To Boldly Go (Star Trek: The Next Generation)

The Galaxy

The Milky Way Galaxy spans 100,000 lightyears and contains hundreds of billions of stars. Because it would be impossible to cover everything known about the galaxy briefly, an overview of the galaxy's history in the form of a detailed timeline is presented. Much of what follows represents data any first year Starfleet Academy cadet would learn in his required history class. Classified entries are not accessible on a normal PADD without the proper security clearance but since all player characters are at least department heads, they may access classified information as if it were general information.

The Final Frontier

In Star Trek the galaxy is divided into four equal sections, called quadrants. Earth lies in the Alpha Quadrant, near the dividing line separating the Alpha and Beta Quadrants. Since the following history is necessarily presented from the point of view of the UFP, most of the events that follow occurred in the Alpha Quadrant or in nearby regions of the Beta Quadrant.

While the galaxy is large, certainly large enough for hundreds of races to explore for thousands of years without running out of "frontier", there are other galaxies. The Federation has already made contact with the Kelvans from the Andromeda Galaxy, for instance. We should not presume that the Milky Way represents the only opportunities for adventure in the Star Trek universe, only that it represents more opportunities for adventure than a normal character could exhaust in a thousand lifetimes.

The following timeline covers all of the major events in the Alpha and Beta Quadrants. The timeline is not simply a list of things that happened; it's a guide to how the various political entities and species in the galaxy behave.

What Has Gone Before

10 Billion Years Ago: Formation of the Galaxy

Our galaxy is roughly 10 billion years old. Because Class-M planets are composed of heavy elements such as iron and nickel that can be created only in supernova explosions, life in the traditional carbon- or silicon-based sense could form only after the first stars died. Interestingly, life on the planets surrounding these second-generation stars tends to form as rapidly as possible. If the proper conditions exist, life will almost always gain a foothold and begin to evolve. One of the basic tenets of the Star Trek universe is that the galaxy teems with life!

8 Billion Years Ago: Creation of the Guardian of Forever (Classified)

Various advanced dating techniques estimate the Guardian of Forever was created 8 billion years ago. First encountered by the crew of the Enterprise under the command of Captain James Kirk in 2267, the exact circumstances surrounding the Guardian's creation remain a mystery. The Guardian is sapient, describing itself as "my own beginning and my own end." Since the Guardian's purpose is to allow those who pass though it to journey instantly through time and space, it's possible the Guardian was sent into the past from a future civilization.

22 Million Years Ago: The Organians Evolve into Pure Energy

After shedding their corporeal bodies, the Organians evolve into beings of tremendous power and influence. When, 22 million years later, the UFP and Klingon Empire enter into a dispute over an Organian world, the energy beings not only stop the skirmish over the planet, but force a peace treaty on both governments.

150,000 Years Ago: The Medusans Become a Spacefaring People

A noncorporeal life form, the Medusans are one of the oldest member races of the Federation and the first to develop warp technology. With bodies made of pure energy extruding into subspace itself, the Medusan mind intuitively grasps the fundamental workings of the universe, making their advancement from a primitive to an advanced civilization one of the fastest in the galaxy.

25,000 years ago: The Trill/Symbiont Union

The first humanoid Trill join with the sluglike symbionts, creating a symbiotic life-form greater than the sum of its parts. As result of the symbiont's extremely long life span, Trill society develops quickly, scientifically as well as culturally.

279: The Birth of Surah

Surak, the father of Vulcan philosophy, is born during a time of war and suffering on Vulcan. 33 years later, Surak banishes emotion from his thoughts, adopting a philosophy of pure logic. He and his teachings lead the Vulcan people out of their terrible cycle of war and death into a peaceful new age lasting to the present day. Virtually every living Vulcan studies Surak's teachings and follows his example.

369: The Romulan Diaspora

A core population of Vulcans rejects the philosophy of Surak, refusing to suppress their emotions. Vastly outnumbered, thousands of expatriate Vulcans board impulse vessels and follow their leader, Tellus, on an epic journey across the quadrant. Eventually a wormhole swallows their fleet, depositing it hundreds of light-years away. Tellus and his followers found a new homeworld there, Rom'lass. In Federation Standard, the planet is known as Romulus.

579: The Gorn Develop Warp Travel

The Gorn, a violent reptilian race, develop warp travel and begin expanding their empire. They first prove fearsome enemies, then uneasy allies, of the Federation. Their alien psychology makes diplomatic initiatives with them difficult, even after hundreds of years.

801: Birth of Kahless the Unforgettable

The first Klingon emperor, Kahless, is born. He sweeps across Qo'noS, conquering the Klingon homeworld, forming the first Klingon Empire, which lasts for 1,200 years. Kahless later represents the embodiment of Klingon virtue. Honor and courage through noble combat take root as the ultimate expressions of Klingon philosophy.

1270-1370: Romulan-Vulcan Wars

The reemergence of the wormhole that took them to Romulus allows the Romulan people to return to Vulcan in impulse ships armed with atomic weapons. Their assault on their original homeworld ends only when the wormhole closes for the last time. Over the course of the war, Vulcan strategy and tactics prove superior to Romulan aggression.

1284: Andoria Unites under Krotus

Embarking on a planetary conquest armed only with swords and spears, the armies of Krotus the Conqueror rage across Andoria. The armies discover gunpowder over the course of the campaign, and cannons push Krotus' legions to victory. Andoria is united under a single ruler and a single language—Graalen—which is still spoken today.

1411: Romulans Invent the Singularity Drive

Romulan scientists working for the Tal Diann—the Romulan military intelligence service—discover a way to isolate the singularity at the heart of a black hole. By containing the singularity in a magnetic "bottle", Romulan starships can fling themselves across great distances at speeds faster than light. While not a true "warp" drive, this engine later powers both the Romulan cloaking device and—once they acquire it—true warp technology.

1440: Vulcans Develop Warp Technology

Following 70 years of scientific discovery after the end of the Romulan-Vulcan Wars, T'vran of Vulcan develops and tests Vulcan's first warp engine. T'vran herself pilots the first manned warp-driven probes. Vulcan begins an age of exploration as warp-driven ships peacefully explore the galaxy, preferring to observe developing species rather than make contact with them.

1670: Cardassians Develop Warp Travel

A crew of Bajorans journeying in solar sail vessels makes first contact with Cardassia, and the subsequent exchange of information teaches the Cardassian government that not all worlds are as resource-poor as their own. Filled with a passionate desire to climb out of the desolate poverty their planet imposes on them, Cardassian technology advances at a remarkable rate. In less than sixty years, Cardassians develop chemical rockets, then impulse vessels, and finally break the warp barrier. Liberated from their oppressive existence, the Cardassian government begins an aggressive colonization campaign.

1696: Praetor Rule Established on Romulus

Tired of grappling with emperors desiring power beyond their station, the Romulan Senate officially abolishes the position of Emperor, replacing it with a Praetor. As the supreme executive of the Star Empire, the Praetor commands the military and serves as an ideological example to all Romulans. The Senate carefully restricts the Praetor's power, keeping the position subservient to them in all important policy areas.

1870: Detapa Council forms on Cardassia

After two centuries of domination by the military, the Detapa Council is formed to govern Cardassia Prime and its client states. A civilian body established to ensure the fair distribution of spoils from military conquest, the Council embarks on a wholesale restructuring of the Cardassian government, forming the Cardassian Union.

1967: Tellarites Develop Warp Travel

Working independently, Garas of Tellar develops warp technology. Using impulse-driven ships, the Tellarites had already explored and colonized most of their solar system. While still a relatively young race, Tellarite engineering develops quickly, leading to some of the most significant technological breakthroughs of the next four centuries.

1992-1996: The Eugenics Wars on Earth

Misguided scientists breed a group of genetically engineered "supermen" on Earth. Believing their enhanced strength and intelligence grants them the right to rule, these enhanced Humans take over the governments of 40 countries. A series of terrible wars follows in which the feudal nation-states attempt to annihilate each other, pushing Earth to the brink of a new dark age. An alliance of nations, under the banner of the U.N., opposes and eventually defeats the "supermen." Khan Noonien Singh, one of the most charismatic and successful supermen—having ruled one quarter of Earth—escapes.

2041-2069: Romulan-Klingon Wars

Romulan expansion ends as the fiercely warlike Klingons ravage the Romulan fleets patrolling Klingon borders. While Romulan technology proves in all ways superior to that of their more primitive foe, Klingon aggression carries the day. Neither species possesses true warp travel.

2053: World War III on Earth

Although most records of the events leading up to this last war on Earth have been lost, it's known that failed American presidential candidate Colonel Green leads the first wave of attacks. Having stockpiled nuclear and biological weapons, Green attempts to solve Earth's population problems by launching strikes at South America, Asia, and Africa. The wars that follow leave over 600 million people dead. War ends only after the imminent threat of widespread nuclear holocaust makes pressing the war impossible.

Phoenix Rising

This era—beginning in 2063 with first contact between Earth and Vulcan and ending in 2253 with the Axanar rebellion—represents a time of phenomenal growth and prosperity in the Alpha Quadrant. Many of the familiar Star Trek organizations and technologies develop during this period, and many species break the warp barrier, allowing for true interstellar exploration and commerce. In keeping with the abundant nature of life in Star Trek's galaxy, the first warp flights for many species coincide with first contact. Often, as soon as a race breaks the light barrier, it finds other races waiting for it. Many of these encounters end in friendship and discovery, but sometimes conflict and hardship ensue. It is an exciting time to be a citizen of the burgeoning interstellar community.

2063: First Contact between Humans and Vulcans

A second dark age of man is prevented only through the preservation of Earth's cultures in small, isolated pockets of humanity. From one of these bastions of civilization, Zefram Cochrane launches the Phoenix, mankind's first warp-capable ship. Constructed in Montana from a modified Titan V rocket, the Phoenix's warp signature alerts Vulcan exosociologist Sevak to mankind's development of warp travel, leading immediately to first contact.

2069: Death of the Last Klingon Emperor

The Klingon High Council assumes control of the government after the death of Koth, the last Klingon emperor. This second Klingon empire, led by the Chancellor of the Council, seizes power quickly, preventing a civil war.

2112: Bajorans Develop Warp Travel

Hundreds of thousands of years after the cultural height of their civilization, Bajorans develop warp travel, spanning the short distance between each species' homeworld in the Bajor Sector to make contact once again with their closest neighbors, the Cardassians.

2118: Andorians Develop Warp Travel

After several catastrophic failures over the previous 200 years, Andoria launches the Lor'Vela, its first warp-capable ship. Over the next several decades Andorian explorers reestablish contact with former outposts established during the impulse era and begin their role as leaders in the larger interstellar community.

2139: Betazoids Develop Warp Travel

The Avandar, Betazed's first warp-capable ship, breaks the light barrier. Its crew explores nearby solar systems, making first contact with their neighbors, the Terabians, four light-years away. An initial period of peace and commerce lapses into war as the nontelepathic Terabians begin to mistrust their mind-reading neighbors. Betazoids living on Terabia are jailed in internment camps, and a seven-year war erupts between the two species. The war ends after Terabia surrenders. The conflict prompts the religious Betazoids to establish their first secular government.

2149: Transporter Technology Invented

Earth's scientists invent the first practical transporter device. Though initially rated for transporting supplies and equipment, they later perfect the technology, enhancing its ability to transport living creatures by 2151.

2151 Launch of Enterprise NX-01

Earth launches the Enterprise NX-01, a test vessel capable of traveling at the then-astounding speed of warp 5, over the objections of the Vulcan High Command. Commanded by Captain Jonathan Archer, assisted by Vulcan SubcommanderT'Pol, the Enterprise's first mission is to return a stranded Klingon courier to Qo'noS. With the stellar completion of this mission, Earth's nascent Starfleet orders Archer and his crew to continue to boldly go where no man has gone before....

2156-2160: Romulan-Earth Wars

A brief conflict between a Romulan vessel and the U.S.S. Endeavor near Cheron IV results in the retreat of the Human ship and a new understanding between the two races—war is inevitable. Romulan warships, far deadlier than their Terran counterparts, take months to cross the distance to Human space. The war that erupts swings immediately in the Romulans' favor, but as Terran ship production increases, the Romulan lack of faster-than-light technology ultimately prevents rapid response and reinforcement, costing them the war. The Cheron Treaty negotiated via radio establishes the Romulan Neutral Zone. During the war and throughout the subsequent negotiations, Humans never see a single Romulan. Romulan appearance remains a mystery for another 110 years.

2161: Founding of the UFP

Following hard on the heels of the Cheron Treaty, delegates from Andoria, Vulcan, Tellar, Earth, and Alpha Centauri draft the Articles of Federation on Epsilon Eridani. Talks break down once, but further meetings succeed in drafting a constitution acceptable to all. Its language focuses on individual rights and freedoms, granting each world the right to self-determination. Suvok of Vulcan suggests Earth assume the role of capital of the UFP. A representative government is formed, the Federation credit is established, and Starfleet receives its mandate as a multispecies defense force, while protection of the sovereignty of each world is secured by allowing each race its own space fleet. The Tellarites ratify the Articles of Federation first, with the other four races rapidly following suit.

2230: Spock of Vulcan Is born

Son of Sarek, the great diplomat, Spock becomes the first Vulcan to join Starfleet. In a distinguished career spanning over 100 years, Spock first serves as a science officer aboard the legendary Enterprise under three captains. In his later years, his duties become diplomatic rather than scientific, as he participates in the Khitomer Accords and later engineers the defection of Vice-Proconsul M'ret from Romulus to Vulcan. Toward the end of his life, Spock works diligently to establish Vulcan-Romulan relations.

2233: James Tiberius Kirk Is born

As legendary captain of the U.S.S. Enterprise, Kirk's tours of duty include some of the greatest adventures, battles, and discoveries the Federation will ever know. In later years, Kirk's tours of duty come to symbolize the spirit of the age for the Federation.

2245: U.S.S. Enterprise 1701 Is Launched

The Constitution-class U.S.S. Enterprise is launched under the command of Robert April. The flagship of Starfleet, the Enterprise—in its various incarnations—is present at most of the important military and diplomatic events of the next 125 years.

2252: First Contact with the Bolians

After decades spent torn between two warring neighbors—the Uzor and the Iren—Bolarus IX makes first contact with the Federation. Bolian antigravity technology and metallurgy rivals that of the Federation, and the Bolian people prepare their first warp-drive tests. The Federation extends the offer of membership, but the three governments ruling Bolarus IX are too fractured to agree.

2252: Axanar Demands Federation Membership

The Axanari, an aggressive interstellar culture on the verge of developing warp technology, demand admittance to the Federation. The request, from an oppressive and rigidly hierarchical society, meets with division in the Federation Council. The Axanari take the ensuing debate over their admittance as rejection, quickly conquering several neighboring planets and offering them to the Federation as tribute. The Council disapproves of this action, and many member worlds threaten to secede unless something is done. The Council sends a fleet of Constitution-class ships to force the Axanari to retreat from their newly conquered worlds. The brief conflict ends with Axanari compliance, but the entire situation—specifically the passionate division in the Federation Council over Axanar's membership—proves one of the first significant challenges to the UFP's form of government.

The Cold War (Original Series Era)

Punctuated by constant skirmishes and posturing between the Federation, Romulan Star Empire, Second Klingon Empire, Gorn Empire, and Tholian Assembly among others, this period proves a time of great unease in the Alpha and Beta Quadrants. Beginning after the Axanar Rebellion and ending with the Khitomer Accords, the Cold War period marks the end of limitless expansion for the dominant races of the galaxy. While often seeming on the brink of open war, this period is exemplified by courageous individuals and a continued spirit of exploration and discovery.

2264: Kirk Takes Command of Enterprise

Captain James T. Kirk, already decorated for foiling an assassination against the leaders of the new Axanari government, takes command of the Enterprise.

2265: Axanar Admitted to the Federation

In the wake of the disastrous Axanar Rebellion, the Axanari abolish their old caste system and form a new world government. This new government, after several years spent undoing the mistakes of the past, succeeds in gaining admittance to the Federation.

2267: First Contact with the Gorn

Gorn warships destroy a Federation outpost on Cestus III. The Metrons, an advanced, apparently humanoid species, prevent a large-scale war by forcing the Gorn commander and Captain Kirk to resolve their conflict in single combat. The combat results in a cessation of hostilities between the Federation and the Gorn, although years must pass before the two races establish a treaty.

2267: Romulan-Klingon Alliance Formed

The expanding Second Klingon Empire, preparing for conflicts with both the Romulan Star Empire and the United Federation of Planets, signs a treaty with the Romulans in order to avoid a two-front war. More a nonaggression pact than a workable alliance, both sides initially benefit from the treaty, and the Klingons prepare for war with the Federation.

2267: Khan Revived

Captain James Kirk revives Khan Noonien Singh, warlord and escaped genetic "superman", when the Enterprise encounters the S.S. Botany Bay. Khan and his followers attempt to take over the Enterprise and begin their conquest anew, but fail. Kirk strands Khan and his followers on Ceti Alpha V.

2267: Organian Peace Treaty Established

The Organians, beings of near-limitless power, impose the Organian Peace Treaty. The Klingons, now forcibly prohibited from conflict with the Humans, begin to chafe at the confines of the Romulan treaty.

2268: Polaric Test Ban Treaty Signed

Though initial evidence suggests polaric ion energy might provide clean power on a planetwide scale, research into the technology is halted when a Romulan outpost is destroyed after discovering polaric ion energy can cause widespread chain reactions in subspace. The Romulans, Federation, and other races in the Alpha and Beta Quadrants sign the Polaric Test Ban Treaty to prevent further use of polaric energy as an unstoppable, uncontrollable weapon.

2266: First Contact with the Tholians

After gathering scant pieces of data from other cultures on the enigmatic species, the Federation makes first contact with the Tholian Assembly. The Tholians prove aggressive and intractable. Their territory, perhaps as a result of the manner in which they perceive space-time, is noncontiguous, resulting in several inadvertent incursions into their space. More than 100 years pass before the Federation officially establishes diplomatic relations with the Tholians.

2268: Federation Steals Cloaking Technology (Classified)

The Federation, fearing its use as a first-strike weapon, steals cloaking technology from a Romulan battle cruiser. Research indicates that, with its current technology, the Federation cannot outfit its vessels with cloaks unless the ships are heavy cruisers specifically designed for war. The Federation Council opts not to build such vessels, instead relying on proven strategy and tactics to compensate for the advantage cloaks give their opponents.

2271: The Battle of Dumok'azen

Dumok'azen, a small, mineral-rich world on the border of the Romulan and Klingon Empires, becomes the site of a bloody battle between the two allied races. The Klingons claim glorious victory while the Romulans retreat, increase productivity of warp-capable ships, and bide their time as the Klingon Empire stretches itself thinner.

2275: First Contact with the Breen

The U.S.S. Eagle, an all-Andorian Constitution-class ship with the most decorated crew in Starfleet, makes contact with the enigmatic Breen. Captain Igrilan Kor beams over to the Breen ship and, although language barriers impede productive diplomatic negotiations, reports the Breen are a peaceful, if somewhat withdrawn, species. This contributes a great deal to future confusion over the Breen's attitude when they inexplicably become hostile.

2277: Enterprise Emblem Adopted as the Universal Symbol of Starflect

After the promotion of James Kirk to Chief of Starfleet Operations and the retirement of many of his crew, Starfleet adopts the Enterprise emblem as its symbol. Previously, each ship in the fleet had its own emblem, worn by each crewmember over the left breast.

2285: Khan Steals Genesis Technology (Classified)

The U.S.S. Reliant, dispatched on a survey mission, stumbles upon Khan Noonien Singh on Ceti Alpha V. Given a second chance to conquer the galaxy, Khan quickly takes control of the Reliant and steals the data and technology surrounding Project Genesis. Armed with the Genesis Device—miraculous when used for terraforming, devastating when used as a weapon—Khan sets out to build a new empire. Thwarted only through the efforts of Admiral James T. Kirk, Khan and his followers are killed in the Mutara Nebula when he detonates the Genesis Device aboard the Reliant.

2286: Cardassian First Contact with Klingons

Cardassian troops, expanding into the Betreka Nebula, make contact with the Klingon Empire. Initially considering the Klingons a race of incompetent barbarians, the Cardassian Union ignores their aggressive posturing. The Klingons eventually goad the Cardassians into open battle, resulting in eighteen years of border conflicts. While the Cardassian Union and Klingon Empire eventually enter into a truce, the Cardassians consider the agreement a humiliating failure.

2292: Klingon-Romulan Alliance Dissolves

After 21 years of worsening relations following the Battle of Dumok'azen, the Romulan Senate dissolves the Romulan-Klingon alliance. Klingon ships are ordered to quit Romulan space, and Romulus withdraws its ambassadors. This marks the beginning of a protracted open hostility between the two races that lasts several decades.

2293: Khitomer Accords

Praxis, moon of the Klingon homeworld and source of much of the Empire's energy reserves, explodes after overmining destabilizes the moon's core. The Klingon Empire, fearing attacks of opportunity from the Romulans, approaches the Federation for aid. The two governments meet at Khitomer, a Class-M planet near the Romulan/Klingon border, and hammer out the Khitomer Accords, enabling the Federation to aid the weakened Klingon Empire and making the two powers uneasy allies. With the exception of a one-year abrogation of the accords almost 100 years later, the alliance proves stable and prompts the development of a more diplomatically sophisticated Klingon Empire.

The Age of Diplomacy (TNG Era)

Beginning shortly after the Khitomer Accords, this era marks a long period of relative peace between the Federation and the rest of the galaxy. While many races—particularly the Tholians and Cardassians—engage in hostile activities, peace with the Klingons and the withdrawal of the Romulans encourage many in the Alpha and Beta Quadrants to believe the specter of war has been left behind. Diplomacy rather than military posturing carries the day.

2294: Betazed Joins the Federation

After over a century of peace, Betazed applies for membership in the Federation. The Federation quickly accepts, and Betazoid diplomats and counselors become common advisors on Starfleet first contact missions. Betazed itself becomes host to the Federation's biannual Trade Agreement Conference.

2309: Cardassia Begins Diplomatic Relations with Bajor

The technologically more advanced Cardassian Union extends the diplomatic hand of friendship to Bajor. The Bajorans welcome Cardassian technological assistance and bureaucratic aid. Soon, Cardassians advise Bajorans at every level of government.

2311: The Tomed Incident

As Federation technology advances, Romulan intelligence suspects that Starfleet is now capable of building cloaking devices into their exploratory vessels. The Federation denies these claims. Acting on reports from the Romulan Senate's intelligence directorate, the Tal Shiar, a Romulan incursion fleet attacks Starbase 247 in the Tomed system. The battle results in thousands of Federation casualties. The Romulans retreat only after Federation ships decloak and join the conflict. Romulan diplomats threaten war after the UFP duplicity. Federation officials claim the cloaking technology was developed by Starfleet Intelligence without the Federation Council's knowledge or approval. The two species, committed to solving their differences, draft the Treaty of Algeron. The treaty specifically prohibits Federation use of cloaking technology. This satisfies the Romulan Senate, but negotiations after this point are irregular, and the Romulan Empire abandons its interests in the Alpha Quadrant.

2313: The Taurhai Attack the Romulan Empire (Classified)

A previously unknown threat from the far side of the Romulan Empire reveals itself. The Taurhai, an aggressive, expansionist, technologically sophisticated race, employ artificially constructed subspace funnels to propel their ships. The Romulan Star Empire is weakened, losing battle after battle over the next 30 years.

2320: Bolarus IX Joins the Federation

After internal debates come dangerously close to open war, Bolarus IX adopts a single government—the World Council—and applies again for Federation membership. Though the new government is young, the Federation Council is impressed and admits Bolarus IX into the UFP. The Bolian government proves stable, and Bolian service in Starfleet is typified by near-tireless, hard-working men and women devoted to Federation principles.

2328: Cardassians Occupy Bajor

Cardassians across Bajor throw off the cloak of friendly neighbor and, in one swift insurgency, take over the planet. Mining camps are built to strip the planet of its natural resources, and millions of Bajorans are pressed into service as slave labor. The Vedek Assembly goes into hiding. Its first act of resistance is the abolition of the D'jarra caste system. The now casteless Bajorans are free to bear arms, and the Bajoran resistance forms. Eleven years later, the Detapa Council officially annexes Bajor in order to funnel more troops onto the planet.

2335: First Contact between the Federation and Cardassian Union

The Cardassian Third Order makes contact with a Federation exploratory vessel, and the Federation gains a new, aggressive neighbor. A series of border conflicts follow during which the Cardassian Central Command, a military body, slowly gains control of the government.

2335: Development of the Positronic Brain

Dr. Noonian Soong and his wife Juliana develop the first functional positronic brain while on the Omicron Theta colony. After four unsuccessful attempts, the fifth—named Data—proves initially successful. After its activation, Soong programs the android with social and creative subroutines to compensate for its lack of emotion. Dr. Soong becomes disappointed with Data's social development and deactivates him, abandoning his research.

2343: Romulans Attack the Taurhai Homeworld (Classified)

Fighting a desperate, losing battle, the Romulan Senate changes tactics. Mounting a suicide assault on the Taurhai homeworld of Chi'tai, the battered remnants of the Romulan fleet win for the day and defeat their opponents in one swift battle. With the Taurhai no longer a threat, the Senate prepares for renewed expansion.

2344 Romulans Attack Narendra III

Filled with renewed vigor after the decisive battle of Chi'tai, the Romulan Senate turns its attention to the Klingon Empire, whose opportunistic border raids went unchecked during the lengthy Taurhai assault. The Senate resolves to wipe out the Klingon Empire once and for all. When Romulan warbirds attack the Klingon outpost at Narendra III, the Federation comes to the aid of its Klingon allies. The Enterprise-C is destroyed in the conflict, but the outpost is saved. This marks the beginning of a true alliance between the Federation and Klingons. The Romulans, unwilling to face the Federation head-on after the long Taurhai siege, withdraw.

2345: Data Graduates from Starfleet Academy

After being discovered on Omicron Theta and reactivated by the crew of the U.S.S. Tripoli, Data joins Starfleet and graduates with honors. He is posted to the U.S.S. Trieste.

2346: Romulans Attack Khitomer

A renegade Klingon provides the Romulan Empire with codes permitting a Romulan fleet to assault Khitomer, slaughtering 4,000 Klingons. Once again, the Federation comes to the aid of the Klingon Empire.

2347: Federation-Cardassian War

Viewing Federation build-up on the Cardassian border as a sign of future aggression, the Obsidian Order—the Cardassian intelligence directorate—convinces the Cardassian Central Command to preemptively attack the Federation outpost at Setlik III. Even though the Obsidian Order learns the outpost is a civilian installation, the Central Command refuses to back down, following the attack with a series of skirmishes over the next several years. During this time, the Central Command gains additional power and begins to subvert the authority of the Detapa Council.

2351: Tholian Invasion Averted

Bolian Admiral Taneko, his fleet beaten and his ship crippled, attempts to retreat more deeply into Federation space after an assault by a Tholian fleet. When it becomes clear that reinforcements will not arrive in time, he detonates his ship's warp core, decimating the Tholian vessels and forcing the remainder to withdraw.

2352: Treaty of Alliance Signed

Operating openly as allies for several years outside the bounds of the Khitomer Accords, the Federation and Klingon Empire sign the Treaty of Alliance, formally uniting the two powers in diplomatic allegiance.

2353-2360: Federation-Tholian War

Starbase 277, constructed on the Federation-Tholian border to monitor ongoing Tholian activity, is attacked almost immediately upon completion. There is only one survivor—civilian mathematician Kyle Riker. The attack provokes a response by the Federation, and the two cultures engage in open warfare for the next seven years. The war ends in 2360 when diplomatic representatives from Betazed negotiate a truce.

2363: U.S.S. Enterprise-D is Launched

Devoted equally to space exploration, science, and diplomacy, Jean-Luc Picard is given command of Starfleet's flagship, the newly commissioned U.S.S. Enterprise-D.

The Federation

Previously was presented a history of the galaxy, necessarily from a Federation-centered point of view, but nonetheless covering a great deal of non-Federation history. Any Federation-based series requires at least a cursory knowledge of the nature of the UFP. In the first half of this section, we cover the structure and function of the Federation. Following that, we examine Starfleet itself.

The Federation

Two hundred years after its founding, the Federation stands at 150 member worlds, with dozens of planets under consideration for membership at any time. Ideally, the UFP would like all species in the galaxy to benefit from working together.

Benefits of Membership

There is strength in unity. With the thousands of inhabited worlds and dozens of alien species present in the galaxy, a forum where differing opinions can be peacefully resolved is valuable. Membership in the Federation offers mutual aid, protection, and political benefits. Governments can share their resources, sending medicine to a planet in need or relieving the burdens of famine. They can offer a united front against potentially hostile members. The Federation offers a forum where members can discuss their differences and find common ground on matters of galactic import. Moreover, members, by working together, can advance the cause of knowledge through shared research and exploration (best embodied by Starfleet).

