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=== Nanietta Bacco ===
As of the conclusion to ''[[Star Trek: A Time to...]]'', Bacco serves as President of the United Federation of Planets. She holds that office through the events of ''[[Star Trek: Articles of the Federation]]'', ''[[Star Trek: Destiny]]'' and ''[[Star Trek: Typhon Pact]]''. An elderly human woman, she is charged with guiding [[the Federation]] through a period of great instability. She's a bit of an [[Ensemble Darkhorse]]: from her introduction as part of a novel's C-plot, she was quickly promoted to a character carrying [[Star Trek: Articles of the Federation|her own book]]. Since then, her role has only expanded further.
* [[Arch Enemy]]: Politically, Bacco and Tholian Ambassador Tezrene are almost certainly Arch Enemies. Their first real political tussle occurs in ''[[A Singular Destiny]]'', in which Tezrene came out on top. Bacco won the next round in ''[[Star Trek: Typhon Pact]]: Zero Sum Game'', before Tezrene once again triumphed in ''Paths of Disharmony'', when her people succeeded in causing further political chaos in the Federation. As of late, Bacco refers to "that bitch Tezrene."
* [[Deadpan Snarker]]
* [[Gondor Calls for Aid]]: In the [[Star Trek: Destiny]] trilogy, Bacco calls for aid from all other major powers in the Alpha and Beta quadrants, but their response is tepid and the combined fleet is annihilated within minutes anyway. All that her efforts really accomplish is to [[Sequel Hook|antagonize the Tholians]].
* [[Gunboat Diplomacy]]: She resorts to this on occasion, but usually only to scare an [[Ass in Ambassador]] into negotiating in good faith.
* [[I Say What I Say]]: When Bacco is temporarily duplicated in [[Star Trek: Department of Temporal Investigations]] (long story), the two presidents respond to a compliment with a simultaneous (somewhat sarcastic) "oh, please!" Amusingly, they also snark at each other for making the exact sort of grumpy, sarcastic comments that Bacco always makes.
* [[Must Have Caffeine]]
* [[Not So Different]]: There have been a few scenes that compare (and contrast) her with the previous president, Min Zife. A few of them can [[Your Mileage May Vary|potentially be read]] as warnings of how easy it might be for someone of Bacco's integrity to slip nonetheless into less-than-moral conduct. A scene in [[Star Trek: Typhon Pact|''Zero Sum Game'']], in which Bacco is confronted by Federation Council members wary of her potentially questionable decisions, announcing their intention to veto a bill only to be outmaneuvered, recalls a scene in [[Star Trek: A Time to...|''A Time to Heal'']], where President Zife faced a similar confrontation. Where Zife deflected criticism by appealing to humanitarian arguments, while actually up to his neck in illegal activities, Bacco attacks with information on the support she has from other councillors, seemingly convinced that she's on the right side of the moral line. As both novels were written by the same author, the similarities (and contrasts) between the two scenes are likely entirely deliberate.
* [[Reasonable Authority Figure]]
* [[Serious Business]]: Baseball
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A half-human/half-Vulcan Starfleet officer who tries to distance herself from her Vulcan heritage by acting as distinctly un-Vulcan as possible. Not exactly a ''model'' officer, but with lots of potential. Recently joined the crew of the [[Star Trek: The Next Generation Relaunch|''Enterprise'']]. Captain Picard is now guiding her, as a sort of [[Mentor]].
* [[Calling the Old Man Out]]: After her father finally makes contact after a ''long'' absence, looking for information on her mother (specifically, if she survived the [[Star Trek: Destiny|Borg invasion]]):
{{quote|"Did you try to contact her after the ''Odyssey'' went boom? Did you try to find her any time during the entire Dominion War? No, this is about you. You had a near-death experience when the Borg hit Vulcan, and by some miracle, you lived. You managed to get rescued, fixed up, and flown to a hospital on the other side of the planet, where you got a lot of time to just lie there and think about how close you came to being just more sand piled on the Forge. Now you've got this big second chance, so now you want to reach out to all those you've hurt and make amends for all your wrongs."}}
* [[Ethical Slut]]
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* [[Action Survivor]]: Although he becomes far more of a traditional action hero during the middle of the series, during his time as a asset of Starfleet Intelligence. Sadly, Quinn is very much in [[Butt Monkey]] territory...and not the humorous sort of [[Butt Monkey]], either.
* [[The Alcoholic]]: The reasons why were explained mid-way through the series. He then recovered for a time, only to fall back into alcohol towards the end, after suffering intense personal loss.
* [[Expy]]: Of the soldier-of-fortune characters from ''[[Star Trek: The
* [[Odd Friendship]]: With journalist Tim Pennington.
=== Elias Vaughn ===
A Starfleet officer with a long history and a deceptively low rank, Vaughn was introduced in the ''[[Star Trek Deep Space Nine
* [[The Atoner]]: For the death of his wife and his failures in raising their daughter.
