A loose community of solitary explorers in the Delta Quadrant who roam widely and share their discoveries at an outpost, visited by Voyager in search of navigational advice in 2373.
The Mikhal Travelers are humanoid explorers with little formal government, who set out alone in small ships and return to an outpost to trade tales of what they have seen. Their knowledge of the surrounding space is extensive, although their stories are not always reliable.
They appear in the Voyager episode Darkling. Janeway visits the outpost hoping to learn about the region ahead, and Kes becomes close to a pilot named Zahir, to the point of considering leaving the ship to travel with him.
At the same time the Doctor, who has been grafting historical personalities into his programme, develops a violent alter ego. He attacks Zahir, pushing him from a height, and later abducts Kes before the crew restore him. Kes decides in the end to stay aboard Voyager.