Orias III

Orias III is an Class M planet located in the Orias system, that resides in Cardassian space and was controlled by the Obsidian Order.

History

Elim Garak was sent to Orias III on a mission for the Obsidian Order at one point in his career. (DS9 novel: A Stitch in Time)

In 2371, Starfleet lieutenant-turned Maquis terrorist Thomas Riker led a team of six onto Deep Space 9 and stole the USS Defiant and took Major Kira Nerys hostage. He then ordered the ship to Orias III and explained to Nerys that Starfleet Intelligence believed that Orias III was the platform in which a new Cardassian war fleet was 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 two Cardassian warship groups; one 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 episode: "Defiant")

Later that year, 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 Founders' 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 twenty 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 episodes: "Improbable Cause", "The Die is Cast")

In 2409, Orias III was the location of a Alpha Jem'Hadar Hatchery. It also served as the home for the New Link, consisting of Laas and the other 98 juvenile Changelings. (STO mission: "The New Link")

First splinter timeline

During the Dominion War, Orias III once again became a ship building facility, and was the target of an allied attack on stardate 52646.1. (SCE eBook: War Stories, Book 1)

After the Dominion War, a Cardassian colony was founded on the planet's surface and protected by the Romulans. In 2376, former Section 31 agent Dr. Ethan Locken planned to launch a plague-carrying missile at the planet, but he was killed before the missile could be launched. (DS9 - Section 31 novel: Abyss)

Appendices

External link

• Orias III article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.