Chin'toka System

Chin’toka System
Powers
Major powers	Cardassian Union
Points of Interest
Places	Chin’toka Scrapyard Chin’toka Repair Facility AR-558 Rentak Nor
Template:Region

The Chin'toka system is a four-planet system located in the Alpha Quadrant within the Cardassian Union and close to the shared border with the Federation. It rose in the Federation’s public awareness as the first system that the Federation Alliance invaded during the Dominion War at the end of 2374.

History

During the Dominion War, a large number of Dominion forces were removed from the defence of the system, allowing for a huge Federation, Klingon and Romulan fleet to invade. At the height of the battle, the Cardassians brought their new orbital platforms operational, but these were insufficient in stopping this allied invasion.

The outer planet of the Chin’toka system was discovered to contain one of the most advanced communication relays constructed by the Dominion. Known as AR-558, this vital piece of technology was defended by many Starfleet officers until its secrets were cracked open and used to help break Dominion encryption codes.

Though Chin’toka was under allied occupation, the Dominion sought throughout 2375 to retake the system. Each attempt failed until later in the year, when the Breen Confederacy allied themselves with the Dominion. Over three hundred allied ships, besides one, were destroyed when the Breen deployed the use of their energy dampening weapon. The recapture of the Chin’toka system was a blow to allied morale and a huge victory that the Dominion thought would turn the tide in their favour.

When the war ended, the Chin’toka system was occupied by the Federation as part of allied forces to help the Cardassians rebuild what was lost. One issue that Federation forces had to deal with was the large amount of debris that remained in the system after the many battles. The Federation established the Chin’toka Scrapyard at the end of the 2370s. Efforts to recover useful debris have been intermittent over the last two decades.

Federation aid in rebuilding the Chin’toka system was withdrawn in 2385, after the Attack on Mars. Unbeknownst to the Federation, this was followed by the Union’s decision to research and integrate Dominion technology into the Dominion fleet, with the Chin’toka Scrapyard a key source of vital equipment, as well as what remained of the advanced communication relay at AR-558.

Overview

The Chin’toka system has been part of the Cardassian Union since the mid-23rd century and is home to three habitable planets. The other, Chin’toka I, is a barren world. Two of them, Chin’toka II and III, are binary M-class planets which were fully colonised by the Cardassians by the 24th century. Both colonies have large populations of hundreds of millions of civilian inhabitants.

The Chin’toka Scrapyard has largely been confined to one stretch of the system - the simple work of tug-boats was never reliant on advanced Federation support - but it remains the vast remnant of a hundred battles, bearing the wreckage of ships from all parties who fought in the Dominion War. Its full riches have yet to be plundered, while the density of the debris field interferes with sensors. The only way to fully explore its depths is by entering it. Federation critics call it a travesty of mismanagement by the Cardassians, suggesting it could have been fully explored, itemised, and removed much more quickly. The Cardassians, in turn, point out how the rebuilding of their war-ravaged territories was more pressing, and that the Federation abandoned helping the Union before the Chin’toka Scrapyard could be fully dealt with.

By the 25th century, Chin’toka serves as the cornerstone of the Union’s ongoing technological sophistication. The relay at AR-558 renders it a hub of the region’s advanced communication systems. Under Central Command’s directive, the Chin’toka Repair Facility has been built for the reclamation of debris in the scrapyard. Local operations are defended by Rentak Nor, a Nor-class station in orbit of Chin’toka IV. Rentak Nor also oversees uridium surface mining operations. Improvements were made to the design of the orbital weapon platforms and a sophisticated defence network was re-established by 2398.

In Play

• Though a border world, Chin’toka over the last two decades has become important to the Cardassian Union. It is one of the primary sites of their research into Dominion integrated systems.
• The Chin’toka Scrapyard is an untapped source of riches. It is also a dense debris field which sensors struggle to pierce. In April 2401, the USS Titan hid within it from its hunters; it is unlikely the only ship to use the scrapyard while on the run.
• Starfleet has little involvement in the Chin’toka system now, however many among the civilian population are pro-Federation thanks to the Federation’s initial support in their recovery and rebuilding programme.

External Information

• Chin’toka (System) at Memory Alpha
• AR-558 at Memory Alpha
• Chin’toka scrapyard at Memory Alpha