Beta Penthe System

Beta Penthe System
Powers
Major powers	Klingon Empire
Points of Interest
Places	Rura Penthe Prison
Template:Region

The Beta Penthe System is a binary star system in the Klingon Empire consisting of six planets, several planetoids, and an asteroid belt. The system is rich in mineral resources, particularly dilithium. Among the system’s planetoids is Rura Penthe, home to an imperial penal colony, and one of the most notorious prisons in the galaxy.

Overview

The Beta Penthe system was identified as a source of vast mineral riches early in the Klingon Empire’s expansion, with its asteroid belts originally tapped for mining operations. Soon after, the considerably greater deposits of dilithium beneath the surface of the planetoid Rura Penthe were identified. The extremely harsh conditions of Rura Penthe, with its sub-zero surface temperatures and landscape dominated by glaciers and snowstorms, made recruiting a workforce incredibly difficult, however.

This led to the determination to use prisoner labour, and thus the establishment of Rura Penthe as a penal colony. The prison and mining facilities are located underground, protected by a magnetic shield surrounding a wide area to prevent escape by use of transporter technology. The facility is only lightly guarded, with security heavily reliant upon the isolated conditions to prevent prisoner escapes. These conditions are likewise used to maintain discipline among the prisoners, with banishment to the surface infamously the only punishment - effectively a death sentence. Rura Penthe is effectively inhospitable, and shipments bringing in food supplies and other equipment are as common as the shipping out of the mined dilithium to fuel the Klingon Empire’s ships.

The rest of the system has minimal infrastructure or security. Some mining takes place in the asteroid belts, though the need for more skilled workers and specialised equipment compared to in the mines of Rura Penthe means this operates at a considerably lower scale. Ship patrols regularly pass through the system, and those visiting Rura Penthe undergo security checks, but much of the system’s safety is reliant on the prison’s reputation: the easiest way to be condemned to Rura Penthe is to disrupt its operations.

Several Starfleet officers have been sent to Rura Penthe over the centuries. Captain Jonathan Archer was condemned to a life sentence in 2152 for his role protecting refugees who had fled the Empire, but he was rescued by his crew soon after. In 2293, Captain James Kirk and Doctor Leonard McCoy were wrongly convinced of the assassination of Chancellor Gorkon, and likewise rescued. Most inmates of Rura Penthe do not enjoy the resources of Federation starships trying to secure their escape.

In Play

• Rura Penthe is the foremost prison in the galaxy. Being sent there is considered as good as a death sentence, or perhaps worse.
• The prison relies largely on how remote and inhospitable it is to maintain security. This is why the average prisoner cannot escape, but Starfleet captains with vast resources invested into their rescue have slipped through the cracks.
• Most traffic in Rura Penthe is that of freighters delivering the essential food and supplies, and/or shipping out dilithium mined by the prisoners. KDF ships pass through the area, but there is no permanent assigned protection detail.