KNOWN ALLIES
 

Bajorans

Bajorans are amazingly humanoid in appearance, but have a distinctive symmetrical facial feature -- a slight wrinkle on the nose between the eyes.

Bajorans' first names are their family names. They wear large, chained earrings and ear cuffs as symbols of their religious faith. Bajoran women gestate for five months, due to high vascularization between the fetus and the mother.

The Bajorans are an advanced race who suffered at the hands of invading Cardassians. The story of ST: Deep Space Nine is often one of politics between these two powers.

The Bajoran religion is a major unifying force on the planet; the spiritual leader, or Kai, wields a great deal of moral and political authority, although the planet's de jure political leader is the First Minister. The Bajoran religion is based upon the revelations of the Bajoran Prophets, who come to be known as the timeless beings residing in the Bajoran Wormhole, or Celestial Temple. Since Benjamin Sisko is the first to make contact with them, he is acclaimed by the Bajoran spiritual leadership as the Emissary of the Prophets. Part of the Bajoran religion involves the use of the Tears of the Prophets, reality-distorting energy orbs produced by the Prophets. Several of these were stolen by the Cardassians during the Occupation, though a number have been recovered.

Betazoids

Physically, Betazoids closely resemble humans, except that their irises are black. Betazoids are empathic and partially telepathic (they are telepathic with other Betazoids and some other aliens). The Betazoid brain contains the paracortex, which is a lobe devoted specifically to telepathy. The REM frequency of sleeping Betazoids is different than that of most humanoids.

The gestation period for Betazoids is typically 10 months. At around age 40, Betazoid females enter a period of increased sexual desire called "the phase".

Because they can sense the emotions and sometimes thoughts of others, their culture has evolved to be totally honest and non-private; for example, their wedding ceremonies are performed in the nude. Betazoids feel uncomfortable around species whose minds they cannot read (including the Ferengi and the Breen).

Betazoid society includes a complex hereditary nobility. For example, Betazoid ambassador Lwaxana Troi was formally titled Daughter of the Fifth House, Holder of the Sacred Chalice of Riix, and Heir to the Holy Rings of Betazed. Members of the nobility are usually betrothed at a very early age.

The Betazoid word imzadi means "beloved."

Ferengi

Ferengi are natives of the planet Ferenginar and are noted for their single-minded devotion to capitalism.

Ferengi biology

Ferengi are small compared to humans, have orange-colored skin, unusually large ears (more so in males than in females), sharp teeth, double foreheads, ascending ribs, upper and lower lungs, and a four-lobed brain that cannot be read by the telepathic powers of Betazoids or Vulcans.

Ferengi culture

The traditional laws of the Ferengi are highly sexist by human standards, forbidding females from making profit or indeed wearing clothes.

The Ferengi have a code of ethics laid out in a set of 285 rules called the Rules of Acquisition. Each gives a titbit of advice that all good Ferengi should follow in order to lead a profitable life. "Profitable" is to be interpreted here in the sense of "making money", for this is the principal virtue in the eyes of the traditional Ferengi. For example, the first Rule of Acquisition is, "Once you have their money, you never give it back."

In addition to the Rules, the Ferengi also recognize the Five Stages of Acquisition: infatuation, justification, appropriation, obsession, and resale.

It is fairly likely that a Ferengi would sell his mother if it would bring him latinum, the principal form of Ferengi currency.

Ferengi history

According to legend, in ancient times the Ferengi and the Gree vied for control of their planet.
The Barter Age -- Before uniting under a Nagus, Ferenginar was divided into warring Commerce Zones.

In about the 9th Millennium B.C.E. Gint started writing the Rules of Acquisition laying the basis for Ferengi society.

In 1947, a Ferengi craft from the 2370s crashed in Roswell, New Mexico. This was Humanity's first contact with the Ferengi.

At some point between 1947 and 2151, the Ferengi purchased warp drive from the Breen.

In 2151, Ferengi raided the starship Enterprise, but were quickly defeated. Their racial identity remained unknown.

In 2355, the (still unknown) Ferengi fought Jean-Luc Picard at the Battle of Maxia.

In 2364, official first contact was made between the Ferengi Alliance and the United Federation of Planets at the planet Delphi Ardu.

Vulcans

The Vulcan race originates on planet Vulcan which orbits 40 Eridani, or Epsilon Eridani. The Vulcans are most noted for their attempt to live by reason and logic and to suppress all emotional influence by living lives of rigid emotional self-control through meditative techniques and training of mental discipline. The main external characteristics that distinguish Vulcans from humans are arched eyebrows and pointed ears, along with a slight greenish skin tint due to their copper-based blood.

