@LangerJan @alltrek Ahh, and they probably recruited (or forced?) the humans they encountered to join them.
*sigh* I wish they explored this one more. I love those episodes where there were some Earthling colonies elsewhere no one knew about, like the one in Voyager, a planet of former abducted humans, and a planet of reptilian Earthlings who left Earth. I think TNG also had one, right? Earthling humans who were randomly transported by a random portal that led to a single planet.
In any case, maybe I'm the only interested what's the story behind those 7,000 souls and their ways. LOL. Even the Klingons know them. Looks like they've explored farther than the UFP if they're the stuff of legends already.