The Shepherds, as their name was processed by a universal translator, were a warp-capable humanoid species that were active during the 23rd century.
According to the captain of a Shepherd ship encountered by the USS Enterprise in 2259, the Shepherds were "charged with the protection of the Arbiters [of life] […] before our distant ancestors touched the sky and the stars beyond." He continued, "none of us even remember when the charge first came to us, but we accepted the mantle with honor." This came to mean that the Shepherds were tasked with escorting the comet M'hanit as it traveled through space and "[f]or centuries, we have protected the arbiters as they follow courses set long before our suns first burned in the sky, bringing life across the galaxy." (SNW: "Children of the Comet")
Individuals[]
- See: Unnamed Shepherds
An unrelated Shepherd (β) species was encountered in the novels Cloak and Dagger and Shadow of Heaven.