FEDERATION STELLAR NOMENCLATURE
A GURPS: Trek campaign will most likely be set in the Trek
universe, which is centered around the Milky Way galaxy. The Federation has
quartered the Galaxy into quadrants, arranged and divided as follows:
The galactic core is where the two lines intersect, and is
densely populated with stars. Much of the actual quadrants are empty space,
as the stars are stretched out in spiral arms which curve from quadrant to
quadrant. In this nomenclature the Galaxy rotates in a clockwise fashion,
making that direction "spinward". Earth is located approximately where the
"x". Any directions given in the following descriptions will refer to
"north", "south", "east", and "west" on this map - terms which are
meaningless in space, but which should help the reader.
STELLAR MAPPING CONVENTIONS
The Federation maps space in "sectors" - arbitrary cubes
of space twenty light-years across. This system is used partially because
twenty light-years is the distance between two subspace relay stations.
Federation space is composed of hundreds of thousands of these sectors, each
one numbered, beginning with Sector 001 - the Sun and its immediate stellar
neighborhood. Each sector contains about six to ten stars - more closer to
the Galactic Core - and, in Federation space, a subspace relay station.
Gamemasters with an interest in being extremely faithful to the genre may
wish to eschew the GURPS: Space system of mapping by parsecs, and opt for
twenty light-year cubes instead.
Note that the Federation has only explored some 19% of the
Milky Way galaxy, leaving a great deal out there for the players to
discover.
THE UNITED FEDERATION OF PLANETS
The UFP, or "Federation" as it is more commonly known, is
the pre-eminent power of known space. On the map above it stretches "south",
"west", and "east" of the x, straddling both the Alpha and Beta quadrants,
although not stretching as far "south" as the galactic rim.
It was founded in 2161 in the wake of the Earth-Romulan
wars by five races - Terrans, Alpha Centaurians, Vulcans, Tellarites, and
Andorians - for their mutual benefit and protection. Individual rights and
civil liberties are guaranteed by the Constitution of the United Federation
of Planets, signed in 2161. The Federation has expanded rapidly since, and
today is composed of some 150 planets, bound together in a voluntary union
for trade, exploration, diplomacy, and mutual protection.
The Federation is governed by the Federation Council,
which is made up of representatives from each member planet. It’s capitol at
San Francisco, Terra. Presiding over the Federation Council is an elected
Federation Council President, who makes his office at Paris, Terra. Each
member world is entitled to retain its own form of government, its own
military, and its own intelligence agencies. The planet Vulcan, for example,
is governed by a the Vulcan Council and a group of titled ministers,
possesses a small interstellar navy, and has an internal intelligence agency
known as the V’Shar. Law within in the Federation is regulated by the
Uniform Code of Justice. The main military power of the Federation as a
whole is Starfleet, which is described in more detail below.
The Federation uses a non-monetary economic system of
"credits" to govern trade. Interstellar trade is largely free and
unregulated, apart from certain contraband things such as slaves, drugs, and
weapons of mass destruction. Because of its freedom and diversity, the
Federation is wealthy and prosperous.
Within the interstellar borders of the Federation there
are _many_ non-member worlds. Most of these are less-developed worlds,
declared off-limits by the tenants of the Prime Directive. These planets are
being left to develop as they will under the protection of a Federation
whose existence they are unaware of. When a world has reached the
appropriate phase of cultural development, it is contacted and strongly
encouraged to join the Federation. Other non-member worlds are neutral or
are allied to the Federation. An example of the latter is Kaferia, a highly
advanced non-Federation world located well within Federation space, which
nevertheless has maintained strong ties with the Federation for centuries.
The Federation is an enlightened entity, an oasis in a sea
of autocracies. It is peaceful, but expansionistic.
STARFLEET
Starfleet is the exploratory, diplomatic, scientific, and
above all military body of the Federation, founded, like the UFP, in 2161.
