Yalu (symbiont)

Yalu (born 2030) is a symbiont, a sentient vermiform lifeform native to the planet Trill. Yalu, like all symbionts, is capable of living symbiotically inside hosts of the humanoid Trill species. Each joining of Yalu to a humanoid host creates a new, unique individual, who carries the memories of the previous hosts. As of 2397, Yalu's eighth and current host is the former Yogan Verso.

Background

The Trill are a humanoid species, of whom a small percentage co-exist with a sentient symbiotic organism, the symbiont. The relationship between humanoid host and symbiont plays a significant role in Trill culture and spirituality. Joined Trill have personalities which are a synthesis of the two beings, including the memories, skills, and personalities of the previous hosts. Once Joined, the host and the symbiont cannot be separated without killing the host within hours.

While the Trill possess a similar average lifespan to Humans, Bajorans, and other Alpha Quadrant humanoid species, the symbionts are considerably longer-lived. When a humanoid host dies, the symbiont is joined to a new host, bringing the collected memories and personalities within. A host can be joined to many symbionts over time; Yalu's current host is the eighth.

History

Yalu was born in the Caves of Mak'ala on the Trill homeworld in 2030, and was tended to by Guardians during their early years. Presumably, Yalu mated and reproduced prior to their first joining in 2140.

From 2140 until 2285, Yalu lived within four hosts in succession–Zedro, Edanne, Omed, and Keroga–with only hours or days elapsing between a host's death and their successor's joining. This line was broken in 2285, with the death by suicide of Keroga Yalu at the age of 27. After Keroga's death, the Symbiosis Commission returned Yalu to the pools in the Caves of Mak'ala to recover from the trauma, as well as to be evaluated for suitability for joining in the future. Yalu was joined once again the following year, and has lived continuously within humanoid hosts–Benim, Auzell, Eira, and Yogan–since 2286.

As of 2397 and across eight hosts, Yalu has been married eight times–three as a husband and five as a wife–and partnered twice further. Yalu has been father to five children and mother to eleven.

Timeline

• 2030: Yalu is born in the Caves of Mak'ala on the Trill homeworld.
• 2140: Yalu is Joined to 33-year-old Zedro Tiburn (1st host).
• 2193: Zedro Yalu dies in Tenara (Trill) at the age of 86. Yalu is Joined to 26-year-old Edanne Ozanis (2nd host).
• 2208: Edanne Yalu dies in Devritate (Trill) at the age of 41. Yalu is Joined to 29-year-old Omed Petru (3rd host).
• 2280: Omed Yalu dies in Leran Manev (Trill) at the age of 101. Yalu is Joined to 22-year-old Keroga Tanesk (4th host).
• 2285: Keroga Yalu dies in Leran Manev (Trill) at the age of 27. Yalu is returned to the Caves of Mak'ala.
• 2286: Yalu is Joined to 30-year-old Benim Kolad (5th host).
• 2364: Benim Yalu dies in Ohmallera (Betazed) at the age of 108. Yalu is Joined to 24-year-old Auzell Altav (6th host).
• 2374: Auzell Yalu dies aboard the USS Tian An Men at the age of 34. Yalu is Joined to 48-year-old Eira Lejef (7th host).
• 2392: Eira Lejef dies in Leran Manev (Trill) at the age of 66. Yalu is joined to 30-year-old Yogan Verso (8th host).
• 2398: The consciousness of Talos Dakora is temporarily transferred into Yogan Yalu's body. Dakora's memories and personality imprint onto Yalu, creating an unofficial ninth "host," Talos Yalu.

