Tetrahedron key
From Hidden Frontier
Tetrahedron keys are small, handheld artifacts discovered by Siroc and his henchmen, thought by researchers to enable direct control of the tetrahedrons. Two of the keys are known to exist, but the number is apparently insufficient to control the large and powerful artifacts. ("Heroes")
The search for more tetrahedron keys is the subject of ongoing rivalry between the Federation and the Tholian Assembly.
It is not known precisely how Siroc or his henchmen obtained the two keys known to exist, but the Orion pirate captain, Mason, had them in his possession when his ship was confiscated by the Independence. A preliminary investigation by Lieutenant Matt McCabe and Ensign Sytac revealed the keys' sensitivity to isolitic scans. The scans resulted in some kind of signal that alerted Tolian Naros to their discovery, apparently prompting his return to Starfleet after having retired to Norpin IV after the Dominion War. ("Heroes")
The keys were taken to the first Grey Research Facility. They were stolen by Sha'kev and his pirates when they attacked and destroyed the facility, also taking the Grey Battleship that had been captured by Starfleet. ("Hell's Gate, Part 1") Siroc stole back Starfleet's two keys. ("Hell's Gate, Part 2")
A third key turned out to have been secreted away by the pirate, Mason. An undercover Starfleet mission retrieved that key from the Orion homeworld, but at the cost of Lt. Andrew Barrett. ("Vigil") That key assisted Starfleet and its allies in the Battle of Centris III, a diversionary attack led by Captain Naros and Lt. Jorian Zen. ("Heavy Losses")
Meanwhile, with the assistance of the Trills' Institute for Hyperdimensional Studies, the Federation is learning more about the connection between the keys, the tetrahedrons, and the Omega molecule that may exist inside each tetrahedron. ("Past Sins")
