Orvas Protectorate

The Orvas Protectorate is a unified interplanetary government in the Shackleton Expanse, centred on the Orvas System. Rich in resources and home to multiple inhabited worlds, the system has long sustained a powerful, disciplined fleet and a culture that prizes vigilance and unity. With the collapse of the Shroud, the Protectorate has emerged as one of the more organised powers in the region, presenting itself as the natural guardian of its neighbours.

Overview

The Orvas System is large and prosperous, boasting several inhabited planets and moons bound together under a single government. Centuries of rivalry and conflict among these worlds forged the Protectorate, uniting the system under a doctrine that peace is preserved only through strength. Today, citizens regard military service not merely as a duty but as a civic institution, shaping politics, infrastructure, and education alike.

The Protectorate’s fleets, once restricted to patrols across their own system, are now free to range further. Their officers see the collapse of the Shroud as both an opportunity and a danger: the wider galaxy is suddenly on their doorstep, and outsiders may bring more threats than promises.

The Orvas

The Orvas people are humanoid, noted for their tall stature and patterned skin tones ranging from pale copper to deep bronze. They possess a long tradition of communal service, and their culture prizes vigilance, discipline, and responsibility to the whole above personal ambition. Citizens are expected to contribute to the Protectorate’s security, whether through military duty, industry, or civic life.

While militaristic in outlook, the Protectorate is not expansionist. Its fleets are positioned as guardians, not conquerors, and its leaders emphasise benevolence as much as strength. This has earned them trust among some neighbouring worlds, who see the Orvas as a stabilising power after centuries of isolation.

History

Before the fall of the Shroud, the Protectorate’s reach rarely extended beyond its home system. The demands of interplanetary travel even at low warp made strong fleets and fortified outposts essential, and early wars between Orvas worlds left a cultural memory that only unity and readiness could ensure peace. Over centuries, this vigilance turned outward: the Protectorate’s doctrine that their strength preserved stability for all.

They have had encounters with other species. Those who treat with them fairly were treated fairly in return - raiders and other aggressors were met with an iron fist. Klingon expeditions in past centuries clashed with Orvas patrols, and the Protectorate’s victories are remembered as proof of their strength and necessity.

This has set the tone of the Orvas Protectorate’s response to the Beta Quadrant powers’ arrival in the Shackleton Expanse with the fall of the Shroud. They responded with a doctrine of aggression against the Klingons, recalling historic clashes. Seeing the collaboration between Klingons, Romulans, and the Federation, the Protectorate are now wary of these newcomers, and have begun making overtures to neighbouring systems, urging them to accept the Protectorate’s guardianship.

While this puts the Orvas in potential conflict with Beta Quadrant powers, they are not an aggressive empire. Their leaders sincerely believe they act for the security of the Expanse, and they remain open to cooperation with outsiders who can prove themselves allies rather than threats.

Encounters

Any or several of these plot hooks can be used for a mission using the Orvas Protectorate.

The Protectorate’s Invitation: The Orvas invite Starfleet to join in joint patrols of nearby systems, to ‘prove’ they are not like other Beta Quadrant powers. This is a diplomatic opportunity, but Starfleet may be drawn into confrontations if Klingons or Free State ships appear.
A Close Encounter: Protectorate ships outside Orvas territory encounter Starfleet vessels, and assume them hostile allies of their Klingon foes. The Protectorate’s first choice is to drive out Starfleet, using force if necessary. Can a diplomatic resolution be reached?
Twin Shields: A nearby star system has had a humanitarian crisis, perhaps struck by violent raiders unleashed by the Shroud, and put out a call for help. Starfleet answer - but so do the Orvas. While Starfleet can offer better disaster relief, the Protectorate offers to bring the system under their shield, warning against the threat from the Beta Quadrant powers. Can Starfleet find a way to help people - and prove themselves not a danger?
Science and Overreach: Orvas surveyors claim a system as under their dominion, just as Starfleet investigate ancient ruins on the surface of a world. Do the Protectorate have a valid claim to this territory? Or does Starfleet have a right to continue their scientific exploration?

While the Orvas Protectorate can feature in combat-focused stories, they are intended as a well-meaning, if militaristic, local power with whom Starfleet would prefer to cooperate, and must overcome a lack of trust to do so. The Orvas Protectorate also make an excellent AOR for multiple writers to collaborate on a mission or inter-related missions.

In Play

The Orvas Protectorate are not conquerors or raiders. They see themselves as guardians of the Expanse, and their suspicion of outsiders is rooted in a history of defending against incursions. Stories should reflect this: they are cautious allies and wary rivals, not expansionist tyrants.
Encounters with the Orvas should emphasise diplomacy and trust-building as much as conflict. Even when tensions run high, the Protectorate are persuadable, and can become powerful allies if Starfleet proves its intentions.
The Protectorate’s benevolence makes them appealing to local systems, who may welcome their protection. This can leave Starfleet in the difficult position of competing for influence without undermining Orvas stability.
Orvas fleets are formidable, but they are not limitless. Their strength lies in discipline, vigilance, and a willingness to act quickly against perceived threats. Direct conflict with Starfleet should feel costly and avoidable, with diplomacy the preferable path.