Species of the week: Xindi

Post by **Teaos** » Wed Oct 17, 2007 9:41 am

One of the only planets to develop multiple sentient species on a single planet at the same time. Other like earth have produced more than one over time and others have developed different species but with an obvious common ancestor.

Not only did they produce more than one but 6 different species although one is now terminated.

I find the idea totally stupid and even more beyond belief than most of trek.

Although I do find the idea of an aquatic species very interesting and the fact that they may have spared tech with the other species explains how they are this advanced technology wise .

We know they join the Federation in a future but I'm not sure if they are part of it in the normal timeline of TNG.

Thoughts?

Bryan Moore · Post by **Bryan Moore** » Wed Oct 17, 2007 11:53 am

Congrats, we're now 2 whole posts without going off topic

I think it is a stretch to have so many species, but what in Trek isn't. But the idea that 6 could form is a little ridiculous, unless we were looking at an incredibly resource rich planet from which all 6 species had very different needs.

But then, are we to assume all M-Class planets are roughly Earth size? I coudl see this happening on a world much larger than Earth. After all, we had Neanderthals and Homo Sapiens at the same time.

Azrael · Post by **Azrael** » Wed Oct 17, 2007 11:56 am

I am surprised we didn't hear any more of the Xindi.. then again, ENT decided to throw continuity out the window..

Post by **Teaos** » Wed Oct 17, 2007 11:57 am

But you assume if it's bigger it has higher gravity. But from what we see of the Xindi they seem to enjoy the same gravity as us. Also they have that dead flying species. I doubt you could achive flight in really high gravity.

One way it might happen is to have seperate continents and have them be almost impossible to travel between with out a decent level of tech, around 1800's earth for example. That could maybe account for 3 or maybe 4 species.

Bryan Moore · Post by **Bryan Moore** » Wed Oct 17, 2007 12:38 pm

But that would also assume separate evolutions and ultra-slow plate tectonics, no? I don't have a problem with the separate continent theory, but if it was anything like Earth, there was still going to be some sort of common ancestor between the separate species. Such differentiation would indicate either fast evolution, very slow development/continental drift, or some other really freaky factor.

And for the sake of sci-fi, instead of having a Nickel/Iron Core, perhaps the Xindi homeworld had a much lighter core. Lets say 1/4th as dense. Gravity could be significantly less of a force.

Post by **Teaos** » Wed Oct 17, 2007 12:51 pm

and ultra-slow plate tectonics, no?

Just because Earth has continental drift doesnt mean everyone does. Alien planets may have a solid crust.[/quote]

Bryan Moore · Post by **Bryan Moore** » Wed Oct 17, 2007 1:03 pm

Fair enough, but that would then make for some oddball planet dynamics.

My memories of Enterprise are fleeting: Do we see a real dominant race among the Xindi?

Post by **Teaos** » Wed Oct 17, 2007 1:08 pm

Depends what you class as dominant.

Aquatic have the biggest ships and seem to have the best tech.

Reptiles are the strongest military

Bugs have the most numbers

Primates seem to be the scientists

Arborials seem to be mediators

They all have a form of power.

Bryan Moore · Post by **Bryan Moore** » Wed Oct 17, 2007 1:20 pm

By dominant I meant the master race, if you will. Lets be honest, Humans are the dominant race in the Federation. Was more thinking in that line.

Granitehewer · Post by **Granitehewer** » Wed Oct 17, 2007 1:24 pm

The Primates and Arboreals, tend to mediate and delegate but the more pugnacious and belligerent reptiles and insects, have gone it alone at times and schismed from the other members of the council, acting diametrically and independently, as featured in certain episodes of enterprise, but regarding the council it appears to be egalitarian, with one representative per species, but that assumption is only based upon the few vignettes, that we've seen

Post by **Teaos** » Wed Oct 17, 2007 1:26 pm

I dont think any of them lead as blatantly as humans do the Federation but the Reptiles seem to have a sort of power if we had to chose one.

Sionnach Glic · Post by **Sionnach Glic** » Wed Oct 17, 2007 2:15 pm

I found the Xindi a refreshing change, for once. After I got over the initial agravation at the blatant disregard of canon, that is.
The idea of so many sapient races, while improbable, is not imposible. Although I do wonder how they avoided killing each other off in mass crusades.
Also, the fact that we got a group of aliens that weren't members of the Bumpy Head club was nice.

Post by **Teaos** » Wed Oct 17, 2007 2:19 pm

They did kill off one of the species in a war. The other were about to be killed off till the sphere builders show up.

Sionnach Glic · Post by **Sionnach Glic** » Wed Oct 17, 2007 3:01 pm

I can't remember most of ENT, so I'm not surprised I forgot that.
Particularly if it was connected to that idiotic Xindi Death Star plot.

Post by **Mikey** » Wed Oct 17, 2007 11:51 pm

I actually liked each species individually, for the most part, they were not

members of the Bumpy Head club.

However, aside from issues of interaction, a planet being able to support, resource-wise, 6 different carbon-based civilizations beggars understanding.

And to increase the lack of common sense of that situation,

Teaos wrote:Also they have that dead flying species. I doubt you could achive flight in really high gravity.

We know that the extinct species was avian, but I don't recall ever hearing that they were capable of independent flight. To use an example local to you, moas were definitely avian, but flightless. In addition, having acultural level of technology would presuppose hands, which in normal avian forelimbs would shrink the leading edge of the wing to uselessness.