A humanoid species from the Delta Quadrant, the most unique thing about the Kobali is their method of reproduction.

Unable to have children through sexual or asexual reproduction, the Kobali instead recover corpses from other species and then infect those bodies with a genetic virus. This alters the DNA of the body, causing it to reanimate as a new Kobali. After this process is complete, only trace amounts of the host’s original DNA remain. The Kobali call this process “rebirth.”

There are, of course, some correlations between rebirth and the Borg process of assimilation. Both groups have the knowledge needed to revive the dead. But while the Borg will target the unwilling and subsume their consciousness into the collective, the Kobali are far more benevolent, and new Kobali retain their individuality.  

A newly risen Kobali will then be assigned to a family group, who are responsible for helping him or her acclimate to life as a Kobali. New Kobali will spend up to two years with this group learning the Kobali language and culture, and the adoptive family treats their new child with as much love and compassion as we see in other cultures with more typical forms of reproduction. While fragmented memories of their former existence may remain, the Kobali encourage new members of their species to forget their past life, or kyn’steya. In a few cases, Kobali retain so much of their old memories that accepting their life as a Kobali can be difficult. If this happens, it is the responsibility of the new Kobali’s family to help them, or to seek them out if a new Kobali leaves the homeworld to try to resume their former life.

It is unclear as to exactly why the Kobali use this form of reproduction. Federation exobiologists speculate that it must have developed some time after the Kobali developed as a species, possibly as a result of some sort of biological event that rendered them infertile. However, the details of what such an event could be are unclear, and without cooperation from the Kobali we may never completely understand the phenomenon.

The Kobali are warp capable, and for much of their history roamed the stars in nomadic groups of ships, searching for bodies to use in their rebirth rituals. This has brought them into conflict multiple times with other cultures that see rebirth as a desecration of their burial practices. For their part, the Kobali are a peaceful people, choosing to retreat rather than fight in most instances.

Sometime in the past century, however, the Kobali chose to settle on a new homeworld. Their culture has developed rapidly since their arrival on Kobali Prime, and as the population has expanded, they have created cities and new forms of culture. From what I understand, Kobali Prime is a quite lovely and pleasant planet.

We believe that Kobali technology is roughly equivalent to the Federation, although in some areas they may have knowledge that we lack. The creation of the genetic pathogen used for rebirth is exceptionally advanced, and may indicate that the Kobali have put much of their effort into advancing their knowledge of medicine and genetic engineering.

One thing of note for captains visiting Kobali Prime: their food is very different from what most of us consider palatable. Their main form of sustenance is a gray nutritional paste, and foods that will be quite pleasant for us will be distasteful to a Kobali. When interacting with them in social and diplomatic situations, please be sure to keep this in mind. More than one delicate diplomatic situation has been made worse by a bad meal!

Watch “Ashes to Ashes” to learn more about the Kobali.