"Star Trek" Universe - "D" Characters Quiz

Answer: D'Vana Tendi

Ensign (later lieutenant j.g.) D'Vana Tendi was an Orion Starfleet officer, one of the very few due to Orion not being a Federation member. She was very enthusiastic about her duties, with a deep love of science. She was initially assigned as a medical assistant under Dr. T'Ana. T'Ana recognized her potential and transferred her to senior science officer training. ("Star Trek: Lower Decks" episode "First First Contact")

It was eventually revealed that she had trained as an assassin for her family in the Orion Syndicate, and is very skilled at covert activities. She also is a bit embarrassed about coming from a thieving culture. ("Star Trek: Lower Decks") However, when she accidentally got included on a covert mission with Commander Ransom and a team of covert operations officers, she was able to single-handedly knock out a squad of Romulans that were chasing them. ("Star Trek: Lower Decks" episode "Veritas")

D'Vana Tendi was voiced by Noël Wells. She was a cast member of "Saturday Night Live" in its 39th season.

Answer: Daniels

Daniels was a temporal agent from the 31st century. He was covertly assigned to act as a crewman on the USS Enterprise (NX-01) during its maiden voyage in the 22nd century. He was there to help prevent temporal incursions by different factions in the Temporal Cold War. ("Star Trek: Enterprise")

Daniels turned up much later, interacting with the crew of the USS Discovery when it time-traveled to the 32nd century. He went by the alias "Dr. Kovich", but later revealed that he was the same Daniels that aided the Enterprise in the 22nd century. ("Star Trek: Discovery")

Daniels was portrayed by Matt Winston in "Star Trek: Enterprise" and by David Cronenberg in "Star Trek: Discovery".

Answer: Data

Lieutenant Commander Data was a Soong-type android built by Drs. Noonian and Julianna Soong on the Federation colony on Omicron Theta. They built five androids, with Data being the pinnacle of their success. They had to deactivate Data's predecessor - Lore - because of his antisocial tendencies, also disassembling him. But before doing so, Lore had summoned a crystalline entity which ended up destroying the colony. The Soongs escaped the planet; however, Julianna was critically injured. They left a deactivated Data on the colony in an outdoor alcove. He was found by the crew of the USS Tripoli and activated. ("Star Trek: The Next Generation" episodes "Datalore" and "Inheritance")

Data was portrayed by Brent Spiner. Spiner has also portrayed the other Soong-type androids Lore ("Star Trek: The Next Generation" episodes "Datalore", "Brothers", and "Descent") and B-4 (movie "Star Trek: Nemesis"). Additionally, Spiner has portrayed the males in the Soong family: Noonian, Adam, and Arik.

Answer: Deanna Troi

Deanna Troi was the ship's counselor aboard the USS Enterprise-D. She is the half-Human/half-Betazoid daughter of Lieutenant Ian Troi and Lwaxana Troi. Whereas most Betazoids are telepathic and can read most other species' minds, Deanna Troi could just read emotions. She had a fondness of all forms of chocolate.

She had an older sister, Kestra, who sadly died when Deanna was just a baby. In her grief, her mother deleted anything that reminded her of Kestra, including deleting years of her entries in her diary. Deanna found out about Kestra when she was trying to help her mother through a mental crisis. ("Star Trek: The Next Generation" episode "Dark Page")

She had an on-again/off-again relationship with William Riker, whom she finally married. (movie "Star Trek: Nemesis") They had two children: Thaddeus (named after a 19th-century ancestor of William; "Star Trek: Voyager" episode "Death Wish") and Kestra (named after Deanna's sister). ("Star Trek: Picard" episode "Nepenthe")

Deanna Troi was portrayed/voiced by Marina Sirtis. Baby Deanna in "Star Trek: The Next Generation" episode "Dark Page" was portrayed by twins Nicole and Candace Villwock.

Answer: Dukat

Gul Dukat was the last Prefect of Bajor during the Cardassian occupation of Bajor. He viewed himself as a benevolent protector, but he actually committed amoral crimes against the Bajorans. He allowed summary judgements with capital punishment; he used female Bajorans as concubines, including Kira Nerys's mother.

