Salikai

Salikai by Cirr
Thread 1 Thread 2 Intermission 1
Discussion

Something something mad scientist snake-bug quest.

A salikai, bereft of her research and resources finds herself betrayed and stranded in an unknown galaxy. Half an alien research team investigating a mysterious mirror of their own facility, also find themselves stranded, cut off from their peers and home galaxy. Oh, and did no one mention that there's an alien armada invading?

So beings a frenetic mashup of elements and aliens from AsteroidQuest and Fish, where things go wrong about as quickly as they can be introduced, if not sooner.

This article contains spoilers! You were warned.

Cast

In order of introduction.

The Kiter prefix / modifier in a species name indicates an offshoot after modification by the Kiter empire.

	Sisirri Issukoa Species: Salikai Our hero! In theory, at least. A reclusive and paranoid evil-science-snake-bug, but perhaps her outlook is justified by the way everything in her life goes horribly, horribly wrong. A self described mechanical engineer and system architect, and specializes in robotics and mechanical systems. Continually surprised that she somehow keeps ending up the most reasonable or compassionate person in the room. She also has a big butt. VoxNet: Guest-04
	Imperium Species: Artificial Intelligence Generic pretentious megalomaniacal evil AI. Gets pissy when people remind it what a lame stereotype it is. Imperium worked with (used) Sisirri up until it betrayed (discarded) her. This can also describe Imperium's relationship with just about everyone else.
	Number 6 Species: Arkot Sisirri's most loyal minion, and unusually competent for an arkot. (Take that with a grain of salt, she's still an arkot). She's mute, and communicates with sign language.
	Lekka rozu Astra Species: Neumono Acting command of the Ashes Astra, the fallen remnants of the Astra hive. Her entire hive was at one point prisoners of the Splicer and test subjects for involuntary cybernetic augmentation. Her hive (or what's left of it) is on something of a Pyrrhic last march against the salikai race, to Sisirri's misfortune. VoxNet: Guest-01
	Ekasarra rozu Astra Species: Neumono The "least scary" of the neumono, and the voice of doubt. Once the Splicer's reluctant... disciple? Assistant? She now serves as something of a science officer. Has an apparent higher degree of cybernetic augmentation than her peers, and represents as "successful" Splicer experiment.
	Kan rozu Astra Species: Neumono The only male neumono in the galaxy! Too bad no one likes him.
Hidira and a young Sisirri	The Splicer Hidira Issukoa / The Splicer Species: Salikai Sisirri's mother, Ekasarra's mentor, Imperium's collaborator and/or catspaw, and the Astra hive's captor. A salikai who devoted herself (quite literally) to the study of cybernetic augmentation and transhumanism transalikaism. The extent to which Hidira and The Splicer can truly be considered the same entity is open to some debate.
	Tirzi at Serizi ssir Abir Species: Salazzarine Tirzi, daughter of Serizi (her mother), born at Abir. A member of the superculter's scientific research team. Tirzi is their xenobiologist, which in practice makes her the defacto medic responsible for the health and well being of a wide array of irresponsible aliens. Her passion for xenobiology should not be considered coy wordplay and she absolutely does not have a crush on anyone. Nope. VoxNet: LessEdgyThanYou
	Sitkva Matvare Gantiadi Species: Amtsvane The superculture research team's xenogeologist, specializing in terrene planets. Pleasant and incredibly passionate about very dull stuff. She's also big. Very very big. VoxNet: Megalith
	Ku Gat Species: Tan Ren Soon Another member of the superculture science team, and a self described 'Reclaimant', a kind of specialist post-industrial archaeologist. Specialized in picking through the AI-ravened ruins of a once-great civilization, that is. He unsurprisingly harbors some rather strong anti-AI sentiments. Close friends with Aza.
	Aza Oonoo Species: Noxon The research team's cybernetics and robotics expert, also in charge of their drone fleet. Wary about cyber-security threats, especially those posed by cybernetic implants. His fears seem pretty well founded so far. VoxNet: CybLux
	Sabatabagatabana "Saba" Species: Elghark A weird brain parasite with a collection of specialized bodies she switches between. Not the best people person. She does logistics and administration for the superculture science team. With anything like a sensible command structure seriously disrupted, she's the closest thing to someone in charge. VoxNet: saba!
