[b][center][color=DC143C][h2]FACT FILES[/h2][/color][/center][/b]
More will be posted as I write them.

[hider=The United Federation of Planets]
>FACT FILE FROM
>THE MINISTRY OF INFORMATION
>CAPTAINCY HOUSE, LONDON, EUROPEAN REGION, EARTH
>SOL SYSTEM, SECTOR 001
>FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES

[center][color=f7941d][h2][b]The United Federation of Planets[/b][/h2][/color]
[img]https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/2/27/Flag_of_the_United_Federation_of_Planets.svg/800px-Flag_of_the_United_Federation_of_Planets.svg.png[/img]
The Grand Flag of the Federation, designed by George Dayan in 2161.[/center]

The United Federation of Planets is a dream thousands of years in the making. The union of hundreds of freedom-loving species, the Federation represents the single largest democratic union in the Galaxy, and in fact the second largest known political entity (second only to the Dominion in the Gamma Quadrant). Spanning approximately 8000 light years, the Federation has thousands of inhabited systems with trillions of citizens living within its borders. 

Founded in 2161 with the political union of the Coalition of Planets, comprised of Andoria, Vulcan, Tellar, and Earth, the Federation has lived through and survived war with the Klingon Empire, incursions from the Borg, a decades-long border conflict with the Cardassians, and invasion from the Dominion. Outlasting all that have stood against it, the Federation is the paramount power in the Quadrant. With the largest and most powerful Navy, with millions of starships and approximately nine-hundred billion servicemembers in Starfleet and the Federation Defense Force, it is unrivaled in power projection. Yet, even with its dominant position, the Federation has pursued peace and reconciliation wherever it turns.

The Federation is a centralized parliamentary republic with a President and an elected Parliament, which are both referred to in general as 'The Federation Council'. The President of the Federation functions as the head of state and controls the executive branch but is largely answerable to the Prime Minister of the Federation, who controls the legislative branch. 

The Presidency, while holding a great deal of theoretical power, rarely steps out of the boundaries set by Parliament. The President is elected via popular vote across the entirety of the Federation and is in charge of the executive running of the Federation, which includes appointment of ministers to the various ministries (Ministry of Information, Ministry of Defense, Foreign Office, etc), conducting of foreign policy. The office, in practice however, is largely symbolic and most of the appointments are made upon advice of the Prime Minister. The President is elected every four years, and can serve unlimited terms. Traditionally, however, the President usually vacates office after two terms. 

Each constituent Member State elects representatives to populate the upper and lower houses of Parliament - the Federation Senate and the House of Commons respectively. The House of Commons is populated with representatives from each Sector, whereas the Senate is populated by two representatives from each Member State. Senators are appointed and serve life terms, whereas Members of Parliament (MPs) in the House of Commons serve rotating two-year terms, and can run until they choose not to. This system ensures that each Member State is represented fairly, as well as the greater population of the Federation. The majority party of the House of Commons forms the government, which then appoints a Prime Minister. The Prime Minister then holds office until his party loses majority, or he is voted off in a vote-of-no-confidence.

The Federation allows its constituent Member States to conduct internal affairs as they see fit, as long as they do not break any Federation laws. In recent years, there has been a greater centralization of authority towards the Federation Council but Member States are permitted to keep their local political traditions and customs. This means that even though the Federation as a whole is a Republic, many of its constituent nations are monarchies. These local customs, however, do not impede upon the right of every Federation citizen to participate in political life.


The military arm of the Federation is both Starfleet and the Federation Defense Force, both organized under the Ministry of Defense. Starfleet, which forms the larger of the two branches, is the primary offensive and exploratory arm of the military. Starfleet and the Federation Council exist with a special relationship, in that while Starfleet nominally reports to the MoD, in practice it is represented by the Chief of Starfleet Operations on the Federation Council. The FDF, however, is solely under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Defense.

Starfleet possesses in its arsenal millions of starships, thousands of starbases, and billions of personnel in its service, and operates wherever the Federation calls upon it to go, whether that is in defense of freedom, or pushing the boundaries of knowledge across the Galaxy. It is the largest naval force in the known Galaxy and, uniquely, points scientific exploration at the forefront of its mission, contrary to the other great powers which emphasize military prowess over scientific progress. In addition to the more well-known naval force, Starfleet also has in its employ the Starfleet Marine Corps, which is the naval infantry and ground attack arm of the Navy. The SFMC has fought in every major engagement that Starfleet has been a part of, and has grown exponentially in size since the Dominion War.

The Federation Defense Force, on the other hand, is solely for defense of the Federation and its Member States. Organized in the wake of the Dominion War from the disparate national guards of the Member States, the Federation Defense Force is divided further into the Ground Defense Force, the Naval Defense Force, and the Merchant Marine. The Ground Defense Force primarily defends the planetary and satellite assets of Member States and their colonies, the Naval Defense Force patrols the sea lanes of the Federation in defense of pirates, and the Merchant Marine represents the merchant starships at the governmental employ. 

In recent years, an awakening of political consciousness has rippled across the Federation, leading to tense crises in not only the outer colonies but in the Core Systems as well. Economic downturn and unemployment in the wake of the destruction of many planets' industries during the Dominion War have left many seeking, and others demanding, answers from the Federation Council. One thing remains certain, however, and that is the Federation's ability to endure throughout any struggle. The hopes and dreams of entire Races have been given fruit in the blossoming flower of the Federation, and that flower will withstand the test of time.
[/hider]

[hider=The Romulan Star Empire]
>FACT FILE FROM
>THE MINISTRY OF INFORMATION
>CAPTAINCY HOUSE, LONDON, EUROPEAN REGION, EARTH
>SOL SYSTEM, SECTOR 001
>FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES

[center][color=f7941d][h2][b]The Romulan Star Empire[/b][/h2][/color]
[img]https://fotw.info/images/f/fic%5Etrk20.gif[/img]
[i]The flag of the Romulan Star Empire[/i][/center]

The Romulan Star Empire, known in the Romulan tongue as the Nnefi d'Rihanh - the Empire of the Declared, is one of the great powers of the Galaxy and is second only to the United Federation of Planets in territory and military might. According to official Romulan sources - which are heavily propagandized - they possess somewhere in the realm of a million systems and have under their banner over six trillion souls, most of which are client races. The Romulan Empire was founded during the Flight of the Raptors, by Vulcans who fled their home planet in the Age of Surak and forever changed the face of the Galaxy, nearly ten thousand years ago.

