Baldur III was a Class M planet in the Baldur system, on the other side of the Antares Maelstrom from the main body of Federation territory. Despite its remoteness, it was colonized by humans in the late 22nd century. Starships traveling to Baldur III were forced to divert around the highly-dangerous Maelstrom, adding significant length to their journey.
The settlers, who came to the planet aboard the colony ship Thunderbird, valued their independence, and considered Earth and the Federation "as remote from their daily lives as Romulus." The colonists and their children came to call themselves Baldurians.
Circa 2270, vast pergium deposits were discovered on Baldur III. The colonists, now in the third-generation descended from the original settlers, realized their lives were about to change. As soon as word got out, a "gold rush" mentality ran through the rest of the quadrant and the planet saw a heavy influx of newcomers, some permanent residents, but many simply would-be prospectors looking to stake a claim and strike it rich. Among the new emigres were a group of Troglytes, seeking to use their skills and build a new life away from Ardana.
Smuggling also became a much greater problem for the colony, especially in regards to nabbia, a plant acquired from the prewarp planet Yurnos in the neighboring system. The Baldurians requested help from Starfleet in order to support the increased prospecting activity and to deal with the new criminal element; the USS Enterprise was diverted from its survey of the Enkidu Nebula in order to assist the colony.
After dealing with the immediate crisis, the Baldurians applied for Federation membership, and the application was fast-tracked. The Enterprise remained on station for several weeks until more Starfleet vessels and Federation support crews arrived to assist in expanding the colony and upgrading its facilities. Deep Space Sation S-8 was also upgraded to serve as a hub for those traveling around to Maelstrom to reach Baldur.(TOS novel: The Antares Maelstrom)
Locations[]
- Jackpot City, capital
- Pergium Palace, nightclub
External links[]
- Baldur III article at Memory Beta, the non-canon Star Trek wiki.