Great Orion Sphere

This is a section of space Centered on -27/-60, 3200 light years distant from the Federation. Coreward from the Trantorian Empire The discovery of this region is described in ST-OM #33 to #36.
Between the Klingon Empire and the Federation there is an area called the "Delta Triangle" where ships are known to disappear.
The USS Endeavor discovered that this is due to an unstable wormhole. The Delta triangle side is attracted to warp fields. The stronger the warp field the faster it chases them. At a certain range the Triangle end of the wormhole actually steals energy from Warp fields to chase them more quickly. A ship in this position is screwed, most likely. 
The Great Orion end of the worm hole is similarly repelled by Warp Fields, the stronger the field, the more it's repelled.
Both mouths naturally wander within a certain ellipsoid, of space but can be pushed out of that area, they will eventually return there. That forms a lowest energy state for the wormhole.
Passage damages warp drives and discombobulated starships, rendering them easy prey.
The Great Orion Sphere is inhabited by several factions.
Both Klingon and Orion houses raid neighbors, with total disrespect for anything like a Prime Directive.
The situation is a classic Crab Bucket They lie, cheat, steal, betray and assassinate to gain momentary advantage, and the end result is that everyone's armed, tense and completely disbelieves anything you say. 
The two Klingon factions occupy a smaller section of space than the Great Orions. There have been serious wars between the Great Orions and the Klingons, Which the Klingons loose by narrow margins. This sets Klingon ship building, technology and expansion back badly, but hasn't knocked them out of the game. 
It also beggars the Orion Houses along that frontier, leaving them weak to be picked apart by rivals, so the results are not much better for the Orions. 
This is "realpolitik" taken to it's amoral limit. New Klingon houses trapped between Great Orions on one side and the Real Klingons on the other are willing to try new things to alter this balance.
=Factions=
==The Orions==
Namesake of the area..  They claim all of the area as well as everything else.  These Orions are old fashioned unreconstructed Orions.  Think Kublai Khan in starships.  Corrupt, racist, slavers. and tending towards violence.  They make poor neighbors. However, they are a regional power.  Their ships equal late 23rd century Federation and Klingon ships in firepower. They have the development and infrastructure to field a stronger fleet than any single rival. There are hundreds of Orion houses from multi-planet holdings to a kiosk at the mall.
===Rigellia===
The first world settled in the area by the Orions, rather forcibly. They consider themselves the successors to Botchok. Pretentious to be sure, but who is there to argue? They are the most built up of the Orion worlds.
Rigellia has heavily draconian Green Laws. To begin with the Gold/Green ratio was heavily in favor of of the Greens. While time, breeding, and accident have improved this it is still a majority Green world, but a Gold ruled one. 
===Auracarum===
Founded by a lost ship from House Auric that felt they were not getting their fair share (All of It). House Auric claims to be loyal to the House Lord 3000 light years away, but it would be unwise to test that loyalty.
The planet is aggressively building up and in the interest of getting that way has some of the more lenient Green Laws. They are still slaves, make no mistake, but they can't be killed without a trial. That is not the case with the Tocara people native to the world. They are treated worse than greens.
===Glorendar===
Originally occupied by a stone age people that are considered functionally extinct. They were gathered up and used up building the Orions' conformable enclave. Pity they didn't fair better under their natural position as slaves.
Glorendar is also known for particularly draconian Green Laws. 
===Magistara===
The Orions found a industrial age planet. They bought it. Their colony is a high tech enclave of luxury amide a Dickensian dystopia. The local leaders get the toys as long as they give the Golds all they want.
===Mindi===
Mindi is sitting on an unequaled bounty of mineral wealth. If you can survive the mega fauna and the plants that want to eat you. So far this House has not made a lot of noise. They want to be sure they can defend the bounty they have found.
Mindi stayed out of the war and wasn't on the front. They are looking pretty good right now.
===Prindra===
Prindara was not an empty world when the Orions arrived. The Pindles took to the Orions at once and installed their leader as God-King.
The God-King* rules with a power that is hard to credit. He is said to posses supernatural power at least when on his own world and never leaves that world. There are dark rumors as to who really rules who.
Prindra suffered less form the war then they should have. They are eyeing the local houses and licking their chops.
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*The deal being this is the dark brother of Apol. Npol. Damaged by Apol in a fight for supremacy he landed on Prindra and must work through a mortal to deal his power, abet a fraction of that of Apol. Npol rides the God-King. The God-King has great power and say, but burns out quickly. A puppet of the near YAGLA. The Pindles are quite willing to let the Orions eat the abuse as the results are the same no matter the species or color of the puppet.