Starfleet is controlled by Starfleet Command. Its main
body, Starfleet Headquarters, is located in San Francisco, Terra, as is the
main campus of Starfleet Academy, its training center. Starfleet Command has
other centers in the network of Starbases throughout UFP space. Although
there is a very strict chain of command, in practice individual Starfleet
officers are allowed a great deal of autonomy, since the large size of the
UFP makes effective communications difficult. Starfleet administers the
thousands of subspace relay stations throughout Federation space, but even
with this network, communications from Starfleet Command to a ship on the
frontier can take months.
Legal cases within Starfleet and its personnel are handled
by a Judge Advocate General. Internal matters within Starfleet are handled
by Starfleet Security. Starfleet also maintains an agency called Starfleet
Intelligence, which operates as the external counterpart to Starfleet
Security. It is responsible for interstellar intelligence and espionage.
Starfleet is unusually progressive in that it allows
citizens from non-Federation worlds to serve in its ranks. In many cases
this is done with the idea that these individuals, when they muster out,
will serve as strong voices on their homeworlds for union with the
Federation. This policy does not extend to citizens of overtly hostile
worlds, of course.
ROMULAN STAR EMPIRE
The Romulan Star Empire is the second major power in known
space. It covers an area about a quarter of the size of the Federation,
located "east/southeast" of the Federation. The "Romulan Neutral Zone", a
no-man’s-land about a light-year across, separates the two powers. The
Federation maintains a string of twenty-three Starbases on its side of the
Neutral Zone; it is unknown how many the Romulans themselves maintain.
The Romulan Star Empire had its beginnings nearly two
millennia ago, when the remnants of an exploratory fleet of Vulcan starships
settled the twin planets the Federation later named "Romulus" and "Remus",
both worlds of great natural beauty. These transposed Vulcans predated the
revolution in logic invented by Surak, and as such were violent and warlike.
The Romulan Star Empire began a program of slow and steady expansion that
continues to this day. Romulan member worlds are ruled with an iron fist,
and have their indigenous governments replaced by Romulan ruling parties.
Romulans give neither quarter nor compassion to their subject worlds.
The Romulan Star Empire fought a war with Earth from 2156
to 2160. Their forces were greatly inferior to Terra’s, but they vastly
outnumbered the Terran vessels. After a humiliating defeat at the Battle of
Cheron, they sued for peace via subspace radio. No human ever saw a Romulan
face-to-face until 2265. Six years later the Romulan Star Empire established
a formal alliance with the Klingon empire. They traded their cloaking
technology in return for improved starship designs. The Romulans, however,
regarded the Klingons as too barbaric to be trusted, and this alliance
collapsed in a racial acrimony which endures to this day. In 2341 they
entered a phase of extreme isolationism - possibly due to internal civil war
- from which they have only recently emerged, in 2366. This was due to the
unprecedented destruction of Romulan outposts along the Neutral Zone, which
has since been proven to be the work of the Borg. They have devoted
considerable efforts to weakening the Federation/Klingon alliance since the
2340’s, and are pleased at the recent hostilities between those two powers.
The Romulan seat of power is centered on Romulus. It is a
totalitarian government ruled by an individual called the Praetor, who is
advised by an Imperial Senate. The government relies heavily upon its
military, an efficient body organized in a fashion similar to that of the
ancient Terran Roman military, with ranks such as centurion, decurions, etc.
Internal order in the Empire is maintained by the Tal Shiar, an elite
Romulan Imperial Intelligence Service somewhat analogous to the 20th
century Terran KGB. The Tal Shiar is a secretive and brutal
extragovernmental agency with the power to investigate both Romulan
civilians and military officials. It can arrest civilians without trial,
overrule local military commanders, and make people "disappear". It is not
popular, but its rule is not questioned. The Imperial Senate is "elected",
and is controlled by a Proconsul. It is not known how much these elections
may be secretly controlled by the Romulan government.
Technologically, the Romulan Star Empire is slightly less
advanced than the Federation. They have always lagged behind in ship design,
however, their new D’deridex-class Warbird has more than closed the gap.
