Bajoran Orientation Manual

Bajoran
Orientation College
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Index
Introduction...........................................................................1
The Bajoran Sector................................................................1
The Bajoran System..............................................................1
Geography of Bajor...............................................................7
The Bajoran People and their History...................................22
Government and Infrastructure.............................................29
Society and Culture...............................................................53
Bajoran Philosophy................................................................66
Language................................................................................67
Religion..................................................................................71
Notable Bajorans....................................................................88
Time Line..............................................................................114
Addendum: On being a practical Bajoran...............................117
Bibliography............................................................................124
Introduction
The Bajorans, also referred to as the “Bajora”, or scientifically as the “Bajoraa”, is a humanoid, non­
telepathic, extraterrestrial species native to the planet Bajor VII in the Alpha quadrant of the Milky Way galaxy. They are an ancient species, who had developed advanced technology already prior to the evolution of humanity on Earth.
The Bajoran Sector
Also known as Federation Sector 47, this is a region of space in the Alpha Quadrant which includes the planet Bajor, the Bajoran wormhole, and Federation Starbase Deep Space Nine. There are twelve major star systems in this sector, of which Bajor­B'Hava'el is the best known. The Bajoran sector borders the Almatha sector, which forms part of the Cardassian Union. The sector's dimensions (in light years) are: 85 (width) by 102 (length) by 90 (depth).
The Bajoran System
The Bajoran system (also referred to as the Bajor system, or B'hava'el system), is a star system located 52 light years towards the core from the Sol system, and contains 14 planets, all orbiting a 1
single, yellow, G­type star, similar to Sol. The system also contains the Denorios Belt, which itself contains the Alpha Quadrant terminus of the Bajoran wormhole.
During the Cardassian Occupation, a number of small outposts were established throughout the system on various small planets and moons by the Bajoran Resistance. These are now being maintained by the Federation. The Starfleet Antares Shipyards are also located in this system.
Bajor­B'hava'el is the main sequence bright­yellow dwarf star of the Bajoran system. Two Class M worlds orbit it: Bajor VII and Bajor VIII.
The energy from B'hava'el has always been instrumental in the Bajorans' travel across their system, as their lightships, equipped with solar sails, were dependent on it for power and propulsion.
Bajor VI (also referred to as B'hal Ta) is the sixth planet in the Bajoran system, and a Class H, desert, world. Despite its harsh conditions, this planet still has a population in excess of three million.
Bajor VII (also referred to as Cajara), is the seventh planet in the Bajoran system. It has at least five moons. This is the home planet in the system, and the capital Bajoran world. It is one of only three inhabited planets in the system.
Bajor VIII (also referred to as Andros), is the second Class M planet in the system. Also the eighth planet in the system, it's the site of six Bajoran colonies, with a population in the thousands. It's orbited by at least two moons.
Bajor IX is the ninth planet in the Bajoran system. It's a Class I gas giant, and the largest of the four gas planets, along with Bajor X and Bajor XI.
Ba'Syladon is the largest planet in the Bajoran system, and is designated as a Class J gas giant. It has at least four moons.
Syladdo is the fourth moon of Ba'Syladon. It's characterized by a methane sea. Some of the remains of the USS Phoenix were found at the bottom of this methane sea.
Derna is a small, uninhabited moon orbiting Bajor. Also sometimes referred to as the fourth moon of Bajor. Home to a Romulan field hospital.
Endalla is the largest of Bajor's moons.
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Jeraddo is the fifth moon of Bajor. Strictly classified as a “planetoid”, at one time it was a Class M world. Centuries ago, it was home to a group of Bajorans who had worshiped the Pah­wraiths.
By the late 2320's, Jeraddo had become a safe haven for 50 colonists who had managed to escape the Occupation. It used to be very favorable for the growing of katterpod beans. This lush, green moon was home to a variety of indigenous, brightly colored plant life, birds, and insects. In 2369, the Bajoran Provisional Government initiated a project to tap energy from Jeraddo's molten core to provide heat to hundreds of thousands of Bajoran households, using a technique the Klingons had originally developed on Praxis. This decision had been necessitated by a lack of viable energy sources on the war­torn Bajor itself. A process of Phased Energy Retrieval was initially proposed for tapping the core of the moon, but it was dismissed, even though it would have been a cleaner method than the one eventually used, as it would have taken over a year to achieve significant energy retrieval levels. The process eventually used, had devastating consequences for Jeraddo. Life on the planetoid became impossible due to the toxic gases released during the procedure. Colonists from the moon had to be evacuated to Bajor and other colonies.
This moon had also been the former site of the Jeraddo temple.
Penraddo is another one of Bajor's moons.
The Prodigal is the outermost moon of Bajor, named for a figure in Bajoran religion. It has an unusually wide and elliptical orbit, which only brings it into view of Bajor once every five years. The chemical composition of the moon causes it to glow when it comes close to the Bajoran wormhole – an event Bajorans refer to as “the Illumination of the Prodigal”.
The moon carries valuable deposits of uranium, latinum, and pergium, the latter a mineral typically used in energy production and life support systems by thousands of planets.
The Denorios Belt is a torus­shaped, charged plasma field located in the Bajoran system, between the planets Bajor VIII and Bajor XI, to be precise. At impulse power, the trip takes approximately three hours from Bajor to the belt – three hundred million kilometers. The belt is characterized by severe neutrino disturbances, tachyon eddies, plasma disruptions, and ion storms. Although Kai Taluno, a 22nd century Bajoran religious 3
leader, had been the first person to physically discover the Bajoran wormhole, its proper discovery has been placed on record as having occurred in May 2369, on stardate 46397.1. Shortly afterwards, the space station Deep Space Nine was moved from the orbit of Bajor to a position in the belt, 20,000 kilometers from the mouth of the wormhole.
Five of the Bajoran orbs were found in the belt.
The Bajoran wormhole
An artificial construct, a subspace “bridge”, or “tunnel”, that connects two points in normal space­
time, built by the beings known to Bajorans as the Prophets. It has a terminus in the Alpha Quadrant, in the Denorios Belt of the Bajoran system, and another in the Gamma Quadrant, approximately 70,000 light years away. The distance between these two points would take 600 years to traverse for a Starfleet ship, traveling at warp factor 9 through ordinary space, but through the wormhole, which bends space/time so severely that the two points almost touch, the trip takes just a few minutes. The wormhole is a distortion of the time/space continuum that also allows travel in the fourth dimension, time.
The wormhole has dramatically enhanced Bajor's status in the Galaxy. To races from the Gamma Quadrant, Bajor and Deep Space Nine are the first places to attack. To races from the Alpha Quadrant, these are points from which to defend the quadrant. As a result there has been an increased military presence from many races in the Bajoran system of late. The exponentially increased trade between the two quadrants has also had a significant impact on the Bajoran economy. 4
The wormhole is of major religious significance to the Bajoran people, who refer to it as the “Celestial Temple”. Most Bajorans believe the wormhole to be the manifestation of the Celestial Temple in the corporeal world. The Klingons call it the “Eye of Destiny”. In the Gamma Quadrant the wormhole is known as “The Anomaly”. To the Skreea, the wormhole is known as the “Eye of the Universe”.
Highly elevated levels of neutrinos are commonly detected just prior to the appearance of the wormhole's event horizon, and as a vessel traverses the passage. It's believed that verteron nodes play an important role in the stability of the wormhole. As an inconvenient side effect, these verterons limit vessels passing through the wormhole to impulse power only. In fact, warp drive has never been attempted inside the wormhole. The results are unpredictable at best; according to theory, it would almost certainly spell disaster for the vessel, and perhaps even the wormhole itself.
Inside the wormhole there are no stars, just a flickering kaleidoscope of light that pulsates around the ship as it travels towards the far end of the wormhole. The verteron particles generate a subspace current that sweeps the ship onward towards its destination. The opening of the wormhole is a beautiful sight, having inspired a superstition that making a wish when seeing the wormhole open, would cause that wish to come true. The wormhole undergoes a subspace inversion once every fifty years; the last one was in 2372. In 2373, anticipating an imminent Dominion attack, the Federation attempted to close the wormhole permanently, using Deep Space Nine's graviton emitters to send out phase conjugate graviton beams directed at the terminus, in an attempt to collapse its spatial matrix. Instead the matrix was made even more stable; even trilithium explosives would not be able to destroy it now.
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Terok Nor/Deep Space Nine
The station was built in 2351, with Bajoran slave labor, for the purpose of processing minerals from the surface of the Bajor, and preparing it for transport to Cardassia. Cardassian architect Kotan Darek oversaw the station's design and construction. He coerced assistance from Bajoran architect Charna Sar by threatening to destroy the Barodeem – the archive of Bajoran culture – should she refuse. They collaborated on the effort, until Charna Sar was executed for her involvement in a failed rebellion attempt. In accordance with Cardassian policy, the station was trashed with the hasty withdrawal of the Cardassian forces in 2369. Subsequent to the withdrawal, Bajorans assumed joint administration of the station with the Federation. Where it had once been in orbit around the planet Bajor, it has since been moved to the mouth of the Bajoran wormhole, retrofitted, and heavily armed, specifically with a view to the Dominion threat from the Gamma Quadrant. The station's compliment of weaponry includes 5,000 photon torpedoes, several phaser banks, as well as shields that extend outward 300 meters all around the outer perimeter of the station. Deep Space Nine operates according to Bajoran time, with 26 hours per day. The station, over a kilometer in diameter, is shaped like a wheel, composed of an outer docking ring with six upper and lower pylons, 18 docking bays, an inner habitat ring containing residences, and a central core section containing the promenade, the fusion reactors, as well as the operations center, all connected by three pylons, spread equidistantly around the docking ring. The station has only 300 permanent residents, despite a capacity for 7,000. An average of five to six ships dock here per week. In 2375, there were over 900 Starfleet officers stationed here.
Deep Space Nine, or Terok Nor, as it was known during the Cardassian occupation. Built with Bajoran slave labor, this space station is a marvel of Bajoran engineering and craftsmanship.
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The conference room on Deep Space Nine, where many discussions and negotiations were held around the future of Bajor and its people.
The Geography of Bajor VII (Cajara) Bajor is a picturesque world, on which many beautiful gardens are lovingly tended, including those surrounding the Vedek temples. The land and plant life mirror the deep spirituality of the Bajoran people, enhancing the gentle beauty of the temples, and providing a serene and pleasant atmosphere. Bajor consists of three continents, referred to simply as the Northern, Southern, and Eastern continents. These continents are surrounded by the Korvale and Valor oceans. The continents are divided up into 11 provinces and numerous regions. Formally, the Bajoran state is referred to as “The Third Republic of Bajor”. Bajor, the home world of the Bajoran people, is a class M planet, the natural resources of which include silicon, iron, carbon, and nickel. Agriculture accounts for 12% of the planet's surface usage. Industries take up a further 21%, with only 11% of the planet being inhabited. More than half of the planet's surface, 56% to be precise, is either unused, or unusable. Bajor is the capital planet of the Bajoran Republic, with its immediate neighbors including the Trill and the Betazed. It has five moons: Endalla, Derna, Penraddo, Jeraddo, and the outermost moon known as The Prodigal. The planet became warp­capable in 2328, presumably with some help from 7
the Cardassians. Its capital city is Ashalla. The Bajoran day is 26 hours long. The Bajoran year lasts 281 Bajoran days, which is equal to 304 Earth days. Bajor became a member planet of the United Federation of Planets on September 29th 2376.
The planet is slightly larger than Earth, at a diameter of 12,600 kilometers, with a gravity of approximately 1.4g. The climate is tropical over most of the planet, but storms do occur during certain seasons of the year. There are a number of desert areas, although most of the barren wasteland left by Cardassian mining have been reclaimed.
A massive system of aqueducts on land provides both irrigation and an established transit system. Transport centers in major urban areas often combine water and air transport, to the delight and amusement of many off­world visitors. Agrobiology camps were set up on Bajor in the years following the Cardassian withdrawal, in order to educate the Bajoran people on how to live off their ravaged planet, with the goal of making the world as fertile as it had been before the environmental 8
damage caused by the Cardassian mining operations. Most settlements have been fully rebuilt after the destruction of the Cardassian withdrawal. There are few large cities, however, as Bajorans prefer small, close­knit communities, as opposed to urban sprawl.
Bajor was the center of events during the Dominion War (2373­2375), due to its proximity to the Bajoran wormhole, the Dominion's only pipeline for troops and material. As a consequence, the Bajoran sector was once again temporarily occupied by Dominion and Cardassian forces from 2373­
2374.
Obvious concerns notwithstanding, Bajor was not attacked by the Borg during the Borg invasion of 2381.
Provinces of Bajor
Dahkur Province
This is the province where legends have been made all through Bajoran history. The subspace inversion of the Bajoran wormhole has been visible from Dahkur Province for at least 3,500 years – long before the wormhole was actually discovered. Agricultural use dominates the region, with the exception being the Dahkur hills, an impassable area that includes Kola mountain, a Resistance stronghold, Tanis Canyon, Ratosha Pass, and Serpent's Ridge. During the Cardassian Occupation, Kira Nerys spent an entire winter in the hills of Dahkur Province with the Shakaar Resistance Cell.
In the 2370's, the province's capital attracted many artists.
Ducrain Province
A region of Bajor known for its excellent wines.
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Hedrikspool Province
This province contained the Tilar peninsula, which was used by the Cardassians during the Occupation, and later by the Federation during the Parasite crisis of 2376. In 2370, a new nature preserve was opened in this province, containing a large population of Hara cats.
Janitza Province
In 2371, Keiko O'Brien spent two weeks in the mountains of the province as the botanist for an agrobiology expedition.
Kendra Province
The site of the Kendra Valley, and the infamous Kendra Valley Massacre. In 2369, this valley had a population of 1,200 people. Most of the farmers in this region are involved in the growing of the Kava fruit, a versatile foodstuff and the main ingredient in Springwine. Ashalla, the capital city of Bajor, is situated to the north of the province.
In 2374, the province was shaken by earthquakes caused by instability of the Bajoran wormhole during The Reckoning. The quakes left thousands homeless.
In 2375, Benjamin Sisko bought twelve hecapates of land in the Kendra Valley, just south of the Yolja river, intent on building a house for his retirement on that spot. Lotha Province
Largely an agricultural region prior to the Cardassian Occupation, at which time a mine was established there. Following the Cardassian withdrawal, an aqueduct system was built, which brought water to the region. By 2373, Lotha's farms were producing at levels almost equal to those before the Occupation.
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Rakantha Province
An area well­known for its agriculture. Crops such as boton, moreka, and salam grass used to be grown here prior to the Occupation. In the closing weeks of the Occupation, the Cardassians poisoned the province with soil declamators, turning the province into a barren wasteland.
In 2371, Rakantha was due to take possession of soil reclamators after Dahkur Province had finished with them. Shakaar Edon and other Dahkur farmers refused to hand them over, as not all of their soil had been cleansed yet at the time.
In 2374, during the Reckoning, Rakantha Province was flooded after the planet had been affected by the Bajoran wormhole's instability. Two­thirds of the Rakantha wheat harvest was destroyed.
Tozhat Province
The Tozhat Resettlement Center is located here. During the Cardassian withdrawal, the occupying forces attempted to use soil declamators to poison Tozhat as part of their “scorched earth” policy. The Bajoran Resistance detonated a bomb in the barracks where these declamators were being activated at the time. Twenty Cardassian women and children were killed in the explosion. Rumors abounded that the Cardassian Guard forces had used the civilians as shields to buy time to bring the declamators on­line. The Tozhat Memorial was later erected in Cardassia City in their memory.
In 2373, Tozhat Province was overrun with Tribbles.
Wyntara Mas Province
During the conflict between Bajor and the Ferengi Alliance over the Orb of Wisdom in 2372, several Ferengi properties were seized by the government in this area, but returned again to the owners once the issue had been resolved.
Ilvian Province
A rural area used for farming. The “bread basket” of Bajor, so to speak, as much of the planet's staple foods are grown in this area. It's also the site of the Bajoran Academy, the Ilvian Medical Complex, and the Bajoran State Museum.
The Eastern Province Benjamin Sisko once compared this province to the Garden of Eden, describing “lush, green valleys covered in wildflowers that seem to spring up overnight”, and “hundreds of small, crystal­clear ponds, interconnected by waterfalls”.
Hill Province
A large, mountainous region. The collective name for such regions as Lonar and Dahkur, both linked by Ratosha Pass, which begins in the Dahkur mountain range known as Serpent's Ridge.
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Musilla Province
This province is home to a university. It's also the location of the beautiful Holana river. Houses along this river are amongst the most desirable properties on Bajor, with large, peaceful, wooded areas surrounding them.
Northwest Province
Another area ruined by Cardassian strip mining.
Bajoran Regions
The Bajoran Arctic
A polar region of Bajor.
In 2371, Jadzia Dax arranged for a transport to be permanently stationed there, in preparation for a possible Dominion invasion. If the Jem'Hadar invaded, civilians from Deep Space Nine would be taken to the arctic, from where the transport would take them to Camus II.
Dahkur hills
A mountain range located in the Dahkur Province, and including Kola Mountain, Tanis Canyon, Ratosha Pass, and Serpent's Ridge. In 2361, Kira Nerys spent the whole of the winter in the Hills with the Shakaar resistance cell.
Tanis Canyon
A dead end pass, often used by the Resistance for ambushes during the Occupation.
The Janitza Mountains
A mountain range on Bajor. It's a remote and sparsely populated area. Until the early 2370's, this mountain range had only ever been surveyed from orbit. It has an incredibly diverse ecosystem though, with every valley having an entirely different ecosystem.
Following the failure of the Alliance for Global Unity's takeover of Deep Space Nine, General Krim Aldos retreated to a house in the Janitza Mountains.
The Kaladrys Valley
In the Bajoran language, the name means “the green valley of song”. It was once the most fertile farmland on all of Bajor, but resulting from the ravages of the Occupation, it had become little more than a wasteland. The villages of Lacroya, Bennikar, and Jabelon are located in this valley.
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Sovain Valley
An area surrounded by mountain ranges. Notable as the site of the famous battle between Li Nalas and Gul Zarale.
The Fire Caves
Caverns on Bajor in which the Pah­wraiths were said to have been imprisoned by the Prophets after they attempted to seize control of the Bajoran wormhole. The name notwithstanding, there had never really been any fire in these caves, except the time when the Pah­wraiths had nearly been released. Bajorans had always been wary of them, and some even regarded them as either “haunted”, or the entrance to hell. The caverns, however, have always been a popular attraction for non­Bajorans.
Thirty­four thousand years ago, during the war involving the Perikian Republic, the Endtree, the Bajora, and the Lerrit, the entrance to the fire caves collapsed, destroying the city of Yvrig in the process. Survivors would later claim that the destruction of their city had been caused by a “blue fire”. The Cardassians have always found the Bajorans' fear of the Fire Caves amusing, but never mounted an expedition themselves, not even during the Occupation.
The Northwest Peninsula
An almost uninhabited area. Prior to the Cardassian occupation, the area had very fertile soil, with some excellent farming land. However, subsequent to the Cardassian withdrawal from Bajor, the soil was plagued with toxins. In 2376, several Europani refugees were temporarily settled in the Northwest Peninsula, but their presence caused water tables to drop.
The Okana Desert
This desert expanse is home to the Okana Shipyards.
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The Perikian Peninsula
This area is situated at the southern end of one of the Bajoran continents, and is known for its network of underground labyrinths. The peninsula is divided from the mainland by a series of hills, and juts into the Korvale ocean. Boats approaching from the west would have to traverse a corner, not coming into sight of the port until it was almost ready to dock. During the 2370's, the Alliance for Global Unity had maintained their underground headquarters in this area.
In ancient times, the peninsula had originally been controlled by the Lerrit. Rebels tired of the oppression suffered under their hands, rose up and took the peninsula and its port, Natlar, by force.
The peninsula was named for the woman who first openly spoke of rebelling against the Lerrit, Perik Remarro.
Bestri Woods
An area in Dakhur Province that had often been used as a hiding place by resistance fighters during the Occupation.
Undalar
An area on Bajor noted for its spectacular cliffs. These cliffs consist of steep rock faces, with a unique fungus growing on them. Home to an interesting range of plant and animal life.
The Southern Islands
The residences of many prominent Bajorans are situated here. Also known for its fine Bajoran wines and sherry.
The Bajoran Outback
Wild bushland area on the planet. A popular vacation area for camping holidays.
Dakeen Monastery
A religious retreat that is quite isolated from the rest of the planet, with no means of quick communication.
Kiessa Monastery
A religious retreat on Bajor, destroyed by the Cardassians. The monks had been using this monastery to hide weapons for the Resistance during the Occupation. Seventeen monks were massacred during this atrocity.
Kenda Shrine
An oracle that is often consulted by the general populace to gain wisdom from the prophets.
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Golian Spa
A health resort located on Bajor.
Bajoran Colonies
One of the more established colonies still surviving, is Prophet's Landing, the colony closest to the Cardassian border. This colony is characterized by its new orbital sensor platforms.
The colony of New Bajor, which had been set up originally in the Gamma Quadrant, was wiped out by the Jem'Hadar, with the loss of hundreds of Bajoran lives. Since then, no other Bajoran colonization attempts have been made in the Gamma Quadrant.
Dreon VII is a colony near the Maquis Badlands. The trip here from Bajor takes approximately twelve hours.
Freehaven, was a Bajoran colony frequently menaced by Breen privateers.
Golana is another Bajoran colony, and also a favorite picnic spot of the O'Brien family. It was once home to an unknown civilization, which vanished 2,000 years ago, leaving behind a time portal.
Bajoran Settlements
Ashalla
The capital city of Bajor. Both the Central Bank, as well as the Temple of the Prophets are located here.
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The Bajoran temple in Ashalla
The Shikina Monastery is a historical site of great religious significance. It serves as the Kai's residence. During the Cardassian Occupation a secret chamber under the monastery was the home of the Orb of Prophecy and Change, the only orb the Bajorans had prevented the Cardassians from taking. By 2376, all the orbs had been recovered, and were being stored in the same chamber. That same year, the chamber became the chosen spawning ground of a parasite spawnmother, and was where the parasites kept several hostages, including Benjamin Sisko's new wife, Kasidy Yates.
In late September of the same year, a site just outside the city was chosen for the signing ceremony for Bajor's admittance into the United Federation of Planets.
The Great Assembly is the tallest building in Ashalla, and accommodates the Chamber of Ministers, as well as the Vedek Assembly.
The Paths of the Lost is a series of catacombs that runs underneath the city. The Bajorans bury some of their dead in these catacombs, including some of the earliest Kais and Vedeks, as well as others that were revered for their faith. These underground tunnels form a labyrinth, which extends for tessijens, with any knowledge of them having been lost to the Bajorans for centuries, to the point that they fell to legend. They were not mapped properly, and those that venture too far into them, run the risk of never finding a way out again. These tunnels were constructed by ancestors of the Bajorans thousands of years ago. One of the legends that surrounds them, which partially explains why knowledge of the area had been lost, is that the ancient Bajorans had used these tunnels at a time when a believer had lost his faith, and would descend into the catacombs to look for it. It is said that the lost soul would wander in the darkness until the Prophets touch him, and it was only then that he could return to the light above. This led these catacombs to becoming known as the “Path of the Lost”. These tunnels were accidentally rediscovered by a Bajoran Resistance cell during the Occupation of Bajor, subsequent to which the Resistance used it as a hiding place from the 16
Cardassians, as refractory minerals below ground in that region inhibited
sensor scans and transporters.
The Taluno Library was constructed over 1,800 years ago and is the center of learning in the Dahkur Province. The most advanced construction techniques were used to build the library, with walls and columns incorporating complicated patterns, and a high level of craftsmanship. The library was set on fire by the Cardassians during the Occupation, following an uprising by workers. It was situated directly above the underground catacombs known as the “Paths of the Lost”.
Bennikar
A village in the Kaladrys Valley, known for its kis, an alcoholic beverage, and for breeding a sturdier variety of verdanis, a Bajoran animal that resembles a cross between an ostrich and a horse. Its name means “the village where many waters dance”. This village was destroyed during the Occupation.
Lacroya
Another village in the Kaladrys Valley. The people of this village all died from an unknown sickness, very similar to satai, or “swelling fever”, but simply referred to as “camp fever”.
Ilvia
This city houses the Ilvian Medical Complex, and the Bajoran State Museum. Large crops of katterpods are grown here.
Jalanda City
The second city of Bajor, and home to the Jalanda forum, a center for the performing arts, as well as the Bajoran library, which houses the most significant collection of manuscripts on Bajor, some dating from before the fall of the First Republic, more than 10,000 years ago.
Karvis
A city located on the southern continent, at the mouth of the Teejan river. In the early 2340's, Cardassian engineers changed the routes of several of the Teejan's tributaries, by installing pumps to divert the water flow away from Karvis. By 2372, these pumps' power cells had begun to fail, necessitating the procurement of new power cells, to prevent the city from being flooded.
Lasuma
The site of a grain processing center.
Tamulna
A city on Bajor which was struck by a tornado during the instability of the wormhole.
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B'Hala
A Bajoran holy city that had been lost for 20,000 years. Legend placed the founding of the city in 25,657 BC. It had been built around a Bantaca spire, that bore markings denoting the city's position in the cosmos. The city was discovered by Benjamin Sisko in 2373, when he used the image of a Bantaca, a type of obelisk, on an icon painting, to establish the city's exact location. This in itself was quite an achievement, as only two sides of the Bantaca had been depicted in the painting, making it extremely difficult to decipher the city's location from the visible markings. The method Sisko had used, was quite ingenious: he created a holographic representation of the Bantaca spire from the painting, and using the spire's reflection in a waterfall in the original icon painting of the city, extrapolated the symbols on the other two sides, using computers on Deep Space Nine. He eventually found the city on Bajor, buried some 200 meters underground.
The city soon became a major archaeological site under the auspices of the Order of the Temple, a group of prylars, and a variety of other committees and unions, such as Site Extension. It was discovered that B'hala had been built upon the ruins of an even more ancient city, that had been abandoned some 25,000 years prior. It was also here, in 2376, that a mass tomb was discovered, containing the 10,000 bodies of the individuals who had been responsible for guarding Ohalu's Prophecies.
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Sidau
Village life on Bajor is simple, and most villagers are prone to superstition. One such settlement, Sidau, was located in a jungle, at the foot of a forested mountain. The dwellings had all been carved from stone, and the largest house had belonged to the revered Sirah. The village was centered around a circle of stones, which seemingly helped focus the villagers energies. For centuries, the Siranha of the village would use the paghvaram, an orb fragment contained in a bracelet he wore, to conjure a being known as the “Dal'Rok”. The Dal'Rok would then attack the village, and the Sirah would make the villagers work together to defeat it, bringing them closer together in the process.
In addition to the yearly ritual of driving out the Dal'Rok, a Sirah enjoyed significant respect in the village. He was often asked to bless newborns, and he would receive gifts from the villagers, including at least three young women for unspecified services. Siranha were entitled to have families of their own.
In 2376 the village was destroyed by a group of Cardassian mercenaries, and all the villagers killed.