The Flight of the Raptors is shrouded in mystery and myth, but it is believed based on recent archeological breakthroughs that the whole process took two generations and led to the demise of the Reman Kingdom, the Vronuuk Empire, and the entire Troknai Race. Others, like the Nausicaans and the Nelwigs, were swept up in the tidal wave of the Raptors who formed their Empire around the temperate world of ch'Rihan, known to the Federation as Romulus. It is now understood that the founding of the Empire was built upon what would today be called a genocide.

The Romulan Empire's history is one of constant war. For centuries the Romulans have fought a continuous border war with the Breen Confederacy, seemingly expanding as far from Vulcan as they could. Incursions towards their former home planet led to the disastrous Earth-Romulan War, fought by the Coalition of Planets against the Romulans, between which no direct contact was ever made. During this War, the Romulans were pushed back to what is now the Neutral Zone and forever contained behind an impenetrable wall of stellar fortresses and starbases erected by the Federation. 

For centuries it was believed that the Remans, who comprised most of the foot soldiers of the Romulan military, were the Romulans. This belief was only broken by visual contact made with a Romulan warbird by the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) in 2266, nearly a century after the Earth-Romulan War ended. The Romulans have, since the conclusion of hostilities, hid behind the Neutral Zone in total secrecy from the Federation. Attempts at reconciliation with the Treaty of Algernon ultimately failed to break the cold war conditions between the two great powers. During this time, the Romulans launched many raids into the Klingon Empire and no less than ten times brought the two powers close to open conflict, though it never totally boiled over.

Reconciliation began in the way only Romulans know how, on the battlefield. Side by side with old enemies - the Federation and the Klingon Empire - they waged war against the hostile invading Dominion, and their Breen allies. Seeking to end an ancient feud, the Romulans destroyed the Breen industrial base and made them a puppet state, stealing away many vital territories that had been for centuries considered rightful Romulan territory. While protesting in this open land grab, the Federation and Klingon Empire quietly acknowledged these territorial gains in the Treaty of Bajor, laying the groundwork for what would become known as the Congress of Bajor.

Due to the efforts of Ambassador Spock and other sympathetic Senators, the Romulan Empire has begun a slow but sure process in opening up to the Federation, perhaps even reuniting with Vulcan and joining the Federation. While this may be a generation or more away, this is a dramatic shift from decades ago, when the Romulans only left their borders to raid or wage hostile actions against the Federation. Only time will tell, however, if this detente is successful.

The Romulan Star Empire's true military and industrial power is ultimately unknown but is believed by Starfleet that they possess the second-largest Navy in the Galaxy and have the ability to construct ships on a scale that rivals even the Federation. It is unknown, however, if the Romulans have the capability of waging a sustained total war against either of the powers that comprise the Congress of Bajor. It is this uncertainty that has led to the warming of relations, in hopes of avoiding another Galactic Total War.

[/hider]

[hider=Slave Races of the Romulan Empire]
[hider=The Vronuuks]
>FACT FILE FROM
>THE MINISTRY OF INFORMATION
>CAPTAINCY HOUSE, LONDON, EUROPEAN REGION, EARTH
>SOL SYSTEM, SECTOR 001
>FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES

[center][color=f7941d][h2][b]The Vronuuks[/b][/h2][/color]
[img]https://i.imgur.com/6iH2CfM.png[/img]
[i]Image of Sir Vomogr Trokaa, leader of the Society of Freedom which advocates for Vronnuk independence. Image taken by Ministry of Information staff on Stardate 47413.[/i][/center]

The Vronuuk Race (plural forms are the Vronuuks and Vronuukai) was once one of the dominant forces in the Galaxy. When the ancestors of the humans were first climbing down from their trees, the Vronuukai had established a hegemony across what is today the Alpha Quadrant. Their Empire once extended across what is now Federation, Romulan, and Cardassian space, with archeological ruins found on many worlds across the Galaxy. Frequently in competition with the Remans and the Troknai, there is ample sites which detail these empires' bloody encounters with each other.

Their internal strife was cut short and curtailed by the arrival of the Raptors, the Vulcans who rejected the teachings of Surak and began the ethnogenesis of the Romulan people. According to Romulan and Vronuuk sources, as well as being supported by the archeological record, the conquest of the Vronuukai was a brief and bloody affair. The Romulans destroyed city after city across the decaying Empire, weak from a millennia of constant war. It is believed that most of the Vronuukai Race, which at the time numbered at least in the trillions, was slaughtered in what would today be called a genocide.

The surviving Vronuukai either fled into deep space, or were turned into practical serfs by their Romulan conquerors. For centuries, and with no end in sight, the Vronuukai remain a slave race in the Empire. Their status renders them as non-citizens, and thus not subject to legal protection equivalent to that of a Romulan. Frequently, Vronuukai are pressed into hard labor construction projects and, in times of war, into massive conscript armies to throw at enemy defenses. The Vronuukai have a limited form of self-government, with whole systems allotted as "reservations" for their Race, but in practice they are governed directly by a Romulan Governor and any independence movement heavily suppressed.

The Vronuukai who fled into deep space have been discovered by Starfleet expeditions, most notably in the 2290s when the species was first discovered by Federation scientists. The USS Java (NCC-1794), a Constitution-class heavy cruiser, came across one of their disparate colonies in what is now Sector 742. During the initial contact ceremony and survey, the locals protested at the presence of the Vulcan Chief of Security, and demanded that he be removed from the ceremonies. 

There are approximately one million Vronuukai living in Federation space, with an additional but hypothesized three billion in Romulan space. It is a far cry from their once prosperous Empire, and while it is believed that there may be some isolated pockets of the species deeper in the largely unexplored Beta Quadrant, most of the species appears to be in stasis, locked out of development by brutal subjugation and enslavement. The million Vronuukai in the Federation agitate for some form of campaign to liberate their brethren in the Empire, but stellar geopolitics overrides these fringe advocates of war. 

