Keel-Verezy

The Keel-Verezy are a race often mentioned to Captain Zelnick by Melnorme Trade Master Greenish in their dealings during the Second War, that appear to have had longstanding commerce with the Melnorme, including providing the Inevitably Successful in All Circumstances with a weapon system for self-defense yet mysteriously remain undetectable or unreachable for other civilizations. On one occasion, when the Vindicator approached the Inevitably Successful in All Circumstances to initiate trade, Greenish accused Zelnick of having almost collided with a Keel-Verezy ship. Greenish was at first shocked at Zelnick's irresponsibility, then seemed to remember some long-forgotten fact that explained Zelnick's inability to detect the Keel-Verezy, after which he let the subject drop, refusing to say more. When Greenish did speak about the Keel-Verezy, he claimed that a Keel-Verezy captain he was friendly with had expressed great interest in Humanity's struggle to free itself from the Hierarchy, but believed that exposing themselves to the humans would frighten them.

All we can deduce from these exchanges with the at times infuriatingly gnomic Melnorme is that the Keel-Verezy apparently have some reason for hiding their presence and knowledge of their true nature from all races besides the Melnorme in this sector, and they seem to have the technological capability to do so with great effectiveness. Many interesting linguistic constructs surround the Keel-Verezy. Greenish, who appeared to be thoroughly fluent in human language and familiar with human culture, chose to use the odd pronoun "he/she/they" to refer to a Keel-Verezy captain, implying, perhaps, that Keel-Verezy individuals somehow comprise both genders and simultaneously exist as individuals and plural beings. He also at times referred to the species as simply "Verezy", perhaps implying that "Keel" is some sort of modifier. (One nation or subspecies, "Keel", within a larger "Verezy" civilization or species?)

There may be some tenuous link between the Keel-Verezy's phenomenally effective cloaking technology (if, indeed, that is the mechanism by which they remain hidden) and the nature of the weapons system they sold the Melnorme. The Inevitably Successful's weapons seem to be based on a technology highly adept at manipulating electromagnetic radiation; though we do not understand how the technology works, it creates objects that run a mysterious self-sustaining light-producing reaction ("photon torpedoes") that emit complex frequency combinations that somehow disrupt and damage ships they contact, or in some cases generates powerful electromagnetic field effects that scramble ship control systems. This ability suggests, at the very least, a subtle ability to manipulate light that might allow for an impenetrable cloak.