Bajoran bodies of water
Glyrhond river
The Glyrhond river flows into the Glyrhond Falls. This river has defined the mutual border of the Paqu and Navot villages since 2279. The river is known for having nerak flowers growing along its banks. During the occupation of Bajor, the Cardassians had diverted the course of the river so it could be used as part of their mining operations.
The Korvale Ocean
One of the main oceans of Bajor. The Perikian Peninsula juts into the Korvale ocean. The ocean water is green in color, due to a slight green tint in Bajor's atmosphere.
In ancient times, Natlar Port had served the Perikian peninsula as a gateway between the land and the ocean.
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The Yolja river
Situated in Kendra province. On both sides of the river are valleys, plains, and forests that stretch for hundreds of kilometers, until the land meets the sea. A path along the Yolja is known as the River Way.
The Valor ocean
During the Occupation, the Cardassians had set off antimatter charges that opened a river channel inland where the city of Bar'trila had been located. As a result, the valley was flooded with ocean water, creating an inland sea.
The Holana River
This river runs through Musilla Province, and some stretches are said to be the most romantic spots on the planet.
Qui'al Dam
A large dam near the city of Janir, restored to working order in 2371 to provide water to the city and surrounding areas.
Bajoran Plants
Hasva
A Bajoran plant with certain healing properties. Coupled with the needles of another tree plant, a Hasva root mixture could help stop fever visions.
Bajoran lilac
A variety of flower indigenous to Bajor.
Takeo herbs
Bajoran plants valued for their medicinal properties. Excellent for curing swollen joints, such as ankles, but it must be dissolved in fruit juice to be ingested.
Feloran bromiliad
A flowering plant, found in the temple gardens outside Ashalla.
Hiuna
A type of leaf, used to make Bajoran tobacco.
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Makara herbs
Indigenous Bajoran flora, noted for its medicinal value.
Bajoran Animals
Barrowbug
An insect found in mounds. These insects resemble Terran cockroaches, and spit acidic venom. On average, they are about the size of a human fist.
Hara Cat
A feline animal known for its quickness and graceful movement.
Hyurin
A type of rodent, the hyurin resembles a cross between a Terran rat and a hamster.
Tokka
Somewhat similar to a Terran dog. Some Tokka were bred and trained to track criminals.
Verdanis
A Bajoran animal that resembles a cross between an ostrich and a horse.
Bajoran bat
A winged mammal native to Bajor. They rarely bite.
Emerald Tree Boa (Corallus caninus)
A green and white striped snake. Trakor's Third Prophecy makes a reference to vipers, indicating the existence of snakes on Bajor.
Dakeeni manta
A Bajoran sea creature.
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The Bajoran People and their History
The Bajoran population numbers 17.5 billion. The official birth rate as of 2372 has been recorded as 14 births per 1000, with a slightly lower attrition rate of 12 deaths per 1000. The current life expectancy for Bajoran males is 128 years, with 130 years for females, in stark contrast to the harsh times of the Occupation, when life expectancy had dropped to 78 years. However, people of 165 years and older have been reported in the recent past. The fertility rate is 1.7 children per woman. Bajorans make up 89% of the total population of Bajor, while 94% of the planet's population practice mainstream Bajoran religion. The spoken language is predominantly Bajoran, although there are sizable minorities speaking Federation Standard English, Kardassi, and Ferengi. The planet has an economically viable labor force of approximately 7.36 billion. There are several nation­like factions on Bajor, the Paqu and Navot being just two of them.
Similarities to other races
Bajorans, insofar as their worship of the wormhole Prophets are concerned, seem to be intrinsically linked to at least two other alien species found in the Gamma Quadrant: the Ascendants and the Eav'oq. There are many similarities between these species' religious worship which indicate that all three species may be worshiping the same aliens as gods, although their individual religious interpretations vary dramatically.
Physiology
Bajorans resemble humans very closely in appearance, and can be distinguished by a series of four to seven horizontal creases across their noses.
Controversially, some sources maintain this is an indication that millennia earlier in their evolutionary history Bajorans had small elephant­like trunks. The species has light­ and dark­skinned variants, although dark­skinned 22
Bajorans appear to be a very small minority. The Bajoran heart is mirrored along a horizontal axis, as opposed to the human heart which is mirrored vertically. A puncture to the lower ventricle of the Bajoran heart can lead to instantaneous death. The Bajoran body is slightly more sturdy than that of Terrans, due to a more developed bone structure, especially the spine. Bajorans intensely dislike extremely hot climates.
History
Early History
Bajoran civilization stretches back more than half a million years. The official archaeological record alone goes back to approximately 28,000 B.C. Thirty­Four thousand years ago, several nation­states populated Bajor. The Lerrit ruled with an oppressive force, and heavily taxed the people under their rule. They had a government with a queen as head of state. Power passed from one generation to the next through a long line of heirs. The Lerrit also practiced public execution. At one point, the oppression became too much for the inhabitants of Perikia, who subsequently rose up against the Lerrit, and fought for their independence, garnering support from the Endtree in the process. After allying themselves with the Bajora, another nation­state on Bajor, the Lerrit launched more attacks against both the Perikians and the Endtree. The Endtree were ruled by a council. They had pledged the support of their naval forces to the Perikian rebels, and had remained at Natlar Port to patrol and protect the waterways. War was waged at sea and on land. The Bajora, in turn, had been an ethnic subgroup of the Bajoran species. They had become a nation­
state, and eventually dominated the planet culturally and economically, subsuming other ethnic minorities. They planted representatives in various locations in other nation­states. Their modus operandi was to approach the various nation­states and urge them to join their global unification movement, as well as their worship of the Prophets. The Bajora's offer had been rebuked by the Perikians shortly after their declaration of independence, but the Lerrit had chosen to ally with the Bajora to gain arms for a resurgence in hostilities against the Perikians and the Endtree. Knowing that the Lerrit ruler was sterile, the Bajora had hoped to take over the Lerrit people once their leader had died.
Another legend tells the story of the Nivan, a nation that existed on pre­industrial Bajor. When the dictator Gordach tried to conquer Nivan, the Nivanites started a fire, burning all their possessions, effectively trapping Gordach's army without a navy. The fire burned out after five days, after which an army of people from lands conquered by Gordach rose up in support of the Nivanites, and overthrew Gordach. The people of Nivan had not been known as warriors, but studied science, philosophy, and art. They had not been expected to last even a day against Gordach.
The ancient Bajorans were renowned for their accomplishments in science, mathematics, philosophy, and the arts. The greatest of these early Bajoran civilizations was known as the First 23
Republic, which flourished 25,000 to 20,000 years ago. During this time magnificent cities, such as B'hala, were built. Even at this early point, Bajorans had already used lightships for interstellar travel, even reaching Cardassia and establishing First Contact. For many years, the Cardassians disputed this claim, because they did not like to admit that the ancient Bajorans had achieved interstellar flight before they had.
The next great phase of Bajoran civilization began approximately 10,000 years ago, when the first Tears of the Prophets were discovered above Bajor. These were orbs that originated from non­
corporeal entities, known as the Prophets, who reside inside the Bajoran wormhole. These artifacts ushered in a new era of Bajoran spirituality. Around the year 370 (Earth calendar), the second age of the “Old Bajoran Republic” was in place. During this period, Bajorans encountered and battled the non­humanoid species known as the Vorel. Their name survives only in an ancient Bajoran tale. The old Bajoran Republic consisted of an interstellar governmental authority that expanded the Republic as far as the twin star Tarvo system. However, a thousand­year period of strife followed, severely compromising this second age. By the 16th century, the Bajorans had developed sublight space travel, and were exploring their home star system with solar­sail spacecraft. At this time, some Bajoran explorers even reached the Cardassian system, several light years away. This period abruptly ended with the Cardassian annexation of Bajor in 2339.
Bajor currently finds itself at the beginning of a period being referred to as the “Age of Change”. This has set off an explosion of cultural growth, with more and more Bajorans beginning to view Federation membership as being as much a part of their identity as their Bajoran heritage. Bajorans are now bringing their ancient culture to all corners of the Federation, launching cultural missions, and sharing their customs and stories all across the Alpha Quadrant.
The Cardassian Occupation
Inside a Cardassian labor camp
By 2309, Bajor was having some serious internal difficulties. Unfortunately, the sources are not clear on exactly what the nature of these “difficulties” were. All said, the Cardassians stepped in at 24
that point, offering to “help”, but they were really looking for a way to replenish their own dwindling natural resources. The Cardassians first set foot on Bajor in 2318, under the pretext of studying the similarities between their faith, the Oralian Way, and that of the Bajoran people. By 2328, however, the personal, political, and religious tensions between the Bajorans and the Cardassians had spiraled out of control. The Cardassian Union, which had been taken over by a military dictatorship at that point, forcefully invaded Bajor, occupying it for the next forty years, during which time they had forced many Bajorans into slave labor, using them in their various mining operations. The Federation at the time declined to become involved, claiming that it was an internal Cardassian affair. This led to some resentment towards the Federation by the Bajoran people, especially when the Federation was initially invited to administer Terok Nor after the Cardassian withdrawal. The planet was formally annexed in 2339. Bajor's plentiful natural resources had been the motivating factor behind this occupation. The Cardassians had exhausted the resources of their own home world, and needed to pillage resources from the Bajorans, in order to continue with the expansion of their empire. During this period of occupation, the Cardassians perpetrated a coordinated scheme of strip­mining, forced labor, and genocide across the planet. They were determined to strip the Bajorans of their cultural identity. Bajorans were put to work in replicator plants and mines, and were expected to carry out any other dangerous or dull duties that the Cardassians felt were beneath them. At the time, an Occupational Government existed, in fact, consisting of a group of Bajoran collaborators led by Kubus Oak. Collaborators were often given better living quarters and food than the average Bajoran. The Vedek Assembly of the time was led by Prylar Bek. On board the mining station, Terok Nor, Bajoran prisoners were forced to process raw uridium, leading to daily casualties in the processing plant. Bajorans here were housed in poor communal quarters, unless they had somehow earned the approval of their Cardassian commanders, and been given their own private quarters. Some Bajorans were even permitted to run small businesses on the station. Other Bajoran laborers did menial janitorial jobs in the Ferengi bar on the Promenade. Bajorans had to live in ill­equipped barracks, sometimes even being forced to burn malaba drums for heat. Bajoran­sectioned areas on Terok Nor were fenced off like ghettos, and patrolled at all hours by the Cardassians. Well­armed guards constantly monitored the ghetto area from the second level walkways above. Prisoners could only leave the area by showing proper identification, or when being escorted to a job location for the day. Bajorans who had broken the rules on Terok Nor, were detained in holding cells to await swift Cardassian justice, which could include anything from hard labor, or interrogation, to ethnic cleansing, depending on the crime committed. Gul Dukat, who had been Prefect of Bajor at the time, devised a unique counter­insurgency program on board the Terok Nor, specifically designed to initiate a series of countermeasures in the event of a Bajoran uprising. An initial revolt in the work section would be met with that particular section being sealed with force fields. A delay would be given to allow for surrender, after which neurocene gas would be released. Should any Bajoran workers have managed to escape from the section, the station itself would have been sealed with force fields. Once again, neurocene gas would have been released in the habitat ring, following a delay affording Cardassians the chance to evacuate the area, using their personal access codes to pass through the force fields. In the unlikely event of the Bajoran workers managing to prevent the release of these gases, a self­destruct sequence would be initiated, and set for two hours, only reversible by Gul Dukat himself. In the ultimate event of an 25
attempt to counterfeit the Dukat code, a phaser drone would immediately proceed to kill all non­
Cardassians found on the station. In addition to internment and labor camps, a number of Cardassian prisons had also been established on Bajor, such as the Elemspur Detention Center, where the death rate ran as high as 80%. This, in turn, forced many Bajorans to flee and live in refugee camps on planets all over the known galaxy, away from Cardassian domination, whilst other Bajorans became involved in the resistance movement, organizing fierce guerrilla and terrorist attacks against Cardassian targets. Over the course of the Occupation, up to as many as 10 million Bajorans died in harsh labor and internment camps. In 2369, the independent Republic of Bajor came into being, when the Cardassian civilian authorities ordered a military withdrawal from Bajor, as provided for by Cardassian Supreme Directive 26/45. Subsequent to the withdrawal, the Bajoran provisional government invited the United Federation of Planets to set up base on the former Cardassian mining station of Terok Nor, renaming it Deep Space Nine, and also requesting membership into the Federation. In the same year the Bajoran wormhole was discovered. Less than six months after its establishment, the Republic of Bajor suffered an attempted coup when an extremist faction known as the Alliance for Global Unity, or “The Circle”, tried to seize power. In 2373, with the Dominion War looming on the horizon, Bajor requested admittance to the Federation under special circumstances. Captain Benjamin Sisko, the commander of Deep Space Nine, was at the time acting as Emissary of the Bajoran prophets, and warned that if Bajor were to join the Federation at that time, it would mean the destruction of the planet. As a result, Bajor decided to defer membership at that time, but maintained a cordial relationship with the Federation, nonetheless. With the outbreak of the Dominion War, Bajor officially declared its neutrality, signing a non­
aggression pact with the Dominion. This prevented Bajor from falling under the control of another foreign power when the Dominion captured Deep Space Nine later that same year. Nevertheless, many Bajorans joined Starfleet around this time. Almost simultaneously a new resistance movement against the occupation of Deep Space Nine gained ground amongst other Bajorans. Bajor finally joined the fight against the Dominion in 2374, after the allies had recaptured Deep Space Nine in Operation Return. Bajor obtained Federation membership in 2376, the year after the Dominion War had ended.
Gallitep Labor Camp
A number of Cardassian forced labor camps dotted the Bajoran landscape during the years of the Occupation, such as Batal, and the Singha refugee camp. One camp, however, that stands out from the rest for the sheer extent of the atrocities committed against the Bajoran people in the name of the Cardassian empire, is Gallitep.
The camp itself was run by Gul Darhe'el, with conditions in the camp brutal and hostile, to state it mildly. Darhe'el was easily one of the most brutal Cardassian overseers of any labor camp on Bajor at the time. Bajoran civilians were tortured, humiliated, and executed on a regular basis. Mothers were raped in front of their children, even as their husbands were beaten beyond recognition. The 26
elderly who were unable to work, were buried alive. In many cases Bajorans were forced to dig their own graves. Darhe'el's actions amounted to outright genocide. A mining accident at Gallitep led to the release of toxic gases, resulting in an outbreak of Kalla­Nohra Syndrome, a terminal respiratory disease, suffered by survivors of the camp. The camp was liberated by the Shakaar resistance cell in 2357, subsequent to which thousands of bodies were found in mass graves.
The Bajoran Resistance
The Bajoran resistance was also referred to as the Bajoran Underground. During the years of the Occupation, the courage of the men and women, some barely out of childhood, who had risked their lives to fight in the many Resistance cells, ensured that the Bajoran spirit could never be broken. Cells operated several secret bases and weapons caches. Small, sub­impulse raiders were stored in caves at Lunar V on the moon Jeraddo, for instance. The only answer the Cardassians had to this form of opposition, was to have the Resistance infiltrated by operatives surgically altered to look like Bajorans. They also responded by threatening mass executions. The Shakaar resistance cell
This cell, led by Shakaar Edon, who would later become First Minister, was active right throughout the Occupation. Their most prominent victory was the liberation of the Gallitep labor camp. In fact, this cell became such a thorn in the Cardassians' side, that a whole section was devoted to them in the Cardassian Central Archives. For ten years this resistance cell evaded capture by Cardassian forces in the Dahkur hills. Shakaar was later elected First Minister of the Provisional government.
The Omathia resistance cell
Led by Lenaris Holem, members of this cell were responsible for the first off­world raid by the Resistance, when they attacked the Cardassian settlement at Pullok V. Another successful raid was conducted against the Haru outpost. Lenaris later went on to become a colonel in the Bajoran Militia.
The Higa Metar resistance cell
This cell counted some of Bajor's leading scientists amongst its members, including the brilliant geneticist Dekon Elig.
Resistance cells employed several ingenious methods to protect their members. One such method used, was a sub­dermal implant, a small device, containing an isotope of tritonium, placed just under the surface of the skin. If taken prisoner, the resistance fighter could activate the device, leaving a trail for the rescue team to follow.
To avoid detection, the resistance developed various methods for designing and encrypting messages. One such method entailed the use of a narrow theta band signal that could be shifted into the background radiation range to hide the transmission. A number of simple, subtle signs were also developed to convey messages, such as casually turning over a vase at a shop display to indicate a wish to speak to a Resistance member.
Resistance fighters used weapons ranging from Cardassian phaser disruptor rifles, and standard­
issue Cardassian firearms, to Bajoran weapons.
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Prominent members of the resistance quickly became heroes to the Bajoran people, their exploits attaining the status of legends, although sometimes the tales were blown somewhat out of proportion. The accuracy of the reporting did not always matter; every victory, no matter how small, gave the Bajoran people hope.
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Government and Infrastructure
The Provisional Government
The Provisional Government hastily came into being after the Cardassian occupation of Bajor had ended, on August 6th, 2369. In the beginning, its authority to rule was controversial at best, because of the shallow premise of its founding. It consisted of a loose coalition of various Bajoran factions. Nevertheless, this body and its agencies have been responsible for much of the reconstruction of Bajor. It consists of a council of elected officials, with the First Minister heading the Executive Branch. The First Minister is elected every 6 years, and is responsible for administration of the planet itself, its colonies, and to a certain extent also Deep Space Nine. A unicameral Chamber of Ministers, newly elected every five years, constitutes the Legislative Branch. Each Minister has jurisdiction over his own constituency. The First Minister, however, has Power of Veto over all government actions. Nobody working under the civilian government, Ministers included, are allowed to carry weapons. A violation of this law would be cause for removal from office. The Kai also has a seat in government, but their power is mainly advisory. However, due to the respected position of the Kai, many issues championed by them do tend to become law. The Judicial Branch is headed up by the Bajoran High Magistrate. Bajor is a republic, consisting of 39 Provinces, and seven other colonized worlds. Suffrage is universal within the Bajoran republic, and commences at age 17.
Bajoran politics is balanced between the secular Chamber of Ministers, and the religious Vedek Assembly, led by the Kai. Technically speaking, it's possible for one individual to be both the Kai and the First Minister, as was the case with Winn Adami for several weeks in 2371. The Chamber of Ministers is the central decision making authority within the Provisional Government. Over the duration of this government, the group of ministers had also been collectively known as the Bajoran Council, the Board of Ministers, or the Council of Ministers. It contains most senior government officials and heads of various governmental ministries. Frequently, ministers would also seek advice from the Emissary on political programs and schemes. Any measures endorsed by the Emissary, would be very likely to pass the Council of Ministers.
The following is a concise summary of the most prominent portfolios in the government, and their responsibilities:
– First Minister. Commander­in­Chief of the Militia and Chief of State. Responsible for decision­making and diplomacy.
– Department of State. Headed by the Minister of State, who is responsible for diplomacy and external affairs.
– Department of the Interior. Headed by the Minister of the Interior, who is responsible for internal affairs and construction.
– Department of Trade. Headed by the Minister of Trade, who is responsible for civilian shipping and commerce.
– Department of Defense. Headed by the Minister of Defense, who is responsible for military funding and other exchange programs.
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– Department of Intelligence. Headed by the Minister of Intelligence, who is responsible for intelligence programs, as well as the funding thereof.
– Department of Science. Headed by the Minister of Science, who is responsible for scientific, medical, and other research programs.
– Department of Protection. Headed by the Minister of Protection, who is responsible for Civil policing and internal security.
To many observers, the Bajoran government has a far weaker hold on the hearts and minds of its subjects than the Kai and the church. During the Occupation, the original government had been replaced with a puppet government of figurehead lawmakers, commonly referred to as the Occupational Government. As such, the government that came to power following the Cardassian withdrawal, was viewed by the populace with much the same degree of suspicion as its lapdog predecessor. On several occasions the Chamber of Ministers had found its authority undermined by some of the elder statesmen of the church, spilling over into violence in the streets of the nation. In 2370, the failed coup by the Alliance for Global Unity, led by government Minister Jaro Essa, led to the reputation of the Provisional Government being even further tarnished in the eyes of the nation, while Kai Winn's complicity in the attempt remained hidden from the public eye at the time. In 2371, the clear separation between church and state was finally affirmed with Shakaar Edon's election as First Minister.
The Bajoran Economy
The economy has mostly recovered from the disastrous Cardassian occupation, owing to the skillful use that the Bajoran people have made of their surviving equipment and Federation aid. The economy is improving rapidly, and has already become self­sustainable. Nevertheless, the recent war between the Federation and the Dominion has once again put some strain on the Bajoran economy. Figures recorded for the fiscal year 2372 shows unemployment at 6%, with an economical growth rate of 3.1%. Defense expenditure for the 2372 fiscal year was 3.82 billion credits. The annual budget stands at 19.1 billion credits. Industries include agriculture, tourism, mining, industrial replication, and communications. The Bajoran fiscal year runs from April 5th to April 4th.
The Education System
The school system is organized by age “levels”. Art is an example of just one subject that is offered to children as young as age 4.
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Bajoran Agriculture
A major part of Bajor's infrastructure is its large farming community, even though farmland form only a small percentage of the planet's surface area, due to much of the habitable landscape being taken up by mountain ranges and craggy hills.
Before the Occupation, one of the main areas of agricultural productivity was Rakantha Province, a rich and fertile area dedicated to its large farming community. Local farmers produced huge quantities of such grains and plant staples as botan, moreka, and salam grass. With the Cardassian withdrawal, however, vital expanses of topsoil were poisoned on many of the farms, leaving the area a largely barren wasteland of scorched, dusty, red­brown earth. Today, only the most hardy of weeds grow here. This pattern of wanton destruction was repeated by Cardassian forces across the whole planet.
After three years of intense research, the Bajoran Ministry of Agriculture finally came up with a process to reverse the process: small, portable devices, referred to as soil reclamators, were finally developed. These devices were capable of detoxifying the soil, making it fertile once again. A minimum of six months would be required to rejuvenate the soil on many farms. Remarkable results were nevertheless apparent after as little as just two months. Farm life is relatively simple, but harsh, with modern technology being eschewed in favor of a more naturalistic lifestyle, in harmony with nature. Farm buildings are often constructed from timber that have been taken from nearby woodlands. Farm houses are little more than small, functional huts or cabins, built close to the crop fields or natural water supplies. Much of the work is done by hand, by single farmers, or families. There is very little intensive farming, or mechanization. The farmers within a given province, although often many miles distant from one another, are always on hand to help each other out, and there is a strong sense of community. Farm workers wear simple, yet resilient clothes made of rough, hard­wearing fabrics, colored in dark, earthen tones. Farmers have few comforts, although their homes do include small generator units for heating and lighting purposes. Many farmers find tranquility in their quietly productive lives, and comfort in their religion.
Jeraddo, Bajor's fifth moon, also supported a prosperous farming community, until a much­needed energy project destroyed its fertile environment.
Farmers on New Bajor, at the other end of the Bajoran wormhole, had built an impressive irrigation system.
Brizeen nitrate is a chemical substance used as a soil enhancer on Bajor.
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Bajoran Health Care
Bajoran medical personnel are denoted by their orange­on­violet uniforms. The Akira Advanced Genetics Research Unit was a preeminent Bajoran bio­research institution prior to the Occupation. The Immuno­therapy Project was a long­term project established by Dr Julian Bashir on Deep Space Nine, with the aim of finding more adequate ways to deal with Bajoran epidemiology, by studying effective childhood immunization.
Aphasia Virus – Engineered by the Bajoran scientist, Dekon Elig, as a Resistance bio­weapon during the Occupation, meant for release on the Cardassian mining station, Terok Nor. This virus acted as an adaptive synaptic inhibitor.
Kalla­Nohra Syndrome – A chronic, terminal pulmonary disease found only in survivors of the mining accident at the Gallitep labor camp. Infectious and fatal to both Bajorans and Cardassians, workers at this labor camp contracted the disease after they were exposed to toxic gases. Treatment is similar to that of Pottrik Syndrome.
Tartha Pox – An illness that can affect Bajoran children.
Orb Shadow – A psychedelic reaction to a neuro­peptide excess, that may follow months to years after an orb encounter.
Orkett's Syndrome – A childhood hemato­pathogenic common throughout Bajoran refugee camps during the Occupation. Symptoms included an alteration of erythrocytic marker factors. Thousands of Bajoran children died from this disease. The preferred treatment often involved bone marrow transplants. The disease has been well­documented.
Pottrik Syndrome – Chronic pulmonary condition almost identical to Kalla­Nohra. Distinguishable from Kalla­Nohra only by a negative lower pulmonary bio­scan.
Tomeklian Virus – A moderately virulent contagion that broke out on Bajor in 2372, necessitating inspection of all exported foodstuffs.
Satai – A Bajoran sickness, also known as “The Swelling Fever”. Known remedies do exist.
F'relorn Disease – An incurable Bajoran disease, believed to be a condition caused by the environment, although the more religious Bajorans believe it to be spiritually related.
Tri­phasic cloning – A highly sophisticated cloning technique developed by Bajoran scientists imprisoned during the Occupation.
Bajoran flu – A particularly virulent form of influenza virus that attacks the respiratory system. During the Cardassian occupation the flu was rife on the planet. The flu is easily treatable with Federation medicine.
Tesakine – A drug used by Dr Bashir in high dosages, to allow the O'Brien baby to metabolize Bajoran nutrients, after having been transferred to Major Kira's womb.
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Bajoran Materials Science Bilitrium – A substance often used by the Resistance in conjunction with an antimatter converter, to produce a very powerful explosive.
Brisian Nitrate – A common agricultural fertilizer used to treat much of the Northern Peninsula.
Carbrodine – A component often used in incendiary explosive devices.
Cobalt­Thorium – A common explosive, used by both the Resistance, as well as the Maquis.
Diboridium – An element used in power storage technology.
Dolamide – An element used in power generation and weapons technology.
Duranium – A highly versatile compound used in the composition of strong, lightweight construction materials. A common component of ship design.
Infernite – A common explosive, often mixed with carbrodine.
Kelidide­Rubidium – A structural composite unique to Bajoran and Cardassian ship design.
Lodite – A crystalline, non­precious gemstone found throughout the Bajoran sector. A dozen of these stones often sell for 1 Lek.
Magnecite – A liquid capable of melting duranium.
Mercassium – An element used in shield generation technology.
Silithium – A rare and unstable substance found in various celestial objects.
Uridium – A Bajoran element used in ship construction.
Artridium Resin – An explosive used by the Bajoran Resistance, due to the difficulty to detect small quantities of it.
Chamber Plasma Grenade – An explosive device often used by the Bajoran resistance in their terrorist activities.
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Bajoran Law (Excerpts)
– Crossing into Bajoran space requires permission from Bajoran Control, as well as transmission of a ship's authorization code and flight plan.
– Unauthorized searching of vessels in Bajoran space is strictly prohibited.
– Possession of cloaking devices is considered highly illegal.
– Assault with intent to kill is against the law.
