Laas Laas was a Changeling and one of the Hundred Changelings that were sent by the Founder s to gather information on the solids they encountered . Like the Founders , Laas had an established distrust of solids based on experience . However , he would set out to find the other Hundred and create a new Great Link . Life on Varala . Laas ended up on the planet Varala , home of the Varalan s , in the 22nd century . They named him " Laas " which , in the Varalan language , means " changeable " – a name Laas considered to be very unimaginative , but he kept it . Laas was initially fascinated with humanoid life , and , not long after Laas learned to assume humanoid form , he found a Varalan mate . The relationship did not last , however , because the couple could not have children , something that was very important to the Varalan female . Laas would spend decades as a humanoid , but eventually came to find it limiting , even coming to the conclusion that humanoids were destructive to their environments . For example , Laas once assumed the form of a volg and migrated to the southern continent with a herd . When Laas returned with the herd the next summer , the herd ' s breeding grounds had been fenced off . Events like this would shape his opinion , and he preferred primitive lifeform s which did not deceive or lie . Laas eventually left Varala as a space - dwelling creature and wandered the galaxy trying to find others of his species . Meeting Odo . In 2375 , Laas eventually sensed the presence of Odo on a runabout – it was the first time Laas had met another changeling . He allowed himself to be under his custody , trusting Odo immediately . Upon returning to Deep Space 9 , Laas was placed under Odo ' s supervision . Odo taught Laas of life in the Great Link by linking with him , as well as the nature of the rest of their species . Laas was elated by the experience of linking with Odo , helping him understand how he was meant to exist . Odo and Laas speculated that either Odo was sent out after he had been , or Odo had been adrift for a long time before he was discovered . Despite minor differences in physical appearance , Laas considered all humanoids basically the same , compared to himself . He believed humanoids were intolerant of differences . Odo also tried to show Laas that not all ' solids ' were as intolerant as the ones he had met , but Laas was unconvinced , believing Odo was still in a stage where he was fascinated by their existence and also was conditioned by his peers to become humanoid in a sense . He believed this led Odo to believe he was accepted , when it was really a farce . Laas instead wanted Odo to come with him to search out the other Hundred , but Odo resisted . Laas often spoke his mind , and had no problem with being himself and changing form in the presence of others . He insulted Odo ' s friends when he met them , and told Odo his relationship with Colonel Kira Nerys would not last . Later on Deep Space 9 ' s Promenade , Laas turned himself into fog to relax , something that unsettled many people there . When he changed back to humanoid form , two Klingon s immediately confronted him . The Klingons became angry and attacked Laas , and Laas killed one of the Klingons . Laas was placed in a holding cell , and General Martok asked that Laas be turned over to the Klingons . Kira , having suspected Odo was in conflict between her and Laas , helped Laas to escape , believing that Odo wanted to join him in his search . Laas did not understand why , but he left . Laas waited at an abandoned mine on Koralis III , and was pleased to see Odo came as well . However , Odo wished Laas good luck on his search and returned to DS9 . Laas promised to create a new Link and send for him . ( ) Appendices . Background information . According to the , the pronunciation for Laas was " LAH - z " . Laas was played by J . G . Hertzler , credited as Garman Hertzler at his own request . Hertzler felt that this was necessary to separate the role from his recurring character of Martok . Other actors considered for the role included Jeffrey Combs and Andrew Robinson , but it was felt that those actors would be too recognizable . ( " " , pp . 656 - 657 ) Hertzler partially based Laas ' distinctive way of speaking on William Shatner : " " I wanted to find a way to keep this character sort of annoyingly judgmental , because of his politics . He felt that these humanoids were so far beneath him that it was like talking to dogs . His pro - environmentalist point of view , feeling that humanoids " ruin " things , seemed like almost a passionate adherence to the Prime Directive . And that reminded me of James Kirk . William Shatner has a theatrical way of delivering lines by taking breathing pauses and holding onto the ends of words . I thought , ' That would work for Laas . ' So that ' s where the voice came from . It ' s me doing my best imitation of Laas doing William Shatner doing Kirk " ! " ( " " , p . 657 ) Episode writer René Echevarria has been unable to recall exactly why he called the character Laas , but he did note that " " I wanted his name to be something really strange and unusual . Ira kept making fun of it . Whenever we would talk about the story , Ira would say , ' And then the Swedish guy comes in . . . " " ( " " , pp . 658 ) Hertzler came up with his own backstory for the name . He remarked , " " Laas has these wonderful speeches that question the very foundation of the Federation , where people of all religious and racial backgrounds come together to live in peace and harmony . Basically he ' s saying , ' Forget about it . It ' s not possible . It violates the laws of nature . ' To me , his name was " laws " . " " ( " " , pp . 658 ) The script describes Laas ' alternate form as a " spacefaring lifeform " , its " " body is smooth and cylindrical , and it propels itself with a pulsating motion . As it " swims " alongside the Runabout , we see that it ' s almost as big as the ship . " " ( " " , ) Presumably , when he linked with Odo , Laas became infected with the morphogenic virus Odo was unknowingly carrying at the time . The producers realized this , but did not have time to address it in an episode before the series ended . Ira Steven Behr expressed his regret at not being able to bring Laas back . He notes that " " that has nothing to do with whether he was sick or not . I just liked the character . " " ( " " , pp . 658 ) Apocrypha . In the , Laas returned to the Great Link . He was often sent to speak to Odo when he took solid form , such as in " Avatar , Book Two " and " " . After the Great Link dissolves following the discovery that the only means of Changeling reproduction has been killed , Odo and Laas were left as the last of the Dominion . Seven years later , Odo and Laas have managed to rediscover around forty changelings , but are separated when the apparent destruction of the Bajoran wormhole leaves Odo trapped in the Alpha Quadrant in " Plagues of Night " and " Raise the Dawn " . Loading - screen tips shown on " Star Trek Online " mention that the Founders broke all ties to Laas , declaring all Alpha Quadrant Changelings " renegades " ; Changelings ( and Jem ' Hadar ) appear in the game as hostile NPCs . In the mission " The new Link " , the player fights and captures Laas under the direction of another Changeling .