Beta Orionis System

Beta Orionis System
Powers
Major powers	United Federation of Planets
Minor powers	Orion Free States
Points of Interest
Places	Orion Vondem
Template:Region

For the article, see Orion Colonies.

The Beta Orionis system is home to two Orion ‘homeworlds’, Orion (Beta Orionis IV) and Vondem (Beta Orionis II). Orion maintains its neutrality and independence from major galactic powers while Vondem has joined and become a Federation member in recent decades. Both worlds are M-class planets inhabiting the wide green-belt around the system primary.

Overview

The Beta Orionis system is home to the independent Orion Free States and the Vondem Trade Confederacy, the latter of which is a Federation member as of 2373.

Orion is a lush world, with as wide and diverse biodiversity as to be expected across any inhabited world. Dense metropolitan cities and large opulent family estates dot the surface of Orion, all hallmarks of Orions long, storied history across the centuries. The world is renowned for its aquifer systems, providing fresh water for its population centres in abundance.

Vondem would be considered a ‘wet world’ in comparison, with a more active hydrosphere and warmer temperatures in comparison to Orion. Vondem was the Orion species first colony world, settled to act as a barrier between Orion and the rest of the Galaxy. As the last destination for those wishing to conduct business with Orions in the past, Vondem rapidly developed into a cosmopolitan world. Having been independent for some time from Orion, leadership led the world to Federation membership just prior to the Dominion War.

In Play

• The Beta Orionis system is a split jurisdictional territory, with the Federation respecting the neutrality of Orion as much as is feasible. As such Starfleet’s presence in-system is limited and typically focused around Vondem itself.
• Contentions around the natural resources in the system have been an issue between Vondem and Orion since antiquity and continue to this day. Mediation on mineral rights is typically drawn out as Orion officials demand independent mediators, often resulting in issues that can drag out for decades.
• Both Orion and Vondem maintain planetary guard units. While rivalry does exist between these forces, open lines of communication are maintained in order to defuse situations and to coordinate defence of the system if required.
• Traffic control for the system is maintained by Vondem, a hold over from the world’s past as the trade world of Orion and it’s own time as the heart of the Vondem Trade Confederacy. Orion does not contest this and is only responsible for traffic 1 light-minute around Orion itself.