Sheliak Corporate
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INTRODUCTION
The Sheliak are a non-humanoid, highly intelligent life-forms, classification R3. They are extreme isolationists and believe that they are the only true intelligence in the universe. As a result, they are highly arrogant and ill-tempered when dealing with other life-forms, whom they consider vermin. They seem to have a special hatred for humans -- possibly because the Human-led Federation has been the only political entity to ever bring them to the treaty table, instead of the other way around.
The Sheliak refer to themselves as "The Membership" and have a governing body called "The Corporate". The Corporate is headed by a single individual, known as the Director. However, each vessel is commanded by a leader also known as the Director, as he speaks for the Corporate Director in his stead, who rarely if ever, leaves their homeworld.
The Sheliak language cannot be translated by the Universal Translator and cannot be decyphered by lingusts, however they can communicate in Federation Standard English. The Sheliak cannot be communicated with or communicate telepathically. The Sheliak have no diplomatic contact and go to lengths to avoid human contact except where specifically required by the Treaty of Armens, established in 2255 between the Sheliak and the Federation, ceding several planets (including Tau Cygna V) to the Sheliak.
In our dealings with other non-humanoid races, there has always been some point of reference. Not so with the Sheliak. They have learned several Federation languages but theirs continues to elude us. Attempts to use telepaths have failes as well, the Sheliak brain and thought processes are just to different for humanoids to sense.
Note, in any communications with the Sheliak, you must be extremely accurate: the treaty alone is 500,000 words. The length was to accommodate the Sheliak, as they consider our language irrational and demanded a high level of complexity to avoid any "future" misunderstanding.
Sheliak territory currently lies within Federation territory -- Federation expansion has far outstripped Sheliak expansion, leaving the Corporate enveloped by Federation space. It is suspected, based on the Telaris Incident, that the Sheliak have holdings outside Federation space -- and perhaps within it.
In RP
The Sheliak are primarily a Green Fleet threat species whose influence in galactic politics is only really starting to be felt now.
HISTORY OF CONTACT
First contact with the Sheliak was made in 2253 when the Corporate engaged and destroyed a civilian mining operation on an H-class world (a world with high-levels of hyperonic radiation). After a brief, but intense conflict between the Federation and the Sheliak, the Treaty of Armens was established in 2255 between the Sheliak and the Federation, ceding several planets (including Tau Cygna V) to the Sheliak. When the Treaty of Armens was originally signed, the Federation had to send 372 legal experts to negotiate before the Sheliak would even agree to the meeting.
There was virtually no contact with the Sheliak for over a century thereafter, until 2366 when the Sheliak transmitted a message to the Federation indicating they were about to colonize Tau Cygna V, and that the existing Human population would be eradicated if it were not removed. This came as something of a surprise to the Federation, who were not aware of any colony on the planet.
The Enterprise-D was dispatched to deal with the problem, and discovered a colony of many thousands of people on Tau Cygna V. Leaving Lieutenant Commander Data on the planet the ship went to intercept the Sheliak vessel. The Sheliak who spoke to Captain Picard called himself the "Director". He claimed his ship carried "The Membership", part of the Sheliak Corporate. He declined all requests for further time to evacuate the planet, instead threatening to exterminate the Humans on arrival. The Sheliak were determined to stick precisely to the letter of the treaty, claiming the document as an absolute description of the relationship between themselves and the Federation.
Picard was eventually able to find a loophole in the treaty, naming the Grisellas as arbiters of the dispute as allowed one of its articles. Since the Grisellas were at the time in a hibernation period, this gave the Federation all the time needed to evacuate the colony.
Again in 2384 the Sheliak demanded worlds under Federation protection, demonstrating a much farther range of territory than had previously been ascribed to them. In this case, the worlds were uninhabited planets belonging to the Telaris Compact, a recently established Federation Protectorate. A loophole in the Treaty of Armens granted the Sheliak colonization rights to those worlds. Vulcan Ambassadors Sohte (the only surviving member of the original negotiation team) and Sehval, the Federation representative to the Telaris Compact.
The issue was decided in favor of the Sheliak Corporate as long as Gamma Telaris VIII (one of eight worlds ceded) remained a member of the Telaris Compact and all resources from Gamma Telaris VIII were available to the Compact. The Treaty of Armens was amended.
Excerpts from the Treaty of Armens
- Section 193 - Paragraph 77- Cession of Tau Cygna V to Sheliak Corporate
- Paragraph 653, Subparagraph 9- Entitles the Federation to face-to-face consultation with the Sheliak incase any possible disagreements should arise
- Section 501, Paragraph 716, Subparagraph 5- Unwanted life-forms inhabiting H-class worlds may be removed at the discretion of the Sheliak Corporate
- Paragraph 1290- Grants the Federation arbritrary third party negotiations over any and all disputes. In effect allowing the Federation to ask a third governing body to review and reach a non-biased decision under Subsection D3.
TECHNOLOGICAL PROFILE
Sheliak technology is at least as advanced as that of the Federation. There have been rumors that they possess superior weaponry, but this has never been displayed in battle or otherwise, and is only speculation at this point. The Sheliak Corporate have a large fleet of ships they use to patrol their territory, which is a free area inside the territorial boundaries of the Federation itself. Deep scans indicate that the Sheliak have at least fifty fully developed worlds within their space and are aggressively terraforming many more.
It is know that their sensors are capable of penetrating cloaks and phasing cloaks -- there are no known stealth devices capable of eluding their sensors. Their shields are also known to be able to withstand a substantially greater level of damage than standard Federation shields. Sheliak transporters are capable of beaming through Federation shields at distances many times greater than anything Federation science can duplicate short of a quantum transporter.
There are some theories that the Sheliak possess a 'Genesis' style device for use with terraforming; however, it could be deployed as a planet-wide weapon to eliminate life-forms already present on a selected planet.
That, unfortunately, is the extent of Federation knowledge of Sheliak technology.
PHYSIOLOGICAL/MEDICAL PROFILE
Their precise form is not clear, as the Sheliak hide their physical form under a concealing garment -- a wrap of black, mucous-secreting folds appearing as at least a head and gesturing upper appendages -- when contacting Humanoids. There are indications that they may have at least a slight degree of shape-shifting ability - the constant movement of their body under the garment indicates that their external shape is somewhat variable. This, however, is purely speculative at present.
The other primary speculation concerning their physiology comes from observations of their terraformed colony worlds that the Sheliak may be a highly-evolved and advanced insectoid civilization.
It is also unknown whether their immunity to psionics of any form stems from biological or technological means.
STRATEGIC AIMS
Despite their hostility and superiority complex towards other intelligent races, the Sheliak have no stated or apparent goals other than territorial expansion to worlds with high levels of hyperonic radiation. However, they will not hesitate to resort to planet-wide devastation via weapons of mass destruction to prepare a world for terraforming. It is hypothesized the Sheliak possess a 'Genesis' style device. Because the Corporate has been surrounded by Federation space, their options for expansion are severely limited, possibly leading to future hostilities.
THREAT ASSESSMENT
With terraforming and medical technology expanding, hyperonic radiation is far less a threat to humanoid colonists than it once was, creating a potential for competition between Federation and Sheliak colonists for available worlds. In addition, with the Sheliak Corporate being located along several prominent trade routes, more and more civilian interests have been constructing space-stations and trading ports near the border -- and possible over it. All of this stands to create a tense situation that will eventually blow.
OUTSIDE LINKS
Notes
- The Sheliak corporate pages were compiled by Alan Rogers, originally for use by USS CONSTELLATION crew members. They were updated by Scott Lusby.
