Varda III was a planet, the third planet of the Varda system, located near Starbase 6 in Federation space in the galaxy's Alpha or Beta Quadrants. It was once the homeworld of the extinct interstellar Lassfapan civilization.
History and specifics[]
Varda III was class M, within five points of the norm for Terran worlds. Although much of it was an arid desert with hilly sand dunes, coastline regions along its many oceans were full of thriving plant life. Those habitats included jungles with tubular plants, soft cactus, trees, bushes, and long vines. The air smelled fragrantly like flowers and spice, though the flowers themselves were small. Animal life included flying insects and small, scurrying, armored animals.
25,000 to 40,000 years ago, the Vardan buildings were built.
Over a period of centuries after the extinction of the Lassfapans, ruins were explored by representatives of many worlds, including Andorians, Argelians, Daarlin, Deltans, Klingons, Romulans, Vulcans and even Thrix. However, organic machines within the buildings were still operational, and placed many of these visitors in stasis.
In 2277, the University of Luna sent an archeological team to study the ruins. They set up inflatable domes and began to excavate structures. A distress call from the team prompted the USS Enterprise to orbit Varda III and send a shuttle down to investigate. The landing party aided the team, rescued those in stasis, and brought them all to Starbase 6.
The visit to Varda III resulted in reviving a Thrix, a species that went extinct in the 20th century. The mission was junior science officer Lex Nakashima's first visit to an alien planet, and an early first landing for security officer Castora.
Secretly, a six-man Klingon task force was manufacturing mind spores on Varda III as part of a first-strike mission against the Federation. Their relatively short lifespan required them to be created relatively close to their intended target, which necessitated them being produced on a world within Federation space. (TOS - Plot-Your-Own Adventure Stories novella: Distress Call!)
- While the recovery of the Thrix was noted in the captain's log, reader choices determined whether the Klingon plot was foiled.
Points of interest[]
Notable residents[]
- Fi'lakas
- Healer