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* [[Cool Old Guy]]
* [[Dark and Troubled Past]]
* [[Deadpan Snarker]]: An example from [[Star Trek Deep Space Nine
{{quote|'''Julian Bashir''': Why didn't you say that's what you were planning in the first place?
'''Vaughn''': Because, Doctor, when you become a commander, they take the bone out of your head that makes you explain orders. }}
* [[The Gump]]: That well-known but as-yet-unexplored historical event? Vaughn will probably have been involved. Some readers certainly feel this trope got over-used.
* [[Heroic Sacrifice]]: He tries one in [[Star Trek Deep Space Nine
* [[Instant Awesome, Just Add Dragons]]: His childhood history on Berengaria VII; he was apparently mauled by a dragon at one point. It was established as early as the [[Star Trek: The Original Series|Original Series]] of ''[[Star Trek]]'' that Berengaria VII is home to dragons, and Vaughn had previously been said to originate there. Eventually, the two bits of trivia made an inevitable linkage. Since Vaughn is the sort of character with a highly adventurous background, it's no surprise he apparently had dragon bites where other children had bruised knees.
* [[It Never Gets Any Easier]]: Particularly notable at the conclusion to ''[[Star Trek: The Battle of Betazed]]''.
* [[Papa Wolf]]: In [[Star Trek Deep Space Nine
== The Federation (non-humans) ==
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* [[Fantastic Racism]]: Eventually, she has a bit of this towards everybody who isn't Vulcan, and Worf in particular.
* [[Informed Attribute]]: Her supposed great insight into other cultures never really materializes in any of her appearances.
* [[Killed Off for Real]]: In [[Star Trek: Destiny]].
* [[The Stoic]]
* [[Straw Vulcan]]: There's a good reason Picard wants her the hell off the ''Enterprise'' at the end of ''Before Dishonour''. Even Spock completely washes his hands of her after she fails to hear reason. She does acknowledge her own faults in ''Greater Than the Sum'', and herself admits she was completely out of line, as well as unprofessional in the extreme. Sadly she dies before she can redeem herself.
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== T'Prynn ==
A Vulcan agent of Starfleet Intelligence, whose morally ambiguous career covered [[Star Trek: Vanguard|Project Vanguard]] and a partnership with [[Star Trek Deep Space Nine
* [[Arranged Marriage]]: T'Prynn's did not go well. The ritual combat that was invoked when she filed for divorce also didn't go well. To explain: T'Prynn rejected her appointed mate, Sten, whom she never loved, and decided instead to choose her own companions. Sten was unwilling to release T'Prynn from her betrothal and invoked ritual combat in an attempt to force her to submit. T'Prynn refused; she killed him in the combat that followed. But before he died, [[Mind Rape|Sten forced his katra into T'Prynn's mind]].
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* [[Insanity Defense]]: During the darkest period of her career, partway through the [[Star Trek: Vanguard]] series, she points out it's the only plausible defense she could give for her latest actions, though she doesn't pursue it.
* [[Interspecies Romance]]: A homosexual relationship with Anna Sandesjo/Lurqal (a Klingon spy disguised as a human).
* [[Saved by Canon]]: In an interesting example of a character being Saved by Canon for the moment, but [[Doomed by Canon]] in the long run, T'Prynn can't die at any point in the [[Star Trek: Vanguard]] series, even when she's in a coma due to [[Mind Rape]], because she's going to die in a transporter accident eighty years later, as shown in [[Flash Back]] in the [[Star Trek Deep Space Nine
* [[The Atoner]]: By the end of [[Star Trek: Vanguard]]:
{{quote|''It is likely I will never balance the scales of my own guilt and virtue. But that does not absolve me of my responsibility to try''.}}
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An arrogant Tellarite attached to the [[Starfleet Corps of Engineers]]. Brilliant, but has difficulty playing nice with his team-mates.
* [[Acquired Situational Narcissism]]: Whenever he ends up in command. It's a case of [[Serial Escalation]], seeing how puffed-up and full of himself he is in the first place.
* [[Damned By Faint Praise]]: He does this to his crewmates all the time.
* [[Insufferable Genius]]
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* [[Adorkable]]
* [[Cloudcuckoolander]]: Sometimes, in his own calculating way.
* [[Cybernetics Eat Your Soul]]: Averted. Being from a race of non-humanoid cyborgs, he owes his intelligence to his implants, his people actually being a form of [[Uplifted Animal]]. Upgrades throughout childhood and adolescence are celebrated rites of passage in his culture. Ironically, this means Torvig initially has difficulty comprehending the full horror of the Borg Collective (which plays the trope straight). In ''[[Star Trek: Destiny]]'', though, the implications finally hit him, and he ends up perhaps the most horrified of all; this trope, and thus the Borg, are essentially the anti-Choblik, their most primal horror.
* [[Incredibly Lame Pun]]: Has now discovered these, to his crewmates' horror.
* [[Literal
* [[Lovable Nerd]]
* [[Odd Friendship]]: With Ranul Keru.
