Lethean

The Letheans were a humanoid species native to the Alpha Quadrant and Beta Quadrant. 
==Physiology==
Letheans are humanoids with smooth, hairless, blue-gray skin and elongated, ridged skulls. They possess small, beady black eyes, and their noses and mouths are almost indistinguishable but have fangs protruding from them, with only a slight indentation marking the location of the nostrils. Letheans have a distinctive ridged pattern running down the center of their faces and down the back of their necks. 
They also have powerful telepathic abilities that allow them to read minds and control the thoughts and actions of others. They are also known for their clawed hands, which they use to release psychic energy in combat or to defend themselves. Their telepathic attacks were almost always fatal. 
==Culture and Society==
Their skills made them valuable assets for criminal organizations in the 24th century. Their clawed hands and proficiency in combat made them formidable fighters, while their telepathic abilities made them excellent interrogators and infiltrators. However, they were also known for being stubborn and tenacious, which made them useful for tasks requiring persistence and endurance.
==History==
In 2371, a Lethean named Altovar attempted to acquire a few hundred milliliters of bio-mimetic gel from Julian Bashir. After Bashir refused to give him the gel, Altovar telepathically attacked him, placing him in a coma. Altovar didn't get very far until he was arrested by Odo. ()
A year later, Toral, the illegitimate son of Duras, hired a Lethean named Soto to read Kor's mind after the Dahar Master discovered the location of the mythical Sword of Kahless. ()
== People ==
* Altovar
* Soto
== Appendices ==
=== Appearances ===
* 
** (Season 3)
** (Season 4)
=== Background information ===
Michael Westmore found the physical design of a Lethean was "really interesting," owing to it looking unlike anything previously depicted on . This was despite the fact that the Lethean involved recycled makeup. "Because of last-minute casting, I didn't have time for sketches," he explained, "so the headpiece is converted from another alien. I would have needed about three days to build a mold of his entire head, and I didn't have three days. I had one sculptor doing the hands, one doing a separate thumb on the hands, another doing the face, and a fourth doing the lower part of the face on a separate mold. The rubber literally was coming out of the oven and going right to the set." () Westmore further discusses the creation of the Lethean makeup in the "Michael Westmore's Aliens, Season Four" special feature on the DS9 Season 4 DVD.
=== Apocrypha ===
Letheans figure prominently in the PC game Klingon Honor Guard as one of the more formidable adversaries faced by the player, in the role of an Honor Guard trainee. In the game, the Letheans are always at least partially cloaked, and only become visible to the player at the moment they attack, or when they are killed or wounded. The Letheans attack using their telepathic abilities which are illustrated during game play by sparks of lightning-like energy, or, during an intense attack, a flash resembling ball lightning. In the game play manual, the name of the species is spelled "Lethians".
Letheans are also a playable race in Star Trek Online in the service of the Klingon Empire. They have access to a unique character trait called "Rapture", whereby they deal psionic damage over time with a chance to stun their target.
===External link===
*
de:Letheaner
ja:レシアン
Category:Species
Category:Telepathic species