– Station Regulation 82/7B: Loitering on the Promenade is prohibited.
– Station Regulation 1526, Paragraph 7: Fund­raising on the Promenade without a license is strictly forbidden.
– Station Regulation 2562, Paragraph 4: All furniture intended for use on the Promenade, must not pose a danger to public safety.
– Station Regulation 4721: A regulation regarding the use of dabo wheels.
– Certain specified station quarters require two or more occupants.
– Attacking members of the station crew is prohibited.
– The Bajoran­Cardassian Armistice signed in 2367 prior to the withdrawal of the occupational forces, established key issues of Bajoran independence, as well as Cardassian properties on Bajor.
– The Ilvian Proclamation was a decree issued immediately following the Cardassian withdrawal, exiling all Bajoran collaborators. This proclamation was also applicable to persons sentenced in absentia.
– The Bajoran­Cardassian Treaty somewhat controversially established lasting peace between Bajor and Cardassia, including ambassadorial exchange, the return of the orbs, as well as war reparations to Bajor.
– The Search and Excise Laws introduced in 2372, expressly prohibiting unwarranted search and seizure within Bajoran territory.
The Bajoran legal system is based on traditional Bajoran and interstellar law, as well as judicial review of legislative acts.
Bajoran Communications
Bajor boasts two major spaceports, eight minor spaceports, and 34 space stations. Its merchant marine operates ten ships, and 21 unmanned cargo drones. The planet has over 7 billion communications terminals, four subspace communications relays, and three commercial holo­
creation transmitters.
The Bajoran Subspace Relay
There have always been major obstacles to subspace communication over vast distances in space. Even though subspace radio signals travel at speeds approximating Warp 9.9997, the time delay and signal degradation that would occur in a transmission between the Alpha and Gamma Quadrants, had always made communication between each end of the Bajoran wormhole virtually impossible. It was theorized that by placing one signaling platform in the Gamma Quadrant, at a point two 34
kilometers from the mouth of the wormhole, and a transceiver on Deep Space Nine, both using soliton pulses, a permanent subspace communications channel could be established between the two quadrants.
In order to get around this problem, the first subspace relay station was placed in the Idran system at the Gamma Quadrant end of the wormhole, in 2371 on stardate 48543, to enable communication between the Alpha and Gamma Quadrants directly through the wormhole, and also to act as an early warning system in the event of a Dominion invasion. In an unprecedented group effort, Federation and Bajoran engineers were joined by three members of the Cardassian Ministry of Science. Cardassian transceivers, which can be much more finely calibrated than Federation transceivers, were installed on the relay station prior to its positioning in the Gamma Quadrant.
The initial problem facing the engineering team, was that the wormhole usually remains closed, unless a vessel is traveling through it. Even when open, the intense electromagnetic interferences within the wormhole usually renders subspace signals unintelligible. Nevertheless, the engineering team proceeded to test the system's integrity, by transmitting a long, complex series of modulated graviton pulses to determine which would best penetrate the ambient signal interference inside the wormhole.
It transpired that one of the members of the Cardassian scientific delegation was, in fact, an undercover operative of their secret service, with orders to sabotage the relay platform. In a fortuitous chain of events, her attempt diverted a silithium­rich comet into the mouth of the wormhole, creating a permanent subspace filament along the length of the wormhole. This filament
provided the subspace relay platform an uninterrupted “channel” through which to send its messages.
The relay platform consists of a parabolic transceiver dish, which houses the primary emitter array, the secondary subspace communications coupling modules, data storage units, a computer system for signal routing and processing, a power source, as well as a series of thruster units.
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Government Agencies
The Bajoran Militia
The rebellion against the Cardassians had bred an organized military force capable of large and small scale warfare, with soldiers who are devoted to their colleagues, and fiercely loyal to their home world and their people. The Bajoran Militia, also known as the Bajoran Military Guard, is the military arm of the Provisional Government, and is responsible for defense, transport, internal security, engineering, and medical support where necessary. Although a militia had existed as early as 2318, it was not nearly the force it is today, and indeed had been officially disbanded by the Cardassians when they took over. Established in its present form in 2369, it was originally overseen by Minister Jaro Essa, and made up of many former resistance fighters from the time of the Bajoran occupation, as there was no military structure in place subsequent to the Cardassian withdrawal. A Militia structure was eventually established, comparable to that of an Earth army, with similar ranks, for instance. Militia headquarters is referred to as the “War Room”. This is the nerve center of all Militia efforts.
The basic uniform includes a duty jacket with padded shoulders and arms, stirrup trousers with a utility belt, boots, and communicator and rank pin designators. With the exception of flag officers, rank insignia is worn on the left side of the collar. Generals wear a dress tunic with epaulets, and two gold insignia pins on either side of the collar. Divisions are represented by color, with orange/red for command, purple/orange for medical, gray for engineering, green/white for sciences, and brown for security. The Bajoran symbol of state is on the upper right side of their uniform tunic in gold, unless they are a member of the City Watch division, in which instance it would be in silver. The security police wear simple red or brown uniforms, and the military forces are most often seen in gray. The military uniform is made from Incarian wool, and consists of a two­piece jump­suit, with broad shoulders that cover a short­sleeved undergarment. There is also a dress version, worn on special occasions such as weddings, courts martial, and funerals, greeting of ambassadorial delegations, and heads of state, that consists of a long coat, gathered at the waist with a belt and sash. The jacket is fastened on the right with a silver brooch­like device. Boots and leggings matching the jacket, are also worn. Command officers wear pale purple dress uniforms, with the com­badge and rank insignia in the same position as on the duty uniform. These colors represent the division that the officer serves in. The belt/sash color indicates where they serve. There is also a white version of the military­style suit for certain special occasions. The uniform incorporates a personal communications device in the form of a decorative pin, similar to a Starfleet personal communicator.
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Militia Rank insignia
General
Lieutenant General
Major General
Brigadier General
Colonel
Lieutenant Colonel
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Major
Captain
First Lieutenant
Standard equipment include a tricorder scanning/sensor device for basic, portable scientific analysis. The weapon of choice for both the army, as well as the civil police, is the Bajoran phaser pistol. For times when greater firepower, range, or accuracy is required, the Bajoran phaser rifle is used. Officers of the Militia are usually graduates of the Bajoran Military Academy, although many commissions were awarded on the basis of demonstrated skills and merit of the soldiers who had been part of the resistance against the Bajoran occupation at the time. 38
The Militia forces are commanded by the Chief of Staff, who reports directly to the Chamber of Ministers, with the First Minister presiding as the Commander­in­Chief. The First Minister consults with, and issues orders to, the Commander­General, who heads up an Executive Committee consisting of the Generals in charge of the various divisions, and their senior staff. Each division is commanded by a full General, referred to as Division HQ. Each division is further divided into regions, each in turn under the command of one of the levels of General, depending on the size and complexity of the region. This level of command is referred to as the Regional Militia Authority. Each RMA commanding officer will have his regional HQ, with all his required senior staff. Each region is divided into various commands. Different commands may report to one particular aspect of the RMA's HQ. From this point, rank decreases from Colonel to Major, and then down to Captain, Lieutenant, Sergeant, and finally to the enlisted troop, who makes up the bulk of the army. Most operations involve standard chain­of­command rank hierarchy, although cooperative operations with other civilian institutions often necessitate flexibility. Enlisted personnel have ranks similar to Starfleet. They generally do not wear rank insignia, their rank being denoted instead by the color of their uniforms, and the size of their collars. It should be noted that the City Watch division has its own rank structure below the General ranks. From the highest to the lowest these are:
– Watch Commissioner (equal to a Field Colonel). The officer in charge of a City Watch Command.
– Watch Major (equal to a Lt Colonel).
– Watch Captain (equal to a Major).
– Chief Inspector (equal to a Captain).
– Inspector (equal to a 1st Lt).
– Constable (equal to a 2nd Lt).
– Watchman (equal to Ensign).
The Militia is composed of specialist sections, including ground and air forces. It's comprised of a number of sub­divisions, such as the Aerial Guard, City Watch, Planetary Defense, and Space Guard. The Aerial Guard is the atmospheric air force of the Militia. It's responsible for the protection of the skies above Bajor, or any of her colonies. Bajoran air forces use limited­range, one man fighters, equipped only with impulse engines and phasers. The City Watch, also just referred to as “The Watch”, maintains civil order autonomously. The Space Guard is responsible for maintaining the fleet of starships and space stations. In times of political unrest, all of these sections work together towards a common goal of peace. Once the situation has become more settled, they concentrate on internal security matters, as well as all external, non­Bajoran issues. Most of the strategy and tactics currently being used by the Militia, was learned during the Occupation. Some strategies had been developed as Resistance tactics; others had been learned from observing Cardassian forces. The Militia jointly operated Deep Space Nine with Starfleet. From 2369 to 2375 the station was commanded by a Starfleet command level officer, with a Militia officer serving as the Executive Officer. For instance, when Captain Sisko disappeared late in 2375, his XO, Colonel Kira, took command of the station in his absence. Since having obtained full membership with the Federation, the Militia is now being integrated into Starfleet. Bajor still retains autonomy, but Militia soldiers now have the option to enter Starfleet as a 39
career, without resistance. The Executive Committee is the controlling administrative body within the Militia.
Different division uniforms
Command Engineering Security Medical
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The Bajoran Military Academy
Responsible for training officers in the very latest strategies and tactics, as well as the necessary survival skills. The academy is located near the Militia Command Center in Ashalla. Much of the Academy is patterned after Starfleet, although the Bajoran curriculum tends to focus more on warfare, than on the diplomatic and scientific pursuits favored by Starfleet.
The Dessin­ka
One of the political factions making up the Bajoran Provisional Government. In fact, they were a very influential faction, and a strong voice in favor of the Federation's involvement in Bajoran affairs.
Bajoran Foreign Affairs
Primarily responsible for diplomatic relations with other states.
The Bajoran Civil Police
Also known as the City Watch, this police force is actually a sub­division of the Bajoran Militia. It's responsible for civil security within Bajoran territories. Both before and after the Occupation, the incidence of violence has typically always been low.
The Bajoran Institute for Science
This is a school on Bajor for the study of the sciences. It orchestrates the activities of the Bajoran Center for Science, or the Bajoran Research Center. This institute is renowned for its scientific accomplishment in a wide variety of fields, especially exobiology. Bajor's science and space programs were back on track soon after the end of the Cardassian occupation. At least one probe was sent to scan planets and signs of life in the Gamma Quadrant.
Bajoran Intelligence
The Bajoran Intelligence Agency, especially skilled at breaking Cardassian codes, such as Elgol Red, 5th Order Military, and Courier Code 59. Most Cardassian codes use a recursive encryption algorithm.
The Agricultural Ministry
Responsible for the administration of agricultural issues on Bajor. Recent projects have included soil reclamation from Cardassian ecological damage.
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The Bajoran Ministry of Commerce
This agency operates the Bajoran Freight and Shipping Authority freighter service.
The Bajoran Ministry of Justice
This agency is responsible for matters of Justice within Bajoran territory. Reports of serious crime on Deep Space Nine are filed with this Ministry.
The Council on Ecological Controls
This agency oversees the preservation of Bajor's ecology.
The Circle Commission
A board of inquiry that was convened following Jaro Essa and the Alliance for Global Unity's attempted coup against the Provisional Government in 2370.
The Bajoran Central Archives
Responsible for the management, storage, and administration of all official Bajoran records. Contains the official records of correspondence by the Provisional Government, along with personnel files for most Bajorans. The Vedek Assembly files can also be accessed here.
The Bajoran Library
The most significant collection of manuscripts on Bajor, some dating from even before the Fall of the First Republic. Closed during the Occupation, the Library was reopened in 2371.
Kran­Tobol Prison
A penal institution located on Bajor.
Lunar V
An outpost on one of the Bajoran moons, once used as a base by the Resistance. Now deserted.
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The State Museum
Located in Ilvia. Houses important artifacts of national cultural significance.
The Tozhat Resettlement Center
An orphanage in Tozhat Province. It's noted for its significant number of abandoned Cardassian children.
Bajoran Fund for Orphans
A charity run by monks on Bajor, to provide food and warm blankets for war orphans.
The Executive Committee
An administrative body within the Bajoran Militia.
The Guild of Healers
A Bajoran body that distributed medicine to the people of Bajor. The medicine was marked with containers that showed an open hand.
Terrorist/Anti­government Groups
The Alliance for Global Unity
An extremist organization behind the failed coup in 2370. Its motto was “Bajor for Bajorans”. It was also known as “The Circle”, after its insignia. This group rejected the outside influence of non­Bajorans, and aimed to expel all aliens from Bajor, as they believed that all other species were inferior to Bajorans, and that, by accepting Federation involvement in Bajoran affairs, they were exchanging one master for another. The Alliance was led by Jaro Essa, who had also held a position as Minister 43
in the Provisional Government. Some of its activities included setting fires and committing other acts of sabotage, assaults on Ministers, and a graffiti campaign that reached the Promenade on Deep Space Nine. Preparing for a take­over of the provisional government, the Alliance believed they were buying weapons from the Kressari, a race of botanical DNA traders, who in reality was being supplied by the Cardassians, who had seen this as an opportunity to destabilize the provisional government. Once the Alliance had been confronted with evidence of Cardassian involvement, it quickly led to the dissolution of the organization. Following the failed coup of 2370, the remaining members of the group went underground.
The Bon Amar Trading Group
A Bajoran pirate consortium, known for its raids on trade routes, and attacks on Cardassian vessels, in order to pillage supplies for the Bajoran people. Due to the Federation's attempts at making peace with the Cardassian Union, the Bon Amar became a wanted group by Starfleet, and it was considered somewhat of an embarrassment that they could never be caught.
The Kohn­Ma
A Bajoran group that fought against the Cardassians during the Occupation, they continued their terrorist activities, which included theft and murder, against the Union even after the Withdrawal. Struggling to define their role in peacetime, for many of their members violence had become a way of life. They also conducted terrorist acts against Bajorans with whom they disagreed politically. It was no secret that the group had claimed responsibility for the assassination of a Bajoran First Minister. They even view any former resistance fighters currently cooperating with the government as being traitors. Notwithstanding, a lot of Bajorans are sympathetic towards the Kohn­Ma, even though they disavow their violent methods. Adopting the same slogan as the Alliance, “Bajor for Bajorans”, the Kohn­Ma was vehemently opposed to the Federation presence in the Bajoran system, classifying the Federation as alien occupiers who were only slightly less exploitative than the Cardassians. They viewed the Bajoran Provisional Government as ineffectual Federation puppets, and saw the wormhole as a threat to Bajoran cultural identity. The actual number of active members is unknown, but they clearly have extensive financial backing. They have the use of Bajoran scout ships, as well as access to classified Bajoran and Federation information.
The Kahl­taan
A Bajoran terrorist militaristic group that opposed the Cult of the Pah­wraiths, taking active action against known Pah­wraith followers. They were masked, and carried phaser rifles, grenades, and suicide charges. A common tactic they would employ, was to charge into enemy lines and detonate the charge, in order to kill their enemies. Sometimes the only thing victims hear, is the beeping of the detonator the instant before it explodes.
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The Redemptionists
A group of Bajorans active in the mid­24th century. They were a terrorist group noted for rejecting traditional Bajoran culture. They were very active in the 2360's, when they were responsible for copying Federation weaponry beneath a Bajoran temple using Cardassian replicators, and using it for terrorist actions. As a fundamentalist group, they were active during the Occupation, as well as the first few years following the withdrawal. The group was led by Horen Rygis. It was later discovered that he was a Cardassian who had been surgically altered to appear Bajoran. His plan had been to acquire one of the last Bajoran orbs for the Cardassian Union.
The group was opposed to not only aliens, but also to Bajorans who did not follow their fundamentalist ideology. They were quite violent, and more than willing to murder their own members, in the event of them straying from the group's ideology. For instance, subsequent to the Cardassian withdrawal from Bajor, when they realized they were not going to be part of the Provisional Government, they initiated a hostage drama at a Bajoran temple, issuing a list of demands, executing hostages in cold blood before the government had even had a chance to respond to their demands.
The Shadow Group
A terrorist organization that operated on Bajor in the mid­24th century. They were seemingly composed of Bajorans who intended to commit actions in order to provoke a war between the Federation and the Cardassian Union, with the aim of bringing about the defeat of the Union. This group consisted of former members of The Circle, though unknown to many, it also had former members of the Cardassian Obsidian Order, who in turn desired to orchestrate incidents for the Federation. The organization had been known to make use of Maquis ships in order to mask their operations. 45
Bajoran weapons
Directed energy weapons were used by Bajorans throughout the Cardassian occupation. They continue to be used by the civil police on Bajor, known as the Bajoran Militia, as well as Bajoran security officers on board Deep Space Nine. However, as a rule, weapons are not easily accessible on Bajor. Civilians are normally not allowed to carry weapons. Under certain circumstances, however, it is possible for a civilian to take up arms in self­defense, though it must be with the cooperation of the Militia. Bajoran phasers are well­known for their versatility: they can be used quite effectively in most environments, from confined spaces inside space stations, to open countryside on planet surfaces. There are two main personal weapons in use: the phaser pistol, and the phaser rifle. The phaser pistol has a relatively large combination grip­and­
trigger guard, giving it a slightly bulkier appearance than Starfleet­issue phasers. They are very light, nevertheless. The trigger is located at the top of the rear hand grip, and also features controls used to regulate beam width and intensity. Each phaser is equipped with a targeting sight, trigger lock, and a back­up energy source. It's carried in a wide waist holster, and fires a distinctive blast of white­gold energy. The Ferengi claim that Bajoran phasers give off a very distinctive sound, which their ears perceive as very different to the sound made by energy weapons used by other races. Even though a single blast is strong enough to kill a Bajoran, or an adult member of most other humanoid races, it does not vaporize the target. It has not been established whether or not Bajoran phasers have the full range of settings available to Starfleet weapons. The weapons generally carried by the Militia, are constructed of a bronze­colored metal, with black hand grips. Similar weapons in use by other Bajoran organizations may differ slightly in appearance. Day Kannu, for instance, had been known to carry a red Bajoran hand phaser.
The most common type of Bajoran phaser rifle, is simply an extended version of the phaser pistol. Rifles are not carried during normal day­to­day duties, but are generally only issued when additional firepower is needed. Just like the pistol, the rifle has a very narrow design. The molded rear end of the rifle can be rested against the shoulder for a more secure grip, while the underside of the rifle is also molded for a secure and comfortable grip. A built­in telescopic sight gives it added accuracy.
Bajorans have occasionally been seen to carry a smaller type of phaser rifle, supported by a grip directly under the muzzle. This particular type of rifle seems to be made of a gray­silver metal alloy, and fires a blue­white beam.
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Bajoran Starships
Antares class (cruiser)/freighter type 2
Length: 250 meters
These cruisers were antiquated transports used throughout the 24th century by the Bajorans, both during and after the Cardassian occupation of Bajor. These vessels were limited to half­impulse speed and had no visual communication capabilities, even though they did have transporter capabilities. The Bajorans frequently used Antares­class transports to make routine stops at Deep Space Nine. They were used to carry civilians, government officials, Vedeks, and occasionally even the Kai. Each set of quarters included two beds, tables, chairs, as well as computer terminals.
Bajoran assault vessel (Janitza­class)
Assault vessels have several features that Impulse ships lack, such as warp drive, as well as audio­
visual ship­to­ship and ship­to­planet communication. This was a type of warp­capable Bajoran troop transport used by the Bajoran Militia around 2370, following the Occupation. These vessels also made frequent stops at Deep Space Nine during the 2370's, and was deployed by the Militia in a variety of roles, such as scout ship, assault vessel, and transport, to name but a few.
Bajoran Assault vessel cockpit
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Bajoran interceptor (Perikian­class)
Also referred to as the Bajoran impulse ship, this vessel was deployed by the Bajoran Militia as an Attack fighter during the 24th century. Only sublight­capable, its armament consisted of two phaser emitters. These vessels were readily used in orbit of Bajor to intercept and protect the planet from unwelcome incoming vessels. Pilots routinely engage only sub­impulse thrusters, in order to avoid polluting the Bajoran atmosphere.
Accommodation: 12 flight crew; 200+ troops
Power Plant: Four coupled micro­fusion impulse systems
Dimensions: Length, 140.72 meters; beam, 221.76 meters; height, 51.76 meters
Mass: 96,500 metric tonnes
Performance: Maximum delta­v, 15,600 meters per second
Armament: Six or more phased polaron beam weapons; possibly other weapons too.
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Bajoran lightship/ solar sail ship
Length: 93 meters
Beam: 75 meters
Height: 47.25 meters
Decks: 1
Mass: 9.5 metric tons
Crew: 1
Armament: No beam weapons
Defense systems: Light wooden single hull
One of the simplest and most elegant ships to ever travel the stars. It was a type of early Bajoran space­going vessel that utilized solar sail­powered space flight. Active between the 16th century and Example of a star chart used by solar sailors of old
49
the 22nd century, it could be operated by a single individual, and was warp­capable by means of tachyon eddies. Mass was a vital consideration on the solar sailing ship. The living quarters were sparse, and the ship did not carry any more equipment, or machinery than was absolutely necessary. The ship had no engine, but could be steered by adjusting the positions of the sails, using hand winches, and hand­held tools were used to navigate. The ship had no electronic navigational tools either, instead relying on a sextant­type tool to calculate the ship's position. Maps from the Bajoran Archives show the paths taken by the solar winds and tachyon eddies. The ship was almost silent, in marked contrast to the regular hum that most other starships produce. Although lightships weren't capable of achieving warp speeds by virtue of their design, a semi­
controlled warp jump was possible, if particles that were moving faster than light, tachyons for instance, were to collide with the ship's sails. The solar wind was reflected from the large sails, thereby producing the propulsive effect. However, because these ships had not been designed to endure the stresses induced by warp speeds, it could be severely damaged during this process, leaving travel by lightship not for the fainthearted. The ship had no firepower, whatsoever. Bajoran fighter/impulse ship
Lightly armed, sub­impulse powered (hence the large exhaust) starships used by the Bajoran Resistance during the Cardassian occupation, these days Bajoran fighter ships have become an important tool in the Maquis struggle. These ships are tough and hard­wearing, capable of enduring heavy damage. A robust, small craft, ideal for short­range tactical operations, these vessels rely on stealth and ambush to be most effective. Bajoran fighter ships tend to stay inside their own star system, 50
ensuring that their lack of warp capability is less of a disadvantage. Although high­altitude orbit­
capable, these vessels are most effective at atmospheric altitudes, and during an engagement will often try to lure the enemy into a planetary atmosphere, where the playing field becomes almost even. These ships are based on old fashioned technology, meaning that should the thrusters misfire, or not fire at all, a good “kick” will often get them going again. They were not designed with comfort in mind. Quarters are cramped and require the regular crew compliment of two to bend their knees to fit into seats. The forward­facing cockpit window, unlike the view screens of many larger ships, really is a window onto space. The narrow, aerodynamic wings facilitate maneuvering in planetary atmospheres, making it ideally suited for quick, hit and run strikes. Visible, noisy fumes are emitted from the engine exhaust, located at the rear of the ship. Ships are armed with dual phaser emitters, situated in the nose section at the very front of the ship, and carry fire extinguishers under the seats. As with so many other classes of Bajoran vessels, several different variants of this particular ship has been seen: aside from the standard two­person fighter, larger fighters are also known to exist. These have significantly more firepower, as well as rebuilt impulse drives, and some of them are actually warp­capable, even though they are still ill­equipped to outrun Starfleet, or Cardassian starships.
Type: Strike Fighter
Accommodation: Two flight crew
Power Plant: One micro­fusion impulse system (fighter); Coanda­cycle chemical/air­ram system (raider)
Dimensions: Beam, 9.5 meters; height, 3.1 meters
Mass: 6 metric tonnes
Decks: 1
Crew: 2
Performance: Maximum delta­v, 15,600 meters per second
Armament: Six low­yield plasma cannon; short­range phasers and photon torpedoes
Defense systems: Light monotanium single hull; low­level structural integrity field
Acceleration: 40 m/s/s
Expected hull life: 80 years
Refit cycle: Minor: 4 years
Standard: 4 years
Major: 40 years
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Bajoran transport vessels/freighter type 1
Bajoran transport vessels come in various designs, but all the ships share a basic, wedge­shaped hull, as well as the typical Bajoran coloring of rich, natural red­browns. The decks are layered, each one smaller than the one below. Each room's lighting system is voice­activated, darkening automatically, when vacated. Many of the windowless rooms contain a computer display which speaks with a male voice, a small table with two chairs, and a small work desk. A matter reclamation unit is situated along the far wall. A replicator system feeds and clothes passengers and crew. Passengers can use the vessel's subspace teleconferencing equipment to stay abreast of current affairs while traveling. Areas of entertainment include at least three holo­suites. The rear of the ship sports three engine exhaust ports. The nose of the ship is designed to fit snugly within the station's docking ports. This class had well­equipped passenger quarters, and was often used for the transport of members of the Vedek Assembly. The crew compliment is augmented by security personnel. This warp­capable transport was first used by the Bajorans in 2368, following the Occupation of Bajor. All through the 2370's, these vessels made frequent trips between Bajor and Deep Space Nine, including a daily morning run. These ships were also known to have been in use by the Maquis at one time. Vedek Bareil Antos was mortally injured on one of these vessels.
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Bajoran Society and Culture
Bajorans are justifiably proud of their ancient culture. Contact with other races has led some Bajorans to “water down” some of their traditions, but most of them are very protective of their culture. Despite the hardships suffered during the Cardassian occupation, they have remained a proud and hardy people.
On Bajor, retinal scans are used for identification.
The Caste System
The D'jarras was a caste system practiced by the Bajoran people during the time of the Second Republic, to create and maintain a stratified social hierarchy. Everyone was born into a specific caste of D'jarras, based on their family. This D'jarra automatically also determined their occupation. Breaking your D'jarra to pursue another career was punishable by law, resulting in exile, or even death. Higher­ranking D'jarras were treated with respect and deference by those of lower ranks. The Ih'valla, for instance, was a caste of artists and sculptors, and as such was ranked higher than the Te'nari. In fact, artists were generally held in very high esteem in the caste system, because of the importance Bajorans attached to art. Several other D'jarras included “Mi'tino” (low­ranking merchants and landowners), “Va'telo” (pilots, sailors and similar professions), “Ke'lora” (laborers and lawmen), and “Sern'apa” (possibly the priests). The lowest D'jarra was the “Unclean”, who were responsible for preparing the dead for burial. In some cases, Bajoran family names indicated the D'jarra to which family members belonged. The family name “Kira”, for instance, indicated membership of the Ih'valla, or artists, D'jarra.
The D'jarra system was officially abolished in 2328, so that all Bajorans could fight as soldiers to liberate their home world. Subsequent to the Cardassian withdrawal, the status quo was maintained, as too many Bajorans were now performing jobs far different from their D'jarras.
In 2372, Akorem Laan called for the reinstitution of the D'jarra system after he had assumed the position of Emissary of the Prophets, believing that Bajorans had strayed from the path the Prophets had set for them by abandoning the D'jarras. The resumption of the D'jarras turned out to be a deeply divisive issue amongst Bajorans, many of whom refused to return to their castes.
