Political, Social, and Historical Information

Major Powers

United Federation of Planets
Klingon Empire
Romulan Star Empire
Cardassia
Dominion
Borg

United Federation of Planets

A number of sweeping changes have transpired since the end of the Dominion War. A joint UFP-Starfleet commission was put together the year following the Dominion war to assess the ability to defend the Federation against future attacks by major powers. The decision was to adopt two types of changes, one military, one philosophical.

The military changes led to the construction of numerous new ships, Federation outposts, and observation platforms, as well as fortifying some of the UFP’s weakest access points. The vessels being constructed all have enhanced offensive and defensive capabilities, even those whose purpose is other than to protect the UFP, such as science and medical vessels. Starfleet increased the amount of annual recruitment and several new training facilities have been built within the UFP’s boundaries. All facilities, however, are still under the direct supervision of Starfleet Academy on Earth.

Most importantly, however, is the philosophical change. Before the Dominion War and Wolf 359 ever occurred, it was Starfleet’s apparent policy, though never declared, to avoid war at all costs and to negotiate for the cause of peace. This policy achieved little. Starfleet now has been given permission to carry out the philosophy of deterrence, even if it means violating the Prime Directive. The Prime Directive itself now has an amendment that states not to interfere in the affairs of alien worlds, unless exigent circumstances deem interference as appropriate.

Technologically speaking, not too much has changed since the 2360s. There have been improvements in warp drive technology, defensive shielding and weaponry, but nothing earth shattering. Advancements like slipstream technology, a Federation cloaking system and demal/tritanium hull plating remains in an experimental phase, despite greater cooperation in the scientific community.

The Federation itself has been relatively stable over the past ten years or so. Federation President William Swaggart has been reelected three times since 2386 with the next election scheduled in 2398. Swaggart has succeeded in getting many of his foreign policy initiatives across beginning with the restoration of the Khitomer Accords in 2386. He also was a driving force behind the Treaty of Versailles in 2395. Swaggart can be described as an idealist who envisions a future when the Romulans and Klingons will join the Federation.

Klingon Empire

With the ascension of Martok to Chancellor in 2375 and the end of the Dominion War, the Klingon Empire was finally brought to peace. Following the war, Martok set out to accomplish two goals. The first was to rebuild the Klingon fleet to its antebellum state. The second was to reestablish diplomatic ties with the United Federation of Planets. By 2390 the Klingon fleet had not only regained its military prowess, it had even surpassed its pre-Dominion War status. The second goal of Martok was achieved in 2386 with the signing of the Third Khitomer Accords between the Empire and the Federation. These new accords both restored the First Accords and incorporated elements of the Second.

Martok ruled for sixteen years until a tragic accident on board the I.K.S. Garph in 2391 threw the Empire into political upheaval. There were many potential challengers for the Chancellorship, none more prominent than Worf, a former Starfleet officer. Despite the wishes of Worf’s supporters for him to claim the position, Worf mysteriously decided not to. Instead he threw his support behind a moderate, Kimtor, a member of the House of Martok. Kimtor had pledged to strengthen relations with the Federation and continue the work of Martok. He even promised to undertake several humanitarian programs for the Klingon citizens. As it turned out the populist was able to thwart the challenge of Bertuk, a radical isolationist who desired the conquest of the Romulan Empire that was going through a fierce civil war. Bertuk was murdered, though the murderers were never captured nor identified.

Kimtor was true to his word. He continued to build up the Klingon fleet, launched some important humanitarian programs to help with the economic difficulties of some of the Klingon systems, especially on the outer colonies, and he strengthened relations with the Federation. In fact, the Chancellor was so popular that he was able to begin the process of reconciliation with the Romulan Empire. The Klingons and Federation led a joint effort to help crush the Tal Shiar once and for all in 2391, an act that the Galae was grateful for. This helped pave the way for an unprecedented alliance between the Klingons, Romulans and the Federation with the 2395 Treaty of Versailles.

The Treaty received a mixed reaction from back home, but in the last couple of years has gained greater support. Kimtor’s popularity rating remains as high as it has ever been and overall levels of prosperity across the board are high.

Cardassia

The Cardassian Empire is only a mere shadow of what it once was, though the resilience of its people is laudable. This is due, in large part, to the Federation’s influence in Cardassia’s reconstruction. While, on the outside, the Cardassians value the assistance, on the inside, they wish to be free completely of the Federation’s watchful eye. The Cardassians have recently been petitioning Starfleet to remove Sky Harbor Aegis from its space or to hand it over to Cardassian control; Starfleet has not been eager to concede to either request.

The Cardassians have had little contact with the Gamma Quadrant Dominion after the war ended in 2375, though there remains a constant fear within the Alpha Quadrant that the Dominion may try again someday to expand their territory and elicit the help of the Cardassians. Despite these fears, the Cardassians, by themselves, pose little legitimate threat, especially with the UFP, RSE and KE in a non-aggression alliance.

Dominion

Following their defeat at the end of the Dominion War in 2375, the Dominion was content to withdraw back to the Gamma Quadrant and pursue territorial gains elsewhere. The Cardassians have had the only communications with them within the last twenty years, though the communications have been minimal according to all available reports.

Borg

Despite several attempts in the 2300s to bring the Federation into the Borg Collective, the Borg have remained relatively silent for the last twenty years. Rumor has it they are engaged in quite a conflict within the Delta Quadrant.

