Sagittarius Cluster

For other uses, see Sagittarius.

Belle Terre.

The Sagittarius Cluster (also known as the Sagittarian Cluster, Sagittarian Stellar Group and Cluster Z-80) was a region of space somewhere in the galaxy's Alpha and Beta Quadrants, a star cluster named for both the swath of space visible from Earth in the constellation of Sagittarius, and the Sagittarius Arm, which is one of the major spiral arms of the galaxy.

From the point-of-view of Earth, Sagittarius is towards the center of the galaxy. It seems likely this cluster is contained withing the larger expanse called the Sagittarius Reach.

History and specifics

The Sagittarius Cluster was somewhat far-flung from the territory of the 23rd century Federation, requiring 6 months of travel to reach from Federation worlds. Independent-minded Federation settlers displayed interest in this region as a possible colony site as it would give them a significant degree of autonomy from Federation politics and warring states along other borders of local space.

The planet Belle Terre, in the Occult star system was discovered here, in the Sagittarian sector, in the late 2270s decade, and a major push to colonize the area culminated in Starfleet organizing the Belle Terre Colonial Expedition in the year 2278, with the starship Enterprise leading the fleet of colony ships.

Nearby to Occult was a binary star system, with two stars named Whistler and Mother. Each of these was orbited by a homeworld of two civilizations, the Kauld and the Blood. Also nearby was a neutron star pulsar which released timed bursts of gamma radiation. The phenomena, Gamma Night would blind sensors and disable all spacecraft in the vicinity until Gamma Dawn, when the effect abated. Navigation was difficult in the vicinity for this reason, but it did not affect the colonists' decision to settle Belle Terre.

It was discovered that an ancient extradimensional civilization, the Formless, had visited the region, and given All Kauld and Blood Many the technology for faster-than-light travel, which they called dynadrive. The Formless had been concerned because a waste product of their technology, quasar olivium, had been deposited in the Sagittarius cluster. The Formless left behind automatons designed to collect the material to lessen any dangers it might present to lifeforms in the prime universe. The automatons were programmed to deposit finds of the material in a moon of Belle Terre, the Quake Moon. When Federation colonists discovered the material, it led to a mining boom in the area. (TOS - New Earth novels: Wagon Train to the Stars, Challenger)

Locations

• Neutron star pulsar
• Occult star system
  • Belle Terre
    • Quake Moon
• Whistler-Mother binary star
  • Whistler
    • Blood Many homeworld
  • Mother
    • All Kauld homeworld

Appendices

References

• TOS - New Earth novel: Wagon Train to the Stars
• TOS - New Earth novel: Challenger
• ST - Gateways novel: Chainmail