The Federation also found the D'jarra system a source for concern, as caste­based discrimination would disqualify Bajor from Federation membership. When a vedek from the family Imutta was murdered by Vedek Porta for refusing to resign, because his D'jarra was considered “unclean”, Captain Sisko challenged Akorem's claim as the Emissary. After the Prophets had confirmed that Sisko was the true Emissary, the idea of returning to the D'jarra system was summarily abandoned. 53
Names
Bajoran custom places the surname (or family name) before the given name. Major Kira Nerys, for instance, will be addressed as “Major Kira” professionally, and “Nerys” by her friends. Some examples of names are:
Family names: Kira, Wynn, Dakin, Tahlandi, Havaris, Ro, Carin, Krish, Neba, Rana, Homak, Belelsa, Lenamon, Trazk, Setto, Lin, Erin, Ren, Jadan, Kar, Werlaka, Orjarn, Han, Dorin, Ris, Notie, Tiran, Herina, Zorama, Senal, Yarka, Mullimuttay, Valar, Kenara, Jaz, Sarish, Surmak, Tahna, Varis, Winn, Olpaca, Bareil, Delik, Jetur, Melech, Shakaar, Sevek
Male names: Kusto, Rann, Jerrod, Gerron, Vaatrick, Jol, Korjeno, Krem, Kalus, Kende, Robar, Molinn, Kilus, Trypohl, Rin, Peermat, Bek, Holza, Jatarn, Kainon, Orta, Ren, Rez, Los, Talpet, Toran, Zayra, Kaiul, Olan, Jetir, Colim, Marit, Parlan, Nabal, Oryn Female names: Jiasha, Nua, Nerys, Laren, Ijen, Toru, Roka, Temara, Dahn, Mora, Eres, Rani, Lin, Vaherly, Ludir, Jekas, Epena, Len, Lagran, Atomi, Neela, Pallra, Roana, Sul, Meru, Kestrae, Adami, Sharai
Given names are only used between friends, and it's an honor if someone should allow you to address them in such a manner. Bajoran names are usually short, and have a soft sound, characteristic of the Bajoran language in general. There are not that many apostrophes or double barreled names amongst true­born Bajorans. At marriage, the man changes his family name to that of his new wife, as Bajor is traditionally a matriarchal society. However, nowadays many men retain their names if they hold senior positions, or if they frequently deal with foreign organizations.
Love and marriage
Bajorans believe that their relationships are guided by the Prophets, and will often ask them if the relationship has a future. They realize that one often goes through a series of romantic relationships before marrying. Young lovers are free to choose their own partners, and there are no taboos attached to marrying outside the species. Young lovers might even visit the Kenda shrine to consult the Prophets about their relationship.
The Bajoran marriage ceremony, ironically, contains elements of the Rite of Separation. Weddings are performed by a spiritual leader, who stands in front of the couple, holding a black tray. On the tray is a book, covered in woven magenta and silver strips, from which the leader reads. As the rites are being read, the couple pass a small, gold bowl between them, sipping from it in turn. The religious leader then takes the bowl from the woman, and pronounces them married. The bridal procession is usually made up by 51 girls acting as dais bearers. The bride wears a good­luck garment known as a Navatan shawl.
Bajoran society is evidently accepting of same­sex relationships, and there are evidently no taboos on non­marital sexual activities, since Major Kira and Vedek Bareil, both devout religious followers, were depicted as non­married lovers.
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Pregnancy and Childbirth
Bajoran pregnancies last only five months, during which time an intricate network of blood vessels is formed between the mother and the unborn child. One particular peculiarity of Bajoran pregnancy is the uncontrollable bouts of sneezing pregnant women seem to be frequently afflicted with, as opposed to the morning sickness experienced by human females. Pregnant Bajoran women also experience a tendency towards swollen ankles, and back pain, traits shared with Terran women. The traditional treatment for this is takeo herbs. Makara herbs are helpful in keeping up progesterone levels, but have a very unappealing taste, and can counteract the effects of sedatives.
A unique gynecological procedure improvised by Dr Bashir on Deep Space Nine, was the procedure of fetal transplantation by means of beaming a baby from one womb to another, as in the case of the O'Briens' baby being transplanted into Kira's womb. Bajoran women normally continue to work during pregnancy.
The traditional Bajoran birthing ceremony is attended by the woman's family and a midwife, each male present wearing a traditional knotted scarf, and reflects the strong Bajoran spiritual beliefs. A birthing room is typically furnished with moving sculptures and piles of pillows, instead of furniture, and the walls are covered with tapestries. The room contains a small shrine with constantly burning incense. The objective of the ritual is to induce complete relaxation through a combination of breathing exercises, rhythmic percussion music, and incense, allowing the woman to give birth painlessly. Family members, or friends, play rhythmic music that helps to create the necessary ambiance. The rhythm must be constant, so that she can enter a state of deep relaxation, which is the only way a Bajoran woman can give birth. The birth process must occur in a certain period of time, or the level of endorphins in the mother's system will build to toxic levels. If all goes well, labor and delivery usually only takes an hour. The birth itself doesn't involve any pain. In fact, if a Bajoran woman experiences any pain whatsoever, it indicates that she's not ready to give birth yet. If a woman is unable to fully relax, the labor process stops entirely. It could be days, or weeks, before the labor process starts again. When the child is finally born, he/she is greeted with the following words: “Awake child, we await you with love and welcome you into the world.”
Funerary Customs
Bajorans generally bury their deceased in graves marked with a decorated arch. Funeral rites can be quite elaborate, although the preservation of the body itself is not of any particular significance to the Bajorans, as they believe that after death a person's pagh joins the Prophets in the Celestial Temple, leaving only an empty shell behind in this world. Bajorans hold that a deceased soul should make peace with its former life and bid farewell to those left behind, before proceeding on to the afterlife. To mourn the death of a loved one, Bajorans light duranja lamps. Bajoran gravestones are aesthetically designed to blend into the serene scenery, and bodies are usually buried in simple graves forming a circular pattern.
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Arts, architecture, literature, and music
Bajor's tradition of art and architecture was seeded on countless planets even before the Occupation.
Bajoran Music
Bajor has always been well­known for its music, largely based on quartile harmony, giving it a spacious and meditative feel. The Jalanda Forum was a prestigious music hall located in Jalanda city. Facilities included the prestigious Exhibition Hall. This institution was destroyed during the Occupation, but its reconstruction is currently being tentatively planned. The Boldaric masters was a school of 22nd century Bajoran composers. The work of Tor Jolan, a Bajoran composer, is considered by some to be derivative of their work. The Belaklavion, sometimes just called a klavion, is a popular musical instrument, similar to a clarinet on Earth, and is apparently quite difficult to master. Its timbre, however, is more akin to Terran panpipes.
Much of Bajoran music serves a spiritual, or family­based purpose. Bajorans also enjoy music as a recreational activity, and as part of celebrating their culture. Instruments include a gong and rattle, the cabasa, Bajoran lute, as well as a percussion instrument which can be described as a mixture between a xylophone and drums. Bajoran musical instruments often appear to combine elements of familiar Earth instruments. Worshipers are called to services using the Bajoran harp. Bells are suspended from the strings of the harp. During services, the woodwind instrument is used.
Art
Icon painting is a form of Bajoran representational art dating back nearly 20,000 years. It was traditionally created by members of the Ih'valla D'jarra.
Literature
“The Call of the Prophets” was a work of Bajoran author Akorem Laan. It was greatly influential, but unfinished, when he disappeared into the then undiscovered Bajoran wormhole. Once Akorem had returned to his own time, he finished the book. He has also been credited with having written the very well­known poems “Gaudaal's Lament”,“Kitara's Song”, and “A Poet's Flight”. A popular line from the latter reads: “To doubt their wisdom is to deny them the pleasures of due faith, and to deny oneself the joy of being – and being, to be loved”.
“The Descent of the Pah­wraiths” was a poem written by the poet Ocman Danriv. He is also credited with having written “The Soul of Gratitude”.
“Songs of Dusk” was a piece of Bajoran literature on the topic of age and dying, read in meditation, usually as part of the practice of Bajoran religion.
“Speculations on the Architecture of the Celestial Temple” was an essay written by Ke Hovath, that looked at the Bajoran wormhole and the Prophets from both a religious, as well as a secular viewpoint. In his essay, Hovath had put forward the viewpoint that the wormhole could open into an infinite number of parallel universes if an appropriate “key” could be found.
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“When the Prophets Cried” is a book written by Vedek Synta Kayanil, that told the stories of the discovery of the first seven orbs of the Prophets. A few chapters included “The Third Tear”, “Home in the Firmament”, “Bajor Rises”, and “Prophecy”. This book is considered a canonical part of Bajoran religion.
“The Book of Amakira” consists of 77 prayers, and is part of a test for new members of the holy orders. Each prayer is comprised of sixteen syllables, which the new student has to memorize. The meaning of each verse must also be understood.
“The Song of the Prophets” were a series of Bajoran written works. There were at least eight of these songs. The Eighth Song of the Prophets explains the coordination of Bajoran spiritual belief and modern science.
“One hand holds the stone, the other the spark. To make fire, they must come together”.
Architecture
Bajoran spirituality is reflected in their architecture. Aesthetically pleasing cityscapes blend harmoniously into the lush landscape. Buildings are constructed from materials with soft, natural colors, to compliment the surrounding lush, green vegetation. The design of the cities consist of tall towers capped by graceful domes and long, elegant spires. From a distance it provides what most humans would consider to be a fairytale view. Long walkways zigzag across the city in a maze­like formation, while exquisitely cultivated gardens are a popular feature, even in these highly populated regions. Cities also feature large bodies of water, placed in­between walkways, to mirror the tall towers. Bajoran interior design is equally stylish in its simplicity. These features all combine to form a very luxurious look.
The Promenade on Deep Space Nine. One of the many off­world areas where Bajoran architects had left their indelible mark.
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Bajoran Earrings
Known in the Bajoran language as “d'ja pagh”, the Bajoran earring is an elaborate piece of jewelry traditionally worn on the right ear by the Bajoran people as a symbol of their faith. Some earrings incorporate gems and clear, or colored glass into their designs. The earring can be worn on either ear, but it is more commonly worn on the right ear. It's directly related to the Bajoran belief in the Pagh, or life force, which can be sensed by monks through the left ear. Bajorans believe that the Pagh is housed, or situated, in the left ear. Prior to the Cardassian Occupation of Bajor, these earrings also used to indicate a person's D'jarra, or social caste. Each person's earring is individualized and bears the symbol of their family on the earring cuff, but some religious figures and Militia officers are known to have changed their earrings to better adapt to their line of work. Members of other races who wish to show a respect for the culture, such as those who marry Bajorans, may also choose to wear the earring. In a conscious break with tradition, many scientists have taken to not wearing earrings, as they have developed doubts in the Pagh belief system, even though predictions of this nature tend to be very accurate most of the time. Major Kira Nerys wore an earring which had been made for her by a fellow resistance member, Lupaza, using diamide­laced beritium, salvaged from a Cardassian skimmer that had been ambushed by the Shakaar resistance cell during the Occupation.
Bajoran prisoners, held illegally in a secret Cardassian labor camp, smuggled out the earring of resistance hero Li Nalas, knowing that this in itself would be enough to bring a rescue party.
Dukat wore an earring when he became leader of the Cult of the Pah­wraiths in 2375. He wore his earring on the left ear instead of the right, symbolizing the Pah­wraiths' opposition to the Prophets.
In 2346, Kira Nerys used a Bajoran earring made of ultritium resin in an assassination attempt on Gul Dukat, who had been the Prefect of Bajor at that time. Undetectable by Cardassian sensors, the bomb had a three­minute timer which could not be disarmed. When detonated, the explosion would have a radius of twenty meters. Dukat's quarters were destroyed, and two Cardassian guards were killed, but Dukat and his comfort woman, Kira Meru, escaped in time.
The wearing of Bajoran earrings was generally against Starfleet uniform code.
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Bajoran Bracelets
Bracelets, also referred to as either “pledge”, or “betrothal” bracelets, play a similar role in Bajoran society to the engagement and wedding rings exchanged on Earth. Courtship often leads to the gift of a pledge bracelet, and symbolizes deep affection. Typically, the male makes this gift to the female, though increasingly women are becoming the givers. Often, there will be a mutual exchange of bracelets. The pledge bracelet could also be given to a very close friend.
The betrothal bracelet is given by a man to his betrothed before marriage, signifying deeper feelings, and more of a commitment, than the pledge bracelet. A betrothal bracelet will often be passed down through a family for many generations, and bracelets from ancient Bajoran families have become priceless artifacts, as well as symbols of devotion.
Holidays and Festivals
The Day of Atonement
This is a modern Bajoran holiday, when Bajorans remember the Cardassian occupation, and atone for the things they did during that dark period.
The Bajoran Gratitude Festival
The Gratitude Festival is an annual, worldwide Bajoran celebration of such importance to the Bajoran people that it is even celebrated by Bajorans off­
world. Also referred to as the Peldor Festival, it dates as far back as 17,600 BC. This festival is celebrated throughout December to welcome in the New Year. The traditional greeting used during this festival is “Peldor joi”. On the eve of celebrations, temple bells are rung far into the night. On the morning of the first day, decorations are placed around towns and cities, with special attention given to temples. The national motif can be seen on many flags and symbols, along with such culturally significant icons as suns and moons. A person is elected “Presidor” over the festivities. The Presidor coordinates all the preparations for the festival, and organizes everything from live music to the food. As the celebrations commence on a public holiday, no Bajorans work, and consequently the streets are usually quiet at this time, as people ready themselves for the official afternoon opening of the festival under direction of the Presidor. This official may also be called upon to perform an ambassadorial role, as delegates from many worlds usually attend the festival. Street entertainers, colorful jugglers, and spectacular acrobats entertain the crowd up to the opening speech, when a ceremonial gong is sounded by a child, calling people to their local temple. There, 59
the Presidor will be greeted with warm applause, as they climb onto an ornate podium. Bajorans typically clap with the right palm on the left wrist, but there is another variation, where Bajorans hold the left hand up at chest level, palm facing the person, and clapping the palm with the back of the fingers of the right hand. The Presidor then holds up two decorative glass containers; this is a sign for the crowd to fall silent, as a short incantation is recited. On the last word, the contents of both containers are simultaneously poured into a tall, narrow glass, which is in turn connected to a thin tube at its base. The liquids turn a bright blue, and the fluid then runs down a long tube into a metal brazier, spontaneously igniting a blue flame. This signals the official start of the festival. Once this mixture spontaneously ignites, bateret leaves are burned in it, releasing a strong aroma of incense, prompting participants to write their problems on renewal scrolls, which are then also burned, to show their troubles symbolically turning to ashes. Anyone can write his or her list of problems on a scroll. This process is symbolic of putting one's troubles in the past. Bajorans enjoy several days of fun and celebrations with their family and friends, by eating, drinking, and reveling in a carnival atmosphere. Gratitude dinners are a private way of celebrating, and have their own symbolism, in terms of decorations and banners around the meal table. The festival also serves as a symbol of the Bajoran people's friendliness and hospitality.
The Ha'mara Festival
This festival is a Bajoran holiday celebrated each year on April 7th, to commemorate the anniversary of the arrival of the Emissary of the Prophets. On this day, Bajorans typically fast to show their gratitude to the Prophets for having sent the Emissary to them. In the Capital city on Bajor this festival is always marked by a large light show the preceding evening, although Captain Sisko did not usually attend the festivities.
The Time of Cleansing
During this period, Bajorans fast and abstain from worldly pleasures for a month. This month­long period of fasting is reminiscent of the Muslim tradition of Ramadan.
The Itanu Ceremony
A Bajoran coming of age ceremony, which is performed when a girl reaches the age of 14.
Bajoran Rite of Separation
This Bajoran custom is performed when two people end their relationship. It involves celebrating for several days, and allows the couple an opportunity to remember the good times they had together, and to seek out new opportunities. When done correctly, the Rite of Separation allows for a friendly 60
parting, with no hurt feelings or recriminations. For the final part of the ritual, they sit opposite each other, with a witness present. The woman says “Our paths have grown apart”, and drinks from a shallow bowl. The man replies “What was one, is now two”, also drinking from the same bowl. The cup is returned to the woman, who then says “The time of sharing is over”. She then smashes the bowl, saying “May the Prophets guide you towards the path of happiness”. The man ends the ceremony by saying “And may they walk with you always”. The former lovers then raise their arms, firmly clasp each other's hands, leaning towards each other, until they almost touch noses, then suddenly and simultaneously turning their heads, so that they are cheek to cheek. This looking away from each other concludes the ceremony.
The Moga Nivan ceremony
A celebration of the Nivanites' stand against Gordach, to keep the memory of their courage alive.
Berajin
A harvest festival on Bajor.
Food and Drink
Bajorans enjoy a wide variety of foods, but they especially enjoy hot, spicy foods. Many Bajorans recite a short prayer before each meal. The eyes are closed and hands held up, palms facing out, while the person recites a silent prayer of thankfulness. On Deep Space Nine, you can eat Bajoran food at the Celestial Cafe, a Bajoran restaurant owned by Chalan Aroya and overlooking the Promenade.
Alvas (Alvinian melons)
A small, pale­yellow, grape­like fruit growing all over Bajor.
Bajoran shrimp
A type of shrimp native to Bajor.
Foraiga
A rare, difficult­to­obtain Bajoran delicacy.
Groatcake (Breakfast cake)
A Bajoran breakfast food, particularly good when topped with syrup of squill.
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Deka tea
A tea of Bajoran origin. Given to Bajoran comfort women during the Cardassian occupation, upon their arrival on Terok Nor.
Hasperat
A well­known spicy Bajoran food resembling a burrito. It's prepared using a special brine, which, if made correctly, will sear the tongue, and cause the eyes to water. Can also be served as a soufflé.
Ginli fowl Bajoran fowl (tastes just like chicken).
Jumja tea
A sweet­tasting tea, made from the Jumja tree.
Jumja stick
Extremely sweet Bajoran confections made from the sap of the Jumja tree, containing a lot of vitamin C. Comes in a variety of flavors. Reminiscent of candy floss on Earth. Also popularly referred to as “glop­on­a­stick”.
Chiraltan tea
Bajoran tea (with lemon).
Cela
Hot, brewed Bajoran tea.
Copal
A cider­like beverage.
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Kava
A Bajoran plant with three edible parts: its fruit, roots, and nuts. Can be used as an additive, or as flavoring to coffee and other beverages. Kava rolls are typically served as a breakfast item. The fruits are also used in kava juice and springwine, which is the fermented juice of the kava plant. The roots are quite valuable as well. A Bajoran folk tale, “The three brothers who went to Jo'kala”, tells the story of three brothers who discovered a large kava root, and were almost torn apart by their greed for the root.
Summerwine
A sweet, fruity wine.
Klavaatu
A rare Bajoran fruit that's considered a delicacy due to its high price.
Jacarine
A Bajoran fruit often enjoyed with Raktajino.
Katterpod
A popular crop grown by Bajoran farmers. The useful part is the roots, referred to as “beans”. One farming technique used to increase the size of the beans, is to spray them with chlorobicrobes. On Bajor, katterpods are primarily grown around the city of Ilvia, in the Northwest District. Resembles mushrooms.
Milaberrys
A Bajoran fruit.
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Koganka pudding
A Bajoran dessert, traditionally given to a soon­to­be bride.
Larish pie
A Bajoran dish.
Mapa bread
A type of Bajoran food.
Lorvan Crackers
A Bajoran snack cracker.
Moba fruit
A tree­grown fruit native to Bajor.
Rekja
A Bajoran spice used in the preparation of tuwaly pie.
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Tequsso
A strong Bajoran spirit.
Palukoo
A large arachnid indigenous to the Bajoran moons. During the Occupation of Bajor, Bajoran Resistance fighters often survived on a diet of Palukoo.
Bajoran Ale
A type of beer, also referred to as Synthale, or Voodai.
Tuwaly pie
A Bajoran dessert, made by mashing Tuwaly into a paste, then mixing Rekja into this paste, solidifying it to a spongy cake.
Veklava
A traditional Bajoran pastry dessert. Juerl Root
Bajoran crispy, battered root.
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Bajoran Philosophy
A contemplative and spiritual people, the early Bajorans saw little need in reaching to the stars.
Because of their focus on art and religion, their technology did not advance as rapidly as that of some other races. The Cardassian occupation, however, gradually changed Bajoran society, from being a relatively peaceful and prosperous people, to being destitute guerrillas. Where they had bickered amongst themselves prior to the occupation, they later became united in an effort to purge their planet of the Cardassian forces. Nevertheless, the underlying core of their faith and philosophy remained constant, and it was this that ultimately carried them through this dark chapter in their history. Once the Cardassians had left, the internal bickering resumed.
As a direct result of the occupation, Bajoran people became very distrustful of foreign cultures. Most Bajorans tend towards being courteous and hospitable, but many are quick­tempered, stubborn, and impulsive. Notwithstanding, they were fully aware of their vulnerability, consequently inviting the Federation to establish a presence in their system to ward off any potential future enemies.
Some more conservative sects, such as the one led by Vedek Winn, stubbornly disregarded many scientific facts simply because it did not agree with their religious ideals. Other, somewhat more liberal sects, such as the one led by Vedek Bareil, were more open to the idea of science and religion complimenting each other.
Overall, the core of the Bajoran religious system is characterized by their undying faith in their Prophets, their vision for Bajor and all Bajorans, generosity, humility, and enlightenment. The Bajoran sense of spirituality is so strong, that they have developed a very strong will. Bajorans share an extremely strong bond with their home world. To Bajorans, the land and the people who live on it are one and the same. Bajorans are a proud and honorable race, and their women are fierce fighters.
Bajoran Proverbs
It is the Unknown that defines our existence.
Open mindedness reveals the enemy.
Never look into the Eyes of your Gods.
Fear and Wisdom are Brothers.
Silence Constitutes Supreme Authority.
Confrontation is better than Avoidance.
The Land and the People are One.
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Ideas have Consequences.
Change is Inevitable.
Nothing Ever Justifies Genocide.
The Truth Never Dies.
The Prophets will Always Walk with Us.
The Prophets will Always Guide Us.
Look for Solutions from Within.
Always Listen to your Pagh.
Only Fools Ignore Wisdom.
Power and Fear are a Balance.
Experience is the Father of Maturity.
Lies are the Language of Fools.
Greed is at the Root of all Deception.
Legends Never Die.
Become, and Live.
It Isn't Over 'til It's Over.
Love Conquers All Fear. The Bajoran Language
Spoken Bajoran has 19 dialects, and is used as the official language of Bajor and its colonies. It's generally simpler than spoken English. A number of archaic dialects are used only by the Vedeks during religious ceremonies. Many Bajorans are becoming bilingual, however, most learning English as a result of Bajor's membership of the Federation. In fact, Federation Standard English is now also taught in all Bajoran schools on a par with the native Bajoran.
The Bajoran written language is made up of square symbols composed of thick lines. Each symbol can be used in any of eight rotations (flipped/rotated each way), resulting in as many as 200 symbols 67
in the written language. Bajoran can be written either horizontally or vertically. Bajoran writing is said to be ideographic, in other words, each character represents a single thought, or word pictured. Most forms of written Bajoran share some root ideograms. The Bajoran alphabet consists of some 25 language symbols. The number of characters in the script implies that it's either syllabic, or logo­
syllabic. Modern Bajoran text usually requires pairs of symbols to write words or concepts, although odd numbers of characters also appear in Bajoran texts, as abbreviations.
Some established words and phrases
Amoran – banished Balik(am) – go away/get lost! Bantaca – a traditional flat­topped spire, or obelisk, measuring eleven meters in height, consisting of thousands of interlocked stones, fitted so tightly together that they do not even require mortar, marking the city's position in the cosmos. Symbols on its sides would represent the city's coordinates. All ancient Bajoran cities were built with a Bantaca at its center.
Beliclavian – Bajoran musical instrument. A wind instrument similar to a clarinet
Boryhas – ghosts or spirits of the dead
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D'jarras – ancient Bajoran caste system
Duranja – ceremonial lamp for the dead; one meter­high ornate candle holder, suspended by chains from four pillars, in which a flame was kept continually lit in memory of a recently deceased loved one
Elipagh – messenger, proxy, carrier, bearer of news, emissary
Ha'dara – home of light
Ha'mara – religious festival to celebrate the arrival of the Emissary of the Prophets
Itanu – ceremony carried out when a child reaches the age of fourteen
Kejal – freedom Kosst – to be
Lita – unit of monetary exchange on Bajor
Isik – another form of currency used in the Bajoran sector
Lokim – a honorific title given to Bajorans who are leaders of farming communities
Pagh – the life energy, or soul, of a person; aura, or chi
Pagh'tem'far – a sacred vision granted by the prophets
Peldar Joi – greeting used during the Gratitude Festival
Runners – a Bajoran star constellation visible from both Bajor and DS9
Saber Saw – traditional Bajoran wood­cutting tool
Shawn – swamp
Spoon head – Racist slang term used by some Bajorans to refer to Cardassians
Sumata Oil – natural Bajoran oil, used warm for massage
Karo­net – a Bajoran sporting event, of which regular tournament games are enjoyed by many Springball – a national sport played on Bajor. A number of professional players compete in a series of ongoing championships, and many Bajorans follow these games closely, keeping track of their favorite players through records of their standings, which are posted across the planet. Not a game for the fainthearted, it is a full­contact sport similar to Earth handball, played on a court. The game is played by two people, the main object being to try and hit a resilient, spherical ball with a gloved hand so that it hits the center ellipse on the far wall, without hitting the foul zone. The players score points for hitting this target area with the ball. A blue bar on the wall lights up every time a player hits the center ellipse. The game requires sharp reflexes and coordination. Players are also allowed to block their opponents by knocking them aside, or to “body check” them with the upper body, to stop them from reaching the ball. However, the game rules explicitly forbid violent contact, such as a punch, or a kick. Players' outfits are made of an elasticized material for ease of movement. A padded glove is used to hit the ball, and a helmet is worn to minimize injuries. A Springball court is a cube­shaped chamber, with the far wall constituting the goal area. Small sectors of the wall are marked with colored bands, and a number of foul lines section off areas of the wall as “no­hit” zones. In the center of the wall is a large, elliptical area which forms the goal. In addition, the floor of the court is marked with several foul lines, and players who step over these borders, or who cause the ball to bounce into them, are penalized. The rear wall is made up of a transparent forcefield, off which the ball can rebound, while still allowing the crowd to view the spectacle. Due to the popularity of the game, a seating area is usually provided for spectators, allowing them to enjoy the atmosphere of a live game.
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Religious Terms
Ranjen – a monk, usually a title given as an honor
Prylar – a monk or priest
Vedek – a senior member of the Bajoran clergy
Kai – the leader of the Bajoran clergy
Kosst Amojen – also known as Koss'moran, another name for the Pah­wraiths; translates as “the
banished ones”
Pagh – the eternal soul
Pagh'tem'far – a spiritual vision sent by the Prophets
Dolmak – the ancient Bajoran god of revenge. His existence predates the Bajorans' worship of the Prophets, but his name was still used in Bajoran literature as relatively recently as the fourth century A.D.