* [[Thank the Maker]]: Choblik swear on the Great Builders, whom they revere. The Choblik religion also interprets creation in general as the work of a "builder," as Torvig explains:
{{quote|"It is empirical that we were Upgraded to our current state millennia ago by some technological agency. It is also empirical that the galaxy contains many other life-forms, worlds and phenomena that could not have come into being without technological intervention. And many of the fundamental mysteries of the universe can be resolved by postulating it as a construct of some entity or civilization existing on a transcendent plane. Given the power and pervasiveness that such a creative agency would require, it's logical to interpret all lesser creative agencies in the universe as aspects of the ultimate Builders."}}
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A Bajoran minister with ambitions to become the next Kai, replacing Kai Winn. He's responsible for setting in motion a lengthy character arc for Kira Nerys, when he casts her from the church for exposing the Bajoran public to heretical texts.
* [[Ascended Extra]]: The Bajoran man who was given the name "Yevir" in the novels first appeared in an episode of ''[[Star Trek:
* [[Give Me a Sign]]
* [[Good Shepherd]]: He certainly has his moments. Despite his questionable decisions involving Kira, he truly cares for Bajor's spiritual well-being.
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* [[Alien Arts Are Appreciated]]: A Bolian, he greatly admired ''Monet's Bridge Over a Pond of Water Lillies''. He left the painting in a prominent position in the Presidental wardroom, considering it a symbol of all the art and culture of the Federation, which he was intent on preserving.
* [[Flanderization]]: Some accuse later portrayals (such as in the ''[[Star Trek:
* [[Government Conspiracy]]
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== The Klingons in general ==
* [[Fantastic Caste System]]: As a result of the Quch'Ha plague (as seen in a two-part episode of ''[[Star Trek:
* [[Finders, Rulers]]: Unofficially, the Sword of Kahless. Whatever the law says, anyone holding the sword will more or less find themselves ruler of the Klingon Empire. Fortunately, rightful leader Martok has it.
* [[King Arthur]]: ''The Left Hand of Destiny'' turned the ongoing Klingon saga into this, in part. Martok is Arthur. Worf is Lancelot, Emperor Kahless is Merlin, Alexander is Percival, Ezri Dax is the Lady in the Lake, Morjod is (obviously, Meaningful Name) Mordred, Gothmara is Morgan Le Fay. Martok's father, Urthog, is another obvious Arthurian homage. And the Sword of Kahless is of course Excalibur.
* [[Obfuscating Stupidity]]: The Klingons often demonstrate this trope in the novels; their enthusiastic bluster, casual violence and fondness for drink disguise the fact that they're every bit as capable of cunning manipulation as any other race; indeed, they're actually extremely political, for all their talk of "warrior's honour". Grodak in [[Star Trek: Seven Deadly Sins]] is a perfect example. Toqel, a Romulan politician, severely underestimates him and the Klingons in general, with troubling results for the Romulans and fatal ones for Toqel. Another Klingon character who illustrates the trope perfectly is General Khegh from [[Star Trek: Titan]].
* [[Prophecy Twist]]: According to the novels, the Second Coming of Kahless, long predicted in Klingon religious tradition, was intended as metaphorical, not literal. Thus, the clone of Kahless (created in an episode of ''[[Star Trek: The
=== B'Oraq ===
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A Klingon doctor, and the love interest of [[Star Trek: Klingon Empire|Captain Klag]]. B'Oraq trained in the Federation, and thus has unusual ideas about medicine.
* [[Awesomeness By Analysis]]: In [[Star Trek: Klingon Empire|''A Burning House'']], B'Oraq wins a death-duel within seconds by simply stabbing her opponent through one of the weakest parts of his armor, penetrating his third aorta. Killed him right in the middle of his monologue, too.
* [[Combat Medic]]: Of all Klingon doctors, she's more or less the only one who remembers the "medic" part is supposed to take priority.
* [[My Species Doth Protest Too Much]]
* [[Only Sane Woman]]: B'Oraq is very reasonable for a Klingon and frustrated by the rest of her people. Her particular agenda in life is to get the rest of the empire to accept the use of modern medicine. She faces fierce resistance, as the [[Honor Before Reason]] Klingon culture tends to view medical care as a low priority, and pandering to weakness.
== Goran ==
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* [[Bio Augmentation]]: Her specialty.
* [[Compelling Voice]]: Gothmara bioaugments both herself and her son Morjod in order to give them this.
* [[Dark Action Girl]]
* [[King Arthur]]: The novels she appears in turn the Klingon story arc into this. Gothmara is Morgan Le Fay.
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== K'mtok ==
Klingon Ambassador to the Federation as of [[Star Trek: A Time to...]] onward. Holds the position through [[Star Trek: Articles of the Federation]], [[Star Trek: Destiny]] and [[Star Trek: Typhon Pact]].
* [[Ambadassador]]: He is, like all Klingon nobles, a warrior.
