Delphic Expanse

File:ThermobaricClouds.jpg

The Template:ShipClass starship Enterprise approaches the thermobaric clouds surrounding the Delphic Expanse in 2153.

The Delphic Expanse was an area of space approximately 50 light years from Earth and 2,000 light years across. The Expanse was riddled with a web of dangerous spatial anomalies and was surrounded by a dense layer of thermobaric clouds, which made navigation to starships extremely hazardous. (ENT: "The Expanse", "The Xindi")

When Earth suffered a devastating attack which resulted in the deaths of seven million people, Captain Jonathan Archer received intelligence from the Suliban Cabal's mysterious benefactor that the attack had been launched by the Xindi, a race native to the Expanse. With this information, the Enterprise NX-01 embarked on a mission into the Expanse to find the Xindi, in an attempt to prevent another attack which would destroy Earth. (ENT: "The Expanse")

While in the Expanse, Enterprise encountered the Triannons, a native species which regarded the Expanse as the "Chosen Realm," an area that had been created by supernatural beings they referred to as "the Makers," in preparation for their eventual return. As they spent more time in the Expanse, the Enterprise crew discovered that the Triannon myth was based in fact, and that the Expanse had been created by a race of transdimensional beings who were attempting to reconfigure space to make it habitable for their species as a prelude to invasion. (ENT: "Chosen Realm", "Harbinger")

A map of the Delphic Expanse spheres.

The crew discovered that this race had constructed a series of massive spheres, each one of which emitted powerful waves of gravimetric energy, which were responsible for the spatial anomalies. Posessing advanced temporal technology which allowed them to examine alternate timelines, the Sphere Builders discovered that, in the 26th century, the Federation was destined to finally defeat the Sphere Builders and drive them back into their transdimensional realm. In an attempt to prevent this future, the Builders contacted the Xindi and led them to believe that humanity would eventually be responsible for the destruction of their homeworld, and that the only way to save themselves was to destroy Earth first. (ENT: "Azati Prime")

Captain Archer was eventually able to convince the Xindi that they had been manipulated, and entered into an alliance against the Sphere Builders. Enterprise was successful in disabling one of the Spheres with a deflector pulse, causing a chain reaction which destroyed the entire Sphere network. This effectively caused the Expanse to cease to exist, and the thermobaric cloud perimeter dissipated. (ENT: "Zero Hour")

Astronomical objects

• Arakon system
• Azati Prime system
• Calindra system
• Muratas Cluster
• Orassin distortion field

See also

• Delphic Expanse planets

Sentient species

• Haradin
• Ikaarans
• Illyrians
• Kovaalans
• Loque'eque
• Skagarans
• Tarquin's species
• Tret's species
• Triannons
• U'tani
• V'radians
• Xindi

Background

The location of the Delphic Expanse in relation to the known geography of the Alpha/Beta Quadrant area of the 23rd and 24th centuries is unclear at best. We know that the Expanse's thermobaric clouds – its "border" – were approximately fifty light years from Earth. Some have theorized that the Delphic Expanse may have been located in the area of space that included Ferenginar and Cardassia Prime, to explain why it is that these two races, already space-faring by the time of the 22nd century, were able to go undetected by the Federation until the 24th century.