Omega IV

Omega IV was the inhabited fourth planet of the Omega system. It was the homeworld for a pre-warp capable humanoid species. The indigenous population was divided into two ethnic groups, the Kohms and the Yangs, who had fought a bacteriological war centuries ago. 

This system was located in the Alpha Quadrant. The location of Omega IV in the Milky Way Galaxy was depicted on a Federation star chart in 2293. (, production art)

History
While the planet had different landmasses from Earth, Omega IV shared a history nearly identical to Earth's, up to the 1990s or slightly beyond. Omega IV once had a nation called "The United States" similar to Earth's United States of America, with the same handwritten United States Constitution, the Pledge of Allegiance and Unites States flag identical to that of Earth's.

The stand-off on Omega IV between the two superpowers had escalated into open bacteriological warfare. One of the primary weapons of the war was a virus that disrupted the body at the molecular level, separating water molecules from other organic compounds until there was nothing of the body left but dehydrated crystals. The virus was still present on the planet in the 23rd century, though only a brief exposure to the atmosphere at that time was needed to provide a lasting immunity to the virus. The Asiatic Kohms, originally called "Communists", won the war against the Caucasian Yangs originally called "Yankees". As the survivors of the war adapted to the toxic environment, they acquired a naturally long lifespan. They could live to be more than a thousand years old.

The Yangs were driven from their cities, and took to the ways of the native Americans for survival. By the 23rd century, civilization on Omega IV had returned back to the iron-age level. The Yangs, dressed in tribal attire, lived in the hills and mountains surrounding the ruined cities. The cities were inhabited by the Kohms, who dressed similarly to Earth's Mongolians. The Yangs were attempting to take their old cities back from the Kohms.

In 2268, Captain Ronald Tracey of the starship USS Exeter (NCC-1672) beamed down with a landing party to survey the planet for research purposes. He found the Kohm city and established friendly relations with the Kohms. However, when some of the landing party beamed back to the ship, they carried the virus back with them. Within a short time the entire crew of the Exeter was killed.

Driven insane by the death of his entire crew and the loss of his ship, Captain Tracey sided with the Kohm villagers in their conflict with the Yangs. He used his phaser to drive off a Yang attack in violation of the Prime Directive. When the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) arrived to investigate, Captain Kirk refused to help Tracey in the battle against the Yangs. He took Tracey away from Omega IV and allowed its people to rediscover their own "history and liberty." 

Background information
The planet was recreated by CBS Digital for the remastered version of "The Omega Glory".

In a deleted scene from the episode, the landing party speculated that the Yangs and Kohms might in fact be Humans.

According to Star Trek Maps, (page 28) Omega IV had a population of 130,000 and was located in the same Omega system that was visited by the crew in. According to the book, it is also widely believed that the planet started out as a lost Human colony that had reverted to barbarism.

Apocrypha
According to the Star Trek: Department of Temporal Investigations novel Forgotten History, the American paraphernalia on Omega IV were not indigenous documents, but in fact replicas left behind by the crew of ECS Philadelphia in the late-2140s, to inspire the native Yangs in the struggle for freedom against the Kohms.

According to the novel Forged in Fire, the bacteriological agents from the planet were a key component in the virus used by The Albino to murder the sons of Kang, Kor, and Koloth. The Albino also infected Sulu with the virus, but he was immune to it because he had visited Omega IV.

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