RIGELIAN CONSORTIUM
GOVERNMENT: Merchant Confederation
FOUNDED: 1789AD
CAPITOL PLANET: Rigelia
GOVERNMENT EXECUTIVE:
Supreme Trade Council
STAR SYSTEM: Beta Rigel
MEMBER PLANETS
COLONIES
MEMBER SPECIES
Rigelia
Rigel II
Rigel III
Rigel IV
Rigel X
Rigel VI
The Rigelian Consortium is a major trade organization and stellar government which operates from the Beta Rigel system. The Consortium was founded in the late 18th century following contact the Vulcan High Command and Rigel's development of warp drive.
PROTECTORATE
Rigel VII
Since then, Beta Rigel has become a major trade hub on the space lanes between Vulcan and Orion space, connecting into the outer and mostly unexplored Beta Quadrant of the galaxy.
The Beta Rigel star system
Beta Rigel has an unusually large habitable zone, allowing for numerous colonies inside the star system. Rigelia and Rigel II are considered full members of the Rigelian Consortium, whose populations have voting rights in all trade matters, while the remainer of the Beta Rigel worlds are considered colonies. The Rigelians also maintain protectorate status over Rigel VII which hosts a pre-warp bronze age culture called the Kalar.
The government of Rigel operates as a democratic trade organization, with a Supreme Council elected by the populus as well as local and regional governments organized along traditional democratic lines. Rigel has no space fleet and a very small planetary defense military, with the financial hub status of the star system, as well as numerous defense treaties with trading partners, generally a deterrent to invasion.
SPACE AND MERCHANT FLEET
The Rigelian space force consists of a small number of patrol and interduiction class known as "Rigelian Scouts". These vessels are designed for speeds approaching Warp 6 and can intercept and detain merchant traffic deemed to be carrying illegal goods. The Rigelian scouts are capable of limited self-defense but are generally outmatched quickly by more dedicated armed spacecraft. For this reason, in the event of a major armed conflict, Rigel relies on defense treaties with its trading partners, although does maintain a small planetary army to fend off any direct attack or invasion.
A 22nd century Rigelian Scoutship
Rigelian merchant freighters are a mainstay of both the Alpha and Beta quadrant, normally cruising at speeds of warp five and traveling the merchant space lanes between Beta Rigel with trade routes to the United Earth, Vulcan Confederation, Orion Trade Union, as well as several other spacefaring civilizations.
