The Gamma Quadrant is a vastly unknown region for Starfleet. Teeming with species and cultures,
it is ripe for exploration, expansion, discovery and trade. But as any in that sector of the
galaxy will tell you, if you have any sort of business in the Gamma Quadrant, you have
business with the Do minion. The organisation has arguably the galaxies mightiest military
and a ruthless political and economic savviness that rivals and often outclasses that of the
other powers it meets. The Dominion philosophy is one of control
through subjugation, what you can control cannot harm you. This mind-set was laid down
by its very founders, the changelings (more about them in a prior index video) and the
majority of its power resides in two subservient species, the Vorta and the Jem’Hadar.
Hi, Ric here and this video has us looking into the history and society of the Vorta.
Persecuted and hunted throughout the stars, the changeling species was hardened by the
constant mistrust and hostility that greeted their efforts of exploration and they were
often backed into corners while fleeing from hostiles. One such changeling in, times long
forgotten, found its way to the Vorta homeworld, a simple, pre industrial civilization of mostly
unremarkable pre-humanoids. Some sources suggest the planet Kurrill Prime as this homeworld.
Taking pity on the wounded and desperate shapeshifter, the proto-Vorta sheltered and hid the being
from its pursuers. Evading capture, the changeling made a note
of this helpful species, to them, a seeming rarity in the universe and promised that they
would be rewarded for their loyalty and humble aid. As time went on, the Dominion formed
around the shapeshifters, themselves becoming known as the Founders and they returned to
the Vorta bringing them under their wing and using their advanced understanding of genetics,
elevated their minds evolved their bodies to create a species that could act as their
proxies. However, ever fearful of betrayal, jaded as
they had become by their experiences, they limited the Vorta in many ways. First of all,
they input deferential treatment into their genome, a desire to please and serve the Founders
so that they would be less inclined to resist the will of their masters. They picked traits
to imbue the species with, effective playing god and selecting only traits that the Founders
deemed necessary they have. As the Vorta were to be the Founder’s proxies, so that the
changelings could avoid interaction and therefore risk when meeting others, the Vorta genome
is custom built to excel in these areas. On the surface, they appear humble, docile
and friendly. They are eloquent, quick studies and move with a natural grace. Their minds
are always racing however, looking for advantages in negotiation and probing for signs of weakness
in their opponent and their kindly demeanour covers their callous ability to disregard
life on a whim. To many species, the Vorta are erroneously assumed to be the head of
the Dominion as these are the highest ranking individuals that many races will interact
with, just as the Founder’s intended. To facilitate their strengths as the intermediaries
for the Founders, the Vorta have excellent hearing, above that of most humanoids, this
ensures that any hushed whispers in meetings are overheard and that they can eavesdrop
on private conversations from afar to seek an advantage. However, as most of their meetings
are conducted face to face, within the confines of a vessel and the like, the species has
poor long-range eyesight having never evolved naturally to require the ability to gaze far
into the horizon. They are immune to most illness and toxins,
a trait added to their genetic makeup to prevent them being assassinated during negotiations
and likely also to allow them to safely visit a number of climates. They also had a rather
limited palette and taste but enjoyed eating berries and nuts. This suggest that their
sense of taste has simply been left unaltered since their times as ape-like forest foragers
as adapting it was deemed unnecessary by the Founders. The Vorta however, ever sure that
any decision made by the Founders is the correct one, assumed that this was deliberate to remind
them of their origins and how far the Dominion had brought them.
They lack and artistic sense of appreciation too, which is an odd one as it suggests a
lack of imagination and creativity. These are traits that would heavily benefit shrewd
negotiators acting on their own, however many of their strategies and learned responses
are imparted to them from the Founders. Again, on the surface, this makes the Vorta look
like they can formulate, scheme and plot with the best of the strategists in the galaxy,
but in reality most of their knowledge was taught to them, not some natural wisdom. Not
to say they’re completely creatively bankrupt it’s just that in most cases, they defer
to the Founder’s in matters of tactical insight.
These traits do vary in strength among the Vorta, leading some to be preferred to undertake
certain tasks. Some were even telekinetic and could display mild to average psionic
abilities. Over time, favoured Vorta had their genome sampled and stored by the Founders
so that they may be recreated after the original had perished. It is unknown if this was part
of the original plan the Founders had for them, or something that became the norm over
time, but by the 24th century it appears that all Vorta were now bred this way, granting
the Founders even greater control over their creations despite possessing two genders.
