Colony Cestus III

Colony Cestus III was a Federation colony on the planet Cestus III. This colony was located in the Beta Quadrant. It was an isolated and remote colony on the edge of Federation space and was established to be an observation outpost. The last commander of this colony was Commodore Travers.

The outpost was designed with a defensive wall having at least one gate and a large central open area. In the open area, there was an arsenal. Other areas of the colony were accessible through entryways in the walls with ramps leading down to the underground areas, which included a material department, a residential area, life support, and an engineering section. The station was protected by phaser batteries.

In 2267, the colony detected a spacecraft traveling at space-normal speed on the regular approach route. Once in attack range of the colony, the vessel, identified later as a Gorn starship, attacked with multiple salvos. The first salvo took out the phaser batteries. As the attack progressed, the colony attempted to contact the attacking ship, informing them of their intention to surrender and to stop the attack as they had women and children. The attackers gave no indication that they were listening, and the attack didn't let up until the colony was completely devastated.

Soon after, the USS Enterprise received two messages supposedly from the colony, with one directing them to the colony and the other requesting that tactical advisors be transported to the colony. It was later learned that these messages had been faked by the Gorn, who had hope to lure a Federation starship to the colony for reasons known only to themselves. After beating back the Gorn attackers, the Enterprise left behind 30 medical personnel to search for survivors as the ship itself began its pursuit of the Gorn starship.

The Gorn attacked the colony as they felt it was an intrusion into their space. They saw the colonists as invaders.

Over the next century, the Federation would re-colonize Cestus III and, by the 2360s, there were settlements, such as Pike City, on the planet. (TOS: "Arena"; DS9: "Family Business")

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