Measurements
Kellipate – a measure of distance
Tessipate – a measure of land area, comparable to an Earth acre
Kerripate – a fraction of a Tessipate
Linnipate – a unit of distance, roughly two to three meters
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Bajoran religion
The religious order
The Kai of Bajor The Kai is the head of the Vedek Assembly, and is considered the “Vedek of Bajor”. The term “Kai” itself can be roughly translated as “keeper of the keys”. He or she is the spiritual leader of all Bajorans, equivalent to the Roman Catholic Pope of Earth, and elected to the position only upon the death or incapacitation of the previous Kai, for a life term by his or her peers in the Vedek Assembly, which, in turn, is the equivalent of the College of Cardinals on Earth. The religious authority of the Kai is rivaled only by that of the Emissary of the Prophets. The Kai is properly addressed as “Your Eminence”. The appearance of the Emissary in 2369, as well as the disappearance of the much revered Kai Opaka in that same year, significantly decreased the influence of the Kai on Bajoran life. The Kai's vestment is a robe similar in design to that of a Vedek, though its colors are entirely different. The Kai's robe is dijon mustard in color, threaded with brown religious symbols. A slightly off­white garment is worn underneath the robe. The robe is held together with a band cincture of the same yellow color, fastened with the symbol of the Bajoran faith. The Kai also wears a miter.
The office of the Kai
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The Council of Vedeks
These are the Bajoran religious leaders. The Council is not to be confused with the Vedek Assembly, which is the presiding body of the Bajoran religion. Vedeks have to be elected to the Assembly from Orders throughout Bajor. Not all Vedeks sit on the Assembly. There is a limited number of seats, and one must be selected to join the ranks. The position of Vedek appears to be similar to the rank of Cardinal or Bishop in the Roman Catholic Church on Earth. A Vedek may be appointed to preside over a specific area of Bajor, may serve in a religious office, or may be the caretaker of a large religious shrine, temple, or monastery. Vedeks, though strictly religious officials, have great political influence. It's expected of the Vedeks more often than not to act as diplomats and ambassadors of the Bajoran people, and some Vedeks are often sent to negotiate with other races, and to set up peace treaties. A Vedek's Order is also referred to as a “Parish”, except that it does not always cover a definable area. An Order is rather the people who follow the ideas and beliefs of a particular Vedek, or Vedeks. Vedeks may stay within the Order, or they may start one of their own. They are permitted to interpret the Prophets' teachings, as well as the Proverbs. They preside over religious holidays, and also train healers and acolytes. Vedeks, including the Kai, can easily be identified by the bright orange robes they wear. These robes are usually long and flowing, though moderately form­fitting. It's trimmed in a fabric with moderately dark brown, large, open cuffs. The robe itself, is designed to wrap around the wearer's body, and is connected with a band cincture of varying colors, though many prefer to match the cincture with the the trim color. Others choose special band cinctures to represent special religious days or initiatives. Many prefer to wear a tiered headdress as well. Vedeks wear their vestment at all times. The Connection of Ranjen
Those members of the ordained clergy who have received certain appointments, or who are considered specialists on certain topics of great interest, or who are specialists serving as advisors to members of the Vedek Assembly, or who otherwise hold special positions within the Order, may be elevated to the rank of Ranjen. A Ranjen is considered to be a higher order religious official. A Ranjen's vestment is either a dark blue or purple robe. It's typically form­fitting, and hemmed and trimmed in a lighter shade of the color used for the majority of the robe. Ranjen wear their robes at all times.
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The Order of the Mylars The senior priests, equivalent to a minister, or Monsignor.
The Order of the Prylars
This is the most common religious rank within the Bajoran religious hierarchy. Prylars are considered monks within the Bajoran religious establishment, being the equivalent of a parish priest. A Prylar is usually the head of a shrine, or meeting place. They are expected to follow the teachings of a classical order, or an established Vedek. They do not have a voice in the Assembly. They have already completed all of their training, but need to establish themselves before they can start their own order. Many continue to serve as healers. They are able to hold services, including marriages and funerals, and they also assist Vedeks and other higher­ranking members of the religious orders. They conduct standard religious services, and may be assigned as custodian of small religious temples on, or off Bajor. A Prylar's vestment is a red robe, either form­fitting or large and flowing, containing religious symbols or markings. Prylars wear their vestment any time they are in public, or in a religious sanctuary. The Fellowship of Acolytes
An Acolyte is a trainee who is still learning the disciplines of the faith. They are not formally part of the religious order, but are regarded as a “preparatory member”. In this role, they are tasked with many of the ceremonial duties of places of worship, and they also assist fully appointed clergy in their duties. It is typical for an acolyte, in addition to his studies, to participate in the processional and recessional at various ceremonies, presenting various religious symbols and artifacts. They also light candles, and keep watch over religious sanctuaries. The Acolyte's vestment is a simple robe of dark brown, green, or maroon, and they typically only wear this garment when participating in a religious service or ceremony. Training takes place on Bajor, at the monastery, under the supervision of the monks and Vedeks.
Either gender may serve in the clergy. Clergymen and ­women are expected to behave with dignity, although they are not expected to remain celibate. The faith is open to all Bajorans, and even to outsiders nowadays. Through study, and years of working for the Vedeks, a person may become a Noviciate. When a place on the Assembly eventually becomes available – usually when a Vedek passes away – they may be elected to sit on the Assembly as a full Vedek. 73
The Prophets
The Bajoran religion is referred to as “The Way of the Prophets”, and is based upon the revelations of the Prophets, timeless beings residing in the Bajoran wormhole, or the Celestial Temple, as the Bajoran people refer to it. The Prophets' motives remain unclear. On several occasions they've proclaimed disinterest in the physical world, only to actively participate at other times, usually in the general interest of the Bajoran people. At other times, the Prophets seem to have amazingly little knowledge of other species. The Bajoran faith holds the Prophets to be the embodiment of truth, who reveal their wisdom through visions given by the orbs. Within the religious texts of the Bajoran faith, safe passage through the wormhole is seen as a blessing from the Prophets. Bajorans also believe that it is the Prophets who replenish their “pagh”, or life force, allowing them to exist. Belief in the Prophets' guidance and an understanding of the proverbs shape the daily lives of the Bajoran people. The Prophets – referred to as “wormhole aliens” by non­Bajorans – are non­corporeal extra­
dimensional entities that reside in the only stable wormhole known to exist. The terminus nearest to the Federation is located in the Denorios Belt in the Bajoran system, and crosses some 70,000 light years to a point near the Idran system in the Gamma quadrant. Historical records indicate that the wormhole has most likely been in existence for at least the past 10,000 years. The Prophets' origins remain unknown; however, they've identified themselves as being “of Bajor”, and have been proven to have exceptional abilities, but with a vulnerability to chroniton radiation. In their natural state, the Prophets appear as blue translucent energy, capable of rapid movement through any environment. When communicating with visitors in their own domain, the Prophets can take on the appearance of someone familiar to them by probing their consciousness. With a few exceptions, in normal space the Prophets could only physically communicate with outsiders by possessing a body and using it as a vessel. The host would be conscious of what was happening, but has no control over his actions. The Prophets have no sense of linear time, so it is likely that they exist outside the normal space – time continuum. This offers a probable explanation for the prophetic visions experienced by those who interact with them. Their existence has been recorded on Bajor for at least 30,000 years. Several entries in the sacred texts illuminate the philosophy of the Prophets; for instance, they promise the Bajoran people unconditional love, expecting nothing in return, and they also refer to time as an “illusion”. The total number of Prophets residing in the wormhole has never been discovered. However, on several occasions the Prophets have exiled members from their own ranks who have committed acts described as “evil”. These exiled Prophets are referred to as “Pah­wraiths”, with Kosst Amojan being the most prominent. Unlike the rest of the Prophets, these exiles appear as red translucent energy, and are often described as resembling the flames of a fire. The Prophets created a “prison” for these Pah­wraiths on Bajor in an ancient cavern Bajorans refer to as the Fire Caves. The Pah­
wraiths also communicated with the ancient Bajorans through the orbs, since an ancient text had been written explaining how to release them. This text had been hidden over the centuries, and have been protected in modern times by the authorities.
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The Bajoran Orbs
Bajoran history documents the discovery of nine orbs found in orbit of Bajor over a period of the last 10,000 years. Once every thousand years an orb has appeared in the Denorios belt. However, archaeological finds suggest that the Bajoran people may have received their first orb at least 30,000 years ago. There is some evidence that suggests that these orbs had originally been sent out by the wormhole aliens, who might not have been aware of the existence of corporeal life at the time, in search of other life­forms. These orbs have attained such a position of importance in Bajoran society, that their symbolism has become prevalent in architecture and design all over the planet. The Bajoran emblem, for instance, is a stylized orb. The designs of earrings, ships, and even some buildings all carry this motif in some form or another. The orbs appear to resemble half­meter tall, glowing hourglass verteron energy fields, composed of the same material as the wormhole itself, and may produce intense metaphysical hallucinations to those who come into contact with them. Conventional thinking holds that these hallucinations are indirect communications from the Prophets. These orb experiences are not limited to only certain species. However, the orbs only react to a select few individuals, and it remains a mystery as to what conditions need to be met for a vision to be experienced. Visions can last anywhere from a few minutes to several days. Some individuals experience “lapsed” visions, sometimes only months after having been in contact with the orbs. These continued visions are referred to as “orb shadows”. Bajorans believe that orb shadows occur when individuals ignore what their orb experience had told them in the first instance. As tangible objects offering communication with their gods, the orbs are greatly treasured by the Bajoran people, contained inside ornate, jeweled vessels tended by monks, safeguarded inside monasteries. A force field also protects the orb inside its vessel. Officially, contact with an orb requires special permission from the Vedek Assembly, although this is a rarely­followed formality. Despite their appearance, the orbs are not purely energy fields, but do in fact have a physical presence also. At some point in history, an unknown orb was damaged, a fragment of which became a jewel in a bracelet worn by the Sirah, the village leader and storyteller in Faren Kag's village on Bajor. The Sirah would use this bracelet to create a creature referred to as the Dal'Rok, a mythical energy creature that would attack the village for five nights every year at the end of the harvest, focusing the collective energy of all the villagers to defeat it. The Dal'Rok was a manifestation of the fear and pessimism of the villagers, and its secret was passed down from Sirah to Sirah. The ancient Bajorans who had discovered the orbs named each one for the kind of vision it induced. Many of the earliest encounters with these orbs were recorded and, over time, became the basis of many prophesies. These orbs were ultimately responsible for the founding of the Bajoran faith, based upon the worship of the Prophets as their gods. These orbs are also referred to as the “Tears of the Prophets”. During the Cardassian occupation of Bajor, all but one of the orbs were stolen and 75
taken off­world for study, although the Cardassians could never unravel their true purpose or function. The remaining, unnamed, green orb with the ability to induce flashbacks of the past in people exposed to its light, was hidden away by Kai Opaka, and later given to Benjamin Sisko, who she knew was to become the Emissary of the Prophets. The formal peace treaty signed between the Cardassian Union and the Bajoran Provisional Government in 2371 did not resolve the issue of returning the lost orbs to Bajor, although several were eventually returned under various other circumstances in the following years. The Orb of Prophecy and Change was the third of the original nine orbs to appear on Bajor. Blue in color, it induces visions of the future often so powerful that exposure to this orb is considered harmful. It also shows the user what needs to be changed within oneself. Legend has it that the spiritual writer Trakor wrote down a series of prophecies under influence of this orb 3000 years ago. In 2370 this orb was kept in a monastery under the supervision of Vedek Bareil Antos, and he consulted the orb just before the election of the next Kai. The Orb of Wisdom, purple in color, is also one of the original nine orbs. It was confiscated by the Cardassians and taken away from Bajor sometime prior to 2369. In 2371 Grand Nagus Zek purchased the orb and took it into the wormhole in the hope of gaining knowledge about eternal profit. The Prophets, however, turned Zek into a Ferengi without greed. After Quark's intervention, however, the Prophets reverted Nagus back to normal, subsequent to which he thought it prudent to rather sell the orb back to the Bajoran people. This orb forces overseen knowledge into the user's attention. The Orb of Time, purple in color, is also one of the original nine orbs. It allows time travel, producing a characteristic surge of chronitons when doing so. Confiscated by the Cardassians and taken away from Bajor sometime prior to 2369, this orb was returned to the Bajoran people by the Cardassian Detapa Council in 2373 as a gesture of peace. When the artifact was aboard the Defiant en route back home, the Klingon agent Arne Darvin, disguised as a human who had been stranded on Cardassia, used it to travel a hundred years back in the past, to the year 2268, to try and kill Captain James T. Kirk for originally exposing him as a Klingon spy. Fortunately, the plan was foiled by the Defiant crew. In 2374 the orb was kept in the Temple of Iponu on Bajor. Kira Nerys used the orb in this year to travel back to the year 2346, when her mother, Kira Meru, allegedly had had a relationship with Dukat. The Orb of Contemplation is also one of the original nine orbs. Green in color, it is not certain if this is the same orb as the one shown in the DS9 episode “Emissary”, which is also green in color, and also induces some form of contemplation. This orb was confiscated by the Cardassians as well, and taken away from Bajor prior to 2369, returned most likely some time after the peace treaty of 2371, but before the Dominion War of 2373. Be that as it may, this orb can be seen in the Bajoran temple on Deep Space Nine by 2374. It was destroyed by Gul Dukat the very same year.
The Orb of the Emissary is the tenth orb, blue in color, and is not one of the original nine orbs. The existence of this orb was unknown to the Bajoran people until 2375, when it was discovered by Captain Benjamin Sisko, buried in a desert on the planet Tyree. This orb can only be opened by the Emissary.
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The Orb of Souls was eventually recovered from an Obsidian Order vault. According to Kai Opaka, this particular orb is the least understood of all nine orbs, and encounters with it tend to be more tasking than with any of the other orbs. Not many willingly look into this orb, though it's been known to “call” to certain individuals as a sort of “summons”.
The Orb of Memory The ninth orb, recovered from the Cardassian freighter Kamal in 2376 by the USS Enterprise­E. Radiates a green form of energy, and induces vivid distant memories.
The Orb of Truth was discovered in an Obsidian Order vault. Prior to the Occupation, this orb used to be housed at the Kenda shrine on Bajor, but it's now stored in the Temple of Iponu.
The Orb of Destiny discovered in 2376 in an Obsidian Order bunker in Cardassia City.
The Orb of Unity is stored in the Temple of Iponu in Ashalla.
The Emissary
“I know you don't like it when I talk about you as the Emissary. That's how I think of you, and maybe that's why sometimes it's so hard to relax around you.”
– Kira
The Emissary of the Prophets was a pivotal figure in Bajoran religion who, according to their prophecies, would be able to speak to the Prophets, and would save Bajor by finding the Celestial Temple. The Emissary has the authority to perform several Bajoran ceremonies and blessings, and is often looked to by the people for guidance. The annual holiday of Ha'mara celebrates the arrival of the Emissary. In 2331, the Prophets brought about the existence of Benjamin Sisko, by possessing a woman named Sarah, and having her bring about a child with a man named Joseph Sisko. The resulting offspring was the pre­ordained Emissary of the Prophets. Note the striking similarities between the Bajoran Emissary story and the birth of Christ on Earth.
The ancient texts concerning the Emissary held that the Prophets would “call to him”, and that they would “give him back his life”. In 2369, Kai Opaka told Commander Sisko after his arrival at Deep Space Nine that he was destined to be the Emissary, after reading his Pagh. Bajorans believed that the Pagh was the spiritual force inherent to all sentient beings. What humans would call the “spirit”, or “soul”. They believe that the Prophets replenish the Pagh from the Celestial Temple, and that the 77
Pagh leaves the body after death, leaving only an “empty shell”. Bajoran spiritualists are able to assess the strength of an individual's Pagh by grasping their ear. Opaka instructed Sisko to find the Celestial Temple, and warn the Prophets about the Cardassians. The Bajoran prophecy was fulfilled shortly afterwards when Sisko discovered the Bajoran wormhole, and made contact with the beings within. During this contact, the Prophets helped him recover from the tragic loss of his wife, Jennifer, at the Battle of Wolf 359, essentially “giving him back his life”.
As the Emissary, Sisko gained some much­needed legitimacy in his assignment to prepare Bajor for Federation membership. At first uncomfortable being revered as a religious icon, he felt obligated to respect Bajoran beliefs, as did Starfleet. However, some Bajorans very much doubted the Prophets' choice of a human as the Emissary, in particular Kai Winn Adami, who resented the fact that she had to share the leadership of the Bajoran faith with an outsider and non­believer. She and Sisko would have an adversarial relationship, although she eventually begrudgingly admitted that he was the true Emissary.
Sisko's office on Deep Space Nine. Many crucial decisions impacting Bajor and its people were made by the Emissary from this office during his tenure.
In 2373 Sisko experienced a series of pagh'tem'far, or sacred visions, which led him to rediscover the lost city of B'hala. These visions also led him to warn the Bajoran people against accepting Federation membership at that point, sparing Bajor from a Dominion invasion later that same year. The unearthing of B'hala a year later, yielded an ancient stone tablet, bearing the inscription “Welcome, Emissary”. When Sisko approached the tablet, he received a vision which initiated “The 78
Reckoning”, a cosmic duel between a Prophet and the Pah­wraith Kosst Amojan. The Pah­wraith possessed the body of Sisko's son, Jake, while the prophet possessed the body of Bajoran Kira Nerys. Winn Adami, however, exposed both aliens to chroniton radiation, compelling them to abandon the bodies they had possessed. The prophet returned to the wormhole, but the whereabouts of Kosst Amojan went unknown.
In 2374 the Bajoran wormhole disappeared, after a possessed Gul Dukat had released a Pah­wraith into the Orb of Contemplation, one of the nine original orbs sent by the Prophets from the Bajoran wormhole. This Pah­wraith was able to enter the wormhole and seal it, turning all known orbs in Bajoran possession dark and inactive. This led to widespread panic among Bajorans, who believed that their gods had forsaken them. At the time, Dukat had been worshiping the Pah­wraiths, and was leading a cult that believed them to be the Prophets of the wormhole. Believing he had failed the Prophets and the Bajoran people, Sisko returned to Earth, where he received a number of visions, eventually leading him to the Orb of the Emissary on the planet Tyree. This orb contained a Prophet who had once inhabited the body of Sarah, Sisko's natural mother. From her Sisko learned that his birth and role as Emissary had been pre­ordained by the Prophets. After Sisko had opened the orb, the Prophet was released back into the Celestial Temple, where she cast out Dukat's Pah­wraith.
At the end of 2375, Gul Dukat planned to release the Pah­wraiths from their prison in the Fire Caves on Bajor, an event which would unleash a new era of destruction. He managed to convince Kai Winn to turn away from the Prophets, and to use her authority as Kai to obtain the Book of the Kosst Amojan, which had been under the protection of the Vedek Assembly. This book was the key to opening the Pah­wraiths' prison. The Book of the Kosst Amojan was an ancient religious text detailing the knowledge of the Pah­wraiths. Its viewing was restricted to the Kai alone, and it had not been removed from the archives for over 700 years before 2375. The book was ordinarily devoid of all text, which would only become visible once blood was spattered across its pages. The restriction on reading the Kosst Amojan had always been enforced by the book itself. When Dukat attempted to decipher the text at one time, the book released a plume of energy that blinded him for The Emissary's quarters on Deep Space Nine
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several days. Dukat and Winn Adami nearly succeeded in releasing the Pah­wraiths, however, Sisko managed to destroy the book just in time.
Bajoran Prophecies “...Well, Bajoran Prophecies seem to have a funny way of coming true.”
– Odo
A fundamental element of the Bajoran religion is its numerous prophecies, or “sacred texts”: foretelling of future events which are usually the result of encounters with Orbs. Other prophecies originate from apparent direct contact with the Prophets. Although many prophecies have been transcribed in the ancient Bajoran texts, these are extremely convoluted and difficult to understand.
Horran's Seventh Prophecy “He will come to the palace, bearing no malice, carrying a chalice, filled with sweet spring wine.” It is unclear what exactly this prophecy refers to. Rom quoted this line to Leeta during their wedding ceremony.
Shabren's Fifth Prophecy
Excerpt: “Bajor will be reborn.”
This prophecy refers to the Reckoning, an epic battle between a Prophet and the Kosst Amojan, a Pah­wraith. According to the prophecy, if Kosst Amojan is destroyed, it will herald Bajor's Golden Age: a thousand years of peace where the Prophets and the people will be as one. The prophecy does not wager a prediction on who will emerge victorious from the battle, however. This prophecy was set in motion in 2374 with the discovery of an ancient stone tablet, but was not completed due to interference from Kai Winn Adami.
Talnot's Prophecy of the Final Days
Excerpt: “And the land shall be poisoned by a great evil...The poison must be purged away, so the land can be reborn.”
This prophecy may refer to the final victory of the Prophets over the Pah­wraiths, in which the Emissary of the Prophets shall destroy the Book of the Kosst Amojan and seal the Pah­wraiths into the Fire Caves for all eternity. Sisko fulfilled this particular prophecy in his last official act.
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Trakor's Third Prophecy
Excerpt: “When the river wakes, stirred once more to Janir's side, three vipers will return to their nest in the sky. When the vipers try to peer through the temple gates, a sword of stars will appear in the heavens. The temple will burn, and its gates shall be cast open.”
Vedek Yarka began to suspect that the prophecy was coming true when the Qui'al dam was brought back into operation, diverting water once again to the city of Janir. He became convinced that the “three vipers” the prophecy had spoken of, referred to the three Cardassian scientists who had been tasked to undertake a joint science venture with their Bajoran and Federation counterparts on board Deep Space Nine, in order to set up a subspace communications relay that would eventually operate through the Bajoran wormhole. Their “nest in the sky” would be the space station, and their mission in the wormhole an attempt to “peer through the temple gates”. Yarka feared that this would lead to the “burning of the temple” – the destruction of the wormhole.
The uncanny accuracy of this prophecy can even be deduced from a chain of completely unexpected incidents: three Cardassian scientists arrived on Deep Space Nine, when only two had been expected; the unexpected appearance of a comet – the “sword of stars”; the fact that a signal sent by the relay – one of a very complicated series – unexpectedly caused the wormhole to open at the very instant this comet came within reach of the gravitational pull of the wormhole, consequently diverting the path of the comet towards the mouth of the wormhole. If this comet were to enter the wormhole, the silithium it contained posed a very possible threat of collapsing the wormhole. Attempts to destroy the comet had only split it into three segments. Fortunately, the majority of the silithium could be contained, even though a small amount still leaked out, leaving a permanent silithium trail inside the wormhole, acting as a permanent relay for all subspace communication through the wormhole. It turned out that the “three vipers” the prophecy had referred to, had not been the three Cardassian scientists, but the three segments of the partially destroyed comet. These had indeed “burned” the “temple gate”, so that it will never close again. A prime example of how an incorrect interpretation of a prophecy could very well have catastrophic consequences.
Trakor's Fourth Prophecy
Excerpt: “The Emissary will face a fiery trial, and he will be forced to choose...”
This prophecy may have referred to the battle between Sisko and Dukat in the Fire Caves.
Zocal's Third Prophecy
Excerpt: “Only someone touched by the Prophets can find the lost city of B'hala.”
This prophecy was fulfilled in 2373, when Captain Sisko discovered the ruins of B'hala deep beneath the surface of Bajor. He succeeded in a few days where Bajoran archaeologists had failed for 10,000 years.
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The Emissary's Prophecies
“But then a shadow blocked out the sun. We looked up and saw a cloud filling the sky. It was a swarm of locusts. Billions of them. They hovered over the city, the noise was deafening...but just as quickly as they came, they moved on.”
Sisko made this prophecy, scuttling the Bajoran plan to join the Federation at the time. The “locusts” were going to Cardassia, when Cardassia joined the Dominion and Dominion ships moved through the Bajoran system to Cardassian space. Sisko warned that Bajor would be destroyed, unless it stood alone, foreseeing the events where Bajor, having not joined the Federation due to Sisko's warnings, had been in a position to sign a non­aggression pact with the Dominion, and had thereby managed to stay out of the fighting during the occupation.
The Ohalu Prophecies
Ohalu's prophecies had been compiled in a book, having predicted most of the major events in Bajoran history, including some more obscure occurrences, such as the building of B'hala, a good kava harvest in 1423, the war between the Prophets and the Pah­wraiths for control of the Celestial Temple, the dissolution of the D'jarra caste system, the Cardassian occupation of Bajor, the Founders, and the outcome of the Dominion War.
The final prophecy in the book foretold the birth of Rebecca Jae Sisko, the second child of Benjamin Sisko, described as the “infant avatar”, as well as the return of former Kai Opaka, referred to as the “Herald”.
The Third Prophecy of Anaki
“The land will be torn asunder as great wings hover. Death will be on all who witness, and mourning on the lips of the few who survive. Weep for the lost, the children, the land. Weep, for it and they are no more. In that terrible day shall all my people be one. Stand firm, for one shall protect you, and two shall convert. In their faith, Bajor will be made whole.”
This prophecy ultimately came true when, during the Hive crisis of 2371, two members of the Hive visited Bajor, and learned of their leader's betrayal of their teachings.
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Bajoran Prayers
Duranja lamp prayer for the recently deceased
Raka­ja ut shala morala... ema bo rookana... uranak... ralanon (NAME)... propeh va nara ehsuk shala­kan vunek...
(Do not let him walk alone... guide him on his journey... protect... the one named (NAME)... take him into the gates of heaven...)
Bajoran death chant
Ahn­kay ya, ay­ya vasu, Coh­ma­ra, di­nay­ya...
(Repeated over and over again, for approximately three hours)
Presidor's address at the Gratitude Festival
Tesra Peldor impatri bren. Bentel vetan ullon sten...As the scroll burns, may our troubles turn to ashes with them.
Prayer to the Prophets asking for protection or favor
Jia'kaja, tre'nu'tol'a rem... La'por i'lanu kos... I'nar tan'a'tali nor...
Marriage blessing by the Emissary Zhia'kaluh tar'eh anu suur... te'von, aka'lu rez... ka'vor, mat'ana kel...
Traditional marriage blessing used in conjunction with a simple ceremony
Boray pree hadokee. Tolata impara boresh. Preeya (groom's name), Preeya (bride's name), abrem varo atel...
Orb blessing prayer
lata impara no takash... Veshanoo yavar ha iktasho
(with humility and gratitude, we accept this gift... the sacred Orb of Prophecy)
Chanted by Kai Winn and fellow Bajorans in the hours before the Reckoning
(Prayer leader) Tera dak ihsehelm ran embah... (All) de­ram ta­meen!
Ancient Bajoran chant by a Pah­wraith cult assassin
Meeh rak Dorah Pah­wran... Ee­toi... Velah­slah... Pah­wran amar... Pah­wran Evak­too...
