Omega IV
Omega IV is the inhabited fourth planet of its star system, classified as Class M.
It is the homeworld to the Omega IV natives, a pre-warp humanoid species.
At the time of Starfleet investigations, this species was divided into two ethnic groups, the Kohms and the Yangs.
These two groups fought a biological war centuries before any Starfleet investigations.
Omega IV shared a history nearly identical to Earth's, until at least the 1990s.
The planet once had a nation called "The United States", similar to Earth's United States of America
There was even a handwritten Constitution of the United States, the Pledge of Allegiance and United States flag identical to that of Earth's.
A stand-off between the Kohms and the Yangs resulted in open biological warfare, one of the primary weapons being a virus that disrupted the body at the molecular level. This virus, dubbed the "Omega Virus" by the Federation, was still present on Omega IV in the 23rd century. The Omega Virus separated water molecules from other organic compounds in the body, until there was nothing of the victim left but dehydrated crystals. By the 23rd century, a brief exposure to the atmosphere at that time was enough to provide a lasting immunity to the virus. As the survivors of the biological war adapted to the planet's new, toxic environment, they acquired a naturally long life span. They could live to be more than a thousand years old.
- The Asiatic Kohms, originally called "Communists", won the war against the Caucasian Yangs originally called "Yankees".
- After the war, civilization on Omega IV returned to the "iron-age" level
- Yangs / Yankees were driven from their cities, and took to the ways of the native Americans for survival
- Yangs / Yankees dressed in tribal attire, and lived in the hills and mountains surrounding the ruined cities
- Kohms / Communists dressed similarly to Earth's Mongolians
- Kohms / Communists inhabited the former Kohm cities
In 2268, the USS Exeter beamed down with a landing party in order to survey the planet for research purposes, 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, the Exeter's Captain sided with the Kohm villagers in their conflict with the Yangs. He used his phaser to drive off a Yang attack, which was in direct violation of the Prime Directive.
When the USS Enterprise arrived to investigate, Captain Kirk refused to help Tracey in the battle against the Yangs. The Enterprise took the aggrieved Captain away from Omega IV, and allowed its people to rediscover their own "history and liberty."
