Janus VI was a class F planet in the Janus system, in the Omega sector. Janus VI was the homeworld of the silicon-based Horta who named their world Shaul.
History and specifics[]
It was located in the Alpha Quadrant. (Decipher RPG modules: Worlds, Aliens)
Climate[]
The surface was uninhabitable, due to high winds, corrosive atmosphere, and dust storms. (FASA RPG module: Witness for the Defense)
Temperatures ranged from -100° at night to uncomfortably hot at noon. Its thin atmosphere had just trace amounts of water ice at the poles, and it never rained. (Decipher RPG module: Worlds)
As a result, it either had no surface water (Decipher RPG module: Worlds) or very little (TOS reference: Worlds of the Federation).
History[]
Janus was a member of the United Federation of Planets. (ST reference: The Worlds of the Federation) The world was located in the Omega sector, along with the planet Vesbius. (TOS novel: Devil's Bargain)
The Horta were an extremely long lived species and the planet was home to no predator of the beings so Horta populations frequently became large. To make room for the next generations of Horta every 50,000 years all but one of the Horta died. That one Horta, the Prime Mother, then cared for the civilization's eggs in the Vault of Tomorrow until they hatched and repopulated the planet. (DS9 novel: Devil in the Sky; TOS episode & Star Trek 4 novelization: The Devil in the Dark)
By the 23rd century the planet was volcanically inactive. (TOS episode: "The Devil in the Dark")
The mines of Janus VI in 2267.
The planet was rich in minerals, including Pergium, a energy source for thousands of Federation worlds. This prompted the establishment of a mining outpost in the 2210s. At the time the Horta had entered a breeding cycle so their population only consisted of the Prime Mother, as a result the Federation miners remained unaware of them until 2267. In that year new levels of the mines were opened and the miners unknowingly destroyed thousands of Horta eggs in the Vault of Tomorrow, mistaking them for nothing other than silicon nodules. The Horta began to sabotage the mining equipment and attack the miners in response. In three months fifty miners were killed and a distress signal was sent out. The USS Enterprise came to assist the planet and following a mind meld between Spock and the mother Horta the situation was eventually resolved with Horta and Federation personal agreeing to live and work side by side. (TOS episode & Star Trek 4 novelization: The Devil in the Dark)
A heavily shielded and automated transporter repeater station was installed on the surface so orbiting ships could beam personnel directly to the underground mining colony. (FASA RPG module: Witness for the Defense)
The Human-Horta mining alliance of Janus VI became one of the most productive and profitable operations in the known galaxy, sourcing raw ore and rare elements to the entire Federation. (DS9 novel: Devil in the Sky)
In 2269, James T. Kirk picked up 500 adolescent Horta to help with a crisis on Vesbius. (TOS novel: Devil's Bargain)
In 2270, the USS Enterprise was dispatched to do a check up on the colony before they were redirected to investigate the fate of the Lavota Wind. (TOS - Burden of Knowledge comic: "A Matter of Perspective") When, later that year, the Enterprise arrived at the colony, Captain James T. Kirk served as a judge after the murder of a Horta. (FASA RPG modules: Star Trek IV Sourcebook Update, Witness for the Defense)
Janus VI shown on a deployment star chart image.
On star charts, this world could be seen to be in the vicinity of Alpha Caranae, Theta Mees, Altair III, Antares and Beta Simmons. (TNG episodes: "The Wounded", "Yesterday's Enterprise", TNG reference: The Continuing Mission)
In the 2280s, Katherine Gallagher wrote her master's thesis, The Devil in the Dark: Starfleet’s Blackest Moment Becomes Its Finest Hour, on the events that occurred on Janus VI in 2267. They inspired her career of protecting endangered species. (TOS novel: The Last Roundup)
In 2297, the planet's Pergium Production Station closed. (ST - Strange New Worlds VII short story: "Guardians")
In the 24th century, Erin Hansen and Magnus Hansen resided on Janus VI for a time, where she studied the Horta. Erin's theory that they navigated by sensing magnetic resonance variations inspired Magnus to try a similar technique as a means of time travel. (VOY short story: "A Ribbon for Rosie")
From c. 2304 to 2380, Sanaht served as the Federation Councillor from Janus VI. (ST novel: Articles of the Federation)
In the 2360s decade, this location was noted on a star chart showing deployment of Federation and Cardassian Union ships displayed in Captain Benjamin Maxwell's ready room aboard the starship USS Phoenix. (TNG episode: "The Wounded")
In 2367, a celebration was held in honor of the 100th anniversary of the Human-Horta mining alliance. Attendees included Tetsua, Spock, Jean-Luc Picard and Lewis Zimmerman. Leonard McCoy had been unable to attend due to his health. By then, portions of the surface had been reclaimed. Eventually, Janus VI would be completely terraformed. (TOS - Strange New Worlds IV short story: "Tears for Eternity")
In 2370, a newly discovered vein of latinum led to the construction of the Vermillion Ridge Station. (Decipher RPG module: Worlds)
In the 2370s a granddaughter of one of Dax's hosts lived on Janus. (DS9 novel: Devil in the Sky)
In 2464, Horta migrated en mass from Janus VI to the Rock of Ages, giving them a new purpose. (ST - Strange New Worlds VII short story: "Guardians")
50 thousand years later, terraforming had fallen away, leaving Janus VI with a dusty, rocky surface. A pergium statue of Spock remained at Vanderberg Point, cared for by Tetsua, who had survived to become the new Horta mother as a new generation of Horta eggs hatched. (TOS - Strange New Worlds IV short story: "Tears for Eternity")
Alternate realities[]
In an alternate timeline, the Janus system was under the control of the Interstellar Coalition. (ST - Myriad Universes novel: A Less Perfect Union)
- This story makes reference to the trade opportunities with Janus V rather than Janus VI, and may be a typographical error.
