United Federation of Planets (Star Fleet Universe)
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This is an article about the United Federation of Planets as it exists in the Star Fleet Universe and not in various canon Star Trek sources. If you are seeking information about mainstream Star Trek, see the above link.
Of the various groups and empires in the Star Fleet Universe, the United Federation of Planets is the one which would be the most familiar to those used to the canonical Star Trek Universe.
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[edit] History
The Federation was founded in Y4 (Y1 being first contact between Humans and the Vulcans, who had already been in contact with other races. Y1 has been given an assumed date of 2400 in Federation Commander. Federation and Empire gives it as between 2020 and 2090.) The founding planets were Earth (Humans), Vulcan, Rigel (Rigelians), Andor (Andorians), and Alpha-Centauri (Alpha-Centaurans).
For the most part, the Federation government was established only to function in areas that required interplanetary cooperation. Each member operated and maintained its own colonies, Fleet, and Police. As time went by, the Federation grew in size, new members joined (such as the Orions in Y45), and the Federation government grew in size, most notably with the creation of Star Fleet in Y71 with the construction of new tactical warp ships. Star Fleet took over the duties of defense and exploration, although most member planets also maintained older ships as National Guards to provide local defense.
The Federation's first contact with a belligerent race was with the Romulans in Y40, who launched a war with the aim of conquering their original home world, Vulcan. Ironically, initial contact with the Klingon Empire, which would become the Federation's greatest enemy, was peaceful. Already involved in other wars in Y85, the Klingons reacted cautiously to this new power and provided advice to the Federation during the First Federation-Kzinti War (Y88-92).
The spheres of influence in the Kzinti border region returned to statis quo antebellum at the end of the war, but the war pointed up the undefined nature and conflicting claims in all the Federation's border regions save one. The Treaty of the Neutral Zone that ended the Romulan War defined the Federation border as being 4,750 parsecs from the center of the Primary Member Zone. In Y102 the Federation declared this distance as the definition of its entire border. This was presented as a peace initiative to help solve various border disputes. However, the Border Declaration (purposefully) included the important Cygnus system, which also fell within the Klingon and Kzinti spheres of influence. Also, it contained a large area of space that was considered to be a natural part of the Klingon Empire by the Klingons as it had belonged to the Old Kings. The Klingons and Kzinti were soon at war with each other, however, and the Federation used this time to construct a network of bases along the newly-declared border.
This started a long-term downward trend in relations between the Klingon Empire and the Federation as the Klingons, initially incensed with the Border Declaration, viewed the expanding Federation economy with growing alarm. The First Klingon-Federation war began in Y110 with a Klingon attempt to reclaim territory lost to the Border Declaration, but they were unable to make any major gains and the war ended the following year.
In Y126 the Constitution-class Heavy Cruiser is introduced. Based off the older Republic-class, it is the workhorse of Star Fleet for the next half-century and the most flexible ship of its type.
Most of what the Star Fleet Universe terms the 'Middle Years' (ca. Y120-160) was a fairly peaceful time for the Federation. The Second Federation-Kzinti War in Y136 lasted six years, but the Kzinti never advanced very far into Federation space. The Second Federation-Klingon War in Y156 is quickly ended with the Organian Peace Treaty. The Gorn-Federation 'War' in Y157 began after two young captains fired first and faced embarrassing questions later, and ended with the Articles of Agreement, which would turn into the only alliance in Alpha Octant based off of mutual respect and trust. Relations between the Federation and the Kzintis warm in the later portion of this period as the Federation starts providing aid to the Hegemony (indirectly) against the Klingon Empire and Lyran Star Empire. Border incidents with the Romulans and Klingons (especially) abound, but the threat of war is distant.
The Federation's first real effort to aid the Kzintis during the Four Powers War in Y159 backfired. The Federation transferred portions of the 5th (Romulan border) Fleet to the Klingon border, to try to bring the Klingons to bargaining table in the face of possible direct military intervention from the Federation. The Klingons responded by signing the Treaty of Smarba with the Romulans, providing them with modern technology and starships, which forced the Federation to move the 5th Fleet back to the Romulan border to cover the increased threat.
