Tiburon
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The Tiburons (or Tiburonians) are a humanoid species from Tiburon. They are long-standing members of the United Federation of Planets.
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[edit] Overview
Tiburons project an easy-going, sensual, hedonistic image. They enjoy respect without formality and honor those with open minds. However, their desires can easily become drives; a dedicated, single-minded Tiburon is far from the contradiction in terms it might seem. (Decipher roleplay module: Starfleet Operations Manual)
Products of one of the most intensely technological cultures in the Federation, Tiburons have plenty of opportunities to study advanced scientific techniques even before joining Starfleet. Many Tiburons become scientists, and their easy-going charm makes them natural diplomats or lovable rogues. Tiburon culture does not embrace mysticism. (Decipher roleplay module: Starfleet Operations Manual)
[edit] Appearance
Tiburons are known for their large, elaborately flanged ears and a row of tiny, bony protrusions running across the head and down the neck. (Decipher roleplay module: Starfleet Operations Manual). Their skin ranges in colour from salmon pink to tan (TTN novel: Taking Wing). It is common for Tiburons to adorn their skin with tribal markings, often taking the form of blue tattoos.
[edit] Biology
Tiburon corpses decompose rapidly when they die, even in cold temperatures. (DS9 novel: Warpath). For this reason, a Tiburonian funeral must take place less than 32 hours after the death. It is customary for the deceased to be cremated at the funeral, and those attending honour their memory by swollowing some of the ashes. (TTN novel: The Red King)
[edit] Culture
The highly technological society of the Tiburons is a direct outgrowth of alien conquest. The warlike, authoritarian Ucali conquered the pastoral inhabitants of the planet Tiburon in a war for resources fourteen centuries ago. The elites of the Ucali ruled Tiburon with cruelty, allowing the infamous butcher Zora to conduct atrocities in the name of "genetic experimentation" on the Tiburon populace. However, the native Tiburon cleverly subverted their captors, tempting them into pleasure, gratification, and eventual decadence. The Ucali finally underwent a total cultural meltdown; their young military cadets and elite soldiers refused to follow the orders of a corrupt regime that no longer practiced the stern asceticism it preached. During a period of anarchy, the Tiburon population interbred with the Ucali, removing the problem and ending the caste system the Ucali had enforced. (Decipher roleplay module: Starfleet Operations Manual)
Although the Tiburons rejected science for centuries, they were forced to maintain an intricate technical infrastructure to keep their planet alive after its looting and devastation by the Ucali. The work of Neprin and others led to a culture and economy heavily dependent on robots and labor-saving devices, freeing the Tiburons themselves to pursue only joy and pleasure. The brilliant acoustic physicist Dr. Sevrin rebelled against this insulated culture, claiming that over-reliance on technology had weakened the Tiburons. It does seems to have suppressed their immune systems, the incurable and deadly disease synthococcus novae infects hundreds of thousands of Tiburons. (Decipher roleplay module: Starfleet Operations Manual)
Fortunately, Tiburon's high level of technology remains well able to control any problem it may have created (Dr. Sevrin was, it turned out, insane) not least because the Tiburon treat the satisfaction of curiosity as a crucial pleasure. The joys of scientific investigation and exploration animate Tiburon culture. They also delight in subverting intolerant or authoritarian regimes. Ever since joining the Federation in 2229, Tiburon representatives on the Federation Council or in Starfleet constantly urge it to take a more active role in deposing despotic rulers. To many Tiburons, there are self-evidently higher virtues than the non-interference doctrine of the Prime Directive. (Decipher roleplay module: Starfleet Operations Manual)
[edit] Notes
In 2370, a party of Tiburons visited Deep Space 9 to witness the Illumination of The Prodigal. A Tiburonian Starfleet lieutenant also served on DS9 in that year. (DS9 novel: Devil in the Sky)
In [[2377], Grauq killed a Tiburonian crewmember of the Otamawan. Grauq had to endure the smell of the decomposure of the body. (DS9 novel: Warpath)
In 2379, Nidani Ledrah, a Tiburon female, served aboard the USS Titan as chief engineer. (TTN novel: Taking Wing)
[edit] Connections
- Tiburonian article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.
