Acamarian
| Intelligent Lifeform Index |
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The Acamarians are a humanoid civilization native to Acamar III.
| Acamarian | |
|---|---|
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| Four Letter Code | ACAM |
| Federation Status | Neutral |
| Planet of Origin | Acamar III |
| Encountered | (TNG: "The Vengeance Factor") |
| T/E Rating | T0/E0 |
| Current Tech Level | N |
| List of Named Acamarians | |
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Name
- Proper Name: Acamarian
- Pronunciation: A-ca-MAR-i-an
Home System
- Quadrant: Beta Quadrant
- Location: Acamar System
- Proper Name: Theta Eridani
- Pronunciation: THAY-ta E-ri-DAHN-ee
- Star: Theta Eridani
Home World
- Proper Name: Acamar III
- Pronunciation: A-kuh-mar III
- Gravity: 0.9G
- Classification: M
- Distance from Star: Third planet of three.
- Satellites: One: Mycena, Class D.
History
The Acamarians were a war-torn people for centuries, their people divided into many different clans. Members were responsible for upholding the honour of their clan by righting any wrong committed against them on an extreme level. Being as the vengeance that they meted out would also need to be avenged by the opposing clan, the planet remained locked in bitter civil war, each clan tied into many differing blood feuds with a multitude of opponents.
By 2266 enlightenment was beginning to dawn. The latest formation of the Acamarian government held peaceful negotiations concerning the majority of the planet's clan system, joining them together finally to end the several hundred years of clan rivalry and civil war. However, not all of the planet's denizens agreed to the terms by which they proposed the populace should live, and members of a number of clans broke away, forming a group named the Gatherers. These people chose to live in exile, off-world, raiding ships and outposts of any origin to obtain the means to feed and defend themselves.
On stardate 43421.9, the USS Enterprise ran into a facility that had been ransacked by the Gatherers. Believing that it was long past time that the threat of raids in the Theta Eridani sector was put to an end, Captain Jean-Luc Picard approached the sovereign of Acamar III, Marouk, to organise and mediate negotiations to reinclude them in Acamarian society.
The task was difficult. While Marouk was willing to make an attempt at a settlement, she was also reluctant to give ground to the Gatherers, believing that they were out to take as much as they could. On the opposite side, the Gatherer representative, Chorgan, believed that the Acamarians had no wish to offer them a home, and that they were attempting to lure them into a trap.
The discussions were almost derailed when it was discovered that the seemingly inocuous death of a member of the Gatherers was in fact a murder, caused by a specifically tailored microvirus. However, due to investigations led by Commander William T. Riker, the murderer was apprehended before she had a chance to complete the obliteration of the Lornak clan by assassinating the leader of the Gatherers.
Timeline
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 2224 | First contact with the Orions. Within months, the Orions begin to strip-mine the planet. The Acamarians are so blinded by the intensity of the clan wars that they take several more months before discovering the nature of the Orions' actions, and repel them from their planet. |
| 2266 | End of the Clan Wars. The Acamarian government holds peaceful talks between all clan representatives relating to the future of the planet. A group of dissidents from several clans leaves the planet to live in exile and, after a series of raids on outposts and ships, becomes known as the Gatherers. |
| 2366 | Following negotiations between Gatherer leader Chorgan, Acamarian Sovereign Marouk and Captain Jean-Luc Picard of the United Federation of Planets, the Gatherers are reabsorbed into Acamarian society. |
| 2381 | The Borg attack Acamar III, destroying most of the planet's population and centres of civilisation. During the attack, the USS Aventine's Captain and First Officer are killed during the vessel's attempted defense of the planet. |
Government
The Acamarian government is a democratic republic, led by a constitutional monarch who also serves as president. The title "Sovereign" is bestowed on the leader of the government, and he or she presides over the planet's ruling council, which is made up of representatives from the planet's various clans. At most, there are only two seats granted to any clan.
Description
Acamarians have a slight cleft in their forehead, which extends vertically upward from the bridge of their nose as far as their hairline. They are also characterized by facial tattoos and brands, which vary from individual to individual.
Physiology
Acamarians are very similar to [human|humans], although their blood is made up of a unique iron/copper mixture, resulting in extremely dark red blood. This particular blood chemistry is very rare.