* [[Ass in Ambassador]]: A particularly hawkish Klingon ambassador, he was appointed as a replacement to the more reasonable Ambassador Lantar. When Federation President Zife went over Lantar's head to talk directly with Chancellor Martok, Martok's political rivals on the Klingon High Council used the opportunity to force their man into the ambassadorship, claiming Lantar had been proven ineffective.
* [[Blood on the Debate Floor]]: Like most Klingon diplomats, not immune to this. When President Bacco calls the ambassadors from the major galactic powers together in [[Star Trek: Destiny]], K'mtok and Romulan ambassador Kalavak end up fighting. After a series of accusations and insults regarding events in prior novels, the two begin to physically scuffle, until separated by Federation security.
* [[With Friends Like These...]]: Despite his usual attitude, he represents the nation that’s probably the Federation’s closest ally.
== Kamarag ==
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Our main protagonist Klingon when Worf and Martok aren't around. A hero of the empire, he commands the Klingon warship ''Gorkon''.
* [[A Father to His Men]]: Insofar as Klingon values and regulations permit, Klag is extremely proud of his crew and does his best to encourage and uplift their efforts to succeed. Conversely, he also had no problem with [[You Have Failed Me...|killing anyone who proves incompetent]] per Klingon regulations, and he reacts to attempts to usurp his authority VERY harshly.
* [[Artificial Limbs]]: A plot point - Klag, who lost an arm in a previous conflict, could be fitted with an artificial replacement. He refuses, though, insisting that he's a Klingon, not a Borg. It's one of the [[Honor Before Reason]] issues Doctor B'Oraq has to deal with. Eventually, Klag accepts a biological graft - his dead father's arm to replace his own. It's not as effective, of course, but it's a compromise.
* [[Badass Transplant]]: Subverted originally, because having his father's arm attached where a stump used to be threw his fighting talent off by quite a bit in the first book. Over time he's regained some, if not a lot, of his old edge. However, to be fair, even at his worst (when he was merely a [[Handicapped Badass]] in prequel novel [[Diplomatic Implausibility]]), his skills were still only kinda off their usual game.
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An amoral Klingon politician, and a thorn in the side of both Chancellor Martok and Worf. He led the opposition to Martok on the Klingon High Council.
* [[Alien Arts Are Appreciated]]: Kopek decorated his office with items of art from across explored space. Among the paintings, artefacts and sculptures were those created by humans, Vulcans, and Betazoids. This despite the fact that Kopek despised those races. To be honest, he probably justified them as "trophies".
* [[Divided We Fall]]: Usually; but averted when the final test comes in [[Star Trek: Destiny]].
* [[Good Is Old-Fashioned]]: Kopek had no time for the teachings of Kahless and the honour codes Martok is trying to re-establish in Klingon society. Kahless condemned him for it:
{{quote|"You will fall, Kopek, because you live only to hold on to your power and to accumulate more. Martok works daily to restore the empire to the path of honour, and there is no place for you on that path. You will learn the true way, or you will reap the seeds of self-destruction you have so carefully sown”. }}
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An engineer who served on the ''Gorkon'' under Klag and Chief Engineer Kurak. He's well-groomed, rather timid and insists on viewing engineering problems as honourable battles. Kurak called him competent once, which is Kurak-speak for "absolute genius".
* [[Kicked Upstairs]]: In a sense. He didn't fit in on the ''Gorkon'' (or among Klingon warriors in general), and rather than have to deal with the...awkwardness...any longer, he volunteered for the role of {{spoiler|Emperor of taD}}. Klag and company swiftly agreed.
* [[Lovable Nerd]]
* [[My Species Doth Protest Too Much]]: Nothing like most Klingons we see, coming across more like a pleasant if whiny human "nerd". He's referred to as "a Grishnar Cat that survives among the targs" by another character.
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* [[Proud Scholar Race]]: Interestingly, they're shown in several novels to be more like the Vulcans than might be expected. Scholarship is valued highly in their culture. Despite or perhaps because of this, only those of higher class can pursue academic careers.
* [[Proud Warrior Race]]: Along with their scholar tendencies (above), it's a bit of an [[Alternate Character Interpretation]]; while the TV series ([[Star Trek: The
* [[Vestigial Empire]]: Back and forth in the novels, post [[Star Trek: Nemesis]]. In the immediate aftermath, the Romulan Star Empire [[Balkanise Me|fragmented into factions]]. Praetor Tal'aura and Proconsul Tomalak were able to reunite most of them, as the Federation sought to maintain peace along the borders. Commander Donatra, however, declared the worlds and fleets loyal to her independent. Between losing territory to Donatra, uprisings on the outworlds, and the damage from the [[Star Trek: Destiny|Borg Invasion]], the Empire was less than half its former size. It was explicitly stated in [[Star Trek: Articles of the Federation]] that the Romulans were no longer a superpower. However, they bounced back thanks to membership in the [[Star Trek: Typhon Pact|Typhon Pact]]. That said, the empire will presumably collapse again when Romulus is destroyed (though we're still a few years short of that in the current timeframe...)
