This page details the history of the Gorn and the Gorn Hegemony.

Contents 1 Early History 2 22nd century 3 23rd century 4 24th century

Early HistoryEdit

The Gorn race was actually three species who were genetically identical and lived on three separate worlds. After they achieved space travel, the three Gorn races discovered one another and learnt of their similarity whereupon it was discovered, through fossil records, that none of their planets was their race's true homeworld. Seeing the similarity, the three races joined one another into a single political unit. (TOS video game: Starfleet Command II)

The Gorn had achieved interstellar propulsion technology as far back as 500,000 BC when they established a cemetery world on the planet Cenotaph. They marked this world by placing numerous kilometer wide stone sphere in equatorial orbit which were engraved with a warning that anyone who trespassed would be committing a grave sacrilege. (TOS comic: "Dying of the Light")

Early in their history, the Gorn people encountered the Paravian species. The encounter led to hostilities between both races and eventually to the extermination of the Paravian people by the Gorn's hand. The next species they encountered was the Romulan Star Empire. Because the Romulans lived in a poor region of space, the Gorn Hegemony and the Romulan Star Empire battled in a war for resources over the few planets they managed to discover. The Gorn achieve several victories but each were costly and bloody. This resulted in a constant state of conflict between the two races. Both set of hostile encounters clouded the Gorn’s view on other races. (TOS video game: Starfleet Command II)

22nd centuryEdit

By 2154 the Gorn were known to at least one Orion, the trader Harrad-Sar who purchased Meridor from the Hegemony. (ENT episode: "Bound")

23rd centuryEdit

The Gorn made first contact with the Federation in 2267 when a Gorn vessel attacked a Human colony on Cestus III interpreting the colonization as in invasion into Gorn Space. The vessel was pursued by the USS Enterprise until the Metrons, a non-corporeal species, intervened and forced the commanders of both ships to battle to death for control of Cestus, Kirk of the Enterprise won, but refused to kill the Gorn commander. (TOS episode: "Arena")

A brief lull in Federation/Gorn rivalry in 2269 enabled Gorn cadet Telosirizharcrede of Cestus Eliar to enter Starfleet Academy. (TOS novel: Dreadnought!)

The following year a Human archaeologist, Holm Baynan, traveled to the Gorn cemetery world Cenotaph to conduct research. Aware the Gorn would pursue him for pillaging their sacred world he issued a fake distress call to bring the Enterprise to the planet so that he could quickly have them take on the artifacts he discovered and make his escape. Unfortunately a trio of Gorn cruisers arrived before the Enterprise departed, demanding the ship surrender to take a quick death for their crimes. Fortunately for the Starfleet crew the lead Gorn vessel was commanded by S'alath, the same Gorn Kirk had battled before, the familiarity between the commanders, coupled with the token destruction of one of the Enterprise's shuttles by Kirk, allowed the situation to calm from conflict to a cultural exchange. (TOS comic: "Dying of the Light")

In 2282, a Federation shuttlecraft crashed on a planetoid used by the Gorn to train young warriors. A Gorn rescue party was sent to aid the survivors, who mistook them for a war party and shot their physician, Thak. The Gorn, surprised and infuriated by the unprovoked attack, prepared to retaliate, but the Humans, having realized their mistake, treated Thak's wounds, enabling him to explain the situation to his people. (TOS comic: "Alien Spotlight: The Gorn")

In the 2280s, the Gorn Hegemony was ruled by a king who was old and lacked authority. Actual running of the government was left to the King's advisors and children. Though the government suffered political problems, it was still quite a powerful military force that was more then enough to challenge other governments near their territory. (TOS video game: Klingon Academy)

The Romulans were noted in attempting to fracture the newly developed Gorn-Federation alliance, however, their attempts only served to further cement the two's relations which became based on mutual trust as well as respect. (TOS video game: Starfleet Command II)

24th centuryEdit

In 2370, there was growing unrest within the Gorn empire with a more militant faction seeking to undermine the dominant government and declare war against the Federation. Peace talks were made through the efforts of Captain Jean-Luc Picard who attend the Gorn Summit that managed to aver the crisis. (TNG novel: Requiem)

Considering the fact that Gorn Crisis comes into the future, the elements within the Gorn government that were seeking to declare war may very well have been the Black Crest.

Several Gorn were visiting Quark's on Deep Space 9 in 2372. Quark thought their speech sounded like air escaping the station. (DS9 novel: The 34th Rule)

In 2374, after decades of peaceful relations with the Federation, the Gorn government was toppled by a coup d'etat by the Black Crest faction, and a new offensive was launched against Cestus III. A halt to these hostilities was negotiated by the crew of the USS Enterprise-E, who also managed to persuade the Gorn to join the Federation Alliance in the war against the Dominion. (TNG comic: "The Gorn Crisis")

Thanks to their familiarity with the Gorn, the Enterprise crew were later able to convince the Gorn to join a task force to meet the 'Iconians' in the gateways crisis of 2376. (TNG novel: Doors Into Chaos)

By 2379, the Gorn Hegemony had established normal diplomatic relations with the Federation, and even maintained a diplomatic mission on Earth. The Gorn Ambassador to the United Federation of Planets that year was Zogozin, whom Federation President Min Zife of Bolarus found very intimidating. (TNG novel: A Time to Heal)

In 2381, the Imperator of the Gorn Hegemony was called to a summit called by the Federation President in order to discuss the threat of a Borg invasion. (ST - Destiny novel: Mere Mortals)