Delta Quadrant Species Inteligence Briefing - Level 4 Access

Created by Vice Admiral Solian Brex on Sunday August 24th, 2014 @ 8:07am

Starfleet has shared the first reports from Admiral Tuvok about Voyager’s return to the Delta Quadrant, and it’s clear that plans for Operation: Delta Rising need to move forward as soon as possible. There’s something happening, and we need to have our ships there.

In preparation for the fleet’s launch, I’ve reviewed Voyager’s logs from their first journey, as well as the files Starfleet Intelligence provided on the species encountered in the quadrant.

I recommend that all commanders preparing to enter the quadrant review these files before they set course for the region.

Voyager’s logs had a great deal of information about the Talaxians, primarily gained through the crew member, Neelix, who is a member of that species. The Talaxians are a friendly race with a sense of whimsy, a love of stories and spicy food, and a willingness to help in almost any situation. They are spiritual and take great comfort in rituals and the closeness of family, feeling lost when those things are taken from them.

Talaxians have a long history of warp travel and trading throughout the quadrant, but the past century has been difficult.

The Talaxians’ brutal war with the Haakonian Order in the mid-24th century raged for more than a decade, and ended with Talax occupied by the Haakonians. More than a quarter of a million Talaxians died in the metreon cascade during the Battle of Pyrithian Gorge, including Neelix’s entire family. All surviving Talaxians carry the scars of this conflict in their hearts. Most are hesitant to get involved in battle again, but there are some who see the value in battling an unjust foe.

Many Talaxians are exiles now – banding together in groups to survive, or drifting from world to world as they trade for what they need. Neelix and his wife Dexa have gathered hundreds of Talaxians together to create a community, and that community is expanding. They have great plans for the future, but they may need assistance to see them come to fruition.

Voyager had frequent clashes with this aggressive warrior species in its first years in the Delta Quadrant.

A former slave race, the Kazon rose up against their oppressors more than sixty years ago and won their freedom. But this trial did not unite them, and the Kazon split into 18 sects that battle one another – and anyone else in the Delta Quadrant who crosses their path – for resources, technology and glory.

As a group, the sects are known as the Kazon Order, but in reality each sect has its own leader and controls its own destiny. The leaders of the sects are known as Maje; the leader of the most powerful sect, which is currently the Kazon-Ogla, is the First Maje.

Kazon society is violent and patriarchal. Women are not warriors, and few Kazon women are ever seen by outsiders. Male children are raised to be warriors, and must survive a series of trials to earn an adult name. Displays of affection are seen as shameful.

The Kazon have energy weapons, shields and tractor beams, but do not possess technology equal to the Federation, or even other species of the Delta Quadrant. Their sheer numbers and ferocity make them a threat, and they will often prey on smaller vessels or peaceful settlements.

Recently, word has come out of the Delta Quadrant about the rising power of the Kazon-Nistrim. This clan has a new leader, who overthrew Maje Culluh to take control. This maje is hungry for power and eager to make a name for himself. He also appears to be more cunning and intelligent than most Kazon.

The Kazon are the only species that the Borg declined to assimilate. But do not underestimate them – reports from Captain Janeway and others who have encountered the Kazon indicate they can be a tricky and dangerous foe

Ocampa’s environment was seriously damaged by Nacene explorers more than 3,000 years ago. The planet was turned into a desert, and one of the Nacene took the responsibility of caring for the Ocamapans in an attempt to atone for what had happened.

This explorer, known as “Caretaker” by the Ocampa, led them to a vast underground city he constructed especially for them. The Caretaker provided everything the Ocampans needed – food, water, entertainment and power from an array in space where the Caretaker made his home. He then sealed the Ocampans into their city to keep them safe, and, over the generations, they came to see him as a form of deity.

But this way of life could not last forever. The Caretaker was dying, and needed someone to take his place. According to Voyager’s logs, this is how the ship ended up in the Delta Quadrant. The Caretaker summoned Voyager in an attempt to find a successor, but instead Captain Kathryn Janeway was forced to destroy the Caretaker’s array to keep it out of Kazon hands, stranding Voyager in the Delta Quadrant and cutting off the Ocampans’ only source of power. Kes, an adventuresome Ocampan who wanted to explore life outside the city, then chose to join Voyager for part of their journey through the Delta Quadrant.

Starfleet estimates projected that the Ocampans had enough resources to stay in their home for five years after the disaster. By the mid-2370s, however they would have to start finding new solutions. Because Ocampans have a limited lifespan – maturing quickly but only living about nine years, any long-term solution to their problems becomes a generational concern.

The Ocampans’ prodigious mental abilities help the gentle species survive, but these were mostly undeveloped during the generations spent in the Caretaker’s city. Kes, away from home, rapidly developed her mental talents until they grew so great she transformed into a being of pure energy and left Voyager. It is not known if this is an ability all Ocampans possess, or if her adventures unlocked unknown talents.

Starfleet has had no contact with the Ocampan homeworld since 2376, so it is unclear what the situation is there now. However, since the late-2370s some Ocampans have been travelling in Kes’s footsteps, seeking to learn more about the Delta Quadrant and find a home. These ships house several generations of Ocampans, but they are new to spaceflight and often find themselves in situations they are unprepared to handle. Friendly relations with the Talaxians and other species have helped them adapt to their new lives, but they have a great deal of turmoil ahead of them before they are prepared for all the trials the Delta Quadrant has to offer.

The Ocampans should not be a tactical threat to Republic ships, but they may be an ally. In addition, I feel some sympathy for their plight, which in some ways mirrors our own. If they still exist, we should reach out to them.