posted
I was wondering if anyone could recommend a fan-fiction source that describes the Tzenkethi race, the name of their territory, and the dates the war or wars took place with the Federation. Did they happen before or after the Cardassian War? I know that references were made in a couple of "Deep Space Nine" episodes featuring Robert Foxworth as Admiral Leyton that Benjamin Sisko served aboard the U.S.S. Okinawa as a Lt. Commander during the war(s). The "Star Trek Encyclopedia" refers to a Tzenkethi war (singular), while Startrek.com states that there were wars (plural) with the Tzenkethi. Looking at Geoffrey Mandel's Star Charts book the name of their territory is called the Tzenkethi Coalition, I don't know enough about this race to know if this is a good or bad name for their territory. I am assuming that there is little or no canon information out there based on what I have seen and found so far.
I am interested in this information because I am toying with the idea of writing some fan fiction that happens a couple of years after the events of "Deep Space Nine" or a decade or two after. I am thinking about a new starship and crew that is on an exploratory mission deeper into the Alpha Quadrant charting territory that has not been explored by any Federation starship, past the western border of the Cardassian Union as shown in "Star Charts." A true where no one has gone before. I really haven't gotten far beyond the brainstorming stage yet. Probably the only crossover characters I will incorporate are Admiral William Ross and Fleet Admiral Alynna Nechayev, I don't really want to bring in Deep Space Nine or any of the characters who remained on the station after "What You Leave Behind," except maybe as a replenishment stop on the way somewhere in the Alpha Quadrant, or any other Trek Universe characters. Nor do I want to bring in any Beta Quadrant races or characters, except if they are onboard the ship when it leaves on its mission.
In this story, I am thinking about having the Cardassian Union break apart into smaller territories that are autonomous from any control or administration from Cardassia Prime. The best real-world analogy that I can think of is the territorial changes that occurred when the Soviet Union broke up into the Russian Federation and other entities. I don't know yet if I want to make Cardassia Prime a protectorate of the United Federation of Planets, a full member, or have the territory of the former Cardassian Union annexed, absorbed, or admitted to the UFP. I also haven't concluded whether I want to have other powers have designs on Cardassian territory, such as the Breen annexing or seizing some Cardassian territory by force. I am pretty sure that I want to have Bajor already admitted as a full member of the United Federation of Planets.
I would like the Tzenkethi to appear once in a while as an adversary race and in the hopes of some consistency, I didn't want to reinvent the wheel if good information has already been written about this race.
The real point of all this research is that I want to make a credible back story that explains why and how the Federation has entered space beyond the western border of the Cardassian Union. Because I don't want to repeat Voyager, I also want to have several starships in this space and have Starfleet in the process of establishing star bases and other support infrastructure to support these mission deeper into the Alpha Quadrant. I want to sort of resurrect the feeling the classic "Star Trek" and create something that "Enterprise" should have been. I want some real first contact and hazardous exploration missions going on and have some sacrifice made by the characters that I create.
Any help, input, or contributions to these ideas would be greatly appreciated. I must apologize if this sounds like a ramble, because I am just sounding off a few brainstorming ideas. Probably most of these ideas will fall apart under closer examination and scrutiny.
As this is my first post, let me know if I am putting this thread in the right place or if this topic should have been posted at all on this forum. I got my fire-retardant suit on so feel free to flame away.
Registered: Jun 2003
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posted
AFAIK, the Tzenkethi were just some random aliens that the Federation happened to have a past conflict with, like the Talarians. According to "The Adversary" (I think that was the episode's name), they were ruled by an autarch, and a later episode implied that Garak had been to their planet for some reason, possibly related to the Federation/Cardassian war. But other that what you've said, that's about it.
Oh, there was also a rumor going around that they were originally supposed to be referred to as the Kzinti, a race from TAS, but possibly for legal reasons it didn't turn out that way. I don't know the source of this rumor or if it is even valid.
-------------------- "A film made in 2008 isn't going to look like a TV series from 1966 if it wants to make any money. As long as the characters act the same way, and the spirit of the story remains the same then it's "real" Star Trek. Everything else is window dressing." -StCoop
Registered: Jun 2000
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posted
Group em' in there with the Hadara as aliens we'd like to see on Enterprise instead of the "alien species o' the week".
-------------------- Justice inclines her scales so that wisdom comes at the price of suffering. -Aeschylus, Agamemnon
Registered: Aug 2002
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The Tzenkethi are orange-furred space-travelling tigers with pink, naked, rat-like tails. Oh my!
The Kilrathi from the "Wing Commander" franchise and the Aslan race from the "Traveller" role playing game immediately came to my mind Dukhat when you mentioned a possible connection between the Tzenkethi and the Kzinti. As does "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" for some strange reason.
If they ever did appear on "Enterprise," probably Chris Roberts would be able to give them a good deal on props and costumes.
Thankfully, Starfleet Battles mentions the Kzinti Hegemony, and if I remember the "Star Charts" book correctly, placed their territory in the Beta Quadrant, so I am free to come up with a different concept for this race of aliens. Not that a race of eight-feet tall intelligent cats is necessarily a bad idea, its just one that has been overused.
