The Atom War was an event in Orion history when the Orions made a bid for freedom with nuclear weapons. Over four millennia, the Orions had gradually become the trusted slaves of the races frequenting the Rigel system. However, they had been using the resources and education provided by their masters to learn more about technology and interstellar politics. The Orion bureaucrats learned that nuclear weapons were widely considered an effective deterrent, and it was their hope that nuclear weaponry could bring an end to the proxy warfare that they were forced to wage on Botchok. At the 21st Rigel Conference in 12,327 BCE (reference stardate −143/27), they gained permission to develop nuclear technology.