Zaranite

**Zaranites** were a bipedal reptilian species from the planet Zaran II, a Class K world with constant volcanic activity.

The government of the Zaranites was the Zaranite Union, although individuals of the species referred to it as the "Great Union." The Union became a member state of the United Federation of Planets in 2257.

Due to the lack of sexes and gender roles in Zaranite society, they chose to use the terms zee, zem, and zers instead of the he/she, her/him, hers/his norms of other species.

*For a list of Zaranite individuals, see Category:Zaranites.*

## Biology

Zaranites did not have biological sexes like many other species. Barring unique circumstances, all individuals were able to serve in one of the two roles necessary to Zaranite reproduction: zugu and zago. The zugu, meaning "carrier," was the individual in a mating pair who carried the offspring to term in a stomach pouch. The zago, which meant "the other contributor," provided genetic material to the carrier to create the embryo. Pregnancy for the zugu averaged 16 Standard months.

It took a period of around 37 Standard years for Zaranites to reach full mental and physical maturity. While drastically longer than many other species, the lifespan of Zaranites was also significantly longer, with the average individual living over 450 Standard years.

Due to the nature of their homeworld, Zaranites required an advanced breathing apparatus when off-planet. Zaranites also had extreme light sensitivity and were often seen wearing eye protection over their semi-compound eyes. Due to their unique biology and respirators, the species was able to survive in a hard vacuum for a limited time.

## History

Due to the practice of numerology and psychohistory that permeated early Zaranite history, the actual history of the species was difficult to determine, although it was clear that open conflict and war were never present in their history. Various predicted and documented histories were present in the Great Tattawan Library, but due to the nature of early Zaranite culture, historians were never able to determine which held the factual past of the people.

However, all histories mentioned Zaran, the individual who united the planet and was the first Tattawanika, the title given to the leader of the Tattawan religion. Little was mentioned in the histories about Zaran's life, simply that zee brought psychohistory to zers people and united them in 11000 BCE. The Zaranite Union traced its beginnings to Zaran and zers unification of the planet.

Around the year 150 CE, some Zaranites began to see the need for a more factual record of their people's history. This caused some tension with the Tattawanika at the time, but the work of these archivists was not hindered.

Zaranite history for the next two thousand years was uneventful. However, in the mid 22nd century a movement formed that sought to explore the stars. Astronomy had been actively studied by Zaranites for millennia, but a small group wanted to do more than observe from the planet's surface. Led by Z'Anlet, an engineer and astronomer, the group tested various methods of reaching outer space. Finally, in 2183, Z'Anlet became the first of zers people to leave Zaran II. This achievement inspired other Zaranites and the High Council soon approved a new program to greatly advance their space exploration efforts. In 2212, Z'Anlet's group had developed and constructed a starship that broke the warp barrier.

First contact between the Zaranites and another sentient species occurred in 2250 when they encountered a starship of the United Federation of Planets. The USS *Clandre* was on a deep space exploration mission near the Zaran system when it was detected by the Zaranites, who approached to make contact.

Many of the Zaranites, eager to meet new species and learn more about the broader galaxy, strove to foster a relationship with the United Federation of Planets. In 2257, Zaran II became a protectorate of the Federation and in April 2262 the Zaranites were welcomed as the newest full members.

The first Zaranite to enter Starfleet Academy did so in 2264. Soon many others followed suit and found success as engineers, scientists, strategists, and physicians throughout the Federation.

Zaranites were often slow to adjust to large changes and the transition to Federation membership was difficult for some. In the early 2270s a faction sought to petition the Zaranite leaders to leave the Federation. However, efforts of some Starfleet officers, both Zaranite and not, convinced the movement's leader of the value of membership. The secessionist movement dwindled and was gone by 2280.

Though some Zaranites participated in Starfleet and various other Federation agencies, their culture mostly remained unchanged. The next event of note did not occur until 2305 when the Zaranite Union approved that a Federation colony could be established on the third planet in their home system.

In 2410, as Starfleet and the Federation rebuilt from the devastating Iconian War, one of the new *Gagarin*-class starships was named in honor of Z'Anlet. This was a unique event as zee was still living and was able to attend the commissioning ceremony with a small delegation of Zaranites.