The founders viewed the Vorta as tools, nothing more as they placed no value on any life unlike
their own, especially “Solids” and this was a truth that the Vorta accepted, again,
having that acceptance and deference to the Founders intrinsic to their existence. When
a Vorta died often a clone was issued to replace it, adopting the same name and affixing a
number to its end to mark it as a separate individual, which the clone was for while
its nature would be identical, its nurture may be slightly different.
The reason I think that much of their diplomacy and manipulative skills are genetic as opposed
to being taught is that a cloned Vorta is immediately capable of picking up where its
previous iteration left off although it’s unclear if their memories are able to be transferred
too which would provide another solution. One thing that the Vorta do still maintain
is a sense of play. They do enjoy games and can find entertainment in playing them. Either
the founders deemed it a necessary trait that the Vorta themselves be able to relax at times
or that it was to grant them better insight to other species. Or that playfulness is just
something so intrinsic to sentient life you cannot remove it without compromising the
species mentality. The fact that the species was elevated and
tailored by the Founders into serving them as a “reward” for their kindness became
the central point in Vorta culture around which everything else formed. They adopted
a religion with the Founders as their Gods, devoting their lives to serving them, spurred
on by their genetic impulse. They give thanks to the Founders, see the Dominion and its
decrees as the right of their gods and all who oppose it as blind, ignorant or just unworthy.
It’s this core belief that allows them to be so ruthlessly duplicitous and merciless
with their actions. If their diplomatic efforts fail, they have no qualms about sending in
the Jem’Hadar to enact violence and so powerful is their devotion to their Gods that on capture,
they are expected to activate their own termination implant to protect Dominion secrets.
Each Vorta holds a position of power in the Dominion hierarchy over the Jem’Hadar soldiers.
The troops all answer to a “First”, the most powerful and capable of the Jem’Hadar
and that First has swears loyalty to that Vorta. It should be noted however, that this
fealty is because it is commanded by the Founders and that the Jem’Hadar share the Vorta’s
genetic deference for the changelings. They possess no such inclination towards the Vorta
themselves, leading to no small amount of friction between the two species. They follow
the Vorta because they are told to, not because they want to.
On top of this, another system of control is entrusted to the Vorta, that of the dispersal
of the Ketracel White a drug that the Jem’Hadar need to survive. The Founder’s view of their
subordinates is unsurprisingly passed down the chain with many Vorta looking at their
charges with the same expendability. Most Vorta share the same values because of their
environment, genetics and the fact that any sufficiently deviant behaviour can see the
Vorta killed and replaced by another clone. If a line of clones continues to display undesirable
traits, then the source genome can be eliminated altogether.
It has been observed that alongside their positions as leaders, envoys and traders in
the Dominion, they have been seen occupying the scientific divisions of the construct
operating as physicians, researchers and other scientific capacities. This would be a natural
fit for their analytical minds though their limited creativity may pose a problem in any
field. The Vorta overall are a façade of a species
and although elevated to one of the most quote on quote “powerful” species in the galaxy,
it came at a great cost. Just like their demeanour and reassuring attitude, they are a front
for the true will of the Dominion. Still, individuality and personal quirks and beliefs
are present throughout this culture, so they have the potential to grow, just not under
the rule of the Founders. A Vorta clone exhibits mercy on an enemy of the Dominion? Replace
it with one who will act. A Vorta find himself questioning his loyalty? A defective clone,
replace it. What could we have been? Replace it. Why? Replace it.
It’s not so much that the Vorta lack the capacity to evolve a culture of their own
to match the minds they were engineered to have, it’s just they lack the opportunity.
Who knows, maybe with the return of some benevolence and compassion to the Great Link, the Founders
will adopt a softer view and as such, hopefully the Vorta will be free to seek their own path.
All it takes is a ripple. Thanks for watching this index on the Vorta
of Star Trek. Almost everything we know of the Vorta comes from primary sources which
makes a nice change, some extra sources state that the Vorta are unable to dream and that
they do indeed pass on memories to their subsequent clones, but I’m more interested to see where
the species could go as their fate is very much tied to the Dominion itself.
So as Star Wars season is upon us, or at least that’s what it feels like, I was thinking
that we could bring the next index to a galaxy far far away and look into the Mandalorians
culture of warfare as depicted in canon, or the Nightsisters or Dathomir, again drawinging
on canon materials first and foremost. So Votes are over on the community tab and until
the next video and I’m sure which ever you choose it will be the correct choice, oh most
wise and magnanimous viewer. Thank you for watching and I’ll see you next time! Goodbye!