- For the mirror universe counterpart, see Rigel V (mirror).
Rigel V, also known as Beta Rigel V, was a planet in the Rigel system or the Beta Rigel system and the homeworld of the vulcanoid Rigelians.
- The planets of the Beta Rigel system in Star Charts are inextricably linked to those of the Rigel system. Hence, Beta Rigel V is included here.
- The ST references: Star Trek Maps, The Worlds of the Federation and ST reference: Star Charts show no moons orbiting Rigel V , while Decipher RPG module: Worlds gives it two moons.
Government[]
The Rigelians were governed by a monarchy over an aristocracy based around land tenure, service and psionic gifts, and their culture was described as emotional and traditional. The Kaylar meanwhile had a tribal society. (Decipher RPG module: Worlds)
This world was a member of the United Rigel Colonies along with its sister planets in the star system. (ST reference: Star Charts) Rigel V was also a Federation member world. (ST references: Star Trek Maps, The Worlds of the Federation; Decipher RPG module: Worlds; TOS novel: Mind Meld)
People[]
Originally, Rigel V was home to a Kaylar population but it later became home to the Rigelians, a vulcanoid race. (Decipher RPG module: Worlds) The population of Rigel V was known to be quite peaceful. Circa 2270, it had a population of around 1.2 billion, which had risen to 1.3 billion circa 2365, consisting mostly of the vulcanoid Rigelians. (ST reference: The Worlds of the Federation) This included 1 billion Rigelians, 200 million Kaylar and 25 million Orions.
The capital city was New Jaleyl, while its spiritual center was the Monastery of Gol. Some Rigelians kept living quarters in both places, spending the winter in New Jaleyl and the summer at the monastery. (Decipher RPG module: Worlds)
- Settlements
- Aireen • Ancient Grace • Bolor • Kolihn • New Jaleyl • Rey Kel • Tel'rus • Tir' Aresh • Tu'Sor
- Locations
- Monastery of Gol • Mt. Gol'is Observatory
- The map in the Decipher RPG module: Worlds gives "New July 1" but not "New Jaleyl". They are similar enough, and the former unlikely enough, that the map label is likely to be in error.
Environment[]
Rigel V
Rigel V was a Class M planet. (ST reference: Star Trek Maps; Decipher RPG module: Worlds) It had a standard atmosphere, a warm climate, and a 45% hydrosphere. Like Rigel II, Rigel V had a minimal axial tilt, which meant that the seasons remained in a constant state by latitude. (Decipher RPG module: Worlds) It had a year that lasted 2.47 Earth years, a diameter of 8542 km, and an average temperature of 38°C. (ST reference: Spaceflight Chronology)
- The SFC states that Rigel V lies 3.03 × 10^8 km, ~2.0 AU, from the star, though this is greatly at odds with Decipher's few hundred AU. This is also unlikely given astronomical knowledge of the star Rigel; at this range, the planet would likely suffer extreme heat. In this case, the smaller, cooler star Beta Rigel may be more appropriate.
The northern continents of Klor and Viltan were both windswept, cold and mountainous, while the southern barrier islands were temperate, calm and stable. By the south pole was Han-shir, the world's largest continent (named after its counterpart on Vulcan). It consisted primarily of desert, particularly behind the west coast's barrier mountains, but the coastal regions were much more pleasant and consisted of several tropical jungles. A number of narrow seas separated the continents, while small ice-capped seas covered each of the planetary poles. (Decipher RPG module: Worlds) The planet was noted as being physically beautiful. (TOS novel: Mind Meld)
An unwanted addition to the ecosystem, however, was the Orion wing-slug, a pest that the people of Rigel V launched periodic eradication campaigns against. Like every afflicted world, they claimed it was not native to theirs. (Decipher RPG module: Creatures)
- Continents
- Han-shir • Klor • Viltan
- Han-shir
- Desert of Nan-shir • Han'il Mountains • Vorita Mountains
- Klor
- Dan'ir Mountains • Dan'ol Mountains • Pak'it Mountains
- Viltan
- Ir'Ron Mountains • Ol'thor Mountains • Ron'thor Mountains
- Seas & Oceans
- Arnakal Ocean • Barrier Straights • Nadiroth Sea • Vanol Sea • Zaniroth Sea
- Islands
- Klorian Islands • Viltani Barrier
History[]
The planet was formerly home to a sizable population of primitive Kaylar, who dominated the world and engaged in constant conflict between the various tribal confederacies. Slavery was a common activity on Rigel V at the time, with the Orions often recruiting Kaylar as mercenaries. This allowed the more progressive and advanced members of the species to leave their planet, but left their more conservative brethren in a continued state of barbarism. The Kaylar allowed their world to be exploited by the Orion Empires when they were at their heights, and many Orion traders and miners visited. However, when the Orion Empires fell, the Kaylar massacred the Orions on their planet and returned to their own conflicts.
