Orions

The Orions are a humanoid species with a long and colourful past in the Alpha and Beta Quadrants. The largest concentration of Orions is in the Orion Union, based around Alukk. However, there are many other populations scattered throughout known space, many of which possess no links at all back to the modern Orion state.

Pheromones
Orion females were long perceived to be a deeply oppressed class within Orion society. More extensive examination found that the situation was extremely different from first blush. Orion females exert tremendous control over the males of their species through active use of pheromone production. These pheromones render Orion males in a deeply suggestible state. The end result was that the upper echelons of Orion society are in fact largely run by Orion women, in all fields.

The reason behind the misapprehension is that the large and burly Orion males were used extensively as expendable mercenaries and crewed risky expeditions and raids, making them the visible face of an Orion Empire that had little interest in consorting with other powers on equal terms.

The Syndicate and the Slave Trade
The image of the Orion slave girl is an iconic one within galactic society, and was itself a substantial reason for misapprehensions of gender dynamics within Orion society. Instead it was belatedly realised that this slave trade was neither as gender-exclusive as first suspected, nor was it run by Orion men. Rather the majority of the highest echelon of the Orion Syndicate - the Shodars - was operated by women, and the prominence of women in these trades was due to the understanding of relative value. By contrast, Orion mercenary groups tended to be composed not of volunteers looking for adventure, but ultimately disposable slave men who could be sent to win or die without regret.

Society
There is a distinct 'cyber-punk' flair to Orion society, especially within the Union, but also extending to distaff groups. Money talks, technology in unscrupulous hands can have society wide impact, the value of everything can be summed with a pricetag, up to and including life itself.

Capitalism
Technology and connectivity is prized and used extensively. This has led to extremely powerful corporations that deliver this technology, who then acquire vast power over the population. These hypercorporations became large enough to compete effectively with the Union government, leading to mass upheavals.

Cybernetics
The taste for cyber-augmentation among the Orions exceeds even that of the Rigellians or Gaeni. With relatively widespread access and inexpensive pricing, having at least some augmentation is seen in some quarters as nigh unto a badge of middle-class membership.