Hosts

№	Name Sex	Portrait	Born Place	Joined Age	Occupation(s)	Marriage(s) Partnership(s)	Child(ren)	Death Place Cause	Age at death Time joined
1	Zedro Tiburn /ˈzɛ droʊ/ Male		2107 Ledaro (Trill)	2140 33 years	Metrologist Subspace radio operator	Zennia Vekar (wife) (2110–2210) m. 2137–2160 (divorced) Luara Kojem (wife) (2114–2210) m. 2171–2193 (Zedro's death)	Kiabo Tiburn (son) (2143–2218) Dezru Tiburn (daughter) (2145–2233) Vemed Tiburn (daughter) (2146–2244)	2193 Tenara (Trill) Natural causes	86 years 53 years
			Quick Description: Innovative inventor with an unquenchable thirst for knowledge. Motto: Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing is not to stop questioning. — Albert Einstein Strengths: Analytical, Innovative, Curious Weaknesses: Disconnected, Insensitive, Impatient
2	Edanne Ozanis /ɛ ˈdɑːn/ Female		2167 Devritane (Trill)	2193 26 years	Farmer Weaver	Laharno Meeros (husband) (2162–2256) m. 2196–2208 (Edanne's death)	Rajim Meeros (son) (2197–2242) Rekela Meeros (daughter) (2199–2284)	2208 Devritane (Trill) Accidental fall	41 years 15 years
			Quick Description: Extraordinarily social and popular, always eager to help. Motto: Encourage, lift and strengthen one another. For the positive energy spread to one will be felt by us all. — Deborah Day Strengths: Practical, Sensitive and Warm, Good at Connecting with Others Weaknesses: Reluctant to Innovate and Improvise, Vulnerable to Criticism, Needy Biography: Edanne Ozanis lived her whole life in a small farming community. She was the first person from her village to become Joined. Edanne worked as a farmer and an artisan weaver. After her death at the age of 41, some of her woven works were preserved and are part of a traveling museum exhibit of 22nd century Trill folk art.
3	Omed Petru /ˈoʊ mɛd/ Female		2179 Leran Manev (Trill)	2208 29 years	Civil servant Space colony administrator	Zevin Porax (husband) (2170—2259) m. 2203–2259 (Zevin's death) Olor Beex (husband) (2203–2308) m. 2270–2280 (Omed's death)	Erovo Porax (son) (2205–2307) Auzena Porax (daughter) (2206–2244) Bival Porax (son) (2208–2267) Yuvi Porax (daughter) (2210–2309) Mezim Porax (son) (2212–2315)	2280 Leran Manev (Trill) Natural causes	101 years 72 years
			Quick Description: Bold and practical experimenter, master of all kinds of processes. Motto: I wanted to live the life, a different life. I didn’t want to go to the same place every day and see the same people and do the same job. I wanted interesting challenges. — Harrison Ford Strengths: Great in a Crisis, Rational, Relaxed Weaknesses: Private and Reserved, Stubborn, Uses Logic as a Weapon
4	Keroga Tanesk /kɛ ˈroʊ ɡə/ Female		2258 Najana (Trill)	2280 22 years	Actor Dancer Singer	Renvo Reegahn (husband) (2253–2332) m. 2279–2282 (divorced)	None	2285 Leran Manev (Trill) Suicide by poisoning	27 years 5 years
			Quick Description: Spontaneous, energetic, and enthusiastic. Life is never boring around me. Motto: I’m selfish, impatient and a little insecure. I make mistakes, I am out of control and at times hard to handle. But if you can’t handle me at my worst, then you surely don’t deserve me at my best. — Marilyn Monroe Strengths: Bold and Original, Excellent People Skills, Strong Sense of Aesthetics and Showmanship (everything is a performance) Weaknesses: Sensitive, Poor Planner, Easily Bored
5	Benim Kolad /ˈbɛ nɪm/ Male		2256 Gheryzan (Trill)	2286 30 years	Journalist Activist Novelist	Yaver Tallus (husband) (2268–2315) m. 2297–2315 (Yaver's death) Togar Mahl (partner) (2280–2377) p. 2325–2340 (separated)	Hraz Tallus (son) (2300–2315) Bror Tallus (son) (2301–2315)	2364 Ohmallera (Betazed) Natural causes	108 years 78 years
			Quick Description: Quiet and mystical, yet very inspiring and a tireless idealist. Motto: Treat people as if they were what they ought to be and you help them to become what they are capable of being. — Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Strengths: Principled, Passionate, Altruistic Weaknesses: Dislikes anything ordinary, Prone to burnout, Reluctant to open up
6	Auzell Altav /ɔː ˈzɛl/ Female		2340 Tenara (Trill)	2364 24 years	Starfleet officer Academy class of 2369	Gaiane Piruzian (partner) (b. 2337) p. 2371–2373 (separated)	None	2374 USS Tian An Men (Chin'toka system) Killed in action	34 years 10 years
			Quick Description: Smart, energetic, and very perceptive, who enjoys living on the edge. Motto: Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all. — Helen Keller Strengths: Direct, Sociable, Bold Weaknesses: Rule-breaker, Unstructured, Tends to miss the bigger picture
7	Eira Lejef /ˈeɪ rə/ Female		2326 Leran Manev (Trill)	2374 48 years	Politician	Delu Vizaud (husband) (b. 2327) m. 2351–2392 (Eira's death)	Kedzall Vizaud (daughter) (b. 2353) Saban Vizaud (son) (b. 2355) Amon Vizaud (son) (2357–2388) Narud Vizaud (son) (b. 2359)	2392 Leran Manev (Trill) Illness	66 years 18 years
			Quick Description: Bold, imaginative, strong-willed leader, always finding a way, or making one. Motto: Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary. — Steve Jobs Strengths: Energetic, Strong Willed, Strategic Thinker Weaknesses: Stubborn and dominant, Arrogant, Cold
8	Yogan Verso /ˈjoʊ ɡən/ Male		2362 Sarajevo (Earth)	2392 30 years	Physician Starfleet officer Academy class of 2397	None	None	n/a	n/a
			Quick Description: Poetic, kind, and altruistic, always eager to help a good cause. Motto: All that is gold does not glitter; not all those who wander are lost; the old that is strong does not wither; deep roots are not reached by the frost. — J. R. R. Tolkien Strengths: Generous, Open-Minded, Idealistic Weaknesses: Unrealistic, Emotionally vulnerable, self-critical