He initially lost favor with the Cardassian Central Command after losing control of Bajor. But he eventually became ruler of the Cardassian Union when he negotiated Cardassia's entry into the Gamma-Quadrant's Dominion, controlled by the Founders (Changelings). ("Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" episode "By Inferno's Light")

He suffered a mental breakdown after the death of his half-Bajoran/half-Cardassian daughter Ziyal. ("Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" episode "Sacrifice of Angels") He then became a disciple of the Pah-wraiths, enemies of the Bajoran Prophets. He corrupted Kai Winn Adami in an attempt to release the Pah-wraiths into the Bajoran wormhole, where the Prophets resided. ("Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" seasons 6 and 7)

Gul Dukat was portrayed by Marc Alaimo. Alaimo has several other appearances in "Star Trek" lore: Gul Macet (the first on-screen Cardassian; "Star Trek: The Next Generation" episode "The Wounded"), Frederick La Rouque (Star Trek: The Next Generation" episode "Time's Arrow"), and Burt Ryan ("Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" episode "Far Beyond the Stars").

Answer: Lela Dax

Lela was the first host of the Dax symbiont. She was born in 2112, and joined with Dax in the Earth year 2160. She was a famous legislator and one of the first female council members of the Trill government. She had a son named Ahjess.

She had a habit of holding her hands behind her back because male colleagues teased her about her expressive gestures. This habit was picked up by Jadzia, Ezri, and Illa.

She died at the age of 114. The Dax symbiont was then joined with Tobin.

During Jadzia Dax's zhian'tara (where Jadzia met Dax's former hosts by them inhabiting her friends), Lela was embodied into Kira Nerys (Nana Visitor).

("Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" episodes "Facets", "Equilibrium", "You Are Cordially Invited", "Rejoined", "Once More Unto the Breach")

Answer: Dathon

Captain Dathon was the captain of a Tamarian starship. Federation contact with the Tamarians was difficult, as their language structure was quite different from typical Federation worlds' languages. The universal translator could translate their words, but not put them in understandable context. It turns out they spoke in metaphors.

Upon the USS Enterprise-D meeting Dathon's ship at El-Adrel IV, Captain Picard still couldn't communicate with them. It was then that Dathon decided on a presumptive step: he had Picard and himself beamed down to the surface of El-Adrel IV, where he knew there was a dangerous electromagnetic lifeform. His ship also emitted a scattering field so that the Enterprise-D couldn't beam Picard back. He hoped that putting both of them in danger would lead them to trust each other, and then begin to understand each other.

After one engagement, the two captains were able to fend off the lifeform, with Dathon becoming wounded. That night, Picard caught on to the fact that the Tamarians spoke in metaphors, and the two captains became friends. They were able to communicate two stories to each other: Dathon told the story of Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra, and Picard told the story of Gilgamesh and Enkidu at Uruk (a Sumerian myth).

The next day, the lifeform came at the two captains again. This time, they were able to defeat the creature, but with Dathon being mortally wounded. It was just after that the Enterprise-D was able to beam Picard up through the Tamarian field. At first, the Tamarians were going to attack, but then Picard began speaking in metaphors. They listened as he explained that Dathon succeeded in teaching him how to talk with them, but that sadly he had given his life in the attempt. Picard holds up Dathon's journal, and the Tamarian first officer beamed it to their ship. He reads the beginning of it, then states, "Picard and Dathon at El-Adrel," indicating that the two captains' interaction will now be a metaphor used in their language.

Dathon was portrayed by Paul Winfield. Winfield also portrayed Captain Terrell in the movie "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan". Winfield was a cousin of William Marshall, who portrayed Dr. Richard Daystrom in "Star Trek" episode "The Ultimate Computer".

Answer: David Marcus

Dr. David Marcus was a Federation scientist (astrophysicist) in the 23rd century. He was the son of Dr. Carol Marcus and James Kirk. He was conceived when Kirk was a lieutenant. Carol didn't want the complications of her and Kirk's two different worlds to make growing up difficult for David, so she asked Kirk to stay away.