Registered: Jun 2003
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posted
I think it's just that the Kzinti and the Tzenkethi have similar sounding names that they were associated (unless it WAS true that they were going to be the Kzin.)
Tzenkethi might be another 'alternate' name for the Kzinti... like Bajorans/Bajora Humans/Earthers, Vulcans/Vulcanians, Tamarians/Children of Tama.
Registered: Mar 1999
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quote:Originally posted by Triton: Not that a race of eight-feet tall intelligent cats is necessarily a bad idea, its just one that has been overused.
Andit's a bad idea.
-------------------- Justice inclines her scales so that wisdom comes at the price of suffering. -Aeschylus, Agamemnon
Registered: Aug 2002
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posted
OK, here's the long and the short of it, as I understand the story:
Felinoids in general, and the Kzinti in particular, have been favorites of the production crew of Trek for a LONG time. The idea of reintroducing them into Trek has been floating around the "backstage" at least as far back as ST V. The idea keeps getting shot down because: 1. it would theoretically "canonize" a TAS episode. 2. it would mean that Paramount would have to pay royalties to Larry Niven again for use of the Kzin. (This is the SAME reason that Robert Duncan MacNeil's character in Voyager was given a new name and slightly altered history. Originally he was supposed to be Nick Lacarno.)
Undeterred, the production team has found ways to give backwards/sideways references to the Kzinti in a number of Trek venues. The feliniod "exotic dancer" on Nimbus III that Kirk fought was unofficially dubbed a "kzinretti", for example. The Tzenkethi are another of those, as is the reference to "The Patriarchy" in the recent "Star Trek Star Charts" book.
I for one would think it would be cool to use them straight up as Kzinti in Trek, but I don't see that happening any time soon, to be honest.
Registered: Mar 2002
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posted
That's the story that I keep hearing too, d_d1. In fact, that subject came up not too long ago over at TrekBBS and the whole reasoning you just gave came up. I think I first heard that a couple years back at a Trek Con in either El Paso, TX or Phoenix, AZ. I forget which for sure.
Anyhow, it had more to do with Niven's publishers of his books fighting with Paramount over royalty rights. Story goes that Larry Niven and Gene Roddenberry were good friends and that Niven had written up some contract wherein he would get paid some ridiculously small amount of money for turning over the rights for the Kzinti to appear in Trek - any Trek show for x number of years. However, it's never quite as simple as it could, would or should be, is it...?
Now that I think of it, you post there, too, don't you...?
Well, there you go, anyways.
Registered: Apr 2003
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-------------------- Justice inclines her scales so that wisdom comes at the price of suffering. -Aeschylus, Agamemnon
Registered: Aug 2002
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Thanks for the enlightening response. I did not know what race the multi-breasted "cat woman" was in Trek V. I was thinking that she was a Catain, er Regulan.
Your comments about Paramount not wanting to pay Larry Niven for the use of the Kzin again may also explain why the TAS is not part of the Star Trek canon. I don't think that the story about an aide of Gene Roddenberry thinking it was a cheesy Saturday morning cartoon, and should not be included, held much weight. Especially since it has been written that Gene Roddenberry felt that TAS was a great way to generate interest n bringing back the live-action Trek to television and the high quality of some of the stories told.
Probably some unknown dispute regarding money.
I am assuming from your mention of the Nick Locarno character that there was a similar problem with using this character's name in future Star Trek productions. It seemed pretty obvious to me watching the first episode of "Voyager" that Robert Duncan McNeill was playing the Nick Locarno character who for some odd reason was named Tom Paris. The names in this teleplay have been changed to protect the guilty.
Thanks again for your response.
Registered: Jun 2003
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quote:Originally posted by Griffworks: That's the story that I keep hearing too, d_d1. In fact, that subject came up not too long ago over at TrekBBS and the whole reasoning you just gave came up. I think I first heard that a couple years back at a Trek Con in either El Paso, TX or Phoenix, AZ. I forget which for sure.
Anyhow, it had more to do with Niven's publishers of his books fighting with Paramount over royalty rights. Story goes that Larry Niven and Gene Roddenberry were good friends and that Niven had written up some contract wherein he would get paid some ridiculously small amount of money for turning over the rights for the Kzinti to appear in Trek - any Trek show for x number of years. However, it's never quite as simple as it could, would or should be, is it...?
Now that I think of it, you post there, too, don't you...?
Well, there you go, anyways.
Yeah, I post over there too, but I didn't know about the publisher being involved or the alleged contract though...
Registered: Mar 2002
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capped
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Member # 709
posted
just because its the popular consesus among fans, i would leave the Tzenkethi as related to the Kzinti: that is felinoid, once waged war with the Federation (or Terrans, depending on chronology issues) in the 22nd century and are now kept docile by forcible disarmament.. many other sources have used the explanation of a shattered kingdom to explain the Kzinti dismemberment/renaming.. that is, now that the former Kzin political entity is gone, they have new names, the K'zin, the M'dok, the Tzenketh, the Lyrans (or was it Hydrans?) or what have you.
Registered: Sep 2001
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