The Sanctuary

This article is about the colony for Moclan females. For the episode, see Sanctuary.

## The Sanctuary

### Location:

214 - 238 light years from Earth12 light years from the Nekkar system

### Affiliation:

IndependentPlanetary Union (*informal*)

A habitable planet known as "**The Sanctuary**" was home to a breakaway colony of Moclan females who sought refuge from Moclus, lest they be forcibly converted into males.

## Description

The sanctuary planet was the innermost planet orbiting a K-type star, a system hidden inside a nebula. Two outer orbiting planets were probably not habitable.

The nebula's location is uncertain, though described as *not* along a path from the Nekkar system to Retepsia. Helmsman Gordon Malloy said the nebula was 12 light years from Nekkar, which was 226 light years from Earth. The nebula was probably within Planetary Union space.

The nebula was likely over one-trillion kilometers in diameter. The USS *Orville*'s scanners were unable to penetrate the nebula even from a close distance, a fact that made the sanctuary planet an ideal hiding spot.

The planet's surface was over 80 percent ocean peppered with several dozen island chains.

## History

### Establishment

"Many years" prior to 2421, Heveena and other adult women established a clandestine network of ships known as "the transport circuit" to help families who sought refuge. They established a colony on an island near the planet's equator and called it "The Sanctuary." Though Heveena lived in the mountains of Moclus, she visited the colony over a dozen times.

Parents like Toren and Korick left their daughters with the colony, rather than let the government forcibly alter their sex to male, and the colony's population quickly grew. When the Orville visited in early 2421, the colony's population numbered over 6,000 women and girls.

Adult women armed themselves with Moclan rifles, but they were untrained compared to officers of the Planetary Union or the Moclan Fleet. The Moclan government suspected The Sanctuary existed, but could not find it.

### Discovery

In 2421, Heveena was at The Sanctuary when the USS *Orville* discovered them. Heveena initially planned to evacuate the colony and flee to a new hiding spot, but Captain Ed Mercer and First Officer Kelly Grayson convinced her to petition the Planetary Union Council for protection. The USS *Burnell* took Heveena and Ed to the Council for a hearing while the *Orville* remained in orbit.

Heveena asked the Council to be recognized as a sovereign state. The representative from Moclus, Dojin, argued that The Sanctuary was part of a child-trafficking operation and threatened to leave the Union to form an alliance with the Krill. Meanwhile, Captain Jakohn found the colony, claiming to monitor the colony to ensure the Council's decision would be peacefully fulfilled.

While the Council deliberated, Jakohn began forcibly seizing the females, igniting the Battle of the Sanctuary between Jakohn against the *Orville* and The Sanctuary. The battle raged with no clear winner until the Council agreed to suspend discussion; Moclus would not touch The Sanctuary, the Union would not recognize the colony, and The Sanctuary would halt its transport circuit.

### New Horizons

In 2422, the *Orville* decided to land on the Sanctuary.

One year after the conflict about the Sanctuary possibly joining the Union, the matter comes up again with Moclus once again fighting to prevent it. However, the Moclan kidnapping and torture of Topa causes Moclus to be unanimously expelled from the Union while the Sanctuary is acknowledged as a sovereign state under their protection.

## Members

* Heveena - Leader
* Korick
* Mersa
* Osaia
* Toren

## Production

According to actor Shawn T. Andrew (Toren), the set of the planet was a fake forest shot outdoors and very hot. "Luckily they had us in ... a tent with an air conditioning blowing. When we're out there, we try to get the scenes done so we can get the Hell out of there before we melt."

## Trivia

* The Orville: Original Television Soundtrack - Season 2 refers to the locations as the "female Moclan village" and "the colony."

## Appearances

* *Episode 2x12: Sanctuary*
* *Episode 3x08: Midnight Blue*

## References

1. ↑ Gordon Malloy: "Oh my god, that thing's got to be over a trillion kilometers across." Episode 2x12: Sanctuary
2. ↑ THE ORVILLE | Sanctuary - Becoming A Moclan "BTS" | SHAWN T. ANDREW INTERVIEW. Egotastic FunTime. June 5, 2020.