David became a scientist like his mother, and joined on her team for Project Genesis, which had the aim to completely restructure the matter on a dead celestial body into living matter. On their small-scale experiments, they were successful, creating an underground living environment inside a large asteroid.

During a battle with Khan Noonien Singh, their full-scale Genesis Device was set off inside a nebula, almost destroying the Enterprise. They escaped (with Spock dying in his sacrifice to get the Enterprise's engines working), and the device created a new planet that was covered with life. (movie "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan")

Later, the USS Grissom returned with David Marcus and Saavik to investigate the Genesis planet. Marcus and Saavik found array of biomes that were only a few kilometers apart from each other. They later determined this environmental chaos was due to Dr. Marcus using protomatter, an unstable form of matter that made his calculations work, but on a large scale created an unstable world. This was paralleled by the accelerated and unstable growth of a young Vulcan they found, who happened to be a regenerated Spock, whose coffin landed on Genesis as it was still active.

David was later killed by a Klingon who was about to kill Saavik. He lunged towards the Klingon just like his father would have, but not having fighting skills, he was quickly dispatched. ("Star Trek III: The Search for Spock")

Dr. David Marcus was portrayed by Merritt Butrick. Butrick returned to "Star Trek" as an Ornaran pilot T'Jon in the "Star Trek: The Next Generation" episode "Symbiosis".

Answer: Damar

Legate Damar was a Cardassian military officer in the Cardassian Union. He served under Dukat. He also killed Dukat's daughter Ziyal because she had aided in retaking Deep Space 9 by helping Major Kira and others held in detention escape. ("Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" episode "Sacrifice of Angels")

Damar succeeded Dukat as Cardassia's ruler when it was under Dominion control. He became disenchanted with sacrificing the lives of millions of Cardassians for the Dominion war and rose up and led the Cardassian Rebellion against the Dominion. He had a family including a wife and children who were killed by the Dominion as punishment for his actions. ("Star Trek: Deep Space Nine", seventh season)

Damar was portrayed by Casey Biggs. He and "Star Trek: Voyager" cast member Roxanne Dawson were married for two years in the 1980s.

Answer: Duras

Duras was a Klingon politician, who was a likely candidate to succeed as the next Klingon Chancellor. Intelligence was discovered that his father - Ja'rod - had betrayed the Klingon colony at Khitomer, where all but a few colonists were killed. Most survivors were taken prisoner by the Romulans; Worf and his nursemaid Kahlest survived and escaped. Worf was taken by Starfleet Chief Sergey Rozhenko to become his foster son; Kahlest returned to Qo'noS. The Klingon High Council realized that accusations against Duras's father (which would fall upon Duras) would start a Klingon civil war. So it was decided to alter the intelligence so that it appeared that it was Mogh (Worf's father) that had betrayed the colony. Because Worf had chosen to challenge this alternate version of the facts, he chose to accept discommendation (shunning) rather than trigger a Klingon civil war. ("Star Trek: The Next Generation" episode "Sins of the Father")

A few years later, Chancellor K'mpec was being slowly poisoned to death. He chose Picard to be the Arbiter of Succession, where he would also investigate who it was that was poisoning him. Meanwhile, K'Ehleyr was investigating why Worf had accepted discommendation. When she figured out the truth, she challenged Duras face-to-face. To keep the truth secret, he attacked her, leaving her to die.

When Worf and K'Ehleyr's son Alexander discovered her, she was near death. She had a final look at her son and his father together, then died. Worf then removed his comm badge, beamed over the Duras's ship, and challenged him to an honor duel. Worf was successful, killing Duras. ("Star Trek: The Next Generation" episode "Reunion")

Duras was portrayed by Patrick Massett.

