Theragen was a nerve gas used by the Klingons as a conquest weapon during the expansion of the Klingon Empire.
History and specifics[]
Theragen was usually deployed in grenades, causing loss of strength and movement. It did have an antidote. (Heritage Models RPG module: Adventure Gaming in the Final Frontier)
By the turn of the 23rd century, theragen had fallen out of favour, along with other chemical and biological weapons, as it was considered dishonorable by most Klingons. In 2207 it was banned, its use being strictly against imperial policy. However, in the 2250s, certain councillors pushed for the use of unconventional weapons against the United Federation of Planets. They backed the use of theragen within the empire to quell uprisings on subject planets. The councillors hoped that its effectiveness could be used to gather support for such weapons from the rest of the Klingon High Council. In 2259, one of the tests backfired, killing three-quarters of the crew of the IKS Qul qemwI' which was one of the test starships under the command of Captain Kavau. The program was immediately shut down by Chancellor Sturka. This latest use of theragen was disavowed by the High Council, with Kavau and his crew being branded as renegades and criminals. Sturka sent General Gorkon to execute the survivors and destroy the Qul qemwI'. (VAN novella: The Ruins of Noble Men)
In 2267, Leonard McCoy used a derivative of theragen, or chlortheragen, to treat the crew of the USS Enterprise for the effects of interphase. (TOS episode & Star Trek 5 novelization: The Tholian Web)
In 2371, Beverly Crusher combined theragen with Bajoran root tea to counteract the effects of a weapon the Furies were using to terrify the crew of the USS Enterprise. (TNG - Invasion! novel: The Soldiers of Fear)
Appendices[]
References[]
- TOS episode & Star Trek 5 novelization: The Tholian Web
- TNG - Invasion! novel: The Soldiers of Fear
- VAN novella: The Ruins of Noble Men
- Heritage Models RPG module: Adventure Gaming in the Final Frontier
External link[]
- Theragen article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.