Orion

			Intelligent Lifeform Index

Orion
Four Letter Code	ORIN
Federation Status	Undetermined
Planet of Origin	Orion
Encountered	TOS: The Menagerie
T/E Rating	T0/E0
Current Tech Level	N
List of Named Orions
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The Orions are a "neutral" race from the Orion Sector, known for the Orion Syndicate.

Home System

See also: Rigel system

Home World

• Proper Name: Orion
  • Other names: Orion Prime, Rigel VIII
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• Classification: M
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History

The Orions and Starfleet have had over two centuries of trade and contact, originally with the Earth Cargo Service in the mid 22nd Century in the formation years of the United Federation of Planets. The Orion civilization spans several centuries (the exact number is still in dispute, despite archaelogical advances within the last decade or two).

Centuries before Starfleet or the Federation encountered Orions, they had established trade agreements with the people of Coridan. The first known contact between a Terran and the Orions occured in the 2130s. They would later be known to have made contact with the Gorn Hegemony, and the Tellarites by the mid 2100s. Operation of the Orion Syndicate in particular began to expand between 2144 and 2154.

In 2154, an Orion vessel kidnapped nine crew members of a Starfleet vessel, effectively souring relations with Starfleet. This would begin a series of conflicts between other races, as the Tellarites would suspect Orions of raiding their vessel. The Tellarites would then demand a trade embargo against them, but this was rebuffed as "Tellarite slander" by the inhabitants of Coridan.

In the 2200s, Orion smugglers would begin actively raiding dilithium from the Coridan system. When Coridan was facing admission into the United Federation of Planets, the Orions retaliated, circumventing their neutrality by attacking the Federation vessel responsible for transporting delegates to the Babel Conference (of which was a prelude to Coridan's admission into the Federation). Among these delegates was an Orion spy, whom also made a futile attempt to prevent the conference.

With their neutrality in dispute after the events of the Babel Conference, a group of Orions would again raid dilithium - this time from a Starfleet vessel, stealing the ship's strobolin and dilithium cargo. They were tracked to an asteroid belt, and when confronted by the attending Starfleet vessel, accused the investigators of harrassment and threatened to file formal protest with the Federation. With an agreement to return the stolen goods to Starfleet hands, the crew of Orions had planned to destroy themselves and the attending Starfleet vessel during the exchange to preserve the appearance of Orion neutrality - this failed, and the Orion crew was captured.

In the 23rd century, Orion vessels attacked Klingon strategic material outposts. This would later be known as the Feira Incident, denoting Klingon failure to stop the raiders from attacking the outposts.

Today, the Orion Free Traders are involved with interstellar trade, having established amicable relations with the Federation.

Government

See also: Orion Free Traders, Orion Syndicate

Not much is known regarding the Orion home world and its political mechanisms. Unfortunately, due to a series of raids over the course of centuries on Coridan dilithium, the Orions lost their image of neutrality and the government suffered a major blow-back due to the Syndicate's abuse of drug, precious stone, and slave trafficking.

After the destruction of the Orion Syndicate, a major upheaval occurred when the citizens of Orion demanded an end to the reign of what was later determined to be a corrupt administration that had reduced the home world to near poverty levels while the President and several key members of the Cabinet reallocated assets for personal use and monetary gain. No violence broke out under a wave of Orion citizens marching on the capital city, where a three month hold out resulting in a break of the Orion military and government employees who joined the protest and effectively "outed" then President M'Voust, who held out for six weeks before being removed from power.

Description

Orions may exhibit green or, in rarer cases, blue and grey skin tones. Male Orions are typically bald, with females tending to have black, brown, or red hair, or combination thereof - though rare, it is possible for an Orion to have blond hair. Females range in height, anywhere between five to six feet. Males are generally six to seven feet tall, and have considerably more muscle than Terran males. Some Orions may be considered abnormally strong, though it's believed that this may be due to a life of hard manual labour.

