Zoroaster (The History of the Galaxy)

Zoroaster is a fictional planet in "The History of the Galaxy" series of novels by Russian science fiction writer Andrey Livadny.

The planet's name comes from the prophet Zoroaster (AKA Zarathustra). It is likely that the original colonists of that world were followers of Zoroastrianism. Unlike most worlds colonized by humans, the colonists found that their technology was not very effective on Zoroaster due to violent animal life. Instead, they chose instead to focus their research on genetic engineering.

By the time the first ships of the Confederacy of Suns landed on Zoroaster, all of planetary industry was organic-based. Everything from farming machines to the people themselves was genetically engineered/altered. The confederates were horrified with what they saw. They refused to listen any more to the colonists and left, declaring the planet off-limits to any and all ships.

This action forced the Zoroastrians to turn to illegal channels to allow them to trade with other worlds. Eventually, it became a hub of black market trade, rivaling even the lawless Ganio. In order to protect themselves against the Confederacy fleet, the Zoroastrians set up a massive orbital platform covering a large part of the planet and capable of destroying most invasion fleets.

It was not until several decades before the end of the first Confederacy did an opportunity present itself. A fleet of powerful automated warships built and owned by the Galactic Cybersystems corporation attacked the orbital platform in a suicide run. The lightning-quick attack crippled the platform, causing it to break down and fall to the planet. Although the fleet was destroyed in the process, its purpose was fulfilled - Zoroaster was defenseless and heavily damaged by the falling debris. The Confederate forces finally managed to get a large number of troops onto the planet and destroyed all forms of genetic engineering on it, including modified people. Those who performed the modifications were jailed or sent off to mental health institutions. Several genetically altered humans managed to escape the "cleansing" of Zoroaster and went to live underground on other worlds, as, by Confederate law, they should not exist.

Since then, no major genetic engineering has taken place, even after the fall of the Confederacy of Suns.