Chants from the book of the Kosst Amojan
Tarna pur­ono ull­kess pah­ran. Lano ka'la bo'shar lanu.
Meek rak dorrah Pah­wran... Yelim cha ono kosst amojan... shay ta­hel ter­rah no'vala de­ram... aka'lu far che...
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Religious worship
During the Occupation, religious leaders had been forbidden from preaching. Nevertheless, many still offered a form of passive resistance. The entire Bajoran society is engulfed in their religion, with even those who reject the faith being able to quote from the sacred texts. That said, not all Bajorans believe in absolutely every aspect of their religion; in particular, many have expressed doubts regarding the exact nature of the afterlife. Some also still doubt whether or not Benjamin Sisko really is the Emissary. Nevertheless, the Bajoran religion is a unique one unlike so many others in the galaxy, in that the religious deities are in fact physical, albeit non – corporeal, entities, although not on the same plane of existence as their religious subjects. The worship of the Prophets has a number of rituals, but these are primarily carried out by the Vedeks and other priests of the Order. The actual structure and workings of the faith have gone very much unchanged over the ages.
An interesting question raised with regard to the Bajoran religion is how it's possible for one religion to be so unified and widespread? Almost every Bajoran follows the same faith, and is part of the same unified religious hierarchy on the planet. There is simply no strong evidence to suggest that any other religion has ever existed at any point in the planet's history. This can most likely be explained by the Bajoran belief in the orbs as messengers of the Prophets. With this type of hard, physical evidence of the existence of their deities, it's not surprising that the Way of the Prophets have come to dominate all other religions on Bajor over time. The orbs and their prophesies have given an extreme stability to the religion over the ages. With these highly accurate prophesies, there has been little need for a schism or fracture in the religion over the ages, or the establishment of a new belief system. Conformity of Bajoran beliefs would also explain the driving force toward the establishment of a planet­wide government. The Bajoran religion incorporates symbolism and symmetry in its imagery. Most Bajorans practice daily personal meditation at small shrines within their own living quarters. A shrine, also referred to as a “Mandala”, usually consists of a round plaque with the emblem of the Prophets, and a number of candles. A technique for meditation that has been passed down by the Vedeks for centuries, is to face the shrine with your arms bent at right angles, elbows pointing away from your body, so that both your palms face the plaque. The technique of divining the Pagh is an ancient ritual that is still practiced by many Vedeks, although not as many as in the past, as the practice has become rather old – fashioned. The procedure is for the Vedek to grasp the person's ear between the thumb and index finger to sense the Pagh within that person, providing insight on that person and any possible future events he might experience. Some religious Bajorans hold the belief that those who follow the path dictated by the Sacred Texts, will possess “pure Pagh”. In contrast, those who turn away from the Prophets and lead selfish lives, will have their Pagh become dark and corrupt.
Being “attained”. This refers to the expulsion of a Bajoran from the Bajoran faith, and is similar to the ancient human practice of excommunication. A Bajoran who has been attained, is forbidden to enter any Bajoran temple, read any prophecies, look into an orb, pray with other Bajorans, or even to wear their earrings.
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Ascension. This refers to the event when the three Red Orbs of the Pah­wraiths were used in an attempt to release the entities from their imprisonment in the Fire Caves on Bajor through the formation of a second wormhole.
Interior of a Bajoran temple
Alternative Religious Groups
These groups are all deemed heretical by orthodox Bajorans. Nevertheless, each of these groups have followers in reasonable numbers, and have caused major unrest within the Bajoran religion.
The Cult of the Pah­wraiths
They were a fringe group that existed within Bajoran culture, and worshiped the Pah­wraiths, instead of the Prophets. The cult was formed subsequent to the Cardassian occupation by those Bajorans who were convinced that the Prophets had forsaken them, by allowing their world to be ravaged by the invaders. The members of this cult identified themselves by wearing red earrings and arm bands. For the most part, the cult had not been taken very seriously for some years. However, after the closing of the wormhole in 2374, the cult gained a lot of support. They were divided even amongst themselves, with some worshiping the Pah­wraiths of the Fire Caves, and others worshiping the Pah­wraiths of Jalbador. They seemed to disperse again after Benjamin Sisko had managed to restore the wormhole.
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The Ohalavaru
This is a Bajoran religious group, whose name translates as the “Ohala Truthseekers”. This group is comprised of members of the Bajoran faith who believes in the Ohalu texts, which are considered heretical by members of the orthodox Bajoran faith.
Ohalu was a Bajoran male who had lived approximately 30,000 BC. He was considered a madman and a heretic by the religious authorities of the time, because he preached that the Prophets were not gods, but a benevolent alien race; “teachers”, who maintained a symbiotic relationship with the Bajorans, learning as much from them as the Bajorans did from the Prophets. As a result, the Vedeks of the time did everything in their power to prevent knowledge of these prophecies from becoming widespread.
As proof of his beliefs, Ohalu had written a set of prophecies, which foretold events from throughout what would eventually become Bajoran history, up until the birth of the “infant avatar”, whom he had believed would herald in a new age of awareness and understanding for the Bajoran people. During his own lifetime, Ohalu was able to convince a small group of his beliefs. Following his death, these prophecies were protected by a cult. Over time and successive generations this cult built up the sacrifice that had been predicted by Ohalu as a necessary precursor and prerequisite to the birth of the Avatar, by mummifying and entombing each successive guardian of the prophecy in a massive tomb in B'hala. This tomb had been specifically designed to hold the bodies of the 10,000 guardians that had to die before the Avatar could be born. Over the span of 32 millennia, all of his prophecies eventually became fulfilled.
B'hala, and the cult along with it, disappeared for thousands of years, remaining little more than a rumor amongst the Vedeks. In 2373, the city was rediscovered by Benjamin Sisko, and as excavations of the site commenced, the Vedek Assembly kept an eye out for any indication of Ohalu's prophecies, ready to immediately discredit these and sweep them under the rug should they ever be rediscovered. The book of the Ohalu prophecies was eventually rediscovered in 2376 and, the best efforts of the Vedek Assembly notwithstanding, shared with the general Bajoran population.
Jake Sisko returning from the Gamma Quadrant, Kai Opaka at his side, was the fulfillment of the final prophecy by Ohalu. Opaka served as midwife to Kasidy Yates during the birth of her and Benjamin Sisko's daughter, the Avatar predicted by Ohalu.
The Council of Guardians Also known as “They Who Wait”, this group was a lost tribe of Bajorans who led an underground, shadowy existence on Bajor. They did not recognize any political body, and considered themselves a religious faction, who had been given a mandate by the gods. This shadow society was known for keeping strict control over their population numbers.
Legend has it that this group had been formed as a result of an aspect of Bajoran mythology involving the “Battle of the Gods” and their herald, known as the “Messenger”. Ancient beliefs stated that once every two thousand years a terrifying conflict erupts amongst the gods, which 86
devastates the planet Bajor, wiping out the surface population. The Council of Guardians would then send some members of their tribe to the surface, in order to rebuild their civilization. Scientific and archaeological studies had revealed that the source of this disaster was a comet, Tiljara (or Comet Alpha, as it's referred to by Federation sources), which the Bajorans referred to as “The Messenger”. Its entry into the Bajoran wormhole led to a spread of high­level radiation across several hundred light years, which was responsible for the purges of Bajor's surface every time. The Council's religious beliefs revolved around a fanatical upkeep of this cycle of death and rebirth. Following each planetary disaster, the Council would continue their underground existence, while legends about them would spread amongst the newly forming surface people, whom they in turn referred to as “Uplanders”. By the 24th century, the Council had already begun to make preparations for the next coming of the Messenger, whereupon they would once again repopulate the planet. When Commander Sisko considered destroying the comet, the leader of the Council visited him, demanding non­interference, eventually even resorting to violence. Instead of destroying the comet, Sisko decided to rather divert it, ending the destructive cycle of death and rebirth. Subsequent to this, the Council was arrested.
The Na­melis Order
A group in the Bajoran religion whose members serve as the personal assistants of the Kai.
The Janlin Order
A religious group on Bajor, whose Vedeks maintain a round­the­clock chant on behalf of the Bajoran people.
The One True Way
Followers of this philosophy believed that once the True Way was achieved, a new, glorious existence would dawn upon them. The One True Way was the path that would be revealed to its followers when no other paths remained to be chosen. It stated that once the Celestial Temple was restored,no false beliefs would remain. There would be no false prophets, and only from the true Temple would the true Prophets emerge to guide the people of Bajor. 87
Notable Bajorans
Akorem Laan
“Ever since the Prophets returned me...I've asked myself the same question...And now I know the answers...We must return to our D'jarras.”
­ Akorem Laan
Considered one of Bajor's greatest poets during the 22nd century. Akorem had no children. He was a tall, lean, distinguished, relaxed, and benign person.
In the Bajoran year 9174, his lightship was damaged in an ion storm, and drifted into the Denorios belt, where he encountered the Prophets, who subsequently healed his injuries. They returned him to the Alpha Quadrant in 2372, in order to ensure that Benjamin Sisko would remain as their Emissary. Emerging from the wormhole, Akorem believed himself to be the Prophets' Emissary, allowing Sisko to relinquish that role. However, Akorem was also intent on re­instituting the D'jarra caste system. He claimed the reason why the Prophets had kept him in the wormhole for so long, was to keep his belief in the D'jarra system strong. When Vedek Porta killed a man for merely not following his D'jarra, Sisko insisted that Akorem enter the wormhole with him to receive confirmation from the Prophets as to who the true Emissary was supposed to be. After Sisko was revealed as the true Emissary by the Prophets themselves, Akorem was returned to his own time again, without any memory of his trip to the future. A minor temporal paradox resulted from this: in the previous time­line Akorem's greatest work, “The Call of the Prophets”, had been left unfinished after the twelfth stanza, but upon his eventual return he managed to finish the poem – something Kira Nerys had found confusing, as she had always seemingly had memories of the poem as having been unfinished.
Bareil Antos
“It seems our paths have grown apart. Perhaps we can bring them together again.”
­ Bareil to Winn
A prominent Bajoran spiritual leader in the years immediately following the Cardassian occupation, he was earmarked to have been the next Kai, following Opaka, but withdrew his candidacy shortly before the actual election, clearing the way for the elevation of Winn Adami to Kai. He would later play a crucial role in the negotiations leading up to the first Bajoran­Cardassian treaty, but died tragically during the process.
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Bareil had spent his early years under the yoke of Cardassian rule, growing up in the Relliketh refugee camp on Bajor. As a child, he was a chronic misbehaver, but later became a gardener at the Monastery of the Kai, where he eventually decided to devote his life to the Prophets, becoming a Vedek in due course.
position of Kai.
Following the disappearance of Kai Opaka in 2369, Bareil became the leading candidate to replace her. When a school on Deep Space Station Nine was bombed by Bajoran fundamentalists for teaching children that the wormhole Prophets were aliens, Bareil decided to visit the station, hoping to act as a peace mediator. While aboard the station, an assassination attempt was made on his life by a Bajoran crew member. The attempt had actually been engineered by Vedek Winn, who wanted to eliminate her competition for the When Major Kira Nerys found evidence exposing a plot by Minister Jaro Essa to overthrow the Bajoran government, she sustained injuries in a near­fatal shuttle crash en route to the Chamber of Ministers with the evidence. Bareil immediately sent his aides to rescue her, and had her nursed back to health at his monastery, after which he had her and Jadzia Dax both disguised as monks. He even accompanied the women to the Chamber of Ministers, where they eventually presented the evidence that foiled Jaro's coup.
When Bareil became implicated in the infamous Kendra Valley Massacre, he immediately withdrew from consideration for the position of Kai, leading to Vedek Winn's subsequent election. In reality Bareil had taken the fall to protect Opaka's memory, by concealing her role in the massacre. Opaka had allowed her own son, together with 42 other Bajorans, to be killed during the Occupation, in order to prevent over 1,200 innocent civilian deaths in the Kendra Valley.
After Vedek Winn had been elected the new Kai, Bareil joined her as key advisor during the negotiations preceding the Bajoran­Cardassian Treaty. Five months into the negotiations, he was injured in a plasma explosion on board a Bajoran transport vessel. Dr Bashir was able to bring him back from the brink of death, replacing some of his organs and eventually half his brain with artificial replacements, but Bareil refused any further life­saving treatment, so as not to interrupt the negotiations, as he was convinced that Kai Winn was not experienced enough to handle the Cardassians by herself. Bashir, under strict instructions from Bareil, administered an experimental drug that enabled him to function for a few more days. At the same time, this drug caused irreversible damage to his organs, leaving him just enough time to help Winn finish the negotiations. Bareil died shortly after the signing of the Bajoran­Cardassian Treaty on DS9. He refused any further treatment, expressing no interest in having his ability to function independently diminished by the medication, even though it would have prolonged his life.
Bareil loved gardening and playing springball. In 2370 he became romantically involved with Major Kira Nerys during a visit to DS9. Bareil was known to remain calm and collected under the most extreme circumstances. He was a tall, handsome, and intelligent man, and spoke with a husky voice. He had a calm demeanor, steady gaze, an unwaivering faith in the Way of the Prophets, and the ability to soothe troubled souls. One of the most remarkable aspects of Bareil's character, was his ability to forget past rivalries, and look to the future. While attending the Bajoran Gratitude Festival on DS9 in 2371, Bareil contracted Zanthi fever, but was cured by Dr Bashir shortly afterwards.
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Basso Tromac
A Bajoran collaborator who worked for the Cardassians during the occupation of Bajor. Amongst other things, his duties entailed recruiting comfort women for Cardassians on Terok Nor. In 2346 he recruited Kira Meru and Luma Rahl, who was actually Kira Nerys, Meru's daughter who had used the Orb of Time to travel back to the time of the Occupation. When he realized that Meru had a scar on the side of her face, he tried to remove her for being “imperfect”, but was stopped by Gul Dukat, who proceeded to heal the scar with a dermal re­
generator.
Basso was often repressed by Dukat because of his contemptuous treatment of the comfort women he recruited, but this was merely a ruse Dukat had used to gain trust and loyalty from these women.
Day Kannu
Field Colonel Day Kannu was a member of the Bajoran Militia, and a secret member of the Alliance of Global Unity, referred to simply as “The Circle”.
In 2370, Day participated in the attempted takeover of Deep Space Nine under the command of General Krim. There was constant friction between Day and Krim over which course of action to take during the mission. Although the space station initially seemed deserted, it soon became apparent to Day and his infiltration team that a small team of Starfleet officers under Sisko had remained behind to prevent the takeover. Sisko lured Day into a holo­suite filled with holographic representations of Starfleet personnel. When Sisko confronted Day with information to the effect that The Circle was receiving support from the Cardassians, Day refused to believe him. After he and his team had been released from the holo­
suite, he neglected conveying that information on to his commanding officer. Once General Krim became aware of this, he chose to hand command of the station back to Sisko. This, in turn, angered Day so much that he tried to kill Sisko with a phaser blast, fatally hitting Li Nalas instead, as the latter threw himself in the path of the blast to protect Sisko.
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Dekon Elig A Bajoran scientist and resistance fighter who was also a member of the Higa Metar, a cell of the Bajoran Resistance.
In 2351, Dekon and his assistant, Surmak Ren, developed the Aphasia virus as a booby trap intended to be deployed aboard Terok Nor against its Cardassian crew. The virus did not actually induce aphasia ­ a condition which is usually caused by physical damage to an area of the brain ­ but merely mimicked its effects in a similar manner. Symptoms would include speaking in gibberish, and an inability to understand language. The virus disrupts the brain's processing of aural and visual stimuli, rerouting the synaptic pathways of the temporal lobes. In the later stages, the virus attacks the autonomic nervous system, which, if untreated, will eventually lead to death. It was hoped that an inability to communicate or properly read the station's information displays would eventually lead to the destruction of the station. The virus, however, did not activate until nearly twenty years later, long after Dekon's death, and the abandonment of the station by the Cardassians. Dekon Elig died of neural trauma from phaser fire in the Velos VII internment camp. Dr Julian Bashir described Dekon as a “genius”.
Ibudan
A Bajoran murderer who ran black market medical supplies through Terok Nor to Bajor during the Cardassian occupation. He had absolutely no regard for his fellow Bajorans. Constable Odo once saw Ibudan let a child die, because the parents could not afford the drug that would have saved her life. Despite this, remarkably, some Bajorans actually considered him some sort of hero.
Sometime during the mid­2360's, Ibudan killed a Cardassian officer who had wanted a bribe to look the other way. He was convicted and sent to Kran­Tobal prison for murder, but was pardoned after only a few short years, with the establishment of the Bajoran Provisional Government in 2369. During his time spent in prison, a Bajoran dissident had taught him methods of tri­phasic cloning. Ibudan had sworn to take revenge on Odo for having sent him to jail, and tried to frame him for murder. He devised a plot to fake his own death, by killing a clone he had made of himself, and had Odo arrested for the ostensible murder. Fortunately, during the autopsy, Dr Bashir discovered that the corpse was a clone. Odo arrested Ibudan again shortly afterwards for the murder of his own clone.
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Kira Meru
Meru was born in 2314, and eventually married Kira Taban, with whom she had three children: Nerys, who would eventually grow up to become a Colonel in the Bajoran Militia, and two sons, Reon and Pohl. She was a woman of faith, but had to persuade her husband, who was not particularly religious, every day to attend services with her. Meru was an accomplished icon painter, her favorite flowers being Bajoran lilacs. She had a scar on the left side of her face, which she would often try to hide with a strand of hair, from a time when she had failed to show a Cardassian officer proper respect.
During the Cardassian occupation she and her family lived in the Singha refugee camp. In 2346, Meru was chosen by Basso Tromac, a Bajoran collaborator, to serve as a comfort woman for Cardassian soldiers on Terok Nor. There, she became Gul Dukat's mistress. In return, Dukat made sure her family was cared for and received special treatment, such as food, housing, and medical supplies. Meru continued to live with Dukat in relative luxury until her death in 2353 in a Cardassian hospital.
Kira Taban had always told his children that their mother had died, to protect them from knowing what she had to do to keep them well­fed and cared for. More than twenty years later, in 2374, Dukat – in an attempt to come clean with himself and his past – contacted Kira Nerys on what would have been Meru's 60th birthday, and told her that her mother and he had been lovers. Unsettled by the possibility, Kira, disguised as Luma Rahl, traveled back in time to meet with Meru. She found that her mother had indeed become Dukat's mistress, and had seemed to enjoy it, too. Disgusted, Kira planned an assassination attempt on Meru and Dukat, by planting an ultritium bomb in their room. Just before the bomb went off, however, she heard a taped message from her father to her mother in which he thanked Meru for the sacrifice she was making, which in turn had saved their lives. Kira suddenly realized that maybe her mother had not been the willing collaborator she had always believed her to be. She grabbed Meru and Dukat, and lead them out of the room, and away from the bomb. The Orb of Time brought Kira back to the present during the explosion.
Dukat eventually took another mistress, and his relationship with Meru began to crumble by 2348. Several years later, he sent her to Crell Moset's hospital on Bajor, where she succumbed to the Fostossa virus. He nevertheless continued to take care of her family well into the 2360's, hoping to turn Kira away from the resistance.
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Kira Nerys
Kira Nerys would eventually grow up to become a colonel in the Bajoran Militia, after having served several years in the Bajoran Resistance during the Cardassian occupation. She had also served briefly as a Starfleet commander in 2375. On Deep Space Nine she first served as the Bajoran liaison officer, and then later assumed command of the station.
Kira Nerys was born in 2343 in the Dahkur Province on Bajor, and spent a large part of her life in the Singha refugee camp. In 2346, her mother was taken to Terok Nor to serve as a comfort woman to the Cardassians. Her father, Kira Taban, had always told his children that their mother had died. Taban secretly felt that his wife had made a great sacrifice for her family, and on numerous occasions told Kira that her mother was the bravest woman he'd ever known.
As a child, Kira often got into trouble. The Cardassian occupation of Bajor eventually led her to join the battle for liberation. Recruited by Lorit Akrem in 2355, she joined the Bajoran Resistance at age twelve, when she had ingratiated herself in the base camp of the Shakaar Resistance Cell leader, Shakaar Edon. Her very first mission with the Resistance entailed the ambushing of a Cardassian skimmer on a mountain ridge in 2356. Lupaza, a fellow cell member, would later craft her a Bajoran earring from some of the metal of the destroyed skimmer. Kira would wear this particular adornment the rest of her life. In another mission Kira was responsible for an explosion outside the house of Gul Pirak, killing twelve Cardassians, including Pirak's entire family, and crippling 23 others. She also participated in the raids on the Haru outpost. Her actions during those missions still gave her nightmares years onwards, although she has always held her actions as a resistance fighter to have been entirely justified. Like all Bajoran resistance fighters, Kira was tagged with a sub­dermal implant of tritonium isotopes. Ironically enough, the Cardassians never saw Kira as much of a threat. In fact, her security file described her as “A minor operative, whose activities are limited to running errands for the terrorist leaders.”
Subsequent to the Cardassian withdrawal in 2369, Kira joined the Bajoran Militia with the rank of Major, and was appointed Bajoran liaison officer on Deep Space Nine. Torn between her loyalty to Bajor, and the fact that she knew the Federation's presence was necessary for the security of her home world, she had told Commander Sisko outright that she did not feel the Federation had any business on Bajor. She had initially felt that her people had been too quick to ask for outside help, following the Cardassian withdrawal. She has a reputation for a short temper, and a fierce hatred of the Cardassians, although she keeps her anger in check, and always performs her duties professionally.
For a short period in 2370, the Bajoran government appointed Li Nalas to the post of Bajoran liaison officer to Deep Space Nine. Kira was very dismayed at the prospect of being recalled to Bajor.
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In 2371, Kira was at one point kidnapped and surgically altered to look like the Cardassian Iliana Ghemor, as part of an elaborate and dastardly plot by the Cardassian Obsidian Order to expose the real Iliana's father, Tekeny Ghemor, as a member of the underground resistance movement. Command relationships
While the two disagreed on a number of issues, Kira eventually became Sisko's trusted right arm and second­in­command of the station. Despite their working relationship, Kira always kept her relationship with Sisko more formal than was the case with most other members of the DS9 crew. She did not realize it at the time, but his status in her religion as the Emissary of the Prophets had made her uncomfortable with the idea of a true friendship. This changed for the better when she had to keep watch over him on a mission to prevent him from slipping into a coma, and consequently developed a closer relationship with him.
Friendships
Kira had formed her closest friendship with Jadzia Dax. They often confided in each other, discussed problems, and sought each other's advice, even though Kira did not like Jadzia's choice of men. Kira hates holo­suites, but would occasionally participate in them with Jadzia. She continued her friendship with the symbiont Dax, even after Jadzia had been killed, and Dax had taken Ezri Tigan as its new host. Ezri considered Kira one of her closest friends.
Kira had also developed a deep friendship with Tora Ziyal, to the extent that she had actually considered her part of her family. She was extremely protective of her.
Kira formed a strong friendship with Tekeny Ghemor, one of the Cardassian government leaders. In fact, he was possibly the only Cardassian for whom she had any semblance of respect. In 2373 he sought refuge on Deep Space Nine, after the Dominion had taken over Cardassia. He was dying, and Kira took care of him until he passed away. According to Cardassian tradition, Ghemor shared all of the “family secrets” with her on his deathbed.
Kira had been friends with the fanatical Kohn­Ma terrorist, Tahna Los, ever since they had fought together in the Resistance during the Occupation. She had always seen him as a strong leader and a good man, who had merely been forced to commit atrocities for the sake of the greater good. When he criticized her for taking orders from the Federation, she argued that she was still fighting for Bajor, but in a different way. She came to see Tahna as the enemy, however, when he tried to manipulate her into closing the wormhole. Kira knew that the wormhole would be the future of Bajor; that it would bring commerce and make the planet a power in the quadrant. As the Bajorans grew stronger, they would eventually not have to depend on anyone else; but until that happened, it would be important to accept help from the Federation.
Romantic involvement
Kira developed a mutual attraction to Miles O'Brien during the period in which she carried his child, after an accident had forced Dr Julian Bashir to transplant the fetus for the sake of its survival. At the request of the O'Briens, she moved in with them. Miles' care, affection, and the cramped quarters gave rise to a brief period of discomfort between the two colleagues, but fortunately they were able to separate their feelings and continue their friendship on a platonic level. Kira eventually gave birth to Miles' son, Kirayoshi, with her remaining an unofficial “aunt” to both him and his older sister, Molly.
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Kira first became involved with Vedek Bareil Antos when he visited Deep Space Nine to mediate a dispute between Vedek Winn and the Federation over the school Keiko O'Brien was running. Their relationship strengthened when he invited her to spend time at his monastery. By 2370, during the election of the Kai, their romance had progressed to a love affair. The relationship ended on a tragic note, with Bareil eventually dying in her arms in 2371. Kira mourned Bareil for six months afterwards.
During an outbreak of Zanthi fever, Kira, who had still been dating Vedek Bareil at the time, became strongly attracted to Julian Bashir. While the two had made definite displays of affection towards each other, and Bashir's diagnosis of the affliction stated that it was only contractible by people who already had an attraction to each other on some level, there was no indication of the attraction having continued afterwards.
Kira had been lovers with Shakaar Edon for a year. He was at her bedside when she gave birth to Miles O'Brien's son. They ended their relationship in 2373, but remained friends afterwards.
Her transition from Vedek Bareil to Shakaar Edon led Gul Dukat to remark in 2372 that she seemed to be attracted to powerful Bajoran men.
The relationship between Kira and Odo has been long and tumultuous. Over the years of working together, they gradually fell in love. The feelings they had for each other had withstood all the other romances Kira has had. They remained lovers until after the Dominion War, when Odo returned to the Great Link to save his people and lead them on the path of peace.
Kira also had a brief attraction to William T. Riker at one time.
Later life
Kira could never forgive herself for not having been with her father as he lay dying in the internment camp on Bajor. At the time she was away on a terrorist mission.
Later in her life, she was at one point shunned from Bajoran religion, after she had helped spread a secular interpretation of the Prophets. Many months later the decision was reversed again. Immediately preceding the Dominion and Cardassian reoccupation of Deep Space Nine, Major Kira Nerys ordered the activation of a computer program entitled “Sisko 197”, effectively sabotaging the station's entire computer grid, and damaging enough of the hardware to cause major inconvenience for the invading Dominion forces. However, at the time Bajor had signed a non­aggression treaty with the Dominion. Kira found it extremely frustrating not being able to take any more action against the occupiers. Unable to just sit idly by, Kira eventually formed a resistance cell on the station, consisting of Rom, Leeta, Odo, and Jake Sisko. When Kira was caught relaying an encrypted message to the Federation warning them of the Dominion's plans to deactivate the minefield keeping additional forces on the other side of the wormhole, she was accused of treason, and detained in a holding cell on the station. Escaping with the help of her resistance cell members, she was able to take the station's computers off­line, leaving the Dominion forces unable to defend it against a Federation assault. As a result, the Dominion chose to abandon Deep Space Nine, allowing the Federation the opportunity to take it back again. 95
Following the Dominion defeat in 2375, Kira was promoted to the rank of Colonel, and placed in command of Deep Space Nine, after Captain Sisko had taken an extended leave of absence. She became a Starfleet captain after Bajor had been admitted to the Federation the following year, in 2376. Around the same time, she barely survived a brutal attack by the Jem'Hadar elder Taran'atar. To save her life, Dr Bashir gave her an artificial heart. At first, she was horrified when she found out about it, but then later she learned to accept her artificial heart when she realized that it was working perfectly.