* [[Villain Team-Up]]: A leading member of the Typhon Pact, an alliance of six previously xenophobic and aggressive antagonist cultures, united for mutual protection as a sort of rival-Federation.
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* [[Honor Before Reason]]
* [[I Gave My Word]]
* [[Left Hanging]]: So far, her decision to {{spoiler|join the Remans and work with Spock on the reunification of the Vulcanoid races}}.
* [[Odd Friendship]]: With Spock. Possibly with Neral, too.
* [[What You Are in the Dark]]
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== Donatra ==
Following ''[[Star Trek: Nemesis]]'', Donatra became an important figure in Romulan politics, opposing newly seated Praetor Tal'aura, and eventually forming her own government.
* [[Arch Enemy]]: With Tal'aura, who had Donatra's lover executed after he tried to unseat her from the praetorship. Donatra continued to oppose Tal'aura's rule, eventually declaring the fleets and planets loyal to her an independent state.
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The most bloodthirsty praetor in recent history, who nearly started a war with the Klingons and Federation.
* [[Blood on the Debate Floor]]: To the shock of the other senators, he murders a member of the government on the Senate Chamber floor. There's a reason why a character in later books says that Dralath caused more damage to Romulan honour than any other leader she remembers.
* [[The Caligula]]: But also...
* [[Evil Chancellor]]: Dralath, as praetor, is essentially this to Shiarkiek, the emperor (although the praetor has the real political authority, the emperor's figurehead status is still taken very seriously and his spiritual influence is extreme). Dralath even tries to manipulate public opinion by manipulating a drugged-up Shiarkiek.
== Gell Kamemor ==
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* [[Face Death with Dignity]]: He makes a conscious decision to do so, so his enemies, if they're watching his arranged death, won't have the satisfaction of seeing him run and flail.
* [[
== Ruanek ==
A lower-caste warrior who becomes an ally to Spock, eventually living on Vulcan, where he embraces a new role as a scholar. A man with a highly personal stake in the Federation/Romulan peace process. An [[Ensemble Darkhorse]], he first appeared in [[Star Trek:
* [[Blood Oath]]: He swore to avenge himself on the murderer of Shiarkiek (it led to a bit of [[Revenge Before Reason]]).
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* [[Honor Before Reason]]
* [[Odd Friendship]]: With McCoy, and with Spock.
* [[You Can't Go Home Again]]: After helping Spock back across the Neutral Zone to safety, Ruanek is unable to return lest he be tried for treason. He's reluctantly forced to make a new life on Vulcan. In later books (the [[Star Trek:
== Shiarkiek ==
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The elderly emperor; a spiritual figurehead whose moral power is matched by the praetor's political power. He was eventually assassinated during the Dominion War.
* [[Becoming the Mask]]: An interesting example. He was always more comfortable as a scholar than an emperor, and over the years "played" at scholar more and more until he forgot his true responsibility as emperor (at least that's how he sees it. He might be being a bit harsh on himself). He also feels that his true identity - defined, as with many Romulans, by his personal honour - is now lost to him.
{{quote|“I was a fool, a fool, so seduced by my scholarly research I forgot what I was. Never do that, never forget. For once you do, once you begin trusting others with what should be yours, you never, ever win it back”. }}
* [[Cool Old Guy]]
* [[Eccentric Mentor]]: He pretty much fits, with his aged body, eccentric personality and odd conversational tangents (plus his preoccupation with flesh-eating fish) combined with a deep wisdom and a good nature.
* [[Reasonable Authority Figure]]
== Tal'aura ==
Following ''[[Star Trek: Nemesis]]'', Tal'aura swiftly claimed the vacant leadership and for several turbulant years ruled as Praetor.
* [[Arch Enemy]]: To Donatra. Donatra already hated Tal'aura for several reasons, including her having executed Donatra's lover, and when the Imperial Romulan State was formed, they became political rivals too.
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A military command officer who led the infamous assault on Narendra III, slaughtering Klingon colonists. The father of Sela.
* [[General Ripper]]: With the Klingons as his "enemy X":
{{quote|"Think, Romulans, of our colony worlds. Think of the honest, hardworking, loyal men and women who ask nothing but to serve the Empire. Now picture foreigners imperiling those Romulan men, women, yes, Romulan children. And such invaders do threaten, brutish creatures who know nothing of honour, nothing of glory: Klingons! Klingons who know nothing but blood lust! You ask, how can this be? Have we not dealt peacefully with the Klingons, even purchased warships from them? Yes! We made that mistake! We let them sell us faulty ships - but no more! That was all part of their plan to weaken us, then overwhelm us".}}
* [[My Country, Right or Wrong]]
* [[Patriotic Fervor]]: He encourages this in his troops at every opportunity.
