Andorian history

Andorian history is the history of the Andorians, characterized by initial conflicts with most neighboring species and then alliance with its old adversaries, culminating in the founding of the United Federation of Planets.
== Early history and contact with Vulcan ==
In Andorian mythology a point of creation, similar to the Vulcan Sha Ka Ree, existed but was unpronounceable in the Andorian language for non-Andorians. ()
The Andorians originated from the icy moon of Andoria. Early in their history, the Aenar diverged from them as a subspecies, having retreated to the Northern Wastes, thenceforth considered a myth. ()
The Andorians employed ice-cutters to navigate their homeworld; the first to circumnavigate the planet was called , a name that would be carried on to future Andorian vessels. ()
Being located in a neighboring star system, contact with came during the early 20th century. According to the Vulcans, their first contact with Andorians "seemed promising [...] despite their heightened emotions." However, the Vulcans soon came to see them as duplicitous, wishing to only honor "agreements that didn't conflict with their interests." A border dispute, dating back to the 1950s and lasting two hundred years, began between the two powers, due to their neighboring home systems and the Vulcans' suspicion towards the territorial and militaristic nature of the Andorians. The Andorians felt that the only thing that kept Vulcan from invading Andoria was "the threat of massive retaliation." ()
In the 2050s, the Andorians terraformed a class D planetoid which they named Weytahn, lying at a strategic position on the frontier between the Andorian and the Vulcan system. When Andoria refused to allow the Vulcan High Command to inspect the colony in order to search for possible threats in the form of military installations, the Vulcans forcibly evacuated the planetoid. Sometime between 2058 and 2063, it was one of V'Lar's first responsibilities to negotiate the first territorial accords between Andoria and Vulcan. In 2097, a treaty was signed, in which the Vulcans officially claimed Weytahn, which they named Paan Mokar, and a surveillance satellite was placed in orbit of the planetoid in order to enforce the accord. ()
 
Around 2104, the Andorians discovered their subspecies, the Aenar, in the Northern Wastes of Andoria. Since then, the Aenar maintained diplomatic contact with the Andorian government. ()
Some time before 2154, the Andorians were also in conflict with the Tellarites. According to Ambassador , he was aboard the command deck of a Tellarite cruiser as they drove "those blue demons" back into their own territory by force. ()
By the mid-22nd century, the Andorian government was known as the Andorian Empire, ruled by a chancellor. ()
== Contact with Earth and Andorian-Vulcan cold war ==
In order to guarantee the safe "observation" of their "aggressive" Andorian neighbor, the Vulcan High Command maintained a highly sophisticated surveillance station beneath the monastery at P'Jem, close to the Andorian system. Using the disguise of an ancient Vulcan , the facility was able to spy on the Andorian population while staying unnoticed. In June 2151, Thy'lek Shran, a commander in the Andorian Imperial Guard, unveiled the secret of P'Jem with the help of the crew of the United Earth starship , thereby starting Human-Andorian relations and dealing a crippling blow to Vulcan prestige. After the Andorians destroyed the monastery later that year, however, the High Command began blaming Starfleet and Sub-Commander T'Pol, who was serving aboard Enterprise, for the loss of P'Jem, which would not only result in T'Pol's mother being expelled from the Vulcan Science Academy but also in an impairment of Human-Vulcan relations. ()
Another hot spot in the cold war between Vulcan and Andoria was Coridan, a class M planet rich in dilithium ore. In the 2150s, Coridan suffered from a civil war, in which rebels, backed by the Andorian Imperial Guard, tried to overthrow the chancellor and her corrupt government, who was in turn supported by the Vulcan High Command, since Vulcan tried to maintain its trade partnership with Coridan, a lucrative source for dilithium. ()
In 2152, a new open conflict arose on Weytahn, which was reclaimed by the Andorian Empire after being deserted for nearly sixty years. With the conflict about to escalate, Shran, who was leading the Andorian invasion forces on the planetoid, requested Captain Jonathan Archer of the Enterprise as a trustworthy mediator in order to negotiate a cease fire, which was finally accomplished and both sides resumed their negotiations. ()
Upon hearing of the Xindi attack on Earth in 2153, the Imperial Guard sent the Kumari under Shran into the Delphic Expanse to locate the Enterprise. When it was discovered that Enterprise was tracking a Xindi prototype weapon, the Guard wished to procure the technology to aid in their conflict with the Vulcans. In justifying their actions, they declared that, "with a weapon of this magnitude at our disposal, they wouldn't dare attack us." However, the prototype was destroyed, forcing the Andorians to go home empty-handed. Before, however, Shran secretly relayed all technical and tactical sensor readings his ship had taken from the weapon to Enterprise; this information would prove to be of enormous use in preventing a second Xindi attack on Earth. () Three months later, Shran and the Kumari openly sided with Earth, following the trail of the Xindi weapon. The Kumari engaged a Xindi warship, providing a critical diversion to allow Enterprise and her crew to destroy the weapon. ()
