RyverStyx: Sandbox

Generation Fleets

The Skrell have utilised Generation Ships for long-distance colonisation since they began to explore outside of their solar system. These ships come in a large variety of designs depending on which era of Skrell history they were built, but all of them were built with self-sufficiency and low maintenance costs in mind. These ships are typically designed to traverse space for centuries, and are given the tools and resources needed to ensure the ship and its passengers arrive at their intended destination with little to no outside support. To prevent health issues related to zero-gravity environments and to ensure that Skrell aboard these vessels would be able to live on a planet once the journey was complete, all Generation Ships were outfitted with gravity generators, providing a gravity similar to the gravity found on Qerrbalak. Modern Generation Ships are based on the standard Ovlolis design, containing all the equipment needed to survive a long-distance journey and to construct the beginnings of a colony once landing at its destination.

Most Generation Ships were organised into large groups, known as Generation Fleets, and were accompanied by a military escort that would protect them from any potential threats as they make their journey. The majority of these fleets were intended to only make a single journey, while smaller fleets were meant to make multiple trips. The type of mission assigned to each fleet was dependent on factors such as distance between its origin planet and the target for colonisation, the intended population of the new colony, and the size of the fleet itself.

There are fleets today that have been active since the pre-Glorsh era of Skrell history, with some continuing to be active even after the Second Jargon Federation was established. These Fleets, for one reason or another, were unable to continue their mission and instead found themselves roaming the Traverse with their passengers deciding to make the ships their permanent home. Reasons differ between fleets, but most modern fleets will blame the rise to power of Glorsh-Omega over Skrellkind; the Intelligence’s rise to power resulted in a complete loss of communication between the Generation Fleets and the Jargon Federation as it seized the primary communications hub on Qerrbalak, causing the Generation Fleets to fall into disarray as they initially believed that a Federation-wide calamity destroyed their species. The Fleets quickly enacted protocols for events where they would be completely cut off from the Federation, and spent most of Glorsh-Omega’s reign hiding within the Traverse. These Fleets would stay mobile rather than risk being found by the Intelligence by carrying out their original mission.

After the Jargon Federation was re-established, many of these Fleets were discovered and were quickly reintegrated into the greater Federation as the intact records and technology they held became rare after Glorsh-Omega took over. With this said, there were also multiple Fleets that are still considered missing or were confirmed destroyed, either due to being discovered by Glorsh-Omega, natural hazards such as meteor showers, or through lack of resources eventually forcing them to scuttle their ships. There are also a small number of these old Generation Fleets that are still active in the modern-day, with their own reasons for not reintegrating back into the Federation.

Collectively, the active members of these Generation Fleets are known as ‘Genners’, and their personality, culture, and personal beliefs will depend on which Fleet they belong to. With that said, there are a few constants; Genners can typically be spotted wearing what would be considered ‘vintage’ clothing as a result of the long period of time spent separated from the rest of Skrell society, their clothing style being an indicator of what era in Skrell history the Fleet was in operation. Genners are also known to hold beliefs that for their time were considered the norm, while today are seen as regressive - and in some cases even antithetical to current Skrell ideology. Genners who have reintegrated back into Federation society will usually be enrolled into a civics course to help their transition to regular life in a Federation vastly different from the one they left or were taught about.

Notable Generation Fleets

These Fleets are no longer active and are considered notable for the Skrell because of the story behind their original mission or their rediscovery.

Qyu’Bleq - ‘The Starlight Explorers’

Qyu’Bleq, or ‘The Starlight Explorers’ was originally an exploration fleet created post-Glorsh with the specific goal of reuniting planets and systems with the Federation. The Fleet carried with it mobile communication units, Nlom beacons, and other resources necessary to assist the re-establishment of communications between these fragmented planets and the greater Jargon Federation. The Qyu’Bleq left port in 2210 CE, and it was expected to finish its first mission by 2215.

Halfway through its journey to the Zeiqi-Trqn region, the Fleet suddenly stopped broadcasting back home. A response fleet consisting of military vessels was sent to its last known location, with officials at the time believing that they were destroyed by a remnant of Glorsh or by a previously uncontacted successor state, but no signs of the fleet or a battle were found. Decades later, in 2256 CE a transport fleet came across a signal coming from what was considered an uninhabited planet within the Zeiqi-Trqn region and reported it to Federation authorities. Expecting an unsanctioned colony or a Marauder base, the Qukala was sent to find the source of the signal, but when the scouting party made landfall they discovered a small colony of Skrell wearing science uniforms and living in houses made from scrap metal. The inhabitants of the colony were quick to explain their situation, and that they were what was left of the Qyu’Bleq exploration fleet.