Physiologically, the Vronuukai are a reptilian humanoid species. Males are the larger in the species, standing at an average of 200cm as compared to a female's 180cm and weighing at 113kg as compared to 90kg in females. They live to an average age of 245, making them one of the longest-lived species in the galaxy, with some individuals living upwards of 400 years. The Vronuukai are a hardy people, well suited to physical labor and hard toil by their sturdy builds. 

Their culture has witnessed a dramatic downturn since their Conquest, becoming almost frozen in time at the moment of their Race's destruction. It is unknown on what developments the Vronuukai still in Romulan space have taken, since defectors very rarely make it past the Neutral Zone, but in the Federation their customs and traditions are eerily similar to those practiced by their ancestors a millennia ago. This, perhaps, is due to the belief in eventual return to power by the Vronuukai, who see their golden age as coming around once more, when the Romulan Empire is destroyed.[/hider]

[hider=The Remans]
>FACT FILE FROM
>THE MINISTRY OF INFORMATION
>CAPTAINCY HOUSE, LONDON, EUROPEAN REGION, EARTH
>SOL SYSTEM, SECTOR 001
>FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES

[center][color=f7941d][h2][b]The Remans[/b][/h2][/color]
[img]https://www.dualshockers.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/197745_10151409320298603_877404212_n.jpg[/img]
[i]Computer-generated image of a Reman male and female, made by the Ministry of Information on Stardate 56413[/i][/center]

The Reman Race (plural Remans), referred to in the Romulan language as the Havrannssu, is by far the most prominent of what is commonly referred to as the Slave Races of the Romulan Empire. The Reman Kingdom once held sway across what is now the Romulan and Breen Empires, but centuries of war with the Vronuukai and Troknai left them weakened militarily and susceptible to encroachment by the future powers. It is believed that the first of the cataclysmic events that led to the demise of the Kingdom was the invasion of the Breen, which saw many of the most profitable and industrious systems robbed from them.

The final nail in the coffin, however, was the Flight of the Raptors, which spelled doom for all of the former great powers of the Quadrant. The Remans fought a brutal path all the way back to their homeworld, which is known in the Rihannsu tongue as ch'Havran. Their race was ultimately defeated but the Romulans, who decided to make their capital on the sister world which has come to be known in the Federation as Romulus but to the Romulans as ch'Rihan, were impressed in this Race's will to fight. Unlike the other two prominent empires, they were not subjected to a campaign of extermination but rather were accorded special status among the client species in the Empire and have held this position since.

Today, Remans occupy many positions across the Romulan military and government, and are afforded home rule across many of their systems. While still closely controlled by the Romulan military, they are allowed some breathing room that all of the other slave races are not allowed. The Remans comprise most of the combat personnel in the Romulan Ground Forces and can be seen in the lower-enlisted ranks aboard their starships in the Star Navy. They are permitted to rise through the enlisted ranks, but face increasing discrimination the higher they get. There are, however, no known Reman officers in the Romulan military.

The Remans have a highly militarized culture, which is fostered by the Romulan government for the purposes of raising a Race totally dedicated to the craft of war. Little is known about the specifics of their culture, or whether there are any more peaceful subcultures, but whenever there is a display of military power on Romulus, there are sure to be battalions of finely-drilled Reman soldiers marching along the parade route.

First contact with the Reman Race was first established during the Earth-Romulan War. It was initially believed that the Remans were, in fact, the Romulans until visual contact was established between a Romulan warbird and the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) in 2266. The Remans were witnessed in the ground combat phases of the War, fighting with tenacity against the Coalition of Planets forces repelling their invasion. There has, however, been no official first contact with their species, given their status as a slave race within the Empire.

Physiologically, Reman males are the stronger and larger of the two genders. Exact figures are unknown, but males stand at least a head above the average Human male and are significantly more stockier than Human males. Females are believed to be physiologically equivalent to a Human male in both height and weight. They have a short average life-span, perhaps given to the extreme duties accorded to their Race by the Empire.

Very few Reman defectors have come to the Federation, but the ones that have find it extremely hard to adapt to the Federation way of life and culture and quickly disappear into open space. One of the most prominent was Uhlan Lorad, who fled his post on the Neutral Zone after killing his Romulan superior officer. Initially granted asylum, Lorad was found guilty of a series of assaults on Starfleet officers and deported back to the Romulan Empire. His ultimate fate is unknown.

It is not known whether there are any agitating forces seeking to reestablish the Reman Kingdom inside the Romulan Empire, but the secretive nature of the Empire makes any sort of study on this impossible. Ultimately little is known of the Remans except for what the Romulans have allowed the Federation to known.[/hider]

[hider=The Troknai]
>FACT FILE FROM
>THE MINISTRY OF INFORMATION
>CAPTAINCY HOUSE, LONDON, EUROPEAN REGION, EARTH
>SOL SYSTEM, SECTOR 001
>FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES

[center][color=f7941d][h2][b]The Troknai[/b][/h2][/color]
[img]https://comicvine1.cbsistatic.com/uploads/original/2/28247/1624809-twi_lek_couple.jpg[/img]
[i]Computer-generated image of a Troknai couple, made by the Ministry of Information on Stardate 56413[/i][/center]

The Troknai (both the singular and plural of this species) are a little-understood client race that exists only within the Romulan Empire. Once one of the greatest and ancient powers in the Alpha Quadrant, they were severely weakened by centuries of war with the Vronuukai and Remans which left all three powers decayed and weakened. Troknai ruins of archeological importance have been found deep in Federation space, indicating a large presence across the Quadrant, but it likewise shows their hasty demise in the face of wicked warfare between the former great powers of the region.

When the Raptors, the Vulcans who were expelled from their planet in the Age of Surak, came across the Troknai, they found a dying and sickened beast. The Raptors descended upon the Troknai and, very quickly, destroyed their political union forever. Romulan records show that the Troknai put up an obstinate but ultimately vain fight against the superior forces of the Raptors. It is now understood that the conquest of the Troknai could be considered a genocide, with perhaps trillions of Troknai being slaughtered in their cities via Raptor orbital bombardment.

The survivors were rapidly turned into one of the many slave races of the Empire, confined to military-governed systems in the Core Regions of the Romulan Empire. As punishment for defiance, their race was forced into agriculture. Removed from their starships and their intestellar empire, their space-fairing race was forever grounded and enslaved to Agri-Worlds, farming to feed the trillions of Romulans who inhabit the Empire.

