Niglik
The Niglik are a species indigenous to the planet Nigli located in the Beta Quadrant. They are allies of the Tch'Kairn and the Joz.
The species is diminutive in stature, but are renowned diplomats, artists and philosophers. They share a group consciousness, simply by passing their memories by touch between the various members of their species. They are touch telepaths although they are very weak. They are capable of long range telepathic communication only when gathered in large numbers, where they may combine their collective telepathic powers.
The species is most likely evolved from some sort of water-borne mammal. They possess a pair of nostrils high on their forehead, which is indicative of such evolutionary origins.
The Niglik utilize environmentally sound technologies, and have a minimal impact on their worlds and on any colony worlds that they establish. This is a result of their innate understanding and connection with nature.
There is no crime on the Niglik world nor is there conflict between Niglik. This is due in large part because of their shared memories. Niglik criminals simply could not escape justice. Nigliks were once brutal tribe-based groups. They are pack hunters, and obviously derived from carnivorous mammals. They can see in the infrared spectrum and it is suspected that wither their planet is dark or that it is very cold. When a Niglik become agitated, their body temperature plummets in conjunction with a spike in aggressive hormones. This acts as an indicator to others of the species that danger is near. Niglik affected in this way become very aggressive and potentially violent.
The Niglik did not develop a spoken language until after they encountered the Tch'Kairn, as they could convey concepts through touch. The language that they developed was designed around a series of trumpeting sounds of different lengths, timbres and pitches. These were created by controlling the muscular sheathes that lined their nasal passages.
Niglik are capable of changing their gender as needed to maintain their species, or as a result of environmental or social pressure. This is very similar to the changes undertaken by several species of terrestrial amphibians. This means that Nigliks have the capacity to be both female or male, but not at the same time. The process is known as "Chalgra" by the Nigliks. Many Nigliks change gender several times throughout their lives and all Niglik names are Unisex in nature.
History[edit]
Sometime in the mid- 2100's the Niglik encountered the Waagoshin. These two species at first had an amiable relationship, with the Niglik sharing a more advanced technology with the lesser advanced Waagoshin. That soon changed however when a Waagoshin government, determined that the Nigliks were attempting to show their superiority and denying the Waagoshin even more advanced technology, launched an attack against the Niglik in 2198.
The conflict waged for five bloody years, bringing into the war the Joz and the Tch'Kairn both of which were allies of the Niglik. With the defeat of the Niglik, the Waagoshin enslaved that planet and set out to locate and subdue the Tch'Kairn and the Joz. This initial attack is commonly considered to tbe the beginning of the Waagoshin Invasion.
At this time it is only known that the Tch'Kairn have been enslaved. The situation with the Joz is as of yet undetermined.
First Encounter with the Federation[edit]
The Niglik were first encountered by the crew of the USS Hades when they were responding to the distress messages of the Tch'Kairn Resistance. The particular Nigliks encountered were slaves assigned to work in the Waste reclamation center of a Waagoshin Orbital Facility in the Tch'Kair System. It was then that the Niglik and the Federation had their first encounter. Their leader was Vazkak.
Nigliks were first seen in the USS Hades mission :A Rule of Conscience