INSTANT RECOGNITION: Once the Federation Council accepts a petitioning world into the UFP, that world instantly gains recognition as a full member, along with all associated rights. The planet earns a seat on the Federation Council and an equal vote just as Earth, Vulcan, and the other founding worlds do. This means the evaluation period is necessarily long—at least a few months, often a year or more—to ensure the prospective world is mature enough to shoulder this responsibility. Instant recognition and the voting equality of all members represent two of the strongest lures to membership for prospective worlds.

ECONOMIC SUPPORT: Worlds with economic difficulties need more than influxes of capital to solve their problems. Fortunately, the Federation has both vast experience in these matters and powerful technological solutions to most issues. The world of Bajor, though not a member world, represents an excellent example. After decades of exploitation at the hands of the Cardassian Union, the Federation—as a sign of goodwill—provided industrial replicators capable of producing large agricultural equipment and the technology necessary to turn one of Bajor's moons into a limitless energy source.

MILITARY SUPPORT: The need for defense on the part of member worlds is of paramount significance, especially for those worlds near the border of a hostile or potentially unfriendly neighbor like the Romulans. Many potential members cite protection from more powerful aggressor species as a major reason for requesting admittance to the UFP. Once a world joins the Federation, Starfleet dispatches special tactical advisors along with the normal contingent of Federation ambassadors and diplomats to evaluate the extent of Starfleet's future presence in the system. In those cases where the new member world is under imminent threat, the Council postpones this requirement, tasking Starfleet Command with the responsibility of securing the planet's safety immediately.

Responsibilities of Membership

Membership in the Federation has its responsibilities; it is not a free ride at the expense of other members. The Council expects each world to contribute material or financial resources to maintain Starfleet, fund research by the Science Council, and provide emergency services for any Federation members in the area. Local officials must regulate local trade and protect the freedom of interstellar commerce, and provide facilities, either on the planet or in orbit around the planet, for Federation administrators. Finally, members agree to uphold Federation laws ensuring individual freedoms as well as those safeguarding due process.

So far, each Federation world admirably meets these expectations, and requirements are intentionally kept low enough for every world to fulfill its responsibility.

Joining

New worlds join the UFP in one of two manners. Either they and the UFP have a history of past relations and the world opts to petition for membership, or the world is unknown to the UFP and joins after first contact has been made. In both cases, the requirements for joining are the same.

FIRST CONTACT: Prior to considering a world for membership, the Federation Council must first make contact with the prospective civilization. Often, this first contact results from Starfleet's normal course of business—exploring the galaxy. Any time Starfleet discovers an intelligent species, it dispatches a first-contact team. The team reports directly to the First Contact Division, based on Vulcan, under the Director of Exosocial Relations. If the newly encountered species does not possess warp technology the team covertly observes the culture, evaluating its social and technological status. The contact team files its report along with a recommendation for further study, without the culture's knowledge. If the species possesses warp drive technology, the rules are somewhat looser. First contact can be made directly via subspace radio or direct intervention. Optimally, this occurs after a period of observation, but warp-capable cultures can usually detect such covert activities and often dislike the notion of being observed. As a result, any starship exploring the galaxy has the potential to make first contact with other beings. Almost every ship has at least one first-contact specialist aboard, often—in the case of Galaxy-class ships—a whole division.

Both situations are delicate. First contact teams make mistakes, sometimes revealing themselves to the prewarp culture. Seemingly primitive cultures sometimes show surprising aptitude in detecting and ferreting out hidden observers. The team must rely heavily on technology as well as its own scientific training to remain hidden. Some officers operate within the culture itself. Known as heavy integration operatives, these agents spend months studying a society so they can insert themselves into it as seamlessly as possible.

Similarly, warp-capable cultures often represent their own coalition of worlds or single, very aggressive worlds. First contact with these cultures can not only damage the culture if not handled properly, but also damage the Federation if misunderstanding causes war. In all cases, a well-rounded first contact team relies on psychology, sociology, diplomacy, and technology to get the job done.

REQUIREMENTS FOR MEMBERSHIP: The requirements for acceptance into the Federation are kept intentionally simple. The Council considers complex requirements difficult to explain, difficult to meet, difficult to evaluate, and difficult to navigate. In every case, the Council appoints a cultural attaché, described below, to examine the issue.

Before being accepted, potential worlds must:

• POSSESS TRUE FASTER-THAN-LIGHT TRAVEL. This does not necessarily mean warp travel, although so far this has exclusively been the case. If the world developed FTL travel through means other than research and development—stealing it, trading for it, discovering it archaeologically, or through some other manner—the review process becomes more complex. The cultural attaché must spend more time evaluating FTL travel's impact on the developing cultures of the world. Societies acquiring warp travel through outside means—as with the Klingon Empire—often experience developmental problems as sudden access to other planets puts unnatural pressures on the indigenous society.

The Federation experienced first-hand the way in which exposure to an advanced race can corrupt the development of a younger race. The UFP believes each species has a right to develop on its own, even if this means risking the self-destruction of the society. The Council selected the milestone of warp travel, building it into the Prime Directive to protect developing cultures from this kind of shock.

• BENEFIT FROM ONE GOVERNMENT. The Council considers factionalism a sign of immaturity. The world must speak with a single voice. Furthermore, this global government must have a proven track record of internal stability and adherence to the principles of Federation.

• EXIST PEACEFULLY WITH ITS NEIGHBORS. In most cases, if a petitioning species meets the faster-than-light requirement, it dominates its local area technologically. How it uses or exploits this superiority is an excellent test of the planet's worth as a potential member race. If a potential member is at war with its neighbor, the Federation often extends the opportunity for peaceful negotiation to both warring members. Responses to these overtures go a long way toward providing the Council some notion of the participants' demeanor. The Federation, in all cases, prefers any warring cultures to resolve their grievances peacefully. It is possible, however, for a potential world to impress the Council with its sincerity while at the same time the opposing race impresses the Council with its belligerence. In these cases a treaty with the potential member world is signed, aid is given, and the war usually comes to a peaceful end. Then the petitioning race is reevaluated.

• ACCEPT THE PRINCIPLES OF FEDERATION. This, the most obvious requirement, demands the most rigorous evaluation. The principles of Federation allow many fine interpretations, some of which result in behavior subtly contrary to the Federation's goals. The cultural attaché spends most of his time studying the potential world, trying to understand as precisely as possible the mores and folkways of the planet's cultures to make sure they understand and agree with the principles found in the Federation Constitution.

THE REVIEW BOARD: The Review Board, a permanent subcommittee of the Council, has all first contact and diplomatic data at its fingertips, and often sends board members on fact-finding missions as well. Once the request is made the Board assigns a cultural attaché, with a team to aid him, to the culture in question.

The cultural attaché must be a skilled and highly experienced diplomat. The job requires nothing short of an extensive tour of the planet (or planets, in cases involving world- or system-spanning cultures) and an exhaustive review of the culture's society, economy, science, religion, government, and resources. The importance of attention to detail in these matters cannot be overstated. A cultural attaché might have no notion that, for instance, a society considers its children slaves belonging to the parents, usable for debt payment or as collateral on a loan. Such an attitude, contrary to Federation principles, could pass unnoticed until a review of the world's educational system took place. This makes the attaché's team necessarily large and the review period long.

When the review period ends, the attaché files the report with the Review Board, which returns a verdict usually within a few weeks. The verdict is rarely a surprise to the potential member, since one of the attaché's duties is to explain the Federation Constitution to the culture and ensure the prospective species understands these principles.

REJECTION: Those applicants who pass the review gain UFP membership and all associated benefits. For those worlds rejected, the reasons are usually obvious and fall into one of three categories: the culture is too belligerent, does not respect the personal liberty of its citizens, or does not respect the right of each citizen to achieve his full potential. While these last two may seem like the same thing, many cultures believe in personal liberty—the right of the individual to live free from fear or exploitation—while at the same time confining the individual's development to a given "caste" or other socio-economic subclass. Caste systems, for instance, often protect the rights of the individual and grant all members of every caste representation in the government, but do not permit members of one caste to rise beyond the limits of the caste into which they were born. These cultures often have a difficult time understanding why the Federation would reject them. These notions are covered in great detail in the Federation Constitution.

Rule of the Council

The Council is the Federation's legislative branch and as a result has the greatest impact on the daily lives of Federation citizens. Each member world sends a contingent of up to five representatives, formally known as "Councilors", to sit on the Council. Each world receives a single vote, regardless of how many representatives it sends, and the leader of each delegation— the individual who actually casts the vote—is that world's ambassador. Some worlds intentionally send three or five representatives to the Council, so each representative can weigh the issues, then vote on how to vote. The final vote represents a poll of the representatives, with the majority opinion holding sway. Other governments send only one ambassador with no fellow councilors and no staff. Still others maintain large offices in the buildings surrounding Federation Hall, from which hourly communications between delegation and homeworld dictate how the ambassador votes.

Voice of the Council

Every three years, the Council votes on a new speaker (though there is no restriction on the number of consecutive terms an individual may hold). The Speaker of the Federation Council has no legislative power, instead wielding considerable organizational power. First among equals, the speaker schedules debates, decides when a representative has spoken for his allotted time, and delays debates for given allotments of time. In most cases, the speaker's decisions can be overridden by a two-thirds majority vote by the Council. This prevents the Speaker from abusing his power. It is possible for a Speaker to be removed from office after a vote of no confidence is called.

Powers of the Federation Council

The Council is the primary governing body of the Federation, with broad and sweeping powers. These powers can be expanded only by amending the Constitution, an arduous and lengthy process that prevents the Council from suddenly overstepping its bounds. The Council's responsibilities can be divided into several broad categories:

• PASS LEGISLATION: Any citizen may propose a law. This usually occurs at the planetary level, where the local legislative body debates the merit of the bill. If the planetary government considers the bill worthy, the planet's ambassador makes a formal proposition in Council. The President usually creates a subcommittee to evaluate the pros and cons of the law. The subcommittee researches the subject and presents its report to the Council, and the Council formally votes. As with most acts of the Council, a two-thirds majority is required for a bill to become a law. Legislation passed by the Council affects the entire Federation. Laws addressing a single planet's needs must be passed in that society's own legislative body.

• ELECT THE PRESIDENT: Every six years the Council elects a new President, by secret ballot, from among its ranks. Each President may serve only one term. Only members of the Council may vote, and only for another Council member. Any voting member can be nominated for the position, with no limit on the number of nominees possible. Voting takes place in a series of rounds, with each round eliminating roughly half of the nominees, until finally only two remain in the final round.

• RESOURCE ALLOCATION: Each year the Council receives an annual report from the Economics Council, detailing exactly what resources the Federation has available. The Federation Council then spends roughly one month working on the next yearly budget. Because the Federation's operation is neatly divided—between the various permanent subcommittees of the Council, Starfleet, and the Secretariat—into about 100 different departments, the process of determining which department gets how many resources is far less complex than might be expected.

• OVERSIGHT AND FACT-FINDING: Of the many other functions of the Council, only two more bear mentioning here. The Presidential Oversight Subcommittee monitors the professional activities of the President, ensuring he does not abuse his power. Activity on this committee is low, as most Federation Presidents have been entirely trustworthy men and women with the support of the Council behind them. No Federation President has ever been impeached. Many important agencies—such as Starfleet Intelligence and the Economics Council—have permanent oversight subcommittees on the Council as well, reviewing their performance to prevent abuse of power.

Lastly, the Council forms and dispatches hundreds of fact-finding committees throughout the year to worlds, colonies, outposts, stations, ships, and anywhere else something significant to a Council vote takes place. Each fact-finding committee reports directly to the Council.

Life in the Federation

For the majority of Federation citizens, the local planetary government has a greater impact on people's daily lives than the Council. While the Federation Council oversees the legislative agenda for the entire Federation, governance of individual worlds remains with local officials. For instance, on Andoria the Council of Clans regulates planetary trade, establishes food and drug safety regulations, enacts local laws and ordinances, and allocates resources to various committees, bureaucracies, and groups. If a visitor inadvertently insulted an Andorian and he demands retribution (in the traditional Andorian fashion—a duel), the visitor would appeal to the Council of Clans for immunity. Appeal to the Federation Council is possible, but in almost all instances it would defer to the local planetary authority. Of course, you could accept the duel! Unless local laws violate the Federation Constitution, the Council is reluctant to interfere.

Traveling in the Federation

One of the great benefits of Federation membership is free and unrestricted travel throughout all the UFP's member worlds.

If a Vulcan scientist wanted to journey from Vulcan to Andoria, he would have several options. He could usually charter passage on a Vulcan Science Academy vessel, if he worked for the Vulcan Science Academy, for instance. Alternatively, he could use one of the many Federation vessels that frequently travel from one world to another. The Federation Bureau of Tourism and Trade would sponsor his journey in this case. This vessel could be any one of a wide variety of ships—traders, science vessels, dedicated tourism ships. Very rarely, a Starfleet vessel might be made available, although in these cases there must be special circumstances.

While unlimited travel is a legal right of every Federation citizen, the Federation monitors visa applications and immigration. Some planets, such as Risa and some worlds in the Rigel system, carefully monitor the influx of tourists over the course of the year to prevent overloading their civilian infrastructure. A world can accommodate only so many visitors before strains on the public and private sector become too great.

Local planetary authorities supervise permanent immigration to their worlds, and some restrictions may apply (usually based on population density, environmental impact, and infrastructure capacity). Earth, to use a popular example, simply couldn't accommodate the sheer volume of citizens who would move there if they could. Some planets, such as those along the frontier, are less attractive as tourist destinations due to the unique problems these planets face.

The Federation Economy

The economy of the future is vastly different from that of previous centuries. The Federation meets the basic needs of the majority of its citizens, and few want for anything. Homelessness and starvation are horrors of the past. Greed is only a memory.

In earlier ages people worked for monetary gain, using the money they earned to buy goods and services. Disparate incomes led to a wide gap between what were called the "haves" and the "have-nots," with money (and greed) skewing the allocation of even the most basic resources. Each citizen of the Federation receives goods each according to his needs and is encouraged to provide for the Federation each according to his abilities. Traders ply the trade routes, selling wares from across the galaxy. Colonies produce the raw materials and agricultural goods the Federation needs. Merchants throughout the Federation—from Vulcan shopkeepers to Terran restaurateurs—provide their unique services to the general public. People are productive for productivity's sake, not because they are paid.

To handle interstellar trade, the Federation Constitution established the credit as the unit of exchange within the UFP, to determine the relative value of planetary economies and as a means of trading with other, non-Federation cultures. Most often, inside the Federation the credit simplifies the equation of the value of, for example, grain produced on Alpha Centauri and dilithium it imports. In this way, the credit serves as a stable unit of measure, allowing resources to move between worlds efficiently. Credits normally have a value tied to the local currency, set by the Federation Council. For example, on Vulcan the credit is worth 100 Vulcan rials.

Though intended for interstellar trade, there are times when Federation citizens require currency, and the credit fills that void. Although society provides for many basic needs, such as housing, food, and clothing, sometimes individuals want to acquire a memento of their visit to Risa, buy a tribble, or sample some of the local cuisine. Often, local proprietors expect payment for their work, particularly on non-Federation worlds. Although many worlds still use some form of local or regional currency—either out of tradition or because they have recently joined the UFP—some have abandoned coinage entirely in favor of the credit.

Federation computers keep track of credits electronically, making fraud and counterfeiting extremely difficult on anything but the most limited basis. Most starfaring races inside the Federation recognize the credit as the most stable and viable form of exchange in the quadrant. In this vein, the credit sees its widest use along the frontier and on worlds outside the Federation sphere of influence and tends to be more popular among reputable traders.

The Constitution of the United Federation of Planets

When the leaders of the live founding worlds met on Epsilon Eridani in 2161, they set about drafting a series of articles to define the structure of their new Federation. These articles, once ratified, became the Constitution of the UFP.

The Constitution both establishes the power and function of the government and guarantees the rights of the individual, as well as those of each member world. The entire governmental structure of the Federation is diagrammed in this document. There are twenty-seven original Articles:

• ARTICLES ONE AND TWO: Set forth the basic goals o! the Federation: to establish a coalition of worlds each relying upon the other to further the peace, prosperity, and continued expansion of knowledge of the whole.

• ARTICLE THREE: Establishes the rights of the individual. As the Constitution explains, these rights do not come from the Constitution, they come from the simple fact of individual existence. These rights cannot be given or taken away, but they can be oppressed or violated. The third article exists to ensure the Federation does not have the right to take its citizen's rights away. Article Three is similar in many ways to the United States of America's Bill of Rights.

• ARTICLE FOUR: Ensures the right of each world to govern itself. The greatest fear of many non-Federation cultures is that joining the Federation means giving up the culture's current sovereignty over itself, submitting, in essence, to the government of a foreign power. While a certain degree of this is, by nature, necessary, the Federation goes to great lengths to minimize this at all times. If a world meets the eligibility requirements and agrees with the principles of the Constitution, it is free to employ any form of government it wants. Arguably, some forms of government are better suited to the principles of the Federation than others; so far no member worlds employ autocratic dictatorships, and most worlds use some form of democratic representation. Some planets, after analyzing the Federation Constitution, adopt it as their own governmental form.

• ARTICLE FIVE: Permits all member worlds to petition the Federation Council for arbitration in matters of dispute. These must occur between member worlds; internal legal matters must be resolved by the governing world's own judiciary system. The Federation Council only makes recommendations; it has no judiciary power over the member worlds. If either party in a dispute rejects the recommendations of the Council, it may appeal to the Federation Judiciary Board. Appeals to the Board may ultimately result in review by the Federation Supreme Court, the ultimate judiciary authority in the Federation.

• ARTICLES SIX THROUGH FIFTEEN: Describe the function and power of the Federation Council and its legislative powers. These ten articles form the meat of the Constitution, setting forth voting powers of council members and establishing the different permanent cabinets. Article Thirteen, for example, establishes Earth as the seat of Federation government.

• ARTICLES SIXTEEN THROOGH NINETEEN: Establish the office of President of the Federation, as well as his bureaucratic under cabinet, the Secretariat. The President serves as chief diplomat, establishes foreign policy, and functions as commander-in-chief of Starfleet. This necessarily requires thousands of man-hours of work every day. The offices of the Secretariat perform this work, reporting directly to the President.

• ARTICLE TWENTY: Establishes Starfleet as the Federation's defense force and exploration fleet. This article names San Francisco as Starfleet Headquarters and establishes a subcabinet of fleet admirals to serve as Starfleet Command, reporting directly to the President.

• ARTICLES TWENTY-ONE THROUGH TWENTY THREE: Set forth the powers of the judiciary branch. Article Twenty-two, for instance, establishes the Federation Supreme Court as ultimate legal authority.

• ARTICLES TWENTY FOUR AND TWENTY FIVE: Set forth the rules for membership in the Federation, as detailed above.

• ARTICLE TWENTY SIX: Delineates the process by which a member world or some subgroup of its population can establish a colony. The Colonial Rights article, as it is known, explains in great detail the limited authority the Federation has over its colonies and the aid to which colonies have a right. It also states that colonies must undergo the same rigorous review period and criteria established in the previous two articles if they wish to become full members.

• ARTICLE TWENTY-SEVEN: Explains the processes necessary to amend the Constitution. It explicitly forbids any alteration of Articles Three and Four.

The Frontier

The frontier lies at the extreme boundary of the Federation's influence. Supplies and aid take longer to get to the frontier than anywhere else in the Federation. The frontier also lies closest to the Federation's enemies. Those governments, such as the Romulan Star Empire and Cardassian Union, typically view established colonies as staging points for potential invasion and new colonies as attempts to redraw interstellar boundaries. Yet the frontier also contains a large number of unexplored, unpopulated, and possibly inhabitable worlds. Because of these basic facts, the frontier is a harsher, more dangerous place. Federation colonies are both more numerous and more vulnerable.

Colonies

Colonies result from a number of factors. At any point in a planet's history, including the review period for Federation membership, some subset of the planet's population may desire to break off from the planet's governmental authority and form their own society. For some, it is a chance to start anew, far from perceived restrictions—a new beginning on worlds such as Cestus III, Caldos, or Deneva. For others, it is the chance to participate in some kind of social experiment, such as living the less technological lifestyle of Dr. Sandoval's colony on Omicron Ceti III. For still others, opportunity attracts them to even the harshest colony worlds—dilithium miners to Rigel XII, farmers to Coltar IV, or scientists to Omicron Theta.

The Federation and other powers willingly sponsor colonies. At any time, there are hundreds of extant Federation colonies, with roughly 10% of applications for Federation membership in a given year coming from colonial outposts. The UFP provides supplies, resources, advisors, and Starfleet protection. The Federation Bureau of Colonization must approve all prospective colonies. The Bureau assigns a survey team to examine the site, ensuring it meets the Bureau's requirements. The new site must not be on an inhabited world, must have sufficient resources to support a stable population, and must be relatively free of threat. If a group wanted to colonize an uninhabited world on which an Iconian gateway existed, the Bureau would turn the application down because of the possible risk to colony safety and Federation security (not to mention the scientific value).

For some people colonial life represents the best of two worlds. They gain some of the benefits of Federation life while benefiting from a higher degree of cultural and governmental freedom than might otherwise be possible as a full member. Most colonies start on moons or planets near the founding culture's homeworld. Occasionally, colonists desire to start completely anew, moving as far away from the parent homeworld as possible. Thus are frontier colonies born.

Colonial Life

Some long-established colonies, such as those on Mars, Rigel, and Deneva, are essentially member worlds, and life on these older colonies is indistinguishable from life on a member world. They enjoy a high degree of technological sophistication, such as replicators, a large, stable population, and local industry. On the stereotypical "rugged" colonies along the frontier, however, life is markedly different.

Colonists typically work hard for many of the things most Federation citizens take for granted, including their survival. Science outposts are often isolated and depend on supply shipments from the Federation. On farming and mining colonies, people work long hours to maintain their precarious existence. On some colonial outposts, replicators may be unavailable because they require phenomenal amounts of energy, and such basic requirements as food and water must be acquired through farming or supply shipments. Buildings may either be prefabricated structures or constructed locally using primitive techniques. Some colonies, by their nature, may be located in hostile environments or inhospitable worlds—underground pergium mines or penal colonies on barren rocks—requiring sophisticated life support. Governments typically range from appointed colony administrators (since small colonies cannot support large bureaucracies) to various political and social systems—democracy, socialism, Luddism, and so forth. At any time, a colony could suffer utter catastrophe, from a Borg attack on the Jouret IV colony to radiation-induced hyperaccelerated aging on Gamma Hydra IV, from famine on Tarsus IV to government collapse on Turkana IV.

Finally, life on a colony requires, more than anything else, reliance on oneself and one's fellow colonists. Colonies are often so remote that, it can take time for a starship to arrive. If a strange alien race shows up in orbit, it is often up to colonists to decide the best course of action, whether to negotiate or fight, then follow through. To participate in a colony a colonist needs the ability and willingness to stand on his own two feet.

The Frontier and Exploration

The frontier also provides limitless opportunities for exploration. Starfleet's mandate devotes fully half its resources to exploration. Federation starships, unlike their Romulan, Klingon, or Cardassian counterparts, are packed with exploratory technology. From advanced sensor arrays sophisticated enough to catalog a planet's flora and fauna to dozens of probes designed for everything from atmospheric survey to spectrographic isotope isolation, Starfleet's capacity for exploration is unrivalled in the galaxy.

But the "frontier" of exploration is not always the edge of the Federation. New discoveries await on even the oldest, best known Federation worlds. Where Starfleet concentrates its resources changes from era to era.

The Frontier in Star Trek: The Next Generation

During the 24th century, Starfleet devoted itself to exploring more fully those planets merely surveyed in the previous century. The Federation couldn't simply continue forward, crossing political boundaries for the sake of exploration. With the Romulans and Klingons thwarting outward expansion in the Beta Quadrant, Starfleet at first changed direction, exploring spinward until it ran into the Cardassians and Ferengi. In effect, the major powers of the Alpha and Beta Quadrants "bumped up" against each other, making further outward exploration difficult.

As a result, exploration during this era meant detailed surveys of planets and systems only cursorily reported on previously, if at all. Ships in the previous century often expanded the Federation's frontiers by hundreds of light-years at a time, without stopping to catalog all the planetary systems and other stellar phenomena they passed. Starfleet concentrated on filling in the gaps on its star charts. It seemed the frontier—represented by new worlds to explore and new civilizations to study—could be anywhere: the next planet, system, or sector.

Additionally, contact between starship captains and Starfleet Command became, thanks to improved technology, much more frequent. Starfleet Command could advise on emerging situations, provide information more readily, and dispatch reinforcements more quickly and in greater numbers. As a result, starship crews became less isolated. Rather than as a group of individual, far-flung ships, Starfleet could act as a concerted whole.

Starfleet

Starfleet serves as the instrument of policy for the Federation, as well as safeguarding its borders and expanding the boundaries of knowledge through exploration and research. No other organization in the UFP embodies its principles of brotherhood and peace as Starfleet does. Serving among Starfleet's ranks is one of the highest aspirations for citizens (and many noncitizens) of the UFP.

Control over the fleet is centralized at Starfleet Command, located in San Francisco near the Federation Council hall. Because of the vast distances involved in space exploration, starship crews answer to their captain, who in turn reports to a fleet admiral, in order to coordinate operations and maintain cohesion. The Chief-in-Command of Starfleet oversees a staff of fleet admirals charged with various responsibilities ranging from a specific region of space to a related set of operations (such as exploration and research, or intelligence gathering). The C-in-C answers directly to the Federation President, though he is also answerable to the Federation Council.

Each Starfleet officer, from a lowly cadet to a fleet admiral, is expected to follow Starfleet regulations. While a starship crew may find itself two weeks' journey from the nearest starbase and have wide latitude in dealing with unexpected circumstances, it does not have carte blanche. Starfleet's regulations are meant to ensure a standard code of conduct, and serve as guidelines for how a Starfleet officer is expected to behave. The Starfleet Manual of General Orders and Regulations contains rules governing virtually every facet of starship operation, from manual checks of warp core efficiency and dilithium crystal degeneration to the behavior of flag officers during diplomatic dinners. These rules come in three types: General Orders, Orders, and Regulations. General Orders are broad, sweeping rules of primary importance to the continued functioning and security of Starfleet, the most famous of which is the Prime Directive. Orders cover more mundane operational rules, such as outlining a vessel's chain of command and establishing officer responsibilities aboard ship. Regulations detail specific codes of conduct and procedures, such as mandating the ship go to yellow alert when detecting an unidentified ship or establishing a weekly check of deuterium tanks. Violations of the Regulations could be met with a simple reprimand (for neglecting a Regulation) to a court-martial (for violations of a General Order).

The Function of Starflect

Starfleet's two basic functions, defense and exploration, manifest themselves in a wide variety of mission types. A given ship may, over the course of the year, undertake several of each mission type. Other ships serve for long periods in one mission posting—threat alert or deep-space exploration, for instance. Indeed, entire fleets are sometimes posted to a narrow category of duties because of the specific strengths of the fleet's ships—Starfleet's Extended Exploration fleet, for example, comprised mostly of Nova-class science ships. The basic mission types are listed below.

Exploration

In every era, exploration comprises the bulk of ship missions. Every ship in the fleet, in every era, over the course of a five-year tour of duty, adds immeasurably to the sum total of Federation knowledge of its own space and that of the frontier. Consider the discoveries made by the Enterprise over the course of two TV series. The Tholians, the Gorn, the Iconians, and over a dozen more races and countless planets and systems were encountered and explored by the Enterprise. Multiply that by the hundreds of ships in Starfleet, and you gain some notion of the role of exploration in Starfleet. Each ship is responsible for volumes of new information every year, yet at the same time Starfleet has explored only a tiny fraction of the galaxy. There are two broadly defined types of exploration mission:

DEEP-SPACE EXPLORATION: These missions involve cataloguing planetary systems, nebulae, black holes, and other stellar phenomena. A deep-space exploration mission might catalog the location of a planetary solar system. The number of planets, their types, locations, and number of moons, and any comets or asteroids would be filed for examination by Starfleet's Department of Astronomical Phenomena.

PLANETARY EXPLORATION: Starfleet's primary goal is the search for new worlds, life-forms, and civilizations. Once a noteworthy planet has been discovered, Starfleet dispatches a ship to explore its surface. Planetary missions begin with extensive sensor scans of the surface, cataloguing atmosphere, hydrosphere, geology, and abundance of plant life. Modern sensors can accumulate a wealth of information before an away team beams down. Often, after the sensor scans are completed and the planet's surface is fully mapped, survey teams are sent to examine the world more closely. This might mean traveling through the upper atmospheric layers of a gas giant in a shuttlecraft, or actually setting foot on the planet's soil. Most observation of intelligent life occurs during planetary missions. Extensively trained first contact teams can spend weeks studying a new species without their subjects' awareness. Warp-capable cultures, however, are usually contacted by the deep-space survey crews, since most warp-capable cultures are able to detect Starfleet warp signatures.