Answer: Keyla Detmer

Lieutenant j.g. Keyla Detmer was the helmsman aboard the USS Shenzhou under Captain Philippa Georgiou. She was injured sometime after the Battle of the Binary Stars and Michael Burnham's arrival on USS Discovery, necessitating her having a cranial and ocular implant. ("Star Trek: Discovery" episodes "The Vulcan Hello" and "Context Is For Kings")

When Michael Burnham was brought aboard the USS Discovery, Detmer had been promoted to full lieutenant and was the helms officer under Captain Gabriel Lorca. Upon seeing Burnham again, she wouldn't speak to her. ("Star Trek: Discovery" episode "Context Is For Kings")

When it was decided to have Discovery leap forward in time to prevent Section 31 from gaining information they shouldn't have, Detmer volunteered to be among the crew who would travel to the 32nd century, never to return to her life in the 23rd century.

Keyla Detmer was portrayed by Emily Coutts.

Answer: Curzon Dax

Curzon was the seventh host of the Dax symbiont. He was the host for 81 years, and the past host that "Star Trek" viewers knew the most about.

He was a top ambassador of the Federation in the 23rd century. At the Korvat negotiations, Curzon became friends with three Klingon warriors: Kang, Kor, and Koloth. Kang's firstborn son was named Dax, and Curzon was his godfather. Later, the three warriors were part of a mission to apprehend a criminal - The Albino - who was raiding Klingon colonies. The three were successful in breaking up The Albino's power base, but he himself escaped custody. As revenge, The Albino managed to infect the three warriors' firstborn sons with a genetic virus that slowly killed the children, including Kang's son Dax. These three, along with Curzon, swore a blood oath to track down and kill The Albino.

The Albino managed to keep ahead of the Klingons' pursuit for decades. After Dax is passed on to Jadzia, Kang found The Albino. He gathered Kor and Koloth on Deep Space 9 to enlist them in completing their blood oath. Although initially hesitant, Jadzia Dax asked to accompany them, as she still felt the hurt of losing a godson. After some debate, Kang accepted Jadzia to come with them.

In infiltrating The Albino's current compound, Koloth is killed, and The Albino mortally wounded Kang. As he turned away, he found Jadzia holding a bat'leth at his throat. She informed him that she was now Dax, but he smirked and claimed that she doesn't have the resolve to actually kill him. She hesitated, which gave the wounded Kang the opportunity to stab The Albino to death. Kang thanked Jadzia for letting him be the one to kill The Albino. He then died.

Curzon died while performing jamaharon on Risa, with a Risian named Arandis.

During Jadzia Dax's zhian'tara, Curzon was embodied by Odo (Rene Auberjonois). This embodiment was unique, being with a Changeling. Curzon-Odo used Odo's shapeshifting to actually look Trill, and used the opportunity to reunite with his friend and mentee Benjamin Sisko. He wanted to stay separate from the symbiont, living his life again through Odo. But after talking with Jadzia, Curzon-Odo admitted his love for Jadzia, which was part of the reason he initially rejected Jadzia from the symbiosis program. He then returned to the symbiont Dax.

Curzon was briefly portrayed by Frank Owen Smith in "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" episode "The Emissary", during an Orb experience by Jadzia Dax.

("Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" episodes "Facets", "The Emissary", "Blood Oath", "Let He Who Is Without Sin...")

Answer: Demora Sulu

Ensign Demora Sulu (later captain ["Star Trek: Starfleet Academy" memorial wall]) was the helmsman on the christening launch of the USS Enterprise-B. Captain Kirk, who was aboard during this launch, told her it wouldn't be the Enterprise without a Sulu at the helm. (movie "Star Trek: Generations")

Demora Sulu was portrayed by Jacqueline Kim.

Answer: Richard Daystrom

Dr. Richard Daystrom was a brilliant scientist of the 23rd century. He was the inventor of the comptronic and duotronic computer systems. He also invented the M-5 multitronic computer system, designed to perform most, if not all, the necessary operations work aboard a starship.

He was aboard the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) when the M-5 was installed on it. M-5 was going to be tested on its abilities with some basic mission operations, and then to be tested in war games against four other starships (with reduced-power phasers). At first, it performed well, assigning a landing party based on the crew's qualifications. It notably omitted Captain Kirk and Dr. McCoy, counter to what Kirk himself suggested for the landing party. M-5 had deemed them "non-essential personnel".