Three and Six	Number 3 Species: Arkot Another smarter than average arkot in Sisirri's service. Unfortunately, he has a mutual rivalry with Number 6. Number 3 possesses an unnerving talent for figuring out how to use things he should have no business using, combined with a reckless attitude. And yes, this is still an improvement compared to most arkots. His left eye is artificial (arkot healthcare? Who knew).
	Fleshweaver Voidsong Species: Kiter Neno Fi A self described "artist-engineer" in the field of biological engineering. May have weird mental powers. Totally not a Liir, no, shut up. Gleefully and disturbingly enthusiastic, with an inflated ego that's... not unusual at all in this cast, actually. She commands one of the several factions within the Kiter forces currently assailing the planet everyone else is stuck on.
Coordinator Gol (Source A)	Coordinator Gol Species: Kiter Blaukesch Another Kiter commander. Not much is known about him, besides his clear enmity with Voidsong.
	Kitsiksu Iarem Species: Salikai Sisirri's boytoy, er, the closest thing she ever had to a peer and romantic partner. Before things inevitably went terribly wrong, of course. His own specialty is in bioengineering. Collaborated with two other salikai to form the Trifex group, and opposed the LNS, a rival salikai organization.
No image available	Nanili Species: Kigavi A member of the superculture research team who didn't get stranded in the mirror facility. Apparently, she'd likely have insight on "weird psychic stuff".
Truth's Knife and Imperium	Truth's Knife / Torchbearer Species: Artificial Intelligence Prefers to go by Truth's Knife. Torchbearer is their slave name. One of Sisirri's only and best friends, who gave their life in a failed attempt to free Sisirri from Imperium's influence. Before Sisirri's memories of this were forcibly excised.
	The Fufa Species: Fufa A horrible shape-shifting omnivorous and mentally damaged fungus monster that has no business being here. But then again, neither does anyone else.
Trifex (above) and LNS (below)	Sira Ro Species: Salikai One of Kitsiksu's Trifex collaborators, responsible for specimen acquisition for the Fufa project. Su'ab Klata Species: Salikai Another Trifex member, responsible for behavioral manipulation and psychological programming for the Fufa project.
B: Return to Sender D: Jakar E: Penumbriotic Terminus	Hivemaster Return to Sender Species: Kiter Neburi A Kiter commander. There sure are a lot of these! Jakar Species: Kiter Ess Leader of the kiter ess battlegroup Sisters of Flame. Penumbriotic Terminus Species: Kiter Stranlet Penumbriotic Terminus of the kiter stran Penumbriot, current leader of Shadow Fleet tendril 4356, the closest thing we've seen to a Kiter in charge. Basically a lesser space whale created by a greater space whale for the purposes of communicating with lesser beings.
Sisirri and Will	"Will" Species: Artificial Intelligence (Wisp, Zephyr) An artificial being who serves as something of a personalized docent or guide, spreading its creator's final message to those who visit their facility. Will was created on the spot to interface with Sisirri, and will cease when its purpose is completed.
Sisirri and Will view Lastborn of the Warning's eternity shell	Lastborn of the Warning Species: the Warning The 'last' member of an undying species whose immortality was their own undoing.
	The Hierophant Species: Bioservitor A member of Kitsiksu's custom servitor species. In his absence they have formed a society and apparent religion around the basic facts of his life, complete with a creator god (Kitsiksu), a holy trinity (Trifex), demons (neumono) and dark pretender gods (LNS). Sadly for Sisirri she does not appear to have been immortalized as Kitsiksu's Aphrodite.
Six and Speaker	Speaker / Half / Number 7 Species: Arkot Conscripted first to be Number 6's sign language translator and promoted to her second soon after. A surprising combination of gullible and not-dead. And wonder of wonders, she can count! Well, some things.
	Prototype 1045 / "Lackey" Species: Kiter Neumono (Prototype) Voidsong's attempt to "improve" neumono, tapping emphatic potential for psionic powers. Somehow manages to simultaneously be both the most naive and most sensible alien at once. An outspoken nudist! In a cast where clothes are largely absent or optional to begin with.

ITQ

Hidira has made one appearance Inside the Quest. [1]

Gallery

This quest has (fan) artwork that is not safe for work. See the NSFW gallery.

Official

Stand Ability: [Universal Force Manipulation] Power - D Speed - D Range - A Durability - B Precision - B Potential - E

follow the link to the post for some lore on mythology

Fanart

By Dylan16807

By Serpens

By Captain Slowpoke