Collectors (Andromeda)

Collectors are an organization that feature in the Andromeda universe.

History
They eventually formed in secret to collect and preserve the knowledge of the old Commonwealth in the time after the Fall. (Episode: Answers Given to Questions Never Asked) Members of this group claimed that they survived the Fall of the Commonwealth by controlling information and learning the most secrets. (Episode: Soon The Nearing Vortex) However, according to some contemporary accounts, the Collectors began to use their knowledge to attain power. (Episode: Answers Given to Questions Never Asked)

The extent of their power allowed them to be capable of starting a secret war inside the new Commonwealth itself. (Episode: Soon The Nearing Vortex) In time, they managed to gain enough influence and power to the point that they attempted to take control of the new Commonwealth. (Episode: The Torment, The Release) One noted Collector by the name of Paroo eventually joined the new Commonwealth where he reached the position of head of security. At ths point, he made what he described as a Faustian pact with the Spirit of the Abyss who controlled him to bring about disorder and chaos. This proved to be a simple endeavour for someone in his position as he began turning groups against one another which led to the disastrous battle at Enga's Redoubt seeing the near mutual destruction of the Commonwealth, Nietzschean and other faction fleets. In this chaos, Paroo took Tri-Jema to the All Forces Nullification Point on a dying planet in the hopes of eliminating the Commonwealth leadership by splintering its Congress. Paroo's nature as a Collector was identified by the Andromeda Ascendant and Captain Hunt managed to eliminate him whereupon he saved Tri-Jema. (Episode: Answers Given to Questions Never Asked) At Almagest, Dylan Hunt under psychological manipulations came to believe a possible alliance between the Nietzscheans and the Collectors. (Episode: Double or Nothingness)

Some members of the organization came to believe that the only way to survive in the cosmos was by allying with the Spirit of the Abyss. To accomplish this feat, Collector Pish Tyran allied with Tyr Anasazi in the hopes of acquiring the Route of Ages and using it as a bargaining chip with the Abyss. Once they accomplished this task, Tyran felt that they would live with power when the Magog Worldship arrived in Known Space. (Episode: Soon The Nearing Vortex) They later used agents masked as Commonwealth bailiffs to abduct Dylan Hunt and attempted to recruit him to their cause. This act was intended to allow him to keep his assignment on the Andromeda Ascendant but also run missions for them where they helped eliminate threats that they identified. However, he refused whereupon they attempted to brainwash him only for Captain Hunt to escape. (Episode: Machinery Of The Mind) Afterwards, the Collectors through Pish arranged charges to be made against Dylan Hunt where it was claimed that he had committed treason against the Commonwealth. Thus, a trial was held before the Triumvirate on Tarazed where evidence was portrayed to show Hunt as a traitor. Ultimately, Tri-Lorn decided to ally with Dylan Hunt against the Collectors with this act starting a civil war within the restored Commonwealth. (Episode: The Torment, The Release)

Overview
They were considered a group that was extremely interested in preserving things from the past. (Episode: Double or Nothingness) Collectors were were determined to ensure that no one endangered their sacred mission. (Episode: Machinery Of The Mind) It was claimed by members of this group that they knew everything and that they protected knowledge which they attributed to power. (Episode: Answers Given to Questions Never Asked) It was known amongst others that the Collectors resorted to acts such as murder, blackmail and extortion in order to survive as well as gain the knowledge they desired. In the new Commonwealth, the Collectors had amassed a great deal of power and influence over the government to the point that they could order illegal acts such as the arrest of individuals without a trial, defence or any evidence. (Episode: Soon The Nearing Vortex)

Within the restored Commonwealth, they were able to mask their agents as being intelligence operatives or even as bailiffs whilst forging the signatures as well as timestamps of the Triumvirs. This allowed them to abduct agents of the High Guard or the government in order to conduct interrogation style recruitment missions. Many of the Collectors agents were gained in such a manner where they determined a candidates abilities and whether they would be loyal to their cause. In exchange for service, they offered everything riches, power to any pleasure that the candidate desired. Those that refused were simply eliminated though useful candidates were instead brainwashed by special techniques to make them loyal to the Collectors mission. Ultimately, they found a way to exploit a subjects usefulness either one way or another. Members within the Commonwealth that served the Collectors referred to themselves to their detachments as being assigned to the Special Collections Division. (Episode: Machinery Of The Mind)

They tended to wear lockets with insignia's that denoted their allegiance to the organization though the icon can vary. (Episode: Answers Given to Questions Never Asked) Collector possessed their own vessels that were armed and capable of engaging Commonwealth ships with them holding their own security codes. (Episode: The Torment, The Release) Their starships were allowed to travel without any markings. (Episode: Soon The Nearing Vortex) They also maintained facilities on a number of worlds which they used to identify threats. (Episode: Machinery Of The Mind)

Members

 * Pish Tryan : a male human who had acquired a great deal of knowledge and influence in the new Commonwealth but believed the survival lay in allying with the Spirit of the Abyss and thus intended to acquire the Route of Ages by allying with Tyr Anasazi. He was noted for his unique dietary tastes such as having eaten a Than which he described as being delicious. (Episode: Soon The Nearing Vortex)
 * Paroo : a male human who rose to become the head of the new Systems Commonwealth security but was taken over by the Spirit of the Abyss to instigate its fall. He was killed by Dylan Hunt at the All Forces Nullification Point when Paroo attempted to bring about the death of Tri-Jema. (Episode: Answers Given to Questions Never Asked)

Appearances

 * Andromeda: "Answers Given to Questions Never Asked" (2003)
 * Andromeda: "Double or Nothingness"
 * Andromeda: "Soon The Nearing Vortex"
 * Andromeda: "Machinery Of The Mind"
 * Andromeda: "The Torment, The Release"

External Link

 * The New Systems Commonwealth Entry