#kobali

I quit voyager before this episode and this is honestly interesting. This is a really cool idea. I'd absolutely want to deal with this in a sci-fi game or show as a large element.

I know there is a LOT of good Voyager that I missed when I blew up and quit.

Even when I was giving up on Voyager, I pretty constantly said every sixth episode or so proves there is at least one great writer on their staff. There's some great Star Trek in Voyager. The problem for me was the other 5 episodes often gave me rage-quit-itis.

But I feel like being older, being able to go through the show relatively quickly on streaming, being able to fast forward if I hate it too much, and knowing some elements of the future continuity would ease my wrath would compensate for that.

I know story-wise Voyager has more cast than it can handle but also... AU where Ensign Ballard gets to stay on the ship with her Voyager family and becomes a series regular.

- Starts off Human and slowly becomes more alien because the Kobali look cool.

- Suffers frequent medical problems as her Kobali physiology continues to develop.

-Six lobed brain gives a boost to her intelligence...yet she still somehow only has one brain cell.

- Maybe combine her storyline with Chakotay’s girlfriend from “Unforgettable”? Adult Kobali are telepathic, maybe, and fuzzed Voyagers memories to keep them from trying to find her?

- So she remembers the crew and her relationship to them super well, but to them she’s a stranger for a while.

- In this version I see the Kobali as a creepier version of the Trill/Symbiont relationship. Basically they are nomadic scavengers, seeking out dead or dying bodies to serve as hosts for their young.

- Identity Issues, as she’s unsure if she’s Lyndsay Ballard or Jeht’leya (a new being with Lyndsay’s memories). 

- Originally enthusiastic about rejoining the crew but has a bit of a crisis because her memories of Earth get hazier the further her Kobali physiology develops. Starts wondering if Home is behind her instead of ahead. (But it’s not because her home is Voyager).

- Complicated feelings about the crew and particularly Captain Janeway. Loves and respects her Voyager family but on some level feels that they abandoned her or didn’t try hard enough to save her.

- Could serve as a foil to Seven, becoming more alien as Seven becomes more Human. Intelligent but impulsive and emotional.

How many Star Trek aliens can YOU fit on one page?

Big thanks to @minnat and @effie-etiquette for suffering through this with me.

Entry 626: The Kobali

Home World: Kobali Prime

Occupation: Reborn humanoid aliens of the week

First Appearance: "Ashes to Ashes” (VOY, 2000)

Summary: The Kobali are a highly unusual spacefaring humanoid species from the heart of the Delta Quadrant. Though generally peaceful and friendly, they have gained a number of critics and enemies due to their highly unusual method of reproduction: they take the most undamaged cadavers from other humanoid species, and introduce them to an unusual pathogen. This reanimates the bodies, and simultaneously transforms them into more Kobali. The process heavily dilutes - or wipes out entirely - the memory of the reanimated individual, resulting in a distinct and unique personality which is heralded with a new Kobali name. However, some species are more resistant to the treatment than others. Humans are particularly resilient to losing their memories, and can be extremely stubborn about leaving the Kobali and attempting to recover their old lives. Despite this, the Kobali are deeply protective of their own, and will hunt down and retrieve - by force, if necessary - any of their own who attempt to escape. Despite this, the muted memories generally ensure that most Kobali embrace their new lives without question. After being reborn, the new Kobali is assigned to a family to teach them about Kobali culture and life. Due to the family's "parents" simply being Kobali who had more experience with their culture, this often results in "children" who are noticeably older than their "parents". It remains unknown as to how the Kobali might have evolved to reproduce in such a strange fashion, though rumors persist that some ill-advised genetic engineering in the distant past accidentally rendered the entire species sterile.