Due to their brutal enslavement by the Romulan military, the species' culture and in fact their physiology is little known to the Federation. Only scant references by Romulan sources and what can be extrapolated from archeological ruins in the Federation shed light on this race. There have, however, been a handful of sightings by Federation citizens of this mysterious race, most notably by Marines in 3/1st Marines, who witnessed a whole battalion of Troknai conscripts sent into Jem'Hadar artillery fire to distract the guns from the main Romulan offensive.

From what little can be known, the Troknai are a hardy race with males being the larger and stronger of the sexes. Their skin is a shade of blue, with females being a lighter hue. Their most notable feature is long appendages which protrude from their heads like tails. Males have a more prominent head-tail, with females having smaller but freer-flowing ones. Ancient depictions show Troknai warriors parading through cities, perhaps denoting a militarized culture in their species' antiquity. 

Most of what is known about the Troknai is conjecture, based upon archeology and from what little can be known from Romulan sources provided to the Federation. Only an opening of the Romulan Empire can shed light upon this race, which once held so much power over our region of space.[/hider][/hider]

[hider=Federation Unity Party]
>CONFIDENTIAL DOCUMENT FROM
>BUREAU OF STARFLEET INTELLIGENCE
>STARFLEET COMMAND, SAN FRANCISCO, NORTH AMERICAN REGION, EARTH, 
>SOL SYSTEM, SECTOR 001.
>FOR BURSTARINT EYES ONLY 

[center][color=f7941d][h2][b]The Federation Unity Party[/b][/h2][/color]
[img]https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/f/e18e45f1-47a6-446c-b204-278d682992cb/dd00cni-127329fa-906b-4c95-aded-2e0a37f9a0ee.png?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJzdWIiOiJ1cm46YXBwOjdlMGQxODg5ODIyNjQzNzNhNWYwZDQxNWVhMGQyNmUwIiwiaXNzIjoidXJuOmFwcDo3ZTBkMTg4OTgyMjY0MzczYTVmMGQ0MTVlYTBkMjZlMCIsIm9iaiI6W1t7InBhdGgiOiJcL2ZcL2UxOGU0NWYxLTQ3YTYtNDQ2Yy1iMjA0LTI3OGQ2ODI5OTJjYlwvZGQwMGNuaS0xMjczMjlmYS05MDZiLTRjOTUtYWRlZC0yZTBhMzdmOWEwZWUucG5nIn1dXSwiYXVkIjpbInVybjpzZXJ2aWNlOmZpbGUuZG93bmxvYWQiXX0.hNcgQu6w3NG_0yLCFI1VkrI85P5KKg3GWxtORy1iVDc[/img]
[i]Standard of the Federation Unity Party, designed by Party Chairman Istvan Cordalis[/i][/center]

The Federation Unity Party represents a paradigm shift in Federation politics. Founded in 2377 by Dominion War veteran Istvan Cordalis, the Party has aggressively taken control of electorates across the Federation, specifically in the outer frontier districts, and have even made encroaching gains in local elections in the Core Systems. Their sudden jump into power shows that the current political system is ill-equipped to deal with the growing discontent across the Federation. 

The Unity Party's origins lie in veterans' meetings organized by Istvan Cordalis, a Marine who fought with 1/1st Marines in the Dominion War and was wounded in Cardassia. He and many of his comrades, who were settled on the United Earth colony of Rosavara, organized a union to defend their rights as settlers in accordance with the Veterans' Welfare Act of 2376. In response to perceived violations of the law by the planetary authorities, Cordalis ran and won resoundingly for the office of Planetary Commissioner, defeating the incumbent Conservative Party commissioner in a landslide.

After taking office, Cordalis organized a series of public works initiatives to ease the growing unemployment on the colony - a symptom of the hard times that are falling on the Federation. In a rare success story of the outer colonies, Rosavara saw its unemployment rate fall by 15% and its industries - primarily mining and farming - skyrocket. Other veterans' organizations on New Brittany, Gerulata, Scarbantia, and other United Earth outer colonies aligned and joined the nascent Unity Party and found the same electoral success. The Party grew from one mostly interested with veterans to that of the greater, and oft-forgotten, Federation public. 

When his term for Planetary Commissioner ended in 2380, Cordalis passed off the reigns to another Unity Party member as he ran for the Sector Seat in the Federation Parliament, which he won quickly and defeated the sitting Conservative MP just as totally as he did the Planetary Commissioner. Cordalis took his seat in the Federation Parliament just in time for the Constitutional Crisis of 2381, erupting over the Veterans' Welfare Act which propelled the Unity Party to power, to erupt. Cordalis took this opportunity to rally the backbenchers and crossbenchers to the Party, and to soundly decry what he referred to as "the Old Guard" who so opposed the people of the Federation.

With this electoral victory, and others to follow in the snap election of 2381, he paved the way for other Unity Party candidates to run and win their elections. The Federation Parliament now has at least 45 Unity Party MPs, and perhaps just as many sympathizers and prospective crossbenchers. Their party, while far from being able to claim majority, is now an electoral force to be reckoned with, a bloc that must be appeased in order to get a vote through. It is believed that in the 2388 election, there will be double the amount of Unity Party MPs in Parliament, enough to form a coalition government with the National Action Party.

The Federation Unity Party's ideology could best be described as nationalistic. Putting the Federation and its people above all else, the left-wing of the conventional parties decry them as reactionaries and harken back to a time in Earth's history of dictators and populists, and the right-wing denounce them as violent revolutionaries leading the Federation down a path of ruin. But to most people in the Federation, they are a breath of fresh air into an otherwise fracturing political landscape, ill-equipped to deal with the darkening future. They are radically pro-Starfleet, with many Party members and even more sympathizers in its ranks. One dramatic thing that sets them apart from the other parties is the belief in strengthening the office of the President in order to override Parliament in times of political deadlock, which would've been unheard of twenty years ago, this belief has taken the Federation by storm in light of the Constitutional Crisis of 2381 and the downfall of the Liberal Progressive Party. 

