Karemma

The Karemma were a spacefaring humanoid species native to the planet Karemma in the Gamma Quadrant. They were members of the Dominion.

BiologyEdit

The Karemma were tall and slender humanoids with thin skin folds around the eyes, nose, and mouth, and a prominent midline ridge extending upward from the forehead. They had dark hair that was combed back. (DS9: "The Search, Part I", "Starship Down")

HistoryEdit

The first relations between the Karemma and the Alpha Quadrant were established in 2370 by the Ferengi. As the Dosi were not able to meet Grand Nagus Zek's request for 100,000 vats of tulaberry wine, they referred his chief negotiator Quark to the Karemma, a more important member of the Dominion. (DS9: "Rules of Acquisition")

The Ferengi subsequently began importing tulaberry wine from the Karemma. Through this relationship, Quark arranged a meeting in early 2371 between the Karemma official Ornithar and Federation representatives aboard the USS Defiant, who were seeking to contact the Founders. Ornithar admitted that he knew nothing of the Founders, but did direct the Defiant crew to a subspace relay on Callinon VII. (DS9: "The Search, Part I")

Later that year, a Karemma visited Deep Space 9 and strolled along the upper level of the Promenade. (DS9: "Prophet Motive")

By 2372, the Karemma had begun trading goods such as Karemman fleece with the Federation, through Ferengi intermediaries. Though no Ferengi vessels had been stopped by the Jem'Hadar, the Karemma were frustrated at their profits being sapped by a series of taxes and tariffs contrived by the Ferengi without Federation approval. At the behest of the Karemma Commerce Ministry, a Karemma starship met the Defiant at a remote Gamma Quadrant star system so that Minister Hanok could discuss the issue with Captain Benjamin Sisko and Quark. The meeting was interrupted when two Jem'Hadar fighters attacked; all four ships descended into the atmosphere of a nearby class J gas giant, where the Defiant was able to destroy the Jem'Hadar craft and rescue the crew of the Karemma ship. The experience led to a breakthrough in negotiations. (DS9: "Starship Down")

Society and cultureEdit

The Karemma were an important economic power in the Dominion. They engaged in trade with non-Dominion races, which was overseen by the Karemma Commerce Ministry. Their exported products included tulaberry wine and fleece, and their Ministry of Trade sold torpedoes to the Jem'Hadar. Their unit of currency was the dirak, and they also accepted latinum. (DS9: "Rules of Acquisition", "The Search, Part I")

Officially, the Karemma believed that all merchandise had a set fair value, determined by the raw materials and labor involved in its creation, transportation costs, and a reasonable profit margin. They took a dim view of underhanded business practices, believing that greed led to misjudgement and reduced profits. Nevertheless, in actual practice the Karemma have been known to sell substandard goods. (DS9: "Starship Down")

The Karemma interacted with the Dominion only through Vorta agents, with the understanding that any disobedience would be punished by the Jem'Hadar. They had no knowledge of who the Founders were or if they even existed. The Vorta had instructed them to direct all further inquiries to an unmanned subspace relay on Callinon VII. (DS9: "The Search, Part I")

People Edit

• Hanok
• Ornithar

See also Edit

• Karemma starship

AppendicesEdit

AppearancesEdit

• DS9:
  • "The Search, Part I"
  • "Starship Down"

External linkEdit

• Karemma at Memory Beta, the wiki for licensed Star Trek works