Boraalan Boraalans were a humanoid pre - warp civilization originally from Boraal II . The Boraalans almost went extinct in 2370 , except for a small group resettled to Vacca VI . ( ) History . The Boraalans were studied for a number of years by the Federation . Dr . Nikolai Rozhenko was assigned to the cultural observation post on the planet some years prior to 2370 . He was the only observer present by 2370 , and broke the Prime Directive by becoming much more involved with the Boraalans than necessary . He conceived a child with a Boraalan female , Dobara , and became very protective of the Boraalans in her village . In 2370 , Boraal II fell victim to a rapid atmospheric dissipation . Major storms hit the planet several days before the atmosphere was finally destroyed , and Rozhenko led Dobara and the villagers into a cave to seek refuge after transmitting a distress call . The responded to the distress call and Rozhenko pleaded with Captain Picard to save the small group of Boraalans . He felt it would be irrational to let the culture die and that the Prime Directive did not apply in this situation ; not known at the time was the fact that Dobara was pregnant with his child , which served as a further motivation . Picard disagreed and did not permit the Boraalans to be brought aboard . Shortly thereafter , the " Enterprise " witnessed the complete destruction of all life on Boraal II . However , Rozhenko used the systems interference from the atmospheric dissipation to transport a group of the Boraalans to the holodeck , recreating the caves in which they had sought refuge . Picard was infuriated at Rozhenko ' s gross violation of the Prime Directive , but decided to find a new home for the Boraalans . He assigned Dr . Beverly Crusher and Commander Data to the task of finding a new planet for the group . They chose the isolated world of Vacca VI . While Rozhenko and Lieutenant Worf guided the Boraalans out of the simulated caves and to a simulated surface , Commander Geordi La Forge was able to gradually adjust the scenery to more resemble Vacca VI . Once the transformation was complete and the " Enterprise " reached Vacca VI , the Boraalans were transported to the surface , where they began to establish a new village . Rozhenko stayed behind with the Boraalans . All but one of the Boraalans were unaware of the move . The move was somewhat complicated by systems disruptions as a result of damage to the holodeck suffered during the atmospheric dissipation . There were several near - failures of the hologrid which almost caused the plan to fail and the Boraalans to discover the truth . The first time they were seen , Worf improvised by calling the hologrid appearances " the Omen of La Forge " , a sign of good luck . One failure revealed the holodeck arch to Vorin , the village chronicle . He wandered out into the " Enterprise " corridor and discovered the truth about the starship . Picard allowed Vorin to choose whether or not he wanted to return to the villagers on the holodeck , placing the plan in jeopardy if Vorin decided to rejoin the Boraalans and tell them the truth of the situation . Vorin eventually committed suicide since he decided he could not return to his people nor live in the advanced world of the " Enterprise " . Culture . The Boraalans were at the technological level of Earth ' s medieval period . Paternalism was evident ; fathers were allowed to choose the mates of their daughters . Ritual suicide was a part of Boraalan culture . It is unclear as to what circumstances suicide was permitted , although in the one case observed the individual committed suicide due to an overwhelming and difficult decision he needed to make . Village chronicle . Boraalans kept a record of their history on scrolls , called the village chronicles . The chronicles were sacred and important to the village history , and were meticulously detailed by a chosen individual . Dr . Rozhenko gave the old scrolls of his village to Worf as a parting gift after the Boraalans had been relocated to Vacca VI , stating that the village would need to start a new set of chronicles . Seers . Seers gave spiritual guidance to the Boraalan people . They were well versed in myths and legends , and were trusted to provide strength and wisdom . The seer of the Boraalan village rescued in 2370 was killed shortly before the group took refuge . Worf played the part of a seer from another village during the move of the Boraalans . This role allowed him to gain the trust of the Boraalans in order to have them make the journey along the holodeck terrain , as well as explain the various malfunctions and problems afflicting the holodeck . Anatomy and physiology . Boraalans were similar in anatomy to Human s , with both male and female genders as well as persons of various different skin colors and physiognomic traits living in the same area . The major differences were centered in their cranial region . The Boraalans had a ridge along their nose and lower forehead . They were capable of reproducing with Humans without any medical assistance . The Boraalans were best adapted to living in temperate zones , although it was assumed that they could survive in a less hospitable location as well .