Ocampa (Kes) ideas

[BohandiAnsoid]

Hello everyone;


I am currently working on preparing to write a fanfiction about the Ocampa species and civilization, their culture, legends and past. I do intend for it to confirm to what was in the shows at the moment of it's writings, but there is preciously little about it. We know somewhat of their biology, although my idea is that it is not natural and was influenced by the Caretaker. We know that they are somewhat traditional, but without any penalties for breaking such traditions, and that they mate for life (which I read as “have sexual relations only with one person”, not “have romantic interests in only one person in life”) and experience no romantic jealousy, something not even Vulcans accomplished. But other things we know only from unusual Ocampa: Kes and these living with Suspiria.


My own theories, at this moment, are as follows: the Ocampa are expected to contribute to their society, but they have full free will on how they choose to do it, and some Ocampa have additional powers to others, with Kes being one of them (and Suspiria specifically choosing such Ocampa when she established her colony. This is also why Tandis had such an interest in Kes).


I am looking for more suggestions on the Ocampa (and Kes specifically too). I am looking for things from canon I overlooked or books, your own ideas you already have and even new ideas you just came up with. Everything is welcome and will be though about. But I urge for someone to respond with something. Anything. If only just acknowledgment of receiving it. Anything on their biology, culture, society, past, legends, language… And so on.


I will acknowledge your contribution if you want, or be quiet about it if you do not want.


I would be grateful for any help.

 

[Akiraprise]

Well, there is one enthusiastic Kes fan that frequents these parts who may be able to assist you. Calling @Lynx or visit his website; http://www.lynx677.tk/ although you two might want to converse via private message. I have a feeling you'll have much to discuss.

 

[Lynx]

Well, there is one enthusiastic Kes fan that frequents these parts who may be able to assist you. Calling @Lynx or visit his website; http://www.lynx677.tk/ although you two might want to converse via private message. I have a feeling you'll have much to discuss.

Thanks for nice comments about me!
I'll do what I can to help out.

 

[BohandiAnsoid]

Thanks for nice comments about me! I'll do what I can to help out.

Thank you. I will be waiting.

 

[Guy Gardener]

Kes and Neelix had separate Rooms (Voy Twisted), so it's possible that what she had with Neelix was very PG13.

 

[BohandiAnsoid]

I assume so. This is my explanation why her first being Neelix's girlfriend and then (in alternate timeline of Before and After) Tom's wife: since she never "mated" with Neelix, she was free to marry Tom (and then mate with him, which resulted in Linnis)

 

[BohandiAnsoid]

I just want to clarify. Right now, I am just collecting all information and ideas. I may ask for more specific information/ideas later.

 

[Guy Gardener]

I assume so. This is my explanation why her first being Neelix's girlfriend and then (in alternate timeline of Before and After) Tom's wife: since she never "mated" with Neelix, she was free to marry Tom (and then mate with him, which resulted in Linnis)

She can only mate once, during her third year, so sex if it's even enjoyable for Kes, it is also completely functionless outside a very narrow margin of her life span, where during Neelix was off with Sam Wildeman by that point.

No one is free to marry Tom Paris. It is a costly and adventurous gambit that probably requires a blind fold and a ball-peen hammer. You don't lock that boy down, without nailing his feet to the floor first.

 

[BohandiAnsoid]

This "mating once per life" is a problem that I have yet to deal with. At least it makes Kes less "sex - focused" than most Stat Trek women, in both canon and fanfiction. It certainly makes her unique.

In my post - Voyager fanfiction, she is never paired romantically with anyone (with one possible hinted exception), focusing more on friendships and helping other people form relationships. Which, considering what kind of powers she has, may be good thing. Then again, in these stories, I rarely think about jer species (which is why I ask you now)

 

[BohandiAnsoid]

Also, when it comes to such matters, I have a feeling that the Ocampa in general and Kes in particular, would be extremely intolerant of any kind of coercion/force/manipulation when it comes to relationships, sex and marriage. Even more than most people. Ocampa themselves might react (at first) with "How is it even possible for someone to do such things?". But Kes, having experienced Neelix's jealousy and seen/heard of events of "Blood Fever" (and I think there were something else, but I don't remember now), would be really hard on it. I don't think she would kill anyone, but she would certainly try to stop such things and punish the perpetrator.

