The Arellian Monarchy was featured during the novelette "Tribble in Paradise," and will appear again in upcoming Liberty tales.

A Brief Look at the Arellians

Disposition: They control a significant interstellar territory bordering numerous galactic players—including the Sheliak Corporate, the Roman, Talarian and Romulan (or, more properly, Rihannsu ) Empires, the Cardassian Union and the United Federation of Planets. While not one of the Great Powers, there are none even among them who would dare dismiss the Arellians, or take them lightly.

Government/Economy: An absolute monarchy rules Arellian space; an arrangement roughly analogous to the old British Commonwealth allows other systems and peoples to join and participate in government. Details on the happiness of non-Arellian Crown subjects is scanty, since travel through their space is regulated carefully: Trade routes are clearly delineated with marker buoys. Deviation from these are not taken lightly, as various Orion and Ferengi pira–… er, traders can so attest—having been released at the borders of Arellian space, their cargo confiscated, their ship's weaponry and shields removed, and their identities carefully, scrupulously recorded. No one who has violated Arellian space twice in such a fashion has been released to do so a third time.

Biology: Arellians are bipedal humanoids, and have few visible structural differences from the Preserver-generated norm. Their blood, however, is silver-based, and their natural coloring, (both skin and hair) is a gray-white sheen reminiscent of the metal so vital to their blood chemistry. As a people, they are tall and lean. Psionic powers are extremely rare among the Arellian people; the most notable exception is in the royal family line, where telepathy and other, more formidable abilities are not uncommon.

Politics/Military Matters: While not xenophobic, they had been, until 2375, relatively insular, and content to defend their frontiers while watching galactic events unfold. Both the Romulans and Cardassians, in the last fifteen years, have made abortive incursions into Arellian space. Each went home smarting after a sharp defeat. It is even rumored these clever people have been able to adapt Romulan cloaking technology taken from a captured D'Deridex-class Warbird; and that this valuable asset has been integrated with their new, state-of-the-art Lhahari ('Lancer')-Class Heavy Cruiser, which has only recently begun to appear.

The Cardassians, during their abortive attempt in 2370, found themselves facing an enemy that had not only been prepared for their small-scale move, but had planned a counterstroke—in force. They hastily withdrew.

Outlook: The Dominion War seems to have roused them from their customary reticence: The Arellian Monarch has requested closer ties with the Federation. Considering their military and economic strength, Starfleet was overjoyed at the prospect of opening talks. Their youthful Monarch, Verenicia IX, has proven a canny and determined negotiator, though, and talks for an actual alliance have bogged down in minutia Federation mediators feel is either simple posturing—or subtle maneuvering.

Technology/Hardware: The Arellians are highly advanced; from what observers have been able to determine, they surpass the Federation itself in a number of areas. This could, however, instead simply be a willingness to use available technologies in unusual ways. Certainly some of the data extended to Federation scientists has proven quite useful, and the benefits of continued exchanges seems evident.