Backstory

These micro-biological organisms allow alien races to understand one another’s speech. They ‘colonize at the base of the brain’ and allow one to understand alien speech. The microbes can be injected, and go to work almost instantly.

Though one may understand the spoken word, the microbes do not allow the one to speak it. Babel Microbes are popular among merchant and mercenaries throughout the galaxy. Their use is considered to be biomodification within the Federation, and has stiff penalties.