The fleet had encountered a strong ion storm halfway through their journey, strong enough that it completely destroyed their more sensitive equipment, which included the ship's own communication equipment, the communications equipment they were transporting, and most of their navigational equipment. The fleet's commander at the time attempted to salvage the operation and gave the order to continue their journey by normal travel. Most of the ruined equipment was repurposed, with salvageable materials used to maintain their critical systems such as air filtration, and makeshift hydroponics systems were built to help maintain stable levels of oxygen within the ships. Unfortunately, these ships were not designed for long-term flight, and over the years the fleet was forced to scuttle one ship after another as fuel and other supplies began to run out. What could be salvaged from a failing ship was brought onto those still operational, and the crew spread across the rest of the fleet to prevent overcrowding.

By the end of their journey, the Qyu’Bleq was just one ship, which due to overcrowding, failing systems, and low fuel reserves, eventually forced the crew to make an emergency landing on the nearest hospitable planet. The state of the ship meant that it was unable to survive the landing, however, with sections of the ship breaking apart as they entered the planet's atmosphere. By the survivors' account, they had spent an estimated six years in space before being forced to land around the year 2216, just a year after they were expected to finish their original mission.

The survivors of the fleet unanimously agreed to be transported off the planet and to go back to their friends and family. The bodies of those lost in the crash, along with the bodies of those who died in the forty-year interim that were recoverable, are now interred within a mausoleum on Qerrbalak, built on the outskirts of Gialok as a memorial to their sacrifice to the Federation. Many of the surviving crew today have been employed by the Federation to teach the various branches of the Kala in survival tactics, where their experience is used to teach new recruits some of the ‘unorthodox’ survival techniques that they employed.

Lu’Pliuop - ‘The Adrift Generation’

Originally named the Qu’Pliuop, or ‘The Starbound Generation’, this Generation Fleet was one of the first fleets sent out after Tresja Agreement. In 2250 CE the Fleets mission was to help repopulate some of the most depopulated planets of the Pluat Ven’qop region of the Traverse, with a planned charter of sixteen trips before being retired. During its tenth trip, the fleet and its military escort sent an unintelligible transmission before ceasing all communications. Its location at the time was unknown, and attempts to follow its predicted path were unsuccessful in locating the fleet.

Two centuries later in 2450, two hundred years after the fleet's launch, the Lu’Qyu was tasked with finding out the fate of the Qu’Pliuop, and hoping for an outcome similar to the Qyu’Bleq, recovering any survivors. Fourteen months into their mission, the Lu’Qyu were exploring a sector on the outer reaches of the system the Qu’Pliuop was predicted to be in before contact was lost, far away from any previously predicted flight paths it may have taken. As they were about to finalise their report and declare this sector as cleared, they came across a debris field hidden within an asteroid belt. Sending a probe, they were able to confirm that the wreckage was what was left of the Qu’Pliuop, and spent days exploring what they could for signs of survivors. Their report back to Federation authorities described the state of the wreckage as a ‘graveyard, but with no bodies’; the remains of the ships were devoid of any biological matter, with most of their systems either destroyed or missing entirely, and with large sections unaccounted for even after reconstruction simulations were made.

Due to the mysterious nature of the fleet’s fate, and wanting to prevent widespread panic within its population, the Jargon Federation attempted to suppress the facts regarding the fate of the Qu’Pliuop; the Federation made an official statement that a freak accident caused the fleet to veer off-course and into a nearby gas giant, making the ships and crew unrecoverable. Leaked footage from the initial probe scan, along with statements from anonymous Lu’Qyu crewmembers, eventually found its way onto the extranet, with a sizeable number of Skrell being exposed to this information on sites such as Viv-ID before Federation authorities could scrub it.

The leaked documents have led to a large conspiracy theory community becoming prominent on the fringes of the extranet; dubbing the fleet the Lu’Pliuop, or ‘The Adrift Generation’, many theories regarding what happened to the fleet have been developed. Some of the more obscure theories regarding the fate of the Qu’Pliuop include a Penuma gestalt consuming the crew, similar to what happened during first contact with the species a decade before the fleet’s disappearance, or some sort of unknown xenofauna attack. Some suggest more ‘grounded’ theories, with some theorists believing that the attack came from the Lii’dra or pirates. The Federation is quick to blacklist sites that host these conspiracy theories within Jargon space, stating that these conspiracy theories do nothing but emotionally harm the relatives and descendants of those lost. In actuality, however, the Jargon Federation monitors these sites and purges them once a member of the community posts the original leaked documents.

