Archanis IV (aka Archanis Prime, or simply Archanis) was a Class M planet, the fourth of five worlds in its star system. It was the most prominent world in the Archanis sector, sitting along the Federation-Klingon border in the Beta Quadrant. As such, it was a subject of frequent dispute and changed hands between the two powers on several occasions. (TOS: "Day of the Dove", "Arena"; DS9: "Broken Link", "Apocalypse Rising"; DSC: "Magic to Make the Sanest Man Go Mad", "The War Without, The War Within"; PIC: "Maps and Legends")
The Klingon Empire considered their claim on the planet, and its sector, "ancient and indisputable." (DS9: "Broken Link")
By the mid-22nd century, Archanis was home to a United Earth research outpost. Between the founding of the UFP in 2161 and the early 23rd century, Archanis became a flourishing colony world, and the original outpost grew into a full-fledged city home to thousands of Federation citizens.
On stardate 2241.03, the Klingons launched a surprise attack on Archanis IV, strafing the colony with disruptor beams for more than twelve hours. Thousands were killed, and many more were declared missing. The massacre of the Archanis colony began what came to be known as the Four Years War. (Prelude to Axanar)
The Klingons held Archanis for the duration of the war, and into the late 2250s. During T'Kuvma's War in 2257, it was still in the Empire's possession. (DSC: "The War Without, The War Within")
After the imposition of the Organian Peace Treaty, the planet fell back into Federation hands. By 2268, the research outpost had been reestablished. In that year, the outpost was destroyed, killing all 100 personnel. At first, it was presumed the Klingons were responsible, in violation of the treaty. However, the tragedy was soon discovered to be the work of a malevolent entity that fed on hatred the emotions generated by war. (TOS: "Day of the Dove")
- The Star Trek Chronology states that the planet was ceded to the Federation by the Khitomer Accords instead, but the timing and nature of the event is more consistent with the Organian Peace Treaty.
In 2333, according to one account, the Archanis system was again a Klingon posession when it was attacked by the Cardassian Union. (TLE novel: The Art of the Impossible)
Afterwards, Archanis was again a Federation world. In 2372, Klingon Chancellor Gowron reasserted the Empire's claims to the Archanis sector, and issued an ultimatum ordering that the Federation withdraw from the area. He gave Starfleet only ten days to evacuate the entire sector, and sent a KDF task force to enforce the demand. (DS9: "Broken Link", "Apocalypse Rising")
Even after the peace between the Klingons and the Federation was restored, Archanis was still point of dispute; after the Dominion War, tensions over the planet began to rise again, but by 2378, Archanis IV was as a Federation member. (Star Trek Online: The Path to 2409; Star Trek: Star Charts)
When the Kinshaya conquered the Kreel in the late 2370s, some Kreel came to Archanis IV as refugees seeking asylum. (TNG novel: Losing the Peace)
External links[]
- Archanis IV article at Memory Alpha, the canon Star Trek wiki.
- Archanis IV article at Memory Beta, the non-canon Star Trek wiki.
- Archanis IV article at Star Trek Expanded Universe, the fanon and fanworks Star Trek wiki.