Saurian

			Intelligent Lifeform Index

Saurian
Four Letter Code	SAUR
Federation Status	Member
Planet of Origin	Alpha Sauria IV
Encountered	Early member, numerous encounters
T/E Rating	T0/E0
Current Tech Level	N
List of Named Saurians
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"Our world may be a challenging place for survival but one that has made us more capable of survival as a result."

a Saurian saying.

The Saurian are a reptilian species capable of surviving in atmospheres that would be too toxic or contaminated for most other species.

Home System

• Quadrant: Alpha
• Location: Alrakis Sector (coordinates A24-0004-1298)
• Proper Name: Plakti Ovagia system
• Star: It orbits a class M (Red) star
• Distance from Star: its orbit is approximately 58 million km
• Companions: It is the 4th of 9 planets in the system
• Moons: it has 9 moons.

Home World

• Proper Name: Lyaksti'kton, (Alpha Sauria IV)
• Diameter: 19,576 km (12,164 miles)
• Gravity: 0.95 standard gravity with a density of 3.4
• Axial Tilt: 12.9%, with normal seasonal changes
• Orbital Period: 483 days
• Rotational Period: 27 hours
• Classification: M
• Surface Water: 76%
• Atmosphere: 1.06% is a standard pressure with 66% nitrogen, 26% oxygen, 8% trace chemicals
• Climate: Mainly a semi tropical world
• Terrain: It has numerous large swamps, rain forests, jungles and active volcanoes.
• Population: Just over 23 billion

History

Their planet is unusual in the fact that they have so many active volcanoes. In fact they have over 390 active volcanoes that regularly spew forth toxic gas. Fortunately there are very few recorded volcanic eruptions and those few are usually not very violent or dangerous. However due to this activity it is not that unusual to find areas with dangerous levels of toxic gas in the atmosphere. As a result the Saurians developed the ability to survive and breathe several types of atmospheres.

Another unusual aspect of their world are the numerous large swamps that can be found on every continent and major island on the planet. In fact almost 57% of the planets surface is actually swamp. It was there in those swamps that the Saurians developed and evolved into intelligent humanoids.

Historians believe that these swamps may be partly responsible for the relatively peaceful history that the Saurians enjoyed free of any major wars or social upheavals.

Historians also believe that this may be the main reason they advanced at a slow relaxed pace. Food was plentiful, the environment was warm and life was simply a matter of day to day survival.

Eventually they developed space travel long before humans did and moved into space, meeting other species. They were lucky and never encountered any hostile species. In fact most other races were always so eager to come to them for trade that the Saurians, never had to advance very far into space.

Government

They have always had a council of elders selected by the people to represent them. This council of 23 serves for 8 years.

Since becoming members of the Federation in the mid-23rd century they have also been very active in the politics of the Federation. In fact a number of them have held important positions within the Federation over the years.

Description

Reptilian humanoids. Saurians have varying skin tones, from pink to purple, but also red, brown or green. They have large, bulging red and yellow eyes, and their bodies resemble upright bipedal lizards.

Physiology

Saurians are fully grown and considered to be adults at the age of 10. On average they live to be about 70 with the top age being around 90. Due to the numerous active volcanoes they have adapted the ability to breathe several types of atmospheres. Strangely enough they have also adapted and developed a few redundant physiological systems including four hearts.

Saurian eyes are adapted to nocturnal activity by means of a second set of eyelids which offer them infrared vision. They are comfortable moving underwater, being also adapted to tropical rainforest and swampland, and can also move at speed on their clawed feet.

On average most Saurians are stronger than they appear. Approximately 1 and a ½ times that of most humans with the same build and body size. When this is added to the natural claws they have on both their hands and feet it makes them very dangerous adversaries in hand to hand combat.

Saurian Virus

The Saurian virus is a virus originating from the planet Sauria. While on Dramia II, Dr. McCoy treated a Dramian colonist named Kol-Tai, who was afflicted with a strain of the Saurian virus. Antibodies created to combat the Saurian virus were later discovered by McCoy to be the cure for the Dramian plague that afflicted the crew of the USS Enterprise.

Psychology

The Saurians tend to be very laid back and slow to anger. They handle stress well and are usually easy to deal with. They are able to cope with new and strange situations and have a strong work ethic.

Religion

Mellitt and Antidis were the first ones, the founders of their species. They were created to serve the ancient ones, the creators of the stars and all that exists. After many years of faithful service they were deposited on to Lyaksti'kton. A world upon which they could survive and flourish. Here they sired children. These children had more children and the Saurian species came into being.

