Breen

"Breen" was the collective name taken by all species that resided within the worlds of the Breen Confederacy. They were collectively secretive; as of the 2380s, not even their allies knew much about their species or their homeworlds.

Biologically, they were all thought to be humanoid, as they appeared to be of typical humanoid height and build. The Breen were often regarded as ruthless and devoid of humanoid compassion, and during the Dominion War, their unprecedented attack on Starfleet Headquarters was seen as a symbol of their ferocity. The Romulans had a saying: "Never turn your back on a Breen". The nature of why the Romulans distrusted the Breen so much remained unknown. They, however, earned this reputation through their opportunistic tendencies of preying on the conflicts of other species while at the same time, rarely interacting directly. This was because they wished to profit on such activities which included slavery. Indeed, the Breen employed slave labor, capturing and enslaving many Deferi citizens, among other species.

Like the Ferengi, the Breen were immune to telepathy. This resistance to telepathic intrusion had led many to speculate that the their brains were multi-lobed, thus preventing any such technique from working, yet it was actually their suits that prevented them to be read.

Subsidiary Species

After the USS Therugy encountered the species in 2381, Starfleet Intelligence analysts later concluded that Breen society might be comprised by members of as many as a dozen species, all of which were thought to be humanoid, and which appeared to be of typical humanoid height and build. The individual races (among others, the Amoniri, Fenrisal, Paclu, Silwaan) took on the singular name and the concealing uniforms in order to prevent any biases and prejudices to interfere with the development of their society. The uniform design had been designed to support the distinctive features of the individual races.

Known Subsidiary Species	Planet/System	Biology/suit Accommodation
Amoniri	Breen	Liquid body, require refrigeration
Dessev	-	Shapeshifters, also known as Chameloids.
Fenrisal	-	Canine, with snout
Kalystarian	-	Scaly and fish-faced
Paclu	Pacluro Prime	Strong, bulky, multi-lobed brains, multiple hearts
Silgov	Silgov Prime	Pale-green humanoids
Silwaan	-	Bronze-skinned humanoids
Vironat	-	Gray-skinned humanoids with cleft extremities

Amoniri

The Amoniri were a civilization that belonged to the Breen Confederacy. Lacking blood, the Amoniri also required specialized modifications to the uniforms commonly attributed to the Breen to include refrigeration systems in order for members of the Amoniri to survive. If the Amoniri were exposed to natural air they would evaporate.They, along with the Paclu and Dessev, were one of the dominant members of the Breen military. They were also dominant with civilian spaceflight within the Confederacy.

Amoniri had mostly liquid bodies that the refrigeration suits keep from evaporating, and their fluidic nature may allow them to better tolerate rough travels in space. They originated from a location that had a cold climate, which shows the necessity for their uniforms to be modified to have low temperature refrigeration. When an Amoniri dies an evaporation death, they feel a lot of pain as their mostly liquid bodies turn to vapor. They suffer a slow loss of physical function, and then ultimately descend into madness before finally dying and dissolve into mist.

Dessev

The Dessev were a humanoid civilization of shapeshifters that belonged to the Breen Confederacy. Dessev had a morphogenic matrix, much like a Founder, but compared to them, their matrices very limited in ability. These shapeshifters needed to keep their morphogenic matrix adaptive, so for convenience, they chose two or three forms which they altered between on a regular basis. They were only able to take on the forms of biological lifeforms, and in doing so, they rarely - if ever - changed their eyes. In fact, the eyes of Dessev were the way they recognised each other, until they later reformed to using the suits of the Breen Confederacy. The suits allowed for them to be individually identifiable by all other subsidiary species in the Confederacy, and with the Dessev being one of the founding members, the need for identifying shapeshifters was key to the write-up of Confederate law. Among all the species, however, the Dessev were the most reluctant wearers, oft merely using them when leaving their systems.

