Star Trek: 10 Unique Next Generation Alien Races You Forgot About

10. Sheliak - The Ensigns Of Command

Let's just be very clear from the beginning - the Sheliak were, by the stipulation of the Treaty of Armens, well within their rights to demand Tau Cygna V. The fact they didn't just wipe the 'human infestation' out from orbit was a true show of self-restraint.

The Sheliak were a non-humanoid race, described as being wrapped in several layers of mucous. Their language eluded the Federation's translators, with telepaths struggling to understand them as well. The Treaty of Armens was so intricate - a demand of the Sheliak, so that there would be no room for misinterpretation - that three hundred and seventy Federation negotiators were sent to work on it.

When the Sheliak arrived at Tau Cygna V to begin colonisation of the Class H world, they initially refused to wait the three weeks that Captain Picard told them it would take to evacuate the humans. However, their own bureaucracy worked against them, as Picard invoked a third-party arbitration clause, which could have delayed their colonisation efforts by six months.

Once the humans were cleared, the Sheliak physiology meant they would have no issue settling on a radiation-rich world.