Defense

The second half of Starfleet's mission statement as set forth in the Federation Constitution, defense missions fall into one of four basic categories:

PATROL MISSIONS: These form the bulk of all nonexploration missions. Some areas of space contain known threats, others contain recently discovered species who may pose a threat. Patrol missions intentionally give Starfleet a high profile in these areas, to ensure hostile and potentially hostile species understand Starfleet's commitment to defense, and to maintain a ready defense force should any potentially hostile species attack.

THREAT ALERT MISSIONS: Patrols along currently hostile borders, such as the Romulan Neutral Zone or, in some eras, the Klingon border, and responses to acts of aggression against the Federation constitute threat alert missions. If a starbase or colony is attacked, a ship is dispatched on threat alert to respond.

TACTICAL MISSIONS: These missions almost always involve combat or the threat of combat. Federation lives or the lives of its allies are at stake and ships are required to defend against the aggressors. These include everything from the incursion of alien probes intentionally or unintentionally threatening the Federation to full-fledged war.

CONVOY AND ESCORT: Universally considered the most uneventful of defense missions, convoy and escort missions require a starship to follow along with a fleet of freighters or serve as hosts to important dignitaries on their way to an important diplomatic function. Despite the "babysitting" aspect of these kinds of mission, their completion is often vital, and starship crews remain on alert for potential threats. In the event of trouble, a starship's primary duty is to avoid danger and get its charges through safely.

Diplomacy

As instruments of Federation policy, starships and their crews are often called upon to handle diplomatic affairs, from attending state ceremonies such as the inauguration of a new leader to representing the Federation's position at an intergalactic conference, from negotiating peace treaties to simply demonstrating the Federation's concern. In this capacity, every starship serves as a floating embassy and every crewmember represents Starfleet.

FIRST CONTACT: Starfleet officers, in their capacity as explorers, are often the first to establish contact with a previously unknown species. In the case of prewarp societies, a first contact mission is meant to evaluate the culture secretly, so as not to contaminate the society's natural evolution. While this may seem a facet of exploration missions, because of the delicacy of such missions Starfleet considers it a matter of diplomacy. In the case of species already possessing warp drive capability, a first contact mission is intended to reveal the existence of life on other planets and welcome them into the interstellar family of nations.

INTERGALACTIC AFFAIRS: The bulk of diplomatic missions fall under this category—negotiating trade agreements, arbitrating local disputes, participating in diplomatic conferences, and demonstrating the Federation's interest as a neutral observer. These missions involve tact, courtesy, and a fine understanding of interstellar politics. Starship crews are often the first on the scene of emerging diplomatic situations and can be dispatched much more quickly than a mission from Earth. Starship captains often have wide latitude to represent the Federation's interests and are authorized to speak on behalf of the Federation.

Emergencies and Natural Disasters

Whenever a planet or system undergoes a cataclysmic upheaval—giant solar flares, geological or meteorological disturbances, potential asteroid impacts, outbreaks of disease or famine—Starfleet is called in. These kinds of mission include:

AID AND RELIEF: This mission profile involves any of a number of related solutions to planetwide disaster, such as transporting critical medical supplies to a world engulfed by plague, ferrying food to a world affected by famine, destroying approaching asteroids, and relieving tectonic stress using the ship's phasers.

EVACUATION: When a mission to provide relief fails or nothing can be done to save a planet, starships are called upon to evacuate as much of the population as possible. A flotilla of Starfleet's largest spaceships takes on hundreds or thousands of people and transports them to the nearest starbase or refugee world.

Scientific

Scientific missions are often considered as going hand in hand with exploration missions. What good is it to discover a new world if nothing is learned from its unique environment? What good is identifying a new class of pulsar without performing a spectrographic analysis? Scientific missions include:

EXPERIMENTATION: These missions involve testing new theories or new equipment. The starship and her crew host a visiting scientific team with the intention of putting their work to the test—trying a new warp field geometry, observing the collapse of a red giant star. Alternatively, the starship pays a call on a research station and serves as witness to a scientific experiment.

INVESTIGATION: At any given time, the many laboratories on board a starship engage in various inquiries related to the phenomena they encounter over their operational lifetime. A starship, by virtue of its extensive travels, encounters a wide variety of specimens (sometimes never before seen) and can gather a wealth of information across a broad spectrum, from a comparative study of primitive cultures to a detailed investigation into supernovae.

Starfleet General Orders

Over 24 General Orders form Starfleet's guiding principles. Below is an abbreviated list covering those orders of most interest to players.

GENERAL ORDER ONE: THE PRIME DIRECTIVE: Prohibits interference in the normal development of any society and mandates that any Starfleet vessel or crew member is expendable to prevent violation of this rule. In most cases, this rule applies to civilizations that have not yet developed warp drive. Even learning of the existence of other life-forms can damage a developing culture, so great care must be taken to ensure first contact teams remain well hidden.

GENERAL ORDER TWO: PROTECT FEDERATION CITIZENS: One of Starfleet's two mandates is the defense of the Federation. This order allows Starfleet officers to violate orders or duty requirements in order to assist Federation citizens in need. For instance, the captain of a Starfleet vessel en route to a starbase for a regulation inspection invokes General Order Two to break off and assist a Federation colony under attack from the Tholians. Usually this order need not be referenced. Simply noting the incident in the captain's log is sufficient.

GENERAL ORDER THREE: DESTRUCT SEQUENCE: Starships are unbelievably potent and sophisticated devices, arguably the most sophisticated machines man has ever built. The danger should a ship fall into the wrong hands is not merely that the enemy may gain vital technologies to improve his own fleet, but that the enemy gains a new weapon of powerful destructive force. To prevent this, the third General Order permits the captain to enable the ship's destruct systems when capture of the vessel appears imminent or the ship constitutes a danger to Federation security. If the captain is dead or unable to evaluate the situation, the acting captain is authorized to do so.

GENERAL ORDER FOUR: NOTWITHSTANDING PROTOCOL: This order allows commanding officers to countermand Starfleet regulations in the event of extreme threat to Federation security (though not General Orders).

GENERAL ORDER FIVE: WELFARE OF THE CREW: This Order allows a captain to disregard regulations and mission priorities in order to save the lives of a crewman or crewmen. It also prevents commanding officers from taking actions that would unnecessarily jeopardize the lives of those under their command. General Orders One and Four supercede this order.

The regular Orders are more general, governing the behavior of most Starfleet officers.

ORDER 104.B: CHAIN OF COMMAND: This section describes Starfleet's rank structure, establishing the requirements of junior officers to respond promptly to the commands of senior officers.

ORDER 104.C: FITNESS FOR DUTY: Section 104.C grants to the Chief Medical Officer the right to relieve the commander on duty if the CMO can demonstrate the commanding officer is physically or mentally unfit. The CMO must log in his medical records the test results that led to this conclusion.

ORDER 118: MISSION PRIORITIES: Section 118 categorizes all mission types by priority, enabling commanding officers to determine which mission requirements supercede other mission requirements. Order 118 allows a commander to break off a routine mission (type D) to undertake an urgent mission (type B.) The four mission types are:

• CATEGORY A: VITAL MISSIONS: Also known as a Priority One command, a Category A mission supercedes all other mission types and overrides all orders and regulations under General Order Four. The fate of the Federation rests on this mission, and all Starfleet lives are considered expendable for its completion.

• CATEGORY B: URGENT MISSIONS: Urgent missions usually involve rescuing or protecting the lives of thousands, if not millions, of Federation citizens. A ship carrying the cure for a plague threatening to wipe out large populations undertakes an urgent mission. Typically, only vital missions supercede these.

• CATEGORY C: STRATEGIC MISSIONS: These missions usually involve securing or defending resources or Starfleet outposts. Missions of high threat factor during peacetime, such as patrolling the Romulan Neutral Zone, are Category C missions because of the high probability of danger, as are escort duties.

• CATEGORY D: ROUTINE MISSIONS: Encompassing the majority of Starfleet missions, a starship crew may undertake dozens of routine assignments at the same time: categorizing gaseous anomalies, measuring pulsar fluctuations, researching the life cycle of the Gamelan root beast, conducting soil analyses, and putting in an appearance at Caldos Colony, for example. Routine missions include most patrols, exploration, and research duties.

Divisions of Starfleet

Just as a starship, Starfleet Command is organized into various departments. Officers posted to a starship technically serve within the Department of Fleet Operations. Some departments serve in a purely organizational role, as with the Office of Fleet Operations, while others oversee various operations, such as Starfleet Intelligence and the Office of Planetary Exploration. Often, a mission objective transmitted from Starfleet Command originates from one of these departments. A starship dispatched to escort the Dolmen of Elas to a conference comes from the Starfleet Diplomatic Corps, while a mission to defend a mining colony from possible Ferengi attack comes from the Office of Strategic Operations.

THE JOINT CHIEFS: With its far-flung operations across vast distances of space, Starfleet is too large to be overseen by one person. The Joint Chiefs—comprised of the Chief-in-Command, Chief of Fleet Operations, Chief of Research and Exploration, Chief of Strategic Operations, and Chief of Interplanetary Affairs—represent the five major departments in Starfleet Command. Chosen from among Starfleet's most capable admirals, the Joint Chiefs are collectively responsible for setting policy and guiding operations.

FLEET OPERATIONS: The office of the chief of Fleet Operations manages the deployment and mission rosters of all ships in the fleet. Other departments task Fleet Operations with mission profiles, with Fleet Operations selecting the best ships for the missions. Starfleet organizes its ships into 27 separate fleets, with each assigned to a particular region of space and with its own numerical designation. The First Fleet, for instance, stationed at and around Alpha Centauri, protects Earth, Vulcan, Andoria, and the rest of sector 001. Each fleet is commanded by a fleet admiral, who oversees the ships under his command and serves as the linchpin between the fleet and Fleet Operations. Fleet Operations keeps track of the present locations of every ship in the fleet and can quickly ascertain which ship is available to respond to emergencies. Departments under the Office of Fleet Operations include Starbase Operations, the Judge Advocate General's office, and the Corps of Engineers.

STRATEGIC OPERATIONS: while Fleet Operations manages the routine deployment of ships in large areas, Strategic Operations manages the planning of strategic defense. One of the smallest divisions of Starfleet, Strategic Operations is nonetheless the most vital in maintaining the defense of the Federation. This division draws up Starfleet's battle plans, conducts threat assessments, and reviews the fleet's preparedness for defense. It monitors emerging threats and, through the Strategic Planning Council, devises new tactics and strategies. Defense missions originate with the Strategic Operations office. Departments under the Office of Strategic Operations include the Strategic Planning Council and Starfleet Intelligence.

RESEARCH AND EXPLORATION: One of the most important divisions within Starfleet Command, this office supervises and coordinates the fleet's exploration efforts—from surveying newly discovered planets to studying the effects of warp fields on chroniton particles. Missions to explore a sector, survey a planet's surface, or study a black hole come from this department. It collates incoming information, reviews various discoveries, and prioritizes scientific endeavors. Departments under this office include Starfleet Medical, Planetary Science Operations, and Astronomical Science Operations.

INTERPLANETARY AFFAIRS: Responsible for coordinating Starfleet's diplomatic efforts, the Office of Interplanetary Affairs oversees first contact efforts, colonization programs, and interplanetary affairs. This office dispatches experts to attend diplomatic conferences, evaluates species for possible contact, instructs starship captains in negotiating strategies, and coordinates diplomatic responses with the Federation Council. Diplomatic missions ranging from establishing contact with the Malcorians to ferrying diplomats to Babel typically originate here. The office of Colonial Affairs, First Contact Division, and Starfleet's Diplomatic Corps fall under this division.

Tours of Duty: Serving in Starfleet

The most sought-after posting in Starfleet is an assignment to a starship. What more glamorous image is there than traveling the galaxy (even in the smallest class of starship), seeing what no one else has seen, going where no one has gone before? Yet Starfleet is more than state-of-the art spacecraft, and includes postings to starbases, Starfleet Command, scientific outposts, sensor arrays, and more. No matter where an officer is destined, he selects a particular branch, which loosely describes his duties.

Branches and Duties

Starfleet divides its operations into three basic categories—command, operations, and science. Members of Starfleet enjoy some latitude when moving between its branches. It is not unusual for an officer to transfer from the science division to command, or for a command officer to move into operations. Starfleet in the 23rd century identified these branches by a particular service uniform color—red for command, yellow for operations, and blue for science.

Command

Command personnel are responsible for the smooth operation and administration of people under their command, from science labs to management of the entire crew. While starship captains and starbase commanders are the most apparent members of this branch, command officers can be found throughout a facility's ranks. Officers involved in flight control (navigators, helmsmen) are also counted among the command ranks, because of their importance in guiding a starship, for example, while command officers in various departments coordinate activities and supervise smaller teams. Junior command officers report to the First Officer on matters related to the ship's smooth operation and coordinate with various department heads. For example, a command officer might supervise repairs on the main deflector array, contributing his organizational talents and reporting to both the First Officer and the Chief Engineer. Command personnel are trained in crisis management, diplomacy, leadership, and tactics. Positions include such well known areas as helm, navigation, flight control, first officer, and captain, along with lesser-known jobs such as quartermaster, strategic operations, and shuttlecraft pilot.

Science

From the science officer on the bridge to the lab technician belowdecks, Starfleet facilities are heavily staffed with science personnel. Every ship maintains several laboratories (and even the smallest vessel has at least one multipurpose lab) where vital experiments and investigations take place. In orbit over a newly discovered planet, for instance, plant surveys are handled by the botany lab, weather studies are conducted by the meteorology department, the chemistry lab conducts an analysis of everything from soil composition to atmospheric gas composition, and so forth. Starships and starbases include among their crews experts in the hard sciences (astronomers, chemists, geologists) and "soft" sciences (like the ship's historian and A&A [archaeology and anthropology] officer). The Chief Science Officer supervises all scientific efforts on board, prioritizes tasks, and interprets data for the captain. Individual scientists are often called in to advise the command staff on particular matters, as when an astrometrics officer advises on a wormhole's potential threats. The medical department, responsible for the health and well-being of the ship's crew, falls under the Chief Medical Officer, who holds equal rank with the Chief Science Officer. Science personnel are trained in at least one science, sensor use, computers, and deductive reasoning.

Operations

Responsible for the daily operation of the starship or starbase, members of the Ops branch repair and maintain equipment, provide security for ship and crew, and operate various critical systems. Operations is a catch-all for a wide range of duties.

ENGINEERS maintain the physical operation of ship or starbase. From the environmental controls to the warp core itself, the engineering crew diagnoses, maintains, and repairs every piece of equipment on board, making sure everything is ship-shape in Bristol fashion. Engineering duties range from structural engineering (maintaining the integrity of the hull) and servo systems (maintaining the operation of the ship's moving parts, such as the doors) to propulsion engineering (monitoring and operating the ship's warp and impulse drives) and various systems engineering (transporter, phaser, computer, and sensor specialists). Each engineer is assigned to a team, related to his area of expertise, and teams either collectively tackle complex problems or make repair calls where needed. The Chief Engineer, who reports directly to the commanding officer, supervises the engineering department.

SECURITY personnel guard the ship from threats both internal and external. Internal security includes responding to altercations on board, answering intruder alerts and boarding actions, beaming into potentially hostile landing zones, protecting dignitaries, and guarding prisoners in the brig. Security officers charged with defending against external threats man the ship's tactical systems—the phasers, photon torpedo bays, and deflector grids. While this function is traditionally thought of as the sole responsibility of the Chief Security Officer on the bridge, tactical experts staff each phaser array and deflector emitter, supervising and coordinating the ship's tactical response. The Chief Security Officer supervises both types of security officer.

Crew collectively known as OPERATIONS officers handle additional operation duties not included above. While an engineer keeps the transporters in tip-top working condition, transporter specialists actually operate the equipment. Each operations officer receives extensive training in one area of expertise, though they are capable of serving anywhere in a pinch. In the 24th century, an important position was added to the bridge crew—the Operations Manager. This position is responsible for monitoring a vessel's resources, as well as nominally overseeing all operations personnel on board. Positions generally relate to specific systems, such as computer ops, environmental ops, and transporter ops.

Rank and Responsibility

The chain of command establishes clear lines of authority and responsibility. Each level in the chain of command answers to the level above it. Because of the unexpected situations a Starfleet crew may encounter, Starfleet encourages flexibility in the chain of command. What does that mean? Ideas or solutions can come from any quarter, and even the most junior officer may find himself handling a vital assignment.

Ranks in Starfleet

Flag officers administer the larger operations of Starfleet. Their duties stretch beyond the running of a single ship. Commodores, for instance, often work from starbases in areas with large local contingents of Starfleet vessels, serving somewhat as regional commanders. Fleet captains, vice admirals, and admirals direct the various branches of Starfleet. Some direct the operations of entire fleets, usually doing so from the command chair of a given ship. Fleet admirals run Starfleet itself from positions within Starfleet Command.

FLAG OFFICERS
Fleet Admiral
Admiral
Vice Admiral
Fleet Captain*

• Sometimes referred to as Rear Admiral.

Line officers carry out the orders of the flag officers. They direct the daily operation of starships, starbases, and other Starfleet facilities.

LINE OFFICERS
Captain
Commander
Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant
Lieutenant Junior Grade (J.G.)
Ensign

Commanding Officer

On a starship, starbase, or other Starfleet installation, the commanding officer is the person in charge. This person often holds the rank of commander or higher, though on smaller installations the commanding officer can rank as low as lieutenant. On starships, no matter their size, the commanding officer is traditionally called Captain, no matter his true rank. The commanding officer takes responsibility for the operation of his starship or starbase and the behavior and performance of his crew.

First Officer

The First Officer, also known as the Executive Officer, is the commanding officer's right hand. When the captain leaves the bridge, the First Officer takes over command in his absence. First Officers often accompany the captain on important away missions, though to safeguard the captain they usually lead missions off-ship. Typically responsible for routine operations such as maintaining duty rosters and supervising the department heads, the XO maintains the most visible presence on board a starship or starbase. Many crewmembers never see the captain in a given week, but often see their department heads conferring with the First Officer. First Officers usually hold the rank of commander, though there have been instances of captains serving as executive officers to other captains.

Senior Officers

Senior officers supervise various departments and include positions such as Chief Medical Officer, Chief Engineer, and Chief Science Officer. These officers oversee activities falling within their departments, determining things such as duty rosters and mission assignments. These department heads report directly to the commanding officer and first officer, and ensure that orders are carried out efficiently.

A Day in the Life

Life on board a starship or starbase involves routine. Everyone, from the captain to the ensign on deck 34, has a schedule outlining his duties for the day. Starfleet officers have tasks to accomplish according to a deadline, to keep things running in an orderly fashion. A look at the duty roster for Lieutenant Commander Alex Gonzalez, Chief Engineer on the U.S.S. Resolute, provides a good idea of a day in the life of a Starfleet officer.

0700	End Sleep Period
0730	Breakfast
0800	Begin Duty—Alpha Watch
0900	Daily Department Review
0930	Scheduled Servicing: Ablative Armor
1000	Senior Staff Meeting: Warp Drive Maintenance Schedule
1130	Tactical Defense Division: Review Phaser Enhancements
1200	Meal Break (Captain MacKenzie)
1300	Prepare Maintenance Schedule: Stardate 51266
1400	Supervise Shuttlecraft Maintenance: Ensigns J. Vittetow and Z. Vittetow
1600	End Alpha Watch
1615	Review: Sensor Performance
1800	Evening Meal (Lt. Cmdr. Ivari)
2300	Begin Sleep Period

This is essentially a "to do" list for Alex Gonzalez, a list of things Alex must do on this particular stardate. The duty roster is regimented to manage his time effectively and ensure that he gets to everything on his list. The language is a bit formal because each officer's daily schedule is part of his daily report and the ship's log. It is a combination of elements both personal and professional, set by Alex and his superior officer.

For example, Lieutenant Commander Gonzalez's day begins at 7:00 a.m., with breakfast scheduled for 7:30. Although his schedule lists 7:00 a.m. as his time to wake up, this is something Alex chooses for himself (it's not as though the first officer cares what time Alex wakes up); this is the time he chooses to awaken, and when he likes breakfast. While his schedule says "0730 Breakfast", it's not a rule. He doesn't sit alone in his quarters with a knife and fork waiting for a bell to ring so he can start eating. He can eat and get ready in any order; the entry simply denotes how he spent his time during that hour. Similarly, although his schedule lists 2300 hours as his bed time, this is simply the time Alex generally goes to bed. He also chooses to review sensor performance logs in his off-duty time and schedules dinner for himself with Lieutenant Commander Ivari.

His professional day is less about his personal choices and more about the responsibilities of his job. After breakfast, Alex reports for his duty shift at 0800 hours. This is the time when he begins his work day, established by the crew's duty roster. The duty roster is usually developed by Alex's supervisor, the First Officer, who logs the report. Work on a starship is broken down into three shifts, each eight hours long, referred to as Alpha, Beta, and Gamma watches. During extended periods of critical performance, the shifts are usually shortened to four six-hour shifts to relieve stress on the crew.

Alex begins his duty shift by spending an hour reviewing the ship's status and answering questions or handling problems. Afterward (0900 hours) he holds a staff meeting in which he debriefs everyone in his department on the ship's status and their duties. This is typically brief, since everyone usually knows what their jobs for the day are, but if someone's going to be assigned a new task, he learns about it at this meeting. This is also the place where any unforeseen difficulties can be discussed and clarifications can be made. At 0930 hours Alex supervises an inspection of the Resolute's ablative armor, something mandated by Starfleet regulations. Afterward, at 1 000 hours, he meets with the other senior staff members, where they discuss issues that might impact the other departments. Alex, for instance, informs everyone that his crew plans on performing the monthly warp drive maintenance, which means running on impulse power for a few hours.

After the meeting, Alex talks with one of the many teams on his staff, the Tactical Defense Division. These junior officers are responsible for the maintenance and repair of the Resolute's shipboard weapons systems. Alex has made a note to talk to them about the performance of the phasers and projected modifications to enhance their effectiveness. Afterward, he'll have lunch with the Resolute's captain, Matthew MacKenzie (scheduled by Captain MacKenzie).

And so on through the day until the end of Alex's duty roster and a return to his personal schedule.

Standard Operations

What keeps the starships flyin? Not dilithium, or warp nacelles, or even miracle-working engineers. What keeps starships flying is order and organization. Starships embody science and rationality; Starfleet standard operating procedure aims to do the same.

Operational Practice

Once a ship leaves spacedock, its crew should be prepared for anything the galaxy can throw at it, from rogue Klingon madmen to enormous Iconian berserkers. Starfleet ships maintain a regular schedule of operational practices to ensure readiness; the Crew will have responsibilities to this schedule both during their eight hour on-duty watch and outside it. Ion storms don't take the evening off, after all.

Under Weigh

A starship between ports of call planets, starbases, etc. is "under weigh", a term dating back to the old water navies of Earth. A starship under weigh usually travels at its cruising speed or slower on condition green, the lowest alert status. However, even while not on alert, a competent Starfleet crew is always ready for a sudden contact, whether with a dangerous intruder or a new scientific wonder to catalog and explore. General Order Thirteen mandates that Starfleet personnel are obligated to investigate any unusual phenomenon where possible.

While "under weigh," ships primarily run on long-range navigational sensors and a full array of passive sensor systems. (Passive sensors like gravimeters only receive; active sensors lie radar both transmit and receive.) Depending on the mission, the captain may order a full sensor sweep (including active sensors) every eight hours. On survey and scientific missions, the sensors are usually continuously active on all wavelengths. This makes the ship much easier to detect, but also adjusts the chance of detecting another ship at long range. If another ship is detected, the tactical officer or science officer identifies it if possible. If the ship is unknown, or is from a known culture but has an unknown intent, standard Starfleet ship contact protocols come into play.

In Orbit

While in orbit around a planet, the starship should monitor planetary communications where possible, maintain sensor scans for energy discharges or hostile life forms, and scan the system for other ships, especially incoming ships under warp. If the ship is orbiting a Federation, allied, or neutral world, the commanding officer should respect the planetary orbital control system (except in cases of emergency). If the ship is orbiting a world without warp travel, the Prime Directive may restrict all ship emissions to those not detectable at that world's Tech Level; ships orbiting a Tech Level 5 or 6 world may have to secure for silent running.

On the Planet

While planetside, Starfleet officers remain bound by Starfleet directives and guidelines. Starfleet officers on other planets should assume that they are under that planet's legal jurisdiction. In some cases, Starfleet Command has acquiesced to an officer's execution by local authorities if convinced of local capital crimes—however Starfleet expects officers on the scene to do everything they can within the local law to preserve fellow officers' lives and freedom. Starfleet officers on planets without warp travel must remain cognizant of the Prime Directive, and Starfleet officers in general should follow the Away Team Guidelines.

Alert Status

CONDITION GREEN
The standard peacetime status of all Starfleet vessels. Crew members perform their regular routine duties; while off-duty they may engage in personal hobbies, continue research on their own time, fraternize, utilize the holodeck, enjoy the ship's library, or sleep. The mandatory bridge crew on a capital ship on condition green consists of a command officer, a flight control officer (or helmsman), a sensor operator (usually a science officer or operations manager), and (if the Federation is in a state of emergency) a weapons or tactical officer (who can also serve as navigator or operations manager on some ships). Some captains maintain a full bridge crew even on condition green.

Even on condition green, navigational deflectors are up, forty percent of the ship's weapons are on standby status able to power up in two minutes, and one shuttle remains ready for launch in five minutes. While on condition green, the operations manager or first officer runs a level 4 diagnostic check of primary ship systems every eight hours.

YELLOW ALERT
The senior bridge officer (or the captain or first officer at any time) can place the ship on yellow alert. A yellow alert signals the possibility of combat, hazardous flight conditions, or ship system malfunction. On yellow alert, sleeping personnel wake, dress, and equip themselves. Off-duty personnel stand in quarters for assignment to their departments. Senior bridge crew report for duty. On some ships, or during wartime, unarmed on-duty security personnel arm themselves. All crew members keep a special eye out for anything out of the ordinary, reporting any strange readings, damage, or occurrences. Ship's weapons arm, and the operations manager clears the decks of low-priority systems use such as holodecks, scientific experiments or surveys, and so forth. The operations manager or first officer runs a level 4 diagnostic check of the entire ship immediately.

RED ALERT
Only the captain or the senior officer can order red alert. In theory, ships should go to yellow alert first, which should bring the captain to the bridge to decide on red alert status. In practice, crises don't always wait for turbolifts. On red alert,, all personnel head to battle stations. Security personnel fan out to transporter rooms and other strategic locations throughout the ship. Medical personnel report to sickbay and other duty stations. Engineers check and wait near critical systems. All shuttle crews report to shuttlebays, and all shuttles warm up. Weapons arm and load; shields come up. Active sensors begin sweeps at all ranges. The computer automatically runs a level 4 diagnostic check continuously.

INTRUDER ALERT
This operational mode is similar to yellow alert but focuses on an internal breach of security. During an intruder alert, all nonessential personnel are confined to their quarters or duty stations for the duration of the emergency. Movement through the ship requires the authorization of an immediate superior officer and all turbolifts key to authorization codes only. Armed security teams patrol each deck, with teams stationed at sensitive areas of the ship (e.g., transporter rooms, shuttlebays, torpedo bays, main engineering, computer core, armory, and the bridges). The securtity officer mounts a full internal scan of the ship, ready to seal bulkheads, flood the decks with anaesthezine, or any other response required.

MEDICAL ALERT
In the event of an outbreak, this operational mode confines all personnel to their current locations, while environmental controls isolate life support systems for each deck. This ensures the contagion does not spread throughout the starship or facility. Priority power is routed to sickbay, and the chief medical officer runs a full internal scan of the ship to locate and deal with any contagion.

ABANDON SHIP
If the commanding officer considers a vessel lost, he may give the order to abandon ship. All shuttle crews ready their craft and prepare for immediate departure. If a habitable planet is in range, ship's power transfers to all working transports. All personnel report to a designated mustering station in the event of the abandon ship order being given, with the key supplies on their evacuation roster. Lifeboats are enabled, and launched either by the bridge of by their occupants. A microwarp buoy is launched, containing a subspace transmitter and a copy of the ship's logs. The operations manage or first officer oversees the evacuation of the ship while the rest of the bridge crew works to contain the emergency that caused this drastic measure.

Starfleet Ship Contact Protocols

If the contact remains unidentified:

• Shields remain at standby mode.
• Sensors use is restricted to passive sensors. If the contact is from a completely unknown culture, even navigational sensors go on standby.
• Immediately attempt communication by opening hailing frequencies; activate adaptive communications to detect the unknown ship's beacon or guidance frequency and begin universal translator search of EM background.
• Response should be measured and equivalent; if the contact actively scans your ship, you may return the scan using analogous technology where possible. If the contact raises shields, you may raise shields. If the contact powers weapons, you are encouraged (by Regulation 8A) to raise shields.
• As per General Order Ten, a Starfleet vessel never fires first, except when faced with a known enemy vessel during wartime.