Abilities

Vulcans are contact telepaths. By means of a procedure known as mind-meld, which involves physical contact with a subject, it is possible for them to share all their thoughts, experience, memories and knowledge with another individual. Vulcans can perform a mind-meld with members of most other races, most notably humans; one well-known example of a race impervious to the mind-meld are the Ferengi.

Many Vulcans are skilled in a self-defense move known as the Vulcan nerve pinch or neck pinch, which targets a precise location overlying the baroreceptors of the carotid sinus at the base of the humanoid neck, instantly rendering the victim unconscious. While practiced mainly by Vulcans, it is not exclusive to their race; for example, Data has also mastered the technique.

In addition, Vulcans tend to be stronger and longer-lived than humans. The former of these qualities is often attributed to Vulcan's gravity being significantly greater than Earth's.

History

The Vulcan race discovered space travel long before humans did.

The Vulcan race used to be a race of violent warriors and fought many wars among themselves. The end of this time was marked by an event in Vulcan history known as the Great Awakening. Surak, a Vulcan philosopher of that time, spread the idea of living by the rules of logic and reasoning. Most Vulcans, in hopes of a better future with less violence and fewer wars, adopted his teachings and attempted to suppress all their emotions. Almost all of present-day Vulcan philosophy emerged from this period.

A small proportion of the Vulcan population, who did not agree to following the new philosophy and thus, in the view of the majority of the population, proved to be obstacles for the future development of the Vulcan race, were expelled from the Vulcan home planet. These people travelled through space in the search of a new home, eventually settling on Romulus and forming the Romulan race.

First contact between Vulcans and humans occurred on April 5, 2063 shortly after Zephram Cochrane's first warp (faster-than-light) flight. On August 12, 2161, the two races collaborated to found the basis of the United Federation of Planets.

Trills

Trills are one of the very few joined species known in the alpha quadrant. Two separate intelligent species have evolved on the Trill home world - the hosts are a humanoid species who have two distinct races. The first, or alpha race, comprises approximately 10% of the Trill population; they are distinguishable by their pronounced foreheads, but in most respects their physiology is similar to that of the beta race who comprise the remaining 90% of the population. These are easily identifiable by a pattern of skin markings which extend from the forehead down the side of the face and all the way down the body. These spots move and change gradually over time, although they remain in the same region of the body. Both of these races are known as the Trill Hosts.

The second species is known as the Symbionts. These are relatively small, slug-like creatures who live underwater for most of their life. The Symbionts are extremely long lived and very intelligent, but lack any kind of limbs or tool-using ability.

Some thousands of years ago the Trill began living as a joined species - the Hosts developed the ability to physically join with the Symbionts, linking their nervous systems together. The effects of this are different between the two races of Host; with the alphas the Symbionts totally submerges the Hosts personality upon joining, essentially using the body as a home for its own mind. Alphas tend to be less physically robust than betas; for example, many alphas are extremely sensitive to the energy processes involved in transporters, and using this technology would cause fatal damage to the Symbiont. For this reason betas are the preferred recipients in the joining.

Betas also have some difficulties due to the joining process. Betas become physically dependant on the Host within 93 hours of the joining; after this period, removing the Symbiont is fatal to the Host. After a joining the mind of a beta is not submerged by the Host; the two separate minds merge, forming a new personality who is a combination of both the Host and Symbiont. This can cause severe psychological problems if the two minds are incompatible, resulting in rejection of the Host after only a few days - a rejection which often causes the death of the Host. Only one in every few thousand Hosts are suitable to be joined, and these must go through an exhaustive series of tests and training in order to qualify.

After the death of the Hosts the Symbiont is removed and placed into a new Host, carrying into the new joining all the personality and memories of the old. Many Symbionts have lived in this manner for centuries, accumulating experiences from many different lifetimes.

Klingons

Biology

Roughly humanoid in appearance, Klingons typically sport long manes of luxuriant hair, and for males, mustaches, and beards. Perhaps their most prominent external feature is their ridged forehead. These intricate, bony patterns vary by family line and are an evolutionary remnant of their prehistoric forms, when Klingons had a more extensive exoskeleton and a decidedly crustacean appearance. For a period during the 2260s [during the original Star Trek], Klingons had external features resembling Humans and wore their hair in a more conservative fashion.

