Rura Penthe is a dilithium-rich asteroid used as a penal colony by the Klingon Empire. As the extremely low surface temperature of Rura Penthe makes it uninhabitable by most life forms, the mines are located underground. This "Gulag" is known the galaxy over as "The Alien's Graveyard". (TOS movie: Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country)
- Star Trek: Nero states Rura Penthe's location to be the Laurentian system, but all other sources place it in the Beta Penthe system.
Life in the penal colony is extremely harsh, with few prisoners surviving more than a year. Therefore, a sentence to the mines of Rura Penthe is one of the most feared punishments throughout the galaxy, often said to be worse than death. The penal colony has no stockade, guard tower or electronic frontier. It only has a magnetic shield that extends over a significant part of the planet's surface, preventing beaming. As well as its warden's animals resembling both a Klingon targ and Terran sabre-tooth tiger. The most common form of punishment given to prisoners is banishment to the freezing surface, where they don't survive for long. One of the prison's commandants in the late 23rd century made a point of banishing at least one troublemaker each time that new prisoners arrived, so that they would know from the start the penalty for working badly or disobeying the rules. (TOS movie: Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country)
History
At some point after he delivered his information to the Klingon High Council in 2151, Klaang was sentenced to life at Rura Penthe to his being dishonored by being saved by humans. (ST reference: Federation: The First 150 Years)
The only known escapes from Rura Penthe are Earth Starfleet Captain Jonathan Archer in 2152, and Starfleet Captain James T. Kirk and Commander Leonard McCoy in 2293. (ENT episode: "Judgment"; TOS movie: Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country)
In 2371, the Warden of Rura Penthe was involved in a plot to assassinate Chancellor Gowron. In turn, the warden was assassinated by agents of the Klingon Honor Guard. (TNG video game: Klingon Honor Guard)
In the year 2381, the Borg laid siege to Rura Penthe during their blitz of Federation, Romulan, and Klingon space. (ST - Destiny novel: Lost Souls)
Alternate reality
The Narada orbits Rura Penthe
In 2233 of an alternate reality, the Narada sat crippled near Klingon space and soon attracted the attention of the Klingons. A fleet led by Captain Kor of the IKS Klothos attacked. The Narada's crew did their best to repel the Klingons, but despite killing many could not hold back the stronger Klingon force. The Narada's crew was detained on Rura Penthe, while the Narada was put in orbit above. There Nero was brutally interrogated by the prison's commandant, Koth and his guards.
Twenty-five years later in 2258 the Narada's crew escaped Rura Penthe and reclaimed the Narada, destroying forty-seven Klingon warbirds in the process. (TOS - Nero comics: "Number One", "Number Two", "Number Four"; TOS novelization: Star Trek)
Appendices
Connections
| planets visited by the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-A) (2286-2293) | |
|---|---|
| 2286 | Earth • wishing planet • Rontelm • Gamma Trianguli VI • Briar Patch • Christofi IX • Vulcan • Sector 9 Romulan colony • Miraud • Triaminus IV • Endicor • Omicron Ceti IV • Chapin I |
| 2287 | Nimbus III • Sha Ka Ree • New Ketira • Skylord planet • Casmus III • Chronian III • New Brinden • Tau Gamma II • Earth • Yko • Temaris IV • Cetacean Probe homeworld • Vega IX • Calligar homeworld |
| 2288 | Uninhabited chroniton-discovery world • Datugad • Venus • Oyolo • Pavak • Sumno • Claneia I • Karimea • Kristenian world • Rimbor • Needra • Tyrion Defense Zone • Starbase 29 • Dinar IV • Sandar IX • Lerik IV • Skellen III • Horan system • Javik VI • Kurat I • Earth • Sigma Iotia II |
| 2289 | Arbutus VIII • Earth • Pilkor III • Metaga V • Zuyna • Pallas 14 star system • Tree of Life planet • Sumellian-adjacent star system • Sumellian homeworld • Deneva • Quatrin Alpha • Quatrin Beta |
| 2290 | Earth • Tabuka III • Tabuka IV • Epsilon Kitaj • Starbase 99 planet • Arnebius IV • Alpha Darwin • Kondo Nebula • Mardelva • Nirobi III • Thevos • Casmus III • Largo star system • Theata Leonis • Gateway • Calufrax IV • Babel • Gribbin II • Bupahr mining colony • Gamma Kestra • Nara • 'Gi • Zantak Prime • Kreth |
| 2291 | Devidia IV • Musgrave IV • Varba II • Varnex • Mestiko • Tiranax • Earth • Kaskadia IV |
| 2292 | Earth • unnamed asteroid belt |
| 2293 | Rura Penthe • Khitomer • Faramond • Vulcan • Qo'noS • Patelva • Freelan • Pacifica • Rigel V • Duparre Asteroid Belt • Yquitra • Yko • Earth • Alpha Gederix IV • Prestor V • Sigma Draconis Sector • Chal |
| Omega Leonis sector block | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Omega Leonis (Leo constellation) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Qo'noS sector | K'thar star system: Qo'noS Starbase • Qo'noS (Corvix • Praxis), Qo'noS I, Qo'noS II, Qo'noS III, Qo'noS IV, Qo'noS V • Hedon star system • Ghuh'woq star system • Nawlogh star system • No'Mat star system: No'Mat • Qay'ghun star system • Saqghom star system • Tiqchirgh star system • T'Ong Nebula • transwarp conduit: Gamma Orionis sector block • IKS Kaarg on station (circa 2400s–2410s) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Qu'Vat sector | Qu'Vat system: Qu'Vat I, Qu'Vat II (Qu'Vat colony), Qu'Vat III, Qu'Vat IV • Beta Penthe star system: Rura Penthe (Rura Penthe gulag) • Ghomha star system • Kahless Expanse • N'Vak star system • Teroka star system | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| B'Moth sector | B'Moth star system • Azure Nebula • ChoS Nebula • Gorath system • T'Kanis Nebula • Yov'bot star system | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
External link
- Rura Penthe article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.