Orias III

Orias 3 is an M-class planet in the Orias star system that resides in Cardassian space and was controlled by the Obsidian Order.

In 2371, Starfleet Lieutenant-turned Maquis terrorist Thomas Riker led a team of 6 onto Deep Space Nine and stole the USS Defiant and took Major Kira Nerys hostage. He then ordered the ship to Orias 3 and explained to Nerys that Starfleet Intelligence believes that Orias III is the platform in which a new Cardassian war fleet is being constructed for an attack on Federation Space. The Maquis however were willing to trust the information enough to take the ship there.

Riker initially succeeded in bringing the ship into the range of the planet, but was pursued by 2 Cardassian warship groups; 1 from behind and were loyal to Gul Skrain Dukat, the other loyal to the Obsidian Order. Riker knew the situation was hopeless and surrendered himself to the Cardassians along with sensor information on the Orias system from the Defiant's sensors in exchange for letting his crew return to Federation space safely. Though it seemed the Order would be exposed as having a secret war machine, the investigation was quickly shut down and no further inquiry was made into what was being hidden in the system. (DS9: Defiant)

In 2372 it was discovered that the Maquis suspicions were correct. However there were several details Riker was wrong about; first the Romulan Tal Shiar were involved, and the target was the Founder's homeworld in the Omarion Nebula as a permanent solution to the growing threat off the Dominion. Former-Obsidian Order head Enabran Tain was the mastermind behind the invasion and was supported by Tal Shiar field-leader Colonel Lovok. The attack was launched but it was discovered Lovok was a Changeling and had tricked both intelligence agencies into using all of their resources into the attack on the-now abandoned planet. The fleet of 20 Warships was destroyed, yet there were a handful of survivors that were later rescued. Orias's military installation was discovered following the dissolution of the Order and was dismantled, leaving the planet abandoned. (DS9: In Purgatory's Shadow)

After the Dominion War ended, a Cardassian colony was founded on the planets surface. Former-Section 31 agent Doctor Ethan Locken planned to launch a plague-carrying missile at the planet but was killed and the missile stopped before it could be launched, saving the colony.