Their cloaking technology has always given them a certain edge. Furthermore,
Romulans excel in war "by other means". They place a high premium on
espionage, and the sneak attack. They have been known to send agents into
areas to engage in the destabilization of governments. They frequently
operate small interstellar scout ships used for spy missions. Their mind
control and torture methods are frighteningly advanced.
Romulan citizens are a paranoid and dominated lot, but
most are extremely loyal to their Empire. Some dissidents exist; a few of
these seek asylum in the Federation, although this is often a cover for
spies. Despite the patriotism of the average citizen, there is a great
Romulan fondness for things Vulcan, and there was recently a popular
movement for reunification with Vulcan, which was sadly coopted by the
military. This movement has gone underground and is popular with many young
Romulans, who are interested in learning about logic and the teachings of
Surak. There are rumors that this movement is being lead by Federation hero
Ambassador Spock. This movement is more prevalent on Remus, the sister
planet to Romulus.
Romulans carefully regulate their shipping, and so are not
as affluent as the Federation. However their blue Romulan Ale, though
illegal, has become a very popular beverage in the Federation, and a great
deal of wealth can be made by smuggling it.
KLINGON EMPIRE
The Klingon Empire is located "southwest" of the
Federation. It is "west" of the Romulan Star Empire, and occupies an area
roughly a third of the size of the Federation. There was once a Neutral Zone
between the Klingon Empire and the Federation established by the Organians;
it was abolished by the Khitomer Accords in 2283.
The Klingon Empire is centered on the world of Klinzhai,
frequently referred to merely as the "Klingon Homeworld". It was founded
some fifteen hundred years ago by Kahless the Unforgettable, who vanquished
the tyrant emperor Molor and seized the empire himself, uniting all the
Klingon peoples. The Empire then began a program of conquest and expansion
that continues to this day.
The Klingon Empire is governed by the Klingon High
Council, which meets in the Great Hall of the First City of Kahless. The
High Council is composed of some two dozen individuals from prominent
families, lead by a Council Leader. The Council Leader serves for life, and
is chosen according to a Rite of Succession presided over by an Arbiter of
Succession. The Arbiter verifies that the previous Council Leader is dead,
and selects challengers from among members of the High Council. The
challengers then fight to the death; the victor becomes High Council leader.
Despite the title, the Klingon Empire is not truly an empire, as there has
not been a successor to Kahless in centuries. The Empire maintains a
military called the Klingon Defense Force. It is separate from Starfleet,
but often operates in concert with it.
The Klingon Empire used to maintain colonies as a source
of resources and labor - particularly for those tasks that were "beneath the
dignity of a warrior". These colonies were better off than Romulan ones, but
not by much. Klingon treatment of their colonies changed somewhat as a
result of the Organian Treaty, which awarded colonies to whichever power
developed them better. As a matter of necessity, the Empire gradually
learned methods of wiser management to compete effectively with the
Federation in the Organian Neutral Zone, and the recent union with the
Federation has accentuated these trends.
First contact between the Federation and Klingon Empire
took place in 2218, and resulted in nearly a century of hostilities. Both
powers were at the brink of open war in 2269, when an advanced alien race
imposed the Organian Peace Treaty. This ended the threat of open war,
although a cold war continued for some time. The Empire allied with the
Romulans against the Federation in 2271, gaining cloaking technology in the
process, although this alliance did not last long. The Federation/ Klingon
cold war ended in 2287 when Klinzhai’s moon, Praxis, exploded, leaving the
Klingon Empire facing an ecological catastrophe if it did not accept aid
from the more technologically-advanced Federation. However, the new peace
did not last long. In 2331, the General War broke out between the Allied
Powers (the Federation, the Gorn Hegemony, the Kzinti Patriarchy) and the
Coalition (the Klingon Empire, the Romulan Star Empire, the Cardassian
Union). By 2343, owing more to exhaustion than anything else, the Klingon
Empire and the Federation began negotiations for a separate peace.
Federation bravery and sacrifice at the Norenda III incident in 2344 won the
grudging respect of the Klingon people, and paved the way for a greater
union. Proof of this was the selection of a non-Klingon Arbiter of
Succession in 2367. A brief civil war in 2368 between the followers of
Gowron and those of Duras resulted in Gowron’s firmer grasp on the Council
Leadership.
