The Valoran

Overview
The Valoran are a two-gendered species of bipedal humanoids who inhabit the Valorius Quadrinary Star System, roughly 40 lightyears removed from the average center of the star-forming H II region, known as IC 434. They are a highly advanced, warp capable species who have developed a heavy reliance upon technology and the continuing advancement therein, to the point of instituting a Republic like Government where the foremost technologically adept members of their society are elected by the general population to represent them and their interests. These interests have over the course of hundreds of years, diverged among differing regions of their home world, wherein the background of technological advancement has been specialized. Political parties are divided by those who wish to further the advancement of one aspect of technology over another.

This has at times stalled the forward progress of the Valoran and their outreach beyond the borders of their home star system but has also pushed forward the gradual redevelopment of their home world and the ultimate advancement their outlying colonies to the brink of technological supremacy rivaling that of even the most advanced Federation worlds. A remarkable feat indeed, considering it’s only been fifty or so Federation standard years since the Valoran achieved Warp capability. Their ability to develop new tech, only to surpass it with better tech in such a short period of time places them at the forefront of a becoming a potential burgeoning power in the Expanse.

External Characteristics
Appearance wise, the Valoran seem to be a relatively unassuming bipedal humanoid species, with sharp monochromatic eyes which lack any visible iris, ridged hairless forehead crowns, and feline like nasal features. Both genders are generally tall and slender by build, with elongated arms and legs each ending in four-digit extremities; their hands featuring three long fingers, and one opposable thumb each. Their skin is generally pale in coloration, a mix of gray and pinkish hues which varies little from one individual to the next, though the skin does seem somewhat thicker than most comparable humanoids. They are naturally hairless across most of their bodies, the lone exception being a small patch of thick black hair located near the nape of the back of their necks, which can be witnessed reflexively standing on end when in times of stress.

Gifted with acute extrasensory capabilities commensurate with the highest recorded levels in the whole of the Federation, the Valoran as a society have in the past three-hundred years developed an advanced dampening device which they wear in order to effectively repress these abilities. It is an exceptionally rare occurrence to witness any living Valoran without this device adorning the crown and periphery of the sides of their heads.

Differences between the two genders of the Valoran species can be difficult for outsiders to detect, though it is rare for the females of the species to trim the small patch of black hair near the nape of their neck, instead opting to let it grow to great length as a sign of their age, as each successive row of a braid denotes one standard revolution of their home world around the Quadrinary stars at the center of the system. Males on the other hand, are expected to keep this patch of hair trimmed short, if not shaved entirely upon entering into a joining with a female member of the species.

Basic Society
The Valoran are a highly advanced civilization, governed by a Technocratic Republic headed by an elected Grand Consular, and protected from their Government by an adopted Bill of Immutable Rights guaranteed to each Valoran Citizen. Religion in the traditional sense has faded from prominence among the Valoran, though a large portion of their society professes some rudimentary belief in the spirituality of their technology. Tribal in origin, the Valoran people place a great emphasis on the importance of maintaining family relationships, and this combined with the Technocratic basis of their Republic has led to the prominence of arranged coupling between families, so as to ensure the advancement of one particular preferred field of technology.

Population
Roughly three-hundred standard Federation years ago, the surface of the Valoran home world was utterly and completely devastated by war, prompting the then few survivors to adapt to life aboard a series of rudimentary space stations build in orbit of the planet. Prior to this great war, the Valoran people numbered in the range of 750 million, and as of a recent census conducted by the Valoran Government in 2378, they’ve only just peaked those numbers once more. Given the sheer number of dead left in the wake of the war, and early reproductive constraints put in place to prevent overpopulation and crowding on their space stations, the recovery of their population has only recently seen a spike trending toward the sustainability of their people.

Law and Order
The rule of law is based upon a Bill of Immutable Rights guaranteed to each Valoran Citizen, with addendums made to cover nearly all aspects of crime and punishment. In Valoran society, crime is uncommon but existent, though it generally revolves around the theft of intellectual property, and any fallout pertaining therein. Murder is exceedingly rare, with a rate numbering in the low point percentages. Enforcement of the law is undertaken by a Centralized Police Force working on behalf of the Government, and the maximum penalty for the highest-level infraction is permanent incarceration as the practice of execution was outlawed sometime in their past.

