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Kobali

From Memory Alpha, the free Star Trek reference

Q'ret, a Kobali male
Jhet'leya, a Kobali female

The Kobali are a humanoid Delta Quadrant species.

They are warp-capable, with a technology level comparable to that of Starfleet. Their medical knowledge is more advanced, however, as they can reanimate someone who is dead for more than two weeks. Kobali also have high regards for every life which is honored by the saying "Never harbor anger towards those who have brought you death for they gave you the chance to live again."

Kobali do not procreate to obtain offspring like other species; they salvage the corpses of dead sentient lifeforms which they reanimate. Over a period of several months, the DNA of the reanimated lifeform is altered by means of a genetic pathogen that converts most of the alien's DNA into a Kobali protein structure. These biochemical changes affect every part of the body, leaving only trace amounts of the original being's DNA. After this, they are given Kobali names and placed in Kobali families to help them acclimate.

Reanimating is the most important Kobali custom, which can be in conflict with other species burial customs when they occasionally meet. Reanimation causes extensive memory loss, generally rendering the reanimated entirely new beings, personality-wise. However, some people remember parts of their former life, known to the Kobali as kyn'steya. There are also people who remember so much of their previous lives that it causes them to escape the Kobali in search of their former life. Those that do are searched for by other Kobali to return them home.

Kobali physiology differs from Humans. They have a six-lobed brain and a binary cardiovascular system. The effect of the genetic pathogen cannot be reversed because there is not enough original DNA present after the alteration to do so. It is, however, possible to change a person's appearance by inaprovaline injection, which needs to be repeated to maintain the lifeform's previous appearance. This only helps for a short period of time because the Kobali genetic pathogen undoes the changes.

There is not much variety in the Kobali diet; their main food looks like gray paste. When they taste other foods like a Jibelian berry salad, it has a metallic flavor to them.

Kobali have a talent for sensing and manipulating wave phenomena. Vyk'tiote, translated roughly as "crumpled dance," seems to be their specialty.

Kobali made first contact with Humans in 2376 via the starship USS Voyager when they were searching for Jhet'leya, a Kobali kyn'steya who escaped her family in search of her former life, as Ensign Lyndsay Ballard, serving aboard Voyager. This contact did not proceed smoothly, but fortunately hostilities ended before they escalated. This is the only recorded contact that the Kobali have had with Starfleet. (VOY: "Ashes to Ashes")

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