Day 8-Tell us about the local peoples and their cultures.
"One of the reasons I decided to join Starfleet and defect to the United Federation of Planets is that my people's long history of prejudice and speciesist superiority runs absolutely counter to my own nature. I am completely fascinated by all the varied intelligent lifeforms that exist in our galaxy! I truly take to heart the Vulcan philosophy of IDIC - Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations.
Just imagine being raised on a world of Black and White versus White and Black only to discover that in the vastness of the universe most other beings are a single hue or more accurately one hue per individual. I was the oddity. My supposedly superior species were the strange ones. My mind was blasted! Wait...blown. My mind was blown.
Sorry, its a Human colloquialism and I haven't mastered them all yet.
In my time serving with the USS Prosperity I've met so many species and formed close relationships with Andorians, Humans, Vulcans, Tellarites, and I could go on and on. I've also met or at least seen some that are fascinating and unusual even by UFP standards. Let me tell you about a few..."
Khelayans
(Khelaya, Rura Khel IV, Rura Khel System)
A former subject species of the Klingon Empire, the Khelayans had eventually had enough of Klingon rule and when their conquerors diverted forces to deal with other matters, the Khelayan people rose up, having obtained weapons in secret from Orion traders.
Not long after their uprising, those dwelling on their homeworld's most populated continent, and the site of many Klingon mining operations, discovered a Janissary outpost and massive armory they dubbed 'The Vault'. Not content with just being free from tyranny, a decision was made by the Khelayan Council of Elders to go on the offensive and switch from being prey to being predators themselves.
The Janissaries were a militant offshoot of the ancient, mysterious species known as the Precursors, who technology and science were far beyond what we can comprehend today, except in the barest of terms.
The Khelayan took damaged ships left behind by the Klingons, reverse engineered the simpliest of the Janissary tech (most of it being a millennia ahead of the Federation and Klingon Empire) and started acting as pirates. Mostly they attacked Orion and Klingon civilian and commercial transports but eventually they became bold and struck Federation and Starfleet targets.
In the end this lead to war with the UFP, which required Captain Anne Fletcher - temporarily promoted to Fleet Captain - to bring an assembled fleet of ships to Khelaya. A short but bitter battle was engaged while a small team went to the surface to disable and eventually eliminate the Vault and all Janissary technology. The Khelayans reluctantly surrendered.
During these events, the Prosperity crew learned that not all Khelayans had agreed with their ruling council's decision to go this route and with the remaining Elders of the council deposed and arrested, Khelaya's new leadership hopes to redeem their people in the eyes of the rest of the galaxy. Sadly, that doesn't seem likely anytime soon.
Khelayans are yellow-green to green-gray humanoids with vaguely reptilian appearances, bat-like ears, and rounded peak shaped skulls. The stand 2 meters tall on average with females being generally the same height as males. Female Khelayans are often brighter or paler in color and markings on their skin are more obvious.
Although they do share some reptilian biological attributes, they are warm-blooded and generally dwell in their cold planet's mildest environments when possible.They dislike extreme heat or extreme cold but will endure it if need be. They lays eggs but nurse the hatched young as would mammals. Their eyes are well adapted to dim light and their ears are quite sensitive.
Kyodanians
(Planet of Origin Unknown - Believed to be in the Trailing Section of the Beta Quadrant)
Only just recently encountered by Starfleet, specifically by Lt. Commander Rhys Carr when he met one on Deep Space Station K-12, the Kyodanians are a starfaring species from the far end of the Tango Super Sector.
The individual Kyodanian, who called himself Goruhk, was friendly and menacing at the same time. Introducing himself as an explorer who trades information for goods, supplies, and other information, the most peculiar aspect of Goruhk, and the Kyodanian people presumably, appears to be their language.
Modern Universal Translators are able to not only translate a multitude of languages but determine context, innuendo, and emphasis by relating the words they receive to other words, both in the present conversation and in the devices memory circuits. This proved to not be the case with Goruhk, as it seems his language lacks any sort of subtly or indirect meaning. It is simple and almost brutually honest. Thank goodness Mr. Carr, a linguistics specialist, was able to adjust his communication gear and its algorithim so as to be able to converse with the Kyodanian.
Their first conversation went like this:
Cmdr Carr: "I am Commander Carr of the Starfleet vessel USS Prosperity."
Goruhk: "Hello Commander Carr of the Prosperity! I am Goruhk. I am an explorer. I like spicy foods. Now, you tell me something about yourself."
Cmdr Carr: "I am a Science Officer and an explorer as well. I like to play an Earth sport called Baseball."
Goruhk: "EXCELLENT! I have told you something about me, you have told me something about you and now, we are friends!"
Goruhk meant it. He was happy to tell Mr. Carr whatever he wanted to know about pretty much anything of a friendly nature as they were indeed, just like he said, friends now.
Kyodanians are massive, standing 2.3 meters tall and weighing 200 kgs. Their skin is similar to that of a Megarite and other cetacean-like lifeforms but is denser and tougher. The horn-like protrusions on their head and spines are their backs seem to aid them in balance like the inner ear of many Humanoid species. Kyodanian are large and heavy but surprisingly agile. They are, as one might imagine, incredibly physically strong and are excellent swimmers (their fingers and toes are webbed).
