The instant the hatch separating the two sides opened, the Skrulls in purple uniforms and Deathstroke in black-and-yellow armor came face-to-face. The air immediately froze.
Su Ming could even see his own reflection in the eyes of those green-skinned creatures—the slightly distorted image, and the red monocle.
Their faces were filled with surprise. Perhaps they had never imagined an unidentified life-form would appear aboard the mothership, or perhaps they were wondering whether one of their comrades had transformed into this shape as a joke.
That was how it was with a species where everyone could shapeshift. When they encountered an unfamiliar species, their first thought was often—Could this be a prank a friend transformed into on purpose?
Although the Skrulls had laws forbidding shapeshifting, preventing citizens from altering their appearances within their territory or the military in order to avoid confusion.
But during the military's long voyages abroad, were the crew not allowed to have a little fun?
It was called a patrol because they could not jump through space. They could only inch along using conventional propulsion. Once they boarded a ship for a mission, they could not return home for three or four years. By the time they got back, their children would already be over two years old. Wasn't that miserable enough?
And this patrol involved warning of the possible arrival of the main Brood force in several Planetary Systems that had already been ravaged by the insect swarm's vanguard. The danger was plainly visible.
As a result, it was nearly impossible to enforce the anti-shapeshifting law within the Skrull military. Fleet commanders generally turned a blind eye.
Occasionally, they even had soldiers they trusted transform into female aliens, such as those pretentious Sovereign Priests or captured Kree female warriors, then took them to empty compartments to