The Party has a paramilitary wing, referred to as the 'National Guard' taking its name from the old planetary militias, which threatens peace and order across the outer colonies. In many colonies, the National Guard has totally usurped the local FDF garrisons as the local soldiers are all convinced party members. This paramilitary wing, while occasionally defending the colonies against pirates and raiders, has a primary purpose of ensuring local Party control. In the Core Systems, the National Guard is rumored to be behind numerous attacks on Conservative Party and Workers' Party offices and have reportedly instigated the riot on Betazed over food shortages.

The Party is rumored to have upwards of a billion followers across the Federation and that number is growing exponentially with each political scandal from the old and decaying parties. The Federation Unity Party dramatically threatens the very fabric of the Federation, and while their political power seems to be growing by the day, Starfleet Intelligence must do everything in its power to prevent them from gaining a majority government.

[color=f7941d][b]PROFILE COMPILED BY CAPT. C.J. BELT, STARFLEET INTELLIGENCE ON STARDATE 64254.[/b][/color]
[/hider]

[hider=The Congress of Bajor]
>EXCERPT FROM
>"THE STELLAR CRUSADE: THE DOMINION WAR 2373-2375"
>BY FREDRIK PRINTZ
>PUBLISHED BY THE FEDERATION NAVAL INSTITUTE, 2382

[center][h2]CHAPTER XXIII - THE CONGRESS OF BAJOR[/h2][/center]

In the wake of the Dominion's unconditional surrender and the Treaty of Bajor that followed, the foreign ministers of the Allied Powers came together on Deep Space Nine in meetings that would be known as the Congress of Bajor, establishing the current balance of power that is referred to the same name by other writers and even in the Federation Council itself. [...] The constituent powers - The Federation, the Romulan Star Empire, and the Klingon Empire - would over the course of the month-and-a-fortnight long congress formulate a system to ensure that war between the three victorious powers would not erupt over the ashes of the Quadrant.

Foreign Minister Marilena van der Ryk, who represented the Federation at the Congress, prided herself upon the Federation's commitment to Freedom and Democracy, in the following excerpt from an official communique sent to Parliament after the conclusion of the meetings: "We have, through hard struggle and toil, ensured a Dignified Peace that will withstand our children's children." The term Dignified Peace has come to be synonymous with the Congress of Bajor, although not all of the Quadrant would agree to this assertion. As far as the Federation was concerned, however, it supported its dominant position in the Galaxy.

[...]

While the exact circumstances of the Congress, and the actual minutes of the meetings, have not been declassified and released to the general public, aides and witnesses to the meetings have shed crucial light on the details hammered out over the Cardassian-built tables of the former station of Terok Nor. The atmosphere in those conference rooms, according to Federation diplomatic aides, was tense at numerous times, especially over the Romulan conquest of the Breen Military Frontier and the Klingon occupation of many of Cardassia's colonies. Disagreements over the status of the defeated Alpha Quadrant powers - the Cardassian Union and the Breen Confederacy - many times threatened to end the Congress prematurely.

In particular, the Romulan delegation refused to even consider evacuating the conquered Breen sectors. Once constituent systems of the ancient Reman Kingdom, the Romulan Star Empire had long considered them de jure part of their stellar empire and had sought many times over the centuries to "reclaim" them, with little success. The Romulan Foreign Minister, Lai Radaik, threatened to continue the Romulan occupation of the entire Breen Confederacy if its "reasonable demands of reunification of its rightful territories" was honored. [...] After much debate, and some minor concessions on the part of the Romulans in regards to the status of the Breen Confederacy, the Klingon and Federation delegates decided to quietly recognize the de facto status of the former Military Frontier, while stopping from outright legitimating it.

[...]

The next outbreak of tension at the meetings erupted over the occupation of the Cardassian colonies which bordered the Klingon Empire. Seized after a bloody campaign which left millions of Klingons slain, the Klingons considered these territories theirs by right of spilled blood. In violation of the Treaty, the Klingons began evicting the untold hundreds of millions of Cardassians who had not fled when the War first broke out from their homes and resettling the worlds with Klingons. This act of genocide - according to Federation Law - was a direct violation of sentient rights and undermined the Federation's position of promoting the Dignified Peace. After all, the Federation had taken the position that the Cardassian Government had been illegally usurped by extremists and had only been restored in the last days of the War through an internal revolution. [...] The Klingons outright refused to consider stopping their settlement campaign and the Federation and Romulan delegates were forced, in the same way with the Breen Question, to recognize the de facto state of those worlds while not legitimizing the conquest.

[...]

The final, and perhaps the point of most contention, disagreement boiled over from the actual final status of the Breen and the Cardassians. The Federation, having been slightly embarrassed by the upsets with the Military Frontier and the Cardassian colonies, took a hardline position in regards to the Cardassian Union and the Breen Confederacy. Under no uncertain terms, the Cardassian Union would remain a Federation protectorate, ostensibly to guide it towards a Federation-style government but more obviously to prevent the entire State from being carved up by the Klingons. Foreign Minister van der Ryk faced the laughs and jeers of the Klingon and Romulan delegates, who derided her empire-building disguised as peacekeeping. [...] The question on the Breen was settled just as satisfactorily, although not as unanimous, in favor of the Federation. In return for the de facto recognition of the Romulan acquisition of the Military Frontier, the Breen Republic would be established as a disarmed and neutral power. The Romulans, while objecting to the very existence of the Breen Race, were forced to concede when the Federation delegates threatened to leave the Congress all together. 

[...]

While the Congress, at first glance, may seem like a cycle of conceding and demanding, it informally established the current system of power-sharing across the Quadrant. It was agreed that none of the great powers would wage war against each other without the agreement of the other two, and with hatred between the Romulans and the Klingons ancient and still red-hot with rage and animosity between the Federation and the Klingons reaching a point not seen since the Khitomer Accords, it seemed unlikely that any of the powers could unite to take down the others. It also formally established, for the first time, the status of the borders between the Federation, the Romulans, and the Klingons. The Neutral Zone had, up until this point, been more de-facto than a fact of law as the Romulans still claimed the Vulcan systems as rightfully theirs. With the agreements made on Deep Space Nine, the Romulans dropped their claims on Vulcan in exchange with the Federation recognizing the Neutral Zone as their ultimate and final frontier in regards to the Romulan Empire.

[...]

