Breen

This article is about the Breen species. For information on the Breen homeworld, see Breen (planet).

File:ThotGor2375.jpg

Thot Gor, representative of the Breen Confederacy (2375).

The Breen are a reclusive, powerful, and warlike humanoid race, native to the planet Breen in the Alpha Quadrant.

History and Politics

Shrouded in mystery, the Breen have been discovered to be one of the most underestimated races inhabiting the Alpha Quadrant. From what is known, their reputation can be summed up in a Romulan saying: "Never turn your back on a Breen". (DS9: "By Inferno's Light")

Historically, the Klingons were among the first to discover the consequences of underestimating the Breen. During the Klingon Second Empire, Chancellor Mow'ga ordered an entire fleet of Klingon warships to invade and conquer the Breen homeworld. The fleet never returned and was never heard from again. (DS9: "Til Death Do Us Part")

While the size of the Klingon fleet is unknown, it can be assumed that it consisted of a large number of ships, due to the fact the Chancellor intended on invading deep into Breen space and conquering the Breen home planet. This shows that the Breen were a force to be reckoned with long before the 24th century.

Even by the 24th century, much was still unknown about the Breen and their otherwise politically unaligned government, known as the Breen Confederacy. The Federation, however, had limited knowledge of the Breen and were aware of Breen outposts located near the Black Cluster in 2368. In 2370, the Breen participated in a palio held at Deep Space 3, during which the Ferengi attempted to bribe the Breen pilot into throwing the race. In 2373, the Breen settlements on Portas V near the Demilitarized Zone dealt with the Maquis, supplying them with cold-storage units. It was noted by Ezri Dax in 2375, when captured by the Breen on a planet in the Goralis system, that they were a long way from Breen space. (TNG: "Hero Worship", "Interface"; DS9: "Penumbra", "For the Uniform")

Breen privateers during the 24th century would often conduct indiscriminate raids against other Alpha Quadrant species. This includes the Breen attack and capture of the Cardassian transport Ravinok in 2366. The survivors of that attack were used for slave labor in the Breen operated dilithium mines on Dozaria. (DS9: "Indiscretion") In 2368, Starfleet feared the Breen might have attacked the science vessel SS Vico. Breen privateers also raided the Bajoran colony of Free Haven in 2372; they were, however, successfully driven away by the USS Defiant. (TNG: "Hero Worship"; DS9: "To the Death")

Alliance with the Dominion

In 2375, the Breen moved from a policy of low-level hostilities toward other major powers to one of open warfare when they allied themselves to the Dominion. They were then allowed access to the Dominion military database. According to the terms of the alliance, the Breen Confederacy received several planets in the Cardassian Union as compensation for joining the war. The Breen would also be given control of the Romulan Star Empire in the post-war galaxy. (DS9: "Strange Bedfellows")

The Breen may have been influenced to join the Dominion from a Changeling impersonator in the Confederacy's government, as an unidentified Breen was seen in Internment Camp 371, where several people replaced by Changelings were placed.

File:BreenShip.jpg

A Breen starship in 2375

Shortly after joining with the Dominion, the Breen attacked Starfleet Headquarters on Earth in the raid on San Francisco. A short time later they assisted the Dominion forces in breaking the lines at Chin'toka. Under orders from the Female Changeling they allowed the escape pods to carry the Federation survivors to safety. This major battle, known as the Second Battle of Chin'toka, was won by the Dominion thanks to a unique Breen weapon, a form of energy dampening weapon system which could completely drain all the main power systems of a starship. Both of these defeats dealt a huge blow to the Allies' morale. The only ship immune to the Breen weapon was a Klingon Bird-of-Prey, which serindipitously survived thanks to an adjustment the main engineer had made to the ship's tritium intermix in the warp core. (DS9: "The Changing Face of Evil", "When It Rains...")

Although the Klingon fleet was able to make the needed adjustments against the weapon, the Federation and the Romulans were still unable to defend against the Breen. When the Federation finally did create a defense against the energy-dampening weapon, they would force the Dominion fleet to retreat. Breen Thot Gor expressed an extreme distaste of surrender, and would require the reassurance of the female changeling that they were not surrendering, but instead regrouping and attempting to redouble their shipbuilding and replenishment efforts. (DS9: "The Dogs of War")

With the war turned against the Dominion, the Allies moved on to Cardassia Prime for the final battle. With defeat fast approaching, the Female Changeling promised the Breen that they could have both Romulus and Earth if they could turn the battle around; however, they could not. The Breen continued to fight with the Dominion until the end, demonstrating a willingness to die for the cause that matched that of the Jem'Hadar. With the Klingons targeting the Breen ships, the Allies won the war. The Breen were allied with the Dominion and as a result not only shared in its defeat, but were forced to actually commit the hated act of surrender, when the Female Changeling signed the official surrender pact on their behalf. (DS9: "What You Leave Behind")

Physiology

Breen physiology is among the most unique for humanoid lifeforms, which may be due, in part, to their homeworld's climate. The Breen have no blood or other liquid circulatory system. The Breen brain is structured into four lobes; this protects them from the probing of some empathic species, such as the Betazoids, who are unable to detect the thoughts or emotions of the Breen. (DS9: "In Purgatory's Shadow"; TNG: "The Loss")

The Breen's body is able to take a considerable beating before being taken down. When Worf attacks a Breen with a blow that could normally fell a Nausicaan, the Breen goes unfazed. It then successfully zaps him with its neural truncheon. ("Til Death Do Us Part")

Society and Culture

The Breen are known to use slave labor; and at least some of these slaves are captured in raids on other species. (DS9: "Indiscretion") They have been known to feed their prisoners a diet of algae paste. (DS9: "Til Death Do Us Part")

The Breen commonly produce offspring at a very early age. The Breen entertain their offspring with nursery rhymes. Breen nursery rhymes can be made up of a heterophonic, five-line verse with an alternating tetrameter and pentameter structure. These are nonsensical phrases strung together because they rhyme (at least to the Breen). Some Breen music, which can accompany these nursery rhymes, is written on a Lyxian scale. (DS9: "For the Uniform"; VOY: "Elogium")

It is unknown if this means a young average age for known humanoid species, or if the Breen have children at an age that would be considered young among Breen.