Most body functions incorporate multiple redundancies, such as redundant stomachs, lungs, and livers. This characteristic, known as "brak'lul," makes Klingons incredibly resilient. Other features of Klingon anatomy include a lack of tear ducts, and lavender/pink blood, based on the metal ion manganese according to some unofficial sources. The Klingon lifespan is at least 150 years. Interbreeding is possible with Humans (B'Elanna Torres) and Romulans (Ba'el).

Klingon religion

According to legend, Kortar, the first Klingon, along with his mate, destroyed the gods who created them and turned the heavens into ashes. This event is recounted in marriage ceremonies.

Klingon values center around honor. Those who die honorably are said to join the spirit of Kahless in Sto-Vo-Kor. Dishonorable deaths hold the destiny of the underworld of Gre'thor, guarded by Fek'lhr. Gre'thor is reached by passage on the Barge of the Dead, eternally piloted by Kortar, over the River of Blood. The dead are not mourned, but celebrated, and the body is viewed as an empty shell to be disposed of.

History of the Klingon Empire

The Klingon Empire was founded around 500 C.E. on the Klingon homeworld of Qo'noS by Kahless the Unforgettable.

The Empire went through several dynasties of rulers, experiencing a period between the 2nd and 3rd known as the "Dark Time," a 10-year experiment in democracy.

Around the 14th century, Qo'noS was invaded by the Hur'q, who pillaged many treasures, including the sword of Kahless.

By 2069 a High Council was formed, eliminating the position of Emperor until 2369.

Around the early part of the 22nd Century, the warrior class begins exerting a greater influence throughout Klingon society, corrupting, notably, the justice system.

In 2151, a faction in the Temporal Cold War from the 28th Century attempted to alter the timeline by using the Suliban Cabal to incite unrest within the Klingon Empire. This resulted in the first contact between Klingons and Humans.

Around 2223, relations between the Empire and the Federation degenerated substantially, with intense hostility lasting until 2293.

In 2267 the Klingons and the Romulans forged a military alliance and the Klingons traded several D7 battlecruisers (Birds of Prey) in exchange for some cloaking devices.

In 2293 the atmosphere of Kronos was contaminated when Praxis, one of its moons, exploded. This event was a turning point in relations between the Klingons and the United Federation of Planets, as the Klingon Empire couldn't afford to maintain their excessive military activities and deal with this new problem (parallels with the breakdown of the Cold War and the relationship between the United States and the cash-strapped former Soviet Union were obvious). Thus the two entered into an alliance which lasted about eighty years, ending in 2372 when the Klingons attacked the Cardassians.

In 2342 the Klingons and Romulans began a violent war after the Romulans attacked the Klingon outpost Narendra III.

In 2357, Worf, Son of Mogh (played by Michael Dorn) became the first Klingon to enter the Starfleet Academy and in 2364 he was assigned to the NCC-1701-D as relief conn and tactical officer. (Rank: Lieutenant j.g)

In 2367 the Klingon Civil War began after Chancellor K'mpec was murdered. Prior to his murder, K'mpec had named Captain Jean-Luc Picard his Arbiter of Succession. Gowron was selected, but the House of Duras opposed this decision and the war began. It was later revealed that the Romulans were backing Duras and and Duras quickly lost all support, ending the war and leaving Gowron as undisputed leader of the empire.

Around 2374, the Klingons once again joined in an alliance with the Federation, against the Dominion.

Shortly before the end of the Dominion War, Worf killed Gowron for using bad tactics in the war simply to hurt General Martok's political position. Worf then granted the role of Chancellor to Martok rather than taking it himself.

In 2375 the Federation-Romulan-Klingon fleet defeated the Dominion with the assistance of the Cardassian fleet during a final assault on Cardassia Prime.

Klingon hand weapons

To all Klingons, battle is sacred, and treated with much ceremony. Therefore, many advances have been made by Klingons in the field of weaponry.

Disruptor Pistol
This is the main weapon all klingons carry. It has a power cell and fires a beam of pure energy at a target, vaporizing it. Whether sneaking into enemy territory or going to the market to buy some heart of Targ, this is a tried-and-true choice.

Disruptor Rifle
This is a weapon used mainly by Klingon shock troops, but it is also favored by weapons merchants and terrorists due to its point-and-shoot simplicity. It is a deadly weapon, similar in construction to the pistol, except with a larger power cell, shoulder stock, and larger appearance.

Bat'leth (BAT-leth)
The Bat'leth symbolizes the klingon Empire to much of the quadrant. Made of a crescent with four points, the Bat'leth is an imposing two-handed sword. This weapon has been receding from use in open battle, but is still used in "modern" times for ceremonial rites and challeges of power or authority.