Two recent events have shaken Klingon society. The first
was the messianic return of Kahless the Unforgettable in 2369. This was
proven to be a fraud perpetrated by the clerics of Boreth; they had created
a clone from cells of Kahless and taught it to behave like Kahless.
Nevertheless, this "Living Kahless" won great support and popularity among
the Klingon people, and Council Leader Gowron was forced into awarding him
the position of ceremonial Emperor, making the Klingon Empire truly an
empire for the first time in centuries. Possibly at the instigation of the
"Living Kahless", the Klingon Empire went to war with the Cardassian Union
in 2372 on the pretext of Changeling infiltration. The Empire seized and is
currently holding on to several Cardassian colonies. The Khitomer Accords
between the Federation and the Empire have broken down, and a new era of
cold war has begun.
Klingons are warriors by nature and habit, and as such are
not great merchants. Nevertheless, they do engage in trade; their unit of
currency is the kellikam. Socially, technologically, and economically, they
are behind both the Federation and the Romulans.
CARDASSIAN UNION
The Cardassian Union is less than a quarter the size of
the Federation, and is located to the "west".
The Cardassians were once a peaceful, spiritual people,
but Cardassia was and is resource-poor, and starving citizens put the
military into power. It began a program of conquest which continues to this
day, and enjoys great popular support, since it brings in food, technology,
and wealth.
Cardassia is a straightforward military dictatorship. It
is governed by the Nine Military Orders. The Ninth, or "Obsidian Order",
provides intelligence and espionage services. The Cardassian Union began a
brutal but low-level conflict with the Federation in 2350. An uneasy truce
was reached in 2366, and was more firmly established in 2367. In 2372 a
civilian government was put in power; time will tell if it will outlast the
recent Klingon/Cardassian hostilities.
Cardassians behave like Klingons without honor and
nobility, like Romulans without subtly and finesse. They freely use rape,
torture, and mind control as instruments of policy. Most actions, even
trade, cover war by other means. They lost a great deal when they lost Bajor
and the Terek Nor space station, given the subsequent importance of the
stable wormhole to the Gamma Quadrant, and there are not a few Cardassians
who have been scheming to get all that back...
THOLIAN ASSEMBLY
The Tholian Assembly is located "east" of the Klingon
Empire, on the "south" border with the Federation. The Tholians are some
sort of crystalline beings with a hive mind who live under conditions of
extreme heat and pressure. Their ships are capable of spinning a kind of
force field web that can cocoon a starship and then disable it. Tholians are
hostile, territorial, and punctual to a fault. They have shown no interest
in maintaining good relations with the Federation, and, though territorial
and xenophobic, are nonetheless somewhat expansionistic. Their technology,
though unknown, seems slightly inferior to that of the Federation, and they
would be no match for the Federation in an all-out war. However, the
Federation has never been willing or able to launch such a war, and so
border raids and sneak attacks by the Tholians remain common. Given the
current (2272) bad situation between the Federation and the Klingon Empire,
the Tholians may become a force to be reckoned with in the near future.
Tholians sometimes engage in trade, when it suits them.
They produce a silk that is _highly_ valued in the Federation.
THE GAMMA QUADRANT - THE DOMINION
There are a number of political entities in the Gamma
Quadrant, but the one which poses the greatest threat to the Federation is
the Dominion. It is composed of a number of species, the most important of
which are the warrior race of Jem’Hadar. The Jem’Hadar are dominated by
beings which they call the Founders, who surreptitiously guide them and have
them dependent on a substance which only the Founders can provide. Few, if
any, Jem’Hadar have ever seen a Founder. The Founders have proven to be a
race of shape-shifters that the Federation calls "Changelings". They have a
fanatical hatred of all non-shape-shifting races, whom they call "Solids",
and have encouraged their Jem’Hadar minions to attack through the wormhole
from the Gamma Quadrant. These attacks have been repulsed for the present,
but have provided the occasion for cooperation amongst traditional enemies,
such as the Federation and the Romulan Star Empire.
