Vendorian

The Vendorians were a tentacled non-humanoid species capable of shapeshifting, native to the planet Vendor. This planet was located in the Beta Quadrant.
== History ==
Due to the duplicitous nature of this shapeshifting species, as of the latter half of the 23rd century, the Vendorian homeworld was under quarantine, and few people had ever encountered them. Per the terms of the treaty between the Federation and the Romulan Empire, any use of Vendorian spies was considered a violation of the treaty and hence an act of war. ()
In 2380, a Vendorian was impersonating an Andorian in a bar within the Andorian district of Tulgana IV. Andorians had the individual cornered, but they escaped due to the intervention of Brad Boimler, who thought the Vendorian's Andorian persona was actually in danger. ()
In 2381, Boimler and Steve Levy were subject to a morality test on Kyron 4 by the Vendorians. They initially failed, but Levy's conspiracy theories on them impressed them and Boimler calmed down enough to at least accept him led to them passing. Later that same year, Boimler, along with Beckett Mariner, Sam Rutherford and D'Vana Tendi were unknowingly caught in another morality test on Grottonus. They passed the test when their friendship was rekindled, but they opted to let them stay with the friendly carnivorous moss who wanted to hear their stories. ()
== Biology ==
Vendorian reproduced via implanting brood pods in their victim's necks and watching them burst out of their chest. ()
Vendorians had the ability to rearrange their atoms/molecular structure into any shape or identity possessing the same general size and mass, such as an examination table, a deflector shield, or even a Human or Andorian. In spite of these abilities, they were not impervious to the effects of orientine acid. ()
When taking Human form, a Vendorian would emerge from the transition with the Human's arms crossed over their .
File:Vendorian shape change 1 of 3.jpg|From Vendorian…
File:Vendorian shape change 2 of 3.jpg|…to…
File:Vendorian shape change 3 of 3.jpg|…Human; James Kirk in this case.
Vendorians also had the ability to render some humanoids, particularly Humans, unconscious by touch alone.
As it was the way of the Vendorians, the longer they stayed in another's form, the more they took on its memory, emotion and attitudes. These memories and traits became more ingrained the longer or more frequently the Vendorian assumed the form; if maintained long enough, the absorbed traits eventually became part of the Vendorian's own personality. ()
== Culture ==
Due to their shapeshifting abilities, allowing them to be masters of deception, and such a practice was often their way of life, making outside interaction from others off limits. 
The Vendorian culture places considerable importance on the value of each individual. Those who were non-producers were considered useless, and deemed outcasts, fit only to do those tasks of the lowest order, such as being assigned to care for the injured and nurse them back to health. 
According to the Vendorian posing as Carter Winston, they possessed advanced medical care, capable of repairing, or attempting to put an injured Human together though a series of procedures, including surgery, skin graft, and regrowth of bone. ()
Vendorians would often subject other beings to morality tests. In 2381, Lt jg Brad Boimler and Lt Steve Levy were the subjects of a classic morality test when they were trapped in a cave on Kyron 4. When Levy recognized the predicament as a morality test, Boimler yelled at him for his absurd conspiracy theory. Boimler's cruelty displeased the Vendorians who showed themselves and told the duo that they'd failed the test by bickering instead of working together. When Levy correctly said that the Vendorians were going to punish them by tying them together and lay brood pods in their necks and watch them hatch, the Vendorian leader was astonished that he knew their customs. When Levy told the Vendorians everything he knew about their culture, the leader said his knowledge was mixed with hyperbole and fiction. Boimler then pointed out that while Levy was still a "crackpot with dangerous beliefs", he'd learned not to yell at him. Pleased that the former enemies had become friends, the Vendorian leader explained that their morality gambit worked, and the pair was free to go. 
Later, Boimler found himself trapped in a cave on Grottonus with Lt. jgs Beckett Mariner, D'Vana Tendi, and Sam Rutherford. Unbeknownst to the group, they were involved in a Vendorian morality test. When the group overcame their differences and rekindled their friendships, the Vendorians decided that they'd passed the test and, after a little while longer, would unblock communications so that they could leave. ()
== Individuals ==
;Named
* Fen
* Subor
* Tarmax
* ""
;Unnamed
== Appendices ==
=== Appearances ===
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=== Background information ===
The animated depiction of the Vendorian has six tentacles. However, the novelization of "The Survivor", that was published in Star Trek Log 2. describes it as having seven.
The same adaptation (as well as the start of the novelization of , published in the same book) establishes a history between the Vendorians and Romulans, stating that – for several years prior to 2269 – there was a period in which the Romulans frequently visited the Vendorian homeworld, interested in an alliance between the two species. The Vendorians kept rejecting the Romulan offer of such an alliance, as the Vendorian impostor of Carter Winston explained.
=== External link ===
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Category:Species