Little else is known about the Kyodanians at this time but we look forward to learning more.
Mazzulans
(Mazzula, Meridiana, Alpha Coronae Australis II, Alpha Coronae Australis System)
Following the Earth-Romulan War, a sect of Romulan Spiritualists departed Romulus on an exodus not unlike the Romulans departure from Vulcan. They left in three colonization vessels, one of which disappeared following a massive ion storm and meteor shower. For decades the fate of that vessel was unknown until only recently. The other two ships made it to Alpha Coronae Australis II, known as Meridiana by the Federation. They dubbed the planet Mazzula after an ancient Vulcan God of Hope and Determination.
To their surprise, the planet was not unihabited. An Orion starship had crash landed there a decade earlier due nearly identical hazard conditions to those that destroyed the Mazzulans third colony ship. Over the next few 40 years or so the surviving Orions and Romulan pilgrims interbred, resulting in the present day Mazzulans.
Culturally the Mazzulans are a throwback and a hybrid of pre- and post-exodus Romulans and therefore somewhat more Vulcan. They are emotional but highly spiritual, with numerous supernatural beliefs. They retain a small degree of latent Psychic ability, with fewer individuals exhibiting any notable talent compared to say, the Vulcans. At the same time, rare individuals can be quite powerful, with extrasensory perception, empathic ability, and precognitive abilities being the most common manifestations.
Curiously, these abilities appear more often in females, resulting in a respected priestesshood.
Relations with the Romulans are strained at the best of times. They have yet to make or receive formal contact with the Vulcans. They view the Federation and Starfleet as a whole as honorable and have been willing to open diplomatic talks and culture exchange as long as their religious and spiritual beliefs are acknowledged and tolerated which they have been. Things at present are promising.
Biologically, Mazzulans are Vulcanoids with a strong similarity to their roots as Romulans crossed with Orions. The most notable distinction is that the pigmentation seems to be closer to Green Orions, though as a mutation or adaption to their hotter blue giant star, some individuals appear very dark olive in complexion. There may be other reasons for this related to diet for example.
Uthaden
(Utha, Beta3 Tucanae V, Beta3 Tucanae System)
Visual Design and Image by Chris Reyes
A sentient species of Mammalian Arachnoids, the Uthaden (plural and singular are the same) hold dominion over their homeworld and a few colonies in their own star system. In addition, they have a mining operation on the fourth planet in the Alturas system, which is where the USS Prosperity made first contact with them.
Initially unsure of the Starfleet personnel, Captain Fletcher and Lt. Commander Carr managed to convince them that the explosion they had just seen and were heading to investigate was likely the result of Romulan activity. Although the Uthaden were unfamiliar with the Romulans, they had no problem with Starfleet dealing with the situation as long as it didn't impede the mining process. Capt. Fletcher assured the Uthaden she'd do everything she could to leave them out of it and that was good enough for the Uthaden.
Later, when Prosperity's Landing Party came under fire from the Romulans and their prototype cruiser, the VX-012 Venator, the Uthaden showed up in heavy truck-like vehicles and fired warning shots at the Romulans. They made it clear it was best the Romulans 'get off their land'.
After the Landing Party was beamed back up to the Prosperity, Captain Fletcher and her crew engaged the Venator and revealed a cloaked U-8 Albatross Class scout vessel. The Venator was badly damaged by the Prosperity and when back-up arrived, the USS Agni, the Albatross tried to negotiate. In the end, the Albatross and her Captain departed, as the Venator attempted to self-destruct. This was prevented by the Prosperity's crew who captured the prototype vessel.
Romulan and Uthaden Vessels by Chris Reyes
Sometime afterwards, an Uthaden vessel arrived and after some discussion between the ship's commanding officer and Capt. Fletcher, the Uthaden shared some sensor data they had accidentally obtained on the prototype ship. It seems one of their satellites searching for mineral deposits picked up data on the Venator.
Since then, more formal diplomatic overtures have been made between the Federation and the Uthaden Alliance, with a promising future of cooperation between both parties and perhaps membership for Utha before long.
Uthaden technology is about 50-75 years behind that of the UFP but because of their construction materials and techniques, their vessels, vehicles, and gear are remarkably sturdy. Their weapons rely on concussive force and they use specialized plating on their ships instead of traditional deflector shields.
The Uthaden themselves are, as noted, a multi-limbed mammalian species with numerous similarities to arachnids. They are large, about 2 meters in length and standing about a meter and a half in height from a flat surface to the top of their wide head. They move extremely fast on their eight legs. The two arms are capable of considerable flexibility but they can not reach over their heads and have a great deal of difficulty swimming. As you can probably guess, they are master climbers. Their eating habits, well, they require a large number of calories per day, are mostly carnivorous, and inject their food with an enzyme their softens it, making it easier to tear and chew. This enzyme is delivered with a hardened, piercing tongue.
AD
Barking Alien
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