Centuries before the Dessev joined the Breen Confederacy, an unknown number of Dessev were abducted by the Savi. How long they were subject to experiments was unknown, but some form of uprising happened on the Savi ship the Dessev were imprisoned on, and the Archive was compromised, causing for all further knowledge of the event to be lost. It was the latest Cataclysm for the Savi. Any further contact with the Dessev was prohibited by the Code, until the Scion Directive would change that. Why the otherwise peaceful Savi of that century abducted Dessev in the first place was unknown. The Voice of the Savi speculated in 2381 that the actions aboard that ship in the Flotilla sprung from the curiosity of an individual Savi leader, or that the Code of that Pre-Cataclysmic time was more lenient when it came to observing other species. One of the very few notations from the incident that survived in the Archive was that the Dessev had been called the Aspect Makers, and it was an epithet with annotations of caution and loathing.

By 2293, the Dessev were known as Chameloids, a name conjured out of ignorance, but which the Dessev readily adopted to keep their true origin secret. They were largely believed to be mythical by citizens of the Federation and in 2283, Captain James T. Kirk and Doctor Leonard McCoy of the Starfleet starship USS Enterprise-A encountered a Dessev named Martia in the Klingon prison colony on Rura Penthe. McCoy later theorized that the Chameloids were native to that asteroid, given Martia's apparent adaptation to cold weather, yet this was merely erroneous speculation. Instead, Dessev were closely affiliated with the Amoniri in the Confederacy.

Following the Dominion attack on the Antwerp Conference in 2372, a Dessev named Wusekl was illegally detained and imprisoned on Triex, as the people believed he was a Founder. In the late 24th century, Federation archaeologists on Drura Sextus discovered Tholian crystal-lattice documentation of a race of genetically engineered shapeshifters. Two of these shapeshifters were responsible of the deaths of Dr. Jennifer Almieri and Counselor Han Duren on Earth in 2377. Captain Montgomery Scott theorized that these shapeshifters were Chameloids, given the proximity of Drura Sextus to Klingon space, not knowing that they were in fact of the Breen subsidiary species and far away from their home.

Thot Gor was the representative of the Breen Confederacy to the Dominion in 2375, and also a Dessev. As the Dominion War grew to a stalemate in mid-2375, Gor was secretly approached by the Female Changeling for an alliance between the two powers, and whether or not Gor's shapeshifting abilities had something to do with it remains unknown. Seeing an opportunity for conquest, Gor traveled to the Cardassian Union to sign the treaty of alliance. Thot Gor oversaw the Breen forces, quickly coming to outrank Legate Damar of the Cardassian Union in the Dominion hierarchy, an event which incensed Damar greatly. One of Thot Gor's first actions was the daring raid on San Francisco. He later oversaw the Second Battle of Chin'toka, which was a remarkable victory for the Dominion. Following the retaking of Chin'toka, Gor was succeeded by Thot Pran as commander of the Breen forces. Gor's whereabouts as of 2381 remained unknown.

Fenrisal

The helmet designs of Breen mandated by the Confederacy included a snout to accommodate the biology of Fenrisal. In the year 2375, Ezri Dax speculated that the Breen had a wolf-like appearance. As later discovered, the Fenrisal were indeed lupine in appearance: described as having variously colored fur and thick, but dexterous, paw-like hands.

Kalystarian

A Kalystarian had a pale, scaly complexion, were fish-faced, and lacked a visible nose.

Paclu

The Paclu had four-lobed brains that were difficult for telepaths to read. They, along with the Amoniri, were one of the dominant members of the Breen military due to the fact that they met its performance requirements best. Paclu were generally large and bulky in build and very strong. They also possessed multiple hearts. Some Paclu were described as having earthy brown-colored skin, and chartreuse (yellow-green) colored eyes. The Paclu were native to Pacluro Prime. Their society was divided into clans. Clan Lokaar resided in the frozen north of Pacluro Prime.

