Coppelius System

The Coppelius System, also known as the Ghulion System, was located in the Beta Quadrant in the Vayt Sector. The entire sector is part of Federation territory, with Coppelius a Federation protectorate, after the inhabitants requested diplomatic aid prior to the Romulan Free State attempting to destroy them. Under the Treaty of Algeron, the Romulan Free State were forced to accept this accord.

Overview

Much was unknown about the Coppelius system. It was an uninhabited system close to the Federation-Romulan border. Neither side made any territorial claims to it until the end of the 24th century.

Coppelius IV is the only habitable world in the system. It is an M-class world with a very hot desert-like environment with two moons. In 2385, shortly after the synthetic ban in the Federation, Doctor Bruce Maddox fled to the planet to continue his cybernetic research with Doctor Altan Soong, the son of famed cyberneticist Doctor Noonien Soong. There, they established the surface facility Coppelius Station, a base for their research and development of an Android society.

With the help of retired Admiral Jean-Luc Picard, diplomatic relations between the inhabitants of Coppelius and the Federation were established. When the Romulan Free State dispatched forces against the planet, a Federation fleet, led by Captain William Riker of the USS Zheng He defended the planet, declaring it a Federation Protectorate under the terms of the Treaty of Algeron. Though the Romulans attempted to refute this declaration, claiming they had arrived at the planet first, the video recording of Admiral Picard declaring diplomatic relations opened supported Riker’s claim. This forced the Romulans to retreat and were escorted out of Federation space.

Since 2399, the defence of Coppelius has been vital. Not only did the Romulan Free State want its inhabitants destroyed, but during the 2399 crisis, the inhabitants of Coppelius attempted to bring an advanced form of cybernetic life through a dimensional rift to destroy all life in the known galaxy. This was thankfully stopped by the influence Admiral Picard asserted. Since then, the Coppelius android society has engaged in improving relations between the Federation and synthetics after the Attack on Mars and the ensuing, punitive anti-synthetic legislation. In return, the Federation has agreed to support the security of the star system. The Coppelius society is technologically advanced, and as such, an incredibly powerful planetary shield grid was established. Furthermore, they can defend Coppelius through the use of massive Orchids that can drain a ship of its power by attaching itself to it. The Androids also started to help the surviving exBs from the crash of the Artifact.

By 2402, a Narenda-class starbase is being constructed in orbit of one of the moons of Coppelius as a joint operation between Starfleet and the androids of Coppelius. Once completed, Starbase 619 will serve as a liaison between the Federation and Coppelius in the hope they will one day become official members of the Federation.

Now that the Vyat sector is under the Federation's control, there are other nearby assets that can help protect it. This includes Deep Space 19, located in the nearby Alcott Sector. One of Deep Space 19’s priorities is to protect this system and be an early warning system if the Romulans attempt to invade. At the end of 2401, Deep Space 19 also built a massive tachyon-detection grid near the Coppelius system to aid them in monitoring the border.

In 2399, a transwarp conduit was used by Admiral Picard to travel between Coppelius and the Nepenthe system. This has left lingering subspace distortions, such that the conduit could be potentially reopened, though this has not been attempted since the original journey.

In Play

Coppelius is almost exclusively inhabited by synths, who continue to develop their own culture and way of life. While relations between synths and the Federation are improving, Coppelius has long been a safe haven for synths and the only non-synth residents are officials working in the system.
Coppelius’s security is taken seriously by Starfleet, with the system considered potentially at risk from lingering anti-synth Romulan extremists, or those in the Federation who continue to blame synths for the Attack on Mars. Visitors will thus be on their best behaviour.
Starfleet has placed a ban on anyone using the transwarp conduit between Coppelius and Nepthenthe.

External Information

Coppelius at Memory Alpha
Ghulion System at Memory Alpha