The Klingon-Romulan Border, once a "Galactic Powder Keg" in the words of President Orlop Rictic, was likewise formalized and agreed upon in the hopes of stopping another flashpan border war which had so plagued the early decades of the 24th century. Neither side considered this agreement totally satisfactorily, and neither side agreed to drop their claims on the other, but the ruling powers on both sides of the border quietly agreed to respect the current border, discouraging military adventures into each other's Empire while not totally stopping them. [...] The situation, while far from perfect, was a warp jump from the volatile status prior to the Congress.

[...]

Other proposals from the Federation delegates, like the movement of free trade and sharing of scientific advancement between the powers, was attempted but ultimately failed to make any progress with any of the other powers. The Romulans rejected it without a second thought, on the grounds that it would inevitably lead to undue Federation influence on their Empire. The Klingons, meanwhile, agreed to the free trade clause but shied away from the science-sharing scheme. This agreement would lead to the Federation-Klingon Goods and Customs Agreement, signed in 2378, but would not include the Romulans at all.

[...]

Ultimately, the Congress of Bajor established the current stability of the Quadrant, which has been unseen in all of known history. For the first time, and hopefully not the last, the three powers met at the negotiating table and made the first unsteady steps towards total Galactic Peace.

[/hider]

[hider=The Klingon Empire]
>FACT FILE FROM
>THE MINISTRY OF INFORMATION
>CAPTAINCY HOUSE, LONDON, EUROPEAN REGION, EARTH
>SOL SYSTEM, SECTOR 001
>FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES

[center][color=f7941d][h2][b]The Klingon Empire[/b][/h2][/color]
[img]https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/02/Klingon_Empire_Flag.svg/640px-Klingon_Empire_Flag.svg.png[/img]
[i]The Banner of the Empire.[/i][/center]

Once one of the Federation's most fearsome foes, the Klingon Empire - in Klingonese '[i]tlhIngan wo[/i]' - has become one of its steadfast allies in both good times and bad. Stretching over thousands of star systems, it is the third largest galactic power and has within its borders trillions of Klingons and other client species, called the [i]jeghpu'wI'[/i],  which comprise the lower castes of Klingon society. It is also one of the constituent nations of the Congress of Bajor, ensuring the balance of power in the Quadrant.

The Klingon Empire is a constitutional monarchy, with a ceremonial Emperor sitting on the Throne who holds some theoretical power but in reality can exercise none of it without the support of the High Council. The power in the Empire truly resides there, where representatives of the twenty-four Great Houses make the decisions of the entire Klingon Empire. The central figure of the High Council, the Chancellor, is the pre-eminent councilor and, while he is considered officially "first-among-equals" he is in practice the dominant political force and guides the Council in its decisions.

The Klingon Empire was, according to Klingon myth, founded by Kahless the Unforgettable in roughly 854 by uniting the disparate tribes and nations on Kronos, known in Klingon as Qo'noS. Once planetary unification was achieved and warp drive invented, Kahless turned his sights to the stars and set a course for conquest across the region of space that would become the core systems of the Empire. By 972, the Empire would stretch across a dozen star systems, teeming with culture and life.

This would all change in 972 when the Hur'Q, a little-known Race, invaded and ransacked their way through the young Empire. Many priceless artifacts, including the mythical Sword of Kahless, were lost to these mysterious beings as they tore their way through Kronos. The entire home system of the Klingons, by the time the Hur'Q's rampage was over, would be reduced to ruins that would take the work of many centuries to rebuild.

As a result of this, Klingons migrated en masse across the stars, and with them the Empire expanded tenfold. These rapid expansions brought them in conflict with the Romulans as the migrating Klingons encroached on their territory. In 1975, a brief but bloody war erupted over a Klingon colony in what the Romulans characterized as their sovereign territory, beginning the long cycle of conflict between the Romulans and Klingons. These border disputes and flare ups in war would characterize the hostile relationship between the two powers until the final settlement regarding the borders with the Congress of Bajor. 

First contact between United Earth and the Klingon Empire occurred in 2154 when a Klingon attack fleet encountered the UES Shikoku (CC-34) while it was on routine patrol. The Amarillo-class cruiser was outclassed by the four D2 cruisers that comprised the Klingon fleet, but the Klingons were impressed by the ability of humans to outfight their overwhelming force. Even though it was critically damaged, the Klingons decided to spare the Shikoku from total annihilation and considered the humans, in the words of the Klingon captain of the lead cruiser, "our cousins from across the stars," but warned the United Earth of continuing its expansion into that region of space. This first contact mirrored that of the Vulcan-Klingon contact, where a Vulcan research vessel countered a Klingon battlecruiser with a barrage of torpedo fire and was greeted with a friendly message.

Tensions over border disputes characterized the early relationship of the United Earth, and later the Federation, and the Klingon Empire. These tensions boiled over in 2252, almost a century after first contact. After a century of encroaching Federation colonies, the Klingons finally lashed out in what would become known as the Four Years' War. Hundreds of Klingon warships descended from the Empire and outright destroyed many of the border colonies, slaughtering millions. The Federation was only able to push back against the Klingon advance due to a power struggle within the Empire and a Romulan military expedition onto their side of the border. A ceasefire was signed in 2256, but the War only officially ended with the Khitomer Accords, signed in 2293. In the ceasefire years, a tense peace reigned over the Klingon-Federation Demilitarized Zone, as Starfleet and the Imperial Klingon Navy stood watch against each other over vast stretches of stellar fortresses.

Since the Khitomer Accords, with a brief interruption in the prelude to the Dominion War, the Klingon Empire and the Federation have been at peace and, for the most part, uneasy allies of convenience. Both sides, not wishing to see either a dominant Romulan or Cardassian power in the region, are bound together by hostile neighbors. These ties of blood have been strengthened in the Dominion War and the subsequent Congress of Bajor, although the status of the conquered Cardassian colonies remains a tense issue between the two powers.

[/hider]

[hider=Joint Federation-Klingon Peacekeeping Task Force for the Romulan Empire]
>CLASSIFIED DOCUMENT FROM
>OFFICE OF THE CHIEF OF STARFLEET OPERATIONS
>STARFLEET COMMAND, SAN FRANCISCO, NORTH AMERICAN REGION, EARTH
>SOL SYSTEM, SECTOR 001.
>FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY 

[center][color=f7941d][h2][b]JOINT TASK FORCE[/b][/h2][/color]
[img]https://i.imgur.com/juuragC.png[/img]
The official logo of the Joint Task Force.[/center]

The Joint-Federation Klingon Peacekeeping Task Force for the Romulan Empire, simply the Joint Task Force, is the interstellar mission established by the High Council of the Klingon Empire and the Federation Council after the destruction of Romulus and the destabilization of the Romulan Empire. Its primary mission is to restore order within Romulan Space and assist the Romulan Government in rebuilding its institutions and economy after being torn apart by the homeworld's destruction.

