Talarian The Talarians were a warp - capable humanoid species from the Talarian homeworld . Physiology . Talarians were characterized by a distinctive hair less enlargement of the coronal area of the skull extending in two lobes to the back of the head . Talarian blood was red , and Talarians were susceptible to radiation burn s and respiratory distress . ( ) Raktajino was known to have intoxicating effect on Talarians . ( ) Society and history . Talarians followed a strict set of traditions and customs . Their society was rigidly patriarchal , where a woman could never outrank a man , and encouraged warrior - like behavior . ( ) Xenophobic tendencies among Talarians were hinted at by Jono ' s revelation in 2367 that Talarians wore glove s when touching alien s . Removing the gloves and touching someone with the bare hands was a sign of affection and respect . Talarians were very competitive ; games , tests , and competitions were an important part of their culture , and children regularly engaged in contests and challenges . Sharing victory was an important part of the games . Furthermore , when undertaking the tests , pain was not a consideration as passing the tests was what mattered . Bowing was considered a sign of respect , affection and solidarity . When meeting a close person , the bowing was extended by touching arms and gently pressing foreheads . When a Talarian boy had reached the age of fourteen , the Age of Decision , he underwent a ceremony of initiation and after that had the freedom to make his own choices . The B ' Nar was a Talarian ritual of mourning . When Talarians were in distress , they performed the B ' Nar , which consisted of a high - pitched shriek and rocking back and forth . Adolescent Talarians listened to " Alba Ra " , a loud , discordant , electronic form of contemporary , 24th century , Talarian music , comparative to Human rock and roll . Talarians were known to ride t ' stayan s , very strong , six - hoofed animal s native to their homeworld . Talarians had trouble sleeping in Human bed s as they hurt their backs . Jono installed a hammock in Jean - Luc Picard ' s quarters , so it is possible that hammock s were 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 2357 . In 2367 , the responded to the distress call of a Talarian observation craft ( likely used as a training ship for young Talarian warriors ) . The craft was found adrift in Sector 21947 . The craft had developed a serious radiation leak within 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 ship s , 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 . ( ) As of the early 2370s , Talarians were known to visit Deep Space 9 . ( ) Technology and militia . In 2367 , Talarian military weapon ry was inferior to Federation standards , consisting of neutral particle weapon s , high energy X - ray laser s , and merculite rocket s , and thus did not represent a serious tactical threat to a starship . They also employed subspace proximity detonator s and self - destruct device s that were installed on their ships . Though their technology was inferior , they were known to have employed guerrilla maneuver s , such as booby - trapping an observation ship and sending out a distress call , luring would - be rescuers to their deaths . ( ) Talarians also had their own freighter type . ( ) Attacking a superior officer , like a captain , was considered the highest offense and was punishable by execution , usually carried out by the offended officer . This was applicable to all superior officers no matter their army or species : for example , the custom would allow a Starfleet commander to execute a rude Talarian soldier . Talarian uniforms reflected 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 were a standard part of the uniform , and a ribbed silvery - black undergarment was worn under the brown vest . Large rifle s were worn on a shoulder strap on the right side of the body . Golden insignia were worn on the right side of the uniform vest ; two different kinds were observed : captains and senior officers wore badges with rounded ends , while 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 . ( ) Background information . Talarians were first mentioned in " Heart of Glory " , but not actually seen until " Suddenly Human " . The race in " Suddenly Human " were initially called " Phrygians " , but Michael Okuda advised using a race that had been mentioned but not seen . ( " " ) The Talarian that was referred to by Elim Garak in was not a Talarian , but in fact , a Kobheerian . A Talarian helmet was sold off on the It ' s A Wrap ! sale and auction on eBay . According to " " ( p . 37 ) and " " ( " Federation Historical Highlights , 2161 - 2385 " ) , the Talarian state was named the Talarian Republic . The capital system was named Talar . This interstellar entity was located in the Alpha Quadrant . Apocrypha . In the " " novel trilogy , the Talarians are described as being one of the major superpowers in the Alpha and Beta Quadrants . The Talarians contributed a number of ships to the abortive attempt to engage a Borg force in the Azure Nebula in " Mere Mortals " . In the follow - up " A Singular Destiny " , they are invited to join the Federation - Klingon alliance in an expansion of the Khitomer Accords .