If the contact fires on your starship:

• If the contact if from an unknown culture, the captain's first responsibility is to the safety of his ship and crew (per General Order Five) unless the contact poses an immediate threat to other Federation citizens (as per General Order Two).
• The safety of both his ship and the Federation will often depend on breaking the engagement and retreating to report the contact and the full on-site assessment to Starfleet Command. Where this is impossible, the captain must use his best judgement as governed by general Starfleet tactical doctrine.
• If the contact is from a known culture, the captain may use his best judgement in responding, governed by general tactical doctrine and wartime status, if any, of the Federation.

Starfleet Tactical Doctrine

• If the ship's shields are capable of handling the opponent's full primary weapon, the opponent should not be destroyed unless completely unavoidable.
• Only the commanding officer or first officer can order weapons fire; firing weapons without orders is a court-martial offense.
• Phasers should be used for pinpoint attacks to immobilize and disarm where possible.
• Photon torpedoes should be used when phasers are insufficient to end the engagement rapidly and with limited loss of life. All photon torpedoes should be inventoried and secured except when actually in firing mode.

Away Team Guidelines

These are among the guidelines established for away team conduct in te 2340s. Before that time, Starfleet officers remain guided by Starfleet directives. Even in the late 24th century, Starfleet directives can trump these guidelines in emergency or crisis situations. Landing party or away team officers must think on their feet; this, after all, is why such groups normally contain at least some (and sometimes all) of the ship's senior staff.

• Treat all encountered beings with respect and dignity.
• Maintain complete and accurate tricorder records of all actions and observations.
• Remain within eyesight or communicator contact at all times, and establish communication protocols with the ship and with the commanding officer or Mission Ops.
• Take only essential items of vital scientific or security interest; leave nothing behind if at all possible.
• Do everything in your power to avoid hostilities. Never fire first.
• If hostilities are unavoidable, end the combat as soon and with as little damage as possible. Avoid lethal damage.
• Establish containment and decontamination protocols based on biological surveys both from the ship and on the planet; do not transport potentially infectious agents to an unsecured area of the ship.

Mission Operations

Starfleet sends it ships on many and varied missions and duty tours to every corner of the known galaxy. For each mission type, there are certain reliable patterns of operation and standard practices that Starfleet officers should at least begin with. This can often rapidly narrow the field down to the real crisis at hand, which may not have anything to do with the ship's ostensible assignment!

Exploration Missions

Deep-Space Exploration

For these missions, continuous attention to every detail of the long-range sensors pays off. Deep space contains dangerous interstellar phenomena, bizarre radiation fields, and even entirely unknown spacegoing civilizations; it's worth knowing everything you possibly can before you meet any of them. Keep an eye out for departures from accepted scientific knowledge, for sensor ghosts paralleling your course, and for system malfunctions on your own ship.

Planetary Exploration

These missions can involve all levels of planetary sciences, but don't neglect the A&D officer! On a planet with intelligent life, knowing the ins and outs of their culture can help avoid gladiatorial combats or dangerous logic games with all-knowing supercomputers—and if it can't help you avoid them, it can help you win them. Sensor scans should be especially alert for Romulans or other threat races; statistically, a planet is seldom in only one set of spacelanes.

Defense Missions

Patrol

Like planetary exploration, patrolling dangerous or under-policed sectors tends to turn up threat ships, or Ferengi or Orion pirates who will report your existence to rival nations. Consider working with these third force ships and using them as your own eyes and ears. Even if they still betray you, you may get some useful intelligence out of their sensor logs.

Threat Alert

Be wary of being drawn into a compromising position. Enemies and rivals of the Federation often attempt to embarrass starship officers into aggression, high-handedness, or other violations of standard Federation practice. While patrolling the frontier of a known rival, always remember that you are diplomats first and naval officers second.

Tactical

Review the tactics of your likely opposition, and be ready for anything. Some captains use tactical deployments to practice drill and space combat skills at a measured pace; others prefer to move in at top speed to hopefully get a jump on the crisis before it boils over. Be ready to look for the force multiplier option, a place where a few key personnel can make all the difference by deactivating a planetary deflector shield, switching the locals to the Federation side, or getting detailed sensor scans to find the weakness of some unprecedented threat.

Convoy and Escort

Treat these missions like deep-space explorations; have sensors on full and be ready for anything. Keep your charges in line and in phaser range; one missing ship can wreck the whole mission. This is the time for phaser drill and tactical training.

Diplomatic Missions

First Contact

Here, again, the role of the A&A officer or first contact specialist is paramount. Every culture has something worthwhile to offer the Federation; identify that thing and encourage it where you can (assuming the Prime Directive will let you, that is). Keep in mind that not all cultures obey the Prime Directive, however; unscrupulous merchants or enemy soldiers can do much more damage than you can.

Intergalactic Affairs

When involved in intergalactic diplomacy, the key is to maintain sight of your own objectives. Do not get drawn into diplomatic horse-trading, or (worse yet) personal squabbles; you are constrained by regulations and Starfleet practice in a way that envoys aren't. However, when you are the envoys on the scene, get the best deal you can and advance Starfleet directives where possible.

Emergency Missions

Aid and Relief

There is almost always more to the crisis than meets the eye. Keep a sharp lookout for scavengers (such as mercenaries or merchants) preying on the misery around you, and for complications to the ongoing emergency. Sometimes the two are connected. Always remember that nobody's pride is worth the lives of innocent people—not yours, and not the so-called experts on the scene. Trust your opinion; that's why Starfleet sends you there.

Evacuation

These missions resemble diplomatic missions or convoy missions to the tenth power. Strict rules, personal neutrality, and focus on the key goal (saving lives) must be your lodestones during a logistical nightmare such as this.

Scientific Missions

Experimentation

Experiments always go wrong; it's the key to the scientific method. As with deep-space survey missions, keep an eye on the sensors, and run diagnostics on ship systems whenever possible. Pay attention during briefings, and try to get a familiar handle on the underlying scientific theories being tested. Work out which ship systems you could adapt to fix the first four things you can think of that might go wrong.

Investigation

As contrasted with official experimentation missions, the chances are that you won't hear about specific investigations unless they are assigned to your branch or they go wrong. Try to get to know the personality of the lead investigator; be ready to use that knowledge to replicate, abort, or assist her investigations. (This is also good advice for experimenters.) Use the ship's library computer liberally; at the worst, you'll help close off some dead ends.

Intelligence Missions

The Federation places primary responsibility for espionage, counterespionage, and other covert activities in the hands of Starfleet Intelligence. This remains a source of some discomfort for Starfleet as a whole; Starfleet's primary scientific goal has obvious intelligence applications, and the meshing of intelligence and defense responsibilities in the same agency can occasionally cause interdepartmental friction. Starfleet understandably prefers to emphasize its open actions for science and defense—but when the safety of the Federation requires some cloaking-device-and-dagger work, they do their duty as they have always done. Intelligence missions include:

Infiltration

An infiltration mission calls on Starfleet personnel to covertly (or under false pretenses) enter a dangerous or interdicted location, perform some action, and exfiltrate or escape, ideally unnoticed by the opposition. Captain Kirk's 2268 mission to cross into the Romulan Neutral Zone, steal a cloaking device, and return with it is a classic infiltration mission.

Performing an infiltration mission requires a solid plan—and inspired improvisation when it falls apart. Like diplomatic missions (with which they have some surprising commonalities), keeping mission goals in mind and not becoming distracted by personalities are the key to limiting complications in an infiltration mission. Often, infiltration missions are classic force multiplier situations where a single landing party does more good than a whole starship crew. Sine you don't always have access to your whole starship, this is a comforting thought.

Assessment

By contrast, an assessment mission is one in which Starfleet Intelligence suspects something is up but doesn't know where to go, or what to do when you get there. Assessment missions generally start with an anomaly—a vanished agent, a rumor of sabotage, a political shakeup—that requires expert analysis by Starfleet personnel can be inserted under the cover of another mission, such as a scientific or diplomatic mission.

Where infiltration missions resemble diplomatic missions, assessment missions resemble scientific missions. The key is data, and checking it for anomalous patterns. Always have two backup plans for getting out of whatever trouble you stir up; be ready to react on the fly. After all, Starfleet Intelligence wouldn't send you to check things out if the situation was normal.

Counterintelligence

A counterintelligence mission is one that thwarts an intelligence (or military) mission by a foreign power or internal radical group. Starfleet officers usually stumble into these missions while pursuing other goals, although often an assessment mission becomes a counterintelligence op halfway through.

Counterintelligence missions require initiative; if Starfleet Command knew about the situation, they would already have sent someone else to deal with it. In speed and complexity, they resemble emergency missions, but in solution they often times become tactical missions. With counterintelligence missions, decisive and correct use of force is often your only option; better to stop the plot early than wait too long and discover that you no longer can.

Starfleet Uniforms

Starfleet's first uniforms, created before the Federation for Earth's space exploration service, began with the practical tradition of the astronaut's jumpsuit. On early spacecraft, a jumpsuit and sealed helmet would serve to keep crewmen alive if air loss threatened the ship; this design conservatism carried over well past the era when single micropunctures could evacuate a ship's air supply.

With the founding of the Federation, Starfleet duty uniforms changed to a different tunic and trousers model, although technicians stayed in the comfortable jumpsuits. For a non-military organization, Starfleet uniforms have shown general continuity, although individual officers and ships have adapted various fatigues, undress uniforms, and other styles for maximum comfort and efficiency on given missions.

Uniforms in Transition

With the introduction of cheap, reliable replication technology, Starfleet uniforms went through a period of repeated re-design beginning in 2266. This uniform (which, unlike other Starfleet uniforms before or since, differentiated between male and female crewmen) was comfortable and efficient, and proved very popular with Starfleet personnel. In 2270, Starfleet regularized the Enterprise "arrowhead" insignia as standard throughout the fleet, and redesigned uniforms on the Enterprise and at Starfleet Command to indicate the new status of the ship. The pastel blue-and-gray tunics worn on the Enterprise during Captain Kirk's second five-year mission never caught on elsewhere in the fleet, so Starfleet Command redesigned the uniform again in 2275, returning to the 2266 model, changing the color scheme slightly, and adding a crimson jacket for all branches of Starfleet.

This uniform lasted through the end of the Klingon cold war and into the new era of cooperation and exploration in the early 24th century. Only after the fleet reorganization by Admiral Taneko in 2350 did the uniforms change again. (The "field operation" uniform, a fatigue uniform for ground-based personnel, remained the same.) Duty uniforms returned to the three branch colors, reversing engineering and security (now called operations) with command, and the general "jumpsuit" look from Starfleet's earliest days returned as well. Slight design variations again crept in between ships, issue years, fabrication plants, and among Starfleet's highly independent and individual officers.

Procedures

Three different disciplinary procedures apply to offenses by Starfleet personnel. The more serious the offense, the more forbidding and formal the disciplinary procedure.

Starships

The amazing personal technology of the 23rd and 24th centuries pales in comparison to the technological wonders found on starships. Able to traverse the galaxy at many times the speed of light, starships play a crucial role in most Star Trek series. Crews use them not only for traveling great distances but also for performing critical aspects of their assigned missions. For example, ship sensors can detect minute particles and energy fluctuations from lightyears away, enabling the crew to study stellar phenomena and planetary anomalies from a safe distance. In most series, the crew's starship stands out as the most important mission resource; it not only provides the means of transport to faroff galaxies, but also serves as the crew's base of operations and place of sanctuary while they're there.

Technology

Although every starship differs from the others in the fleet, they all share certain technologies and systems in common. Every ship has transporters, replicators, shields, and other useful types of technology. While a system on one ship may have greater power or versatility than the same system on another ship, both systems function similarly, use the same components, and depend on the same scientific principles.

Operations Systems

Starfleet refers to the main systems aboard starships as operations systems. Operations systems help the crewmembers perform basic functions such as piloting the ship, detecting other ships, commanding the crew, and going on away missions.

The Bridge

The bridge serves as the center of operations aboard every starship. From the bridge the captain commands the vessel and oversees every aspect of its operations. Assisting the captain, chief officers—called the bridge crew—help keep the vessel operating smoothly and efficiently.

Depending on the size and purpose of a starship, its bridge can range in size from a small cockpit to a large command center. Regardless of size, the bridge houses the instrumentation to control virtually all of the ship's functions. A typical bridge has the following instruments and controls.

Captain's Chair

The central feature of the bridge is the captain's chair, also known as the command station. When on duty, the captain (or other commanding officer) sits here, receiving reports from his staff and issuing appropriate orders. On some bridges, such as that of the Galaxy-class explorer, other important officers such as the First Officer, Second Officer, and ship's counselor occupy seats near the captain's chair, but the captain's chair stands out as the largest and most prominent. The arms of the captain's chair contain the command station—miniaturized control panels and displays that allow the captain to monitor and assume control of any system on the ship. The First Officer may also have access to the command station on some ships, or use an auxiliary station of his own.

Duty Stations

Complementing the command station, several duty stations are located at other points around the bridge. The bridge crew occupy these stations and control various operations of the ship. Each station has a control panel (see sidebar next page) specialized for its particular function. The number and nature of duty stations on a ship depends on the type of ship and its primary mission profile. The most common ones include flight control, communications, engineering, environmental control, operations management, science, and tactical.

COMMUNICATIONS: On 23rd-century ships, communications systems merit their own station. The Communications Officer uses this station to broadcast and receive transmissions, translate alien languages with the universal translator, transmit through interference, and so forth. In the 24th century, the Operations Manager or other officers perform this duty from their own stations.

ENGINEERING: The Chief Engineer usually oversees his department from the Engineering section of the ship, but sometimes the captain requires his presence on the bridge. In those situations, he uses the Engineering station on the bridge to monitor the performance of the propulsion systems, calibrate systems, evaluate the ship's status, and so forth.

ENVIRONMENTAL: Although life support and other environmental controls are highly automated, with multiple redundant backups to prevent failure and withstand sabotage, environmental systems occasionally require crew maintenance and manual control. A crewmember manning the environmental station can reroute energy to the life support systems, shut down life support in key areas of the ship, isolate contaminants within certain locations, and vent radiation or other toxins from the starship.

OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT: Usually referred to simply as "Ops." this station allows the Ops Officer to manage and allocate the ship's resources, particularly power. During crises, the Ops officer evaluates power requirements for different systems and functions and allocates power to them according to the captain's orders and the mission priorities. When necessary, the Ops station also allows the manager to schedule the use of other limited resources, such as laboratory and holodeck time, and to perform other minor duties such as communications.

SCIENCE: More common on 23rd-century ships than on later vessels, the Science station controls the sensors and access to the library computer. The science station also allows the Science Officer to gather and correlate data from the ship's laboratories. In combat or crisis situations, the Science station provides backup for Flight Control and Tactical.

TACTICAL: The largest duty station on many ships, Tactical controls the ship's defensive and offensive systems. With its controls the Tactical Officer (often also the Chief Security Officer) can detect, identify, and track other starships and external threats. The station also enables the Tactical Officer to raise, lower, and monitor the shields; and configure and fire weapons. The Tactical station uses a sophisticated computer and sensor suite known as the Threat Assessment/Tracking/Targeting System (TA/T/TS) to assist the Tactical Officer with these duties and if necessary can tie into other sensors and communications systems. The Tactical station also allows the Tactical and/or Chief Security Officer to monitor internal sensors, dispatch security teams to handle on-board threats, and regulate other aspects of the ship's internal security.

Other Bridge Features

Most bridges also include the following features:

VIEWSCREEN: While small ships, such as Danube-class runabouts, get by with a simple viewport over the cockpit, larger vessels usually mount a viewscreen. Any bridge officer can display data, transmissions, or an external view from any angle around the ship on the viewscreen. Under normal circumstances, the viewscreen shows a forward view so the crew can see where the ship is heading.

CAPTAIN'S READY ROOM: On many ships the captain can use a special office, called a "ready room," located next to the bridge. The ready room provides a secure environment for holding meetings, conducting research, receiving fleet orders, formulating strategies, or simply finding a moment to rest.

CONFERENCE ROOM: Many ships also have a conference or meeting room opposite the ready room. The captain meets with the crew and visiting dignitaries here to plan operations and discuss the ship's missions.

Computer Systems

Every starship maintains one or more computer cores, each able to handle the vessel's entire computational needs. A computer core contains hundreds or thousands of isolinear chips (or, in the 23rd century, duotronic circuits). One isolinear chip can store 2.15 kiloquads of data, enabling the ship's computer to contain trillions of pages of text and data. As crewmembers gather data via the sensors and other systems, the computer automatically adds more information to its records, increasing its database every nanosecond.

Powerful and sophisticated, a ship's computers can almost run the ship by themselves in noncrisis situations. But they are neither artificially intelligent nor infallible. The ship's computers can only do what the crew programs them to do and thus cannot exercise reliable judgment in complex situations involving ethical matters or priority evaluations.

A computer cannot anticipate the wants and desires of the crew or individual crewmembers. For example, the computer does not automatically alert the captain about unauthorized use of the transporter; if someone wants that information, he has to specifically request it from the computer (though he may request the computer to make periodic reports). Starfleet engineers do program computers to alert the crew to some situations, such as failure of life support or the approach of obviously dangerous external phenomena. But since crewmembers can always check the computer to gain the information they want, there's no need to inundate them with myriad reports about routine functions. That's the purpose of the computer—to monitor systems and log reports so the crewmembers can look at this information if it becomes important.

Crewmembers interface with the computer via the Library Computer Access and Retrieval System (LCARS). LCARS allows them to access the computer by speech—a simple spoken command prompts the appropriate response from the computer—or via control panels.

The computer transmits data between duty stations, control panels, and its cores via the optical data network (ODN). This network of multiply redundant, multiplexed optical monocrystal microfibers is one of the ship's most important systems. If attacks damage or destroy the ODN, the crew may have difficulty accessing the computer (and thus controlling the ship).

Control Panels

At every duty station, and in most corridors, quarters, and other rooms aboard a starship, there are control panels for crewmembers' use in accessing the computer and performing their duties. Consisting of multilayer flat-screen technology, a control panel uses sophisticated data management tools to provide information and controls to the user in a graphical format. Crewmembers use control panels by pressing the appropriate areas on the panel. A user can customize almost all control panels, arranging the graphical interface to suit his individual preferences. After programming a configuration into the computer, a crewmember can call it up at any time with a spoken command.

Flight Control Systems

The primary purpose of a starship is to carry its crew and passengers from one destination to the next. Flight control systems exist to make sure the ship gets to where it's going via the safest and quickest routes.

Flight Control Station

The Flight Control Officer uses the Flight Control station on the bridge (also referred to as the "conn") to pilot the ship and control the ship's sensors. In the 23rd century, Starfleet divided these functions between a helmsman's station and a navigator's station. Linked to the ship's sophisticated navigation computer and navigational sensors, the conn allows the Flight Control Officer to chart a course from one point to another, access the propulsion systems, engage in offensive or evasive maneuvers, and configure sensors and review the collected data. In routine situations, the navigational computer actually does most of the piloting, but there's no substitute for a human pilot when crises arise.

Navigational Deflector

Colliding with space debris when traveling at warp speeds can prove catastrophic to a starship and its crew. To avoid such mishaps, all warp-capable ships carry one or more navigational deflectors. A navigational deflector emits a series of shieldlike waves of energy which "push" small objects out of the ship's path. The deflector works in conjunction with the long-range sensors and is mounted directly in front of them so it doesn't interfere with their functions.

A ship's crew can also use the navigational deflector to project a wide variety of electromagnetic and subspace energies, such as verteron particles or tachyon streams. Using the navigational deflector in this manner has saved ships from destruction and provided tactical advantages on numerous occasions.

Inertial Damping Field

The inertial forces generated by accelerating to impulse or warp speeds would destroy everyone and everything aboard a ship were it not for the inertial damping fields (IDFs) generated aboard starships. The IDF generates a counterforce that keeps the occupants of the ship safe during hazardous maneuvering or sudden impacts. But some changes in speed, vector, or acceleration (such as those occurring in combat situations) occur too quickly for the IDF to neutralize completely.

Sensors

Starships come equipped with dozens of different types of sensors that function as its "eyes and ears." They detect thousands of substances and phenomena, ranging from subspace variations to asteroid fields and approaching starships. As such they are crucial to almost all mission profiles, particularly those focusing on scientific or military pursuits. But sensors cannot detect everything at once; that would require too much computing power. For example, sensors used by Starfleet do not routinely monitor some 15,000 known substances and phenomena, but the crew can reprogram the sensors to detect and monitor these whenever the necessity arises. Sensors come in three basic types: long-range, lateral, and navigational.

Long-range sensors work at a range of five lightyears (for high-resolution scans) or approximately 12-17 light-years (for medium- to low-resolution scans). They cover a 45° arc forward of the ship. Long-range sensors function at superluminal speed, propagating at warp 9.9997 (slightly slower than subspace radio). They can detect solid objects, gravimetric and energy phenomena, subspace emissions, thermal images, neutrino images, and variations or fluctuations within any occurrence.

Lateral sensors are located along the sides of a ship in multiple "pallets." They detect objects in all directions around a vessel, but only up to a range of approximately one light-year. As such, they are of little use when traveling at warp velocities. At impulse speeds, lateral sensors facilitate scientific research; during combat situations, they allow the ship to locate and track enemy vessels. The standard Starfleet lateral sensor pallet includes EM scanners, subspace imagers, thermal sensors, and several other detectors. If needed, a crewmember can replace a standard pallet with a more specialized version for a specific mission.

Navigational sensors link with the navigational computer and conn station to chart a starship's course through space. Optimized to detect navigational markers such as chronometric relays, navigation beacons, pulsars, quasars, and other objects programmed into the ship's computer, nav sensors make it easy for the Flight Control Officer to stay on course and monitor the ship's progress.

Probes

Sometimes sensors malfunction or prove otherwise incapable of fulfilling all of a ship's data requirements. In these situations, ships can deploy probes-automated sensor platforms-to study an area or phenomena. Ships often employ probes to perform standard surveys of planets and sectors, approach hazardous objects or energy fields, or simply extend the ship's sensory capacity.

Probes fly and maneuver independently of the ship, using microfusion reactor engines (for impulse speeds) or warp sustainer engines (to maintain a warp field if the ship deploys them moving at warp speed). A ship can control a probe remotely. Ships deploy probes using torpedo launchers, so most probes resemble standard torpedoes in size and shape (typically about 2 meters long, .75 meters wide).

Starfleet uses nine standard classes of probe, and other species employ similar types. These include short-range EM scanning probes, planetary probes able to orbit a body for up to three months, and warp-capable long-range probes.

Separation Systems

Some starships have the ability to separate a part of themselves from the main body of the ship. On Starfleet vessels, separation usually occurs between saucer and body. By disengaging a complex, redundant series of locks, the crew can separate the saucer from the engineering hull. The crew remaining in the hull uses an auxiliary or "battle" bridge to control that part of the ship. The saucer uses its own impulse engines to move; but lacking a warp propulsion system, it does not have the power to travel at warp speeds or operate many power-intensive systems, including shields.

Tractor Beams

Starships use tractor beams—superimposed subspace/graviton force beams—to manipulate objects outside of the ship (most commonly done to assist shuttlecraft landings). By creating and manipulating spatial stress around an object, a tractor beam can pull it closer, push it away, hold it in place, tow it along, or sometimes even tear it apart. The beam's effective range depends on the distance and mass of the target object. Although normally considered an operations system, a tractor beam has many combat applications, so the Tactical Officer usually controls it during battle.

Transporters

A ship's transporters allow the crew to "beam" persons or objects from place to place by converting their matter to energy, then rematerializing them at the destination point. A subspace carrier wave transmits the energy stream and ensures the proper reassembly. The wave also carries a transporter ID trace, a computer log of the entire process, in case anything goes wrong during the process.

Transporting something takes about five seconds using Federation technology or similar systems. A transporter cannot beam through deflector shields, cloaks, or high levels of matter or energy interference.

Transporters come in three types: personnel, emergency, and cargo. Personnel transporters demonstrate a range of 40,000 kilometers and function at a quantum resolution, allowing them to transport living beings safely. Emergency transporters have a range of 15,000 kilometers and can only transport personnel from a ship. Cargo transporters work at a molecular level and cannot transport living beings. They have an effective range of 40,000 kilometers. The ranges for 23rd-century transporters show greater limitations: 26,000, 13,000, and 26,000 kilometers, respectively.

Regardless of its type, a transporter contains five main subsystems in addition to the control station used to operate and monitor the system. When the transport begins, the molecular imaging scanners in the transport pad analyze the transportee and tie in with the ship's sensors to locate the destination or target. Next, the energizing and transition coils dematerialize the transportee and later reconstitute him at the destination point, using an annular confinement beam (ACB) to create the spatial matrix for dematerialization. Other fields keep the transportee's energy pattern locked inside the ACB.

The transporter holds the transportee's energy pattern in the pattern buffer, a magnetic holding tank, until beam-out begins (microseconds after the Doppler compensators adjust for relative motion between ship and destination). A Federation transporter can hold a pattern in the buffer for up to seven minutes before degradation (with resulting harm to the subject) occurs; some other species' buffers reveal a shorter safety margin. Degradation can range from transporter psychosis (a treatable condition causing hallucinations and delusions) to bodily harm to the subject.

While the pattern is in the buffer, the transporter biofilters scan it for all known bacteriological and viral agents and eliminate them from the pattern if detected. Because the biofilters cannot detect unknown agents, transporters cannot always prevent accidental contamination of the ship. Other filters prevent the ship from transporting dangerous objects, such as primed explosives, aboard. Once the filters complete their task, the emitter and receiver arrays on the ship's hull complete the process by transmitting (or receiving) the energy stream.

Most transports represent routine affairs posing minimal danger to the subject (especially when beaming between two transporter pads). But interference, sabotage, and any number of other situations can risk malfunctions and jeopardize transport. Transporter mishaps can result in failure to rematerialize the subject fully or properly, possibly killing the subject or destroying the cargo. Other errors include rematerializing at the wrong destination (possibly inside a solid object, also fatal to the subject), fusing transported individuals or components, and creating temporal and/or dimensional shifts.

Replicators

Closely related to transporters, replicators allow the crew to instantly create food, spare parts, and other useful objects such as clothing and tools. Their technology has revolutionized starship and colony life, allowing Starfleet to undertake longer and deeper missions without worrying about supply and logistical problems. Most ships carry industrial replicators (small and large) as well as food replicators, which are located throughout the ship.

Replicators dematerialize a sterilized, organic particulate suspension supplemented by recycled waste products and transform it into the desired food or object via established materialization patterns. Since they depend on preprogrammed patterns, they cannot vary what they create; every plate of potatoes a food replicator creates looks and tastes identical. Crewmembers can program new patterns if necessary.

Replicators suffer from four other significant limitations. Because of data capacity, they function only at the molecular level. This means they can't produce living things, and single-bit reproduction errors sometimes occur. Second, the replicator requires greater amounts of energy to replicate large and complex objects. Third, replicators possess safety interlocks preventing the creation of dangerous objects such as explosives (though in an emergency this feature can be overridden). Fourth, replicators cannot create certain objects, or cannot create them safely. The most prominent example of this occurrence involves latinum, which explains why many civilizations use it as a medium of exchange. Similarly, some medicines and complex compounds defy replication; the single-bit errors occurring at quantum levels render them inert or similarly useless.

Power and Propulsion Systems

Starships contain several systems designed to propel them through space at superluminal speed. These systems also generate the massive amounts of power needed to operate their drives and other shipboard systems. Most ships include both warp and impulse drives.

Warp Propulsion System

The main propulsion and power generation system for most starships is called the warp propulsion system, or warp drive. The warp drive works by combining matter and antimatter under controlled conditions, allowing the system to tap the annihilation reaction for energy. A warp drive includes three primary subsystems: the matter/antimatter reaction assembly, the power transfer conduits, and the warp nacelles.

The matter/antimatter reaction assembly, or warp core, typically arranged as a column (or, in the 23rd century, a horizontal structure), uses reactant injectors to inject matter (deuterium) in one end and antimatter (anti-deuterium) in the other end. Magnetic suspension keeps the antimatter and matter from contacting each other until the proper moment. Magnetic constriction segments align the matter and antimatter streams, forcing them into the matter/antimatter reaction chamber (M/ARC).

The M/ARC contains a crystal of dilithium, the only substance known to science which does not react with antimatter when exposed to a high-frequency electromagnetic field. In the 23rd century, dilithium crystals degraded with use, thus requiring periodic replacement. Scientists developed recrystalization techniques in 2286 and greatly extended the usable life of dilithium crystals.

Inside the crystal, matter and antimatter streams collide and annihilate each other. The crystal channels the resulting plasma, directing it into power transfer conduits (PTCs). The PTCs carry the plasma to the warp nacelles, where a plasma injector system feeds it into the warp field coils. The coils create nested subspace fields. By shifting the fields' frequencies, the nacelles generate propulsion at speeds faster than light. As of 2377, Starfleet vessels can achieve maximum speeds of Warp 9.982.