Psychology
Acamarians have a tendency to be stubborn and vengeful, as the ways of the Clan Wars are yet to completely disappear from Acamarian mentality. However, they are no longer violent, resorting instead to jibes or barbs if angered by a member of a different clan. Enlightened Acamarians have a propensity for patience, and may be reluctantly open-minded. Gatherers, or even ex-Gatherers are usually brash, and have a cavalier outlook on life.
Society
Acamarian society is divided into clans. In the modern day, clans intermix and are capable of co-existing in every aspect of life, but this was not always so. For several hundred years, the Acamarian clans pursued bitter blood feuds, which escalated into global civil war.
The Clan Wars were characterized by loyalty to an individual's clan on an absolute level. Any injury to one member was to be immediately avenged by violent means. Once a clan considered another as an enemy, the breakdown in relations could last for generations, as parents would pass on prejudices to their children.
After 2266 the Clan Wars were at an end, although Acamarian society divided by a different way. Those who did not wish to live under the government's rules departed the planet, forming a nomadic splinter group known as the Gatherers. This group quickly became the new source of hatred for those who remained on the planet, and the Acamarian government ruthlessly hunted down their brothers in exile.
By early 2367, the Gatherers were reintegrated into Acamarian society following negotiations mediated by the United Federation of Planets.
Acamarian society soon became much more cohesive. Without the Gatherers to pursue, the planet settled into a time of peace. Despite this, the planet still had stringent laws, and bureaucracy and heavy income taxes were standard fare. In addition, a class-system that has perpetuated since the days of the Clan Wars is still in operation, which sees a working class separated from the upper class. This is evidenced by the existence of servants who tend to the needs of V.I.P.s such as government officials, who perform a variety of services including cooking and food tasting.
Culture
After the end of the Clan Wars, the Acamarian people began to become less obsessed with clan membership for clan membership's sake, instead being taught the value of being a member of an extended family. Membership is still held dear by almost every member of the Acamarian people, and is included in official documentation such as birth certificates.
There are many different clans on record, of varying sizes. Some are now extinct, as a result of the Clan Wars, such as the Tralesta clan (see Federation Intelligence Files), while others, such as the Lornak clan, exist in very small numbers.
Customs
Facial markings are a prominent part of Acamarian custom, and representatives from the Federation are yet to encounter an Acamarian who has not partaken of this tradition. Female Acamarians usually tattoo their faces with a design of their choice, which customarily originates from the point where the left ear joins the face. They often use a mixture of purple and black inks. Male members of the species frequently brand their faces in geometric patterns, resulting in raised bumps on the skin. Some males combine branding and tattooing, and in this case the tattoo will most usually surround the brand.
Technology
Acamarian technology is relatively advanced, including the development of computer systems capable of transferring data via subspace.
Economy
One of the main exports of Acamar III is Acamarian Brandy, a rare and expensive liquor.
Military
While not a particularly powerful interplanetary power, the Acamarians have a fully operating navy, whose primary use was to hunt down the Gatherers. Since that time there has been little cause for its use, as the Acamarians have no quarrel with outsiders. While the navy was kept up to speed with advances in technology they proved ineffective against the Borg, and were almost entirely destroyed.
Federation Intelligence Files
During the negotiations between Marouk and the Gatherers it was discovered that the sovereign's chef and food taster, Yuta, was attempting to eradicate the last surviving members of the Lornak clan. Prior to her death, she disclosed that she was the last surviving member of the Tralesta clan, and that she had sworn vengeance against them for obliterating her clan over fifty years previous. At that time it also became evident that the Acamarians possess medical technology that is not only able to slow the effects of natural ageing, but also able to alter the body's metabolism to counter the effects of phaser impacts.
One of the last encounteder Gatherer camps was at Gamma Hromi. An away team from the USS Enterprise discovered Artonian lasers, Tonkian homing beacons, Rigelian phaser rifles and noranium alloy among the cache of pirate goods.
Sources
- Star Trek:The Next Generation Season 3, Episode 9: The Vengeance Factor
- Memory Alpha
- Memory Beta
- Pasko, M.: Star Trek: The Original Series #9 (comic), Experiment in Vengeance (Marvel, December 1980)
- Mack, D.: Star Trek: Destiny, Book One: Goods of Night (Pocket Books, October 2008)
Notes
THIS PROFILE WAS BEING WRITTEN BY THE SDC: Species Development Committee.