Velara III was the inhabited third planet of its star system. This Alpha Quadrant planet was in the vicinity of the Pleiades Cluster.
In 2360, after a Federation reconnaissance expedition certified the planet was lifeless, Terraform Command established the Velara Base on Velara III. This base was responsible for a multi-decade terraforming project with the aim of establishing an M class environment on this planet.
The terraforming was, however, canceled in 2364, when it was discovered that the process was killing silicon-based lifeforms living in a thin layer of water between a sandy surface layer, or topsoil, and a layer of rock. These "microbrains" called their planet Sand of Home.
Following the discovery of the microbrains and the retaliatory death of hydraulics specialist Arthur Malencon by these lifeforms, an agreement between the little crystals and Captain Picard of the USS Enterprise-D placed Velara III under an indefinite quarantine with the hope of restoring communications with the microbrains in three hundred years. (TNG: "Home Soil")
Appendices[]
Background information[]
The script described Velara III as a "yellow-ochre, featureless planet." [1]
In the script, Velara III was located in the Velara system.
Andrew Probert produced a matte painting of Velara III, but this was eventually unused and replaced by a matte painting illustrated by Syd Dutton. (Star Trek: The Magazine Volume 2, Issue 12, p. 46)}
The quadrant of origin for this planet was inferred from its proximity to the Pleiades Cluster, which was located in the Alpha Quadrant.
External links[]
- Velara at Memory Beta, the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
- Velara III at Memory Beta, the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
- Re-Used Planets in TNG at Ex Astris Scientia