The Breen are very prudent when dealing with prisoners. They typically send in three guards at a time when they wish to remove a prisoner from their cell if there are multiple prisoners sharing the cell. (DS9: "Til Death Do Us Part") When Worf attempted to escape from captivity, the Breen used a type of neural truncheon to paralyze him. Even after he fell to the ground, partially paralyzed, two Breen guards continued to use the truncheons on him to ensure he would not get back up, before removing Ezri from the cell. (DS9: "Til Death Do Us Part") In another incident, Worf takes a single step towards Weyoun while showing signs of anger, and is again shocked by a neural truncheon to prevent him from doing anything. (DS9: "Strange Bedfellows")

From this we can extrapolate that the Breen place caution and the safety of their crew above the well-being of their prisoners. It may also be that the Breen were content on teaching Worf a lesson by continually shocking him. In any case, we clearly see the Breen have little tolerance for prisoners.

To extract information from captives, the Breen use cortical implants, despite the severe pain and damages it causes to the recipient. (DS9: "Til Death Do Us Part")

Language

The Breen language is the language spoken by the Breen. To Human ears, it sounds like garbled electronic sounds. Universal translators have to be adjusted in order to properly translate the syntax. (DS9: "Strange Bedfellows")

Michael Eddington once sent a Breen nursery rhyme (Listen ^file info) to Benjamin Sisko. It was a heterophonic, five line song with an alternating tetrameter and pentameter structure, but other than the catchy tune, it did not mean anything. (DS9: "For the Uniform")

Science and Technology

Given that most known humanoid species live on class M planets with an average temperature far above the supposed temperature of Breen, the Breen are largely thought to have had to develop refrigeration suits in order to co-exist with others. However, if the Breen homeworld is temperate as suggested by Weyoun, then their reason for wearing environmental suits, if they were environmental suits at all, was much more mysterious. (DS9: "When It Rains...")

It should be noted that while Weyoun suggested the planet to have a more temperate climate, this may be a misguided opinion, as most other Alpha Quadrant species have suggested the Breen planet to be frozen over. It may also however be a testimate to the Breen's counter-intelligence.

It is not known if this will be reconciled in future, possibly by revealing that the change is a result of global warming, or origination in a polar region.

The Breen were known for their knowledge of sophisticated cold-storage units, summed up in Captain Sisko's statement, "If anyone knows how to keep things cold, it's the Breen".

The Breen have also developed organic technology to the point where they routinely use biological spacecraft. Some of these ships are fitted with cloaking devices and the Breen are known to use type-3 disruptors like the Romulans and Klingons, as well as energy dampening weapons. The Breen made use of memory probing technology in the form of cortical implants and neural truncheons for subduing prisoners. (TNG: "Hero Worship"; DS9: "Indiscretion", "Til Death Do Us Part"; VOY: "Scorpion"; Star Trek: Generations)

In an early draft of DS9: "Business as Usual", it was indicated that the Breen manufactured a portable hand cannon called the CRM 114, which was designed to target moving objects and surface emplacements. Gaila, a Ferengi arms dealer dealt in Breen CRM-114's during the mid-2370s.

People

The following is a list of Breen people:

• Gor
• Pran

Breen prisoner

The Breen Prisoner.

In 2373, this Breen was being held by the Dominion in Internment Camp 371. The Breen was vaporised by a second Jem'Hadar guard after the Breen had grabbed the first guard's weapons and killed him. The Breen also killed the second guard, having fired a shot at the same time. Had it not been for this Breen's sacrifice, Bashir, Garak, Worf, Martok and the female Romulan prisoner would never had escaped the camp. (DS9: "In Purgatory's Shadow", "By Inferno's Light")

Some have suggested that this Breen was replaced by a Founder in order to persuade the Breen to join the Dominion, which they did in 2375 during the final stages of the Dominion War. This is however just a theory, and there has been no official information released to verify it.

Planets

• Breen
• Dozaria
• Portas V

Appearances

• DS9:
  • "Indiscretion"
  • "In Purgatory's Shadow"
  • "By Inferno's Light"
  • "Penumbra"
  • "Til Death Do Us Part"
  • "The Changing Face of Evil"
  • "Tacking Into the Wind"
  • "What You Leave Behind"
• VOY:
  • "Flesh and Blood" (hologram)

Background Information

• Although it is impossible to tell the gender of the Breen, Cathy Debuono was one person to wear one of the suits.
• The model for the Breen suits came from the Ubese Bounty Hunter suit that Princess Leia wore to Jabba the Hutt's Palace. The Breen helmet is reminiscent of that worn by Princess Leia in Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi. It has been speculated that this was intended as a tribute to Star Wars' 15th anniversary, though it should be noted that both the Breen and Boushh are very similar to the Cylons from the original Battlestar Galactica TV series.
• In Norwegian, the word breen means the glacier.
• Executive Producer Ira Steven Behr has said that the Breen's distinctive, scratchy voice was inspired by the guitar feedback on Lou Reed's album "Metal Machine Music".

External Links

• The Breen System

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