 

[Lynx]

Also, when it comes to such matters, I have a feeling that the Ocampa in general and Kes in particular, would be extremely intolerant of any kind of coercion/force/manipulation when it comes to relationships, sex and marriage. Even more than most people. Ocampa themselves might react (at first) with "How is it even possible for someone to do such things?". But Kes, having experienced Neelix's jealousy and seen/heard of events of "Blood Fever" (and I think there were something else, but I don't remember now), would be really hard on it. I don't think she would kill anyone, but she would certainly try to stop such things and punish the perpetrator.

Since we're actually at it, I must admit that those in charge of Voyager messed up the species.

First of all, the nine-year lifespan was hampering to the character Kes and the Ocampa species. I mean, a species with such a short lifespan could never have become more than primates.

Second, the "only one child" thing is impossible since a species like that would die out after a few generations.

Third, her psychic abilities are more interesting but should have been kept at the level she showed in Persistence Of Vision. The rubbish in The Gift and in the horrible season 6 episode where the character was totally destroyed and downright ridiculed were simply exaggerated to get rid of her as soon as possible (The Gift) and to destroy the character (the s**t episode in season 6).

When it come to Kes, what the writers should have focused on was her personality!

Her way to solve problems by simply attackuing them from another angle, like we saw in Jetrel when Neelix admitted that he had lied about his "glorious actioons" during the war against the Hakooonians and told her that he was a coward. Kes then asked him what the punishment for desertion was and Neelix replied "death". Kes then said: "So, you put your life at risk for something you believed in, and you think that makes you a coward? I don't understand."

A typical Kes way of solving problems.

We could also see that in her interaction with the "Dr Zimmerman" hologram in The Swarm when she argumented with him about the best way to save The Doctor without having to do a total restart of him.

What also should have been more focused on was Kes's curiosity, interest in learning and exploring, her kindness, how helpful she always was but also that she could be tough and determined when necessary, all of what makes a good character.

When it comes to the Kes/Neelix relationship, it was OK in the beginning of the series due to how Neelix had saved her from the Kazon.

But it should have been broken up in season 2, some time after Parturition when it was obvious that they had drifted apart.

That process actually started when they joined the Voyager crew. Kes found new friends and a new, interesting life on the ship where she really got the chance to learn, explore, be helpful and an important member of the crew while Neelix felt useless in some way, therefore coming up with all his ideas about being "morale officer", "journalist" and whatever. His jealousy also ruined the relationship he had with Kes. No surprise that she got tired of him.

However, the relationship should have been broken up during two or three episodes and more carefully described, not in the silly way it was in the otherwise very good episode Warlord when kes while being posessed by Tieran all of a sudden breaks up the relationship and that's that! No explanation what happened when kes became herself again.

As for the Ocampa themselves, there were actually two groups of them. One at the Ocampa planet who were placid and trusted in their Caretaker and another at Suspiria's Array who were more technically and psychially advanced.

It would have been interesting to know how the Ocampa developed after Voyager left them.
According to the book Caretaker which was based on the script for the TV episode, The caretaker managed to download hs knowledge to the Ocampa on the planet before the array was destroyed.

And when it come to the Ocampa on Suspiria's array, it would have been interesting to know if they made contact with the home planet later on and what could have happened then.

In my post - Voyager fanfiction, she is never paired romantically with anyone (with one possible hinted exception), focusing more on friendships and helping other people form relationships. Which, considering what kind of powers she has, may be good thing. Then again, in these stories, I rarely think about jer species (which is why I ask you now)

In my post-Voyager fanfiction, she has been given a human lifespan by Q, encountered another Maquis ship in the Delta Quadrant (the ship is named after a certain celebrity here or is it the certain celebrity who has named himself after the ship?) .

She followed that ship to the Alpha Quadrant and is now happily living on a planet somewhere between Bajor and the Tzenkheti Empiore where several former Maquis have settled.

She's not into any romance, at least not yet since I'm not good about writing about romances and domestic problems and don't want to be like those writers and producers who creates a questionable relationship and mess it upp just because they just have to have a relationship in the story. But she has some affection for the former commander of the Maquis ship who took her to the Alpha Quadrant.

 

[BohandiAnsoid]

Thank you. I expected a long response from you.

I read your stories and enjoyed them. Not only because of Kes. Your invented civilizations were nice too.

I agree with you that not every story ends romance. Some stories I really like has no romance at all. And I wrote some romances in the past, and screw some of them too (and, as for ST write screwing them, one needs to go no further than Trip/T'Pol from ENT. I am currently working on a fanfiction that involves AU time travelling Kes fix it. This is actually where I invited "no toleranc" thing above).