More disturbing is the news that Changelings have
infiltrated the governments and militaries of several Alpha and Beta
Quadrant races, including the Federation. It is unclear just how far this
infiltration has gone, and if the recent Klingon/ Cardassian war is any
example, it is possible that the whole structure of allegiances could
dissolve into paranoia and witch hunts. Of course, the Founders would like
nothing better....
THE DELTA QUADRANT - THE BORG COLLECTIVE
One of the major political entities of the Delta Quadrant
is the Borg Collective. The Borg are a race of cybernetic humanoids linked
together to form a mass-mind; any ship maintains subspace links to the
mass-mind on the Borg Homeworld. They were first encountered in 2365, and
unbeknownst to all had been raiding Romulan outposts for at least a year
previously. They returned two years later, and one ship nearly destroyed the
Federation after obliterating a large Starfleet armada at the Battle of Wolf
359. The Federation is still recovering from these losses.
In 2368 a smaller Borg scoutship was found crashed on the
surface of a moon in the Argolis Cluster. The only surviving Borg, dubbed
"Hugh", was going to be used as a vector for an invasive program designed to
destroy the Borg cybernetic mass-mind. However, it was argued that this
would be tantamount to genocide, and Hugh was released with a more deadly
weapon in his mind - the concept of individuality. Any Collective forces
with which he linked assimilated the concept, and were completely helpless.
They were natural prey for rogue Soong-type android Lore, who provided the
necessary leadership and formed "Hugh’s Borg" into a task force for the
invasion of the Federation. Fortunately this invasion was forestalled by the
destruction of Lore.
Given that the Borg Collective is driven by the need to
assimilate other races, it seems virtually certain that they will be in
contact with the Federation again. How far the concept of individuality will
spread is open to conjecture. One way or another, though, they will no doubt
be back, and harder to stop than before...
THE BARRIERS
The Milky Way Galaxy is delineated by a pair of energy
barriers. The Galactic Barrier is located at the rim of the galaxy. It is an
energy field of great magnitude which renders passage by ship
extraordinarily difficult. Furthermore, in 2266, it was shown to boost the
psionic abilities of certain humanoids to almost godlike levels. Because of
this, travel to the Galactic Barrier is interdicted by Starfleet. The
Galactic Barrier fortunately serves to keep aliens from other galaxies _out_
as well as us _in_, although not always (see below). The Galactic Barrier at
the rim of the galaxy is matched by a Great Barrier at the center of the
galaxy, which was thought to be impenetrable, at least until the USS
Enterprise crossed it in 2287. It did not seem to boost psionic abilities.
THE ANDROMEDA GALAXY
Very few races have made it across the Galactic Barrier
from outside the Milky Way. Even with warp drives, the massive distances
discourage intergalactic travel. One such race who made it were the Kelvans,
a highly advanced race from the Andromeda Galaxy. In form they were
nonhumanoids with a hundred tentacles and no tactile perceptions or
emotions, although this was not initially discovered since they were capable
of taking human shape. They revealed that their scientists had discovered
that increasing levels of radiation from Andromeda’s core would render that
entire galaxy uninhabitable within ten millennia. The first group of Kelvans
were pacified and settled within Federation space, but the next group who
arrive might not be as easily dealt with....
Another species from the Andromeda Galaxy were a race of
humanoid androids who, because they were immoral, presumably were able to
survive such a long trip. They were created by a race of beings known as the
Makers, and when the star of the Makers’ homeworld went nova some one
million years ago, the androids were stranded in their base in the Milky
Way. When their Makers never returned, the androids were keen to serve the
first intelligent life-form they encountered, which sadly turned out to be
the Federation rogue, scoundrel, and criminal Harcourt Fenton Mudd. The
androids intended to expand and smother the Federation beneath the iron hand
of their "benevolent" service, but were quashed when the illogicality of
humans defeated them. Nevertheless, they still exist, and they do possess
star travel. _And_ more might arrive from the Andromeda galaxy...