==The Klingons==
A mix of old fashioned and more recent Klingons, they have suffered their own version of the New Klingon /Real Klingon Split. Pressed hard by entrenched Orions, New Klingons benefit by a willingness to take on non-Klingon allies.  Their ships range from 23rd century to 24th century ships.  Upgrading their own technology is hampered by warfare, both internecine and against the Orions, and a lack of manpower.
===House BnaQHom===
The Biggest Real Klingon House. They have technology parity with House Nu'ngoS, due to spies and such. And lots of klingons. They suffer from fanatic racism. Klingons are the only true people
===House SuSpong===
As above but smaller. Being number two they try harder. The result are usually ugly.
===House Nu'ngoS===
Protagonist House, allows non Klingons to hold positions and be warriors. Their new friends leveraged manpower and technology somewhat, So protagonist House can make any attack too costly to win. Recent alliances with Last Chance and the Children of Apol have been paying dividends.
===House juH ghaH SuD===
Klingon/Orion house. The House Lord Married an Orion woman to cement an alliance with an Orion house. This has worked, but at the cost of antagonizing the Real Klingons. Is a practical ally to House Nu'ngoS, but philosophically mixes Klingon-centricness with a utilitarian Orion streak.
===House Qoch'ma===
Also a Klingon/Orion house, but more because the House lord bribed Orions and now has a large force of Orion "mercenaries" working for him trade goes in both directions - they are caught up in defending against chronic raids. Again a pragmatic ally of House Nu'ngoS, but not necessarily ideologically.
===Corvy===
The World and Orion house most in contact with the Klingons. Recently seized by a coalition of Real and New Houses that are firming up the conquest (killing people) before they divine up the spoils. 
Corvy got nailed to the wall in the recent war. It did not help when the Klingons came to call in force. Klingonized Orions are leading the clean-up. Some of them Green and pissed.
They look to be making sure that come what may the House of Corvy will not be there to rule anything. Other Orions are reeling in horror and looking under the couch cushions for any ships.
===House SuD'wa===
Also a Klingon/Orion house, but solidly in the New Klingon camp. This house made money trading and so they are hammering on that. Their Armed Merchants must be very well armed indeed. They are actually angrily defensive and hard core traders. They resent having to spend so much on defending themselves. Frequently duel with Real Klingons.
===House Soch===
Mostly Real Klingon. Has discovered the manpower benefits of slave species, but keeps them strictly controlled.
This house is the place the Klinzai have mostly washed up. While Klinzai families are found with varying acceptance throughout the Klingon sphere this is the one Real Klingon house were they prosper. The Klinzai tend to be more Real Klingon than thou.
===House DaH Qu===
Pragmatic Real Klingon - this house will go which ever way the wind is blowing. They and their population are real Klingons culturally, but the house lord is all about pragmatism. He will follow whichever alliance or faction that offers him the best result.
===House Ngo'mIw===
Ceremonial Real Klingon. They have really old Klingon roots and pride themselves on being the oldest and truest Klingon house. For Imperial Klingons it would be like a time machine.
===House bat'nIHwI===
Piratical Real Klingon. As one of the lesser houses, they fight mean and they fight dirty to get what they want. Hungry, mean and a little crazy, their warriors are not shy about spilling blood. These are the guys who'll do deep raids against the Orions. Often allied with so their forces can be used as cannon fodder. If the house lord makes enough profit, he'll go for it.
===House lalDanyaS===
Klingon Monks. These guys have tried to withdraw and follow ancient spiritual teaching. Their hierarchy is all about religious training. They eschew much engagement or conflict with other Klingons or Orions. If attacked, they defend themselves very thoroughly and well. They train in the martial skills a lot.
===House QuvHa'ghach===
Outcast House: This house is a garbage bucket of anyone who fled another house, or is sick of business as usual. Not well organized, and peopled by individualist and rebel Klingons. They're actually running a democratic government. Duels and gun battles are common. A non Klingon can win the right to vote by winning battles. It has fought several battles against other houses, with a mediocre record, they are tolerated because their ships will often fight for the house lord who pays them. If they can get their shit together enough to establish an actual policy, they're New Klingons and Allies of Nu'ngoS. but they aren't really that organized. Have a long running rivalry against bat'nIHwI. Much bloodshed and many explosions there.
==Kimyaz'es==
(Last Chance) A Vulcan Colony. They were working from a technology deficit, and struggled to ward off Orion and Klingon raids.  When encountered by the USS Endeavor, they were on the verge of imploding due to pressure from the Great Orions.  Their Surakian gestalt had slipped and they were revering to the old ways. The USS Endeavor brokered a Vulcan Klingon Alliance and promised to alert Vulcan to the existence of the colony. 
