Ocampa’s environment was seriously damaged by Nacene explorers more than 3,000 years ago. The planet was turned into a desert, and one of the Nacene took the responsibility of caring for the Ocamapans in an attempt to atone for what had happened.

This explorer, known as “Caretaker” by the Ocampa, led them to a vast underground city he constructed especially for them. The Caretaker provided everything the Ocampans needed – food, water, entertainment and power from an array in space where the Caretaker made his home. He then sealed the Ocampans into their city to keep them safe, and, over the generations, they came to see him as a form of deity.

But this way of life could not last forever. The Caretaker was dying, and needed someone to take his place. According to Voyager’s logs, this is how the ship ended up in the Delta Quadrant. The Caretaker summoned Voyager in an attempt to find a successor, but instead Captain Kathryn Janeway was forced to destroy the Caretaker’s array to keep it out of Kazon hands, stranding Voyager in the Delta Quadrant and cutting off the Ocampans’ only source of power.  Kes, an adventuresome Ocampan who wanted to explore life outside the city, then chose to join Voyager for part of their journey through the Delta Quadrant.

Starfleet estimates projected that the Ocampans had enough resources to stay in their home for five years after the disaster. By the mid-2370s, however they would have to start finding new solutions. Because Ocampans have a limited lifespan – maturing quickly but only living about nine years, any long-term solution to their problems becomes a generational concern.

The Ocampans’ prodigious mental abilities help the gentle species survive, but these were mostly undeveloped during the generations spent in the Caretaker’s city. Kes, away from home, rapidly developed her mental talents until they grew so great she transformed into a being of pure energy and left Voyager. It is not known if this is an ability all Ocampans possess, or if her adventures unlocked unknown talents.

Starfleet has had no contact with the Ocampan homeworld since 2376, so it is unclear what the situation is there now. However, since the late-2370s some Ocampans have been travelling in Kes’s footsteps, seeking to learn more about the Delta Quadrant and find a home. These ships house several generations of Ocampans, but they are new to spaceflight and often find themselves in situations they are unprepared to handle. Friendly relations with the Talaxians and other species have helped them adapt to their new lives, but they have a great deal of turmoil ahead of them before they are prepared for all the trials the Delta Quadrant has to offer.

The Ocampans should not be a tactical threat to Republic ships, but they may be an ally. In addition, I feel some sympathy for their plight, which in some ways mirrors our own. If they still exist, we should reach out to them.

To learn more about the Ocampans, watch “Caretaker,” “Elogium,” “Cold Fire” “Before and After” or “The Gift”!