Because the warp propulsion system is so crucial to the functioning of a starship and so potentially dangerous, it includes numerous safety features. The engineering crew performs routine maintenance on it every day and can shut it down for major repairs or to replace the dilithium crystal. An extensive network of access tubes and conduits honeycombs the sections of the ship containing the warp propulsion system, allowing the crew to reach any problem area easily. In the event of a warp core breach, the engineers can eject the core and save the ship from deadly radiation.

Ships rarely engage in combat at warp speed. Not only is maneuvering at such high velocities dangerous, but only warp-propelled torpedoes function properly at translight speeds. Instead, ships usually drop to impulse speeds when engaging in combat.

Impulse Drive

Starships don't always need to travel at warp speeds. When conditions warrant—when passing through a solar system or engaging in combat, for example—they use impulse drives. Impulse drives employ large fusion reactors to propel the ship forward. Like the warp drive, impulse drives can also supply power to the rest of the ship, but in lesser amounts.

Ships calculate impulse speeds as a percentage of c (the speed of light). Most impulse drives allow speeds of .1 to .75 c, but the most advanced models can propel a ship at speeds up to .95 c. Starfleet refers to .25 c as "full impulse," since faster rates usually warrant traveling at warp speed instead. Only emergencies prompt captains to order higher impulse velocities.

Auxiliary and Emergency Power

Most ships maintain two backup power systems: auxiliary and emergency power. The crew uses these systems to counteract losses of power from the warp and impulse engines, or to improve the performance of shields and other systems during combat. Additionally, some systems, such as phasers and cloaking devices, rely on individual power supplies called batteries to provide enough power for short-term use in the event of shipwide power failure.

Electroplasma System

An extensive network of microwave power transmission guides, called the electroplasma system (EPS), connects to the warp and impulse drives. The EPS taps the engines for the power needed to run the rest of the ship; if it suffers damage or interference, some or all of the ship's systems may lose power.

Tactical Systems

Ship designers include tactical systems, such as shields and torpedoes, aboard most vessels, included those designated for civilian use. Though few vessels require as much armament as an explorer or battle cruiser, most ships need shields and at least one small beam weapon for self-defense or utilitarian purposes.

Beam Weapons

In most battles, starships rely primarily on beam weapons for offense. Beam weapons such as phasers and disruptors create powerful bolts of energy with great destructive potential. Although they have greater physical limitations than missiles (shorter range and the inability to be used at warp speed), beam weapons offer more tactical options and greater precision than torpedoes.

Phasers

Starfleet vessels mount phasers as their primary beam weapons. Although phasers lack the raw power of disrupters, they can fire in multiple modes and are far more versatile, making them perfect for an organization devoted to exploration and discovery rather than warfare. Phasers channel energy through emitters organized into arrays (or, in the 23rd century, into banks). These generate the energy beam and use an autophaser interlock linked to the targeting systems to ensure accurate firing. Phasers typically range in type from I to X, though recent breakthroughs have allowed Starfleet to install Type XI and XII phasers on its starships. In the 23rd century, the most powerful phaser is the Type VII, or the Type VIII as of 2284.

Disruptors

The Klingons, Romulans, and Cardassians, among others, prefer disruptors to phasers. Disruptors use microscopic quantities of antimatter to generate powerful bolts of plasma. They cause more damage than a similar model of phaser but lack the phaser's versatility and utility as a tool. Disruptors reveal distinct energy signatures, making it easy to distinguish them from phasers in most circumstances.

Missiles

Most capital ships also carry missile weapons, called torpedoes. Starfleet and similar agencies normally employ two different types of torpedoes. The photon torpedo, which is the most common, creates a controlled matter/antimatter explosion to inflict tremendous damage to the target. The quantum torpedo, which is relatively new and much rarer, releases energy from a zero-point vacuum domain to create an explosion roughly twice as powerful as that of a photon torpedo. Several other types of torpedoes, such as the devastating plasma torpedo fielded by the Romulans, also exist in the Star Trek universe.

All torpedoes have much longer ranges than beam weapons; and they cause more damage than most ship-based beams. On the other hand, crews cannot fire torpedoes with as much precision, and enemy ships can evade or counteract them more easily than energy beams.

Deflector Shields

Deflector shields provide a ship's primary defense. Every ship maintains four shields: forward, starboard, aft, and port. When a crew activates a ship's shields, the shield generators create fields of highly focused spatial distortion, which the external shield grid conforms to the hull. The field concentrates at points of impact to repel damaging force. But even when a shield functions properly, the impact of the blast may jolt the vessel and cause minor structural damage. When a shield deflects attacks of excessive force, it eventually collapses and leaves the ship vulnerable to further attack.

Besides strength, shields demonstrate five additional properties: appearance, geometry, harmonics, modulation frequency, and polarity. By altering, modulating, or reconfiguring these properties, the crew can create a wide range of effects, such as temporarily strengthening the shields, hiding the ship from primitive sensors, or breaking tractor beams.

Personnel Systems

Starships contain many different systems to ensure the comfort and safety of their crews. Keeping the crew active, healthy, and in good morale improves the ship's performance.

Quarters

Starfleet vessels contain large and relatively luxurious quarters for even the lowest-ranking crewmen (23rd-century ships maintain cruder, more utilitarian accommodations). Typical quarters include a living area, sleeping area, bathroom/shower facility, and a food replicator. Crewmembers can configure and decorate their quarters as they like.

Life Support

Life support systems perform the crucial task of maintaining a habitable environment aboard ship. Life support functions stabilize not only pressure and atmosphere, but also temperature, humidity, and gravity. Ships have multiple redundant life support systems, including emergency life support modules and shelters that allow time for evacuation when all other systems fail.

A ship carries large amounts of breathing gases needed for life support, replenishing them when it docks. Additionally, atmospheric processors throughout a vessel recycle waste gases (typically carbon dioxide) to supplement the supply of fresh oxygen. Parallel atmospheric processors operating on 96-hour duty cycles ensure the system never breaks down.

On most Starfleet ships, life support systems maintain an atmosphere similar to a Class M planet, with a nitrogen-oxygen mix of gases. The crew can isolate a small percentage of quarters to support other environments, such as Classes H, K, or L Outside of their quarters, nonoxygen breathers must use personal life support devices to keep from suffocating.

The life support systems also maintain gravity inside the ship via networks of graviton-emitting stators or emitter blocks. This system provides crewmembers with a definable "up" and "down", regardless of the position of the vessel relative to a planet or other large celestial body.

Medical Facilities (Sickbay)

Starfleet vessels equip and maintain one or more medical centers, often referred to as "sickbays." A typical sickbay includes a medical clinic for routine examinations and minor treatments, an intensive care unit, and one or more research laboratories. The doctors and nurses in sickbay can treat minor illnesses and injuries, including broken bones, in just a few minutes using advanced medical technologies and treatments. More serious injuries or ailments may require surgery, drug or nanite therapy, or other sophisticated procedures.

A sickbay's ICU contains two or more biobeds, beds equipped with sophisticated sensors allowing medical personnel to obtain up-to-the-second data on a patient's condition. Larger ICUs may also contain one or more units doctors can seal off with force fields to create sterile environments.

If a crewmember requires surgery, doctors can attach a surgical support frame (SSF) to his biobed. An SSF contains advanced medical and biological sensors, a bioregenerative field generator, and equipment able to assist the doctor with surgery. The SSF can perform many routine procedures, such as administering drugs or anesthetics without supervision. It can also erect a force field around the biobed to create a sterile surgical environment.

Recreation

There's more to life than work, even aboard a starship. Rest and recreation are essential for the crew to improve their efficiency and maintain high morale. But the crew of a starship can't go on shore leave every weekend, so starships provide many forms of recreation aboard ship, including lounges, rec halls, gymnasiums, and other facilities.

Holodecks

The most advanced recreation facility aboard Starfleet vessels is the holodeck. These special chambers are equipped with holoemitters, special sensors, miniaturized tractor beams, and replicators to simulate almost any environment, setting, or situation. Complicated scenarios require detailed holoprogramming, but crewmembers can recreate basic situations by issuing verbal commands.

With its tractor beams and replicators, a holodeck creates objects and people ("puppets") indistinguishable from the real thing. But because they are made of "holodeck matter," these simulacra disintegrate if removed from the confines of the holodeck. Creating a holographic representation of a specific person without permission constitutes both a crime and a breach of ethics in most societies.

Users interact with a holodeck simulation at all levels—they see it, hear it, touch it. They can get in fights with holodeck characters and end up bruised and battered, fall into a holographic sea and get wet, or encounter holographic people so realistic they might develop a passion for them. Though generally safe and reliable, holodecks occasionally malfunction. On at least one occasion, a malfunction is known to have created a sentient hologram, giving rise to various moral, ethical, and technical quandaries.

Crewmembers use holodecks not only for recreation but also for training, exercise, and many other purposes. Thanks to the holodeck, a crewmember can spend his shipboard free time learning to drive Altairan dune-skimmers, recreating great battles of history, or practicing Mok'bara against holographic opponents. Safety overrides prevent a holodeck user from suffering any real harm, but if the safety protocols are deactivated or damaged, a hologram can injure or kill.

Most species having sufficient technological advancement employ holodeck technology. Romulan ships have holodecks similar to those of Starfleet, while Klingons prefer to use their 'decks mainly for combat training and tactical simulations. The Ferengi make a healthy profit by selling or leasing holonovels ranging from intellectually stimulating to salaciously titillating.

Equipment

Star Trek depicts a universe in which humanoid ingenuity and inventiveness have achieved virtual "technotopias." In the 23rd and 24th centuries, various technologies enable devices to convert matter and energy almost instantaneously, generate artificial gravity, disintegrate objects and opponents, and perform many other miraculous phenomena. Most people rarely go a single day without using a variety of technological items any primitive culture would consider to be of magical or divine origin.

Acquiring Equipment

While most of the technological advancements presented herein are commonly available in the Star Trek universe, not all equipment is immediately available to everyone. Characters belonging to Starfleet or similar organizations usually employ the equipment assigned to them by their commanding officers. Characters can request specific items, but commanders don't typically issue specific weapons, devices, or technologies that don't facilitate mission parameters.

The following table provides a few sample prices, but the cost of goods fluctuates wildly based on availability, need, and location, among other factors. In the 24th century, latinum is the standard monetary unit among those societies that practice a traditional economic system. While many planets retain their own currency, such as the Klingon darsek, prices are often expressed in terms of latinum. Inside the Federation, the credit is the standard unit of exchange. Latinum comes in slips, strips, and bars (in ascending order of value).

1 slip	1/100 strip or 1/2,000 bar or 1 credit
1 strip	100 slips or 1/20 bar or 5 credits
1 bar	2,000 slips or 20 strips or 100 credits

ITEM	PRICE (LATINUM STRIPS)
Food, Drink, and Entertainment
Holonovel (depending on complexity and legality)	20-500
Holosuite rental, per hour	5-150
Liquor, per drink	0.2-10
Liquor, bottle	3-50
Meal, replicated	0.2-15
Jewelry, costume (includes all replicated jewelry)	1-20
Jewelry, nonreplicated	50-5,000+
Suit of clothes, replicated	10-30
Suit of clothes, hand-made	30-500
Climbing gear	15-45
Personal Gear
Communicator	100-500
Dylec Memory Tent	90
Emergency beacon	50
EVA Suit	250-400
Holographic recorder	250-500
PADD	1-20
Pattern enhancer (set of 3)	1,000
Powered binoculars	100-300
Transport inhibitor	1,000
Tricorder	180-600
Medical Kit
Autosuture	150
Dermal regenerator	50
Drug ampule	5-150
Hypospray	25
Neural stimulator	250
Engineering Kit
Gravitic calipers	100
Hyperspanner	75
Magnetic probe	80
Plasma torch	125
Specialty Equipment
Anti-sensor belt	300-600
Disguise kit	100
Field modulator	800 (black market only)*
Gill pack	80
Isolation suit	1,200
Night glasses	1,500
Replicator lock pick	2,5000 (black market only)*
Weapons
Disruptor	250-450
Disruptor rifle	600-1,200
Knife (or similar weapon)	7-15
Phaser (Type I)	500 (black market only)*
Phaser (Type II)	1,000 (black market only)*
Stunrod	15-45
Sword (or similar weapon)	20-100
Targeting modulator	100-300

• Excluding Starfleet, which makes this equipment available to officers on a per-mission basis.

Personal Equipment

This category describes common items and devices that can be worn or carried on one's person. With few exceptions, most organizations and governments grant unrestricted access to personal equipment and related technologies.

Communicators

SPECIFICATIONS: 5 x 4 x 0.5 cm, mass 0.01 kg

DESCRIPTION: On 24th-century starships and space stations, personnel initiate and maintain voice contact with each other via communicators (or combadges), small devices worn as part of the uniform. The user activates a com badge by tapping it or through voice activation; sophisticated computer subroutines recognize voices and spoken textual cues (such as "out," signaling the end of a transmission). The ship or station computer system analyzes the transmission and routes it to the intended recipient. All communicators have built-in translation algorithms (UT libraries) for all common languages known by the society manufacturing them.

DURATION/ENERGY: 1,000 hours + induction recharging

RANGE: 40,000 km or 60,000 km when boosted by a ship transceiver.

Dylec Memory Tent

SPECIFICATION: 10 x 10 x 20 cm folded, 2.5 x 1.5 x 1 m unfolded; mass 0.8 kg

DESCRIPTION: Consisting of an active biomimetic polymer fabric fitted with a keypad and microprocessor, the dylec memory tent expands and collapses with the press of a button. Once expanded, the keypad serves as a thermostat and environmental control, although the microprocessor is environmentally aware and self-adjusting to create a comfortable environment for the inhabitants.

DURATION/ENERGY: 100 hours

Emergency Beacon

SPECIFICATIONS: 30 cm tall x 5 cm diameter cylinder; 2 kg

DESCRIPTION: Standard equipment in shuttlecraft and many survival kits, the emergency beacon emits an invisible pulse signal at an effective range of 1 light-year. The unit also transmits positioning telemetry and an intermittent distress signal in case other means of communication have been lost. When linked through the subspace transmission assembly found on most shuttlecraft, the range of the beacon extends to 5 light-years.

DURATION/ENERGY: 2 weeks at half-hour intervals, 1 week at 1 5-minute intervals, etc.

RANGE: 1 light-year, extendable to 5 light-years via shuttlecraft transmitter assemblies.

EVA Suit

SPECIFICATIONS: folded: approx. 12 liters; 19.6 kg without backpack and full consumables load, 30.1 kg with them.

DESCRIPTION: Characters use EVA (extravehicular activity) suits whenever they have to work in the vacuum of space or any hazardous environment. The suit protects the wearer against pressure from 0 to 5 atmospheres, allows him to remain comfortable in temperatures from -100° C to 120° C, and provides for 25 hours of respiration. It also includes magnetic boots to facilitate movement across a ship's outer hull. The wearer can control and monitor the suit's functions via controls mounted at the forearm.

DURATION/ENERGY: 25 hours of power and consumables.

Holographic Recorder

SPECIFICATIONS: 9.75 x 4.5 x 3 cm; .2 kg

DESCRIPTION: Similar to a 21st-century digital camcorder, the holographic recorder demonstrates exceptional image resolution and 3D capability. The recorder can capture both still and moving images at up to 1,000X magnification. It can also capture 3D stereoscopic sound.

DURATION/ENERGY: Power cell supports up to 24 hours of nonstop recording time.

PADD (Personal Access Display Device)

SPECIFICATIONS: 10.16 x 15.24 x .95 cm, 0.2 kg

DESCRIPTION: Perhaps the most common piece of technology found in the Federation and comparable societies, the PADD resembles a flat metal casing housing a viewscreen and multifunction touch-pad controls. It contains a powerful microcomputer holding data equivalent to billions of pages of text and images on two isolinear chips (or similar storage systems). PADDs also feature subspace transceivers equivalent to standard communicators.

Both civilians and Starfleet personnel use PADDs regularly. Civilians use theirs to track appointments and contacts, communicate with friends, write notes, play games, and carry the contents of entire libraries around in their hands. Starship personnel can do all of these things, but also send and receive reports via PADD. Furthermore, they can configure PADDs to remotely control the functions of any control panel or workstation aboard the ship. When within communicator range, personnel can use PADDs to transmit security override codes and wrest control of any ship function. Theoretically a single person could run an entire starship using a PADD, though this would be practical only for routine (noncombat, noncrisis) operations.

DURATION/ENERGY: 100 hours (Starfleet or Romulan), 37.5 hours (Cardassian), 50 hours (Ferengi), 47.5 hours (Klingon), + induction recharging for each

Pattern Enhancer

SPECIFICATIONS: 1.5m tall x 8 cm diameter cylinder, plus a tripod base; 6 kg

DESCRIPTION: Pattern enhancers created in the 24th century boost and stabilize transporter beams, making it easier to transport through phenomena such as raw kelbonite, large volumes of solid rock, particle-scattering fields, ion storms, and subspace ruptures that interfere with or inhibit routine operation. When used properly, pattern enhancers define a temporary transport area similar to a transporter pad. To be effective, pattern enhancers must be used groups of three, placed in a triangle no longer than 4 meters per side. The devices may be placed by hand, by transporter, or by short-range probe. Anyone transporting into or out of the defined area gets the benefit of the pattern enhancement.

DURATION/ENERGY: 1,000 hours + induction recharging

Powered Binoculars

SPECIFICATIONS: 15 x 10 x 2 cm, 0.2 kg

DESCRIPTION: Powered binoculars enhance the user's range of vision, providing up to 1 000X magnification (the user sees at 50 meters what he could see with the naked eye at 1 meter). They also perform precise range-finding calculations to a distance of 50 kilometers and permit EM radiation scanning (including infrared and ultraviolet). Additionally, powered binoculars can perform short and long-range biological and energy scanning, just as a tricorder (see below), translating gathered information into false-color images or text readouts projected onto the bottom of the viewfinder display.

DURATION/ENERGY: 1,000 hours + induction recharging

Transport Inhibitor

SPECIFICATIONS: 1.5 m tall x 8 cm diameter cylinder, plus a tripod base; 6 kg

DESCRIPTION: Created in the 24th century, a transport inhibitor generates a globular field of tetryonic energy in a 10-meter radius around itself. This field interferes with or completely disrupts a transporter's annular confinement beam, making it difficult to transport into, out of, or through the energized area. Characters can set up multiple inhibitors to effectively shield a large area.

DURATION/ENERGY: 1,000 hours + induction recharging.

Tricorder

SPECIFICATIONS: Starfleet model: 15.81 x 7.62 x 2.84 cm, 0.3 kg

DESCRIPTION: Tricorders are all-purpose handheld sensory devices employed by members of Starfleet and similar organizations, including civilian scientific, and exploratory teams, prospectors, and security officers. They contain powerful sensors for detecting and analyzing electromagnetic, subspace, chemical, biological, meteorological, and geological phenomena and substances. They house extensive computer databanks containing detailed information pertaining to thousands of subjects. Tricorders also contain on-board subspace communicators (with ranges equal to personal communicators), allowing them to transmit and receive data with other tricorders or to link with a ship's computer.

A character can use a tricorder to scan an environment for harmful gases or toxins, analyze a soil sample, identify an uknown life-form, predict the weather, and trace unusual energy fluctuations. A simple scan or analysis requires only a round or two; more detailed analysis can take up to an hour, though the tricorder can perform other simple functions during that time.

Because tricorders are so versatile, organizations develop specialized models with permanent "optimization" bonuses. An optimized model often includes a peripheral module attached to the top of the tricorder. The user can detach it and use it as a remote probe (with a range of 1-2 meters) to perform more detailed scans of objects.

DURATION/ENERGY: On average a tricorder provides 1,000 hours of intermittent usage or 36 hours of continuous use.

RANGE: 5/25/ 500/2000/+0. As with other sensors, interference (electromagnetic, physical, or other) can inhibit a tricorder's range or function.

Specialty Equipment

Access to the following items is usually restricted to certain professions, such as doctors, engineers, security forces, or espionage agents. On critical missions or under unusual circumstances, these devices may be issued to multiple members of an away team. Specialty equipment falls into one of three general categories—medical equipment, engineering tools, and security and surveillance devices.

Medical Equipment

Most 24th-century medical equipment works equally well on a wide variety of species. At the Narrator's option, however, medical devices created by some isolated or ethnocentric species (such as the Cardassians) may not perform as well on other species.

Medical Kit

SPECIFICATIONS: 21 x 20 x 5 cm case, 1 kg

DESCRIPTION: A standard "medkit" contains all the portable equipment doctors need to treat injuries and ailments in the field. Typical medkits include a medical tricorder, an autosuture, a blood infuser, a defibrillator, a dermal regenerator, two or more hyposprays, a neural stimulator, and a PADD.

Most starships, space stations, and other facilities store medkits in strategic locations.

DURATION/ENERGY: See individual device descriptions.

Autosuture

SPECIFICATIONS: 15 x 4 x 2 cm, 0.2 kg

DESCRIPTION: Autosutures exploit molecular bonding technology to heal a variety of physical injuries, including broken bones, cuts, lacerations, ruptured vessels, and damaged organs.

DURATION/ENERGY: 50 hours + induction recharging

Dermal Regenerator

SPECIFICATIONS: 20 x 5 x 2 cm, 0.2 kg

DESCRIPTION: Dermal regenerators heal minor cuts, scrapes, and bruises in a matter of minutes. Anyone can apply and activate a dermal regenerator; no skill test is required.

DURATION/ENERGY: 1,000 charges + induction recharging

Hypospray

SPECIFICATIONS: 15 x 3 x 3 cm, 0.1 kg

DESCRIPTION: Doctors use hyposprays to inject drugs, medical nanoprobes, and serums into patients. The device generates a stream of compressed air that forces the medication painlessly through the patient's clothing and skin. A hypospray holds five 10-dose ampules, from which the user selects the drug and dosage with a touch pad.

DURATION/ENERGY: 50 injections

Neural Stimulator

SPECIFICATIONS: 10 x 6 x 0.2 cm, 0.02 kg

DESCRIPTION: This device can adjust patient's neural functions to relieve or seizures, awaken an unconscious person, and counter the stun effects of phasers and similar weapons.

DURATION/ENERGY: 300 charges + induction recharging

Engineering Equipment

Engineering Kit

SPECIFICATIONS: 21 x 20 x 5 cm case, 1 kg

DESCRIPTION: A typical engineering kit includes an engineering tricorder, a pair of gravitic calipers, a hyperspanner, a magnetic probe, a PADD, two or more plasma torches, and common replacement parts (isolinear chips or rods, power cells, etc.).

RULES: See individual device descriptions.

DURATION/ENERGY: See individual device descriptions.

Gravitic Calipers

SPECIFICATIONS: 1 m long, 1.1 kg

DESCRIPTION: Engineers cannot always deactivate a system or take it off-line before making repairs. Gravitic calipers enable the engineer to reroute the plasma flow by generating a small graviton field, and then service the isolated component without disrupting power to the entire system.

DURATION/ENERGY: 150 hours + induction recharging

Hyperspanner

SPECIFICATIONS: 25 x 4 x 4 cm, 0.25 kg

DESCRIPTION: A hyperspanner analyzes and modulates plasma flows within electroplasma systems (EPS), enabling engineers to gather information about impulse drives and make quick adjustments and repairs.

DURATION/ENERGY: 100 hours

Magnetic Probe

SPECIFICATIONS: 25 x 3 x 3 cm, 0.3kg

DESCRIPTION: A magnetic probe can regulate warp core antimatter flows and expedite repairs. When diagnosing and repairing warp drives, magnetic probes work well in conjunction with hyperspanners (see Hyperspanner).

DURATION/ENERGY: 100 hours

Plasma Torch

SPECIFICATIONS: 10 x 15 x 5 cm, 0.3 kg

DESCRIPTION: Resembling a laser scalpel, the plasma torch is an all-purpose cutting and welding device used by engineers and technicians. It emits an oscillating positron beam, compressed and shaped by nickel-rhombium ceramic magnets. In a pinch, the device may be used as a weapon (similar to a phaser), but is limited by the relatively short range of the beam (.5 m).

DURATION/ENERGY: 5 hours

RANGE: 0/0/.5/0/+0 m

Security and Surveillance Equipment

Security and surveillance equipment is popular among spies and rogues as well as law enforcement officers and security guards. The acquisition and possession of some equipment depends on local laws and the owner's intent. A civilian in possession of an antisensor belt and replicator lock pick, for example, is often a cause for suspicion and possible questioning by authorities. Starfleet officers, however, often use security equipment in the pursuit of their duties, such as wearing isolation suits while covertly observing a primitive culture.

Anti-sensor Belt

SPECIFICATIONS: 2-3 cm wide, variable length; .2 kg

DESCRIPTION: Anti-sensor belts outwardly resemble an ordinary part of any standard uniform. If the belt were cut open, an investigator would discover circuitry, a microprocessor, and a small power supply, revealing the belt's true purposes. The purpose of the belt cannot be determined by physical examination alone and requires a thorough forensic investigation. An anti-sensor belt makes the wearer invisible to sensor scans of all varieties, enabling him to move about secure areas virtually undetected. It also prevents transporter lock and tricorder scans (including medical scans). The device may be activated or deactivated by depression of a concealed button on the clasp.

ENERGY/DURATION: 100 hours

Disguise Kit

SPECIFICATIONS: 50 x 30 x 7.5 cm case, 6 kg

DESCRIPTION: The disguise kit contains all of the components an entertainer, spy, or criminal needs to impersonate members of select species or organizations. The case contains a medical tricorder (for scanning a subject and gaining specific anatomical data), a biopattern duplicator (for simulating fingerprints), a voice-print implant (for mimicking speech), and multiple isolinear chips (for programming a replicator to produce cosmetic bioforms and fake uniforms, insignia, and so on).

Field Modulator

SPECIFICATIONS: 30 cm tall x 2 cm diameter cylinder, 1 kg

DESCRIPTION: Field modulators work in pairs to disable portions of a static force field barrier. The units must be positioned next to the force field at a distance no greater than 2 meters apart, where they work in conjunction to create a destructive interference pattern capable of negating the field between them. Via the control pad located on the master unit, the user can also set the device to activate or deactivate at chosen times or intervals (for example, activate for 5 minutes at a certain time each hour), thereby conserving energy and potentially preventing the device from being detected.

DURATION/ENERGY: 3 hours continual use

Gill Pack

SPECIFICATIONS: 15 x 20 x 8 cm face mask, 0.8 kg

DESCRIPTION: Resembling a full-face scuba mask, the gill pack enables the wearer to breathe underwater at pressure up to 3 atmospheres. The device splits oxygen atoms from water molecules, and therefore doesn't require the user to carry a portable air supply (like a scuba tank). The gill pack falters in high pressure and cannot be used effectively more than 1 00 feet (in Earthlike gravity) below the surface. It also does not work in liquids other than water.

DURATION/ENERGY: Indefinite

Isolation Suit

SPECIFICATIONS: humanoid dimensions, 12 kg

DESCRIPTION: Consisting of a one-piece jumpsuit, helm or hood, gloves, and boots, the isolation suit contains thousands of omnidirectional holodiodes dotting its high-density tripolymer-diselenide shell. Controlled by a computer built into the belt, the isolation suit reflects electromagnetic radiation and sensor emissions, thereby rendering its user invisible to the naked eye as well as to tricorders and ship sensors.

DURATION/ENERGY: Indefinite within range of transmitter: The isolation suit is powered by a broadcast power support system maintained at a base camp (range 1,000 m) or orbital satellite station (range 25,000 m).

Night Glasses

SPECIFICATIONS: 13 x 5 cm folded, 0.1 kg

DESCRIPTION: Night glasses amplify ambient light a hundredfold or more, enabling the wearer to see clearly in near-total darkness. Some versions are also fitted with infrared sensors, allowing the wearer to switch modes and read the heat signatures of his environment, effectively enabling him to see in total darkness.

DURATION/ENERGY: 1,000 hours

RANGE: Normal vision (tests not range-dependent)

Replicator Lock Pick

SPECIFICATIONS: 10 x 6 cm, 0.1 kg

DESCRIPTION: This small, flat device employs replicator technology to produce keys and key cards for any locking mechanism requiring a physical key. Within 5 seconds of pressing the back of the device against the lock, the replicators materialize a fully functional key. Unfortunately for spies, this device provides no mechanism for foiling the bio-imprint and voice-activated locks employed by Starfleet and most other advanced organizations.

DURATION/ENERGY: 15 replications

Weapons

Weapons fall into one of two main categories: ranged weapons (including energy weapons, projectile weapons, and archaic weapons) and melee weapons.

Energy Weapons

Among advanced societies such as the Federation and Klingon Empire, energy weapons are more prevalent than more primitive weapons. They are more versatile and dependable than weapons relying on chemical reactions (such as slug-throwers).

