Vienaran Sect

The sect deals with the T'Vienor Expanse and deem themselves responsible for guarding it. They could be a help or a hindrance.
Hindrance because they don't want the folks getting in in the first place, and once in they don't want them to leave and disrupt the expanse further. Help because they would know the expanse better than anyone. So I'll want to craft a handful of people so that you can have named opponents but also if it comes up someone could be an ally.
What's the associated race? I've been working near Trill but Betazoid could be fun as well. Or pick a different odd one in the region. Oh or maybe they're Gatrelix which would personally make my life easier since I want to bring it around to them.
I like them being a negative force, so perhaps it's joint Gatrelix-Trill since I've been setting up a villain there tentatively.
This cult should have tiers. There are levels of it and it's only once you get to the uppermost level that you find out the expanse was real the whole time. The people who get that far up for the most part end up stuck in space for the rest of their lives, guarding and studying the expanse, so in the eyes of others they disappear and are presumed dead.
Not all of the ones stuck up there are going to be complete fanatics. They didn't know what they were getting into and now they're trapped and can't go home, so having a way out for a few might actually work.
They don't wear robes, but have some kind of a pin insignia they wear.
Why are they so obsessed with guarding this thing and "protecting" it?

Type

Religious, Cult