Enhasans
BASIC INFO
Home Planet: Enhasa
Government: The Meritocracy of Enhasa
Population: 7 billion over 1 planet
Tech Status: Warp-capable
Affiliation: Federation Ally
Race Traits: Soldier, Efficient, Astrophysicist (Selected for in Enhasan Starfleet applicants by the Enhasan government, see below.)
PROFILE
Biology
Enhasans are a humanoid race, though are easily differentiated from humans and other humanoid species. They have a pair of bone growths on the sides of their heads, as well as a forehead structure similar to the Antarans. They are slightly taller than humans.
Most notably, however, is the fact that Enhasan blood is vanadium-based, as opposed to humans (red blood from an iron base) and vulcans (green blood from a copper base). Vanadium, which has the largest number of oxidation states of any element on the periodic table, can form a variety of organometallic complexes that are colored across the entire visible spectrum. As a result, Enhasans and other such species have skin and hair color that can range from red through green to blue and purple. Their hair is usually very vibrant in color, and their skin possesses a subtle tint of the same color, whatever it happens to be.
Culture
Enhasan society is characterized by a strict, government-controlled caste system. From the moment of birth until legal recognition of adulthood, Enhasans are continually evaluated on their skills and aptitudes, resulting in training and sorting that places them in a role where they will 'best serve Enhasa'. Roles that require extensive training and 'exceptional' aptitude are of the Ya-Shin (literally "those of the sky") caste, while those that require minimal training and 'average or less' aptitude are of the Udu ("ground dwellers") caste. The two castes are extensively segregated in Enhasan society, with the Udu residing on the planet's surface and the Ya-Shin living in a vast, complex network of orbital stations. Children are traditionally sorted into the two castes at the age of 10.
To 'ensure the purity of the Meritocracy', procreation is strictly controlled, to the point where all Enhasans are sterilized at birth. While Enhasans choose romantic partners within their castes, the may only procreate when permitted by the government (that supplies drugs which re-enable reproductive systems) and with a member of the other caste. It is believed that this ensures 'birth favoritism' does not 'corrupt society'. Enhasans are not raised by their biological parents, but by caregivers assigned to them. Their only connection to their parents is their name; an Enhasan's last name is the name of the biological parent from the same caste, and the middle name is that of the parent from the other caste.
This caste system prevents Enhasans from joining the Federation as members due to the Federation Charter, but it is an allied world. As per Starfleet's directive in 2391 to expand officer opportunities for citizens of allied worlds, several Enhasans a year are selected by the government for application to Starfleet Academy. It has been noted that Enhasans serving in Starfleet appear to occupy an uncertain area in Enhasan society. While they are of the Ya-Shin caste, the physical separation required to serve in Starfleet seems to cast them as 'outsiders'. It has also been noted that while the environment of the Enhasan caste system seems to limit the creative and synergistic thinking of Enhasan officers, they are exceedingly efficient and excel at delegation and organization.