Unknown to the Andorians at the time, the Vulcans had intercepted the data and telemetry that had been sent to Andoria on the prototype. Footage of the Xindi's test of the prototype was later manipulated and used by Administrator V'Las in convincing the Vulcan High Command that the Andorians were planning to use the prototype to augment their fleet and to create a weapon of mass destruction to use against Vulcan. In 2154, V'Las, who actually stood under the influence of a Romulan operative, ordered a preemptive strike invasion of Andoria and lured the bulk of the Andorian fleet near Paan Mokar/Weytahn by creating false warp signatures in its vicinity, while the Vulcans secretly amassed a fleet of twelve Vulcan cruisers near Regulus, a star outside the range of Andorian listening posts. Despite Enterprise and Vulcan Ambassador Soval warning Commander Shran of the incursion, the Andorians were only able to gather six warships at the outskirts of the Andorian system to face the Vulcan fleet, with Enterprise joining them in hopes of preventing war. After the two fleets clashed and the Battle of Andoria commenced, Vulcan Minister Kuvak urged V'Las to halt the attack, as even though they were currently winning the battle, they had completely lost the element of surprise and were now facing heavy casualties for both sides in a protracted conflict. Soon after he went on to protest that none of the Andorian vessels were outfitted with the Xindi weaponry that V'Las had used as justification for the preemptive strike, Kuvak managed to stun V'Las and immediately ordered the fleet to withdraw, ending the battle. ()
== Detente, the Coalition of Planets, and the Federation ==
:See also: Federation history
After the Vulcan Reformation, the Vulcan High Command was dissolved and the new government entered into a less hostile stance with Andoria, ending years of cold war and military tension. Never again did the Vulcans stoop to such a level as using the P'Jem monastery to hide a sensor array for spying on Andoria. ()
In November 2154, Andorian diplomats planned to meet a Tellarite delegation led by Ambassador Gral on the planetoid Babel. The original purpose of the conference was to resolve a longstanding trade dispute between both factions. However, the Romulan Star Empire had become aware of the threat posed by a closer partnership between Andoria, Tellar, Earth, and their neighbors. The Star Empire's attempts to destabilize the region led to the Babel Crisis, during which a secret mission by the Romulans involved the use of two Romulan drone ships, which were able to camouflage themselves as various other vessels. By destroying the Andorian vessel Kumari under the guise of a Tellarite cruiser, thereby causing the cancellation of the Babel conference and nearly escalating an old conflict between the two races, the Romulans nearly succeeded with their plans. However, Captain Archer of the Enterprise defused the tension between the Andorians and Tellarites by unexpectedly answering Commander Shran's Ushaan challenge, thereby protecting Naarg of the Tellarite delegation and deliberately sparing Shran's life by incapacitating him. Archer subsequently allied the Andorians, Humans, Vulcans, and Tellarites to find and destroy the drone ships, thereby altering the result of this Romulan mission to the exact opposite of what it was intended to achieve. ()
With the averted escalation of the Babel crisis, Andoria, Earth, and many other worlds realized the value of their joint work and were convening a conference to found a Coalition of Planets in 2155. The conference was disrupted by a Human isolationist movement called "Terra Prime", which managed to garner short-term support among the populace and instigate protests outside the Andorian embassy – a very unsettling situation for Ambassador Thoris, who started to doubt whether Humanity was truly ready to host this conference. After Terra Prime's activities were ended, Archer resumed the conference with a passionate speech for joint exploration, thereby earning the applause of all delegates, including Thoris. ()
Several participants at the Coalition of Planets conference became welded together when the conflict with the Romulan Star Empire escalated into the Earth-Romulan War. After United Earth and the Star Empire entered a state of war in 2156, a humiliating defeat of the Romulans by an alliance of Andorian, Tellarite, Vulcan, and Earth forces at the Battle of Cheron in 2160 effectively ended the conflict and led to the establishment of the Romulan Neutral Zone between the two power blocs. (; )
In 2161, one year after the Earth-Romulan War had ended, Andoria – along with its old war allies Vulcan, Earth, and Tellar – founded the United Federation of Planets in San Francisco on Earth and established a joint Starfleet. (; ; )
