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NEELIX and KES Neelix is an alien male unlike any we've ever seen, in that he comes from the part of the galaxy that has been heretofore unexplored. He's a strange one - small, scraggly, toothless, and cunning. He's part scavenger, trader, con man, procurer, and sage. His life has not been an easy one, but he has toughed it out - surviving by his wits and instincts in a dangerous part of space.
Neelix has developed the capacity to be all things to all people. You want a guide? I'm a guide. You want a weapon? I'm an arms trader. You want a cook? I'm a gourmet chief. He's the ultimate in flexibility and a Jack of many, many trades.
Neelix is the "cook" in the officers' mess. It's a job he wangled to get himself and Kes a comfortable life on this luxurious starship. Because of the huge power drain that replicators place on the ship's systems, the crew must, for the first time in years, eat real food. Neelix knows where to find it, and how to prepare it, and before long, he's invaluable. He also enjoys being right in the heart of things - and where else is that but in the officers' mess? He knows when to listen, when to keep quiet, and when to speak up....and the crew find that he can be a valuable repository of information. Kes helps him cook and serve, but she's much rather be roaming the ship, getting to know the people; Neelix can never seem to find her when he needs her, and he's always sure she's standing up in a closet with a sailor. Their relationship is offbeat, wry, and funny and allows us insights into a uniquely alien relationship. Neelix and Kes, a truly odd couple, become oblique commentators on the human condition. NOTE BY JANET: Certain aspects of the personalities and certain back-story elements did not end up included in the series, while others were added during the series and thus do not appear in the above text.
Pictures: publicity shot, screenshot from [#26 Cold Fire]. Text sources: VC, Poe.
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Kes is his Ocampa lover. She is delicate, beautiful, young - and has a life span of only nine years. Neelix adores her, is protective of her, is insanely jealous of her. Kes, doesn't give him any reason for those feelings; she loves Neelix and is loyal to him. But she is inquisitive and eager to absorb knowledge about this starship and its fascinating crew. She is an innocent who sees humanity through a fresh perspective, and the crew of Voyager never cease to fascinate her.