As for seeing how the Ocampa developed after Caretaker, this is one of the reasons I am making this thread. And, while we are at it, I did something like that myself, using 4X game Galactic Civilizations lII, with Ocampa custom civilization. So I know it a bit. But the game, no matter how well done, can never give the full picture the way a book can.

Sorry for not replying earlier, my phone is acting up.

 

[BohandiAnsoid]

Also, I agree that the species was messed up. Which is why I think the species did not evolve that way but was changed into that by some outside force (or a screwed - up genetic experiment of their own). In my fiction, I fixed it quickly as soon as I could, but I made it a plot point.

 

[BohandiAnsoid]

Also,I would like to make a point that I am currently at "The Killing Game" in S4, so I did not watch "that season 6 episode", and, unlike ENT, never read a transcript either (just enough of a summary to fix it).

 

[BohandiAnsoid]

One idea I read once in some fanfiction is that Ocampa can use their abilities to induce pleasure similar or better that sexual experience, therefore rendering sex unnecessary outside Elogium.

Anyway, I think we went too much on that subject. I want to hear your ideas about the past of the Ocampa, their culture, biology, legends, traditions, past... For example, how it happened that Suspiria took these Ocampa? How they were before the Nacene arrived? How it happened that they lives are so short now (because we agree that this could not come from natural evolution)? Were there any animals on ancient Ocampa? Did the Ocampa have space travel before (maybe they had some lost colonies, or ancient contacts like the Bajorans)? Or what about their future? Did news of Kes inspired other Ocampa to leave their planet and explore? Did they use the knowledge of the Caretaker to establish themselves as a galactic civilization? And anything else I didn't though about.

I know there is some interest. I could really use your ideas, and opinions on ideas. If you have anything to say on the subject, anything at all, it will be helpful. I really ask you.

 

[Lynx]

Thank you. I expected a long response from you.

I read your stories and enjoyed them. Not only because of Kes. Your invented civilizations were nice too.

I agree with you that not every story ends romance. Some stories I really like has no romance at all. And I wrote some romances in the past, and screw some of them too (and, as for ST write screwing them, one needs to go no further than Trip/T'Pol from ENT. I am currently working on a fanfiction that involves AU time travelling Kes fix it. This is actually where I invited "no toleranc" thing above).

As for seeing how the Ocampa developed after Caretaker, this is one of the reasons I am making this thread. And, while we are at it, I did something like that myself, using 4X game Galactic Civilizations lII, with Ocampa custom civilization. So I know it a bit. But the game, no matter how well done, can never give the full picture the way a book can.

Sorry for not replying earlier, my phone is acting up.

Thanks for nice comments about my stories!

I must find more time to write, I have a few half-written stories which I just have to find a way to come up with a good end too.


I have nothing against romances as such, as long as they are well-thought up and well-written and not only there because ther must be a romance in the story.


Ocampa in a game looks interesting. Or to quote another of my top 5 favorites, who is Q:
Games? Did someone say games?

 

[BohandiAnsoid]

Most of romances I write are really just "fixing up" things that were messed up by canon writers. Not only Star Trek ones. And Kes often helps me (in - universe). As are a few other characters.

Ocampa for Galactic Civilizations lII (this series of games is really good, and old) can be find if you search "Ocampa Alliance" on Steam.

Thank you for your response. Do you have any ideas? And would you be willing to comment on ideas I have?

 

[BohandiAnsoid]

The first romance I wrote was when I was a child writing stories about adult selves of myself, my colleagues and my fictional favorite characters. I decided that lack of it would be unnatural. It went pretty well, only to be damaged in stories I wrote as a teenager.

 

[Guy Gardener]

You may not have it yet, but after a while, you get an "edit" button, so you don't have to reply to yourself like a crazy person.

Kes started as a barmaid/slavegirl who the Kazon would throw at passing through business men, to keep warm in the icy desert nights.

In one of the novels, Bobba Fett was given Slave Girl Princess Leia for the night at Jabba's palace as a gift, but all he did was guard her virtue, while she slept, like a perfect gentleman.

 

[BohandiAnsoid]

Yes, I don't have "edit" button now. It surprised me.

I think Kes recovered rather quickly from her enslavement by the Kazon. Then again, she is Kes, and she is surprisingly strong and enduring. She didn't even hold a grudge against the Kazon (not that she interacted much with them afterward).