Mek'leth (mick-LETH)
By all accounts, the Mek'leth is similar to the Bat'leth in many ways, but it is not so much a sword as a large knife. It has a curved blade approximately 30 cm long, and is an imposing sight. Another staple of the average Klingon's weapons closet, this is a formidable blade.

D'k tahg (dihk-TAGH)
The Klingon D'k tahg is a small knife by Klingon standards, mainly used in ceremonies, but also used when concealment of the weapon is highly needed. It has a 20cm blade length, with two small blades that snap out of the sides at the push of a button. This weapon is highly favored, both for its throwing capacity, and for its relatively small size and easy concealment.

Painstick
The Klingon painstick is a rod about 1 meter in length. It has a grip on one end and a port on the other end to discharge energy. It is also mainly used in ceremonies of endurance, but is sometimes used for torture. It does not incapacitate an enemy unless used repeatedly. It has little or no range, and must be placed close to the target to inflict damage.

ChonnaQ (cho-NOK)
Not much is known about the archaic Chonnaq. It is a spear once used in the great Klingon wars; it predates the original Kahless in age.

Jejtaj (Jedge-TAHJ)
The Jejtaj is a weapon wielded like a pair of brass knuckles. However, with enough practice, one can parry bladed attacks and use it as a rudimentary throwing star.

Extent of the Klingon Empire

Planets and moons currently considered to be, or to have been, under Klingon jurisdiction include Elas, Khitomer, Morska, Narendra III, Neural, Nimbus III (jointly held with the Romulan empire and the Federation), Praxis, Qo'noS, Rura Penthe, and Troyius. Little is known about much of the Empire's holdings, but it is believed to extend almost as far as that of the Federation.

Trivia
Tribbles (a small furry alien animal) shriek in the presence of Klingons. Conversely, Klingons are also allergic to tribbles. The Klingons went on to exterminate the popular pet throughout the galaxy and into extinction.

Romulan

The Romulans are descended from Vulcans. This group split off from the main Vulcan race before Vulcans were able to master the ability to control their innate tendency toward rashness and emotional outbursts. Romulans are therefore characterized as being deceitful, cunning, and brutal.

Their home world is Romulus, and, with several other systems, their political organization is called Romulan Star Empire. The Romulan Empire is one of the largest planetary nations in the Beta Quadrant of our galaxy. Planets known to be under Romulan jurisdiction include Romulus, Remus, Regulus and Nimbus III. Very little is known about the Romulan nation's extent, partially because the empire has usually been at war with the United Federation of Planets. The Empire and the Federation have been separated from each other by the Romulan Neutral Zone for many years.

The Romulan species is actually a splinter group of Vulcans who refused to accept the Vulcan philosopher Surak's teachings of completely suppressing one's emotions. Around 400 CE they split off from Vulcan society and established colonies in the Romulus system with home planets Romulus and Remus.

In the mid 1900s the Romulans and Vulcans entered into war which lasted until 2044. Later in 2150 the humans would make first contact with the Romulans and four years later the Earth-Romulan war began.

In 2160 the Romulans and the humans sign a treaty establishing a neutral zone one light-year wide between their territories and in 2161 the humans formed the United Federation of Planets.

About a century later the Romulans invented a new piece of technology called a cloaking device which made their ships invisible to sensors. They then proceeded to break the treaty by attacking several Federation outposts. In response to these attacks, the Starship Enterprise tracked down the ship carrying out the attacks and destroyed it.

Several years later, in 2267, the Romulans entered a treaty with the Klingon Empire, and received several D7 battlecruisers, which the Romulans upgraded into extremely deadly war machines, in exchange for cloaking technology.

In 2293 the Klingon moon Praxis exploded and the Klingons entered into a treaty with the Federation. This infuriated the Romulans who, in 2311, attacked the Federation. Following the attacks the Romulans and the Federation created a new treaty, the Treaty of Algeron, which reestablished the neutral zone and prohibited the Federation from developing cloaking technology and there were no further incidents for fifty years.

In 2344 Four newly invented Romulan Warbirds attacked the Klingon outpost Narendra III. The USS Enterprise-C responded to the distress call from the outpost an engaged the ships, However good the Enterprise C's Intentions the Starship was defeated but not destroyed, the ship along with its survivors (among them Tasha Yar) were taken back to romulan territory, where rumours circulated in the federation that the Enterprise's broken hull was displayed on Romulus, to enlighten and boost moral of its Romulan Academy students, No doubt the presumed destruction of the Enterprise C was a saddening element for the federation the Klingons thought this action was honorable and thus this strengthened relations between the Klingon Empire and the Federation but also initiated a war between the Romulans and the Klingons, which lasted several years. This action infuriated the Romulans, who in turn launched a raid on Qo'nos and destroyed 5 K'vort class birds of prey, 10 Vorch'a Battle Cruisers and 7 B'rel class birds of prey while only losing 5 Warbirds.