With the Behemoth mission they have access to the Express Replicator technology is flooding Kimyaz'es as quickly as they can get the Ane portable relief materials in (under 360kg loads). The colony gets stronger by the day.
The Mastodon mission brought in four Fleet Stingray class light frigates. Kimyaz'es is exceedingly well defended. With the Mastodon mission Kimyaz'es is the technology leader in the area and has solid contacts with Vulcan.
==The Children of Apol==
Humanoid aliens, created by a YAGLA.  Apol can create life and objects, travel at warp speed bare handed, create and express incredible energies.  Apol can take one starship,  He couldn't take a fleet.  So he taught his children, normal people created in his own image, how to build starships and advanced technology so they could assist him in defending his world.  When the USS Endeavor encountered him, they pitched an alliance.  Apol agreed with some limitations. 
Apol has changed is tune. He is willing to engage on al limited basis, primarily with Kimyaz'es. Once the galactic contact toothpaste is out of the tube you can't put it back. Whether he desires such contact or not it is there and not going away. He witnessed the assault on the Behemoth, and found it sobering. Allies are needed.
==Ador==
Less a faction than a head scratcher. A small colony of mixed races that worship the wormhole. Ador is a marginal world at best and a hard scrabble living is wrenched from its grasp. The Monks of the Wormhole conduct their rituals in relative peace and farm sufficiently to live.
The Klingons leave them alone they have nothing to steal. The Orions have found they fight way too hard and fanatics make poor slaves. Not worth the gelt to bother.
=Return=
The USS Endeavor managed to traverse back to known space by shutting down all subspace devices and having New Klingon allied ships steer the Great Orion end of the wormhole onto the Endeavor, repelling it with their warp drives in a strange sort of space combat soccer. Back in known space the Endeavor carried word of the people they found. 
==Aftermath==
Afterwards, The Vulcans and the Klingon Empire with Ane assistance mounted two missions to try and relieve their beleaguered fellows in the region. 
===First Mission===
Voyage of the Beheamoth The first mission was centered around a Behemoth class Heavy transport with many escorts. A joint Vulcan/Klingon mission. (Yea, wrap your brain around that.) This mission was not expected to make the return trip. Subspace messages indicate they made the trip with minimal losses of persons and material, by Klingon standards at least. They circled behind the Klingon zone and came in mostly unseen.
They had docked and dispersed the bounty to Last Chance and House Nu'ngoS. The Behemoth itself was to become a battle station mainly to defend the Behemoth. And a huge technology upgrade. Nu'ngoS and Last Chance also have an Ane anchor to The Express Nu'ngoS does not realize how important that can be, yet. The Vulcans caught on quickly.
The Orions gathered a battle fleet and caught the Behemoth as it was finishing unloading at the Klingon stop. In a desperate battle they managed to destroy the bulk hauler, at hideous expense.
The modern Klingon ships mauled them as did the Behoemoth itself. 90% of the Orion fleet was destroyed outright and the remainder picked off during the retreat. They managed to destroy the least important part the mission, the transport. The people and technology made it to the ground.
The aftermath drove the Real and New Klingons into a firm alliance against the Orions, and added the Vulcans as well. With their battle fleet destroyed they faced a united Klingon attack and a war they lost badly.
===Second Mission===
With DiSodium ships available a second mission was launched with the goal of a round trip. It has returned. With the hazards mapped out, and six times the cruising speed. the chances are better than average.
The smaller Mastodon class vessel is leased. There is a higher Ane presence this time. A joint Klingon/Vulcan/Ane mission.
Several years later with the war just cooling off the DiSodium powered Mastodon class bulk hauler arrived. The Orions had nothing to send against it. They could not have caught it in any case.
The Klinogns and Vulcans got yet another technology boost. The Vulcans got class 12 frigates out of the deal. Last Chance is a hideous porcupine at this point.
Orions are digging deep bunkers. The piper's bill is coming due.
===Phase Three: The Lily Pads===
With the Arrival at Kimyaz'es of the USS Discovery and fleet as well ans the USS Sigma Seven and her fleet the lily pad project has reached fruition. With countless contacts and many new friends made solid lines of communication between the Great Orion Sphere and the Homeworlds is complete.
The Vulcans and to a lessor extent the Klingons are taking advantage of the situation. The Orion houses have yet to see that there is one. It means more of the Federati and their huge, fast, and deadly ships.
The unspoken party is the Trantorian Empire as one of the lilypaths goes through their space. They are having second thoughts about the Federation being, just another Empire. This would have been unthinkable for them.
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Category:Epiphany Trek