Kinara

The Kinara was an interstellar alliance of nations in the Delta Quadrant formed in 2381. The Kinara's goal was to access the network of subspace corridors underpinning the quadrant, known as Underspace or streams of the Great River, freely. The Confederacy of the Worlds of the First Quadrant restricted access to their portions of Underspace, resulting in armed conflict between the two multi-species blocs. 

Naming
Kinara was a word in the language of the Skeen, meaning 'allies'. Rigger Meeml used it to refer to the Skeen's allies, and the term was adopted quickly by Devore inspector Kashyk and the alliance's rivals

Origin
The Skeen traveled through Underspace for many years until they found resources beyond the territory of the Confederacy. These were accessible only through Confederacy-controlled streams of Underspace. The Skeen sought unrestricted access to those streams but the Confederacy refused to communicate with them. 

Formation
In the year 2381, the Skeen formed an alliance with several species. In late 2381, the Devore, Karlon, Turei, Vaadwaur and Voth joined the Kinara and began blockading the Gateway to the. The Confederacy Interstellar Fleet and the Kinara became embroiled in skirmishes, and the Voth sabotaged the Federation subspace relay network in the Delta Quadrant. 

At some point before February 2382, the fugitive Neyser criminal Meegan McDonnell took control of Devore, Turei, Vaadwaur, and other leaders by occupying their minds with those of her fellow criminal Neysers. 

Underspace conflict
In late 2381, a Kinara fleet attacked the Federation starships USS Voyager and USS Demeter (NCC-79914) and their wave form allies near the Ark Planet. The CIF led a fleet of the Confederacy Interstellar Fleet and obliterated the Kinara fleet. General Mattings subsequently invited the Federation ships to visit the First World. 

In February 2382, Vice Admiral Kathryn Janeway convinced the Presider of the Confederacy of the Worlds of the First Quadrant, Isorla Cin, to enter negotations with the Kinara fleet blockading the Gateway. Skeen Rigger Meeml of the starship Lightcarrier responded to her hail, and the Confederacy learned of the Kinara's demands for the first time. The diplomatic exchange was enabled by the Federation starship USS Vesta (prototype).

The Neyser-possessed commanding officer of the Devore warship Manticle, Inspector Kashyk, inserted himself into the conversation and made the extradition of Admiral Janeway a non-negotiable term for peace between the Confederacy and the Kinara. When the Confederacy declined to abide to these terms, the standoff degenerated into open battle. The battle came to a halt when Janeway agreed to be extradited. A shuttle carried her and two subordinates to the Manticle, where Kashyk and a multi-species security team took her into custody. 

Members

 * Devore Imperium
 * Karlon
 * Skeen
 * Vaadwaur Supremacy
 * Voth
 * at least one unnamed Kinara member

Territory
The Kinara intended to force open the Confederacy's Underspace streams to claim resources beyond its territory. The territories of the Kinara member species were spread across the Delta Quadrant, Ten-thousands of light-years apart.