Arkenon

The history of the Arkenon tells of their transformation from corporeal to incorporeal entities nearly a million years ago. Once a race not unlike Humans, the Arkenon had developed themselves beyond their physical forms, and became transfigured into immortal ectoplasmic entities. They claim that it was their own advanced technology which had transformed the "essences" of all members of their race into a large nebula which surrounds the planet of Alusia in the Gamma Quadrant. The nebula, called Shakaziri by the Arkenon, intermittently spawns new Arkenon from its own matter, and also continues to provide sustenance to the Arkenon already in existence.

Though the Arkenon are technically incorporeal entities, their forms are usually accompanied by a cloud of suspended gas particles, making them visible. They are most commonly seen in the form of an amorphous mist or cloud of gas, but can rearrange their clouds into any form they choose. Some, which have had greater contact with corporeal entities, have been able to fully imitate the movement and behavior of corporeal entities, including response to the effects of gravity and physical contact, though the small mass of such Arkenon creates many inconveniences in negotiations with gravity and objects with which they may come in contact, not to mention the failure of many presence-sensitive devices (such as doors, computers and transporters) to recognize the ectoplasmic entity as an individual.

The massive, near-divine powers of telepathy and computation of the Arkenon made them quite arrogant in their dealings with alien races, such as the Alusians, who grew up on the Arkenon homeworld after it was vacated by its former inhabitants. Arkenon soon began to see themselves as superior beings, and even as deities. Many spread throughout the nearby systems, enslaving or manipulating entire worlds and races, until the coming of the Changelings and their Dominion, who did not see the Arkenon as superiors, but as equals, at best, and also discovered means of temporarily defeating the Arkenon.

An Arkenon named Shun rose to power against the Dominion, using much of the sciences he had stolen from his enemies to enhance himself at the expense of his people and of the Shakaziri nebula. His growing power allowed him to subtlety manipulate the Arkenon into doing his bidding, while simultaneously draining the Shakaziri nebula of its ability to nourish the Arkenon, causing them to lose much of the life energy. To counterbalance this depletion of their energy, the Arkenon began taking control of the bodies of the Alusians and of other aliens, which sustained them for short periods of time, before the inhabited body decayed entirely. Ninety percent of the Arkenon were killed off by Shun's draining of the Shakaziri nebula, but the timely intervention of the USS Cerberus, and of Thantoss, a rogue Arkenon who had by an ironic twist of fortune been freed from Shun's manipulatory power, Shun was destroyed and the nurturing power of the Shakaziri was restored.

Though the Arkenon were in fact losing their war against the Dominion and are now much less prolific and powerful due to the depletion of Shakaziri's energy, they were still respected enough by the Dominion that the Founders forbade entrance of Dominion personnel or citizens into a wide swathe of space surrounding Alusia, regarded as an "Arkenon Neutral Zone" not unlike the Neutral Zone located between the Federation and Romulus.

Reference(s)

• Gamma Quadrant Race Compiled by Lieutenant Commander Smith (Thantoss), Chief Science Officer of the USS Cerberus.