There are temples to this brother and sister in every major and most minor communities on the planet. Worship encourages family and community participation as well as teaching a philosophy that encourages acceptance, understanding and co-operation.

Mythology

There are numerous tales about the first ones Mellitt and Antidis. These stories all have a purpose, a hidden lesson that is meant to teach and inspire the reader.

Society

Saurians are unusual in that unlike most other reptilian humanoids they have a very strong sense of community. As a result they have very clean well designed cities, universal health and education. As well as ensuring that every one has access to any assistance they may need.

Most saurians prefer to spend most of their time around others and enjoy each others company. Large gatherings for social occasions are the norm.

Culture

They have a great love of music, drinking, dancing and communal celebrations, usually all at the same time. Other art forms are enjoyed but take a distant second place to all communal gatherings.

Customs

The most obvious one is the communal gathering. These are held to celebrate or recognize some significant occurrence or as a way to relax and enjoy each others company. An important part of all these gatherings is the music, dancing, food and brandy.

Technology

They are on a par with the majority of long time Federation member worlds.

Economy

Because other races were always so eager to come to them for trade, the Saurians, whose civilization predates humanity, never had to advance very far into space. In spite of this they had numerous trade deals with many other species and still do to this day.

Saurians are best known for their brandy, a highly intoxicating and very prized liquor. Saurian brandy is one of the most popular and infamous alcoholic drinks in known space. It was even exported to Romulan territory.

In fact over 68% of their entire exported goods is brandy.

Nibo Hoq was a very successful 24th century Saurian merchant. He was killed on Deep Space 9 by dRacla after delivering important information about Gowron's schedule.

Military

As long time members of the Federation, many of them have served in the both Starfleet and the Marines.

Shortly after they joined the Federation they got rid of all their war ships and now only maintain a small fleet of police frigates to patrol their sector of space.

Bazel was a Saurian male serving in Starfleet in the 24th century. In 2380, Captain Bazel was in command of the USS Rhea.

In September 2380, the USS Rhea was on an exploratory mission to the open cluster NGC 6281 when it encountered an unidentified life form, later dubbed Noh Angels. During their initial encounter with the creatures on NGC 6281-34 III, the USS Rhea was attacked in orbit by the assimilated USS Einstein. Held in a state of extreme time dilation, in subspace stasis bubble by the cluster's sentient intelligence at the moment of the assault, the vessel was eventually recovered thanks to the efforts of the USS Enterprise-E and the Liberated Borg vessel Liberator. Over 100 of the Rhea's crew were killed by the attacking Borg drones, with approximately 80 suffering serious injuries. Around sixty had been partially assimilated, but were purged of their implants. The surviving crewmembers were transported back to Federation space by quantum slipstream.

Kozel was a male Saurian who lived in the 24th century. In the 2360s, Kozel was a master chief petty officer in Starfleet and served aboard the USS Okinawa in the 2360s.In 2362, Kozel piloted the shuttlecraft Naha with Benjamin Sisko during the attempt to stop the USS Assurance from crashing into the surface of Entelior IV after the starship had been damaged in a Tzenkethi attack.

Federation Intelligence Files

• In 2255 of the alternate reality, Jim Kirk used a bottle of Saurian brandy against a Starfleet Academy cadet at the Shipyard Bar in Riverside, Iowa.

• In 2266, when the M-113 creature impersonating crewman Green acted strangely, Janice Rand asked him if he'd been nipping some Saurian Brandy.

• The same year, the aggressive half of Captain Kirk demanded a whole bottle of Saurian brandy.

• Also in 2266, Kirk offered Saurian brandy to the crew members of the Antares; it was declined by her captain.

• Scotty started off his mission of getting Tomar drunk with a bottle of Saurian brandy in 2267.

• In 2269, females of Taurus II serve a nectar that caused the crewmembers of the Enterprise to faint. Doctor McCoy stated on their way to the slumber chamber that their nectar was as potent as Saurian brandy.

• A Klingon officer stationed on Morska drank from a bottle of Saurian brandy while the USS Enterprise-A was posing as a Klingon ship in order to reach Rura Penthe.

• Guinan prepared a concoction containing mostly Saurian brandy along with Targ milk and Denevian mead, after hearing about it on Prakal II. Data observed that the drink contained a high concentration of fructose and monosaccharides (which is to say, it was sweet).

• Quark kept bottles of Saurian Brandy in his bar aboard Deep Space 9. When trying to distract Doctor Bashir from his dealings with Elim Garak in 2370, Quark asked Bashir if he wanted "a little Saurian Brandy to go or maybe a late-night in a holosuite.

