Helena was a Class M planet in the Demilitarized Zone between the Cardassian Union and the United Federation of Planets.
It was the site of a Federation colony, whose citizens referred to themselves as Helenites. The Helenites gave up Federation citizenship to remain on the colony after it was ceded to the Cardassians by treaty in 2370.
Helena's population was primarily made up of genetic hybrids, from a variety of species, though non-mixed race individuals were also present. They settled on the planet to escape discrimination elsewhere in the Federation, and their society was largely built around genetic diversity.
In 2371, a plague struck Helena, and the Cardassians threatened to sterilize the entire planet to stop the spread of the contagion. The Maquis began raiding Starfleet outposts and vessels for medical supplies in order to alleviate the crisis, including a shuttlecraft from the USS Gandhi piloted by Lieutenant Thomas Riker, whom they took to Helena. It was during his time there, witnessing the suffering and how the Cardassians treated the colonists, that Riker decided to join the Maquis. (TNG novel: Quarantine, A Weary Life)
In one timeline, Helena was attacked by rogue Talarians in 2384, and the colony was destroyed. A young boy named Zeyk was the sole survivor. (Star Trek: Pendragon)
- This was part of the original, divergent Pendragon timeline, and may not have occurred in the Prime universe.
External links[]
- Helena (planet) article at Memory Beta, the non-canon Star Trek wiki.