as the army of the Dominion, controlled by the Founders through the Vorta. They were first
encountered in 2370, by personnel from station Deep Space 9. Jem'Hadar live for combat.
Before going into battle, Jem'Hadar conduct a ritual ceremony in which they proclaim, "I am
dead. As of this moment we are all dead. We go into battle to reclaim our lives. This we do
gladly because we are Jem'Hadar. Remember, victory is life."
Genetically engineered by
the Founders, Jem'Hadar lack a vital isogenic enzyme, known as
Ketracel-White, needed
for survival. The Founders use this chemical dependence to maintain
control over the powerful
warriors. The Jem'Hadar recieve this drug through special suply tubes
implanted in their necks.
Since they are directly controlled by th Vorta, most Jem'Hadar spend
their entire lives without
seeing a founder, to them, the Founders are almost a myth of god-like
stature. A Founder was aboard
a Jem'Hadar warship that crash-landed on Torga IV on star-
date 50049.3. The soldier
that came to rescue him failed and later commited suicide for having
allowed the Founder's death.
Jem'Hadar do not eat, because
the White is the only thing they need for nutrition. Relaxation
would only make them weak,
so they don't sleep. Jem'Hadar are bred in birthing chambers, so
there is no need for females
or sexual reproduction. They mature at a rapid rate and are able to
fight within three days
of emergence. Few live 15 years, and no Jem'Hadar has ever reached
30
years of age. If they manage
to reach 20, they achieve the status of "Honored Elder".
If the Jem'Hadar are ruthless
to their own, they are even more so to those who they oppose.
When the inhabitants of
a planet in the Teplan system resisted Dominion rule in 7172, the
Jem'Hadar made an example
of them by infecting the planet with a deadly disease known as
the Blight.
Standart Jem'Hadar occupation
tactics require at least 27 soldiers to be stationed inside a base
camp at all times, With
nine patrolling the perimeter.
In 2371, Starfleet learned
more about the Jem'Hadar from a member of that species found as an
infant on Deep Space 9.
This young individual grew at an accelerated rate, advancing in years
both physically and intellectually.
In late 71, the Jem'Hadar
demonstrated their awesome destructive power when a fleet of 150
Jem'Hadar fighter crafts
ambushed some 20 Romulan and Cardassian ships attacked the
Founders' homeworld in the
Omarion Nebula. In 2372, two Jem'Hadar ships disrupted a trade
conference among Federation,
Ferengi, and Karemma delegates held aboard the Defiant.
The Jem'Hadar ships were
destroyed, and the crew of the Defiant rescued the Karemma ship's
crew.