Silgov

The Silgov were a humanoid species from Silgov Prime. By the 24th century, the Silgov were members of the Breen Confederacy. The Silgov were a humanoid species. Their skin was emerald-green but pale and their eyes were almond shaped and almost feline. Their faces sported an almost imperceptible nose. Traditionally they had long, curved fingernails and multi-colored hair. Their culture included nobility. As members of the Breen Confederacy, Silgov wore the equalizing bodysuit, completely obscuring their physiology except for the fact that they were humanoid. However, movement and gait could give away a Silgov to somebody with experience with various Breen species.

Silwaan

The Silwaan were a humanoid species and one of the founding civilizations of the Breen Confederacy. Some Silwaan had bronze-colored skin, wide, jade-colored eyes, and white hair, though continental variations were likely.

Vironat

The Breen subsidary species Vironat had gray skin and had sensory organs that gave them a high level of sensitivity to their surroundings, including to movement. While this provides a natural benefit for jobs such as an engineer, it disadvantaged them with a sensitivity to vigorous motion, such as in the case of rough space travel. They generally did not care for cold environments.

Breen Confederacy

While they had not been designated as a threat, the Breen Confederacy was one of a handful of species that had earned a place on the Starfleet Security Council’s ‘must watch’ list. While the Federation had little direct contact with the Breen, Starfleet's nominal allies, the Klingons, apparently had a long and bloody history with them. The Klingons was reluctant to share information with Starfleet, however. Klingons were embarrassed about their losses in conflict with the Breen, and the less said about that, the better, they likely thought.

Before the Dominion War, Starfleet Intelligence suspected that the Cardassians maintained an open line of communication with the Breen, and it was believed that the Breen and the Ferengi may have had informal trade agreements in place. The Romulans also appeared to have a history with the Breen; though, as with the Klingons, Starfleet had been unable to gather much in the way of confirmed details regarding relations between the two species. Starfleet's technological evaluation of the Breen was woefully incomplete, but what little they knew was that they were a species near their level of capabilities. After the Dominion War, Starfleet had assets in and near Breen space working to gather intelligence.

Culture

Little was known about the races in the Confederacy as they tended to keep to themselves. What was known was that they were both secretive and aggressive, though it must be stated that they did not exalt violence for its own sake and that it was aggression that served a purpose. Furthermore, they were known to intentionally keep their motives and feelings hidden from other races which, when combined with the fact that they could not be sensed by Betazoids, further added to the mystery of the Breen. Common speculation among other races was that the Breen were more open to their own kind but this was never confirmed. Their spoken language (at least to non-Breen) sounded like uncomprehensive static, which was an encryption that the suits decrypted for the wearers in real time. This electric chatter was understood by Vorta and Founders, and this by means of an adjustment to the Universal Translator systems they all relied on.

Members of this collection of races were not excessively individualistic and were in fact commonly encountered in groups. Furthermore, the level of secrecy that they had maintained about their society and homeworld hinted at a high level of clan cohesion or possibly even a government structure. This form of society had yet to produce any form of rebel that was willing to break the silence about their customs, culture or homeworld. When alone, Breen tended to act unpredictably, with displays of neurosis due to the fact that they are working apart from their group. While this hinted that Breen were incapable of working alone, xenologists had stated that this behaviour may in fact be faked in order to produce the illusion of such traits in order to fool other races. Since different species in the Breen Confederacy might have different tempers, this could also easily explain any deviations from this observation.

Ultimately, the Breen acted for their own self-interest and thus engaged in ruthless actions without caring for other species. Their motivations for doing so were always a secret and the Breen never revealed what their next actions were going to be. They tended to act out of their own self-interest with little weight placed on the hardships by those that stand in their way. They appeared callous to the suffering of others and in fact did not heed calls for aid unless there was something to gain from such an endeavour; be it monetary, technology or simply territory. It wa known that they were not above using others in their schemes where the relationship was that of a pawn rather than a partner. Regional conflicts among other empires was noted to result from Breen provocation, with the race being blamed for activities that they themselves have not committed even. Their society also was believed to contain some aspects of a manifest destiny.