When Spock was curiously asking Daystrom about M-5, he learned that human memory engrams were imprinted on M-5, so that it could make decisions like a human being, but at computer speed.

Later, M-5 sensed a passing automated ore freighter, the Woden. Instead of ignoring it, M-5 changed course to intercept, then fired torpedoes at it, destroying it. This alerted Kirk that something was amiss with M-5, and he tried to shut it down. Manual controls weren't working to disengage it, and when Kirk tried to go to the unit in Engineering, he was knocked back by a force field that M-5 was generating.

Kirk ordered that M-5's power connection be cut off, so an engineering ensign, Harper, went to disconnect. Just then, M-5 decided it needed more power and created a direct energy beam from the warp engines, which vaporized Harper. Daystrom was sorry for the ensign's death, but insisted that M-5 had no ill intent.

When the four starships - Lexington, Excalibur, Hood, and Potemkin - approached to start the war games, M-5 made the Enterprise attack, but with full-power weapons. This attack killed everyone aboard the Excalibur and many others on the other starships. It was then that it was discovered that the human engrams that were imprinted on M-5 were Daystrom's own. This was the cause of M-5's untoward actions, as Daystrom had an undiagnosed mental illness. When Daystrom realized that his M-5 had committed murder and how it would affect his reputation, he started to go mad. He started to lash out at Kirk, but Spock quickly subdued him with a Vulcan nerve pinch.

Kirk then talks to M-5, counting on Daystrom's guilt about the murders of the Excalibur crew to be imprinted on M-5. Kirk had M-5 scan the Excalibur, which now has no crew alive. M-5 then determined that it itself was the murderer, and deserved to be killed. It shut down, as well as dropped Enterprise's shields, in a capitulation to the remaining starships to kill it. But Kirk counted on Commodore Wesley aboard the Lexington to realize that the Enterprise was surrendering and called off a counter-attack. ("Star Trek" episode "The Ultimate Computer")

Richard Daystrom was portrayed by William Marshall. He is the cousin of "Star Trek" actor Paul Winfield (Captain Terrell in "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan" and Dathon in "Star Trek: The Next Generation" episode "Darmok"). He is also famous for playing the title role in the movies "Blacula" and "Scream Blacula Scream".

Answer: Dahj Asha

Dahj Asha was a female android, twin to Soji Asha. Both sisters were developed by Bruce Maddox and Altan Soon on Coppelius (Ghulion IV) in the late 24th century. The process the scientists used - fractal neuronic cloning - had the effect of always creating a pair of androids.

Maddox took the sisters away from Coppelius shortly after their creation. He wanted to investigate the truth behind the Attack on Mars in 2385 by synthetic life forms - androids. (Over 90,000 people were killed, 20,000 starships destroyed, and Utopia Planitia Fleet Yards destroyed.) Maddox planted the two sisters undercover, even modifying their memories so that they thought they were human. Dahj was aimed to infiltrate the Daystrom Institute, and Soji was sent to the Borg Reclamation Project. ("Star Trek: Picard" episode "Stardust City Rag")

Dahj was living in Boston when two Romulan assassins attacked her and her boyfriend in her apartment. Their attack activated unknown combat skills in Dahj, and she killed the assassins, sadly after they had killed her boyfriend Caler.

During her fighting, she saw visions of Jean-Luc Picard. She sought him out at his French villa. Picard gave her shelter for the night, but by morning she had left, feeling that her presence would attract more assassins.

Picard went to Starfleet Command to see what information he could gather. Dahj had suspicions that assassins were going to attack Picard at Starfleet Command, so she went there to protect him. Romulan assassins did indeed come to attack Picard. Dahj protected Picard. But then one of the assassins spit a corrosive substance on Dahj and the rifle she had taken from one of the assassins. Shortly after, the rifle exploded, destroying Dahj. ("Star Trek: Picard" episode "Remembrance")

Dahj Asha was portrayed by Isa Briones. Briones also portrayed Dahj's twin Soji, as well as Kore Soong, a clone created by Adam Soong in the 21st century.