Colonel Kira Nerys' security office on Deep Space Nine
Kira has a security clearance level of grade H­1 on the Bajoran Intelligence Net.
Kira abhors all Ferengi, and tries to avoid Quark's Bar as far as possible. She feels that “Starfleet types” depend too much on automation, and not enough on their wits, and she describes the Federation as being “naive”. Everything being equal, Kira is a strong libertarian, strongly opposed to any unnecessary security crackdowns.
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Her private quarters on Deep Space Nine is spartan, featuring a shrine, couch, table, and desk. She meditates daily. Kira stays fit and trim by playing Bajoran Springball as a rare personal hologram diversion. Because her rough childhood allowed little room for fantasy, she usually hates holo­
suites, preferring instead to deal in reality. Despite her spartan outlook, she does use feminine toiletries, such as epidellic skin lotion. She is only familiar with certain composers, and doesn't share her mother's aptitude for the arts at all. She occasionally enjoys Bajoran synthale, a Stardrifter, Bajoran ginger tea, and hot coffee.
Kira Nerys is a very passionate woman, and found herself prone to strident displays of anger during her early years on Deep Space Nine. Unable to ever fully relax, Dr Bashir has had to order her many a time to take vacations. She still has that same fire, but it has been tempered by the lessons she has learned since she started working on the station. Her blind hatred for the Cardassians has been replaced by the realization that the horrors of the Occupation had reflected more on Cardassian society at the time, rather than their race.
Kira has a hard­nosed approach to her job, and responded to problems rather forcefully, although she's become more even­tempered with experience. She tends to focus her energies very strongly on whatever task she faces. She's openly disdainful of people she doesn't trust or respect, regardless of rank.
Her faith is a very important part of her life. She will often take the initiative to discuss issues important to her faith, even though she won't subject others to her religious views, or ostracize anyone for not sharing her religious views.
Some memorable quotes by Kira Nerys:
“That's the thing about faith... if you don't have it, you can't understand it, and if you do, no explanation is necessary.”
“The man is a heartless, cold blooded killer.”
“Like I said, he's a Cardassian.”
– Dukat and Kira, talking about Garak
“Why? He wasn't Darhe'el! Why?”
“He's a Cardassian. That's reason enough.”
“No... It's not.”
– Kira and Kainon, after Kainon kills Marritza
“Major, when you're with the Romulans, try to be diplomatic.”
“I'm always diplomatic! That is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard, and I resent the implication!”
– Sisko and Kira
“Well, now that I know that you're here, I will be sure to inform Constable Odo to increase station security.”
“That won't be necessary. I feel quite safe here.”
“No, it wasn't your safety that concerned me.”
– Kira and Kai Winn Adami
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“I've always found that when people try to convince others of their beliefs, it's because they're really just trying to convince themselves.”
– Kira Nerys
“I didn't think Federation membership was right for Bajor. It hadn't been that long since the Occupation, and I thought it was important for us to learn to stand on our own two feet.”
“It was so much easier when I knew who the enemy was.”
“I saw so much death during the Occupation...felt so much pain.”
“This is about being able to look in the mirror every morning and not feel nauseated by what I see...I've got to start fighting back.”
“...then don't ask for my opinion, next time!”
“The provisional government and I don't agree on a lot of things, which is probably why they've sent me to this god­forsaken place. I have been fighting for Bajoran independence since I was old enough to pick up a phaser. Finally, we drive out the Cardassians, and what do our new leaders do? Call up the Federation, and invite them in.”
“You Klaestrons are allies of the Cardassians. Your knowledge of the station confirms that. They must have given you the layout, which not only compromises Bajoran security, but also annoys us.”
“Dukat wanted the station back – he can have it.” (After sabotaging DS9's computer systems)
Dukat: “Major, sorry to disturb you.”
Kira: “Sorry enough to leave?”
Kira Taban
A kind and gentle man, Kira Taban was a farmer by trade, and was especially proud of his garden. He believed that using chlorobicrobes in spraying katterpods led to larger crops. Not a religious man himself, he nevertheless attended services daily with his wife, Meru, as religion was very important to her.
Taban was eventually killed by members of the Cardassian Heavy Weapons Unit, Third Assault Group, Ninth Order, while attempting to dissuade them from torching his home and village. Gravely wounded by a disruptor shot to the abdomen, he held on long enough for the Shakaar resistance cell to find him. After several days of extreme pain, he finally succumbed to his injuries. Although Kira Nerys was at his bedside for most of this time, she was not present the moment he died, having chosen to be part of an ambush against her father's attackers at the time. Taban died calling out her name, something that still haunts her years later.
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General Krim Aldos
A flag officer in the Bajoran Militia and commander of the Bajoran vessel Talnot. A member of The Circle, a group that wanted the Federation to leave the Bajoran sector. Krim led a siege on Deep Space Nine in 2370, but ultimately surrendered the station back to the Federation after having learned from Li Nalas that The Circle was being backed by the Cardassians. He expected the Bajoran Provisional Government would ask for his resignation after this.
Krim appeared to have a respect for his adversary, Benjamin Sisko, noting during their encounter on the station that Sisko had given him information about the Cardassians freely, instead of using it as a bargaining chip, which he was in a position to do at the time. After the attempted coup, he spent much of his time in seclusion, even though a legal commission had exonerated him of all responsibility.
Krim was the ex­husband of the new First Minister of Bajor, Asarem Wadeen. First Minister Asarem requested him to serve as Bajor's Federation Councilor, after her first choice for the position had died unexpectedly. He assumed the office, albeit reluctantly. As late as 2379, Councilor Krim was serving on the Federation Council's National Security Committee.
Leeta
“The truth is, not everyone can be a dabo girl. First of all, you have to be able to wear the clothes, and believe me, that's not easy. And you need a very supple wrist.”
– Leeta
A Bajoran dabo girl in Quark's bar on Deep Space Nine. She was the wife of Rom, Quark's brother, who later became Grand Nagus of the Ferengi Alliance. Leeta never knew her family name, having been brought up as an orphan during the Bajoran Occupation.
Leeta became a dabo girl in 2371. Dabo girls work long hours in poor conditions, and for low wages. They are often given the food Quark cannot sell to his customers. All this notwithstanding, Leeta still considers herself an amateur sociologist. With a little flattery and some sweet words, a dabo girl can easily beguile any customer. The dabo girl can be considered the game officiator at the dabo table. She is the “captain” of her dabo table, acting as a croupier. She spins the wheel, diplomatically enforces the rules of the game, 99
outwits potential cheats, gracefully collects losing bets, and instantly calculates winnings. She does all this without losing the alluring smile, or bubbly personality, that keeps customers playing, and paying. Some patrons assume the buxom, scantily­clad dabo girls provide other services away from the dabo table as well, but in most cases this is simply not true. The tension between greedy, lascivious Ferengi employers and their dabo girls, fuels customers' beliefs that the croupier is on their side, and that the game is run honestly. Nothing thrills a dabo girl more than giving away large amounts of her employer's latinum. To interact with the endless variety of races passing through Deep Space Nine, more specifically Quark's Bar, a successful dabo girl must be familiar with the customs and culture of dozens of alien civilizations. Dabo girls must also be able to get along with the Ferengi waiters, which is no easy task, since most Ferengi take offense at clothed females. Nevertheless, many dabo girls thoroughly enjoy their work. Leeta always held the perspective that the games in Quark's Bar were dull; if she had to run Quark's, entertainment would include dom­jot and a prayko alley. Leeta quickly formed friendships with many of the station residents. In 2372 she became a founding member of the Guild of Restaurant and Casino Employees in response to Quark's pay cuts. She later also helped the resistance cell which had formed against the Dominion occupation of Deep Space Nine. At one point, Leeta was romantically involved with Dr Julian Bashir, but they eventually broke up in 2373, traveling all the way to Risa to perform the Bajoran Rite of Separation. At that point Leeta already had a crush on Ferengi engineer Rom. Leeta waited for Rom to ask her out for months, but he never worked up the courage. When Dr Lewis Zimmerman visited the station to work with Dr Bashir, he fell in love with Leeta and, knowing that it had always been her ambition to open her own restaurant, he arranged for her to take control of an establishment on Jupiter Station, an orbital docking station in the Sol system. Just as she was about to leave the station with Dr Zimmerman, Rom stopped her and confessed his love to her. They got married on the eve of the Dominion War.
Quark's Bar on DS9, Leeta's place of employment
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When Rom was given the role of Grand Nagus in 2375, Leeta went with him to Ferenginar to assist him in his duties. She later fell pregnant with Rom's child. Following a hard pregnancy, due in part to the fetus' half­Bajoran, half­Ferengi biology, she gave birth to a baby girl named Bena, named for the Emissary and the Bajoran word for “joy”. At the time of Bena's birth, Rom was being challenged for his role of Grand Nagus on the grounds that he had broken his original marriage contract with his first wife, but Ro Laren was able to clear him by pointing out that, according to the Rules of Acquisition, “A contract is a contract is a contract, but only between Ferengi”, arguing that since Rom's second marriage had been to a Bajoran woman in a Bajoran ceremony overseen by the Bajoran Emissary, technically he couldn't have breached his original contract, as the new one didn't count under Ferengi law.
Li Nalas
“...I had done nothing but shoot an unarmed Cardassian in his underwear.”
– Li Nalas
“I've done everything I can to help. I'd die for my people, but...” “Sure you would. Dying gets you off the hook. Question is, are you willing to live for your people; live the role they want you to play? That's what they need from you right now.”
– Li Nalas and Benjamin Sisko
A leader of one of Bajor's many resistance cells during the Cardassian occupation. A man of simple words and calming presence, with great personal authority and reputation, he was a much­revered war hero, even considered by some as the greatest Bajoran resistance fighter ever. Yet, all his life, Li had been plagued with a constant sense of self­doubt. Li had earned his reputation by slaying the infamous Gul Zarale in an intense duel. The story was told and retold among the Bajoran population until it became a gripping tale of patriotic courage. His career as a resistance fighter ended with his capture in 2360, after which he was sent to work on Terok Nor. From there he was moved to the Hutet labor camp on Cardassia IV. Years after the end of the Occupation, and despite Cardassian claims that they had freed all their prisoners, Li Nalas and a dozen other Bajorans were still being kept hostage by their former oppressors. Li and his comrades had been worn down with hard physical labor, inadequate food and shelter, and other forms of Cardassian punishment. Long imprisonment had left Li battered and broken. He was presumed dead until 2370, when he was rescued from the Hutet labor camp by Major Kira Nerys of the Bajoran Militia. 101
Following his return to a hero's welcome on board Deep Space Nine, he became very uncomfortable with his hero status, convinced that he was living a lie, and attempted to secretly leave the station for the Gamma Quadrant. Discovered by Commander Sisko, he explained that the stories of his heroism were wrong. In reality, he had stumbled across the bathing Cardassian, and was forced to shoot him. He had always felt uncomfortable with being an accidental hero. Sisko persuaded him to return to Bajor, which was on the verge of civil war.
Shortly after his return to Bajor, Li was given both the honorary title of Navarch, a title that had specifically been created for him since no existing title was considered worthy, and Kira's position as Bajoran liaison officer on board Deep Space Nine, much to his embarrassment. As Navarch, he reported directly to the Prophets; as liaison, he would aid in the operation of the station, as requested. This was a ploy by Minister Jaro who wanted Kira removed from a position of power, and Li off­planet, so that he could not influence Jaro's plot to take over the government.
Nevertheless, Li was able to play a pivotal role in preventing a disastrous coup by the Alliance for Global Unity. He helped rescue Kira from the insurgents, and helped defend the station against General Krim's troops, who had been attempting to take DS9 by force. After having captured Krim, Li was able to explain that the Cardassians themselves were behind the coup. Krim told his troops to stand down, but not before Colonel Day Kannu tried to attack Commander Sisko. Li was killed while saving Sisko from the attack. His final words – “off the hook” – reflect both the deep sense of unworthiness this very real hero had carried with him all his life, but also his relief at no longer having to live up to a reputation he had felt he never deserved. It turns out he was a hero after all, both in legend, and in reality.
Mora Pol
“If it weren't for me, you'd still be sitting on a shelf somewhere, in a beaker labeled 'unknown sample'. I gave you more than anyone else in my life. You were my life. And then you walked away, and now you don't trust me.”
– Dr Mora Pol to Odo
Doctor Mora Pol was the Bajoran scientist who had been assigned to study the Changeling who eventually became known as Odo. Mora's relationship with Odo was that of a strict, authoritarian father, and a rebellious, resentful son. Their association was fraught with tension and misunderstanding. Mora studied and taught Odo at the Bajoran Center for Science during the Occupation of Bajor from 2358­65. He never enjoyed tormenting the infant Changeling. He arrogantly believed that he was acting in Odo's best interest. When Odo assumed the shape of a humanoid, he imitated Dr Mora's hairstyle.
To some extent, Odo always resented Mora for the harsh treatment he had received from the Bajoran scientist during his early life, and for Mora failing to realize that he was sentient. Under pressure from the Cardassians to show results, some of Mora's methods of experimenting were questionable, to say the least. Mora was shocked when Odo left his care, thinking him ungrateful, considering the effort he had invested in him. He found it difficult to acknowledge that Odo could live and grow 102
without him. His feelings towards Odo included pride, affection, and great compassion.
Mora and Odo did not reconcile their differences until 2373, when Mora arrived on Deep Space Nine to assist Odo in treating and educating an infant changeling, despite their differences on how best to look after the infant.
One of Mora's early theories about Odo's shape­shifting abilities was that Odo shunted some of his body mass into another dimension whenever he assumed a significantly small form. To some extent this explains Odo's general reluctance to assume small forms such as insects or other animals.
Opaka Sulan
“Bajor has much to learn from peace.”
­ Kai Opaka
Kai Opaka was the spiritual leader of Bajor during the latter days of the Cardassian occupation and the early days of Bajor's independence, herself having been preceded by Kai Meressa. Belying her small, physical stature and placid, peaceful demeanor, she was a force to be reckoned with. She was deeply loved by her people, many of whom are convinced to this day that the planet would not have survived the Occupation without her. Tirelessly laboring to protect her people and serve the will of the Prophets, she became a revered figure among her people. It had been commonly acknowledged that Vedek Bareil had been her personal choice as her successor. Opaka was aware that his support of the Federation, and his relationship with Major Kira Nerys could prove to be useful to the secular side of the religion. During the last decade of the Occupation, however, she secretly collaborated with the Cardassians, who had threatened to kill more than a thousand innocent civilians in the Kendra valley, unless the location of a specific Resistance cell was revealed to them, sending Prylar Bek to inform them of the cell's location. This saved the lives of 1,200 other Bajorans, but Opaka sacrificed her own son in the process. As a member of the cell, he was killed in the resulting massacre. Opaka's involvement was never discovered, even after Prylar Bek had made a full confession, implicating himself to protect her, just before committing suicide on the Promenade of Deep Space Nine. Vedek Bareil, in turn, sacrificed the kaiship to keep secret the fact that she had sacrificed her son and his group in order to save hundreds of civilians from retribution. Such was her rapport with her people.
Following the Cardassian withdrawal from Bajor in 2369, the Bajoran people began forming factions, vying for control of their new­found independence. Each side looked to Opaka for support. She went into hiding on Bajor, refusing to meet with anyone. Hoping to unite the various Bajoran factions, Benjamin Sisko met with Opaka. She surprised everybody by proclaiming Sisko the 103
prophesied Emissary of the Prophets. She entrusted Sisko with a powerful and mystical orb, informing him that his destiny was to reclaim eight other orbs stolen by the Cardassians. Opaka once appeared to Sisko in an orb shadow in 2372 to convince him that he should accept his destiny, and that he was the rightful Emissary.
Several months later, Opaka left Bajor for Deep Space Nine to visit Sisko. Compelled by the Prophets to enter the wormhole, Opaka somehow knew that she would not be returning. During a subsequent trip to the Gamma Quadrant, she died in a runabout crash on a moon. The moon was discovered to be a prison on which artificial microbes kept the prisoners forever alive to wage war with one another as part of their cruelly prolonged punishment. These microbes resurrected Opaka, but forced her to remain on the moon. The microbes restored a person's body after death, but that body then became permanently dependent on those microbes for all cellular functions. Anyone with the microbes would die if taken away from the moon. Accepting her new situation as the will of the Prophets, Opaka remained behind, hoping to teach the warring prisoners peace. As a crucial part of of the fulfillment of the Ohalu prophecies, Opaka eventually returned with Jake Sisko, serving as midwife to Kasidy Yates, Benjamin Sisko's wife, during the birth of the prophesied Avatar, her daughter, Rebecca Jae Sisko.
Winn Adami once asked Opaka why the Prophets had chosen a non­believer to fulfill the role of their Emissary, to which Opaka had told her that one should never look into the eyes of one's own gods, a statement that in itself would explain why Opaka had found it particularly fitting that it should be a non­believer, and not a Bajoran, to have found the Prophets.
Ro Laren
“I've always thought Starfleet could learn a lot from me, Captain”.
– Ro Laren to Captain Picard
“I don't believe this. I'm dead...you can't hear me...and I'm still intimidated by you. I just wanted to say, thank you for trusting me when no one else would.”
– Ensign Ro to Captain Picard
Born January 17th, 2340, to Ro Talia and Ro Gale, Ro Laren was a Bajoran female who formerly served in Starfleet aboard the Federation starship USS Enterprise­D, before eventually sympathizing with, and later joining, the Maquis.
Rebellious and bitter most of her life, Ro recalls her childhood as “a long, depressing period of her life”. 104
Laren was grateful to have attained adulthood. She had grown up during the Bajoran diaspora, as one of thousands of Bajorans displaced into refugee camps by the Cardassian occupation of her home world. She had also spent some time in the refugee camps on Valo II. In all, she had spent ten years in refugee camps. Although most of her times in these refugee camps she did not even have a bed to sleep on, there were times that she did, and she could still recall how afraid she had been of the imaginary monsters under her bed. To ease her fears, her father would play on the belaklavion for her, telling her that this instrument had special powers, and that monsters were afraid of it. Whenever she heard her father's music, she would not be afraid to fall asleep.
In 2347, Laren was forced to sit through a two­hour long ordeal, watching as her father was being questioned and tortured to death by a Cardassian. Throughout the entire ordeal, she felt ashamed of being a Bajoran. She was ashamed for her father being so weak, watching him beg for mercy. She found herself unable to live in an environment where her people were not allowed to feed and clothe themselves, so she ran away.
With time, Laren came to terms with her heritage, and decided to keep her name in traditional form, despite the fact that most Bajorans had accepted the distortion of their names in order to fit in with their respective surroundings. She also strongly favored wearing the traditional Bajoran earring, albeit on the left ear, as opposed to the traditional right ear, as she does not believe in the Prophets, but still wishes to acknowledge her heritage.
Ro Laren entered Starfleet Academy in 2358, and graduated with the class of 2362. Her first commission was on board the USS Wellington. During a disastrous away team mission to Garon II, Laren disobeyed direct orders, resulting in the deaths of eight other members of the away team. She was court­martialed for her actions, and imprisoned in the stockade on Jaros II, despite rumors persisting that the full facts of the case had not been known. In 2368 she was released and reinstated into Starfleet, in exchange for helping to locate a Bajoran terrorist. She was subsequently assigned to the USS Enterprise­D as flight controller.
Relationships
During her introduction to the commanding officer of the Enterprise, she told Picard in no uncertain terms that she had no desire to be on his ship, but that it would be “better than prison”. Although initially opposed to Ro's assignment aboard the Enterprise, Picard later became impressed with her. He later requested her to consider remaining in Starfleet. He believed she had a certain quality that could be harnessed and developed. Ro was flattered, but didn't feel she belonged in a Starfleet uniform. She was initially skeptical of Picard, but as she saw him work, she came to respect him more and more. Picard essentially managed to gain her trust by being open to her ideas, and by listening to the needs of the Bajoran people. Picard didn't see her as one of the best officers he had ever worked with, but believed that she could become one of the best one day, if she was prepared to work at it. From the very beginning it was clear that Ro was a strong­minded officer. In briefings she had a distinct voice, and was not afraid to contradict senior officers if she felt they were mistaken. It would eventually emerge that she had a special aptitude for tactics. Ro accepted Picard's challenge, and in return he allowed her to bend the Starfleet uniform code by wearing her traditional Bajoran earring. When she eventually left Starfleet for the Maquis, Picard felt personally betrayed.
Commander Riker was not thrilled with Ro's assignment to the Enterprise either, and demanded nothing but the highest standard of performance from her. The instant they first met, Riker had reprimanded her for wearing her traditional Bajoran earring while in uniform. They always had a 105
generally antagonistic relationship, yet there were subtle indications of an underlying sexual tension between the two.
Geordi La Forge believed that Ro Laren didn't belong on the Enterprise, much less in a Starfleet uniform. However, the two officers did later bond to some extent, when their survival became dependent on their combined efforts.
Ro also came into conflict with Deanna Troi at one time, but later admitted to the counselor that she had been wrong under the circumstances. Ro does not appear to be guided by sentimentality when confronted by a crisis situation.
Guinan was one of the few people on board the Enterprise who had befriended Ro unconditionally.
In 2370, Laren was assigned to infiltrate the Maquis. Reluctant at first, she agreed, partially to validate Captain Picard's faith in her. She later gained the trust of the Maquis by “stealing” medical supplies from the Enterprise­D. After having spent some time with the Maquis, Laren began to question her own loyalties, feeling that Starfleet's attitude towards the Maquis was unreasonable. She could never forget her hatred for the Cardassians, and when put to the test, her ultimate loyalties did not lie with Starfleet. When Commander Riker asked her why she was running off with the Maquis, she told him “It's been a long time since I really felt like I belonged somewhere”. Just before she beamed to another Maquis ship, she asked him to tell Picard she was sorry for betraying his trust. Later life
In 2373 Cardassia joined the Dominion, subsequently slaughtering the vast majority of Maquis. However, Ro Laren survived this extermination, and joined with other Maquis survivors to fight their own war effort against the Dominion. After the war, she returned to Bajor, and took up a commission as a Lieutenant in the Bajoran Militia, replacing Odo as Chief of Security on Deep Space Nine. She eventually became romantically involved with Quark. Initially, Starfleet wanted her arrested, but behind the scenes Picard quietly urged Starfleet to reconsider their decision. When Bajor joined the Federation, Laren considered leaving the station with Quark, but Picard sent her her old uniform as encouragement to remain on the station. When the Bajoran Militia was absorbed into Starfleet, Laren was given a Starfleet commission at the rank of Lieutenant. By 2382 she had become a Starfleet Captain, and the commanding officer of Deep Space Nine.
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Shakaar Edon “You know, I've been a soldier, and I've been a politician. And I have to say I'm beginning to think that being a soldier was easier.”
– Shakaar Edon, 2372
Leader of the eponymous Shakaar Bajoran Resistance cell during the Cardassian Occupation, Shakaar successfully managed to evade capture by the Cardassians for 25 years. Fellow members of his cell were quick to offer testimony to their leader's bravery and loyalty. After the Occupation had ended, he became a farmer, and then later First Minister of Bajor.
In 2371, Shakaar refused to return soil reclamators to Kai Winn Adami, at that time acting First Minister of Bajor. He had been promised the use of the machinery for one year, after having waited three years to receive the reclamators. Winn had sent the Militia to arrest Shakaar, but they decided to join him, instead. He became First Minister in late 2371, after Kai Winn had withdrawn from the election race, after he and Kira Nerys had threatened to reveal that she would have been willing to plunge Bajor into civil war over those reclamators.
Despite his important position as First Minister, Shakaar always eschewed the trappings of power, insisting on the minimum amount of ceremony, and always maintaining a small, personal staff. He had an informal, relaxed style of leadership, and proved to be an adept political strategist. In spite of his obvious leadership qualities, Shakaar was never comfortable speaking in public. In his personal life, Shakaar was surprisingly shy and unsure of himself.
In 2372, Shakaar began negotiations for Bajor's admittance into the Federation on board Deep Space Nine. He was pushing to half the time Bajor would have to wait for membership, as he felt threatened by the Cardassian terrorist movement referred to as “The True Way”. Around the same time a romance developed between him and Kira Nerys. Shakaar and Kira ended their relationship sometime after, after a visit to the Kenda shrine on Bajor had revealed that they had not been meant to walk the same path, although they remained friends. After Bajor had signed a nonaggression pact with the Dominion later that same year, Shakaar ordered all Bajorans off Deep Space Nine. Shakaar was assassinated early in 2380 by a Trill operative who had come to believe that Shakaar had been infested by a parasite.
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Sito Jaxa
“In a lot of ways, it would have been easier to just walk away, but I didn't. I stuck with it. Doesn't that say something about my character too?”
– Sito to Picard
A Bajoran female and Starfleet Ensign, who died in the line of duty in 2370, while on a secret mission as a member of the USS Enterprise­D.
In 2368, Sito Jaxa was a member of Nova Squadron at Starfleet Academy, along with Wesley Crusher. Under the direction of another cadet, Nova Squadron attempted the dangerous Kolvoord Starburst maneuver during a flight exercise, resulting in a collision, and the death of a cadet. In the first stage of the maneuver, the ships form a circle, with their wings lined up to form the circumference of the circle. What makes this maneuver so dangerous, is that the ships' wingtips can be less than ten meters apart. As the five required ships fly outward at high speeds, their plasma trails create an impressive­looking star formation. The plasma trails are simultaneously ignited, creating the “star burst” effect from which the maneuver takes its name. Sito and her fellow cadets lied to a board of inquiry about their flying of the illegal maneuver. She did this out of a sense of loyalty towards her fellow cadets involved in the incident, and because she had felt it was the right thing to do at the time, even though she later bitterly regretted her decision. When the true cause of the accident was eventually revealed, Sito and the other cadets had their academic credits for an entire year canceled. Sito chose to remain at the Academy, despite the stigma attached to the cadets involved in the cover­up. She eventually had to take her flight test with the instructor, because no other cadet wanted to partner with her. After graduating the Academy, Sito was assigned to the Enterprise­D at the request of Captain Picard, because he wanted to make sure she had a fair chance to redeem herself. Her humility especially endeared her to her fellow officers in Starfleet. She was fluent in Klingon.
Tahna Los
A Bajoran freedom fighter, wanted by the Cardassians for his terrorist activities. At one time, he was rescued by the crew of Deep Space Nine when his ship came under attack from the Cardassians.
