Chin'toka system

The Chin'toka system was a star system located in the Alpha Quadrant. This Cardassian-controlled system contained four planets, the second and third of which were inhabited and formed a binary pair. It was the scene of two major confrontations in the Dominion War. 
== Location ==
In 2259, the location of this system was labeled on a stellar cartography chart that was seen on the 's ready room viewscreen. The system's symbol had a color, indicating that it was affiliated with Cardassia Prime. Later that year, the symbol had an orange color. ()
In the 2370s, this system was located in Cardassian space, near the Federation-Cardassian border. Its position was depicted on "Tactical Map 4364W". ()
The system's location was labeled in a Federation star chart that was in Fleet Admiral Kirsten Clancy's office at Starfleet Headquarters in 2399 and on the bridge of the in 2401. The Chin'toka system was in or near to Federation space. ()
== History == 
This system was home to a warp-capable civilization. By 2259, this system had or was in the process of being inducted into the . ()
During the Dominion War, the Dominion established a subspace relay on AR-558, a small planetoid in this system.
At the end of 2374, the system was protected by only five squadrons of Jem'Hadar attack ships because the rest had been diverted to reinforce Dominion forces along the Romulan front. This vulnerability provided an opportunity for Allied forces to launch an invasion of Cardassian space. However, the Cardassians had anticipated their attack and deployed hundreds of orbital weapon platforms in the system. These platforms nearly turned the battle against the Allied forces, until a way was found to neutralize them. Subsequently, the system fell to Allied forces (see: First Battle of Chin'toka). ()
However, the invasion did not proceed further than Chin'toka as was hoped; the victorious Allies remained bottled up in the system, fending off constant Dominion attacks. ()
A Dominion counterattack on the system in early 2375 was halted, although the forces of the Romulan Star Empire suffered heavy losses. ()
The Chin'toka system remained under Allied control for most of 2375, until it was retaken by a combined force of Dominion and Breen ships. An Allied attempt to repel their advance ended disastrously, in which 311 of 312 ships were destroyed with relative ease. This was due to Allied unpreparedness for the Breen energy-dampening weapon, which rapidly disabled the fleet, leaving all affected ships completely defenseless. The surviving Allies retreated from the system. ()
In the early 25th century, the system was the location of the Chin'toka scrapyard. ()
== Astronomical data ==
* Chin'toka (primary)
** An inner planet
** Two habitable binary planets
*** At least one spherical moon
*** At least one asteroid moon (destroyed in 2374)
** An outer planet
** AR-558 (orbital position unknown)
File:Chin'toka planet 1.jpg|The first habitable planet
File:Chin'toka planet 2.jpg|The second habitable planet
File:AR-558.jpg|AR-558
Chin'toka M class planets graphic.jpg|The two planets and a large moon surrounded by weapon platforms
File:Chin'toka binary planets.jpg|Another display of the planets surrounded by the platforms
File:Chin'toka system moon.jpg|The asteroid moon powering the platforms
== Appendices ==
=== Background information ===
While the two habitable planets were not explicitly stated to be binary planets, they were described as such multiple times in the script for . An infographic depicting the Chin'toka system in reads: "Chin'toka; Cardassia; binary orbit; perihelion 107 km; aphelion 109 km." 
A close-up shot of a tactical map in the beginning of showed the position of the Chin'toka system in relation to Ferenginar, Starbase 375, Cardassia, Bajor, and the Badlands. The Chin'toka system was labeled by the AR-558 relay in the map.
A scene cut from would have shown that Miles O'Brien came up with the idea to attack Chin'toka, over such alternatives as the Torg'Q system or the Ventani system. The last time he was on a patrol on that part of the border, he had noticed the warp signatures of the ships there to have been changed, suggesting the signatures might have been faked. Garak then suggested ships from the system might have been sent to the Romulan front, leaving the system less defended then previously thought.
According to Star Trek: Star Charts (p. 36) and Stellar Cartography: The Starfleet Reference Library ("Federation Historical Highlights, 2161-2385"), the primary of the Chin'toka system was a G-class star.
=== External link ===
* 
de:Chin'toka-System
ja:チントカ星系
nl:Chin'toka systeem
Category:Star systems
Category:Cardassia