- "Your world has food chains. Mine does not. Our species map is binary; we are either predator or prey. My people were hunted, bred, farmed... we are your livestock of old. We were biologically determined for one purpose, and one purpose alone – to sense the coming of death. I sense it coming now."
- —Saru, 2256[src]
Kelpiens were a sentient humanoid species native to the planet Kaminar in either the Alpha or Beta Quadrant.
Biology
Kelpiens were tall, lanky humanoids. They possessed a threat ganglia which allowed them to instinctively sense danger. The ganglia only emerged when a threat was imminent. When adult Kelpiens underwent the process of vahar'ai, the ganglia would wither and fall off, and the Kelpien would lose their innate sense of fear. Also, a new organ would arise in the same space that the threat ganglia had been located. This new organ would give the Kelpien the ability to fire spikes at enemies, when threatened. (DSC episode: "The Sound of Thunder")
History
In their distant past, Kelpiens were vicious and warlike, and greatly outnumbered Kaminar's other major sentient species, the Ba'ul. The Ba'ul were almost driven to extinction until they used their advanced technology to make the Kelpiens their prey. The Ba'ul exterminated the remaining adult Kelpiens (the ones who had undergone vahar'ai) and established the Great Balance, under which any Kelpien showing symptoms of vahar'ai would present themselves for ritual sacrifice.
This system continued until Saru, a Starfleet officer who had undergone vahar'ai (and, to his astonishment, survived) returned to Kaminar to free his people. Saru used Ba'ul technology to send a signal across all of Kaminar, which caused every member of the Kelpien species to undergo vahar'ai. (DSC episode: "The Sound of Thunder")
In 2239, Federation Starfleet officers from the USS Archimedes rescued Saru from Kaminar when the Archimedes answered his distress call. Saru was the first of his species to join Starfleet. (DSC novel: Desperate Hours; DSC episode: "The Sounds of Thunder"; Short Trek episode: "The Brightest Star")
Kaminar joined the Federation by the 25th century, and it was not unknown for people to encounter Kelpiens in the galaxy. After The Burn, Kaminar was too far afield to maintain contact with the Federation. In 3189, after meeting Saru for the first time, Admiral Charles Vance stated it had been some time since he had last seen a Kelpian. (DSC episode: "Die Trying")
Culture
Kelpien society revolved upon their place in the Great Balance of Kaminar as they believed that as ordained by the Watchful Eye it was necessary for Kelpiens to die in order to preserve harmony on their world. Due to their short lives Kelpiens were communal beings, and revered their elders, sitting around the fire to hear stories,
It was tradition that after they had suffered a great tragedy, Kelpien families would name the next child Su'Kal, which translates as "beloved gift". The child represents the end of suffering.
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External link
- Kelpien article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.