## Government and politics

The Zaranites were not a people prone to conflict and thus were unified under a single planetary government for much of their history. Called the "Great Union," the government was headed by a High Council with a member from each of the primary settlements sitting as a voting member. The council would vote to elevate one of its members to serve as Prime Councilor, the Union’s head of state.

### Agencies

#### Sentries

The defensive and police force of the Union were known simply as the Sentries. Formed in 2213, the agency maintained a small squadron of patrol craft and the observation stations surrounding the Zaran system. The first non-Zaranite chosen to lead the Sentries was the Andorian Eirol th’Ukon, appointed in 2370.

#### Zeldon Foundation

The Union's central institution for the study and practice of mathematics, psychohistory, and various other disciplines was named after the creator of psychohistory. The largest university on Zaran II was operated by the foundation and served as the agency's headquarters.

## Culture and society

Zaranites were generally a gregarious and curious people. They were often analytical and philosophical. This led many to greatly value the opinions and views of others as it expanded their data set or provided new perspectives on old ideas. Complex systems fascinated many Zaranites and after they joined the Federation many could be found working in mathematics, strategic analysis, and a variety of the sciences.

### Clothing

Traditional dress among the Zaranites involved an interconnected series of horns of the Berbbotjahaa, an animal native to Zaran II. This jewelry was known as Batbaajojahaa. The top half of the piece, worn above the waist, told an individual's family history. The section below the waist signified a Zaranite's name and personal accomplishments.

### Language

There were two languages used by the Zaranites. The first, known as *Zagth*, was the common language used for daily communication.
The second language developed around the study of psychohistory and was used primarily in discussion of related topics. It was known as *t'titachaka's* and consisted of various high-pitched and rapid clicks, whistles, and trills.

### Nomenclature

Zaranite names were considered rather simply by the standards of many other species. Usually consisting only of a single name with one or two syllables, the spoken name was technically only part of an individual's full designation. To fully grasp a Zaranite name, outsiders needed to also understand the elaborate jewelry worn by the species and most Zaranites became accustomed to other species not being that discerning. Great honor could be shown to a Zaranite by speaking the history and names depicted in an individual's jewelry when addressing them.

### Religion and spirituality

Traditional Zaranites had an almost religious view of numbers and mathematics. Their religion, known as Tattawan (*tat'tawa'n*), practiced psychohistory, a combination of history, sociology, and mathematical statistics to analyze the past and predict the future. A Zaranite holding the title of Tattawanika (*tat'tawa'nik'a*) led the faith. However, most Zaranites only nominally observed aspects of the religion as cultural practice and very few actually treated it as their faith system.
Those who did hold to Tattawan beliefs were often considered superstitious by other Zaranites and species. They would perform regular numerological readings and use those to heavily inform their actions. Some even went so far as to avoiding certain numbers in various aspects of their lives and actions on particular days or at certain times.

## Appendices

### Connections

**Agencies:** Starfleet • Diplomatic Corps • Department of Temporal Investigations • Federation Security Agency

**Facilities:** 40 Eridani A Starfleet Construction Yards • Antares Ship Yards • Beta Antares Ship Yards • Copernicus Ship Yards • Laikan Starfleet Shipyards • McKinley Station • Memory Project • New Aberdeen Shipyards • Proxima Maintenance Yards • Salazaar Shipyards • San Francisco Fleet Yards • TL-9139 Starfleet Maintenance Yards • Tranquility Base • Utopia Planitia Fleet Yards

### Sources consulted

* Zaranite article at *Memory Alpha*.
* Zaranite article at *Memory Beta*.
* *The Making of Star Trek: The Motion Picture*.
* *Star Trek IV Sourcebook Update*.
* *Star Trek Roleplaying Game: Aliens*.
* *Star Trek* Comic Strip arc: "The Real McCoy".
* *Star Trek Adventures - Alpha Quadrant*.

### Footnotes

1. ↑ *The Making of Star Trek: The Motion Picture*, p. 130.