Associates

The Associates were the name for the alien species that ran the Andromeda Galaxy. They were purple skinned and generally larger than humans with heads like rounded triangles. The Associates were the Enforcers for the Network and had the species of Andromeda arranged by purpose.

Captain Reginald Bain discovered that the Associates were actually controlled by the Nabusari, who created the Network to provide order and guidance to the younger races of Andromeda. (Disassociation [BG])

A couple years after the USS Anomaly returned from Andromeda, the debt that Lieutenant Shelly Marsden racked up at Gyjik's Galaxy Gateway was well past due. Gyjik's sent Marsden a final notice about her debt, then after getting no response (the message bounced off of the Great Barrier surrounding the Milky Way), sent turned her over to Associates Acquisitions to collect what she owed. An Associates ship commanded by Uuubopamaumau traveled to the Milky Way looking for the Anomaly. With no way to pay them back, Marsden beamed over to their ship with Lieutenant Commander Tovar to work off her debt. The Anomaly crew realized that the Associates shuttle they brought back from Andromeda might be worth enough to pay off what Marsden owed, so they got it from Earth and, thanks to Cole Anfibon preventing the Associates from leaving the galaxy by crashing a microshuttle into their engines, were able to catch up to the Associates and give them the shuttle plus some engine repairs to satisfy Gyjik's debt. (Past Due [BG])