stay on the sidelines and hope that they would be left alone. Some even believed that they may be granted special privileges as a species, and didn't want to spoil their chances of negotiating these rights with the Izweski or Yiz’tek Lords if they openly rebelled against Hegemony rule. Participation in the rebellion itself by Skrell was not significant due to their minority presence on the planet, but while the number of Skrell fighting on the streets in solidarity with the Unathi peasants was small, the number of sympathetic Skrell who offered their services to those impacted by the rebellion was much higher. Those with medical backgrounds would help the wounded after a riot, engineers would repair the damages done by the lord's levies after a crackdown, and religious leaders would help organise communities to help those most impacted by Overlord Yitzek's heavy-handed rule. Skrell who took part in the actual fighting notably helped train those peasants who had not defected in fighting as a unit and advised them on how to best engage with the better-equipped Yiz’tek forces on the planet.

After Not'zar Izweski's negotiations with the rebels, and the arrest of Overlord Hutay’zai, the Skrell's place in Ouerean society was secured. The Skrell were given a permanent observer within the re-established Synod of Scales, whose role is to speak and bring forward issues related to the Skrell without requiring prior approval by the Overlord, a privilege not given to Humanity, as little to none of them are on the planet for any reason besides work, but otherwise has no other powers within the Synod. This special privilege has made the Skrell of Ouerea more content with the situation, knowing that they still have representation within the government. The reasoning behind Not'zar's decision of giving the Skrell this privilege isn't specifically known, but it can be assumed that Not'zar sees the Skrell on Ouerea as a key to greater technological advancement for the Hegemony, as most Skrell have had decades of intense higher education and a more advanced skillset than your average Unathi.

Life and Culture

The Skrell of Ouerea today are in much the same situation as they were before the Hegemony took back control of the planet, and in similar situations seen by Skrell living abroad elsewhere in the Spur. Despite an individual Unathi's thoughts on the species, Skrell are in high demand for their knowledge and skills, and it is common to see Skrell in higher positions in most fields. Skrell in teaching positions are also common, although for the most part they are not tied into the local education system in an official capacity and are usually hired on by guildsmen for their workplace instead. This has given the Skrell a certain amount of respect by the other species, with the common thought being that if a Skrell is in your workplace, you know that you are in good hands. This said, Skrell still face a large amount of discrimination in Ouerean society as some Unathi feel as though they have been cheated out of better opportunities. Even with Ouerea's emphasized importance on equality, the Unathi still struggle when it comes to how they treat non-Unathi. This has translated to many senior positions being held by Unathi, while Skrell are relegated to positions that hold no authority over their peers.

Outside of work, Skrell see more of the egalitarianism that Ouerea embraces. Communities are rarely fully segregated, with the only real exception being Xrqii-Zek'Qlip due to its environment being unsuitable for Unathi. Even here, however, the Skrell population has issues fully assimilating; the cultural differences between Unathi and Skrell have made life in mixed areas difficult, and it can be a challenge for the two species to interact without it being abrasive. This isn't to say that tensions are high between the species, but it has made the existence of "Skrell Quarters" or "Little Qerrbalak's" common in the larger cities such as New Skalamar as Skrell choose to live mostly alongside other Skrell where possible.

Skrell culture and attitudes have changed as a result of mingling with the Unathi and Human populations on Ouerea, particularly views related to individuality. Just as how Ouerean Unathi have placed more importance on the individual rather than the clan you belong to, Skrell on Ouerea have begun to emphasise the importance of individual Skrell rather than focusing on the group as a whole. While by no means completely removing the importance of community, or making the species unable to see the importance of sticking together as a minority on an alien planet, the definition of a group and community for Ouerean Skrell is much smaller than that of a Skrell from the Federation; while Skrell in the Federation are more willing to see themselves part of a greater whole, that "greater whole" for a Skrell on Ouerea may not extend much further than their town or city. Other Unathi ideas have also influenced the Skrell living here, particularly those related to loyalty and honour which match well with pre-existing views. These ideas can be seen the most in younger Skrell, either those who fled the Federation for already having similar views or those who were born on Ouerea. Non-mainstream Skrellian beliefs have seen popularity on Ouerea as well, with Suur'ka being seen as a necessity for a physically weaker and minority species living alongside Unathi. The Suur'ka ideology followed on Ouerea is not unified but still follows the main tenets of Suur'ka and its connected Sqai'Laaq martial art: the mental and physical honing of oneself, self-reliance, and independence. Suur'ka's tenet of independence is particularly popular with Skrell, especially those who took part in the rebellion and is often brought up as a point when the topic of Ouerea's role in the Hegemony is mentioned.

The majority of Skrell on the planet would be considered subversives back in the Federation even before this cultural shift thanks to those staying mostly being Skrell who were either outcasts in Federation society, criminals, or otherwise not ideal citizens. The mix of Skrell from all backgrounds, regardless of ideology or subculture, has allowed the proliferation of Skrell ideas that is unprecedented elsewhere save for perhaps the Republic of Biesel. With their status as Hegemony subjects and the lack of formal agreements between the Hegemony and Federation, Ouerea continues to be a destination for those willing to flee Federation space - albeit one that is considerably less popular than fleeing to the Coalition of Colonies or joining the Tau Ceti Foreign Legion.

There is still a small group Skrell who are still pro-Federation, however, made up of those who did not wish to leave Ouerea for one reason or another, and are who make up the majority of non-Unathi supporters of the Restorationists political movement. Ironically, this group of Skrell are considered outcasts by the greater Skrell community on Ouerea, seeing their pro-Federation, conformist beliefs as precisely what the idea of Ouerea is against. Their support for an authoritarian nation such as the Federation is compared to the Izweski Hegemony, and are widely shunned by both Skrell and Unathi alike as a result. Pro-Federation Skrell on Ouerea do not last long, either finally giving in and adopting the wider culture held by Skrell on the planet or giving up and moving back to the Federation.