Romulan Star Empire

After the Death of Shinzon, the Reman Rebellion faltered without the support of the Galae that had helped them arise to overthrow the aristocracy. For the time being, the Remans were banished to their black rock to serve the Rihans* once more.

But all was not settled in the Empire. With nearly the entire Senate assassinated, a power vacuum developed. The Galae, while still reeling in popular opinion due to their ties to the Reman Rebellion, still had their Warbirds, which allowed them to seize control.

For over a year the Galae would maintain martial law throughout the Empire as they put together a new Senate. Fifteen months after the Death of Shinzon, Praetor tr’Avfad would be installed and handed back control of the Galae.

tr’Afvad began with a progressive agenda, a new constitution which banned slavery, promoted new diplomatic relations, and quelled the power of the Tal Shiar.

And while it appeared that finally ch’Rihan** was ready to return to business as usual, this appearance was shattered when two months after tr'Afvad's installment, the Tal Shiar assassinated him. Later the Tal Shiar would claim that tr’Afvad was consorting with the Klingons; the real reason, of course, was that he was not firmly under their grip, and as such was willing to question their authority over the people.

tr’Afvad’s successor was a weak Praetor named tr’Yyhei. He, like tr’Afvad was assassinated by the Tal Shiar. The next Praetor, tr’Llhvae, however, was far from weak. A veteran of the Tal Shiar’s Elite Mind War Division, he assumed power and quickly began stripping the Galae of their authority and transferring it to the Tal Shiar; the Reforms of tr’Afvd were rolled back, and the Tal Shiar’s grip on power was even more firmly entrenched than it had been before Shinzon.

This was the final offense of the Tal Shiar against the Galae. Having been ordered to turn his fleet over to the Tal Shiar, a bold Enriov***, Ahlv tr’Kheinhv, refused and rallied as many vessels to him as possible.

In reaction, tr’Llhvae ordered his Tal Shiar troops to take the Galae fleet by force and destroy it utterly as an example. Thus began the Great Civil War.

While the Rihans had fought amongst each other for centuries, never had a Civil War erupted to this magnitude.

To tr’Llhvae’s considerable dismay, the Galae forces managed to defeat the Fleet of Tal Shiar forces that had come for them. At this, the rebellion began at full force, fighting erupted across the Empire as Galae and Tal Shiar forces battled for control of vital systems.

For nearly two years, the war waged on at a standstill. It was then that a third force became involved. For hundreds of years, the Imperial Family of ch’Rihan had been relegated to figurehead status. Despite this, they maintained a sizeable armed force that served only the Impress: the Rei'Krannsu, the Army of the Declared, made up of some of the most elite warriors in the Galaxy. The Impress, though, was reluctant to choose a side, fearing to be on the wrong side of the fence.

However, when a member of the Royal Family was executed at the hands of Galae Rebels, the Rei'Krannsu was called into action. An uneasy alliance between the Tal Shiar and the Imperialists formed. Together the two were able to push back the Galae forces, into near submission.

After a further year of bloody civil war, in which many Rihans perished and much of the Imperial infrastructure was destroyed, it appeared that the combined forces of the Imperialists and The Tal Shiar were ready to deliver a final crushing blow to quash the Rebellion once and for all. The Battle of ch’Revellion, the last bastion and stronghold of the Galae Rebels, was codenamed Operation: Deathblow by the Allies.

While the Allies' fleet amassed just outside the system, prepping for the assault, an historic event was waiting to occur. As their fleet entered the system, it was laid to ruins by three full fleets of Starfleet and Klingon vessels, along with the Galae Fleet. The forces of the Tal Shiar and the Rei'Krannsu were heavily damaged and retreated to ch’Rihan.

Aided by the Federation, the Galae quickly began to retake systems that tr’Llhvae controlled. Finally, in 2393, in an all-out assault, Galae-Federation Forces retook ch’Rihan and installed a new Praetor.

tr’Llhvae fled and took refuge in the remote Canamillo system, styling himself as the only true leader of the Rihan people. The Imperialists abandoned him shortly after the fall of ch’Rihan, and in fact welcomed the Galae back into the capital.

The new Praetor, the war hero tr’Kheinhv, restored the tri-cameral system that had been all but abolished during the reign of the Tal Shiar. A new constitution was drafted, one based on the principles of tr’Afvad. A new Tal Shiar was created, one with less power than that of the past, and a generally more free society was given birth.

But the war had been costly to the Rihans. An entire generation had been lost, cities burned and pillaged, military installations damaged as control see-sawed between the two forces. The Federation, however, had grown strong as the Rihans fought amongst themselves.

In 2395, tr’Kheinhv, now called D’Kheinhv (Kheinhv the Great) would make one of the boldest moves in Rihan history since S’Task and his followers set out on the Sundering. He would not only make peace with the Federation, but he would ally himself with both them and the Klingons.

The 2395 Treaty of Versailles pulled together the three major powers of the Alpha and Beta Quadrants into an economic and political alliance.

For the Rihans it would provide much needed capital and resources to rebuild the shattered Empire. Also it recognized D’Kheinhv’s government as the official government of ch’Rihan, leaving tr’Llhvae with nothing but one M-Class Planet and a handful of warbirds at his disposal. With in a month, tr’Llhvae was overthrown by the local populace and his dreams of returning to power were crushed, as the Empire was unified for the first time in over a decade.

*Romulans. Return.

**Romulus. Return.

***Admiral. Return.