== Cardassian characters ==
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{{quote|“People with beliefs like that usually have a disorder that prevents them from understanding loyalty to anything but their own desires. A defect in their lateral cortex makes them abnormally egocentric, and the same disorder keeps them from having any impulse control. I learned about it in socio-deviance”.}}
* [[Fantastic Measurement System]]: ''Decas''.
* [[Fantastic Rank System]]: The current novels make use of Cardassian ranks listed in unpublished RPG sourcebooks. From highest to lowest, the ranks are Legate (canonically established), Jagul, Gul (canonically established), Dal, Dalin, Glinn (canonically established), Gil, Garresh, and Gorr.
* [[I Did What I Had to Do]]:
{{quote|The morality of a Cardassian can only be understood by a Cardassian. The morality of a soldier of the Union is that which serves the Union best.}}
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Leader of the Oralian Way, an ancient and benevolent Cardassian religion. Astraea is an inherited title for she who channels Oralius, the Guiding Spirit. The current Astraea is a woman named Miras Vara, a former student who revived the Way after a chance encounter with a Bajoran Orb.
* [[Blessed with Suck]]: Miras Vara's spiritual awakening in [[Terok Nor]] may be for the good of Cardassia, but her new life is hardly a happy one, seeing as she has to give up her old identity and live on the run as an outlaw. Then there's her prophetic knowledge of her planet's future destruction, which she knows she is powerless to prevent. She sees it regularly in her dreams, and is haunted by the vision.
* [[The Cassandra]]
* [[Good Old Ways]]
* [[Good Shepherd]]
* [[Ironic Echo]]: Her humble greeting, "you're always welcome", is repeated by Elim Garak at the end of [[Star Trek Deep Space Nine:
* [[Legacy Character]]: "My mother's name was Astraea. My daughter's name will be Astraea".
* [[Psychic Dreams for Everyone]]
* [[Refusal of the Call]]: Miras Vara tries, but Oralius is persistant. Eventually she gives in.
* [[Talking in Your Dreams]]: Oralius appears in Miras Vara's dreams to convince her to become Astraea. Vara tries not sleeping to avoid Her, but of course it doesn't work.
* [[Willing Channeler]]: Part of her job description as Guide for the Way.
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== The Andorians ==
The blue-skinned Andorians have been explored in depth in the novels, with their four-way marriage system interpreted as a four-sex biology. While this interpretation initially clashed a bit with portrayals in ''[[Star Trek:
* [[Alien Blood]]: It's blue.
* [[Armor-Piercing Question]]: "Are you Whole?" Supposedly asked of the mythical hero Thirishar by all-powerful Uzaveh (AKA Andorian God), the question drives the modern Andorian culture in its entirety. To be truly Whole requires both reassembling in unity the four genders derived from the hero Thirishar (essentially, bonding with three others in an marriage quad) and gaining knowledge of the "missing piece", an elusive aspect of racial knowledge hidden to the Andorian people.
* [[Arranged Marriage]]: The foundation of Andorian culture, a result of their low birth rate and general infertility. Having four sexes and a thin window of opportunity for successful births, they need to get their young adults making babies as soon as possible. Quads are brought together after genetic mapping to determine likely success in breeding. Andorians are taught to revere the four-way marriage bond above all else: One alone cannot be Whole, nor two, nor three.
* [[Bizarre Alien Biology]]: The four sex paradigm.
* [[Butt Monkey]]: Some Andorian characters sourly reflect that their race seems to be this for the universe in general.
* [[Creation Myth]]: An Andorian creation myth referencing the sundering of their race into four genders is essential to the in-depth exploration of their culture.
* [[Dying Race]]: The books establish the Andorians as this, at least by the 24th century. Their complex four-sex biology is failing them and their window of fertility has dropped to only four or five years. Unless their genome can be repaired, they face extinction within fifteen generations. Note that events in later books - [[Star Trek: Destiny]] most notably - make the problem even worse.
* [[Fictional Political Party]]: The Parliament Andoria is split between the Visionists (who are conservative and somewhat isolationist), and the strongly pro-Federation Modern Progessive party (liberal).
* [[Instrument of Murder]]: The Andorian ''flabjellah'' is a combination sidearm and musical instrument.
* [[Occupiers Out of Our Country!]]: As of the late 24th century, a vocal minority of Andorians have come to view the Federation as essentially an oppressive force manipulating Andor for its own ends at the expense of the planet's own national and cultural identity. The idea is encouraged by the {{spoiler|Tholians}}, who arrange to drop a proverbial bombshell at just the right (wrong) time.
* [[Overly Long Name]]: Andorians often have very long names, and combined with their fondness for lisping sounds can be quite a mouthful. Luckily they have a shorter "familiar" name that can be used instead.
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== The Betelgeusians ==
A highly competitive race who wander space in nomadic communities. Most Betelgeusians encountered in the novels (all minor supporting characters so far) are younger males who've joined Starfleet to gain experience and training, which they'll take back to their people in order to win a place in a pack.
* [[Boisterous Bruiser]]: The default Betelgeusian characterization.
