Berengaria VII

File:Minos.png Berengaria VII Astronomical Location Quadrant Beta System Berengaria Physical Characteristic Classification M Equatorial Radius 14,339 km Surface Gravity 1.007g Moons Three Additional Information Affiliation United Federation of Planets Native Race(s) Thousands of native species Population 45,000

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Berengaria VII is the one of two Class M planets in the Berengaria System, the other being the eighth planet. Located in the Beta Quadrant not far from the Wolf 528 star, Berengaria VII has three moons simply named Alpha, Beta, and Gamma. The Vulcans were the first to survey it at the dawn of the 2100s and found it void of intelligent life. However, the planet has a thriving ecosystem and a temperate climate. Species of animals and plants range in the millions, and many consider Berengaria VII a "paradise of the natural sciences." Though, there is no native sentient life in the system.

One animal of note are the flying, fire-breathing "dragons" (reptiles) that grow up to 200 meters in length. While their lifespans are a mystery, many believe that these animals live more than seven hundred Terran years. Docile in nature, the dragons have never attacked researchers, and observation indicates that they are strictly herbivorous, feeding only upon the lush greenery of their native world. The dragons' wings were long considered incapable of providing enough lift to achieve flight. Recent analysis, however, has revealed a complex system of highly specialized internal organs that draw hydrogen from water and store the gas in sacs that run along the sides of the abdomen and tail. These sacs serve the same basic function as the swim bladder in Terran fish, and much of the dragon's weight is offset by the buoyancy of these lighter-than-air compartments. Later, the excess hydrogen travels to the dragons' mouths, where it is exhaled and ignited by electrochemical means.

In 2154, the planet was a proposed site for a chain of starbases in the area. A small base was eventually established there during the 2230s, which is now a training center for the Starfleet Marine Corps. At the bequest of many naturalists and conservationalists, Berengaria VII was designated as a "galactic wilderness preserve" in 2327. Thus it is protected from further development or encroachment by law.

The colony is home to approximately 45,000 people, mostly scientists and Marines. Several universities around the galaxy maintain research centers there.

Reference(s)

• Johnson, Shane. Star Trek: The Worlds of the Federation, New York: Pocket Books, 1989. ISBN: 0-671-66989-3.