Physiology

Some female Orions express a pheromone similar which can have powerful effects on their own and other species. These pheromones affect the Orion male physiology at the adrenal level, causing sharp increases to aggression. Males of most species will suffer from similar effects to Orion males, being accelerated metabolisms and raised adrenaline production - they may also be susceptible to suggestion. The pheromones effect is cumulative - the longer one is exposed, the more pronounced the results will be. It should be noted that the effects differ species to species;

• Vulcans are immune to the pheromones
• Terran females suffer from ongoing headaches when in the presence of the pheromones
• Denobulan males suffer from interrupted sleep cycles when in the presence of the pheromones

Though their male counterparts do not possess pheromones to the same extent, they do extrude a level of testosterone of which has reportedly affected females of various races.

Orions have a copper-based bloody chemistry, similar to that of a Vulcan. Their varying green skin tones are considered to be due to the copper blood and chlorophyll in their skin cells. Thanks to their chlorophyll, green-pigmented skin absorbs the ultraviolet radiation of their sun, keeping them relatively immune to its harmful effects and somewhat resistant to radiation in general. They lived about 90 standard years, with the effects of old age setting in after 60.

Society

Generally a reclusive people who shun contact with outsiders and staying close to their home systems, the Orions maintain their neutrality, avoiding joining with any neighboring superpowers - though this may cover for the illicit activities of their government and the Orion Syndicate. "Sensible" and "civilized Orions remain on their homeworld to make their fortune, but many adventurous citizens may galavant off into the unknown as pirates, merchants or explorers.

The Orions of the Orion Syndicate have a unique social structure due to the facade and reality they maintain between the male and female genders. As a means of deceiving other species, the Orions maintain the facade that the females are slaves. An alpha female will often be depicted as a 'slave girl', but is typically the commanding officer of her associated vessel. However, there is a class of Orion females who are designated solely for the purpose of sale as a slave by the Orion Syndicate - these women undergo training by a master Orion prior to sale.

Culture

Blond hair on an Orion is considered a inferior gene, with many finding it unattractive and a "weak colour". Most children who inherit hair either chemically change their hair colour, or else do not survive adolescence in Orion societies.

Orions are also known for a blend of tea - though it's considered to be particularly expensive on Risa.

Though not as common as they once were, The Orion have clan like social groups where an older Orions, usually called a Matron, instructs the young maidens under their wing in the ways of their people. It was considered a sign of class to have been trained under a Matron and to earn the right to wear the tattoo. Though each clan trained their own way, it usually centered around the ideals of balancing their open nature and avoiding being taken advantage of by others. One common thread is a phrase that many Orions swear to: "We shall respect those who respect us, persuade those who need guidance, and manipulate those who use us. We are subservient to no one."

Several schools of combat and martial arts exist on Orion and on many colonies. One of these is called Zavitha, which is increasingly popular with non-Orions. Traditionally, the training takes place outside, regardless of the weather.

Customs

Orion culture is steeped in many traditions both written and unwritten. One such tradition that is embraced by many is koledru venari. Koledru venari is the belief summed up in the phrase "A gift for a gift". It is the belief that when one asks for help, it is given to the fullest extent but that person now owes a gift in return for whenever or however the gifter needs it. Humans have the equivalent of "quid pro quo" but for Orion culture, it is seen as a positive thing and not with a negative connotation..

Turning their back on such things can get an Orion excommunicated or becoming Chuldav'ai or "Outcast" .

Starfleet Intelligence Files

In 2390 during an undercover mission undertaken at the behest of Federation Security, the crew of the USS Drake discovered a reborn version of the Orion Syndicates. Using both their own strength and that of Gorn mercenaries, the Syndicate re-took a former stronghold called Port Royale, in the dangerous Vale of Saoirse. It is presumed that the Syndicate remains entrenched in the Vale and that the Federation will soon be hearing from them again.

Over the proceeding ten years since the reemergence, Starfleet Intelligence has found that the new Syndicate is not the return of what had been referred to as the Orion Cartels, an organization that had divided up the galaxy between factions but a more unified body functioning as a coherent unit. Data shows that the merger has not been completely accepted as the old cartels followed many traditions and rites in a much more ceremonial order. The Cartels always saw themselves as an extension of the home world. The new Syndicate appears to be completely focused as a criminal enterprise shedding much of it's previous traditions. Starfleet Intelligence recommends that all encounters Orion Syndicate understand this duality as an encountered member as such understanding will allow better predictions of actions to be taken.

References

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