Ba'ku
From Hidden Frontier
| PLANET | |
| Ba'ku | |
 The planet Ba'ku, with the starship USS Excelsior in foreground, and Deep Space 12 in orbit. | |
| Affiliation: | United Federation of Planets Protectorate |
| Location: | Alpha Quadrant |
| Dominant Species: | Ba'ku |
The Ba'ku planet is located between four and 19 hours within the Briar Patch, in Sector 441, depending on a starship's modifications to impulse engine operations within the metreon gas and metaphasic radiation environment within the Patch. The name Ba'ku refers both to the planet and species that inhabits it.
Contents |
History
The Ba'ku people were a technologically advanced humanoid civilization. In the early 21st century, the race developed the means of building weapons of mass destruction and was on the brink of self-annihilation. A small enlightened group of the Ba'ku people escaped this horror and found an isolated planet.
This group of Ba'ku followed a simple way of life and prohibited themselves from using technology. At first they were unaware of the metaphasic radiation in the planet's rings, which caused their aging process to significantly decelerate, although it was later discovered and cherished.
The Ba'ku society consisted of strong bonds between each individual as there were less than a thousand living in the village. Their simpler way of life eventually prompted some of the younger Ba'ku villagers - who wanted to explore the galaxy with the offlanders - to rebel against their elders, and an attempt was made to take over the village. When they were unsuccessful, they were exiled and eventually became the Son'a people.
First Contact
In 2375, first contact between the Ba'ku and the Federation was established during a failed cultural observation mission, when a monitoring post was discovered existing on the planet. Lieutenant Commander Data disabled the post's duck blind, revealing the operation, and the observers in cloaking suits. Data subsequently informed the Ba'ku that the Starfleet and Son'a observers were their enemies, and attacked the support vessel in orbit with a scout craft.
Captain Jean-Luc Picard of the U.S.S. Enterprise-E headed to the planet, intending to capture Data, and resolve the situation. Although Data was repaired, the question of why he had malfunctioned led the Enterprise crew to discover a cloaked Federation holoship hidden near the village. It emerged that Son'a leader Ru'afo planned to collect the planet's rings and harness the power of the radiation. Starfleet Admiral Matthew Dougherty was cooperating with the Son'a, intending to kidnap the Ba'ku and take them to another world.
Ru'afo and Dougherty's plans were stopped when Picard and his crew gained control of the holoship, transported the Son'a off Ru'afo's ship, and destroyed the Son'a collector.
Peace on the Ba'ku planet was restored, and several members of the Son'a returned to their families.
Protected by Deep Space 12
In 2376, the Federation built a new starbase, Deep Space 12, in the Ba'ku system to protect the planet from exploitation by other powers. (ANG 1.01 - "Return to Duty") Later that year, a plasma storm threatened the planet, but a first contact situation with an entity named "Joe" averted the storm's planetfall. (ANG 1.02 - "A Little Night Music")
In 2377, a Tzenkethi vessel attempted to use hostage-taking as a means to gain access to the planet. The attempt was foiled by Captain Ian Quincy Knapp and the USS Excelsior. (HF 1.06 - "Echoes") In 2378, Ensign Artim Ibanya took Aris planetside to give him a tour. They discovered a Grey wing in a clearing - the Grey had sent a terror team to the surface of the planet. A number of Starfleet Marines, Ba'ku and Rayvan were able to fend off the attack, but Rayvan was killed during the encounter. (HF 2.01 - "Refugees")
Tetrahedron
The discovery in 2381 of a damaged tetrahedron on the ocean floor of Ba'ku has given the planet even more strategic importance ("Entanglement, Part 2"), as evidenced by the attack early the following year by the combined forces of the Tholians and the Breen. ("Countermeasures")
Healing Rings
Metaphasic radiation, combined with other unique properties in the planet's rings prevent and reverse the cellular breakdown associated with aging and most injuries. Starfleet has been working with the Ba'ku people to study this phenomenon in hopes of replicating the effect away from the planet. A Starfleet science team was stationed on the planet in 2376 to study the rings. Following the kidnapping of Artim Ibanya and Counselor Katie Moss, the Ba'ku, as a goodwill gesture, allowed three Breen scientists to join the study. The newly-minted Ensign Ibanya was assigned to the science team for the last few months of its work in 2378. (ANG 1.03 - "Dreamers", HF 2.01 - "Refugees" and HF 2.06 - "To The Stars")
Politics
Ba'ku's inhabitants are generally isolationist, though recent encroachments by the Tzenkethi, the Tholians, the Breen and the Grey have made such a political stance less tenable, hence the formal alliance with the Federation. Two of the Ba'ku people, Artim and his mother, Alysen, have joined Starfleet.
People
First Appearance
- Star Trek: Insurrection (film)
- Enemy Unknown, Part 2 (HF)
See Also
Deep Space 12 ; Grey Research Facility ; Tetrahedron
| This article incorporates material from Memory Alpha, the free online Star Trek reference. More extensive information on Ba'ku can be found there. |