Despite the various treaties and long-term peace of the Federation, it was recognized that the status quo antebellum peace of the Four Powers War was not stable and a further major conflict was likely within the next couple decades. During the Y160s the Federation looked into upgrading Star Fleet, a project that resulted in a series of refits for all classes of ships. Also, a project to overcome the Destroyer class's shortcomings resulted in the development of the "New" Light Cruiser as a replacement for it and the aging Texas-class Light Cruiser. The fleet-wide refits are hurried along by the outbreak of war between the Lyrans and Kzintis in Y168, which spread into a second Four Powers War in Y169.
In Y171 the Klingons, feeling the current war is all but won, and noting that the Organians are not interfering in neutral zone incidents, invaded the Federation. The "Second Four Powers War" becomes known as the General War as it expanded to include all the major powers of the Alpha Octant with the Romulan Star Empire attack on the Federation in Y173 and the Gorns joining to help the Federation-led Alliance in Y174. The General War lasted 18 years (Y168-184) in all, and devastates most of the Octant.
With the end of the General War due to exhaustion of all opponents, the Interstellar Concordium launched a 'peacekeeping' campaign where they tryed to separate the contentious parties by occupying the pre-war neutral zones in Y186-190. The Federation tried to keep control of its borders while rebuilding the exhausted fleet.
In Y190 the Andromedan invasion began as the Andromedans, who had until then been minor nuisances, launched their full-scale invasion of the Milky Way Galaxy. The Federation, as the leader of the Alliance, negotiated a treaty of cooperation with the Klingon Empire which became the groundwork of Operation Unity, a multinational assault on the Andromedan base in the Small Magellanic Cloud.
[edit] Government
The Federation Assembly, consisting of delegations from all member races, sends proposals to the Federation High Council consisting of the Full members of the Federation. The Federation government is mostly concerned with interplanetary relations, and leaves the day to day running of the various members to themselves. Only the High Council can amend the Federation Charter, and issue directives to Star Fleet.
[edit] Member races
[edit] Full members
- Humans: Originating from Earth, Humans are the most numerous in Star Fleet, and in many ways the most aggressive, militarily and economically. Much of the internal stress within the Federation is from the other races trying not to be overwhelmed by the Humans.
- Vulcans: Guided by Logic, the Vulcans are one of the oldest spacefaring races in the known Galaxy.
- Alpha-Centaurans: Native to Alpha-Centaurai (known to them as Culden-Feyr), the ACs are a matriarchal society, born of a time when warfare had devastated the male population. While there are no laws or such restricting male activity, few join Star Fleet. Alpha-Centaurns are biologically so close to human that they may interbreed and has led to speculation of 'seeding.'
- Rigellians: Blue with while highlights skinned natives of Rigel, they were appalled that some races outside the Federation were still conquering, rather than working with, weaker powers. As a result, while the Humans may have the highest number in Star Fleet, the Rigellians have the highest percentage of their overall population serving.
- Andorians: Perceived as humorless and easily irritable, the blue skinned, antennaed natives of Andor were one of the last to give up their separate fleet.
- Cygnans: Former Kzinti subjects, the people of Cygnus became part of the Federation with the declaration of the border in Y102. A major reason for the Second Federation-Kzinti War was their desire to regain Cygnus and its technological gifted population. Cygnus became a Full Member during the War. The Cygnan gift with technology is attributed to the visit of the Sky Fathers in their ancient history. As a result, the Cygnans are the most likely to violate the Prime Directive as they seek to spread this gift.
[edit] Associate and provisional members
- Tellarites: Hairy Pignosed people with a talent for engineering and habit of argument.
- Brecons: Tall, four-armed, golden-skinned humanoids best known for the fact that they work in Star Fleet and other major operations in pairs, one from each to two old rival factions.
