Talos IV

Talos IV was a planet in the Alpha Quadrant, home to the Talosian people.

Over 200,000 years ago, the Talosians fought a cataclysmic war, making much of the planet's surface uninhabitable. They moved underground, and developed their mental skills even as their technological knowledge atrophied.

In 2236, the S.S. Columbia, a scientific survey ship from Earth, crashed on the planet. The sole survivor was a human woman named Vina. She was retrieved by the Talosians and her injuries attended to, although the Talosians' lack of knowledge of human anatomy hindered their efforts.

In 2254, the USS Enterprise visited Talos IV, lured there by a false distress signal. Captain Christopher Pike was kidnapped in an effort to provide Vina with a mate. Pike and the Enterprise were eventually allowed to leave. Given the extreme threat of the Talosians' powers of illusion, Starfleet issued General Order 7, forbidding any travel to Talos IV, under penalty of death.

In 2267, Lieutenant Commander Spock kidnapped then-Fleet Captain Pike and hijacked the Enterprise to Talos IV. Given the specific circumstances, General Order 7 was rescinded, and Pike allowed to live the remainder of his life in an illusory existance on Talos IV. (TOS episodes: "The Cage", "The Menagerie")

In 2320, then-Ambassador Spock was summoned again to Talos IV, where he witnessed a revitalized planet and Talosian culture, thanks to the efforts of Christopher Pike. (TOS novel: Burning Dreams)