Tahna Los was a member of the Bajoran Resistance during the Cardassian Occupation of Bajor, and a close friend of Kira Nerys. He later joined the Kohn­Ma, a terrorist group which not only fought the Cardassians, but also disliked the Federation's involvement in Bajoran affairs. The Cardassians demanded he be turned over to them, but he renounced terrorism, and requested 108
asylum, which Sisko granted him at Kira's request. Under these circumstances, amnesty for his past criminal acts would have been a mere formality.
Tahna believed that Bajor would lose its strategic value if the wormhole entrance was destroyed. He tried to use his asylum as an opportunity to accomplish this. Planting a bomb constructed of bilitrium and an antimatter converter on board the USS Yangtzee Kiang, he planned to accomplish just this, but his plan was eventually foiled when Kira Nerys managed to steer the ship straight into the wormhole, having the bomb explode harmlessly in the Gamma Quadrant, on the other side of the wormhole. Tahna subsequently surrendered, and was taken into custody aboard Deep Space Nine.
Tora Ziyal
“I'm the daughter of Gul Dukat. My father is leading a war against the Emissary of the Prophets. I don't know what made me think I could fit in.”
– Tora Ziyal
A Cardassian/Bajoran hybrid, an artist by occupation, the illegitimate daughter of Gul Dukat and Tora Naprem, conceived and born in 2353, during the Occupation, when Dukat was in command of Terok Nor. Dukat had gone to great lengths to keep Ziyal and her mother out of public view during the Occupation, as it would have been politically highly incorrect for him to have had a Bajoran family at that time. With the Occupation of Bajor drawing to a close, Dukat realized that Ziyal would never be socially accepted either on Bajor or Cardassia. In 2366, he sent mother and daughter aboard a transport ship to Lissepia, a neutral planet where both could live out their days in peace and quiet. En route, however, the ship was attacked by Breen warships, forcing it to crash on the planet Dozaria. Naprem was killed in the crash, but Ziyal and the other survivors were captured and forced into labor in a nearby Breen dilithium mine.
In early 2372, Major Kira Nerys decided to mount a search for the missing transport, and Dukat decided to join her. His real intention was to kill Ziyal, should he ever find her alive, as her mere existence posed a very tangible threat to his political career. Once Dukat had found her, as he and Kira was liberating the camp, Ziyal told him that she would rather die than to ever be apart from him again. Dukat could not bring himself to kill his own daughter.
Following her return to Cardassia with her father, the expected political backlash was swift. Dukat was demoted from his position as chief military adviser and assigned command of a freighter, with his legitimate family leaving him, and even his mother disowning him. Ziyal herself was shunned by most Cardassians for her Bajoran half. She initially accompanied her father on his freighter, the Groumall, but when he took command of a captured Klingon bird­of­prey after the Groumall was destroyed, she returned to Deep Space Nine with Kira Nerys, as her father had felt that best for the sake of her own safety.
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On board Deep Space Nine, Ziyal became involved in a relationship with a tailor, Elim Garak, the only other Cardassian on the station. There had been some enmity between Dukat and Garak in the past, and Dukat was furious when he found out about this relationship on his return visit to the station in 2373. At that time, he had been secretly negotiating an alliance between the Cardassian Union and the Dominion. Knowing that he would soon rule all of Cardassia, Dukat tried to take Ziyal back with him. Ziyal refused, since Garak at that point was lost somewhere in the Gamma Quadrant, and she had promised to wait for his return. In response, Dukat disowned her.
With the outbreak of the Dominion War, Kira arranged to have Ziyal admitted to a Bajoran university in the care of her friends. There she discovered a passion and talent for art, through which she had hoped to bring Cardassians and Bajorans closer together, by showing that they have a common viewpoint. However, she was never truly accepted on Bajor either, since her father was the hated Gul Dukat. Dukat eventually apologized to Ziyal for his actions, and she returned to Deep Space Nine shortly after he had taken over the station.
The holding cells on Deep Space Nine, from where Tora Ziyal had broken her friends out during the Dominion invasion.
Ziyal refused to believe that her father could have been the tyrant the Bajorans had always made him out to be. In 2374, she broke Kira, Rom, Leeta, and Jake Sisko out of station security, so that they could prevent the Dominion from destroying the minefield around the Bajoran wormhole. Ziyal was shot and fatally wounded by Damar, who had executed her for being a traitor. She died in her father's arms. Garak arrived at the station only after she had passed away. Dukat became mentally unstable in the wake of her death.
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Winn Adami
“The Prophets have never spoken to me; never offered me guidance, never trusted me with the fruits of their wisdom, and now I am supposed to step down as Kai in order to be blessed by them...”
– Winn Adami, to Gul Dukat
“The Prophets teach us that violence may keep an enemy at bay; only peace can make him a friend.”
– Vedek Winn
“Their love is strong. So is their wrath.”
– Kai Winn, of the Prophets
An ambitious religious leader and the first Kai to be elected after the Cardassian Occupation. She was a member of a frequently outspoken orthodox order, steadfastly rooted in her faith, and often in conflict with the Emissary of the Prophets, Benjamin Sisko, whom she considered an outsider, unworthy of receiving the wisdom of the Prophets. Her strict interpretation of Bajoran religion had placed her outside mainstream Bajoran faith. Sisko's discovery of the lost city of B'hala finally convinced Winn that he was the true Emissary, after which she made an attempt to reconcile with him. After years of living in Sisko's shadow and a lifetime of never receiving any guidance or affirmation from the Prophets, whom she had served and sworn allegiance to all her life, she eventually turned against them. In the end, that would prove to be her undoing.
During the Occupation, Winn at one time had been imprisoned for five years for teaching the religion of the Prophets. She had received numerous beatings at the hands of the Cardassians for her beliefs, and resented the belief held by some members of the Bajoran Resistance that they alone had saved Bajor, since she had faced as much danger and suffering as they, even though she did not have weapons to protect her.
As a Ranjen, she once convinced the head of her order to take a more active role in helping their people. He allowed her to use gemstones from their tabernacle to bribe Cardassian officers for small acts of kindness. She paid one such officer a bribe to divert a transport filled with Bajorans due to be executed, for instance.
By the time Bajor had regained its independence in 2369, Winn had become one of the more influential Vedeks in the Vedek Assembly. She had some support to succeed Kai Opaka, although her fellow Vedek, Bareil Antos, was favored for the position. Winn was convinced that the Federation presence on Bajor posed a dire threat to her people. She described the people of the Federation as “without a soul” and as “existing in a universe of darkness”. She also disagreed with Kai Opaka on the declaration of a “non­believer” as Emissary. Winn protested the “blasphemous” teaching of scientific principles in Keiko O'Brien's school, and called for a Bajoran boycott of the school. This led to a sharp increase in anti­Federation sentiment throughout the station, culminating in the bombing of the schoolroom. In reality Winn wanted to lure Vedek Bareil to the station in an attempt to calm the crisis, so that her accomplice could assassinate him. The assassination failed, but Winn could never be implicated. 111
Shortly afterwards, Winn secretly lent her support to Minister Jaro Essa and the Alliance for Global Unity in their attempt to topple the Provisional Government and force the Federation from Bajor. However, she turned her back on Jaro when it became evident that the Circle was receiving support from the Cardassians also. Fearing competition from Vedek Bareil in the upcoming election for Kai, Winn tried to capitalize on circumstantial evidence of Bareil's involvement in the Kendra Valley massacre. She requested Major Kira Nerys to investigate. When Kira discovered Kai Opaka's involvement in the massacre, Bareil summarily withdrew his candidacy to protect Opaka's name, despite his own innocence. With her ascension to Kai assured, Winn saw no further need to pursue the issue.
Following the election, Kai Winn accepted Bareil's assistance as her most trusted adviser. At his suggestion, she initiated secret negotiations with the Cardassians to establish a peace treaty between their respective people.
Later that same year, Kai Winn was appointed acting First Minister, after the death of the previous First Minister, Kalem Apren. With the elections only a month away, she had hoped to gain public favor by initiating a project to grow cash crops in Rakantha Province. To do so, she ordered a group of farmers in Dahkur Province to immediately return the soil reclamators leased to them by the government six months previously. Most of the farmers were former members of the Shakaar Resistance cell. When these farmers refused to return the reclamators, Winn sent the Bajoran Militia to confiscate the machinery by force. When the farmers managed to elude the Militia in the mountains for two weeks, Winn was forced to declare martial law and suspend local government in Dahkur Province. However, when the former resistance members and the Militia reached an agreement in Tanis Canyon, their leader, Shakaar, entered himself as a candidate for First Minister, with the Militia agreeing to stand down until after the election. Realizing Shakaar's popularity, Winn decided to issue a statement of support for him rather.
When Weyoun approached her in 2373 with the offer of a nonaggression pact between the Dominion and Bajor, Sisko advised her to “stall”. She eventually passed the treaty on to the Chamber of Ministers without so much as a recommendation.
During the event known as “The Reckoning” on Deep Space Nine, Winn interrupted the battle between the Prophet and the Kosst Amojan by flooding the station with chroniton radiation, because she could not tolerate the fact that Sisko's faith had been stronger than hers, to such an extent that he was willing to sacrifice himself and his son to follow the path of the Prophets.
While attending Sisko's wedding to Kasidy Yates on DS9 in 2375, Winn had a series of visions which told her that the Emissary had erred, and that she was to return him to the proper path. These visions had told her to expect a “guide”, who turned out to be the farmer Anjohl Tennan (who was actually Gul Dukat in disguise). At the time, Winn had assumed these visions to have been from the Prophets, but it later emerged to her horror that they had been sent to her by the Pah­wraiths. As Tennan, Dukat won her trust, becoming her closest adviser and confidante, and they even became romantically involved. He eventually also revealed to her that he was working for the Pah­wraiths. When Winn approached the Prophets for forgiveness, she received no response or acknowledgement. Believing herself to have been forsaken by the Prophets, she sought out Kira's advice on how to once again prove herself worthy to the Prophets. Kira told her the only way to accomplish that, would be to step down as Kai.
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This epiphany was the last straw for Winn, who resolved that she could no longer serve gods who gave her nothing in return for her faith and sacrifices, and who favor an alien Emissary over her. She was willing to follow the path of the Pah­wraiths.
It had been at this point that Anjohl had begun persuading Winn to assist him in having the Pah­
wraiths released from the Fire Caves. This eventually culminated when Winn entered the Fire Caves with Dukat, poisoned him, and then tried to offer him to the Pah­wraiths as a sacrifice. However, the Pah­wraiths chose Dukat, not Winn, as their new Emissary. The restored Dukat killed Winn by engulfing her in flames when she tried to give the Book of the Kosst Amojan to Captain Sisko upon his arrival. In her final moments she finally acknowledged Sisko as the true Emissary.
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Bajoran time­line
The Bajoran calendar is one of the oldest known throughout the entire known universe, with it currently being in the 94th century. However, most Bajorans nowadays use the Federation date system.
50,000 Years ago – Ancient Bajoran culture flourishes. They are a peaceful people with many architects, artists, musicians, builders, and philosophers among the populace.
25,000 Years ago – Bajor boasts an advanced civilization already following most of the beliefs and festivals that will become important to the people over the coming centuries.
20,000 Years ago – The Bajoran city of B'hala disappears.
10,000 Years ago – The first of the orbs is retrieved from space. The idea of the Pagh, or divine life force, develops around this time. Clerics become the official keepers of the sacred texts. The coming of the Emissary is first prophesied around this time.
3,000 Years ago – Trakor encounters the Orb of Change, inspiring him to write a sacred text based on his vision.
1,500 Years ago – Bajorans are exploring space using solar sailing ships, traveling as far as Cardassia.
2172 – The acclaimed poet, Akorem Laan, disappears when his solar sailing ship encounters an ion storm in the Denorios belt.
2279 – A territorial dispute between the Navot and Paqu is resolved by a treaty, with the Glyrhond river forming a boundary between the two tribes.
2309 – Bajor suffers serious internal difficulties, and is offered help by the Cardassians.
2319 – The future terrorist, Surmak Ren, is born on Bajor.
2328 – The Cardassians forcibly occupy Bajor.
2329 – Mullibok flees to Jeraddo to escape the Cardassian occupation.
2340 – Ro Laren is born on Bajor.
2343 – Kira Nerys is born on Bajor.
2351 – The Cardassians begin construction of the mining station, Terok Nor.
2353 – Kira Meru dies. Tora Ziyal is born.
2356 – Kira Nerys joins the Shakaar resistance cell.
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2357 – Gallitep is liberated by the Shakaar resistance cell.
2360 – Surmak Ren joins the Higa Metar resistance cell, but is captured. Li Nalas begins his harsh sentence at the Hutet labor camp in the Cardassian system.
2364 – Ro Laren graduates from Starfleet Academy.
2368 – Ro Laren is freed from prison and joins the USS Enterprise NCC­1701­D.
2369 – Tahna Los tries to blow up the Bajoran wormhole. Work begins to rebuild parts of Bajor destroyed during the Cardassian occupation. Jeraddo is evacuated, as Bajor needs to tap the moon's molten core for much­needed energy resources. Bajoran resistance finally manages to drive the Cardassians from Bajor, and many incarcerated Resistance members are freed. Starfleet establishes a presence in the Bajoran system, renaming Terok Nor Deep Space Nine. Kira Nerys is appointed Second­in­Command on Deep Space Nine. Benjamin Sisko discovers the Bajoran wormhole, and is proclaimed the Emissary of the Prophets. Kai Opaka disappears in the Gamma Quadrant.
2370 – Vedek Winn Adami aligns herself with Minister Jaro Essa and his Alliance for Global Unity. Vedek Winn is elected as Kai. Talks are initiated on the Bajoran­Cardassian treaty. Ro Laren joins the newly­formed Maquis. The Dominion wipes out New Bajor.
2371 – The USS Voyager, with a strong Bajoran crew contingent, is lost in the Delta Quadrant. Vedek Bareil Antos dies, shortly after the Bajoran­Cardassian peace treaty is signed. The Qui'al dam is restored, and again supplies water to Janir City. First Minister Kalem dies, and is replaced by Kai Winn for a short period. Kai Winn makes an unpopular move when she orders soil reclamators borrowed to Dahkur Province to be reassigned for her own political purposes. Shakaar Edon runs against her in the election, and is elected as First Minister. The Bajoran people come into contact with the Hive, a race of aliens resembling humanoid armadillos, from the Small Magellanic Cloud. The Hive strip­mines planets to provide materials for their journey through space. Having set their sights on Bajor next, they demand that the Bajoran people evacuate their home world.
2372 – The Bajoran colony, Free Haven, is attacked by the Breen. Akorem Laan emerges from the wormhole, and proclaims himself the Emissary. The Prophets eventually reconfirm Sisko as the Emissary.
2373 – On Deep Space Nine, Keiko O'Brien is possessed by a Pah­wraith, whose attempt to destroy the Celestial Temple is thwarted by Miles O'Brien. Sisko discovers the ancient city of B'hala. Bajor's application for Federation membership is indefinitely deferred as a result of the outbreak of the Dominion War.
2374 – The Reckoning takes place on Deep Space Nine, but is interrupted by Kai Winn. A deranged Gul Dukat, maddened by the loss of his daughter, and possessed by a Pah­wraith, kills Starfleet officer Jadzia Dax, and destroys an orb, making the wormhole implode, causing all the other Bajoran orbs to go dark and inactive.
2375 – Gul Dukat establishes a Pah­wraith cult on the abandoned station, Empok Nor. Kira Nerys manages to break up the cult. Winn and Dukat almost succeeds in releasing the Pah­wraiths from their prison in the Fire Caves on Bajor, but is thwarted when Winn is killed, and Dukat himself is 115
thrown into the flames by the Emissary. The Dominion War ends with a peace treaty. With the departure of the Emissary to the Celestial Temple, Kira Nerys is promoted to Colonel, taking over command of Deep Space Nine.
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On being a practical Bajoran
Designing your own Bajoran earring
Look at your ear in the mirror. The right one. Or the left, depending on how strong your faith in the Prophets is. If your ear(s) is/are already pierced, fine. If not...Please don't go looking for the nearest ear piercing gun. Even if you have pierced ears, it might still be the wiser option not to construct an earring that will pierce your ear. For the most part, you'll probably only wear your earring at TrekCons, and we know what a heavy­traffic area that can be. You don't want to leave any part of you behind unnecessarily. A real Bajoran earring preferably only clips onto the ear, and the upper ring should have a good fit around the outer cartilage of the ear. The aim is to wear an earring with good therapeutic properties, similar to that of acupuncture. Another obvious benefit of clips is that, should you get caught in something, the earring will come off without damaging your ear.
A good fit of the upper ring is the most important detail in the design of the earring. If time is not an issue, and you're by the means to do so, you can take a piece of silver tape, add some thin metal threads to it, and then cover that with another piece of tape. Cut strips of different lengths and widths, shape these into rings around a pencil or knitting needle, and then test these on your ear. The ring should stay where you put it, but still be comfortable.
If you're not up for that, you could do it the following way: the upper ring should have an inner diameter of approximately 7 or 8 mm, a width of 7 or 8 mm, and a thickness of 1 mm. The ring should have an opening of around 2 to 3 mm. The best position for the ring is on the upper/outer corner of the ear, specifically where the rim of the ear slopes in 45 degrees. Positioning the ring any higher will make the chain hang in a less decorative way, and it will also tend to get stuck behind the ear more frequently, although it may help the ring to support heavier chains, or extra decorations. Lower positions will be limited by the shape of your ear and the weight of the chain.
The most suitable length of the chain connecting the ring with the clip, varies depending on the positioning of the ring, as well as the size of the ear. Rather have a chain that is too long, than one that's too short. A length of at least 10 cm would be a safe bet, but you can go for as much as a foot­
length, depending on the design you have in mind. An average length could be anywhere from four to six inches. Be imaginative! And be on the lookout for any unusual type of chain. The links should be small...not fine. You have to be able to open them with needle nose pliers without unnecessarily breaking them.
Design the lower clip any way you want to. It can be a square, triangle, half circle, full circle, or any form in­between, either with, or without, a pattern. The diameter or side should preferably not be smaller than 15 mm, and not thinner than 1 mm anywhere. Ornate metal earrings, either pierced or clip­on, should be available from your local jeweler at a fairly reasonable price, should you decide to buy one. That said, you really don't need to go for the top end of the price range in this case. Craft stores and bead stores are also economical places to look. And while you're browsing, also get yourself any small metal ring that will be just large enough to fit over the earring cuff.
Open one of the links in your chain to remove the measured length. Hold on to the opened links for now. Fasten one end of the chain length to the small metal ring with the open chain links, and close 117
it with your needle nose pliers. Slip the ring over the ear cuff. Place the other end of the chain on the back of the larger earring, and glue it in place with just a dab of silicone caulk. Allow the caulk to set completely. You can attach extra decorations to the lower clip, the chain, or even an extra chain. Decorations to the upper ring should be limited to patterns directly on the ring itself. Here you can really let your imagination run wild.
Should you really have difficulty crafting a Bajoran earring yourself, most silver smiths would be more than happy to craft one for you, provided you can give them a few careful measurements and a rough idea of what you want.
Happy crafting!
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Bajoran Cooking
Foraiga
The closest thing to Foraiga on Earth is truffles, a mushroom­like vegetable with a hard skin that has to be washed to the point of exfoliation, before it can be used. The truffles are sliced extra thin, because of the intensity of their taste, and only added to the pot when the rest of the food has nearly finished cooking, so as not to overcook them. You can serve chicken with truffles and rosemary, pasta with creamy garlic sauce, with black flecks of truffles in the sauce, or white truffles, as part of risotto, with cheese and Roma tomatoes. For a nice truffle sauce on poultry or pork, buy canned or bottled truffles, mince half a cup, then put it in a blender on high, adding half a cup of dry sherry. Let it chill before you use it.
Hasperat
Use flour tortillas layered with cream cheese (low­calorie, if you prefer), into which you can press fresh green and red pepper slices (without the seeds, of course). If you prefer even more of a bite, press in chopped watercress and cilantro, either on its own, or on top of the pressed peppers. This makes for a very robust hasperat. For a softer, tastier version, simply roast red and green pepper slices very lightly in olive or canola oil, drain, let it cool, and then press it into the cheese filling. Roll the tortillas up, and slice them into sandwich­sized burritos.
Mushroom­and­Pepper Ratamba Stew
This traditional Bajoran dish is very reminiscent of an Earth vegetable stew. You can make it spicy with garlic, chili peppers, a whiff of jalapeños, oregano, and parsley on angel­hair pasta, or you can prepare it as a mushroom­and­pepper stew with garlic and chunky tomatoes, or even with eggplant, squash, and rosemary on rice. You can even stir sautéed spinach through the rice, if you want to.
One 16­ounce packet of spinach linguine
Two 12­ounce packets of fresh chopped mushrooms, or three 8­ounce cans of canned mushrooms, drained and chopped
Three bell peppers (red or green), sliced thin
Three whole tomatoes, chopped
Two medium onions, chopped
Six cloves garlic, sliced thin or crushed
Three tablespoons olive oil
Two tablespoons oregano
One tablespoon dried parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
Freshly grated Romano or Pecorino cheese, to taste
Cook the spinach linguine until soft. While the pasta is cooking, heat the olive oil in a large skillet, and add the garlic. As soon as the oil begins to sizzle, add the peppers. Wait five minutes, then add 119
the onions, tomatoes, and mushrooms. Stir this mix rapidly over medium heat, until the tomatoes begin to dissolve. Add the oregano and parsley, and cover the skillet. When the pasta is cooked, drain, and set it aside. Simmer the mushroom­and­pepper stew for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour the stew over the spinach pasta, mix it up, and grate cheese over the top. Stir through once more before serving. Serves four to six people.
Matopin Rock Fungi
Kira Nerys has compared this delicacy to Cardassians – both can only be found under rocks, at least according to her. You can prepare an Earth version by lightly frying over­sized mushrooms in butter, and then adding canned mushroom soup and spices. Serve it either as a sauce, or as a mushroom pastry, by folding it into refrigerated crescent rolls.
One pound packaged, raw mushrooms
One 8­ounce package refrigerated crescent roll dough
One 8­ounce can of cream of mushroom soup
Half a cup of butter
Three cloves garlic
One tablespoon heavy cream
Two teaspoons rosemary
One teaspoon thyme leaves
Salt and pepper to taste
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Heat the cream of mushroom soup in a small saucepan over very low heat. Wash and scrub the fresh mushrooms. Slice the mushrooms and garlic cloves into the butter in a large skillet on medium heat. Keep stirring and turning constantly, so that it doesn't burn. When the mushrooms are tender, add the soup, and stir through. Simmer and add the seasoning. At the same time butter a baking sheet, and heat it in the oven for about two minutes. Remove the sheet from the oven, and arrange the flat dough for each crescent roll on it. Spoon onto each triangle of dough just enough mushroom filling to allow you to fold one corner over it. Heat these for about 15 minutes, browning the rolls, but not burning them. Remove them from the oven, top with the rest of the mushroom sauce, and serve. Serves two to four people.
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Tuwaly Pie
A Bajoran dessert that's more of a staple than a delicacy. A very good Earth alternative is coconut cream pie. To make a coconut cream filling, you'll need:
Two cups milk
One cup shredded coconut
Three­quarter cup of sugar
One­third cup sifted all­purpose flour
Half a teaspoon of salt
Two eggs, slightly beaten
One teaspoon vanilla extract
To make a cream pie batter, you'll need:
One cup sugar
Half a cup of butter
Two eggs
One and three­quarter cups sifted all­purpose flour
Half a cup of milk
Two and a half teaspoons baking powder
Half a teaspoon of salt
Packaged pastry pie crust
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees, while you prepare the cream filling. Mix the sugar, flour, and salt in a medium­sized bowl. Beat the eggs, and mix it in with the dry ingredients. Just scald the milk, and then stir it in with the rest of the ingredients. Pour the mixture into a saucepan, and cook over a very low heat for about 15 minutes, adding the vanilla and the shredded coconut. Once the mixture has thickened, allow it to cool while you prepare the batter for the cream pie.
For the cream pie batter, again mix the sugar, flour, salt, and baking powder in a small mixing bowl. Then add eggs, butter, and milk. Pour half the batter into the pie crust, and the rest into a greased pie tin, and bake both for 30 minutes. Remove them from the oven, let them cool for 5 minutes, and then pour the coconut cream filling on top of the batter in the pie crust. Bake it for another 10 minutes, take it out, and let it cool. Refrigerate for 2 hours.
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Delvin Fluff Pastries
The Earth equivalent of these is a French pastry, referred to as a “petit four”.
To make the sheet cake, you'll need:
Five eggs
One and a quarter cups cake flour
Three­quarter cup granulated sugar
Three tablespoons butter
One­quarter teaspoon vanilla extract
One­eighth teaspoon almond extract
To make the filling, you'll need:
Two cups ready­made whipped cream
Three tablespoons confectioners' sugar
One teaspoon vanilla extract
Half a teaspoon mocha Java, or French roast coffee
One­quarter teaspoon orange extract
To make the glaze, you'll need:
Three cups granulated sugar
One and a half cup water
One­quarter teaspoon cream of tartar
One­quarter teaspoon vanilla extract
One to two drops food coloring of your choice
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees, and butter two jelly roll pans, after which you cover them with waxed paper. Melt three tablespoons of butter, and set it aside. Heat the eggs and sugar very carefully in a heavy saucepan, while you beat them slowly with a hand mixer for about 10 minutes, or until the mixture is thick, and piles softly. Remove from the heat, and keep beating as it cools. After it has cooled, add the vanilla and almond extracts. Then add the flour in no less than four stages, folding it in completely each time. Now stir in the melted butter. Pour the batter into the baking pans, and bake at 325 degrees for 45 minutes.
To prepare the filling, measure the whipped cream, vanilla, coffee, and sugar into a medium­sized bowl, mixing them all together, and refrigerate.
Prepare the glaze by mixing the sugar, water, and cream of tartar into a heavy saucepan, and stirring the mixture over low heat. Once the sugar has dissolved, increase the heat to bring the mixture to a boil. Cover the saucepan, and reduce to a slow boil for 5 minutes. Once the cooking has finished, remove the saucepan from the heat, and pour the mixture into a mixing bowl, adding the vanilla and food coloring. Refrigerate this mixture until the sheet cakes have completely cooled off. Remove from the refrigerator, shape into a ball, and allow it to set for 15 minutes.
While the glaze is setting, spoon the filling onto the lower layer of your petit four sheet cake, and place the upper layer over the top. Allow the filling to cool. Once the frosting has set, knead it into 122
the ball, working it into a soft, doughy mixture, which you can then spread on the surface of your sheet cake with a spoon, or narrow spatula. Cut the cake into any small shapes and serve.
Jumja
An Earth equivalent is prepackaged maple sugar candy on Popsicle sticks. You can also make your own by inserting your own caramel apple sticks into maple sugar cubes.
Jumja Tea
In case your local grocer is more than 52 light years away, you can actually use blackberry currant tea. Goes well with Delvan fluff pastries, or Tuwaly pie. For an excellent dessert or late­night tea, just add a touch of honey and a dash of lemon juice.
Alvinian Melons
An Earth equivalent is honeydews, a green­fleshed melon. Serve them either plain, with a dash of lemon juice, or with a scoop of ice cream.
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