Phasers

SPECIFICATIONS: Varies (see below)

DESCRIPTION: The phaser (short for PHASed Energy Rectification) is the standard weapon issued by Starfleet to its personnel. Phasers employ a rapid nadion effect and superconducting crystals to emit powerful beams of energy. Depending upon the amount and intensity of energy released, a phaser can inflict damaging effects ranging from mildly stunning a target to destroying large volumes of matter via subatomic disruption. Because phasers can function as versatile tools (clearing vegetation, heating rocks to radiate heat, cutting through a bulkhead), Starfleet prefers them to disruptors, which are primarily useful only as weapons.

In the late 24th century, Starfleet uses five basic models of phaser, ranging from the small, handheld Type I phaser to the large Type III and IV phaser rifles. Starfleet equips each of its phasers with a subspace transceiver so the ship or station computer can monitor usage and limit the weapons to setting 3 (Heavy Stun). The captain or other authorized officer can countermand this safety protocol by issuing a voice command monitored by the computer voice print security system. Phasers also have bioelectric field sensors that prevent anyone but designated user(s) from firing the weapon.

Characters can fire phasers in one of four modes: standard beam, pulse, continuous beam, and wide beam.

SETTINGS: Phasers possess a number of power settings to adjust the destructive potential of the weapon. Phaser settings range from level 1 through 16, with lower settings emitting weaker beams that consume fewer charges from the power cell. Not all phasers are equipped with all 16 settings; smaller Type I phasers, for example, possess 8 settings and cannot generate the power required to warrant additional settings.

DURATION/ENERGY: Phasers use sarium krellide power cells containing a number of charges depending on phaser type (see below). A phaser can be recharged by being inserted into a holding clamp that taps into the EPS of a starship. Phasers recharge at the rate of 10 charges per minute.

RANGE: Varies (see below)

Type I Phaser

SPECIFICATIONS: 12 cm long, 0.3 L in volume; 0.2 kg

DESCRIPTION: The Type I phaser is a small model that fits easily in a pocket or up a sleeve, and is usually issued to away teams.

SETTINGS: 1-8

DURATION/ENERGY: 160 charges

RANGE: 5/1 0/25/50/+10 meters

Type II Phaser

SPECIFICATIONS: 25 cm long, 0.8 L in volume; 0.6 kg

DESCRIPTION: The pistol-sized Type II phaser is too large to fit in a jacket pocket and is often holstered at the hip. Starfleet issues Type II phasers for missions where significant threats or dangers are anticipated.

SETTINGS: 1-16

DURATION/ENERGY: 1,000 charges

RANGE: 5/20/50/100/+20 meters

Type III Phaser Rifle

SPECIFICATIONS: 55 cm long, 1.6 L in volume; 1.1 kg

DESCRIPTION: Starfleet usually reserves the Type III phaser rifle for security officers and Starfleet Ground Forces personnel.

SETTINGS: 1-16

DURATION/ENERGY: 1,500 charges

RANGE: 5/40/80/1 60/+40 meters

23rd-Century Phasers

Although less technologically advanced, 23rd-century phasers remain potent weapons and tools. Their technological refinement keeps them from being quite as versatile (they possess fewer power settings), but their range of power is still quite effective.

Although 23rd-century phasers possess power settings similar to those of their 24th-century counterparts, their setting increments are cruder and reflect less versatility.

For example, a 23rd-century Phaser I has five power settings that discharge energy equal to 24th-century power levels 1, 2, 5, 6, and 8. Because the energy increments are fixed by the weapon, a 23rd-century Phaser I simply cannot generate a power setting 3 stun effect or power setting 7 light disrupt effect.

Phaser I

SPECIFICATIONS: 11 cm long, 0.26 L in volume;, 0.2 kg

SETTINGS: 1, 2, 5, 6, and 8

DURATION/ENERGY: 100 charges

RANGE: 5/10/20/30/+1 meters

Phaser II

SPECIFICATIONS: 22 cm long, 0.71 L in volume; 0.5 kg

SETTINGS: 1, 2, 5, 6, 8, and 10

DURATION/ENERGY: 250 charges

RANGE: 5/20/40/80/+2 meters

Phaser III

SPECIFICATIONS: 70 cm long, 2.5 L in volume; 1.6 kg

SETTINGS: 1, 2, 5, 6, 8, 10, and 11

DURATION/ENERGY: 1,000 charges

RANGE: 5/50/100/200/+50 meters

Phaser Damage

Phasers can stun, damage, or vaporize an opponent depending on the power setting used. Increasing the power setting inflicts more damage at the cost of increased power consumption. Settings 1—3 cause stun effects. Settings 4-7 inflict damage causing wounds and injury. Settings 8 and above prove lethal to a humanoid target.

Disruptors

SPECIFICATIONS: Varies (see below)

DESCRIPTION: Favored by Klingons, Romulans, and a few other races, disruptors are functionally similar to phasers, but are more powerful and less versatile. They convert miniscule amounts of antimatter into highly charged plasma bolts. Bolts created at lower settings stun the target through concussion and neural shock; more powerful bolts cause lethal damage via thermal energy conduction. A disruptor bolt creates an antiproton residue that lingers for several hours in the area where the weapon was fired.

Disruptors possess fewer settings than phasers and can fire only in standard, pulse, and continuous modes. They also store more energy than comparable phaser types. When the user exhausts the antimatter power cartridge, he must remove it and insert a new one; he cannot recharge the weapon by inserting it into to a recharging cradle.

DURATION/ENERGY: Varies (see below)

RANGE: Varies (see below)

Disruptor (Pistol and Rifle)

SPECIFICATIONS: 20-30 cm long, 0.7-1.1 L in volume; 0.6-1.2 kg

SETTINGS: 1, 2, 5, 7, 10, and 16

DURATION/ENERGY: 1,200 charges

RANGE: (Pistol) 5/20/50/100+20 meters, (Rifle) 5/40/80/1 60/+40 meters

POWER	SETTING	CHARGES	NOTES
1	Light Stun	1	Stun a Human for 5 minutes
2	Medium Stun	2	Stun a Human for 15 minutes or a Klingon for 5 minutes
3	Heavy Stun	3	Stun a Human for 1 hour or a Klingon for 15 minutes
4	Light Thermal	5	Cut a 1 m hole in 10 cm of wood in 3 minutes
5	Medium Thermal	8	Cut a 1 m hole in 10 cm of steel in 3 minutes
6	Heavy Thermal	12	Cut a 1 m hole in 10 cm of steel or rock in 30 seconds
7	Light Disrupt A	15	Kill a humanoid; cut a 1 m hole in a duranium bulkhead in 10 minutes
8	Light Disrupt B	20	Vaporize a humanoid
9	Light Disrupt C	30	Vaporize resilient alloys (beam may ricochet)
10	Medium Disrupt A	40	Vaporize any substance (energy rebound prior to vaporization common)
11	Medium Disrupt B	50	Explode 10 cubic meters of rock into rubble
12	Medium Disrupt C	60	Explode 50 cubic meters of rock into rubble
13	Heavy Disrupt A	70	Explode 100 cubic meters of rock into rubble
14	Heavy Disrupt B	80	Explode 160 cubic meters of rock into rubble
15	Heavy Disrupt C	90	Explode 400 cubic meters of rock into rubble
16	Heavy Disrupt D	100	Explode 600 cubic meters of rock into rubble

Targeting Module

SPECIFICATIONS: 12 x 8 x 4 cm; 0.04 kg

DESCRIPTION: Starfleet sometimes equips phaser rifles with targeting modules that use sensors and advanced gyroscopic stabilization to improve a shooter's aim. The module resembles a wedge-shaped scope that attaches to the top of the weapon.

DURATION/ENERGY: Each shot made using the targeting module costs +3 charges.

RANGE: Equal to that of weapon

22nd-cenrury Laser Weapons

SPECIFICATIONS: Varies by type (see 23rd-century disruptors)

DESCRIPTION: During the 22nd-century lasers were state of the art in weapon technology. Typical laser weapons of the day took the form of pistols, rifles, and heavy rifles, supported by internal power cells (except for the heavy laser rifle, which used an external power supply worn as a backpack). In appearance, these weapons resembled the early disruptors of the 23rd century.

DURATION/ENERGY: Pistol (50 charges), rifle (100 charges), heavy rifle (1 50 charges). Laser weapons consume 1 charge per shot.

RANGE: Varies by type

19th- through 21st-century Projectile Weapons

SPECIFICATIONS: Varies by type

DESCRIPTION: Prior to acquiring laser technology, most early civilizations employ chemically powered slug-thrower projectile weapons, including pistols, rifles, assault rifles, and submachine guns. While varying somewhat in appearance and function depending on the era and species of manufacture, these weapons all function similarly.

DURATION/ENERGY: n/a; projectile weapons fire expendable ammunition (bullets/rounds). Typically, they store a number of rounds in clips: pistols (10), rifles (15), assault rifles (15), submachine guns (30-50).

Archaic Ranged Weapons

SPECIFICATIONS: Varies by type

DESCRIPTION: Prior to the advent of gunpowder, primitive civilizations rely on thrown and slung projectiles, including knives, spears, bows, and crossbows.

DURATION/ENERGY: n/a RANGE: Varies by type

Close Combat Weapons

While Starfleet generally does not issue knives and clubs to its personnel, many species, particularly the Klingons, maintain a tradition of armed melee combat. Some of the close combat weapons characters might encounter include the Vulcan lirpa and Klingon bat'leth.

Ahn-woon

SPECIFICATIONS: 2 meters long; 1 kg

DESCRIPTION: The ahn-woon is a single leather strip weighted on both ends, which can be used as both whip or noose.

Bat'leth

SPECIFICATIONS: 116 x 50 x 2 cm, 5.3 kg

DESCRIPTION: The bat'leth, or traditional Klingon "sword of honor," resembles a crescent-shaped blend of a sword and a shortened quarterstaff. Descended from a weapon wielded by Kahless himself, it features a bladed forward edge, two sharp tines on either end, and a blunt rear edge. Made of baakonite, a metal similar to tritanium, the bat'leth is a powerful, versatile weapon in the hands of a properly trained user (untrained users usually just end up hurting themselves).

Club

SPECIFICATIONS: 40-60 cm long, 0.5-1.5 kg

DESCRIPTION: Any moderate-sized blunt object—from a carved stick of wood to bottles, stools, chair legs, and the like—can function as a club.

D'k tahg

SPECIFICATIONS: 50 cm long, 1 kg

DESCRIPTION: This Klingon combat dagger has a large central straight blade, with two smaller curved blades that pop out to either side of the main blade at the press of a button (conferring a +1 parry modifier). The pommel has small spikes and can function as a fist-load. Klingon warriors also use this weapon as a ceremonial knife, especially for committing ritual suicide.

Knife

SPECIFICATIONS: 15-30 cm long, 0.2-0.4 kg

DESCRIPTION: A basic tool and weapon found in virtually every humanoid society in myriad forms, a knife consists of a short, single- or double-edged blade attached to a hilt. Some knives are balanced for use as a throwing weapon.

Lirpa

SPECIFICATIONS: 160 x 30 x 20 cm, 5.6 kg

DESCRIPTION: This ancient Vulcan ritual weapon resembles a polearm with a crescent-shaped blade on one end and a large club on the other. Vulcans use it in martial arts training and in the koon-ut-kal-if-fee mating duel during Pon farr.

Mace

SPECIFICATIONS: 40-60 cm long, 1.5-2.5 kg

DESCRIPTION: A mace resembles a short baton fitted with a weighted metal head to deliver powerful crushing blows. Sometimes, mace heads are equipped with studs or spikes to inflict extra damage.

Mek'leth

SPECIFICATIONS: 70 cm long, 2.5 kg

DESCRIPTION: A Klingon "short sword" with a forward-curving blade, the mek'leth has a heavy tip for raw shearing power. The weapon's guard is sharp along the outer edge and can injure a foe as easily as the larger blade.

Staff

SPECIFICATIONS: 1.5-2 m long, 3-5 cm diameter; 2-3 kg

DESCRIPTION: Staves are common to primitive cultures, especially those demonstrating high regard for martial arts. Any long pole made of wood or similar material can be considered a staff.

Stunrod

SPECIFICATIONS: 50 cm long, 3 cm in diameter; 0.5 kg

DESCRIPTION: Found in most advanced civilizations throughout the galaxy, a stunrod consists of a padded club with a built-in stunning device. Security forces use it to capture and restrain dangerous persons without causing them serious injury.

DURATION/ENERGY: 200 charges

Sword

SPECIFICATIONS: 1 m long, 2 to 3 kg

DESCRIPTION: A sword represents any variety of long bladed weapon, such as a rapier, saber, or cutlass. Many are fitted with cross guards, bell guards, or basket hilts to protect the wearer's hand during parries.

Character Creation

All player characters are senior Starfleet officers commanding and operating a Starfleet vessel either in 2362 or 2363, just prior or during the 1st season of Star Trek: The Next Generation. All characters are Starship Officers by profession with one or more tours of duty under their belt. The following positions are available: captain (command officer), first officer (command officer), flight control officer, engineer, operations officer, security officer, counselor, medical officer, and science officer. All nine positions are not required to be fulfilled but captain and first officer positions are mandatory.

Starship Officer

These bold explorers travel through space seeking knowledge and finding adventure. One week, the crew faces an outbreak of Tarellian plague on a remote colony. The next, they stand off against a hostile threat intent on dominating the Federation. The next week, it's off to make first contact with strange alien beings. Starship officers are typically well trained to confront a variety of situations. They excel at specific duties based on their shipboard functions. Commanding officers oversee the ship's operations. Science officers handle the details of exploration and research. Security officers man weapons systems in space battles and safeguard the crew from direct personal threats.

MISSIONS: Because their jobs frequently take them abroad, starship officers tackle missions ranging from exploration and research to domestic missions, from first contact and diplomacy to defense, from convoy missions to law enforcement. Starship crews frequently chance upon phenomena such as quantum filament strings and subspace inversions. They encounter strange life forms and alien civilizations, from the linguistically challenged Tamarians to the space-born Comtuu. They rescue planets from destruction by supernova or plague, and evacuate refugees from impending disaster. They patrol space in search of potential threats—Romulan incursions, giant planet-killing machines, or rival starship officers. While a diplomat negotiates trade agreements, a scientist researches a wormhole, and a merchant transports medical supplies, a starship officer may engage in all of these missions—and more.

BACKGROUND: Starship officers come from all walks of life. In general, members of each species have reasons for venturing into space. No matter their origins, most starship officers participate in Starfleet Academy. Most officers typically specialize in a particular area of operations—navigators, gunners, security guards, engineers, and so on. Upon completion of his training, the officer embarks on his first tour of duty and can expect to find challenges and wonders awaiting him.

SPECIES: Generally, any species can pursue a career in space. Starfleet accepts anyone of any species, as long as they meet its standards for excellence. Humans, Vulcans, Trill, Betazoids—all make valuable contributions to Starfleet (as do many other Federation members) and can be found throughout its operations. Even representatives of alien species beyond the Federation have found acceptance among Starfleet's ranks, though these are often special cases—officers of Klingon, Ferengi, and Romulan descent have taken their place among Starfleet's finest.

Starship Officer Elite Professions

The following entries describe elite professions available to starship officer player characters. Upon gaining the Starship Duty professional ability, starship officers immediately choose one elite profession within either the Command, Operation, or Sciences branch of their parent organization.

Command

Perhaps the most vital position on board a starship or starbase, officers who perform command duties—captains, first officers, section heads—ensure the smooth operation of their command and are responsible not only for a mission's ultimate success or failure, but also for the safety of their crews. They enact the policies of their parent organizations—opening diplomatic relations with the Jaradans, ferrying medical supplies to a colony.

While the positions of captain and first officer bear the most burden, and consequently handle the most important functions of command, officers in this branch can be found throughout a starship's organization, applying their skills and abilities in science labs, engineering departments, and various other departments.

Command Officer

The command officer is an excellent leader. Because he often finds himself at the forefront of conflict, he must have the skills of a diplomat. When danger rears its head in the form of a marauding enemy vessel, he must have the skills of a soldier. Responsible for the well-being and safety of those under his command, the command officer must have solid management skills. He has been entrusted with responsibility for administering the policies of his organization.

Starfleet command officers must frequently operate without direct supervision and often must make decisions on their own. Command officers find themselves in the forefront of adventure because their job calls for it. When an away team beams down to unknown territory, a command officer often leads the group to explore the planet surface or search for the missing colonists. In sensitive discussions with an alien species, the command officer may conduct the negotiations for mining rights with the Halkans or establishing relations with the Jaradans. In crisis situations, he applies his administrative skills to get the medical supplies from Beta Taguan IV to Rutia III, or efficiently evacuate colonists in the face of a supernova. Under fire from a Cardassian cruiser, the command officer guides the crew to victory.

Flight Control Officer

The flight control officer is responsible for the piloting and navigation of spacecraft. He monitors critical ship systems—navigational deflectors, inertial dampening systems, and subspace field geometry during warp flight. Sent to explore a strange new world, the conn might adjust the ship's orbit to obtain better sensor readings or keep the ship overhead of an away team to provide starship support. Sent to collect data on a celestial phenomena—a supernova, a nebula, a wormhole, a collapsing planet—the flight control officer monitors the situation with an eye to getting the ship out of danger should conditions suddenly change. In battle, the conn works closely with tactical officers—plotting an intercept course to head off smugglers, systematically patrolling an area, performing evasive maneuvers against an enemy ship. Wherever they go, no matter the mission, flight control officers monitor their ships' progress, watching for potentially dangerous situations ranging from navigational threats to approaching hostile vessels.

Operations

Operations officers see to the day-to-day activities of starships and starbases. If something needs doing—operating the transporter, repairing a shipboard system, responding to an intruder alert, recalibrating a sensor—chances are that an operations officer is on the job. They are the security officers who beam into hostile situations, the engineers maintaining equipment, and ops officers manning a variety of system consoles (such as transporters, life support systems, communications, and so on).

Starship Engineer

Engineers are highly specialized operations officers trained to keep systems and equipment running at maximum efficiency. They are responsible for shipwide systems, such as the electroplasma system, the warp drive, and the impulse engines, as well as repairing individual systems like the transporter or holodeck. They repair equipment damaged by ion storms or battle damage, calibrate lateral sensors and matter/antimatter injectors, cobble equipment together from scratch, and generally make sure everything runs without a hitch.

As experts in the practical application of science and mathematics, engineers play a vital role in most missions. When confronted with strange alien technology—ancient androids, mind transference devices, time machines—the engineer has the best chance of understanding how it works and devising ways to defeat it. During exploration missions, their skills may be required to find pragmatic solutions to unusual hazards—discovering the cause of a subspace funnel, relieving tectonic pressure on an unstable world, escaping a Menthar booby trap, or defeating an insane, intelligent computer. Good at problem-solving, the engineer finds a way to track a cloaked Romulan ship, escape the grasp of a godlike being, or reinitialize the warp drive in minutes. On defensive missions, they are indispensable for repairing battle damage, getting critical systems back on line, and squeezing out the last bit of efficiency from ship's systems. No matter the adventure, when unique solutions are called for, the engineer stands at the ready.

Starship Operations Officer

Possessing consummate technical skills, operations officers deal with practical solutions to immediate problems. Each officer specializes in a particular area, typically defined by the system he operates or his function as part of the crew. There can be as many possible ops specialists as there are systems on board. Communications officers handle incoming and outgoing radio traffic. Operations managers efficiently organize ship's resources, such as power consumption, lateral sensor array use, or equipment disbursement. Environmental systems officers maintain critical life support functions. Transporter operators beam passengers to and fro. Without operations officers, commanders, scientists, and security officers couldn't do their jobs.

Whenever a job needs doing, an operations officer is there to do it. Ops officers find adventure a matter of course for a career in space, from adjusting the sensors to obtain better readings to beaming an away team out of danger. As experts in their chosen fields, operations officers are frequently called upon to apply their skills wherever they are needed. On a planet's surface, operations officers might accompany an exploration team to set up needed equipment. Surveying a celestial event, an ops officer might calibrate the sensors and obtain the data. In a hostile encounter, an ops officer may have to send out an emergency distress signal and launch the log buoy.

Starship Security Officer

Security officers serve as a combination of soldier and police officer. They patrol sensitive areas, beam into potentially hostile situations, protect dignitaries, arrest law-breakers, and handle tactical engagements. They share some of the functions of soldiers in that they often serve Starfleet and employ the threat of force to do their jobs. Yet as starship officers, they have access to the skills of that profession as well. In addition to their basic role as fighters and defenders, some security officers receive special training to operate the large-scale defensive systems—the ship's phasers, disruptor cannons, photon torpedo launchers, and deflector shields. In Starfleet all starship defensive operations are centralized through the tactical station on the bridge.

Security officers often see plenty of action. They excel at missions involving combat. On diplomatic missions, security officers may join the delegation to ensure their protection or sweep the area in advance to guarantee its security. Exploration missions may include security to safeguard against unknown threats, ranging from wild animals to hostile aliens. Security officers frequently interdict smugglers, search for contraband, and pursue criminals operating in the sector. In conflicts, security officers might separate warring factions or settle matters more directly. Starfleet security officers are trained to use the least amount of force to resolve a hostile situation (or better yet, to use force as a last resort).

Sciences

Starfleet views exploration as the primary reason for being in space. Whether investigating astronomical phenomena, exploring a newly discovered planet, conducting research in the laboratory, or studying an alien civilization, the search for knowledge unites all science officers. This includes the medical sciences, as well as the starship counselor unique to Starfleet.

Starship Counselor

The starship counselor is responsible for the emotional well-being of the ship's crew. Because of the nature of deep-space exploration—long separations from home, isolation from relatives, encounters with extraordinary phenomena, stress—they provide individual guidance and advice to crewmembers. In addition, a counselor is expected to provide commanding officers with advice on command decisions, particularly those involving alien life forms. This can be critical in first contact and diplomatic missions, where a clear understanding of motives and cultural mores can be vital, as well as in potential conflicts where a misstep could lead to war. Some counselors focus on particular areas—family counseling, combat trauma, or specific alien psychologies. In the 24th century, Starfleet added the position of counselor to its crew complement, and this profession is mostly associated with this organization.

Starship Medical Officer

Medical officers are scientists who specialize in preserving health and treating disease. Most apply their knowledge practically by treating injuries and healing the sick. Others engage in research, much as any other scientist, searching for cures to disease, developing new treatments, and studying alien life forms. Starship medical officers often confront exotic maladies—such as the Psi 2000 virus or the hyperaccelerated aging disease—and find themselves on the forefront of disease outbreaks. While most medical officers tend, by the nature of their job, to be general practitioners, others concentrate on particular areas of medicine—surgery, pathology, forensics—or specific species. Just as science officers investigate the galaxy's mysteries, starship medical officers explore the mystery of life in all its diverse forms—silicon-based life forms, sodium-chloride-eating beings, solanagen-based entities, and many more. Medical officers see to the health and well-being of the crew; they treat injuries sustained in battle along with combating strange alien diseases the crew may encounter in their travels. On exploratory missions, they beam down to search for lifeforms. On relief missions, they may be placed in charge of medical supplies bound for an ailing population or supervise planetwide inoculation efforts.

Starship Science Officer

Science officers oversee scientific investigations and provide the commanding officer with scientific information needed for command decisions. Whether a geology specialist beaming down to a newly discovered planet to survey topography or an astrophysicist collecting data on an impending supernova, science officers are the best at gathering information and extrapolating from data. Some science officers concentrate on particular areas of expertise—botany, cultural anthropology, astrophysics, stellar cartography—while others have a broader focus and can handle a variety of scientific conundrums. Moreover, the science officer, like other starship officers, learns the skills to help him survive in space. Beyond the laboratory, the science officer's training in weapons, survival, and unarmed combat make him prepared for almost anything. Starfleet pursues knowledge for its own sake, and its starships include a wide range of science labs—botany, chemistry, stellar cartography, and so on.

Species

The following species are available for character creation. If you want to make a character that is of a species not listed here, we can come up with the rules.

Andorians

Personality

Andorians present a curious juxtaposition between being by turns both taciturn and passionate. In a society where the least slight could result in vendetta, Andorians are notably reserved in their manner and speech. They admire the ability to hold one's tongue, and despise gossips and long-windedness. Because of the disorder caused by disobediencem they can be sticklers for procedure and form. They believe strongly in a clear chain of command and adherence to rules. The breaking or bending of regulations leads eventually to (often bloody) conflict. Indecision can drive an Andorian crazy.

Hot-blooded romantics, the average Andorians have quick tempers and a willingness to kill or die for their ideals. When they believe they have been wronged, they drop their reserved veneer and spring into action. Andorians believe revenge should be something that is both passionate and immediate. When Andorians come to a decision, they stand by it regardless of the consequences. They do not give up easily, nor are they readily dissuaded from their objectives. It can be difficult to get an Andorian to change his mind. Outsiders typically see them as either pig-headed or belligerent, although Andorians themselves believe that they see the universe the "right" way.

Physiology and Appearance

Andorians stand between 1.7 to 2.2 meters tall, roughly the same height and build of the average Human. Their skin tones range from pale to dark blue, and they have pure white hair. Hailing from a frigid world with a thin, ozone-rich atmosphere, they have evolved a redundant circulatory system that allows them to survive comfortably in this environment. Andorians efficiently metabolize nutrients and regulate body heat.

The most distinctive aspect of an Andorian is the pair of antennae atop their heads. These provide an additional sense that other species lack. Andorians obtain a great deal of sensory information through their continually waving antennae—such as temperature, changes in pressure, subtle variations in air flow, and sub-sonic sounds.

Andorians speak Graalen and learn Federation Standard.

Homeworld

Andor (also known as Andoria) lies close to Earth, Betazed, Tellar, and Vulcan, placing it squarely in the core of Federation space. The Andorian homeworld is the fifth planet in a system consisting of seven planets orbiting a single blue-white giant star (Type B2 III) known as Kuy'va. The planet has one satellite, a small moon called Olith.

An M-class planet, Andor has an Earth-standard gravity, oxygen-nitrogen atmosphere (though with a high ozone content) and slightly lower than Earth-normal atmospheric pressure. The climate is similar to that of Earth's taiga, a region located between the Arctic Circle and the deciduous/temperate forests of central North America. Visitors to Andor find it a frigid world, with long winters interrupted by brief, but warm, summers. While visitors can comfortably breathe an Andorian atmosphere for short periods of time, prolonged exposure to the planet's thin air results in easy fatigue.

History and Culture

Much of Andorian history reflects their personality. After a lengthy period of internal strife, during which their penchant for passion almost destroyed them, they conflicted with almost every alien government they encountered: The Vulcans oppressed them; Humans were the lackeys of the Vulcans; the Tellarites violated their space. In traditional Andorian fashion, they sought to redress these perceived wrongs in the most direct way open to them. Only through mutual respect would the Andorians come to help found the United Federation of Planets.

Age of Lament

Terrible violence in Andor's past nearly led to the destruction of the Andorian people. Their clan structure was a source of extreme, nationalistic pride and the root cause for warfare. Competing clans fought at the slightest provocation during a time now known as the Age of Lament. Rivalries spun out of control in a never-ending cycle of vendetta that culminated in a series of private wars. Nearly one-quarter of the Andorian population killed each other in one of the revenge wars, leaving their civilization at the brink of ruin.

After years of chaos and continued clan warfare, Lor'Vela, leader of one of the strongest clans, brought peace to Andor. Lor'Vela replaced the clan-versus-clan warfare with the promulgation of a code by which Andorians could channel their passions. Instead of outright warfare, the Andorian people could settle their disputes through ritualized combat between the aggreved parties. This Code of Vengeance prescribes when a duel is appropriate and establishes the rules of combat, thus providing a forum for controlled retribution and breaking the cycle of revenge murders. Clan leaders eventually accepted this system, and it remains their accepted legal system. With a formal means to control civil unrest and dispute, Andorian society finally stabilized and fostered cultural and scientific growth.

Outside Contacts

As the Andorians ventured out into space, relations with alien governments did not initially go well. The Vulcans, appalled at Andorian comfort with violence, tried to guide their first steps beyond their world, much as they did with humanity. The Andorians came to believe that the Vulcans actively, and covertly, hampered their interstellar aspirations. Naturally, the Andorians reacted with characteristic directness; after an initial conflict, the two sides agreed to the Tau-Ceti accords, which provided the Andorians a measure of breathing space by mandating a "hands-off" policy for the Vulcans. Unfortunately, this did little to assuage Andorian mistrust, and they long accused the Vulcans of operating hidden monitoring stations.

Their conflict with the Vulcans indirectly led to first contact with another species from a nearby star system—Humans. In 2151, the prototype starshuo Enterprise traveled to the P'Jem monastery, a Vulcan retreat near Andor. Unfortunately, this was precisely the time that an Andorian commando team arrived looking for evidence of Vulcan espionage. In the end, it was Earth's Captain Archer who not only uncovered proof for Andorian accusations, but also forced the Vulcans to publicly admit this to the Andorian people (much to Andorian delight and Vulcan consternation).