• An old bottle of this very alcoholic liquor was used by Captain Picard as trade for a Gorlan prayer stick in or before 2370.

• In 2371, Quark later ordered some Saurian brandy to have delivered to his quarters while he was conducting a negotiation with Emi. Rom, who was to deliver the brandy, instead warned Quark to leave immediately, as Grand Nagus Zek had arrived.

• In 2373, Quark received a shipment of Saurian brandy. Hidden inside the shipment was a PADD, which contained a message from Silaran Prin to Kira Nerys.

• In early 2374, Nog managed to acquire some Saurian brandy for the USS Defiant crew despite the Dominion War going on. Later that year, Quark received a shipment of Saurian brandy.

• In 2375, a Ferengi named Gant had ten cases of Saurian brandy for sale, and according to Nog, it was Benjamin Sisko's favorite. Later that year, Hector Ilario experienced his first taste of Saurian brandy; he also stated that it was Captain Sisko's favorite.

• Norvo Tigan offer a glass of Saurian brandy with his sister Ezri while he sulked about being denied entry into the Andorian Academy in mid-2375.

• In 2266, the bestial side of Captain Kirk, created during a transporter accident, demanded a bottle of saurian brandy from Dr. McCoy.

• In 2293, James T. Kirk bequeathed two bottles of Saurian brandy to Montgomery Scott following his death.

• By 2294, Scott's grief had sunk him into a deep depression, and he no longer drank Saurian brandy, considering it part of his lost former life. However, while out of his house to obtain alcohol, Guinan made his acquaintance over several rounds of the beverage. Guinan's meeting delayed Scott long enough that he met Matt Franklin in that bar, and the two later bonded over several more rounds of the beverage at Franklin's hotel.

• During a raid of a hidden Cardassian base in 2328, Lieutenant David Gold and his crewmates discovered a large supply of Saurian brandy and other exotic liquor in the commandant's office. While waiting after the operation to be retrieved by the USS Gettysburg, he and four colleagues proceeded to drink much of it. In the years to follow, Gold would honor those friends with a Saurian brandy toast upon their deaths.
• A rare bottle of Saurian brandy was kept by Quark in his bar in 2366. Following Rom's accident involving a glass of Romulan ale and a drunken Cardassian patron, the Cardassian grabbed the bottle and tipped the contents over Rom's head.

• When the USS Enterprise-D rescued Montgomery Scott from the USS Jenolan, Guinan considered bringing him a bottle of Saurian brandy, but decided he was disoriented enough without seeing her. However, she did bring him a bottle and admit she had been aboard at that time when Scott rendezvoused temporarily with the Enterprise-D in 2370. After Scott led the Enterprise back in time in an ill-fated attempt to rescue Kirk before his apparent death, Guinan offered Jean-Luc Picard a glass while she apologized for not being completely open with him, a glass the Captain did not drink.

Sources

Information for this article was obtained from both Memory Alpha and Beta as well as the following movies, Star Trek: The Motion Picture, Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home and Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country. Also used were the following TV episodes, TOS: Requiem for Methuselah, TOS: The Man Trap, TOS: The Enemy Within, TOS: By Any Other Name, TOS: Charlie X, TAS: The Lorelei Signal, TAS: Albatross, TNG: Bloodlines, TNG: In Theory, DS9: The Wire, DS9: The Darkness and the Light, DS9: Resurrection, DS9: Behind the Lines, DS9: Prophet Motive, DS9: Emissary, DS9: The Dogs of War, DS9: Prodigal Daughter, DS9: Treachery, Faith and the Great River, and DS9: Field of Fire.

The following novels were also sources of information. Star Trek novel: Engines of Destiny, TNG - Double Helix novel: Vectors, CoE eBook: Turn the Page, Star Trek: Myriad Universes novel: A Less Perfect Union, ST novel: Klingon, ST - Typhon Pact novel: Rough Beasts of Empire, ST website: The Path to 2409, STO novel: The Needs of the Many, TOS - Crucible novel: The Fire and the Rose, ST reference: The Worlds of the Federation, VAN novel: Reap the Whirlwind, TNG novel: A Time to Kill, TNG novel: Greater Than the Sum, DS9 short story: Second star to the right..., TNG novel: The Genesis Wave, Book One and the ST novel: Ex Machina.

SDC

This file was updated and approved by the SDC on 17 January 2013

Content from this article may have
come partially, or entirely from
 Memory Alpha

		SPECIES PROFILE UPDATED This profile was revised by the Species Development Committee.		REV 239709.22
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