Janus VI shown on a tactical situation monitor image.
On a 24th century viewscreen display of a tactical situation monitor in an alternate timeline where the Klingon Empire was at war with the United Federation of Planets in the year 2366, Janus VI was listed on a star chart showing Klingon allied forces in relation to Federation positions. (TNG episode: "Yesterday's Enterprise", TNG reference: The Continuing Mission)
Settlements[]
- Geopolis
- Janus VI Settlement
Landmarks[]
- Great Chamber of the Horta
- Pergium Production Station
- Stone of Memory
- Vanderberg Point
- Vault of Tomorrow
- Vermillion Ridge Station
Appendices[]
Connections[]
| planets and locations of the Janus system | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Janus system primary star: Janus I • Janus II • Janus III (1 moon) • Janus IV • Janus V • Janus VI (Vault of Tomorrow • Geopolis) • Janus VII (2 moons) • Janus VIII (3 moons) • Janus IX • Janus X (1 moon) |  
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Background[]
Janus VI was not mentioned in canon after TOS, but as a homage was listed on the "Conspiracy" explored galaxy map and the "Yesterday's Enterprise" alternate timeline tactical situation monitor showing progress of the Klingon war with the Federation, and a later re-use of this chart in "The Wounded".
Appearances and references[]
Appearances[]
- TOS episode & Star Trek 4 novelization: The Devil in the Dark
- TOS novel: Devil's Bargain
- FASA RPG module: Witness for the Defense
- ST - New Worlds, New Civilizations short story: "Mother's Day"
- ST - Strange New Worlds VII short story: "Guardians"
- TOS - Strange New Worlds IV short story: "Tears for Eternity"
References[]
- TOS episode & Star Trek 9 novelization: That Which Survives
- TNG episode: "Yesterday's Enterprise"
- TNG episode: "The Wounded"
- TOS novel: The Case of the Colonist's Corpse
- TOS novel: Vulcan!
- TOS - Rihannsu novel: My Enemy, My Ally
- TOS novel: The Romulan Way
- TOS novel: Spock's World
- TOS novel: The Final Nexus
- TOS novel: Probe
- TOS novel: Vulcan's Forge
- TOS novel: Assignment: Eternity
- TOS - The Eugenics Wars novel: The Rise and Fall of Khan Noonien Singh, Volume 1
- TOS novel: In the Name of Honor
- TOS - Crucible novel: Provenance of Shadows
- TOS novel: Foul Deeds Will Rise
- TOS comic: "Murder on the Enterprise"
- TOS - Burden of Knowledge comic: "A Matter of Perspective"
- TNG novel: Dyson Sphere
- TNG novel: A Time to Sow
- DS9 novel: Devil in the Sky
- DS9 novel: Ascendance
- DS9 novel: The Long Mirage
- VOY novel: The Black Shore
- VOY novel: Marooned
- VAN novel: Declassified
- ST - Myriad Universes novel: A Less Perfect Union
- FASA RPG module: Star Trek IV Sourcebook Update
- FASA RPG module: The Federation
- FASA RPG module: Trader Captains and Merchant Princes, 1st edition
- FASA RPG module: Spacelanes: The Magazine of Interstellar Trade
- Decipher RPG module: Worlds
- Decipher RPG module: Aliens
- LUG RPG module: Star Trek: The Original Series Core Game Book
- ST reference: Star Trek Maps
- ST reference: Worlds of the Federation
- TNG reference: The Continuing Mission
- TNG movie: Generations star map hologram display graphic in stellar cartography
External link[]
- Janus VI article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.