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== The Bynars ==
Small, androgynous beings who appeared in one episode of ''[[Star Trek: The
* [[Fantastic Slurs]]: "Singleton" is a terrible slur among the Bynars, signifying one who is unfit for bonding with another; a rejected person. To the Bynars, who (almost) always operate in pairs, this is the ultimate insult. Protagonist character "Solomon" is on the receiving end of such abuse due to his decision [[My Species Doth Protest Too Much|not to take another mate upon the death of his partner]].
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== The Caeliar ==
Advanced and secretive aliens whose biology has been converted into nanotechnology. They appeared in [[Star Trek: Destiny]], their history being tied to that of the Borg Collective.
* [[Actual Pacifist]]: To the extent that they'd rather die than allow harm to come to others even through lack of action on their part. When the human characters they're holding captive rebel, they're convinced to co-operate when one of the humans shoots ''his own'' colleague.
* [[All Powerful Bystander]]: They can resolve the Borg crisis in [[Star Trek: Destiny]] relatively easily. Convincing them to actually care about the outside galaxy, and confront their own stagnation as a people, is far harder.
* [[Advanced Ancient Acropolis]]: Their capital city, Axion.
* [[Crystal Spires and Togas]]
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* [[Hive Mind]]: A benign, low-level version called the Gestalt. They're all full individuals though.
* [[Perfect Pacifist People]]: They see themselves as such.
* [[Space Elves]]: Isolationist, peaceful, convinced of their own superiority and not afraid to express it, and dedicated to scientific and philosophical pursuits while ignoring the wider galaxy.
* [[Stable Time Loop]]: Their history.
* [[Sufficiently Advanced Aliens]]
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== The Caitians ==
A feline race introduced in ''[[Star Trek: The
* [[Action Girl]]: The females are the hunters, as with Earth's lion.
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== The Chelons ==
One of several races to call the Rigel system home, the Chelons are based on the green "sabre-toothed turtle" Rigellians of ''[[Star Trek: The
* [[Descriptively Named Species]]
* [[Poisonous Person]]: When under stress, Chelons secrete a poison through their skin. Ambassador Jetanien explains this to his Klingon diplomatic counterpart in order to warn him off; another Chelon posthumously kills a Hirogen hunter with his poison in [[Star Trek: Destiny]].
* [[Turtle Power]]: If you couldn't guess from the name.
== The Children of the Storm ==
Introduced as a [[Sequel Hook]] in the [[Star Trek: Destiny]] trilogy, the Children starred in a follow-up novel from the [[Star Trek: Voyager Relaunch]]. They're a powerful non-corporeal race who defended their region of space against the Borg - one of the only races ever to do so.
* [[Blue and Orange Morality]]
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== The Deltans ==
Introduced in ''[[Star Trek: The
* [[Arch Enemy]]: The Carreon.
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* [[Interplay of Sex and Violence]]: The Deltan armed forces draw from those Deltans who have a...more combative...element to their sexuality. This being Deltans, it's usually well-controlled and healthy, but, put simply, the Deltan armed forces equate controlled force with sexuality. As a Deltan character says, if their rivals the Carreon insist on wanting conflict, who are the Deltans to deny it, particularly if some of their own can find a healthy outlet for their desires in the process?
* [[Space Elves]]
* [[Vestigial Empire]]: A willingly vestigial one. They turned inwards centuries ago and now control only a few star systems, considering space travel and colonization a “noble savage” sort of concept. They still get annoyed when the Carreon try to settle their old holdings, though.
== The Eav'oq ==
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* [[Actual Pacifist]]: They certainly claim to be total pacifists, and so far their behaviour supports it. They refused to fight and kill even when faced with potential genocide at the hands of the [[Scary Dogmatic Aliens|Ascendants]].
* [[Hidden Elf Village]]: The Eav'oq city on Idran VIII, hidden within subspace to protect the Eav'oq survivors from the Ascendants' genocidal rampage.
* [[Rule of Three]]: The number three appears to have considerable significance for the cultures involved with the Wormhole Aliens; the Eav'oq, the Bajorans, and the Ascendants (who themselves make three, obviously). Connected to this, we have the trio of the Voice, the Hand and the Fire. Further, there are nine orbs (three times three), and nine Emissaries. The Wormhole Aliens certainly like the number three, though for what reason (other than this trope, of course) is as yet unclear.
* [[You Can't Fight Fate]]: They seem destined to face the Ascendants. It will no doubt be revealed as part of a greater plan, because it's notable that after having hidden in subspace to prevent their total extinction at Ascendant hands, they come out of hiding just as the Ascendants are preparing to come back.
== The Efrosians ==
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== The Gorn ==
In the novels, the reptilian Gorn become a member of the Typhon Pact. Territorial and wary, they're probably one of the Pact's moderate members, but their various castes often have different outlooks and agendas.