By 2164, Commander Shran had been promoted to the rank of general and appointed Jonathan Archer as an honorary member of the Andorian Imperial Guard. Five years later, in 2169, Archer then became Federation ambassador to Andoria. ()
== 23rd century ==
As of the mid-23rd century, Andorians held high-ranking Starfleet positions, e.g., flag officers such as Rear Admiral Shukar. ()
The Laikan Military Academy was a 23rd century Andorian educational facility, which also granted access to non-Andorians such as Philippa Georgiou. ()
By 2256, an Andorian colony had been established at Gamma Hydra. ()
As a key member of the Federation, Andorian Ambassador Shras represented Andoria at the Babel Conference in 2268, at which the planet supported the admission of Coridan as a new member of the Federation. In an attempt to sabotage the talks, an Orion Syndicate operative disguised as Shras' aide murdered the Tellarite ambassador Gav, who opposed Coridan's Federation membership. ()
An Andorian served on the ruling council of the pocket dimension Elysia during the late 23rd century. ()
As of 2286, at least two Andorian flag officers were members of the Federation Council. ()
== 24th century ==
While a Federation embassy was maintained on Andor (aka Andoria) as of the mid-24th century, a group of renegade Andorians had hidden from Starfleet in the Triangulum system at some point before the 2360s. (; )
During the later half of the 24th century, Andorian civilians were common throughout the Federation and adjacent regions. Andorians relaxed at locations like Risa, Sisko's Creole Kitchen on Earth, a bar on Qualor II, and The Dove. Andorian entrepreneurship was also pervasive in the Federation. In 2366, Andorian traders were in contact with questionable businessman Kivas Fajo and wished to make a bid for Tellurian spices. After the discovery of the Bajoran wormhole in 2369, Andorian transports and were operating out of Deep Space 9. As of 2381, Andorian civilians operated out of Andoria Town on neutral Tulgana IV and Andorian battle cruisers were still in use. As of 2399, some Andorians were also employed as contracted workers on the Borg Reclamation Project of the Romulan Free State. (; ; ; )
Aside from civilians, Andorian Starfleet members were also a common sight throughout the last three decades of the 24th century, serving on Earth as of 2399 and aboard several vessels like the as of 2381. Despite this, there were no Andorian females stationed on board Starfleet's flagship, the , as of 2366. (; ; ; )
By the 2370s, Andoria was a popular tourist destination and the Andorian Academy was one of the most renowned art schools in the Federation. ()
During the Dominion War, Andor's strategic importance for the Federation was on par with worlds like Earth, Berengaria VII, and Vulcan. In late 2374, Andor was a potential target for an invasion after the fall of Betazed. ()
==32nd century==
After "The Burn", some Andorians worked with Orions as enforcers on the Mercantile, a marketplace located in Requiem. ().
By 3189, the Emerald Chain, an Andorian and Orion syndicate, was in operation. Rising in the wake of the Burn, it was a reckless capitalist organization with the power of a de facto state and its activities were tracked by the Federation. Both, voluntary as well as involuntary, Andorian members existed within the organization. In 3189, the Emerald Chain splintered after the death of Minister Osyraa. (). Following Earth's return to the Federation the following year, the Andorians entered into talks to rejoin the Federation themselves. ()
== Mirror universe ==
In the mirror universe, Andorians had been subjugated by the Terran Empire prior to 2155. By that year, however, some Andorians had joined a rebellion, which used various non-Terran vessels, including Andorian battle cruisers, to fight the Empire. ()
Some Andorians like , along with members of other species like Vulcans, Tellarites and Klingons, were still in rebellion against the Terran Empire as of the mid-23rd century. At that time, the Terran emperor held the title Regina Andor amongst others. ()
==Appendices==
=== Related topics ===
*Interstellar history
**Human history
**Vulcan history
**Federation history
===Apocrypha===
According to the Last Unicorn Games source book The Andorians: Among the Clans, the Andorian people decided on one icy night in the 17th century to destroy all historical records after a new peaceful faction came to power after nearly a millennium of civil war. This let their people get over the differences that once nearly annihilated their species, and as of the 24th century it was something of a planetary pastime to be a historian, trying to discover Andoria's lost ages (now that their race had matured, and would be able to understand them without risking war). 
The Star Trek: Destiny Lost Souls depicts Andoria's capital city Laikan and much of the planet being devastated by the Borg during an invasion in February 2381.
In the Star Trek: Typhon Pact novel Paths of Disharmony Andoria secedes from the Federation in 2382 due to an ongoing reproductive crisis on the planet and the revelation that the Federation had information that could lead to a scientific breakthrough. Julian Bashir solves the issue and Andor rejoins in 2385.
pl:Historia Andorian
ja:アンドリアの歴史
Category: History