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Vorta

Originating from the gamma quadrant, the Vorta are a member species of the Dominion. The Founders use the Vorta to supervise the day-to-day running of the Dominion; in this capacity they are leaders and administrators of many Dominion worlds. They also serve as the handlers of the Jem'Hadar, whom they control via the former's addiction to the drug Ketracel White. Although initial contacts revealed comparitively little about this species, the capture of a Vorta prisoner by Captain Sisko allowed Starfleet Medical to gather detailed information. Like many Gamma quadrant species they have been genetically modified by the Founders to increase their usefulness to the Dominon. The Vorta are not able to breed by themselves - instead the Founders clone the Vorta as required, often creating several copies of an individual who has demonstrated particular value. The Vorta are known to suffer from weak eyes, although their hearing is excellent by Human standards. All Vorta are naturally immune to a very wide variety of poisons, useful in a species bred to serve partially as political leaders! One interesting ability continues to puzzle Starfleet. The first known encounter between Vorta and a Federation citizen was when the woman known as Eris met Captain Sisko in 2370. Eris demonstrated a form of Telekinesis several times during the encounter, an ability that no other Vorta is known to posses. It is possible that the Eris possesed some form of artificial implant which permitted this, but it seems more likely that the Founders have engineered a sub-breed of Vorta with this faculty - and possibly with other PSI abilities also. If true this would considerably enhance the Vortas usefulness as intelligence agents. Further studies of the very few captured Vorta are underway in an attempt to resolve this mystery.