Many additional encounters between Andorians and Humans (or "pink skins" as they like to say) eventually built trust not only for the two, but also with the Vulcans. The three species would come to realize the importance of an alliance, especially during the Romulan-Earth wars (2156-2160); Andor became the fourth of the five founding members of the United Federation of Planets.

Andorians bring a strong sense of vitality and passion to whatever they do. Their vibrant culture demonstrates a love of all things that stimulate the senses—music, food, dance, and art. Andorians prefer things strongly felt—bombastic music compositions, raucous color use in painting, strongly flavored food. The subtleties of Vulcan cuisine or Betazoid art escape them. They favor physical pursuits and athleticism, channeling their aggressive instincts into individual sports such as boxing and parrises squares, where one excels or fails through personal efforts.

The Kethni

National boundaries are unheard of on Andor. Instead, they divide their society along complex family and clan lines. Each clan governs not so much a physical territory as an associational one,an intricate web of relationships. An Andorian feels loyalty to his family first and foremost, with these families tied together through marriage (which involves two couples) into extended clans.

The clans, or kethni, serve as local governments, social welfare organizations, and loose guilds. The keth assists those of the clan in need. Each keth also specializes in an area of expertise for which it is renowned. Keth Kor, for example, is renowned as skilled negotiators, while Keth Idisha trains its members as some of the best entertainers (frequently reenacting famous duels). A strong headman or chieftain governs each clan, and speaks on its behalf in the Council of Clans, the ruling body of Andor.

A Culture of Dueling

Andorians channel their aggression through a culture of dueling. They demand satisfaction in the most direct manner possible, settling their differences with a duel. This prevents the conflict from escalating into a war of vendetta between families and clans.

The Code of Vengeance can only be invoked for personal grievances, on the assumption that the right person will win. For a duel to be appropriate, only the aggrieved and the alleged perpetrator can participate. The code mandates a single duel for each crime, to prevent an Andorian from facing several members of the same family over the same accusation. Once a duel settles the matter, it's considered closed. Other rules permit satisfaction to the first strike, the first blood, or until a participant yields, depending on the nature of the dispute. Only the most grievous violations of personal freedom, such as murder, are fought to the death. Andorians reserve the code for other Andorians, and only traditionalists call out members of other species. Starfleet stringently discourages the practice even among Andorian crewmembers.

Notable Andorians

Igrilan Kor, the greatest Andorian to ever serve in Starfleet, was the captain of the all-Andorian U.S.S. Eagle from 2247 to 2272. The crew under his command amassed the most commendations of any crew in Starfleet. He was promoted to Rear Admiral, and then selected by his homeworld as a delegate to the Federation Council from 2272 to 2293.

The prophet Umarin was born in the Andorian city of Tarsk in 2128, and was profoundly influenced by Andorian first contact with Humanity. She began to receive visions, prophetic images of the future, in which the Andorian people would take up the torch of galactic leadership from a "friend who had lost his spirit." As Andorians spread into the Galaxy, Umarinism spread with them; although it is not the largest religion on Andoria, most space-going Andorians follow at least some of the tenets of Umarinism—friendship, joy, and passion for life combined with a regimen of physical and mental readiness for leadership. Umarin died in 2201.

Encounters

Andorians are most frequently encountered throughout the Alpha Quadrant and along the frontier. With their long history of space exploration, bolstered by the Federation, Andorians range throughout known space—as far as Starfleet ships will carry them.

As the Federation matured, internal divisions became less frequent. Andor settled into life among the interstellar family of worlds, becoming a staunch ally and supporter of Federation ideals.

Atreonids

Personality

Atreonids cultivate a dignified and genteel bearing. This is true of the race as a whole and not just the upper ranks of their society, for Atreonids of all classes strive to project an air of civilized dignity. Some non-Atreonids find them stuffy and too reserved, while others perceive the good nature and generosity of spirit that lies beneath their regal façade.

Physiology and Appearance

Atrenoids are tall, rangy humanoids with high, furrowed foreheads and growths of facial hair that extend below the sides of the mouth, rather like whiskers. Their height an strong spinal columns help them maintain the dignified bearing for which they are famous. They like to wear their thick hair long and swept back, so that (coincidentally) it resembles the mane of a Terran lion.

The Atreonids' native language is Atreonid. As a general rule, Atreonids who have received a university-level education also speak Federation Standard at least passably well, and they consider it a point of pride that they don't need a universal translator to communicate.

Homeworld

Atrenoids come from the planet Atreos IV in Alpha Quadrant. It is flat world of little geographic activity, with savannah, plains, and desert as predominant terrain. The only mountain peak of any consequence is the 4,572-meter tall Mount Eteon tar-Chereos, so named in 2296 in honor of the only Atreonid to ever serve as UFP President.

History and Culture

For several millennia before the Federation made first contact in 2248, twelve noble dynasties ruled Atreos IV, and carved the planet between them into feudal states. These twelve kingdoms jousted with each other constantly, trying to enlarge themselves at the cost of the others. Sometimes they contested each other through military actions, at other times through diplomacy, at still others through trade or technological innovation. The Chereos, the Zatain, the Paratan, the Karoon and the Houtan were the wealthiest and most prominent of these families, as they controlled the most consistently powerful kingdoms.

First contact, however, jolted the Atreonids into the starfaring age. Communications with extraplanetary intelligent life forced them to alter their view of their place in the cosmos. The twelve kingdoms set aside their rivalries and united to form a republican federation that would choose its head of state from among their leaders—once kings, but now national presidents. No longer able to justify notions of supposed noble superiority in the face of clearly more advanced intelligent life, the Atreonids' class structure cracked. In turn, all adult Atreonids would be granted the right to select their political leaders at the national and local level, so that the twelve kingdoms would be transformed into representative democracies. This process was already well under way when Atreos IV formally joined the Federation in 2252.

The most famous Atreonid to serve the UFP was Eteon tar-Chereos, a career diplomat who represented his homeworld in the Federation Council for 20 years before he was elected UFP President in 2290. He presided over one of the true turning points in Federation history in 2293, when Klingon Chancellor Gorkon decided to end decades of hostility between the Second Klingon Empire and the UFP. He survived an assassination attempt by rogue Starfleet and Klingon military officers at the Khitomer Conference and presided over the ensulting crisis with prudent and patient statesmanship.

The Atreonids' ancient feudal aristocracy may have evolved into a democratic republic, but the twelve great families who ruled Atreos IV during that time still retain their wealth and standing. Although all adult Atreonids have the right to political representation in theory, in practice their soceity remains rigidly stratified and nobles expect and receive deference from those of lower rank.

As a general rule, any Atreonid who ventures off of his homeworld is connected in some way with one of these noble dynasties. Education, wealth and family connections either allow them the luxury of adventurousness or impress upon them the importance of service to their race and the Federation. From the moment that Atreos IV joined the UFP, serving the Federation as a diplomat or a civil servant has been quite the fashionable thing for educated young Atreonids of noble birth.

Encounters

By the 24th century, Atreonids are well-accepted in many ranks of the Federation, although only a few leave behind their comfortable utopia for the risks of the unknown frontiers.

Axanar

Personality

In a response to being hunted by a variety of large predators with highly sophisticated camouflage abilities, the Axanar evolved acute perceptual abilities. They can see, hear, and smell better than many other species, and their brains process this information at a phenomenal rate. They instinctively look for recognizable patterns in all things. Where no pattern apparently exists, they will usually find one anyway. Axanar don't like uncertainty; they are known for making snap decisions, even if they lack conclusive evidence, then stubbornly sticking to them. Once they decide upon something, it can be difficult for the Axanar mind to accept contrary information. Axanar simply have a trying time changing their ways.

Axanar do not like to deal with those of a perceived lower social class, a hold over from their ancient caste system. Even after decades living in an egalitarian society, the Axanar prefer to know the social status of those with whom they do business. They often ask personal questions and scrutinize others, and if they can't tell a person's position in society they usually assign one to him.

Physiology and Appearance

With a pseudo-reptilian appearance, the Axanar were perhaps the most off-putting of the alien species first contacted by the NX-class Enterprise. Yellowish or greenish leathery skin combined with a prominent series of grooves and spherical ridges along the sides of the mouth and vertically along the forehead all distinguish the Axanar. They lack hair, and the skull case is elongated, with oddly-shaped patches of pinkish flesh on each side.

The Axanar speak atem, a language of difficult consonants, but pronounceable by most humanoids.

Homeworld

Axanar is the seventh of thirteen planets orbiting a bright, yellow-white main sequence star (Type F5 V) known as Toredar. The planet has a semi-terrestrial environment, though high stellar radiation and high density lend ot a strong magnetic field. The atmosphere is heavily nitrogen-methane and quite cold; unprotected Humans would asphyxiate in only a few minutes.

History and Culture

The Axanar were first contacted in 2151, when the NX-class Enterprise, commanded by Captain Archer, rendered aid to a derelict Axanar ship. An unknown alien species had murdered the crew and was in the process of draining them of triglobulin. The captain of a second Axanar ship, sent to locate the first, neither appreciated Archer's efforts, nor seemed particularly interested in making friends.

Although Humans and Axanar encountered each other sporadically for the next few years, it would not be until the Axanar War that the two governments related officially. In the early 23rd century, the Axanar pressured the inhabitants of the planet Fabari to extend extensive trade and mining rights; Axanar starships harassed Fabari merchantmen and frequently incurred into Fabari space. In response, the Fabari sued for Federation membership to protect them from the Axanar. Axanar blockaded the planet and threatened war. When a Federation starship arrived bearing an ambassador to negotiate a settlement, the Axanar attacked, and the two sides were at war.

Starfleet and Axanar starships fought in and around Fabari space for months, until Captain Garth of Izar won the final, conclusive battle that defeated the Axanar. Soon afterwards, the Axanar sued for peace. With the help of Federation experts, the Axanar set about reorganizing their society, as encouraged by the terms of the treaty. They abolished their caste system and created a more open, democratic government. When these transformations were complete, the Axanar government petitioned to join the Federation, and as a testimony to how far they'd come they succeeded. Axanar is the only planet to have the dubious distinction of having fought a war with the Federation prior to its membership.

Traditionally, the Axanar lived within a rigid caste system of Thinkers, Doers, and Outsiders. The lowest echelons, various classes of Doers, were virtual slaves. Castes could not intermingle, to the point where the elite classes, the Thinkers, refused any social contact with the lower classes. Living isolated from the masses, the elites believe they knew what was best for all Axanar, even as the lower classes starved nd labored under terrible conditions. Only Thinkers could govern, and one could only be born into this class.

With the conclusion of the Axanar-Federation war, they abolished their caste system and established a government drawing from all classes. Intense educational programs worked to tear down old, ingrained barriers. Thinkers and Doers were encouraged to intermingle, and adopt democratic principles.

As a society, the Axanar value order, science, and discipline. To them, everything follows an established pattern. Underlying any seemingly chaotic system, there is an order that can be perceived—in everything from rainfall frequency to sapient behavior. They expect everyone to conform to the rules of an ordered society. Yet even rogues and scoundrels have their place in society, and are accepted (if not wholly tolerated). This acceptance of pattern, any pattern, led them to evolve their rigid caste system.

Betazoids

Personality

Outgoing and friendly, Betazoids generally feel a genuine sense of satisfaction in helping others. Using their telepathic abilities, some Betazoids attempt to foster understanding between alien cultures or those with differing points of view. Many combine their telepathy with a study of psychology, to help others understand their feelings, anxieties, or phobias. Those Betazoids who join Starfleet often combine these two impulses into one, signing on as ship's counselor, where they can help fellow crewmates and advise on diplomatic matters.

Because they can sense the turmoil in the minds of those around them caused by discord, Betazoids have a strong predilection toward harmony. They prefer to resolve conflicts through non-violent means, and their dedication to peace and cooperation are well-known throughout the quadrant. Even the typical man on the street or shopkeeper works to resolve their disputes with a minimum of fuss.

Generally, Betazoids value candor and integrity (though they are capable of lying). Sometimes this rises to the level of brutal honesty, and those unaccustomed to this characteristic can find Betazoids arrogant, rude, or off-putting. They do not like liars; once lied to, it can be very difficult to regain a Betazoid's trust.

Physiology and Appearance

Outwardly, Betazoids resemble Humans in their Physiology and Appearance. They have the same range of height, weight, and build. Often, the only way to distinguish between the two is the limpid black eyes characteristic of Betazoids. They tend toward dark, olive complexions, and brunette or black hair.

Betazoids speak Betzed, and learn Federation Standard.

Homeworld

Betazoids hail from Betazed, the second planet orbiting a single Type G2V star called Hainara. There are four other planets in the star system, three of which are Class-I gas giants. An abundant source of deuterium, as well as the system's close proximity to other Federation core worlds such as Earth, Tellar, and Vulcan, makes Betazed strategically important.

The planet has a total of five small continents together with hundreds of islands grouped in archipelagos. Along the tropical latitudes, the planet is ringed with a band of lush rainforest. The temperate bands alternate between vast wetlands, grasslands, and forests. Betazed's numerous islands mainly consist of rocky, steep mountains wreathed with lush vegetation and tropical canopies.

History and Culture

The earliest Betazoid legend tells the story of their struggle with mysterious enemies, an evil race of beings knonwn as the "demons of pain and anger." These entities floated through walls and barred doors. When these entities descended upon a community, they brought with them anger and strife. Said to be able to make primitive weapons appear out of thin air, whole villages would be found to have massacred each other. An orgy of violence spread across the land.

The mystical hero Khysaros used her great mental powers to defeat these flickering, ghost-like enemies. While it appears as though all Betazoids possessed some rudimentary form of telepathy, Khysaros found a way, according to the stories, to develop this potential. She gathered several acolytes and trained them to battle the entities. They, too, developed incredible telepathic powers. The greatest among them was Rixx, who banished hundreds of these demons.

The Terabian

As the Betazoids ventured out into space, they eventually came into contact with other sapient beings. Among the first to be encountered, the Terabian were at first fascinated by Betazoid telepathy. The two people became fast friends, fostered ties between the two peoples, and many Betazoids and Terabian emigrated each other's world.

As more and more of the Terabian became familiar with telepathy, however, they came to fear unwanted intrusions into their private thoughts. Betazoids on Terab IV were rounded up and sent to internment camps to protect them from paramilitary groups roaming the streets and assaulting Betazoids. The Betazoids who avoided incarceration increasingly turned to violence to protect themselves; conflict erupted between rival Betazoid and Terrabian gangs.

Betazed sent diplomats to resolve the situation. After lengthy negotiations, they won the freedom of interred Betazoids, persuaded the Betazed terrorists to lay down their arms, and orchestrated a mass exodus from Terab IV. The Ruling Council of Betazed promulgated the Code of Sentience in response to this disastrous event, to guide Betazoids in their conduct among alien species. As a result, Betazoids prefer not use their telepathy on a non-telepath without permission.

With careful adherence to the Code of Sentience, the Betazoids have avoided a repeat of the Terabian situation and wide-scale persecution on other worlds. In fact, Terab IV eventually joined the Federation, their delegates requesting seats alongside Betazed's representatives, as a testimony to how far the two people have come.

Social Telepathy

Telepathy is the central organizational theme of Betazoid society. Among their own people, Betazoids communicate telepathically. Betazoid towns and cities are filled with an undisturbed (some off-worlders may say eerie) silence. Many resort to speech among non-Betazoids, out of respect, though this isn't universal. Betazoids dislike species whose minds they cannot read, such as the Breen and Dopterians, feeling uncomfortable in their presence; this remains their only unresolved prejudice. Betazoids who lose their telepathic ability feel handicapped, frightened, and alone, with many choosing to lead their telepathically mute lives off-world among other non-telepaths.

Code of Sentience

The Code of Sentience guides Betazoids in their use of telepathy among non-telepaths. Individual Betazoids follow it to a lesser or greater degree, each according to his or her nature. Like any social code, it outlines what is acceptable, proper behavior, to both reassure non-telepaths and safeguard Betazoids:

• Reading the mind of another without his knowledge is taboo.

• Even when permission has been granted, the code forbids reading thoughts separate from the purpose of the mind reading.

• The code discourages a Betazoid from divulging what he reads to another without permission.

• It is considered rude for Betazoids to communicate telepathically with each other in the presence of non-telepaths.

Government

The great noble houses, descendants of Khysaros' first acolytes, govern Betazed. They are ranked in the order in which their ancestor is believed to have joined Khysaros. Rixx, for example, was the fifth to heed Khysaros' call, and his descendents make up the Fifth House of Betazed. No other privileges stem from this rank.

Betazoid society is strongly matriarchal. The eldest female in the family almost always leads her house, following in the tradition of Khysaros' leadership.

Every ten years, the twelve great houses meet in what is known as an omaz to select the five who sit on the ruling council. This legislative branch passes laws, debates vital issues, allocates resources, and issues directives to the bureaucracy. The ruling council makes all its decisions by coming to a telepathic consensus. Unlike many other governments, Betazed has no single ruler, speaker, or high commissioner, such as the Federation President.

A vast bureaucracy divided into many different Relzari, or departments, handles the government's actual day-to-day operation. The High Office of Defense, for example, commands the Betazed Defense Force, while the High Office of Finance allocates resources to various government programs. Although by tradition only women may lead a great house or sit on the Ruling Council, there is no such restriction on men serving in the bureaucracy.

Marriage Customs

To cement ties between households, the ancient Betazoids practiced a tradition of arranged marriages, in which the betrothed are genetically bonded to each other at birth. In those days, Betazoids distinguished between these marriages of covenience and their imzadi, or beloved (and the term continues to have overtones of "true love" or "soul mate" in the modern day). Weddings customarily required the bride, groom, and guests to go without clothes, to honor the act of love being celebrated and symbolize that all parties entered the agreement openly. Only the most tradition-minded Betazoids hold to these customs in the modern day.

Betazoid Relics

Ancient relics like the holy rings of Betazed and the Sacred Chalice of Rixx are important symbols to Betazoid society. For most, they represent a touchstone to the past, or a symbol of office. A small group of Betazoids, however, believe these sacred relics possess true power.

Whether simply antiques of great historical value of enchanted relics capable of fanciful feats, not all Betazoid relics are accounted for. Certainly, such relics would be highly sought after, should their whereabouts become known. The following is a small list of items mentioned in Betazoid legends that remain lost:

The Mighty Spear of Vard
The Sword of Lexx
The Blessed Lantern of Javv
The Righteous Staff of Gand
The Virtuous Wand of Kazz

Notable Betazoids

Commander Deanna Troi, ship's councelor of the U.S.S. Enterprise-D, as served with distinction in Starfleet over 10 years. Although only half-Betazoid and thus possessing only empathic powers, she has helped many fellow crewmembers adjust to problems and difficulties in their lives. She has also aided her captain, Jean-Luc Picard, in many diplomatic matters.

Encounters

Betazoids inhabit the Alpha Quadrant, and can be found throughout the Federation core systems. As stalwart members of the United Federation of Planets, Betazoids made their presence felt throughout the quadrant. Betazoid diplomats negotiated several peace treaties, and the position of ship's counselor became synonymous with Betazoid Starfleet officers.

Betelgeuseans

Personality

Betelgeuseans dislike change, and look to the past for answers to life's conundrums. They are introverted as a rule, focusing on their own behavior and concerned primarily with how others perceive them. They are not especially empathetic.

Betelgeuseans are unable to distinguish between fiction and history. To them, stories like Hercules and the Seven Labors, or the Epic of Gilgamesh, are as true as Zefram Cochrane's invention of the warp drive. Every Betelgeusean chooses a hero from their mythology to emulate. The Betelgeusean becomes the quasi-fictional character, typically adopting the hero's personality traits, interests, and quirks. It has been appropriately said that Betelgeuseans have only seven personalities that they use over and over.

Physiology and Appearance

Tall, thin humanoids with apparently delicate bone structures, Betelgeuseans look fragile. In fact, all Betelgeuseans possess unusually strong skeletons, perhaps the result of high concentrations of bilenium in their environment. They stand approximately 1.5 to 2 meters tall, though their slight frames make them look taller. Their skin is bluish in color, ranging from pale to cerulean. Their eyes are deeply set, and they lack both hair and noses (they breathe through two nostrils set behind their ears).

Homeworld

Betelgeuseans occupy all three of the Class-M planets in the system orbiting Betelgeuse, a Type M2 lb star, although they call Betelgeuse IV home (or Hav'a'halar in their language). The planet Hav'a'halar is a terrestrial world comprising a wide range of climates and environments.

History and Culture

Betelgeusean history begins with the Age of Heroes, when gods walked among them, orderin the world, healing the sick, building the cities, and leading the masses.

Then came the Dark Age, when the heroes retreated to the realm of imagination. They left behind them only mortals—the Betelgeuseans—who did not know what to do. It became clear that Cordban—the embodiment of strife—remained to plague the now-leaderless Betelgeuseans. The deceptions and conflicts of the Dark Age pushed the entire planet into sporadic warfare. Without Lahile to heal them, though, and without F'ter to make them weapons, the Betelgeuseans soon lost the taste for war. Slowly, the Betelgeuseans learned to channel the power of their lost heroes, in a period known as the Age of Finding. They banished Cordban and set about remaking their world.

The Vulcans introduced Betelgeuseans to Earth in the 22nd century, in the form of several Lahilites who participated in the Interspecies Medical Exchange program. Although a few went on to serve on Human starships, Betelgeuseans remained reclusive. To them, the Humans were too mercurial, changing their personalities and refusing to hew to their chosen tasks; they were too much like Cordban. Betelgeuse did not join te Federation until the year 2270, after a long period spent observing the organization and its members.

Like all societies, the Betelgeuseans have their own government and laws, their own scientists and artists, their own mores and customs. What distinguishes them among the many species in the galaxy is their unusual practice of embodying the personalities of their cultural myths. This is a quasi-religious way of life called the Path of Emulation. At the age of six, a Betelgeusean decides which of the Seven Heroes he will strive to emulate:

• ALTAA THE WARRIOR: He who slew the beasts and cleared the land. Followers of Altaa collect weapons and practice contact sports. They like to hunt. They tend to be hot-headed and reckless.

• CORDBAN THE TRICKSTER: He who tried to tear things down, because he didn't like them. This rogue often troubled Altaa, Doban, and Slichez, as he believed that he was more deserving of accolades, could rule better, and could profit from hidden knowledge. His followers tend to be jealous, scheming and devious, and often pose as devotees of other heroes.

• DOBAN THE RULER: He who made the world and created the beasts and ordered the land. Followers of Doban typically become diplomats and politicians. They often discuss little with other Betelgeuseans, and keep their contacts infrequent. His followers tend to be haughty, noble, and wise.

• F'TER THE CLOCK-MAKER: He who set time in motion, Followers of F'ter like to tinker, play board games, and collect mechanical devices of all sorts. They are often inquisitive, thoughtful, and optimistic.

•OST THE VAGABOND: She who laughed and played all day, while others worked. She brought joy into the world, and the sadness that comes afterwards. Her followers are joke-tellers, magicians, and actors. They are typically mischievous, light-hearted, and cunning.

• LAHILE THE MOTHER: She who could not be beaten, because she was first. She plowed the first field and sowed the first crop. She bandaged Altaa after his many battles. Followers like to dance and sing, and create beautiful works of art. Her followers are often nurturing, kind, and outgoing.

• SLICHEZ THE THINKER: He who gathered the knowledge of the world and stored it in his great library. Followers of Slichez play complex, abstract board games when not performing scientific experiments. Followers tend to be quiet, reserved, and narrowly-focused.

As they grow up, Betelgeuseans study the myths of their heroes, and undergo tests designed to encourage them to respond as their heroes would. They join tightly organized groups called naccords made up of followers of a particular hero and led by a master. Although they once fought wars against one another, with each nation's Altaa naccords joining the battle, today Betelgeuseans recognize the importance of all heroes equally.

Betelgeuseans look at life through the prisms of the heroes they embody. When a devotee of Altaa does something, Betelgeuseans believe the original Altaa of legend is responsible. They take up professions appropriate to their heroes, and even adopt his or her personality and quirks. When they meet, Betelgeuseans expect each other to behave according to their chosen roles. A Betelgeusean in need of medical aid, for instance, expects the help of a disciple of Lahile, and disciples of other heroes won't intrude—even if skilled in medicine.

Bolians

Personality

The Bolians' famed drive, devotion and ability to cooperate won the race praise within the Federation and contributed to the growing number serving in Starfleet. Indeed, the Bolian work ethic strikes many observers as an inherent part of the race, as natural to them as their blue skin. Those who work hard and work well with one another garner great respect and admiration. An inability to do so practically marks one as a social reject.

Bolian work ethic differs in a number of ways from Humans', though at first glance they are extremely similar. Both focus on effort and accomplishment, and both feature some version of the phrase, "Work well done is its own reward." Where they differ, however, is in the role of individual accomplishment. Bolians long ago accepted the idea that a team could accomplish more and do a better job than a single person, even if the time spent coordinating everyone meant that the entire job took longer. While the human work ethic glorifies individual accomplishment, Bolians feel that one's own success means little if the entire team does not succeed.

As a result, while Bolians can work alone when they need to, they much prefer to work with other like-minded individuals. A Bolian, doing his job as part of an efficient team, finds himself fulfilled and happy. Not only does he receive the approval of his teammates, but he also knows he can count on their support if anything goes wrong. When he works alone, or the team does not succeed, he may find himself unhappy of even depressed.

This does not mean that Bolians turn into mindless worker ants, or that they subordinate their own interests to those of the group. Bolians can become very critical of their group if they feel it is straying off course. The success of the group means much to them and makes them leery of anything that could contribute to its failure. A Bolian's teammates can expect his complete cooperation if they seem destined for success. Bolians avoid much (though not all) of the petty internal politics that mar many other groups. Should the group begin to fail, however, a Bolian can turn into its harshest critic.

The Bolian tendency to meddle with group dynamics leads many people to view Bolians as interminable busybodies. They constantly seek out teams with which they can work, and they subconsciously see may of their social groups as groups that they have to help succeed. As such, they constantly give advice or look for other ways to support their teammates. This can reach into many areas of their friends' lives. After all, if a friend's personal romantic problems begin to interfere with her work, or even look like they might, the Bolian feels he must do what he can to keep the friend effective as a teammate.

Physiology and Appearance

Similar to humans in size, weight and basic shape, Bolians tend to be slightly shorter and stockier than Terrans. Their legs, chests, and arms are usually a little thicker. Their most obvious differences, however, appear in their skin pigmentation and the structure of their heads. Their skin tone, similar to some ways to that of the Andorians, ranges from a yellowish green tinge to a darker blue-green tinge to medium blue. Their blood is also blue, with a high content of cobalt. In extremis, it's possible for a Bolian to receive specially-treated Andorian blood, a sign of the basic similarities in their physiologies.

The most notable outward difference of Bolian physiology is a bifurcating ridge that runs the length of the head, straight down the center along the nose. Some Bolians also exhibit a series of lesser ridges running perpendicular to this along the head at intervals of a few centimeters, spanning from ear to ear across the top of the scalp. Bolian men and women heighten the effect of these ridges by shaving their heads, a custom that makes the ridges more prominent and emphasizes their ears, which are slightly longer than most Humans'. For many Bolians, a bald head denotes physical prowess and dedication.

While Bolarus IX's three main nations have their own ancient languages, a common Bolian tongue came to prominence shortly before first Federation contact. Most refer to this language as Bolian, though native speakers also know it as Clifsonian. Structurally close to Federation Standard, its linguistic similarities have caused some past embarrassments. For instance, the human name Frederick translates into a Bolian obscenity.

Homeworld

The Bolians have made their mark on Bolarus IX as much as it has marked them. Primarily a water world, the small landmasses of the planet required that Bolians work well together in order to accomplish much. Such small cultures provided little room for anyone who could not work well with others. That the Bolians could build such a successful civilization on a planet of limited landmasses shows the effectiveness of their cooperation.

History and Culture

Despite their tendency toward collaboration, serious divisions once rent Bolian society. Prior to its membership in the Federation, three nations dominated the planet. Their constant strife put the world in peril, and its earliest extraterrestrial contacts only exacerbated the problem. Alien races managed to play on Bolian group pride, turning it into jingoism and a hatred of others. As Bolian society developed, however, many began to realize the troubles this rampant nationalism caused. Contact with the Federation caused the other alien races to retreat and gave Bolarus IX the chance to form a united front.

While national divisions still mark Bolian culture, most consider themselves primarily members of the Federation and Bolarus IX, and only secondary members of their own nations. Even though they only joined the Federation in 2320, Bolians have already made marked contributions to this new team. Their natural inclination toward industriousness and their desire for approval from their coworkers makes many Federation members happy to work with them. Not many Bolians have joined Starfleet yet, but those who have serve with distinction.

The Bolian desire for teammates applies to almost every part of their lives, not just their professional roles. Bolian marriages often involve multiple partners, and for a man to have a wife and co-husband strikes none as unusual. All the partners' children are welcomed into the group, and Bolians take almost as much pride in their family members' success as they do in their own. Dysfunctional families prove a real embarrassment to their members and coping with them a major part of Bolian psychology.

