The Talos system or Talos group was an inhabited planetary system in the Talos star group. The system was located in the Alpha Quadrant. In the 2250s, Starbase 11 was approximately two light years from the system.
History[]
The fourth planet, Talos IV
Long range scans made by the United Federation of Planets of the system in the 23rd century showed that it was similar to the Sol system. Prior to 2236, this system had not been explored. In that year, the survey ship SS Columbia, while surveying the system, crash landed on Talos IV. There was only one survivor from the crash, Vina.
In 2254, eighteen years later, the USS Enterprise discovered the fate of the Columbia after being lured to the system by a faked distress call. After escaping the Talosians, the crew recommended that the planet be placed under quarantine, a recommendation that Starfleet Command endorsed. General Order 7 was created, prohibiting Federation vessels from going to Talos IV.
In 2257, Michael Burnham, guided by Spock, returned to Talos while Spock was suffering from effects of experiencing time as a non linear construct. After the Talosians had repaired Spock's mind, the USS Discovery arrived with Christopher Pike in command and rescued Spock and Burnham from Section 31. (DIS: "If Memory Serves")
In 2267, ten years later, the Enterprise returned to the system to deliver a physically disabled Captain Pike to the care of the Talosians. (TOS: "The Cage", "The Menagerie, Part I", "The Menagerie, Part II")
Sometime before 2285, the Federation sent a container from Talos III to Regula. (Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan)
Components[]
The Talos system was a quaternary star system with four M-type stars. In the organization of this system, there was a binary star system. (Star Trek: Section 31)
The binary system had eleven planets, with Talos III and Talos IV being habitable. The latter planet was located in the habitable zone of its system. Other planets in the system were Talos I, Talos II, and Talos V. (TOS: "The Cage"; Star Trek: Section 31)
Stellar cartography[]
The location of Talos on "The Explored Galaxy" star chart
In 2259, the location of this system was labeled on a stellar cartography chart that was seen on the USS Enterprise's ready room viewscreen. This system's symbol had a white color, indicating that it was non-aligned. (SNW: "Strange New Worlds", "Children of the Comet")
In 2293, the location of Talos in the Milky Way Galaxy was labeled in a star chart that was in Captain James T. Kirk's quarters aboard the USS Enterprise-A. (Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country okudagram)
On stardate 1292.4, the location of this system was labeled in a chart used during a Section 31 Alpha Team briefing. (Star Trek: Section 31)
The system's location was labeled in a Federation star chart that was in Fleet Admiral Kirsten Clancy's office at Starfleet Headquarters in 2399 and on the bridge of the USS Titan-A in 2401. The Talos system was in or near to Federation space. (PIC: "Maps and Legends", "The Next Generation", "Disengage")
In 3189, the location of Talos was denoted on a holographic star chart of the galaxy at Federation Headquarters. (DIS: "Scavengers")
| Talos system |
|---|
| Unnamed Stars |
| Talos I • Talos II • Talos III • Talos IV • Talos V Mirror universe: Talos IV |
Appendices[]
The prohibition on Federation ships traveling to this system was lifted sometime before 2285, as Federation cargo containers were being sent from this system to research facilities throughout Federation space
The Talosian system was at one point to have been a double star system. (The Making of Star Trek, pp. 93 and 96) Before production on that episode, Gene Roddenberry conceded that he was somewhat "at a loss [...] on exactly what it should look like," and further commented, "If it is too bizarre or confusing to the audience, we'll probably have to go back to a single sun." (The Making of Star Trek, p. 96) The map for the system showed two stars of equal size at the center of the star system; however, when the shore leave party was on the surface, it's not possible to see the suns as the sky was overcast.
Both the Star Trek: Star Charts (p. 37) and Stellar Cartography: The Starfleet Reference Library ("Federation Historical Highlights, 2161-2385") described the Talos system as a quaternary system with four M-class stars. The symbol used for this system was visible on a star chart used in Star Trek: Section 31, making it canon that the Talos system had four stars.
Other than there being a binary star system in the Talos system, there was little information on the organization of the Talos system. Based on the organization models of other multiple star systems, it can be speculated that the remaining two stars could be the primaries of single star systems or came together to form a second binary star system.