This remained the case until the arrival of a Debrune splinter fleet in 453 AD, under the command of Vice-Admiral Torek. Rather than share a world with his comrades or be subordinate to them, he decided to conquer the primitive Rigel V, invading it with the ships under his command. It did not go as well as planned, however, as the native Kaylar were armed by the Orions, who did not intend to share the Rigel system with an expansionist power. The Kaylar lost in the fields but remained firmly entrenched in the jungles and mountainous areas.
But after a century of fighting, the Debrune forces successfully claimed the warmer southern continent and left the colder northern lands to the Kaylar. They negotiated new trade deals with the Orions and avoided further interference from them, leaving the world stable once more. From that point forward, the Debrune offshoot became the Rigelians, who developed their own civilization on their new homeworld. (Decipher RPG module: Worlds)
By the 11th century, Rigelian civilization was at its height, represented by the city of Ancient Grace, which had great many-storied buildings with huge white columns and porticos standing upon its hills. But the Rigelians of this time were described as being distrustful, possessive, and highly competitive. The numerologists warned the Rigelian race to change their ways.
Subsequently, a plague spread through the population and decimated their number, leaving the cities in ruins while the native plant life flourished. After the plague had run its course, the survivors formed a new society that was more rural and decentralized, with new family units that possessed many members, to prevent them from being so decimated again. In addition, their culture shifted to living in the present, rather than focusing on the future or the past. (TOS novel: Mind Meld) Rigelian society became less inclined to violence as they further adapted to their homeworld. (Decipher RPG module: Worlds)
This shift to a near-agrarian lifestyle meant that the Rigelian people remained poor compared to other worlds, though their forests gave them some biological and medical products which they sold. However, they had no fleets and no trade agreements, which severely restricted their civilization. (TOS novel: Mind Meld)
Rigel V became a member of the Federation in 2184, after the Rigel Accords were signed and made into law. (ST references: Star Trek Maps, The Worlds of the Federation)
At some point in the past, inhabitants from the neighboring world of Rigel IV came to this world for political reasons and their physicians were noted as being among the best, and were responsible for creating a vaccine for the deadly Rigelian fever. After Rigel IV joined the United Federation of Planets, it was known that some of the succeeding generations of the old pirate families began sending their offspring to universities on Rigel V. (TOS novel: Catalyst of Sorrows)
In 2293, a Rigelian trade delegation representing the Heart Clan were involved in negotiations with the Federation on Earth, due to them being suspected of being involved in illegal activity such as prostitution and animal skin trading. This round of discussions took three weeks before the members of the clan were collected by the USS Enterprise-A and escorted back to Rigel V. However, during this time, Rigelian Ambassador Denker was assassinated by criminal elements and the truth of the event was revealed, through a mind meld with Teska, who served as a witness. This led to the revelation of the child slave trade on Rigel V and began a series of reforms in order for the Rigelian government to comply with the Federations laws. (TOS novel: Mind Meld)
Rigel V applied for and obtained Federation membership in 2297. (Decipher RPG module: Worlds)
- The Worlds 2297 membership date contradicts The Worlds of the Federation's 2184 date, above, while Mind Meld depicts Rigel V as already being a Federation member in 2293. However, Mind Meld also suggests a potential expulsion from the Federation due to illegal Rigelian practices of child slavery. Given these dates, it seems likely that this expulsion occurred, the necessary laws and reforms were made, and Rigel V was re-admitted to the Federation in 2297.
In the mid-2360s, Rigel V was still a Federation member. T'Sedd was Rigel V's Ambassador to the Federation. (ST reference: The Worlds of the Federation)
Economy[]
Rigel V's main exports were medicines and medical technology. The people also produced a number of mercenaries. (Decipher RPG module: Worlds) The planet was home to a number of rural craft guilds such as the Heart Clan and had a precious metal–based economy. (TOS novel: Mind Meld)
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FASA Version[]
- The FASA RPG gives an alternate version of Rigel V, below. As this ties in with the V'gelnians, who contradict canonical and other references, this version is assumed to be incorrect.
Rigel V, also known as V'geln, was the fifth planet of the Rigel system. It had one moon. It was the home of the V'gelnians, a vulcanoid race.
V'geln was a Class G desert world, marked by dunes and buttes. Sandstorms followed the seasons, sweeping the planet twice a year. The desert climate was quite hot, and the atmosphere thin. Water and vegetation were scarce, found only in the polar regions, suggesting that in the past the world was once more habitable.
It had very little value to spacefaring races. Those that visited generally required advanced water-reclamation technology.
V'geln had a gravity of 1.2 g and a 28-hour day. It had a total surface area of 764,537,960 square kilometers with no water coverage. About 39% of its makeup was normal metals, 16% was radioactive elements, 5% was gemstones, 2% was special minerals, and it had trace amounts of industrial crystals.
It had a technological/sociopolitical index of 345423-22 and a planetary trade profile of AAAAAA/D(E). (FASA RPG module: The Orions: Book of Common Knowledge)
External link[]
- Rigel V article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.