In 2366 the Romulans attempted to trick the USS Enterprise-D into crossing the neutral zone where they had two Romulan Warbirds waiting to destroy the Enterprise. Captain Picard, however, was assisted by two Klingon Birds of Prey and the Romulans evenly matched decided the price of the Enterprises' destruction was too high and thus they retreated.

In 2367, the Romulans attempted to brainwash Federation Lt Commander Geordi LaForge but the plan was exposed and failed.

Later in 2367 the Klingon Civil War began and the Romulans secretly backed the house of Duras, but Captain Picard of the Federation discovered this and convinced Federation-friendly Gowron to attack the Duras forces hard in hopes that they would request the Romulans bring in reinforcements, which would be detected by a Federation blockade, thus revealing to everyone that Duras was backed by the Romulans. The plan worked and Duras quickly lost all support for the Chancellor's seat.

Sometime during or before 2368, Ambassador Spock, a Vulcan, was on Romulus, working with an underground movement for the reunification of the Romulans and Vulcans. The Romulans, however, saw this as a chance to conquer the Vulcans and sent a fleet of ships to Vulcan, but their intent was discovered and the fleet destroyed.

In 2371 the Romulans allowed the Federation to borrow a cloaking device under the condition that they only used it in the Gamma Quadrant, where a new threat is emerging with Jem'Hadar and the Dominion.

The Romulan intelligence agency, the Tal Shiar, allied with the Cardassian equivalent, the Obsidian Order, in late 2371 and launched a preemptive strike on the Dominion, but the Dominion destroyed them both and it was revealed that Colonel Lovok, the Tal Shiar officer leading the attack was in fact a Dominion agent ("The Die Is Cast"). The entire fleet of 20 Warbirds and 20 Kelvan class ships were destroyed, while the Dominion lost only 46 attack cruisers.

Soon after, the Klingons went on a rampage and attacked the Cardassians and several Romulan outposts. The Romulans sent a warbird to join the Klingon and Federation front guarding the Bajoran wormhole but when a Founder disguised as Julian Bashir made a failed attempt to destroy Deep Space Nine, the Romulans signed a nonaggression treaty with the Dominion and went home.

In 2374 Captain Sisko and Garak showed Romulan Senator Vreenak fake recordings of a Dominion strategy meeting where it's revealed that the Dominion intends to attack the Romulans after taking the rest of the Alpha Quadrant. Vreenak examines the recordings and discovers they're fake and leaves the station to inform the Romulan government. Garak, however, sabotages Vreenak's ship, killing Vreenak. Later, when the Romulans recover the recording from the wreckage the defects that allowed Vreenak to discover their fraudulence are assumed to have been caused by the explosion, which is blamed on the Dominion. This, of course, is all top secret and only two-three people are aware that the tapes aren't real. ("In the Pale Moonlight")

Now that the Romulans have joined the Klingon-Federation alliance, they establish a presence on Deep Space Nine in 2375 and attempt to stockpile weapons on a Bajoran moon. However, Colonel Kira stops them with a Bajoran fleet, with the help of Federation Admiral Ross's statement that the Federation will back the Bajorans in this matter. ("Shadows and Symbols")

In 2375 Section 31 attempts to assassinate the Romulan Koval, the new head of the Tal Shiar. The plan is stopped when Bashir, who is being used by Section 31 as a spy, asks Senator Cretak for assistance in stopping the plot. ("Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges")

In 2375 the Federation-Romulan-Klingon fleet heads to Cardassia Prime to finish off the Dominion's presence in the Alpha Quadrant. The fight isn't going well until the Cardassians fleet turns and joins the fight against the Dominion. This leads to the defeat of the Dominion and an end to the Dominion War. ("What You Leave Behind")

In 2379 the Romulan Senate was briefly overthrown in a Reman coup led by Shinzon. The Praetor and the senate were killed by thalaron radiation which emanated from a handheld device. Shinzon became Praetor and the Remans took over the Romulan Senate but were overthrown by Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the Romulans regained control over the government. Relations between the Romulan Star Empire and the United Federation of Planets have improved because of the assistance rendered by Picard.