The Breen were politically nonaligned and did not take part in official treaties or alliances, though their representatives on occasion visited certain diplomatic gatherings. However, the selection process of which gathering they did attend was a mystery to other races. What was determined, however, was that they sought to gather information in such meetings, not to participate in them. The fact that they did not appear to be an expansionist race meant that other races typically leave the Breen alone.

The government itself appeared to resemble a form of primitive tribalism, except that all Breen were a member of the same tribe. Members were noted to form into groups where different individuals assume different roles on a voluntary basis rather than an autocratic dictate. Their leaders ruled as long as their groups allow them to do so. Their starship tactics follow a similar role, with each vessel seeming to possess a high degree of autonomy. These ships appear to only work with others through mutual consensus or agreed-upon tactics. Those Breen in command of starships were referred to as Masters instead of the commonly used Captain.

Technology

Breen suits appeared to be of military issue, as they have different designs to signify various ranks. Command officers wore golden lining on the shoulders and arms, as well as distinctive gold stripes that ran down the center of the top of the helmet and down the top of the "snout" section of the helmet.

Their technology consisted of an element of biotechnology that was based on the algae on the planet Breen. The Breen learned to manipulate the algae's genetic structure and use it to create biomaterials with special properties such as metal, plastic, silicon as well as other such substances. Such a key trait meant that every Breen vessel included its own hydroponics bay where damage components could be regrown.

Breen ground troops made extensive use of Cryogenic weaponry. Breen suits were be capable of firing a "cryo beam" from a helmet-attached emitter. Breen starships use polaron weapons and various types of torpedoes. The Breen were also known to use type-3 disruptors.

Starships

• Breen fighter
• Breen destroyer
• Chel Grett-class cruiser (a.k.a. Gor Taan-class, Warship-class, Breen battlecruiser)
• Reikin-class fast-attack cruiser

History

22^nd century

During the 22^nd century, the Breen species of that time were largely confined to their own home systems with few forays being outside their region of space. The reasons varied, but for the Amoniri, it was due to refrigeration technology being too primitive to allow them to survive on other worlds.

The Vulcan race were aware of the existence of the Breen before the year 2155, though the Vulcan Security Directorate knew little beyond the fact that they made use of disruptor technology, and kept to themselves. The Breen also had early contact with the Ferengi, and were responsible for selling that race modern warp drive technology. The accounts of this transaction differ somewhat between stories, Ferengi boastful and the Breen silent. The two races became regular trading partners, however, with the Amoniri of the Breen purchasing iced tube grubs, frozen icoberry juice, and snow-themed holographic programs from the Ferengi Alliance.

In the time of the Second Klingon Empire, Chancellor Mow'ga sent a fleet into Breen space to conquer the race, but they were never heard from again.

23^rd century

By the 23^rd century, the Amoniri had improved their environmental suits to the point that they had the capacity to travel far greater distances. It was during this period that the Breen Confederacy offered their services to other governments that required covert agents or mercenaries. Despite this expansion into space, the Breen generally kept to themselves, with the Federation not being aware of the existence of the species. The Romulans made first contact with the Breen in 2268 and were soon using them in covert operations and illegal work. Their subsidiary species of shapeshifters - the Dessev - made the services of the Breen highly regarded, even though they never knew how the Breen operated. The results, however, spoke for themselves, and no questions were asked about the methodology and nature of the Breen covert agents.

First contact between the Breen and the Federation came in 2275 when the Andorian crewed starship USS Eagle encountered a Breen Confederacy ship on routine patrol. Captain Igrilan Kor reported that the Breen were peaceful though somewhat withdrawn. However, the uncertainty in his report meant that further diplomatic overtures were not conducted.

24^th century

In the 24^th century, the Breen Condeferacy remained inscrutable with their goals being enigmatic to other empires. They tended to enter specialized markets to leverage skills in intelligence work, mining and technology that dealt with survival on colder environments. The Federation had become fully aware of this empire's existence and recognized that they had developed several technologies like the disruptor from trade with the Romulans or other races. However, it was concluded that the mysterious insular species were neither a threat or potential ally. In 2328, the Federation constructed Deep Space 3 to monitor the Breen and those species that resided in their space. Relations between the Federation and the Breen were described as tenuous at best by the year 2360.

