Rhinate

Rhinate was the third planet of the Vitabon system, in the Alpha or the Beta Quadrant, in Federation space. It was home to an Orion Colony and an important historical site.

In the late 23rd century, Rhinate was a secondary base supporting Starbase 12. It had a mixed population of Orions and other races, all kept orderly by the Orion Otram family under the leadership of the popular Benthine the Patient.

It had a technological/socio-political index of 999653-56 and a planetary trade profile of HADFAEF/C(C).

Environment
It was a class J planet, completely airless and lifeless. It had no moons, a gravity of 1.1 g and a 16-hour day. It had a total surface area of 50,264,000 square kilometers. Its makeup was 42% normal metals, 2% radioactive elements, 10% gemstones and 4% special minerals, with trace amounts of industrial crystals. Rhinate used to be a larger world, possibly even habitable. However, an estimated half a million years ago, it was completely scoured of its atmosphere, water and all life. Even the crust was removed, down to a nickel-iron mantle. The only traces of this event were the parallel grooves gouged across the mantle, as if left by some enormous machine.

History
At some point after the scouring of the surface, an unknown and ancient race constructed Rhinate's first installations, perhaps for use as a space fortress. These were later occupied by others inhabitants, who each made enlargements and improved and installed updated technology.

By the Orion War (beginning January 3rd 94 BCE, reference stardate -20/9401.03), Rhinate’s mines and shipyards were the most advanced in known space. It was also the site of the climactic battle of the Orion War, when Superadmiral Goluscz of the Nine Worlds Confederation assembled his remaining warfleet at Rhinate. They were met by the massed Orion fleets of Grand-Admiral Finit the Iron-Handed in December 57 BCE (stardate -20/5712), and the ensuring Battle of Rhinate inflicted heavy losses on both sides. In the end, Goluscz capitulated and sued for peace, ending the Orion War and beginning the liberation of the Orion slave-race.

The Orion Space Navy used Rhinate as a base for centuries, though as the navy declined, the world evolved into a massive industrial park, but fell into disuse and neglect by the time of the Reverse. Later, pirates occupied the world and used it as a base, including the notorious Half-a-Man Sooris. Things picked up when corporations returned to develop the planet’s resources, following the publication of the first Orion Registry in January 1301 CE (stardate -7/0101).

When the Romulans invaded Orion space on stardate 0/14, and many Colonies evacuated and fled before them, Rhinate was one of the few worlds to stand firm. The 10-kilometer-thick stainless steel roof might have had something to do with it. The world's population swelled with the refugees who resettled there.

During the Four Years War of the 2250s, Rhinate became a refitting yard, presumably servicing Starfleet. By the late 23rd century, it was a secondary base supporting Starbase 12.