Nekrit Expanse
From Memory Alpha, the free Star Trek reference.
The Nekrit Expanse is a huge, sparsely populated, nebular region in the Delta Quadrant containing an unknown form of interstellar gas. It is several thousand light years across and is impossible to chart due to its constantly changing structure. Because of its vast size, the Expanse functions as a natural barrier of sorts, limiting contact between species on either side of the cloud. This accounted for the limited exposure of some species on the far side of the cloud to many of the technologically superior, and often aggressive, species on the near side such as the Borg, Voth, and Krenim.
During the late 24th century there was a trade station at its periphery, overseen by Bahrat. The USS Voyager briefly stopped at the station in 2373 for provisions before beginning its month-long journey across the expanse. (VOY: "Fair Trade")
First Officer Chakotay and Ensign Marie Kaplan performed a scouting mission of the Nekrit Expanse aboard a type-9 shuttlecraft to find a faster route through it. Their mission proved difficult as the nebula completely scrambled the shuttle's navigational readings, making it nearly impossible to get a fix on their position. (VOY: "Unity")
Inside the Nekrit Expanse, they discovered an asteroid field at coordinates 113 mark 7. They also discovered a planet that contained a settlement of approximately 80,000 humanoid lifeforms on the western continent using rudimentary structures and technology.
Meanwhile, while crossing the Expanse, Tom Paris suggested renaming it the "negative expanse", because Voyager hadn't run across anything interesting for days. Moments later Voyager discovered a deactivated Borg cube. (VOY: "Unity")
Voth scientists Forra Gegen and Tova Veer crossed the Nekrit Expanse while following Voyager's trail. (VOY: "Distant Origin")
- Despite the fact the Expanse is noted as being several thousand light years across, it seems curious that Voyager was able to cross it in little more than a month, especially given the ship's warp capacity and the inability of vessels to chart the region. Furthermore, it is never explained when exactly Voyager completed its journey through the Expanse. The period between the episodes "Unity" and "Darkling", however, is the most likely time, given that the former is explicitly set inside the Expanse while the latter episode is set in a completely different part of space.
