Mathenite Petty Officer Te-Mae-Do
The quadrupedal Mathenites are native to the world of Mathen, which lies in Federation space near the Cardassian border. By and large, Mathen does not involve itself in interstellar alliances, though their people have been known to offer political asylum to those they find deserving, such as the Cardassian dissident Tekeny Ghemor. (Star Trek: Sigils and Unions, DS9: "Second Skin")
- The Mathenite race was mentioned at the end of "Second Skin" after their offer to take in Legate Ghemor, with no further information provided. All other information presented is Star Trek: Sigils and Unions fanon. The DS9 relaunch novel Twilight seems to indicate a humanoid Mathenite species, but Star Trek: Sigils and Unions only selectively acknowledges the Pocket Books novels.
Biology[]
To a human observer, Mathenites possess a combination of feline, canine, and primate characteristics. The basic body structure is quadrupedal, and they are covered in a layer of fur that lays close against the body. Lavender-grey has been observed on at least one individual, though other colors may exist.
Though the rear legs are digitigrade, Mathenites' front arms have hands with padded knuckles, which they walk on similarly to the Earth gorilla. These hands, with stubby, clawed fingers, serve well for basic gripping when seated or laying down, and are used while eating, but cannot be used for finer detail work, nor while standing on all fours.
Mathenites instead use a long, strong prehensile tail for detailed work, including tool manipulation. The tail can also be used for self-defense in multiple ways, tripping an opponent by ensnaring his legs, or by snapping it like a whip against an aggressor. While they have less in the way of brute strength than some humanoid species (such as Cardassians), their agility and reaction time makes it a poor idea to underestimate a Mathenite in combat.
The Mathenite language is significantly different from most humanoid languages, and while Mathenites are capable of speaking Federation Standard without the use of a translator or vocoder, the brevity with which they do so suggests that it may well be painful. (Star Trek: Sigils and Unions--The Thirteenth Order, "A Weaver of Lives")
Society and culture[]
The people of Mathen have taken great pains to avoid entangling alliances, with their world remaining largely free of obligations to either the Federation or Cardassia. That said, they do welcome visitors on their world despite the difficulties bipeds may experience working in conditions suited for quadrupeds.
Religion is known to exist among the Mathenites, with public feast days being observed. It is custom to eat outdoors on such days.
Food is consumed with the bare hands and fangs; silverware is not used. In fact, a humanoid using silverware may attract a gaggle of young Mathenites (referred to as "kits") to gawk at the unusual sight. ("A Weaver of Lives")
Clothing is not worn in Mathenite culture. Those who serve in Starfleet typically wear a wrist-mounted communicator similar in design to that used by Cardassians, and a cloth neckband denoting department and rank. (The Thirteenth Order)
People[]
- Petty Officer Te-Mae-Do: served in the Thirteenth Order, a joint Cardassian-Starfleet rebel force.
- Aurof-Mok-Jeju: gave an interview to the Cardăsa Star-Sentinel in 2376 about his acquaintance with Tekeny Ghemor.
Appendices[]
Canon appearances[]
- DS9: "Second Skin" (Mention by name only)
Fan fiction[]
External links[]
- Mathenite article at Memory Alpha, the canon Star Trek wiki.
- Mathenite article at Memory Beta, the non-canon Star Trek wiki.