Endar, a Talarian male.
Talarian script
The Talarians are a humanoid race native to the Alpha Quadrant.
Physiology
Talarians are characterized by a distinctive hairless enlargement of the coronal area of the skull extending in two lobes to the back of the head. Talarian blood is red and they are prone to radiation burns and respiratory distress.
Raktajino is known to have intoxicating effect on Talarians. (DS9: "A Simple Investigation")
Society and History
A Talarian bow.
Talarians follow a rigid set of traditions and customs. Their society is rigidly patriarchal, where a woman could never outank a man, and encouraged warrior-like behavior.
- A deleted scene, still present in the script of the episode, reveals that among Talarians, females are only for mating and working; "Talarians don't have mothers", just fathers.
Xenophobic tendencies among Talarians were hinted at by Jono's revelation in 2367 that Talarians wear gloves when touching aliens. Removing the gloves and touching someone with the bare hands is a sign of affection and respect.
Talarians are very competitive, games, tests and competitions are an important part of their culture, children regularly engage in contests and challenges, sharing victory is an important part of the games. Furthermore, when undertaking the tests, pain is not a consideration as passing the tests is what matters.
- According to the cut scene, men's purpose is to pass the tests and to become strong. If they do not test themselves constantly, Talarians "become weak and the weak die quickly."
Bowing is considered a sign of respect, affection and solidarity. When meeting a close person, the bowing is extended by touching arms and gently pressing foreheads.
When a Talarian boy has reached the age of fourteen, the Age of Decision, he undergoes a ceremony of initiation and after that has the freedom to make his own choices.
The B'Nar is a Talarian ritual of mourning. When Talarians are in distress, they perform the B'Nar which consists of a high-pitched shriek and rocking back and forth.
Adolescent Talarians listened to the Alba Ra, a loud, discordant, electronic form of contemporary, 24th century, Talarian music, comparative to human rock and roll.
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Talarians are known to ride t'stayans, very strong, six-hooved animals native to their homeworld.
Talarians have trouble sleeping in human beds as they hurt their backs. Jono installed a hammock in Jean-Luc Picard's quarters so it is possible that hammocks are their preferred bedding.
Talarian men often wore full beards. Talarian males, young and old, wore a short thin braid of hair, originating between the two hairless lobes at the back of their head.
During the mid-24th century, the Talarians were involved in a series of small skirmishes with the United Federation of Planets, most notably the Galen border conflicts, which lasted at least until 2356.
In 2367, the USS Enterprise-D discovered a small Talarian observation craft (likely used as a training ship for young Talarian warriors) adrift in Sector 21947. The craft had developed a serious radiation leak in its propulsion system, and Dr. Beverly Crusher's team evacuated the survivors, including a human youth named Jono, to the Enterprise. Soon after, the Talarian warship Q'Maire, commanded by Endar, along with two sister warships, intercepted and surrounded the Enterprise in the hopes of forcing the release of Jono, Endar's adoptive son. An armed conflict was averted when Captain Jean-Luc Picard decided to return Jono to the Talarians. (TNG: "Suddenly Human")
Technology and Militia
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In 2367 Talarian military weaponry was inferior to Federation standards, consisting of neutral particle weapons, X-ray lasers, and Merculite rockets, and thus didn't represent a serious tactical threat to a Galaxy class starship. They also employed subspace proximity detonators and self-destruct devices that were installed on their ships. (TNG: "Suddenly Human")
They also have their own freighter type. (TNG: "Heart of Glory")
Attacking a superior officer, like a captain, is considered the highest offense and is punishable by execution, usually by the offended officer.
Talarian uniforms reflect a militaristic culture. Talarian officers and boys having passed the Age of Decision wore a similar brown padded uniform-vest and black trousers. Large black helmets and black leather gloves are a standard part of the uniform, and a ribbed silvery-black undergarment was worn under the brown vest. Large rifles are worn on a shoulder strap on the right side of the body.
Golden insignia are worn on the right side of the uniform vest, two different kinds were observed: Captains and senior officers wore badges with rounded ends, where young Talarians wore badges with pointed triangular ends. Additionally, only Captains wore a second golden insignia, consisting of three diamond-shaped metal pieces positioned centrally on the chest. (TNG: "Suddenly Human")
- The Talarian militia uniforms later reappeared in (TNG: "Man of the People"), worn by security guards on Rekag-Seronia.
Ship types
People
- See: Talarians
See Also
References
- TNG:
- "Heart of Glory"
- "Suddenly Human"
- "Realm of Fear"
- DS9:
- Talarians were first mentioned in TNG: "Heart of Glory", but not actually seen until TNG: "Suddenly Human".
- The Talarian that was referred to by Garak in "Improbable Cause" was not a Talarian, but in fact, a Kobheerian. The fact that the Talarian ship was vastly inferior in weaponry to the Enterprise makes one wonder how the Talarians posed a threat to the Federation during the border conflicts.