Active Generation Fleets

These Fleets for one reason or another have decided to stay active, with some being declared Marauders by the Jargon Government as they declined to reintegrate fully into Jargon society.

The Prescient Republic of the Qar - ‘The Sea Sluggers’

The Prescient Republic of the Qar is a relatively small Generation Fleet that has declared independence from the Jargon Federation after recontact was made in 2241 CE. The fleet follows a strict theocratic system from its original flagship ‘The Qar’Jarq’, known today simply as ‘Qar’. The Fleet strictly enforces the following of ‘Univalvism’, a faith that was established on the Generation Fleet somewhere between its disappearance in 2241 and its rediscovery in 2245.

Today the Fleet is host to a large number of ships that were not originally a part of it. Refugees fleeing persecution, would-be marauders and other criminal groups have found themselves joining the fleet for security and its isolationist policy towards the Jargon Federation in particular. The crew of these more recent additions to the PRQ are more likely to be ejected from the fleet due to the PRQ’s views on piety and social conformity, where strict adherence to Univalvism and social norms are paramount in their society. Compared to the original members of the fleet, especially the Qar, the crew of these newer ships are less concerned with religion, and will typically only pay lip service to the Univalvist faith. As many of these outsiders were part of a Marauder group before joining the Generation Fleet, the PRQ has been colloquially named ‘The Sea Sluggers’, a mostly derogatory name based on popular beliefs and rumours regarding the Univalvist’s worship of a slug-like creature and the Fleets association with criminally-inclined Skrell.

The PRQ is a topic of heated discussion within the Jargon Federation, as there is little known about the Fleet. Members of the Fleet that venture out into the Spur are rare and are typically unwilling to divulge much about the inner-workings of the Fleets organisation, faith, or culture.

Zi'Pluax - ‘The Fleet of the Srom’

The Fleet of the Srom was rediscovered in 2460 and is a generation fleet that launched in the year 2032. Upon recontacting the Zi'Pluax, Jargon Qukala members were surprised to find more than half of its members asleep within cryostorage with a small number of stewards attending to the helm, cryogenic bay, and hydroponics garden. Members of the bridge crew were shocked to see the Qukala and relayed that shortly after the launch of the Zi'Pluax they experienced a major systematic failure in the majority of their equipment, including hydroponics and communication terminals; the sudden failure caused the fleet to lose the ability to sustain itself or call for aid. Due to their situation, for over 400 years the crew of the Zi'Pluax have been within rotations of cryosleep, and by extension, crewmembers have been within the Srom for extended periods of time. This has led to a newfound belief forming within the Zi'Pluax and being universally adopted by all of its members.

All members of the fleet are referred to as what is colloquially known as ‘Dreamers’. While the crewman of the Zi'Pluax would refer to their culture as the true path of Weishii they understand and accept the name ‘Dreamer’. Jargon does not recognize the Dreamers and has deemed their cultural practices as unofficial and deductive; mainly due to its practices regarding oversleeping. Zi'Pluax members focus on the Srom and its relation to the Skrell psyche and psionic capabilities. Dreamers view the headtail as an extension of the psionic capabilities of the Skrell and will often tuck them into different hats or headgear. Showing your headtail is seen as something deeply personal to members of Zi'Pluax and is only done with those who are deemed especially close. Many Dreamers believe that the inner-mind, the one who inhabits the Srom, is the true self while the outer-body, the one that is awake in real life, is merely a constraint.

Due to their culture, members of the Dreamers treat the Srom very differently than the average Skrell. For instance, these Dreamers have spent such an abundance of time within the Srom that they have begun to form a rudimentary hivemind; albeit not in a literal sense. While their minds are not linked, the effects of the Srom on lying have allowed these members to know virtually everything about each other. Dreamers often refer to themselves as “Disciples of the Srom” due to the amount of power they hold over the scenery and landscape within. The amount of information that is known between Dreamers allows them to easily conjure a near replica of any deceased individual through ‘Srom Manipulation’. While many scientists of the Federation believe that these replicas are merely a hollow shell of memories with no proper soul, the Dreamers believe that the individual has persisted even after death; this is often also seen as a cultural reverence for their ancestors and those who passed. Dreamers are often very respectful of their elders and superiors.