* [[A Day in the Limelight]]: The [[Star Trek: Typhon Pact]] novel ''Seize the Fire''. Before that, the graphic novel ''The Gorn Crisis''.
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* [[Fictional Currency]]: ''Szeket''.
* [[Reptiles Are Abhorrent]]: Played with when the reptilian Gorn show similar revulsion to mammals.
* [[Thrown Out the Airlock]]: The Gorn Hegemony is shown to practice this as a form of execution. The prisoner is entitled to an official trial, but that doesn't stop some commanders spacing traitors there and then.
== The Huanni ==
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* [[Bizarre Alien Biology]]: Definitely; they're a collective race consisting of six species integrated together symbiotically. Only one of the six is humanoid.
* [[Blue and Orange Morality]]: They're quite reasonable and not overtly hostile, aside from their religious beliefs, which involve the Borg Collective as a model of divinity. The Indign capture spacefarers and "sacrifice" them to the Borg -- condemning them to [[A Fate Worse Than Death]] -- but they actually mean well.
* [[God Is Dead]]: In the aftermath of ''[[Star Trek: Destiny]]'', the Indign are dealing with this; the Borg Collective is no more.
* [[Starfish Aliens]]: The Greech, and many other components of the race.
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Their name and several other details taken in homage from earlier ''[[Star Trek]]'' works, the Kinshaya of the modern continuity are a race in near-continuous war with the Klingons. Their nation, the Holy Order, is a member of the newly formed [[Villain Team-Up|Typhon Pact]].
* [[A Day in the Limelight]]: The [[Star Trek: Typhon Pact]] novella ''The Struggle Within''.
* [[Church Militant]]: Their nation is a militant theocracy, and their warships are commanded not by captains but by ''bishops''.
* [[Cycle of Revenge]]: With the Klingons.
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== The Kurlans ==
The "Blugill" parasites from ''[[Star Trek: The
* [[Ancient Conspiracy]]
* [[Evil Counterpart]]: To the {{spoiler|Trill symbionts}}.
* [[Gone Horribly Wrong]]: Their creation resulted from medical experiments designed to make their original forms immune to a terrible plague.
* [[Hive Queen]]: The spawnmother.
* [[Puppeteer Parasite]]
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* [[Insectoid Aliens]]: Nasats resemble giant pillbugs. They therefore look like crustaceans, but are actually arachnid (eight limbs).
* [[Named After Their Planet]]
* [[Planet of Copyhats]]: They're based on a character from ''[[Star Trek: The
* [[Tree-Top Town]]: The Nasat civilization originated on the forest floor, but now resides in the canopy.
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The pig-like aliens from the TV shows are defined in the novels by their pride and their unusual sense of manners. It was established onscreen that they argue and bluster for the sake of it, and the novels expand on their morality to show them finding delight in clever and witty opponents. It's less [[Jerk with a Heart of Gold]], and more like a system whereby having a heart of gold is demonstrated ''through'' being jerkish.
* [[Blue and Orange Morality]]: "Civil Conversation" is their equivalent of polite formality, and involves blustering insults and cutting remarks as a means of encouraging argument.
* [[Boisterous Bruiser]]: Frequently.
* [[Pig Man]]
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* [[Depopulation Bomb]]: The Trill homeworld is eventually hit by a series of pulses harmless to the vast majority, but deadly to Joined Trills, who form a priviliged minority. Many of the Joined are killed, with the average citizen completely unaffected.
* [[Empire with a Dark Secret]]: Trill is a Federal Republic with a Dark Secret. The generational conspiracy among the Trill government is revealed to be more extensive than merely lying about the number of Trills suitable for Joining. It also involves a cover-up of a shameful time in the Trill's history, records of which were destroyed.
* [[Government Conspiracy]]: Trill has so many that eventually they can't suppress all the secrets anymore, there's a general uprising, much political embarrassment and almost a conflict with Bajor as a result.
* [[Hypocrite]]: The Trill culture is based on respect for knowledge and memory; their society is built on a generational conspiracy and cover-up.
* [[Occupiers Out of Our Country!]]: Unjoined political groups come to see the symbionts as a manipulative race of overlords controlling Trill society; after all, the Joined hold all the positions of overt political authority, and as far as some unjoined are now concerned, the humanoid Joined are puppets of the symbionts.
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* [[Fantasy Pantheon]]
* [[Human Aliens]]: Xenexians are almost indistinguishable from humans, aside from having additional eye colours such as Calhoun's purple.
* [[Martyrdom Culture]]
* [[Warrior Heaven]]: The Xenexian afterlife of ''Kaz'hera'' is a single battle, repeated ''ad infinitum'', basically analogous to ''Sto'vo'kor'', Klingon heaven. In ''Kaz'hera'', there are no regrets, no grudges, no responsibilities; only endless mayhem and the ability to fight and die over and over. Calhoun apparently believes in it; his human wife does not.
== The Zakdorn ==
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{{reflist}}
[[Category:Characters]]
[[Category:{{TOPLEVELPAGE}}]]
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