During Benjamin Sisko's time on the USS Saratoga, the starship encountered a hostile Breen ship near Guldammur IV. In a plan devised by Sisko and Zar, a narrow-gauge phaser spread was fired from the weapons of the Saratoga, making several small gaps in the Breen's shields. This allowed the Saratoga crew to beam unwanted items into the Breen's weapon banks, clogging them and leaving the Breen unable to fire.

In 2366, the Breen attacked the Ravinok and forced it to crash on Dozaria. The Bajoran and Cardassian survivors were forced to mine dilithium for the Breen. Following the discovery of this incident, the Cardassian government was unwilling to open a potential conflict with another power as they were already engaged in conflict with the Federation. Thus, the Cardassian Central Command registered a diplomatic protest to the Breen over the attack on the Ravinok, though they later let the matter go when the Breen chose the ignore it.

In 2372, Breen privateers were operating near Bajor. Some years prior to 2377, Captain Marcus Refelian distinguished himself in defending a group of Federation colonies from attacks by Breen raiders.

The Dominion War

At some point in 2374, the USS Enterprise on one of its first mission's encountered a Breen destroyer commanded by Thot Vog who intended to attack the Starfleet vessel. However, he was convinced to withdrawn after a speech by Rhea McAdams after she explained the destructive power of quantum torpedoes.

The Dominion made attempts to forge an alliance with the Breen as early as 2374. It was the possibility of finding themselves on the same side as the "accursed" Breen that made the Romulan Star Empire reticent to ally itself with the Dominion. At the same time, the Federation was engaged in talks, and by 2375, Starfleet Admiral Marcus Holt reportedly made some progress in improving Federation/Breen relations. However, in the same year, the Confederacy allied themselves with the Dominion in the Dominion War.

Indeed, as the Dominion War grew to a stalemate in mid-2375, the Dessev Thot Gor was secretly approached by the Female Changeling for an alliance between the two powers, and whether or not Gor's shapeshifting abilities had something to do with it remains unknown. Shortly after, the Breen launched an attack on San Francisco on Earth. This was a surprise to many Federation strategists, as the Breen were considered strategically unimportant, even though their fleet strengths had never been charted, the ferocity and boldness of the attack caused Klingon General Martok to mention that even his people had never attempted such a move.

Later, Thot Pran had succeeded Thot Gor and led the Breen forces at the Battle of Cardassia. However, after the Cardassians broke ranks with the Jem'Hadar and began fighting alongside Federation Alliance forces, the Breen ships fled from the battle and retreated back into their space. Following the signing of the Dominion War Accords, the Federation Alliance were put under pressure from the Cardassians who demanded war reparations for the Breens involvement in the conflict. Ultimately, the Cardassians were forced to settle for less than they had desired, and payments continued to reach Cardassia by way of the Cardassian representative on Breen.

Postwar

The Breen continued to be a source of some concern following the war. In April 2376 the USS Enterprise-E was sent to investigate the Badlands for a Klingon reported Breen presence. Nothing was found and Elias Vaughn thought it unlikely the Breen would build up a military presence in hiding, though it was consistent with other, need-to-know only, reports he had received not long before. Starfleet Intelligence thought it likely the Breen would be watching the Federation's borders and would make raids when they found a weakness.

An unusual amount of Breen activity was detected along the Federation-Cardassian border near Starbase Deep Space 10 in mid 2377. They were briefly considered as possible culprits in a series of malfunctions that had plagued the station, but eventually ruled out.

In 2379, a contingent of Starfleet Special Operations personnel was able to capture a Breen vessel in the Ravanar system, although their actions were officially denied by the Federation Security Council. Ambassador Worf was able to obtain these schematics to trade to Imperial Intelligence agent Lorgh in exchange for blackmail information against Klingon Councilor Kopek.

It remained unknown what role the Breen might have during the time of the parasitic threat to the Galaxy in April of 2381.