The two elements, the Federation and Klingon fleets, are each led by their respective commanders and coordinate through diplomatic and military channels. The Federation commander, Commodore Doma, has no jurisdiction over General Katogh's Klingon formations. This state of affairs, while not ideal for operational unification, is ultimately sustainable through the cooperation of the Klingon and Federation governments.

The Federation fleet is comprised of the following ships:
[hider=Federation Fleet]
USS COURAGEOUS NCC-26241, Sovereign-class battleship. Flagship of the Federation forces. Commanded by Commodore Doma
USS KRISHNA NCC-51836, Galaxy-class battleship. Commanded by Captain G.S. Howard
USS WAKEFUL NCC-65123 Galaxy-class battleship. Commanded by Captain L. Illra
USS SELEYA NCC-48890 Excalibur-class battlecruiser. Commanded by Captain Heranek, son of Stekkek
USS RANDOLPH NCC-25132 Excalibur-class battlecruiser. Commanded by Captain A. L. Tyson
USS RODNEY NCC-50560 Excelsior-class heavy cruiser. Commanded by Captain I. Ulpa
USS ASHORA NCC-31998 Jupiter-class fighter/bomber carrier. Commanded by Captain F.M. Recco. (Flight Wing commanded by Captain I.P. Lind)
USS VIGILANCE NCC-74862 Ambassador-class heavy cruiser. Commanded by Captain Strenn, son of Soral
USS ANJANRA NCC-71901 Intrepid-class cruiser. Commanded by Captain B.R. Groveland
USS SHIKAHR NCC-19989 Cheyenne-class frigate. Commanded by Captain Pivuk, son of Hol
USS JANUS NCC-67797 Luna-class frigate. Commanded by Captain S. Th'veneloth
USS BICKINGS NCC-93949 Saber-class destroyer. Commanded by Commander L.S. Ivanova
USS DEMETER NCC-67246 Saber-class destroyer. Commanded by Commander M.N. Greene.
USS BRISBANE NCC-75813 Meteor-class destroyer. Commanded by Commander M Ysloda
USS HAMMERSLEY NCC-75814 Meteor-class destroyer. Commanded by Commander M.A. Sandeen.
USS CARL SAGAN NCC-27871 Nova-class reconnaissance/science vessel. Commanded by Commander S. von der Oder. 
USS HOPE NCC-55012 Olympic-class hospital ship. Commanded by Captain T.Y. Marlowe
USS OCTOPUS NCC-75641 Resolute-class hospital ship. Commanded by Captain T. Grollor, M.D.
USS ADVANTAGE NCC-71392 Fabrux-class tender. Commanded by Lieutenant Commander R.D. Phillips
USS WESTERWALD NCC-75266 Fabrux-class tender. Commanded by Lieutenant Commander W.J. Adams
USS TREKRENDIK NCC-75270 Fabrux-class tender. Commanded by Lieutenant Commander I. Ishikawa

Logistics for the Federation fleet is supported by the Fabrux-class tenders and a number of Federation Merchant Marine vessels requisitioned for Operation Vanguard.
[/hider]

The Klingon fleet's exact composition is unknown to Stafleet Command, but it is believed to consist of:
IKS NA'QJEJ Ty'Gokor-class battleship. Flagship of the Klingon forces. Commanded by General Katogh
IKS KURAK Mogh-class battlecruiser. 
IKS OL'LAGH Negh'Var-class battlecruiser.
IKS SUVWL'QEH Negh'Var-class battlecruiser 
And an indeterminable number of battlecruisers, cruisers, frigates, and birds-of-prey.
[/hider]

[hider=Life aboard a Starfleet vessel]
>CLASSIFIED REPORT FROM
>THE OFFICE OF STARFLEET INSPECTOR GENERAL
>STARFLEET COMMAND, SAN FRANCISCO, NORTH AMERICAN REGION, EARTH
>SOL SYSTEM, SECTOR 001.
>FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY 

FROM: LIEUTENANT H.R. FREDERICK, INVESTIGATING OFFICER
TO: CAPTAIN G. TH'CHYLOK, CHAIRMAN OF STARFLEET HEALTH-AND-WELLNESS BOARD

Sir,

My investigation in conditions aboard USS QINGDAO (NCC-73333), a Bremen-class frigate assigned to border operations along the Neutral Zone, have concluded satisfactorily and I believe that the accusations sent anonymously to the Starfleet IG are entirely unfounded. I recommend that any further accusations that Starfleet vessels are "unlivable" or otherwise inhospitable for prolonged service be disregarded as malingering.

My six months about USS QINGDAO proved to me of the successful implementation of Starfleet's policies regarding energy waste and a return to military tradition which, in the last few decades, has dangerously lapsed. These new policies have ensured that our ships do not needlessly waste their precious resources on luxuries, saving whatever they can for essential operations, and have reinstilled military bearing within an organization which had, for some time, all but lost it.

Replicator rationing has been one of the notable successes. For the junior enlisted mess (E-1 through to E-6), a strict ten-meal replicator menu is allotted to them to ensure that wasteful extravagant meals are no longer ordered en masse. These meals, likewise, ensure that the crewmen are always eating a nutritious and healthy diet. The removal of replicators from junior enlisted berthings have likewise cut down energy expenditure by nearly 5%. 

In the Chiefs' Mess, colloquially known as the 'Goat Locker,' one sees a more wide varied of replicator options, but they are still limited by overall energy expended to create their choices. This means that while Chiefs get some leeway in their decisions, they are ultimately constrained by the replicator's energy output. One replicator is allotted for each chiefs' berthing, which sleeps three. 

In the Officers' Mess, they are entitled more privilege and are allowed a greater degree in choice and in energy expended to create their meals. They are also permitted a replicator in each of their rooms, with a similar allotted energy expenditure limit. However, and this goes for the Chiefs' Mess as well, the CO can limit the senior enlisted and officers to the same restrictions as the junior enlisted in times of energy crisis or at their discretion.