- Prellarians: Dwarflike humanoids from a high gravity world. Best known for their artificial gravity work, and their notable fear of heights.
- Mynieni: Small, non-human-like creatures, the Mynieni had little to do with the Federation government until they suddenly began to join en-masse.
- Deians: Blue skinned, but nearly human, this race is known for the immense beauty of its individuals, a factor that belies their skills.
- Arcturians: Elf-like humanoids with a skill for hand-to-hand combat.
[edit] Star Fleet
The Federation is defended by the United Star Fleet, which also has oversight of the Survey ships exploring new territory. Ships of the Star Fleet are often known for being not quite as good as equivalent ships fielded by races such as the Klingons and such as a result of being the first ones to field examples of a new class. But the Federation economy is strong enough that given enough time, it can overwhelm any enemy with large numbers of new, powerful warships in time of war.
[edit] Naval Architecture
Prior to the launch of the Republic-class cruiser (the precursor to the renowned Constitution-class heavy cruiser) and its stablemates in the Y80s, the Federation's naval assets comprised of the separate fleets operated by its major member worlds, such as Vulcan and Andoria. The most prominent of these fleets was operated by Earth, who used their Province-class cruiser as a testbed for Tactical Warp technology. This cruiser type, which evolved over the coming decades into the Texas-class light cruiser, became the only hull type in service with Star Fleet which did not follow the saucer-and-nacelle design pioneered by the YCA, or Republic-class (the old Earth destroyer design became the basis for the Federation police cutter, not technically part of Star Fleet). Interestingly, the old Earth designs received a new lease of life from Y130 onwards in the Omega Octant, as the basis for the fleets of the Federal Republic of Aurora. Also notable was the continued use of race-specific starships in the National Guards of the major member worlds, which were gradually superseded in that role by GCAs (refitted YCAs) following Star Fleet's adoption of the Constitution-class in the Y120s.
Following the launch of the Republic, Star Fleet ships nearly universally consisted of a distributed collection of parts including a main hull in the shape of a saucer, and one to three large, cylindrical engines. Larger ships also have a secondary hull, generally an irregular cylinder that contains the ship's engineering functions. The main or 'primary' hull is capable of separating from the rest of the ship, and can act as a 'lifeboat' in emergency situations. As such the impulse engines are located on the saucer to grant a tiny amount of combat mobility as well as the ability to generate a non-tactical warp field.
This arrangement is best typified by the classic Federation heavy cruiser, with its primary hull attached to the secondary, with two powerful warp engines attached to it. Early designs reused as many exterior hull parts as possible: both the destroyer and tug classes use (externally) identical saucer sections and engines. The destroyer mounts a warp engine where the secondary hull would be on a CA, and the tug mounts a pair of engines to either side on the primary hull and a hard point to attach cargo pods where the secondary hull would normally be. The slightly later dreadnought design, on the other hand, uses three of the same type of engine (with the third mounted on top of the primary hull), and a similar configuration to the heavy cruiser, but with a completely redesigned saucer and secondary hull.
The frigate, being a much smaller design, uses a similar-looking, but smaller, saucer attached directly to a pair of diminutive warp engines. The later (new) light cruiser design uses a saucer slightly smaller than the heavy cruiser's with a built-up area in back which attaches to two smaller warp engines that are mounted above the hull; the design fills much the same niche, and is schematically similar to, canon's Miranda-class, but has a much different physical layout. The even later war destroyer class uses an, again, slightly smaller hull, with three frigate engines attached (two above and one below).
Federation vessels are typified by having more extensive lab facilities and general crew areas, with powerful, but limited numbers of weapons. They tend to have less power and be less maneuverable than the comparable classes fielded by other races.
[edit] Further reading
- Star Fleet Battles
- Star Fleet Universe
- Star Fleet Universe timeline
- Capital Weapons of the Star Fleet Universe
[edit] External link
[edit] References
- GURPS Prime Directive, 4th Edition.
