Orion Colonies
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| Free Orion Colonies | |
| INFORMATION | |
| SOCIO-POLITICAL DATA | |
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| Template:Organization |
At a Glance
The Orion Colonies is a misleading term: there is no "united" Orion spacefaring empire or body politic. In the past, the Orions established broad trading consortiums and corporate empires (largely built on the backs of slaves) but those interstellar entities have not existed for at least five hundred years. Today, most Orion colonies are an independent body, an island unto themselves: the only act that the Orion people have jointly agreed to in the political arena is to declare themselves independent and neutral from the affairs of other galactic powers. Many (but not all) of the Orion Colonies agree, in principle, to allow less restricted trade and similar by-laws, as dictated by the Orion Free Traders Consortium.
The Orion planets correspond to a few dozen light-years of planets near the Federation-Klingon border. Other sentient beings have homeworlds in this area of space, but the region is noted for its longstanding Orion settlements as well as a number of "ghost worlds" with extensive Orion ruins.
Extant Orion Colonies
Botchok
Gothei
Kolar
Orion I
Orion III
Thaspa
Velod
Velod is known as the "Heretic Moon" and is the only Orion body in militant opposition to another Orion power. Velod was once a colony of Kolar but it's Qaj rebelled and established themselves as a separate empire of the Thakolarivaj six hundred years ago. Since that time, Velod has technically been at war with Kolar. Velod is a heavily industrialized and militarized Orion culture that does not welcome any outsiders. The Velodi consider themselves to be the "Last True Orions." They are not part of the Orion Free Traders Consortium but have at least agreed to the Orion Neutrality Pact.
Verex III
Verex III is a central marketplace and, if the Orion Free Traders Consortium had any kind of headquarters, Verex III would be it. In the ancient Orion world, Verex III was neutral ground for the Orion Qaj to negotiate political and trade deals. Verex III is and was independent of all other Orion colonies but it has only a small permanent population. In the past, Verex III was one of the central hubs for the Orion slave trade and was a safe port for Orion pirates. Today the latter is not sanctioned officially, but many of the dockmasters and government officials look the other way with a little latinum. Many of the cargo inspectors are on the dole of the Orion Syndicate as well.