Holodeck usage has also been curtailed significantly, to be used only at the CO's discretion for training purposes only. Personnel are not permitted to conduct personal programs unless authorized by their CO. Aboard USS QINGDAO, the ship's crew were forbidden from utilizing the holodeck for any purposes except training. This cut down on energy expenditure by nearly 15% and also has prevented cases of space psychosis from manifesting, which has so often happened on deep-space starships who have allowed personal holodeck programs.

It is my belief that the allegations regarding Captain H.S. Phillips and the Command Staff of USS QINGDAO are totally unfounded and based on resentment upon policies that are Starfleet-wide. The Office of the Inspector General can safely dismiss these wild fantasies as nothing more than a junior crewman with a grudge.

V/r,
LIEUTENANT H.R. FREDERICK, 
STARFLEET IG.
[/hider]

[hider=Subcommander N'Vekar]
>CONFIDENTIAL DOCUMENT FROM
>BUREAU OF STARFLEET INTELLIGENCE
>STARFLEET COMMAND, SAN FRANCISCO, NORTH AMERICAN REGION, EARTH, 
>SOL SYSTEM, SECTOR 001.
>FOR BURSTARINT EYES ONLY 

[color=f7941d][b]NAME AND KNOWN ALIASES (IF APPLICABLE):[/b][/color] ROKOV N'VEKAR
[color=f7941d][b]APPROXIMATE AGE:[/b][/color] 34
[color=f7941d][b]PLACE OF ORIGIN:[/b][/color] ROMULUS, ROMULAN STAR EMPIRE
[color=f7941d][b]ALLEGIANCE:[/b][/color] MILITARY INTELLIGENCE AGENCY, IMPERIAL ROMULAN STAR NAVY (SUSPECTED TAL SHIAR OPERATIVE)
[color=f7941d][b]LAST KNOWN OCCUPATION:[/b][/color] SUBCOMMANDER, ASSIGNED TO IRS TOMAL.

[color=f7941d][b]PHYSICAL APPEARANCE:[/b][/color]Varasth-Romulan Male, of average height and build. Jet-black hair cut in traditional Romulan fashion. Ridges along the forehead in accordance with the Varasth-Romulan subrace. Relatively unremarkable in physical appearance with the exception of a metallic right-hand.

[i][color=ed1c24][b]NOTE FROM BUSTARINT:[/b][/color] Intelligent Profile MUST be updated to include physical image. Directives should be issued to field personnel to retrieve one at once.[/i]

[color=f7941d][b]HISTORICAL PROFILE:[/b][/color]
Subcommander N'Vekar's career with the Romulan Star Navy is relatively hazy and building a picture of his exploits has been a struggle that took many months of hard groundwork. From what has been gathered, Subcommander N'Vekar enlisted into the Naval Service sometime in 2371 as an Uhlan in the Romulan Naval Infantry. Records show that he was posted to the elite 4th Naval Infantry Regiment '[i]Mnhei'sahe[/i]', which means 'Ruling Passion' in the Romulan tongue and assigned as a Gunner in an infantry platoon. His record becomes hard to piece together until the Dominion War. It is believed, extrapolating from intelligence gathered about his unit, that they were involved in counter-insurgency operations deep in Imperial space. Romulan counter-insurgency operations are rarely merciful, and tend to include wholesale destruction of cities in reprisal attacks. 

When the War broke out, his unit was moved towards the Neutral Zone in a general mobilization of assets. There they remained for a year until the Romulan Empire declared war on the Dominion, in which he and his unit were deployed into hostile combat zones. He is reported in earning many combat distinctions and awards, including a promotion to Decurion. It is here, during a battle on the Breen Front, that he is reported to have lost his hand during treacherous warfare on a Class L planet. 

While in recuperation, N'Vekar was accepted to the Imperial Naval Academy on Romulus, where he was trained as an Intelligence Officer. It is believed at some point while studying here that he was contacted by the Tal Shiar and entered into their organization. Further groundwork will need to be conducted to prove this hypothesis. The facts are, though, that N'Vekar graduated 6th in his class in 2379 and was commissioned into the Romulan Star Navy as a Sublieutenant, assigned as an attache to the Military Governor of the Nausicaan colony of Stri'linar. Here, he proved to be a ruthless enforcer of Romulan rule, stomping out resistance across the system with cold efficiency.

In 2383, N'Vekar is promoted to Lieutenant and reassigned to the Neutral Zone. It is unknown on what his purpose while assigned here was, but it can be assumed from knowledge of other Imperial Intelligence and Tal Shiar officers that were posted on the Neutral Zone that he was involved in observation on Starfleet targets from deep-space sensor arrays that dot the Romulan side of the Neutral Zone. He is occasionally awarded with a medal or two, but otherwise not much is known from the official record. It is believed that N'Vekar, while in this capacity, was responsible for many of the Romulan incursions into the Neutral Zone at this time. The incursion of Romulan forces into the neutral world of Eccarro, where they ransacked the planet in search of ancient ruins, is believed by Starfleet Intelligence to be the work of N'Vekar. 

In 2386, N'Vekar is given another promotion, this time to Subcommander, and assigned to the IRS Tomal, a D'deridex-class battlecruiser, which is known to be part of the Jaeih Fleet, assigned once more to the Neutral Zone. He is here - ostensibly - as an Intelligence Officer, but it presumed that Subcommander N'Vekar is tasked to the IRS Tomal as a Tal Shiar operative to ensure loyalty to the Emperor and to the Empire, a common practice aboard Romulan vessels. The IRS Tomal has been sighted by Starfleet vessels probing stellar fortresses in Sector 098, testing reaction times of the ships assigned to that region of space. 

Subcommander N'Vekar has proven to be a dangerous asset in the Romulan Empire. He is a young and up-and-coming officer in their ranks and, if allowed to progress in his career, will surely be a thorn in the side of reconciliation talks between the Romulan Government and the Confederacy of Vulcan. More proactive methods will be needed in order to deal with this meddlesome man.

[color=f7941d][b]PROFILE COMPILED BY LT. R.L. RATHMANN, STARFLEET INTELLIGENCE ON STARDATE 64065.[/b][/color][/hider]