species

Spotlight on Azezans in Star Trek Fan Fiction

Background

Azezans were an early invention. In fact, this wholly original species was one of the first ones I ever made.

Barking up the Muse Tree | jespah | Janet Gershen-Siegel | The Adventures of Porthos | Azezans

The Adventures of Porthos

For The Adventures of Porthos, I was still at a stage in my Star Trek fanfiction writing where I was mainly just looking at one-off characterizations and species of the week. The Azezans were a part of that.

Characteristics of Azezans

Yellow badge Star of David called "Judens...

Yellow badge Star of David called “Judenstern”. Part of the exhibition in the Jewish Museum Westphalia, Dorsten, Germany. The wording is the German word for Jew (Jude), written in mock-Hebrew script. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Peaceful to a fault, the Azezans allow another species, the Olathans, to run roughshod over them, to disastrous consequences and results. This vegan species is so peaceful that they don’t fight back when a far more powerful species comes in and takes over. The Olathans enslave them and have the Azezans self-select the Olathans’ next victims, in a sickening reminder of the Nazi Judenrat.

For physical characteristics, the only thing I gave them was purple skin. The skin, if sliced or bitten, is in lightening shades of purple. Other than that, I had no descriptions for them.

Enterprise’s Involvement

Normally, there would be no involvement whatsoever. Under the Prime Directive, it’s likely no one would visit such a system. This is because I never said whether they were Warp-capable. Instead, the Olathans secretly offer the Azezans as slave laborers. This is because of overpopulation on Azezi Prime.

Jonathan Archer watches the exchange between First Governor Siont (an Azezan) and Settlement Engineer Dar (who is secretly an Olathan), and determines from their body language that they don’t enjoy working together. As they are questioned about the work arrangement, Siont doesn’t appear to believe any of the platitudes he’s sprouting about cheerful, healthy workers. Whereas Dar is more than happy to talk profits.

Phlox enters with Porthos, in order to provide a quick break. Siont pets the animal, who seemingly without cause bites Dar in the ankle. The ruse discovered, Dar takes  what is very much like a cyanide capsule, also a reference to the Nazis.

Siont explains that to return with a dead Dar means that he and his entourage will be suspect. Archer, suspecting that there are more hidden Olathans, probably working as informants and Fifth Columnists, ends the matter with assuring that he will have humans sent as advisors with a number of hound dogs. The dogs, presumed to be primed to behave just like Porthos just has, should quickly rout the Olathans. It’s an imperfect and slow solution, but at least it’s a relatively peaceful one that the Azezans can condone.

Upshot

I have never written a sequel to this story, and it’s high time I did.


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Posted by jespah in Fan fiction, Spotlight, 2 comments

Spotlight on Original Nonsentient Species – Linfep

Spotlight on Original Nonsentient Species – Linfep

People have to eat, and not everyone is a vegan. Therefore, I had to devise some alien food animals. Hence, I created linfep. They are a wholly original species.

So they are essentially hares with tusks or fangs. They are native to Lafa XII and live and scamper in undergrowth. They are one of the chief foods for another nonsentient species, perrazin, but are also hunted or raised for food for the sentient Calafans.

Since they are very rabbit-like, children are somewhat fond of them. In Fortune, a little Calafan girl has a stuffed linfep doll. In Friday Visit, Chelben, who is about four or five years old, shows Doug a picture he has drawn of a linfep.

Spotlight on Original Nonsentient Species – Linfep

Kevin, the Lost Bunny of the Apocalypse

Admittedly, I was thinking a little bit of the comic strip Prickly City and its character of Kevin, the Lost Bunny of the Apocalypse, when I came up with linfep. Essentially I envision – like I do for much of the Lafa System – a place similar to Australia. So this is where interesting or seemingly harmless animals can pack quite a punch.

Hunting

Linfep (the plural does not have an S) are vegetarians. They are the subjects of a hunt with phase bows in Temper. Melissa and Doug – the hunters – have to be quiet when approaching these shy creatures. A rustling in the undergrowth reveals one, which they dispatch with one shot.

Etymology

Like much of the Calafan language I have created, the name of this species is a compound word. Fep is also the name of the second-smallest star in that system, and the word means small. Lin means mouthful, so a linfep is a small mouthful, and a grown human or Calafan will want to eat more than one in order to be satisfied.

Posted by jespah in Fan fiction, In Between Days series, Spotlight, 9 comments