Breen
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The Breen are a species in the science fiction franchise Star Trek. They wear suits which generate an arctic environment inside them. Their homeworld was once believed to be a frozen wasteland, but in the episode "When It Rains...", it was revealed by Weyoun that it is in fact rather temperate, leading to even more mysterious questions about the species. They have never been seen (at least on-screen) outside their suits. They established the isolated Breen Confederacy in the Alpha Quadrant and became a powerful ally of the Dominion of the Gamma Quadrant.
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Not only is their appearance mysterious, but their behavior perplexes others as well. The Romulans have a saying: "Never turn your back on a Breen" (which may indicate a history of hostility between the two races). This is shown when a Breen grabbed a disruptor pistol from the holster of a Jem'Hadar soldier, whose back was turned to him in a Dominion asteroid prison; the Breen in question had never done anything besides quietly sitting up until that point, giving no indication that it would be a proactive threat.
The Breen have established mining facilities consisting of Breen guards and kidnapped workers (from spaceships), such as Tora Ziyal, Gul Dukat's daughter.
The helmet of the suit consists of a glowing green visual piece and a detachable "beak", which seems to suggest the Breen have an unusual facial structure. The Breen have no blood or any similar liquid circulatory system due to their esoteric physiology.
The Breen eat algae paste, which was thought to be the only plant life capable of growing in the arctic environment from which the Breen were thought to come. However, adding the mystery of the Breen, even this explanation no longer seems plausible due to the evidence that the Breen do not live in an arctic environment.
Even though their language is entirely electronically coded and then broadcast outside of the suit, they still can be translated with ease by the Dominion. The leading representative of the Confederacy to the Dominion is the Thot (similar in rank to a general). The Breen joined forces with the Dominion in their war with the Federation during the last stages of the war. They employed a new type of weapon that could shut down Starfleet and Romulan ships. They used this weapon to great effect, destroying the U.S.S. Defiant and a fleet of Federation ships. They also pulled off a highly effective raid against Earth itself, blasting part of San Francisco before being repulsed. Despite their power, the Breen could not permanently turn back the tide of the war.
Although the Breen appear almost exclusively in episodes of ', one Breen appeared as a hologram enhanced by the Hirogen in '. They were also referenced in many episodes of , where it is revealed that Betazoids cannot sense Breen emotions.
Tuvok in also makes a reference that the Breen use organic technology in their ships while talking about Species 8472.
Notes
- Costume designer Robert Blackman said in an interview that the design of the Breen helmet was an homage to the Boushh disguise worn by Princess Leia to infiltrate Jabba the Hutt's palace in . The suit Leia used belonged to a race called the Ubese.
- The Breen's suits come in two types. The first is a standard suit that is worn by most of the Breen. The second is a more ornate version worn by Thots or other officials that has gold lining and distinctive gold stripes running down the top of the helmet and the "beak".
- The Breen are also referenced in Star Trek: Generations, as one of only three races to possess type 3 disruptors, along with the Klingons and the Romulans.
- Out of all of the Federation's enemies, the Breen are the only race that have orchestrated a successful attack on Earth, a feat that not even the Borg have accomplished. (The Xindi attacked Earth before the formation of the Federation.)
External links
- article at Memory Alpha, the Star Trek wiki
- [Xenobiology] (2 images)
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