Breen
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| Breen | |
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| Homeworld: | Breen |
| Official Language: | Breen |
| Affiliation: | Dominion |
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Star Trek |
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| Original Series · 80 episodes |
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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 Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode The Changing Face of Evil, it was revealed by Weyoun that it is in fact rather temperate. However, the word of the Vorta leads to even more mystery surrounding this 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.
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 not done anything besides sit quietly up until that point, giving no indication that he would be a 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. This may not be true, as in Star Trek: Generations, Riker makes a comment that implies the Breen have green blood.
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 Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, one Breen appeared as a hologram enhanced by the Hirogen in Star Trek: Voyager. They were also referenced in many episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation, where it is revealed that Betazoids cannot sense Breen emotions.
Tuvok in Star Trek: Voyager also makes a reference that the Breen use organic technology in their ships while talking about Species 8472 and in Star Trek: Generations Riker mentions the Breen as one of only three species with access to Type-III disruptors.
[edit] 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 Return of the Jedi. The suit Leia used belonged to a race called the Ubese, who are also highly secretive of their homeworld, and are rarely seen outside of their suits.
- 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".
- 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 (who have been close to Earth but never did any damage) or the Klingons have accomplished. (The Xindi attacked Earth before the formation of the Federation.)
- The non-canonical book Legends of the Ferengi claims that the Ferengi were sold warp technology by a Breen they called "the Masked Breen" (because they didn't know the Breen all wore masks). In return they gave the Breen both poles of Ferenginar, several comets, and a frozen moon.
- One of the Ferengi Rules of Acquisition was reportedly given to them by the Breen - the only Rule to be written by a non-Ferengi. That rule is "Expand or die." Depending on the source, it is either Rule #45 or #95.
- Riker's comment in Star Trek: Generations was referring to the distruptor type used aboard the Amagosa Observatory. Not the fact that the Breen have green blood.
[edit] External links
- Breen article at Memory Alpha, a Star Trek wiki.
- Xenobiology (2 images)