Since contact, the Zi'Pluax has declared independence from the Jargon Federation due to their culture and practices being declared deductive by the state, and while under Jargon law the fleet members are recognized as Jargon citizens, they experience little to no interruption from the government beyond preventative surveillance. Members of the Zi'Pluax will often leave the fleet for mandated cultural work from the ages of 100-200, something that has recently been ordered by the bridge crew of the Zi'Pluax, in hopes of attracting more members to the fleet. This can be shocking and disorienting for the Dreamer who has been disconnected from the ship’s Srom and they will often find themselves oversleeping while performing their cultural work abroad.

Lu’Qyu - ‘The Abyss Trinity’

This Generation Fleet consisted of three experimental ships: the Glosa, Blenq, and Qrinq. All three were outfitted with experimental warp drives that could theoretically allow speeds just below Faster-Than-Light travel, which if successful would allow for faster colonisation efforts by the Federation. These ships were also given their own AI to assist in the calculations required for safe jumps. Because they were outfitted with drives that were considered experimental, the ships were not given a military escort like most Generation Fleets, and instead had to rely on their speed and relative agility compared to similar Generation Ships designed at the time. The Lu’Qyu Fleet was launched in 2048 CE, making its first warp jump a few months later on the edge of the Nralakk system due to the inherent risk behind using these experimental drives and concerns raised about initiating a jump close to nearby population centres.

The Fleet was considered lost after two weeks of no contact being made, and the Jargon Federation spent thousands of hours in an attempt to recover the vessels with no success. With Glorsh-Omega taking over the Federation, attempts to find the trio of ships were halted and efforts were redirected by the Intelligence to other projects. For centuries, the three ships and their passengers were memorialised by Skrell across the Federation.

Unbeknownst to the Skrell however, the ships had survived. Shortly after making their first jump, the Lu’Qyu Fleet had arrived too close to a nearby black hole, and in their attempt to escape it had resulted in a catastrophic failure of their warp drives. With the warp drives lost, the Lu’Qyu made the decision to make the journey back to the Nralakk system without their warp drives, taking approximately three-hundred-and-ninety-two years to make contact with the Jargon Federation in 2440. Its unexpected reappearance sent shockwaves across the Federation and was met with massive celebrations across Nralakk as it made its way back to Qerrbalak. As soon as the celebrations started, however, Jargon authorities quickly realised that these ships still had their original Artificial Intelligence’s installed. The Federation quickly intercepted the Lu’Qyu Fleet and after explaining what had happened in the years between their disappearance and rediscovery, both sides came to the conclusion that even if they were unaffected by Glorsh-Omega, they would be too dangerous to keep and were silently wiped before allowing the Fleet to land. Today the fleet has seen massive retrofits as a large portion of the original crew’s descendants have decided to use the Lu’Qyu fleet for scientific exploration. The primary objective of the Lu’Qyu is now to explore the Traverse as they attempt to discover what happened to other Generation Fleets that had lost contact with the Federation.

The story of Lu’Qyu has been popularised in Skrell science fiction, with books, films, and television mini-series using the Fleet as a major plot point within their settings. The Fleet has been given many nicknames since its disappearance, with most Skrell today giving it the colloquial name ‘The Abyss Trinity’, a name given to the fleet by the popular science fiction series ‘Enter the Void’ by Jaxn Sqrol.

Generation Fleets and the X’Lu’oa

When the first Generation Fleets were rediscovered sometime after Glorsh-Omega’s disappearance after the Tri-Qyu Incident, the Federation was quick to submit the crew of these Fleets for testing and see the extent of the damage caused by the genophage that the species was subjected to. Volunteers came forward to help, with most believing at the time that they could find a cure for the X’Lu’oa, but today the results are considered middling at best. The tests confirmed that the effects of Glorsh-Omega’s inoculation programme on the Skrell population had heavily changed Skrell on the genetic level, and while these pre-Glorsh Skrell from the Generation Fleets helped give insight into the disorder, they would not be the source of a cure.

The X’Lu’oa is dominant in Skrell genes, meaning that it would take two healthy Skrell to produce non-genophage affected offspring. Combined with the relatively low number of unaffected Skrell discovered so far, the Federation’s scientific community as a whole believes that Genners will not be the source of a method to reverse the X’Lu’oa disorder.