Star Trek - Terok Nor (The Cardassian name for DS9)

The Jem'Hadar

The Founders enhanced the Jem'Hadar from their original violent beginnings as orcish lifeforms. The Jem'Hadar today are a genetically-engineered race of elite fighters, imprinted with blind obedience to the Vortas and particularly to the Founders, whom they regard as Gods and superior beings. Few Jem'Hadar have actually seen the Founders, and though most do live their lives out with absolute loyalty to the Founders, some have been known to revolt against their slave existence, which led to the development of their dependence on Ketracel White

In line with their function as fighting machines, the Jem'Hadar are known for their tremendous physical endurance and zealous enthusiasm for combat. To keep the focus of Jem'Hadar fighters on their work, the Founders have made the entire species male, thus rendering them incapable of natural procreation and possibly deviations from the original blueprint due to DNA mutation. They possess a natural ability to cloak themselves, do not sleep, do not eat, do not relax, and their every victory is glory for the Founders.

The Jem'Hadar live for war and victory, as their mantra "Victory is life!" suggests, but their lifespan is short: they are engineered for accelerated growth and rarely live pass the age of 20, at which stage the Jem'Hadar is considered an honored elder. The blood chemistry of the Jem'Hadar is designed to collapse without regular intake of an isogenic enzyme, Ketracel White, an additional guarantee of their loyalty to the Founders. Born within a birthing chamber, a Jem'Hadar infant will reach full adulthood within 3 days, ready to fight and vulnerable to the addiction on "white". White cannot be reproduced through regular means, only handed out by their commanding Vortas. Jem'Hadars that go without the white will experience severe withdrawal and eventually die. Before death, they will slaughter any and all living creatures around to bring as many to the grave as they can. Their various functions, such as cloaking, will also gradually come to an end.

Jem'Hadar dependence on Ketracel white had provided the assurance of total obedience to the revered Founders and, to a lesser degree, their Vorta supervisors. However, by targeting the manufacturing base of the White, the Federation has found a way to deal a deadly blow to the Jem'Hadar ranks. With the Gamma Quadrant route closed off by the wormhole aliens, the Dominion had had to make the white in the Alpha Quadrant itself. Dr. Bashir and Chief O'Brien once met with a Jem'Hadar that has lived for years without the white. He was unlike any Jem'Hadar they had met: logical, less volatile, less willing to kill. He had brought along a company of normal, dependent brethren to the planet where he claimed brought him freedom. However, the other Jem'Hadar did not follow the same experience he did and were still reliant upon the White. Dr. Bashir worked furiously to find a way to simulate the non-dependence state that had come naturally to that Jem'Hadar, but was kept from completing his work by Chief O'Brien, who, not bound by the Hippocratic Oath, was anxious to leave. From this incident, it could very well be that the Jem'Hadar is capable of independence from the drudgery of Dominion service, but how that can happen is very uncertain.

Jem'Hadar have only one purpose in life, conquering enemies and doing battle. If taken prisoner or failed a mission, they will take their own lives without further thought. If the death of one Jem'Hadar will make the rest stronger, then that Jem'Hadar will freely give his life. That is the way of things, the Jem'Hadar are expendable, as are the Vorta. Though they are subservient to the Vorta and Founders, the Jem'Hadar combine all the necessary qualities that make them the most efficient and terrifying agents of the Dominion. In interstellar travel and warfare, they often can be seen manning the small Attack Craft, and the larger Battle Cruiser. The Jem'Hadar see their only redemption in the eyes of their gods is victory in the name of the Founders.

Military conquerors meet with resistance as a matter of course. To increase efficiency in the campaigns, the Founders created a genetically-engineered species of fighters, the Jem'Hadar. Imprinted within their genetic patterns is blind obedience to their masters the Vortas and particularly the Founders. The Jem'Hadar live for war and victory, as demonstrated by their mantra: "Victory is life!", but their lifespan is short. They are engineered for accelerated growth and dependence on the isogenic enzyme ketracel-white, or simply "white." White is provided by the Vorta and cannot be reproduced through regular methods, thus guaranteeing their obedience to the Dominion cause. The Jem'Hadar deal strictly through the Vorta, and few have actually seen the Founders, who are revered as legends or gods. Though ruthless when dealing order with the outside world. Changelings have not been known to hurt another of his kind, until Odo made history by disposing of one on board the Defiant, a crime for which he was tried on the Founders' homeworld.

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"I am First Omet'iklan, and I am dead. As of this moment, we are all dead. We go into battle to reclaim our lives. This we do gladly, for we are Jem'Hadar. Remember, victory is life." - Jem' Hadar