Hello and welcome to another episode of Truth OR Myth Beta Canon, a Star Trek web series that dives into the history of any given topic using Beta Canon sources and my own imagination to fill in the gaps. In today’s episode, we’re taking a look at the Tellarite Star System, to better understand its place in Star Trek History.
I just want to remind you all that although this video does contain a LOT of Canon information provided about the star system over the various Trek series, this is still a Beta Canon video. And because this IS a Beta Canon video, all information relaid should pretty much be taken with a grain of stardust, and only considered a little bit of Star Trek Fun! And so, with all that out of the way, let us begin…
Tellar Prime, an enigma star system wrapped in an age-old mystery, would become one of the founding members of The United Federation of Planets. But what do we really know about this argumentative species and its star system?
Well today, we find out… The Tellarite Star System was known to humanity as the 61 Cygni Star System. A binary star system in the constellation Cygnus, the Tellarite Star System consists of a pair of K-type dwarf stars that orbit each other in a period of about 659 years.
Known as merely Tellar through out the galaxy, this star system contained 7 planets and sits at a distance of approximately 11.4 light-years from Earth.
Tellar 1, is a gas giant, orbiting so close to its parent stars, that the planet actually appears to glow in the Tellar night sky. Tellar 1 is similar in composition to that of Sol’s planet Jupiter.
Tellar 2 and 3 are rocky worlds rich in mineral elements. Tellar 2, is tidily locked to its parent stars, while Tellar 3 has a day and night cycle of approximately 19 hours.
Tellar 4 has a Venus Type atmosphere. Extremely dense, its atmosphere is composed of 93.5% carbon dioxide, 3.8% nitrogen and trace amounts of other gases including sulfur dioxide.
Tellar 5, also known as Tellar Prime, is the Home World of the Tellarite species. In the Tellarite Language, their Home World is known as Miracht.
The surface of Tellar is noted for being unusually dry, and for having a very inactive climate for a Class M planet, being mostly sunny with very little rainfall. Though the planet is continually plagued by frequent and sometimes violent dust storms.
At first glance, Tellar appears to have very little water, with whatever bodies of water that do exist being the size of small lakes rather than oceans. And appearing and disappearing from the surface at regular intervals, but in actuality, Tellar Prime contains one the vastest underground oceans known to exist on a Class M Planet.
Tellarite and Federation historians believe that as a result of these underground water complexes, the Tellarite species originally must have developed underground itself. Eventually making its way to the planet’s surface and adapting itself to the extremely dry conditions of the planet.
The lack of surface water meant that little of it evaporated into the air thus depriving the planet of any rainfall which was in turn why the planet was so dry and calm, also, almost 96% of the Planet underground water is Fresh Water, another unusual trait for a Class M planet.
Tellar 6 and 7 are both Neptune like planets, with an atmosphere primarily composed of hydrogen and helium. Though containing many oddities on Tellar Prime itself, the Tellarite System is also home to a much larger mystery. 3 separate class M moons also developed life within the star system. While this is not unusual in itself, the life forms on these moons matched exactly the life forms that developed on Tellar Prime.
This was an impossibility as far as science was concerned, especially given the different climates of these moons, leading many Tellarite and Federation Scientists to conclude that some outside influence must have transplanted these species to those moons.
The reason for this transplant is unknown, and currently, no clues have been found to suggest who would have accomplished this feat. But it is known it was not the Tellarites themselves.
Ongoing archaeological excavations and studies are continuing on all of the moons in an attempt to finally answer this puzzling riddle, but many scientists have hypothesized that perhaps it was the ancient species known as the preservers who moved these species for some sort of scientific study.
The Tellarites were one of the Alpha Quadrant species to develop warp drive fairly early on in its history. Having achieved Warp Speed in 1957 Earth Time.
However, unlike most species, the Tellarites weren’t as interested in galactic exploration or expansion, and so although development continued on the Warp Drive, eventually creating vessels capable of Warp Factor 5 and above, the Tellarite Species would stick very close to home with its fleet. Preferring to build and colonize their own Star System. However, when first contact with the Andorian Species was made in 2047, The Tellarites would finally begin to explore their surrounding space, making contact with several species who would eventually become a part of the Tellarite Organization then known as the United Planets of Tellar state.
The planet Vulcan surveyed Tellar in 1901 using advanced long-range sensors. However first contact with the Vulcan people would not be made until 2081, and although cordial enough with one another, the Tellarite love of a good argument would keep these 2 species from making any meaningful connection until after the formation of the United Federation of Planets.
Official Human contact with the Tellarite Species would occur in 2154, when the Tellarite Government agreed to have the NX 01 Enterprise, commanded by Captain Jonathan Archer, pick up a Tellarite delegation and transport them to a conference on Planet Babel.
Both the Tellarites and Humanity had known of each other’s existence for many years, as the Vulcans would keep both sides informed as to near galactic happenings. But neither side really saw the other as potential ally material until after this initial contact. Of course, after a plot was uncovered by the NX 01, which had seen the Romulans attempt to destabilize not only the Tellar, but Earth, Vulcan and Andor, the Tellarite species immediately began diplomatic exchanges with Earth and completely backed an alliance between Humanity and it’s own species.
As a result, when Earth entered a state of war with the Romulan Star Empire in 2156, Tellar was one of the first species to enter the war as an ally to Earth. With Andor and then Vulcan eventually joining the effort, as a result of this alliance, known as the Coalition of Planets, the Tellarite species would become one of the founding members of the United Federation of Planets in 2161. It took humanity quite a while to get used to the Tellarite style of communication.
Constant complaints, jabs and barbs by the Tellarite Species was seen as rude behaviour by Humans. But once Tellarite loyalty was seen by the civilization of Earth, humans quickly got over this fact, and began not only to understand the Tellarites, but also actively enjoy their open and honest way of communicating.
Even the Vulcan Species would come to appreciate the Tellarite Style of Debating, seeing it as an uncensored way to discuss all the aspects of any given topic.
It would take a while longer for the Andorian Species to trust the Tellarites, as minor skirmishes had pushed these neighbouring Member Worlds apart. But by the 23rd century, the bond between these 2 species would be unbreakable.
In the 23rd Century, the Tellarites would control one of the Federations leading Mining and Cargo Services.
It was often said that if you wanted your cargo delivered on time and in one piece, then the Tellarites were the only way to ensure that. Their own fleet of Cargo Vessels was second to none in both speed and armaments.
And since then, the Tellarites Species has continued to be a valued and loyal member of the Federation, even changing its argumentative nature slightly when serving on Starfleet Vessels.
One of the Backbone Species of the United Federation of Planets, the Tellarites often breathe a Breath of Fresh Air into Federation Council debates, allowing the Federation to make a just and knowledgeable ruling in all matters. Ensuring the Survival of the federation for centuries to come…
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Thank you for watching today’s episode of Truth or Myth Beta Canon, did you enjoy the history and information on the Tellarite Species and their Star System as I’ve laid out here? Do you want me to create more videos like this one, perhaps chronicling what we know about other species, their histories and their star systems? Well leave your comments in the section below and don’t forget to like the video and subscribe to the channel.
Thanks again for watching, live long, and prosper…
