The Yedevans are an ancient and enigmatic alien species in the Compact Universe, long regarded as myth until direct contact was confirmed during the events of Jump. They are vastly more advanced than any known civilization, capable of manipulating quantum entanglement, dark matter, and space-time at will. Their sudden appearance and intervention in humanity’s first successful entanglement jump suggest they act as guardians—or regulators—of certain technologies.
Initially considered speculative, their existence became undeniable when they intercepted the Endeavour, a Compact Navy vessel commanded by Captain Darnell, and claimed ownership of the entanglement-based propulsion system embedded in the ship’s drive core. In response to what they considered theft, the Yedevans executed Captain Darnell and a Compact Assembly delegate aboard. Shortly after, they restructured the Endeavour’s systems to incorporate the entanglement technology more deeply and began transferring knowledge to both humans and Gelt.
Known Historical Interactions:
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Zeta Reticulii Encounter (c. 135 IE): A Compact exploratory mission encountered an alien entity at Zeta Reticulii matching later Yedevan descriptions. This incident confirmed Earth’s lingering legends of the “Grays.”
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Bernard Botaki Incident: UN scientist Bernard Botaki was accidentally absorbed during the Zeta Reticulii encounter. He was later reconstituted as a cybernetic “node” with a focus on studying humanity. His transformation is believed to be one of the first confirmed human-Yedevan interface events.
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Endeavour Incident (429 IE): The Yedevans confronted the Endeavour mid-jump and killed two Compact officials to demonstrate their authority. When it became known the drive had embedded in the Endeavour‘s systems, they supplied knowledge and materials to create a replacement, effectively transferring advanced technology to both humanity and the Gelt.
Myths and Rumors:
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The Yedevans are often rumored to “eat” alien species—likely a distorted account of the Botaki incident or similar absorption events.
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Their physical form is uncertain, ranging from incomprehensible geometries to formless energy; no consistent visual record exists.
- The Grays are actually biological nodes of the Yedevans, created and destroyed for specific missions. Botaki and Adam Hogarth witnessed to Grays “feeding” themselves to a maw-like machine to return to the collective. Botaki was accidentally “eaten” by this device.
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Some believe they are responsible for seeding multiple sentient species, including early contact with humans, Gelt, and possibly Laputans.
Confirmed Capabilities:
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Instantaneous quantum relocation of ships and matter across interstellar distances.
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Neural interfacing with sentient beings.
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Self-replicating technology that integrates into foreign systems.
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Total information dominance over starship-class systems.
Current Relevance:
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Following the Endeavour event, Compact and Foundation scientists now regard the quantum entanglement drive as a gift rather than a theft—though one bought with blood.
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Jefivan delegate Adam Hogarth, present during the encounter, recognizes the drive’s design as Yedevan and assures Connor Duffy that Pelgar Shrian—briefly taken by the Yedevans—can be returned to him intact, suggesting either communication or negotiation with them is possible.