Vau N'Akat

The Vau N'Akat were a technologically advanced humanoid species native to the planet Solum in the Delta Quadrant. ()
== History ==
=== Original timeline ===
The Vau N'Akat once believed that they were the only intelligent race in the universe, until a starship made first contact in the mid-2380s. Afterward, a schism developed within Vau N'Akat society between those who were tempted by the promise of other worlds and wished to align with the Federation, and those who sought to preserve their old way of life and disdained joining a "primitive allegiance". Years of infighting eventually erupted into decades of civil war that left Solum irreparably devastated; extinction was thought to be inevitable.
Fifty years after first contact, the was ejected over Solum by an unstable wormhole, having been brought from the 2380s. The surviving Vau N'Akat, bitter at how the Federation had "abandoned" them by remaining neutral during their civil war, saw this as a fateful opportunity for revenge and to save their species. They captured the ship and installed their last surviving living construct aboard, hoping to send it back into the past to destroy the Federation and avert first contact.
However, Captain Chakotay and his crew managed to escape and send the Protostar into the wormhole unmanned, losing it in time and space. With their greatest minds estimating no better than a one percent chance of finding the Protostar again, the Vau N'Akat formed the Order and sent the last of their fleet, one hundred starships, into the wormhole to complete their mission. Each was crewed by a single soldier who forsook their name and former life in dedication to their cause, and was accompanied by a Drednok. Most of the ships were destroyed as the wormhole collapsed, but The Diviner and The Vindicator survived, emerging in different times and locations. ()
Though he had traveled to a time when the Vau N'Akat still thrived in isolation, the Diviner saw himself, and later his daughter Gwyndala, as the last survivors of their species. ()
Following the defeat of the Order plot, Gwyn returned to her homeworld in 2384 in the hopes of averting the disastrous civil war before it could begin. Even if the Federation were to not initiate first contact, Gwyn recognized that outside contact was inevitable someday, and sought to unite the species to see such contact in a positive light. ()
=== Altered timeline ===
In 2384, Gwyn reached Solum to try to make peaceful first contact on behalf of the Federation, only to discover that Asencia had arrived first and turned the ruling council against her. After being defeated in ritual combat by Asencia, Gwyn was rescued by her friends who arrived from the future in the , having accidentally altered the timeline by helping Chakotay and Adreek-Hu to escape in the rather than it being sent through time on autopilot, resulting in the ship never reaching Tars Lamora. ()
Asencia subsequently took control of Solum, overthrowing the council and building a fleet of warships armed with temporal technology stolen from the mind of Wesley Crusher. Ilthuran -- the Vau N'Akat who would become the Diviner in the future -- and Asencia's younger self, who was horrified by the monster that her future self had become, organized the Uprising, leading to a civil war amongst the Vau N'Akat despite all attempts to avoid it. ()
As Asencia attempted to use her wormhole technology to launch a massive attack against the Federation, the and the Protostar attacked, seeking to stop Asencia and send the Protostar back in time to fix the broken timeline. Asencia's fleet was destroyed when Dal R'El and Jankom Pog opened the wormhole to Tars Lamora, closing the wormholes that Asencia's ships had partially entered. The Vau N'Akat combined together to give their strength to Gwyn, who defeated Asencia. However, the Loom swarmed out of the wormhole and attacked Solum until the Protostar was sent back in time, repairing the timeline and causing the Loom to cease their attack on the prime universe. ()
After the defeat of Asencia, the Vau N'Akat, now aware of their future and the wonders and dangers of the galaxy, made peaceful first contact with the crew of Voyager led by Vice Admiral Kathryn Janeway. ()
Wesley suggested that Ilthuran would end up leading his people into a better future after Asencia's defeat, although it was unclear if this was altered by Ilthuran's rescue from captivity, which didn't happen in the future Wesley foresaw in which Ilthuran would become the new leader of Solum following his defeat of Asencia. However, Ilthuran's leading presence at first contact with the Federation would suggest that he did indeed become the leader or at least one of their leaders of his people. ()
== Biology ==
Vau N'Akat had gray skin, tendrils rather than hair, long furrows on their faces, and reddish markings over their noses. They had the ability to activate their technology psychokinetically, during which their pupils and patterns across their skin and tendrils glowed white. Their minds could not be read by telepaths such as Medusans. They were capable of completely healing fractured bones within days without extensive medical assistance, only requiring a splint to set it. ()
Vau N'Akat were capable of lending their strength to an individual by concentrating and chanting the person's name followed by "my will is yours" or as a group, "our will is yours." This caused the individual's eyes and markings to glow brightly, enhancing their strength in battle with another Vau N'Akat. A Vau N'Akat attempting to use their abilities to combat such a person could seemingly burn out their powers, resulting in the tendrils and facial markings becoming blackened. ()
When a Vau N'Akat died, their body evaporated into blue particles. ()
== Technology ==
In the 25th century, the Vau N'Akat were at least as technologically advanced as the Federation; they had knowledge of warp drive, directed energy weaponry, and transporters, and built starships of considerable size and sophistication. Their heirloom devices were composed of metal that could be reconfigured in response to its user's psychokinetic commands. The Vau N'Akat were capable of producing advanced artificial lifeforms, such as the sentient Drednoks, the s, and living constructs. They could also create offspring through artificial means, and build suits containing bioserum that preserved and enhanced the wearer's vitality. ()
== Individuals ==
;Named
* Borom
* Asencia (The Vindicator)
* Gwyndala (clone)
* Ilthuran (The Diviner)
* Kathon
;Unnamed
* Unnamed Vau N'Akat
== Appendices ==
=== Background information ===
According to StarTrek.com, the Vau N'Akat ability to mentally control certain objects is called "neuroflux". 
According to Kevin and Dan Hageman, the reason that Vau N'Akat evaporate after death is because when they first wrote the death of the Diviner in , they neglected to recognize that his body would then be left on the Protostar bridge for the remainder of the two-part episode. After the director pointed this out, they devised that biological attribute to fix the problem. 
=== External link ===
* 
Category:Species