Favos IV

The remains of the vessel are intact, having buried itself at an almost perfect 90 degree angle. The elongated visible portion is believed to be the forward hull, which is made of pure extraterrestrial tritanium. This forward portion consists of a large particle-beam emitter, located between two gigantic spires. The Alus is considered an esoteric landmark, the interior of which remained unexplored until 2268. All Favosian art, architecture, and symbology are based around this sacred object.

The orbit of Favos IV is surrounded by a distant asteroid belt, located between the 6^th and 7^th planets of the system. Occasionally, a rogue asteroid leaves the belt and comes close enough to threaten the Favosian civilization. However, no celestial event has ever successfully struck the surface of the planet, due to an early detection/automated proximity defense--existing somewhere within the mysterious Alus. It appears able to detect planetoids farther than 5 AUs away, depending on their speed and angle of approach. It is unknown as to how the Alus detects a planetary threat, but it responds consistently and forcefully; emitting a powerful repulsor beam that pushes planetoids off-course. Fortunately, the Alus does not appear to take any notice of approaching starships.

The Favosian people are highly social and quite peaceful. Their appearance is not unlike that of human albinos. The politics of Favos consists of a single representative world democracy, made up of a senate and an executive branch. The president of Favos is elected once every 10 years by public ballot, with campaigns that are both compulsory and contentious; slowing all other activity to near-standstill. However, up to 2268, their electoral system was considered foolproof and corruption-free. It was considered a rare sample of a “flawless system” in planetary social science and became a model for nation-building on other worlds. Their two-party system is evenly split among what is roughly translated as “traditionists” and “visionaries.”

In 2268, a particularly large asteroid approached Favos IV. However, this object elicited no response at all from the Alus proximity defense. Scientists observing the asteroid noted that it had gotten dangerously close. Following the recommendations of these same scientists, the Favosian leadership concluded that the Alus defense might have failed or died out completely. Due to the asteroid’s inertia and composition (mostly 80% pure neutronium), all attempts to destroy and/or divert it by any other means have failed.

A state of emergency was declared. A joint team of Federation and Favosian scientists concluded that Favos IV had only 1 week before all life on its surface became extinct. Fortunately, the Favosians were well-prepared for this event, and with the help of the Federation, they have managed to evacuate their civilization in an attempt to re-colonize elsewhere. This has been the largest mass-exodus in Federation history.

On stardate 2502, the USS Bretagne was sent to make scientific record of the final moments of Favos IV. Their mission included the rescue of any Favosian holdouts, as well as deterring looters. After beaming down to the planet, the crew eventually discovered that the Alus had been tampered with by a Favosian Senator for political gain. The crew was able to re-activate the Alus, and the planet was saved (ST:P1 "Aesop's Stepchildren")