Germal

Germal was a humanoid Yerba woman, queen of the indigenous inhabitants of the planet Hercula in the 23rd century.

She won a rebellion against the colonial Herculese, securing independence for her people. She was fluent in sign language.

Biography
Germal's mother was a mute Yerba slave and servant for a Herculese family. She fled during her pregnancy and raised Germal alone in a cave, teaching her sign language and to stay hidden. Hers was a lonely childhood, and sometimes she sneaked into a nearby town and listened in on Herculese conversations, learning their vocabulary. Because Germal hadn't had her speech center removed like other Yerbas, she could speak.

When she was young, she saved the life of a ten year old Herculese named Jivi, but later thought her memories of the incident were just a dream. She didn't know Jivi was the son of the.

By 2266, Germal's intelligence and ability to speak made her the leader of the Yerbas. She escalated their attacks against the Herculese in a nearly hopeless struggle to earn their freedom.

In 2266, when Herculese Emperor Lidoro sent a distress call for help against wild animal attacks, the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) responded. Spock met Germal at a Yerba encampment. Seeing firsthand that they weren't just animals, he insisted that an appeal by her to Lidoro would end the fighting. Before she could decide, the camp was bombed by a rocket plane. Horrified by the deaths, she thought Spock would betray her, so she took him hostage for a prisoner exchange. He feigned being poisoned, and when she tried to remove the poison, he knocked her out.

At the palace, Jivi recognized her from his childhood. Lidoro had no respect for the talking Yerba and demanded she transmit a message of surrender in sign language. She complied, but actually ordered her people to go to war. She, Jivi and the Enterprise landing party were imprisoned together. Germal and Jivi lamented the loss of life to both sides. James T. Kirk observed the way they looked at each other and suggested that they marry. Kirk performed the ceremony from behind bars.

Lidoro told them that Herculese had subjugated Yerbas, depriving them of speech to make them think they were animals. On television, Germal and Jivi revealed their marriage and that they had poisoned themselves with milk of the nua thorn, then died together. Fighting stopped immediately.

A statue of Germal and Jivi hand-in-hand was erected to honor their sacrifice for peace. 

In 2269, although true equality had not yet been established, relations between Herculese and Yerba were improving.