The Star Trek franchise contains several species, with each one varying in physical appearance, strength, and intelligence level. Aside from the human characters, the space force Starfleet contains individuals from over 150 species. Among the many extraterrestrials, Vulcans are the most common aliens seen, and one of the strongest alongside the Klingons and the Gorn.
However, the Vulcans are not the oldest civilization in the galaxy. When it comes to the oldest species, the Vedala are the most ancient race known to the United Federation of Planets. This species is known to be very advanced due to its ability to control time and cure mental illness. Here's more information on the Vedala and their history.
What is the Oldest Species in Star Trek?
The Vedala (also called the Vedalan) are the oldest species in Star Trek. They live on the Vedala asteroid, a fresh, green, and vegetative planet filled with trees, flowers, and mushroom-like fungi. These feline humanoids rarely make contact with other cultures and races. The notable characteristics of the Vedala include their tails and ferocious roars. The species is also recognized for its advanced medical and nonspiritual practices.
The Vedala appears in the episode called "The Jihad" (the season one finale of Star Trek: The Animated Series). In this episode, the Vedala seek help from Captain Kirk and Spock of the USS Enterprise in order to recover a sacred artifact called the Soul of Alar (also known as the Soul of the Skorr) that has been stolen and is located in the Skorr temple at the "mad planet." Alar was a renowned religious leader of the Skorr, a race of powerful space warriors. He encoded his brain pattern onto the artifact so that his legacy of fighting for peace is preserved.
Three Vedala expeditions failed because there learned that they were incapable of surviving on the "mad planet." It is uninhabited and geologically unstable due to earthquakes, gravity shifts, and freezing temperatures. After their unsuccessful attempts to retrieve the artifact, they enlist a new team that includes Kirk, Spock, and other individuals from various species to assist in completing the mission.
When Are The Vedala Discovered?
The Vedala were discovered around the middle of the 23rd century (in the year 2268 or 2269), and are recognized by the Federation as the oldest surviving race capable of interstellar space travel. The Vedala space was encountered in Quadrant 1 near the Gamma 7A star system of the Milky Way Galaxy.
Though the Vedala were not known for not interacting with other species, they work with the USS Enterprise and members of multiple races to track down the Soul of Alar so that the galaxy doesn't become engaged in a holy war. Among the Vedala who joined Kirk and Spock on this mission are Tchar, the prince of the Skorr; Sord, a tough reptilian; Em/3/Green, a professional lockpick and thief; and Lara, a skilled navigational hunter.
In Captain Kirk's log, he records his visit to the Vedala asteroid. He mentions that this mission is unique, because he and his crew are working with the oldest space-traveling race in the galaxy. Kirk also records how adamant the Vedala are in trying to preserve the safety of the galaxy and that everyone has to come together as allies to prevent galactic warfare. The Vedala accept Kirk for his leadership skills, and Spock for his insightful scientific analysis.
Spock also notes that the Vedala are very efficient in equipping the team with the supplies they need to survive, including an all-terrain ground vehicle called the Vedala cart and a long-distance transporter device. This enables them to travel on the dangerous "mad planet." During an essential briefing to set up the mission, the Vedala used hologram-like technology to share all the information they knew about the "mad planet" in order to insightfully plan their dangerous journey to the destination that holds the Soul of the Skorr.
While Tchar was determined to be the treacherous culprit responsible for the theft of the artifact, the team successfully recovers the Soul of Alar. The mission also allowed the Vedala to prove that they can cure an individual of madness (Tchar) and manipulate time. Despite the successful recovery of the artifact, the Vedala wanted the mission and details surrounding the theft to be kept a secret for the sake of protecting the Skorr. The Vedala even believed that the team would forget about what happened over time.
Do the Vedala Appear Anywhere Else?
Aside from "The Jihad" episode in Star Trek: The Animated Series, the Vedala rarely appear. They are briefly referenced in the episode "Trusted Sources" in Star Trek: Lower Decks (another fully animated Star Trek series). Petra Aberdeen, an ex-Starfleet officer turned independent archeologist, works with another former officer named Beckett Mariner aboard Petra's ship, the Free Spirit. Petra asks Beckett to help her investigate a tip about some Vedalan mummies, which she agrees to, and they set a course and ride off. These mummies were known to somehow dig themselves up, raising questions as to how and/or why.
In the script for "The Jihad," the Vedala are referred to as lemurs. Kirk also considers the Vedala like lemurs in a novelization of the same episode called "Star Trek Log 5.". According to Adventure Gaming in the Final Frontier, the first Star Trek RPG, the Vedala are said to be around 125 centimeters in height. Star Trek Maps, the first Star Trek publication containing a cartography of maps and charts, refers to the location of the Vedala space in Quadrant 1. The novel Serpents Among the Ruins mentions that the Klingons and one of their best leaders, Ambassador Kage, had dealt with the Vedala sometime before the year 2311.