Government
Valoran society is governed by an Elected Republican Government referred to as the Central Administorum, at the head of which is a Grand Consular nominated and voted on to act as an executive representative of the Republic. The current Grand Consular is Predamok Varrun, a Valoran male who was elected by the representative Republic sixteen-years ago from the Terraformers Party, the current most prominent political party. Varrun is quickly approaching the end of his second and final term as Grand Consular, and the stokes of bureaucracy have already started turning in advance of the next election to be held at the end of this year.

Technology
Technologically speaking, the Valoran represent the apex in terms of natural development so-far encountered by species originating in the Shackleton Expanse. Though they’ve only discovered Warp capability some fifty-years ago, the premium in which their Society places technological advancement has led to extensive leaps made, putting them surprisingly on par or even beyond many contemporary species located throughout the Alpha and Beta Quadrants. Comparative to the United Federation of Planets, they are in many ways equivalent, if not only slightly lagging behind, though if there is one aspect of advancement in which they’re still relatively early in the development of, it would be their Warp tech, the limits of which they are gradually pushing towards 24th-century capabilities.

Territory
As it stands, the Valoran have gradually begun to explore the local star cluster surrounding their home  system, establishing a sturdy hold over two additional habitable star systems, and a tentative grasp of six more. Additionally, the Valoran have encountered and maintained some form of diplomatic relations with the nearby Edda, of whom they currently hold a non-aggressive and generally neutral standing with. Expansion of the Valoran people seems likely to continue, especially as they advance the capabilities of their Warp drive technology, allowing them to stretch beyond the local neighborhood.

Valorius
Located roughly ten lightyears distance from the center of the K-16 sector of space, henceforth named the Valorius Sector since its discovery, Valorius is a Quadrinary Star System consisting of a two main sequence stars of the B spectral type: Valorius A and B, one main sequence star of the O type: Valorius C, and one main sequence star of the M type: Valorius D. The four stars are locked in a gradual decaying circular orbit of one another, with a common center orbital period of 92.2 years, with an average distance between each equal to 20.2 AU. Surrounding the four stars of Valorius are seven rocky planets, and four gas giants. Valorius I-V are uninhabited worlds, though Valorius VI, or Valorius Prime as it is known, is home to the Valoran species, and maintains an orbital population of roughly 750 million. Valorius VII is currently undergoing the process of terraforming, with a surface population of 2 million. Each of the four gas giants of the Valorius system are orbited by a number of industrial and scientific space stations, the populations of which total just under 100 thousand.

Ventauri
The first of two star systems discovered by the Valoran, Ventauri is a Binary Star System located roughly three lightyears distance from the Valorius Quadrinary Stars System. It is made up of two main sequence stars of the A type: Ventauri A and B. The pair orbit around a common center with an orbital period of 81.2 years. Their elliptical orbit is eccentric, so that the distance between them varies from 29.2 AU to just 4.2 AU. Surrounding the pair are three rocky planets: Ventauri I-III, and two gas giants: Ventauri IV and V. Ventauri II exists within the ‘goldilocks’ zone of habitability and has been colonized by the Valoran for nearly twenty-five years, with a population of 1 million according to census taken in 2378.

Vornium
The second of two star systems discovered by the Valoran, Vornium is a Binary Star System located just one lightyear distance from the Ventauri Binary Star System, and a little over five-lightyears distance from the Valorius Quadrinary Star System. It is made up of two main sequence stars of the O type: Vornium A and B. The Pair orbit around a common center with an orbital period of 62.3 years. Their generally circular orbit, and similar stellar mass means that the distance between them is near constant at just 4.4 AU. Surrounding the binary stars are just one rocky planet: Vornium I, one Brown Dwarf failed star: Vornium II, and three ice giants: Vornium III-V. Vornium I, a world rich in dilithium deposits, was colonized for the purpose of mining in 2360, and currently maintains a population of just under 100 thousand according to census in 2378.