Bolian psychology also addresses the race's desire for praise. Such praise does not have to be overt. Bolians relish the slightest recognition for their actions, and the most trivial positive feedback can turn into the approval of Bolian needs. While Bolians do not require extravagant praise, they do like a lot of it. They would rather receive many small compliments than one large commendation. Those who get neither tend to become morose and melancholy.

No Bolians like to see a teammate suffer, and they do their best to care for another. Caregivers earn great recognition in Bolian society, and their compassionate nature surprises many who view this race as one of nonstop workers. This teamwork goes all the way to the deathbed, and assisted suicide has a long and honorable place in Bolian society. Known as "the double-effect principle," it legitimizes actions required to relieve suffering, even when those actions lead to death.

Bolians also seek out artistic endeavors that work best in teams. Dance, drama, and musical symphonies attract many. Expert teams craft giant statues out of Bolian crystal steel. Bolian cuisine suffered from this, however, with many seeing cooking as a solitary endeavor. Lacking innovative mixes of spices, Bolians developed a taste for partially decayed meat. This became a staple of their diet, much to the consternation of many alien visitors, who often stick to the many varieties of tomato soup. Bolian drinks gained popularity throughout the Federation, though some joke that this is as much for the beauty of their glasses as it is for the taste of the Bolian Sunset Martini and Bolian tonic water.

Notable Bolians

Vaxx, the father of Bolian unity, carefully negotiated the formation of the tripartite world government that allowed the Bolians to join the Federation. Bolians also honor him for his ability to prevent global war during the crisis with Iren. His example, as much as the benefits of membership, keeps Bolarus IX in the Federation.

Admiral Taneko led the Federation fleet in the Battle of Alphard in 2351. He sacrificed his badly-damaged flagship, the U.S.S. Mizar, to destroy the Tholian fleet. His work on fleet tactics and organization helped transform Starfleet strategic doctrine.

Encounters

Bolians now pop up throughout the Federation, though their membership in Starfleet remains low. Their numbers seem a little inflated, however, since they usually gravitate toward areas where people congregate anyway and rarely seek isolated roles or locations. They tend to appear to most in areas where industry and enterprise are prevalent.

The 24th century saw radical changes as the Federation helped introduce Bolians to new ways of thinking. The Bolians saw their membership in the Federation as a means to become part of an even larger group effort. As a result, species cooperation reached new heights. Once Bolians joined the Federation, they became a prominent minority presence in Starfleet.

Capellans

Personality

The Capellans hold a strict set of warrior mores. They consider combat more interesting than practically anything else, and show a marked aptitude with weaponry of all kinds. Nothing interests a Capellan more than a new way to kill, and they have a disturbing aptitude for finding deadly uses even for benign technologies. Capellans kill for specific reasons. In cases of immediate danger—someone brandishing a weapon, for example—they react swiftly. In other situations, they reserve their retribution for later. When they attack, they do so abruptly; a Capellan never makes idle threats. Convinced of the credo that the strong survive, Capellans also refuse medical aid and hold the practice of medicine in disdain.

Unlike the Klingons, however, Capellans do not advance a highly stylized code of behavior; they have no warrior's honor to protect. Capellans kill when it seems the thing to do. Yet the two cultures share similarities—they prefer to fight and die on their feet over stealthy murder, and they both eschew poison. If there is a difference between the two, it is this: while a Klingon will brawl, use the threat of violence to intimidate, and back off when his point is made, when a Capellan fights he kills someone.

To outsiders, the Capellans appear stoic, almost phlegmatic. Capellans say what they mean, and mean what they say, even if it is little. They make difficult conversationalists. They love, hate, cherish, and laugh, but only among family and friends and in the privacy of their own homes. This veneer stems partly from the Capellan's natural suspicion of outsiders, and partly from the Capellan tendency to brush off other species or groups as unworthy of notice and, therefore, undeserving of any sort of response.

Physiology and Appearance

Capellans are outwardly identical to Humans. They share the same height and weight ranges, and the same variety of complexions and hair and eye color. In fact, most outsiders cannot tell the difference between Capellans and Humans. Their internal physiology evidences some differences, but is mostly compatible—with the right immunosuppressants, a Capellan could give or receive organ transplants with a Human. Their neurological chemistry, however, is markedly different, showing less development of areas like the amygdala and frontal cortex; evolutionarily, the Capellans still have a way to go to bring their impulsive, aggressive natures under rational check. Furthermore, Capellans require more time and contact to form psychological bonds with other people: for this reason, Capellans are often unemotional and distant to outsiders, while they are highly emotive with their families. To the typical Capellan brain, an outsider isn't really even a person, and thus triggers no real depth of response.

Capellans speak laam, their native tongue and Federation Standard.

Homeworld

Capella IV, a Class-M planet orbiting a dim, white dwarf star (Type A6V). Capella is a rich source of topaline, vital to the life-support systems of Federation colonies. Its landscape consists of variety of environments, though low, flat expanses and bare, rocky terrain predominate.

History and Culture

Capella IV was propelled onto the galactic stage in 2267, when both the Klingons and Federation attempted to negotiate a topaline-mining treaty with the inhabitants. Then High Teer Akaar was predisposed to sign with the captain of the U.S.S. Enterprise, which led to a significant power struggle with Akaar's rival, Maab. Maab believed the Capellans shared more in common with the warrior-culture of the Klingons, and with the support of their operatives, he killed the aging High Teer. When Maab was himself later killed, the leadership of the Ten Tribes fell to Leonard James Akaar, the infant son of the late Teer. Akaar's widow ruled as regent as the child grew, and she signed the topaline treaty with the Federation.

Although primitive by Federation standards at the time of the negotiations, the mining treaty brought wealth and change to Capella IV. They retained their strong tribal government and continued to live in their yurts, yet the Capellans adapted technology to suit their lifestyle. It soon became common to see their large tents furnished with electricity and computers. When he became old enough to rule on his own, Teer Akaar II sued for Federation membership. As the Capellans possessed a stable world government and no outside conflicts, the Federation Council had little reason to object.

The Capellans have a strong tribal government. The populace is divided among ten tribes, each led by a teer. These tribes traditionally stake out their territory, migrating seasonally to follow herds of game animals (though hunting became less vital) to the Capellan way of life after the introduction of replicators). Fiercely protective of their hereditary lands, Capellans used to fight wars over water and hunting rights. After the first High Teer unified the Ten Tribes under his leadership, this became less prevalent. The High Teer governs the Ten Tribes, with each tribe's Teer sitting on a council to voice their opinions. Given the Capellan propensity to violence, these tribal meetings can be terminal. Still, the Federation has little say over how individual planetary governments conduct their affairs. While the Federation frowns on Capellan violence, it still recognizes Capellan sovereignty and cultural distinctiveness; the Federation hopes to lead by example, not by trying to enforce regulations over the Capellans. Changes in diet and education help after the Capellan-Federation mining treaty: New generations, given better opportunities, exhibit a markedly greater tendency for concentration and self-discipline.

Those Capellans who wish to join Starfleet must take an Oath of Nonviolence. This oath assures Starfleet Command, and individual captains and crewmembers, that the individual will restrain his impulses to kill. The oath is sworn before a Starfleet captain prior to the Capellan officer's first posting, and is kept on file with his personnel records. Only a few notable incidents have occurred over the years; thus far, the few Capellans who have made it through Starfleet training have served with distinction.

Encounters

After the Capellan-Federation mining treaty, Capellans became notably more prominent on the galactic stage, although still within limited numbers. The change in Capellan behaviors took several generations to manifest. Early Capellan diplomatic efforts and explorers tended to meet with disaster because of the Capellan propensity to kill first and ask questions later; only persistent Federation intervention keeps them from provoking one species or another into wiping them out. Capellans encountered often retain a strong warrior mentality and tradition, but are now painfully aware of just how easily any number of other races could crush their entire homeworld with the excuse of one misbehaved traveler.

Centaurans

Personality

Centaurans value peace, beauty, thought, and spirituality. They prefer long-term thought and planning, centered on core moral principles. This can make Centaurans somewhat asocial, or even hesitant to act.

Physical Description

Centaurans resemble Humans down to the mitochondrial DNA level. Genetic scans indicate that Centauran and Human stocks diverged roughly 400,000 years ago; Centaurans may have been "seeded" on Alpha Centauri by some unknown species.

Centaurans speak Centauran Prime and Federation Standard.

Homeworld

Alpha Centauri IV, a beautiful ringed planet orbiting two stars (a yellow dwarf and an orange dwarf) of a trinary star system.

Culture

Centaurans seek out beauty throughout the galaxy; where they find no beauty, they try to make some. This attitude spurred the development of Alpha Centauri's most famous technological discipline, terraforming, and its favorite art form, holography. Centaurans treat ecologies as art forms, attempting to create harmony and beauty; these skills were crucial to the Centauran effort to rebuild Earth after World War III. Warp drive inventor Zefram Cochrane moved to Alpha Centauri and became a planetary hero there, as well; Centauran diplomats aided Earth in unifying its governments and finally banishing the specter of war from the Human homeworld. Collective memories of shameful rights abuses during the terrible Plague Years motivate the Centauran people. They have sworn to never again permit themselves to allow the fears of the majority to override the sacred freedoms of the individual. Any decision that favors expediency over principle will draw spirited argument from any Centaurans in your midst.

Centaurans see themselves as long-term thinkers. A favorite proverb says, "Worry about tomorrow, and today will take care of itself." To embark on a course of action without exhaustively exploring all of its possible ramifications is completely irresponsible. On a starship, this habitual hesitation and introspection often proves to be a Centauran's worst enemy. Some Centaurans find it difficult to unhesitatingly obey a snap order. In an emergency situation, even a sliver of a pause can be deadly, so Centauran starship officers strive mightily to overcome this habit. On the other hand, they enjoy a positive image as far-thinking rear-echelon strategists.

Notable Centaurans

Kulei Asephas, the brilliant medical researcher who ended the devastating Plague Years, used her scientific fame to build a lasting peace for her planet, serving as the first Speaker of its first global Parliament. She is easily the greatest heroine of the Centauran people, and her life story remains the topic of more Centauran holoplays and paintings than any other, even after almost five centuries.

Captain Gan Laikan, whose U.S.S. Asimov discovered more Class-M planets than any other starship in the 23rd century, later served as Federation President and on the Supreme Court. Statesman, starship commander, and scientist, he remains a role model for many Centauran Starfleet officers.

Deltans

Personality

Despite a long and illustrious membership in the Federation, Delta IV never achieved much prominence. In fact, many other Federation members maintain a distinct wariness toward Deltans. This does not stem from any fear of Deltan violence or destructiveness. In fact, the exact opposite is true. What they fear most are Deltan tendencies toward love and passion.

Deltans truly earned their designation as the Federation's most sexually advanced race, and outsiders regard tales of incredible physical rapture and emotional pain with trepidation. For Deltans, the connection between people during their most intimate moments holds a significance that nothing else can equal. The period of attraction, engagement, passion, climax and satiation brings people together physically, emotionally, intellectually and spiritually. Defenses drop, and a person's true self comes out. Deltans claim to love all their partners, because no other Federation Standard word appropriately describes the emotions that sex brings out.

Deltans take great pleasure and pride in sharing this emotion with one another and often describe themselves as loving many people. Among other Deltans, they are naturally outgoing and affectionate, freely expressing their emotions and taking great delight in caring about one another. They can exhibit such strong feelings for members of other races as well, though bitter experience taught them to treat "less-advanced" races with care. Not all people can handle the free nature of Deltan love. Time spent together can reach extreme levels of intensity and closeness. Unfortunately, Deltans learned that not everyone is ready for such relationships, nor are they ready to see their partners share such feelings with so many people.

As a result, Deltans who spend time in the company of other races learn to control their feelings and restrain their basic tendency toward openness. In fact, Deltans serving in Starfleet take oaths of celibacy to protect both themselves and other people. Not only do they seek to protect other people from the intensity of these couplings, but they also need to protect themselves from the pain they cause. Hurting other people via this most important act creates real grief and pain in Deltans.

The oath of celibacy proves to be a real burden for Deltans who take it. It cuts them off from their most important way of connecting with other people and the emotional support it provides. Deltans who take the oath find they have a hard time forming emotional bonds with others. Many Deltans cease all casual contact with other people in order to avoid any temptation to violate their vow. Others hide all their feelings, afraid that the slightest emotion might endanger themselves and others. Some Deltans find such a sacrifice almost impossible, but others see it as strangely appealing.

Indeed, a number of sociologists say martyrdom runs through Deltan society. Sexuality makes up an essential part of their adult lives, with the emphasis being on how well they can please their partners. Some Deltans willingly deny their own pleasure in their quest to fulfill others. They focus so intently on pleasing whoever they are with that their own physical needs become secondary. Most Deltans feel this lessens the experience, however, and expect their partners to enjoy themselves as much as they do.

Physiology and Appearance

Deltans bear a strong similarity to humans, though they have slighter frames. Most have little hair on their bodies or heads, though not all are bald. Some maintain a small layer of soft, short hair on their heads. Their skin colors run the same gamut as Humans'. Deltans mature a little faster than Humans, but they do not live as long. That is not their primary difference, however.

Deltans made sexuality the core of their culture years ago, but some observers say they had no choice. Their pheromone production is so active that those around them may become aroused without any understanding of why. Deltans cannot just turn this pheromone production on and off. It only begins when they themselves become at least somewhat excited. When Deltans group together, this pheromone production can build to the point where everyone around them becomes aware of it—and involved in it.

This does not only happen when Deltans become sexually aroused. Fear, anger and other strong emotions can spark it as well. These pheromones draw attention to the Deltan, and those who have already taken note of the Deltan become more interested, sometimes to the point of obsession. This is good when the Deltan plans on reciprocating but can turn dangerous otherwise.

Deltan pheromone production also magnifies the entire sexual act. As Deltans become more aroused, their pheromone production accelerates. Their partners soon find that this heightens their own sensitivity. The slightest touch turns into a symphony of pleasure, and a kiss feels like the focus of the entire world. Deltan sex tends to be both passionate and languid, with participants taking a long time to enjoy their partners' bodies and reactions.

Most Deltans share a common language (Deltan), but many variations exist of it. In fact, many consider it bad form for people to use the same phrases and terms in business that they would use in bed. While they would use the same language, they speak in softer tones, using sweeter words and more emotive phrases. Deltans also use Federation Standard, although they find that the language lacks many subtexts and nuances. Deltan language typically includes heavy components of body language, and a Deltan will occasionally "read" someone by posture.

Homeworld

Even before joining the Federation, Delta IV gained renown as a cosmopolitan world. Gleaming cities filled with towering spires and full domed structures dot its surface. Since social interaction makes up a primary part of Deltan lives, meeting places pack their cities. Music clubs, discussion halls, restaurants, shopping centers and other buildings draw Deltans as much for the chance to meet others as for their other enticements.

The world also offers plenty of natural attractions as well. Since most Deltans prefer to live in close proximity to each other, they never developed large areas of the planet. Lush forests, jagged mountains and deep valleys give many parts of Delta IV a wild, untamed look that attracts visitors almost as much as do the pleasure-filled cities. Much of Delta IV boasts fiercely rough ocean of the tropical variety; Deltans evolved along forested and jungle island chains and small continents.

History and Culture

Deltan culture tends to be highly cooperative, though at times their passions cause division and conflict. Some anthropologists speculate that their pheromone production developed to help spur cooperation, but note that it can also make Deltans extremely aggressive. Throughout their history, Deltans maintained strong social groups and ties. While conflicts split these groups much like they did on Earth, Deltans rarely stooped to warfare—their naturally emphatic nature made physical conflict painful for all partners.

Sports play a prominent role in Deltan life, though some observers feel that sex is Delta IV's favorite team sport. Most sporting events take very little time, with individual athletic competitions like track and field holding the same popularity as team sports. The most popular game on the planet bears strong similarities to Earth soccer, though with more use of the hands.

Cooperation plays as large a role in other areas as it does in sports. Delta IV's industry and agriculture tend toward large projects handled by scores of people. Universities are also well-established, with hundreds of students taking classes together and joining in feverish discussions. Children, however, play little role in a Deltan's day-to-day life. Until they begin generating the pheromones that mark them as achieving adulthood, mature Deltans pay them little heed. Indeed, teachers and childcare professionals often illustrate the Deltans martyrdom complex, since they spend so much time with those who cannot stimulate them the way adults can.

The arts also seem to emphasize the people's social nature, with plays, performances and music proving more popular than the visual arts or cinema. Holoprogramming, while available on Delta IV, never caught on here as much as it did throughout the rest of the Federation—possibly because Deltan sensitivity to emotions and pheromones doesn't receive stimulation from holographic technology.

Deltan Sensuality

Most renowned for their sexual nature, Deltans consider themselves a highly sexually evolved species. They have no taboos regarding sexual behavior and find such constraints "backwards" and "uncivilized." Nevertheless, for the sake of amity, they do try to reign in their habits when among the less-open species of the Federation and the galaxy at large. Indeed, many Deltans feel a strong sense of pity for species like Humans who lack strong emphatic ties and pheromones; the Deltans feel that such species are, in a sense, blind to the full depths of sexual communion.

A combination of genetics and environment shaped Deltan sexual behavior. Communities forming on islands or small landmasses had to work together with their limited space. Combined with natural empathy and the strong emotional bonds fostered through their own natural pheromones, the Deltans took quickly to cooperation, extended families and communal lifestyles without much conflict or competitiveness. Indeed, pleasing one's fellows became a key factor in helping oneself—any Deltan who felt sad, ill or lonely in a community immediately broadcasts this discomfort to all nearby members, who naturally intervened to bring back a sense of well-being and interpersonal harmony. Sexuality, as a form of both closeness, physical euphoria and emotional bonding, was an outgrowth of such behaviors.

Sex also takes on an important role in politics. An old Earth saying has it that "Politics make strange bed-fellows," but Deltans see nothing strange in political opponents sharing a bed. Indeed, they expect it. Many political deals have resulted from political adversaries spending an evening together, giving into their passions, and then working through the differences as they relax in each other's arms. This pillow talk is an excellent opportunity to understand another person's real hopes and fears.

Pillow talk represents another reason for the oath of celibacy. Deltans understand that his is a time of incredible closeness and use it to truly familiarize themselves with their partners. Other races do not use this period anywhere near as extensively as do the Deltans, and they often reveal more about themselves than they wanted. When Deltans act on this new knowledge, aliens often feel deeply betrayed. Since such close communion represents such an important part of Deltan communication, they do not find it easy to limit it with aliens.

The period after sex, whether it involves politicians or not, has attained storied prominence in Deltan society. While many cultures celebrate the events leading up to sex, be it seduction, the hunt, or something else, the period of relaxation that follows sex probably has more written about it than does any intellectual closeness once the physical and emotional ones have been established. In fact, an old Deltan proverb refers to foreplay as creating the emotional tie, sex the physical tie, afterplay the intellectual tie, and the whole experience the spiritual tie.

Notable Deltans

Ilia, the navigator on the first voyage of the refit U.S.S. Enterprise, had also worked closely with the Starfleet teams assigned to Delta IV after the Deltans became full members of the Federation in 2259. She formed a strong attachment to Captain William Decker, with whom she was reported "missing in action" after the Enterprise encountered the V'Ger probe in 2271. Her example further cemented Deltan-Human friendship.

Niro, the Deltan sage who guided the planet through its tumultuous decades from first contact with the Andorians in 2182 to Federation membership, developed the Oath of Celibacy and wrote much of the Deltans' modernized legal code. He was also a gifted poet and sexual artist.

Encounters

Deltans appear throughout Federation space, though very few join Starfleet. If they do not take the vow of celibacy, then they tend to be gregarious and popular. They often find themselves surrounded by friends and associates who find their company strangely stimulating. Deltans often travel on ships primarily crewed by other Deltans, exploring the universe in the company of similar souls.

By the 24th century, Deltan protocols with other species in the Federation were well established. The Oath of Celibacy is relaxed somewhat due to growing cultural exchange and understanding. Along with Betazoids, the Deltans are key in establishing the position of ship's counselor.

El-Aurians

Personality

The El-Aurians have a reputation as a race of listeners. Listening, to the El-Aurians, is an active process. Good listeners learn to draw out their conversation partners, getting past expressed concerns to unearth fundamental difficulties. Good listeners rarely solve other people's problems, instead helping them to find their own solutions. These traits combine with the El-Aurians' natural sense of the ebb and flow of space-time to make a placid, observant race that harmoniously watches the goings on of the universe without feeling a driving need to control or shape the galaxy around them. El-Aurians follow in the wake of destiny, and while they may not create great things, they are almost always present at important beginnings.

The El-Aurian talent for listening may well stem from their exceptionally long lives. A very healthy and robust race, El-Aurians live well in excess of 700 human years. While one might think that in that time they had heard it all, El-Aurians find other people's problems and situations endlessly fascinating. They usually have a wealth of experience from which to draw, and they look forward to the chance to add more.

Some also say that the El-Aurian's fabled loneliness contributes to their ability and desire to listen. The Borg destroyed the El-Aurian homeworld in the late 23rd century, scattering the race throughout the galaxy. El-Aurians rarely gather in large numbers any more, and some believe they do this out of fear that another catastrophe could leave their race on the edge of extinction. Lacking companionship of their own kind, they seek out whatever camaraderie they can find. Becoming known as a good listener is an excellent way to gain new associates.

Just because El-Aurians willingly listen to those who come to them does not mean they take these people as friends, however. El-Aurians are friendly with many but friends with few. They may have earned a reputation as great listeners, but they rarely reveal as much as they learn. Some people joke that the El-Aurians had to become great listeners since they almost never say anything. Even those people an El-Aurian claims as friends rarely learn much about her.

El-Aurians usually reserve their respect for those people who exhibit as much common sense as they do—a rare breed, considering most people do not have as long as El-Aurians do to learn from their mistakes. While El-Aurians can listen to anyone about anything, they demonstrate little tolerance for stupidity. Acting foolishly in their presence is a sure way to find oneself quietly shunned.

This intolerance for mistakes may also stem from their world's destruction. Though this happened in the 23rd century, even a hundred years later many El-Aurians remember it personally. Almost all the survivors lost friends and family in its destruction. This mass catastrophe left the race shaken and anxious, afraid of losing what they have left. It also contributed to their reticence at letting people close to them, since they have already lost so many people important to them. Any long-lived race faces this dilemma, since so many of their friends die before them, but the destruction of the El-Aurian homeworld made their losses that much more severe.

Many El-Aurians also manifest personality quirks that other races might term dementia. These include obsessing on individuals, seeking to recreate their pasts at any costs, and imaginary friends with whom they speak throughout their lives. Some people even refer to the El-Aurians' reticence at divulging information about themselves an obsession. No one knows whether these stem from the El-Aurians' past trauma, their long lives, or some other source.

Physiology and Appearance

El-Aurians have so many similarities to Humans that they successfully and covertly lived on Earth long before Humanity realized it. Their height, weight, skin, musculature, skeletal structure, and even internal organs require that observers know about their differences before noticing them. El-Aurian evolution and genetic manipulation made all these more efficient, however, and contribute to their longevity.

El-Aurians rarely fall ill, and their bodies can survive years of abuse and hard living. Their immune systems seem almost intelligent, targeting only those foreign bodies that can actually hurt the El-Aurian and ignoring benign ones. This also makes them more resistant to poisons, though by no means immune.

One significant El-Aurian difference comes in their time sense., which many consider a real "sixth sense." Not only can El-Aurians easily track the passage of time, but they can detect aspects of it invisible to other observers. They quickly become aware of disruptions in the flow of time, and, while they may not understand the nature of the problem, they can easily determine if they are getting closer to or farther from the disruption, both physically and temporally. Federation scientists do not understand the source of this sixth sense, nor have the El-Aurians allowed them to study it in depth, but it has revealed itself most prominently in individuals exposed to the nexus energy ribbon phenomenon.

Homeworld

The Borg destroyed the El-Aurian homeworld in the late 23rd century as part of an attempt to destroy the race. The Federation has never determined why the Borg sought to destroy this race instead of assimilating it, theorizing that the El-Aurians pose some sort of real threat to the alien collective. While some think this might have to do with the El-Aurian time sense, others note that Borg hostilities lessened after destroying the El-Aurian homeworld. This would imply that the Borg feared the El-Aurians as a group, not as a scattered race, or that some property of the El-Aurian homeworld itself was in danger to the collective.

History and Culture

The loss of the El-Aurian homeworld also destroyed most of their culture. They became a refugee race, traveling the galaxy in search of safety. Most of their art, industry, and history disappeared in the attack, causing a loss that xenoanthropologists still bemoan. The El-Aurians scattered throughout the galaxy and now reside within the Federation, the Klingon Empire, and wherever they can find homes.

The destruction also manifested itself in other problems for the race. Many El-Aurians sought to escape back to their past, either recreating their old lives through holoprograms, using artificial means to forget, or even trying to change the course of time itself. Eventually, most realized the futility of such efforts, but some become obsessed. Other El-Aurians look on these demented few with pity made all the more personal by the realization that these fixations could have happened to any of them. Strangely, El-Aurians tend to treat their personality quirks as strengths, not character flaws. Such fixations and pastimes help to deal with an otherwise long and traumatic existence.

El-Aurians have little problem inserting themselves into new cultures, finding acceptance almost everywhere they go. Their wisdom and ability to lend an ear seem welcome among all cultures. El-Aurians adapt easily to their new homes, learning new ways and manners with ease. Their long lives also mean that they see cultural forces come and go, change and evolve, and either disappear as fads or stay as cultural norms. Changes barely phase them. Young El-Aurians inherit this detachment, emulating their elders' own indifference to fluctuations in society.

El-Aurians can even adapt to other cultures' family structures, though they tend to follow many of their own practices here. Since they live so long, few expect to have the same partners throughout their entire lives. El-Aurian women tend to have many children over the course of their lives, and they stay fertile for centuries. The destruction of El-Auria caused many women to try to have more children as a way to repopulate their culture, though the sorrow struck others so deeply that intimacy became a problem. They also lost the desire to bring more children into a universe that could manifest such horror.

Families do not hold the same importance to El-Aurians that they do for other races. Even the most dutiful child or loving sibling drifts away through the course of centuries, and few El-Aurians look to their families as their primary support structure. Nevertheless, El-Aurians take their family responsibilities very seriously, and most feel that they must pass their wisdom on to their children. At the very least, they have to teach them to listen well.

Encounters

Most surviving El-Aurians make their home in the Alpha and Beta quadrants. There they take on a variety of roles, most of which involve regular contact with other people. Many of their activities put them in an entrepreneurial role, often running their own business. This allows them to interact with other people without having to follow their commands. Even in Starfleet, El-Aurians tend to end up in positions that give them a great deal of flexibility in what they do.

El-Aurians are known as a separate species in the 24th century, although the Federation still considers them a minor footnote—mostly because they don't do anything to stand out, and the lack of homeworld rates them as a "transient species."

Grazerites

Personality

Grazerites are optimistic and placidly confident, with high self-esteem. They make few snap decisions, being thoughtful and contemplative by nature. Grazerites are hard to anger, and seldom show it openly even if furious. Grazerites prefer consensus to conflict, and are distressed by others' unhappiness. Extremely patient and highly resistant to boredom, Grazerites excel at tasks requiring a long attention span and close detail work.

Physical Description

Grazerites are heavily-built humanoids, but not unusually so. Their thick hide has a flat layer of hair all over it, usually amber in color, but white, beige, and black Grazerites exist, as do piebald or mottled ones. Grazerite facial features include a pronounced, deeply furrowed brow and a bovine snout. Two slightly curving horns, which may reach four inches in length, crown their skull. (Current fashion calls for a tight-fitting cloth cowl to cover the horns.)

Grazerites speak Grazerite and Federation Standard.

Homeworld

The planet Vacca III, a planet of large, flat continents and temperate climate orbiting a yellow dwarf star surrounded by a pinkish hydrogen "halo." This halo cuts much of the harmful radiation from Vacca, while increasing solar heating; Vacca is a warm, fertile, clement world.

Culture

The basic social unit among the Grazerites is the upsol, a conglomeration of anywhere from a hundred to five hundred individuals who work, relax, eat, and ruminate together. They are often related to one another by blood, but upsols consisting entirely of unrelated individuals also exist, and behave no differently than their more common counterparts. Grazerite life centers on the group, not the individual; privacy, for example, is a concept unknown to them except as a topic in one of Vacca III's prestigious Outworld Cooperation Symposia (the equivalent of academies for Grazerite diplomats, starship crew, and scientists).

The upsol plays the primary role in raising, tutoring, and sheltering of Grazerite children. Although Grazerites usually retain some affection for their blood parents, all adult members of the upsol share equally in child-raising duties. Herds of adult Grazerites carefully shelter the young from even the minimal dangers of Vacca III, and shower them with love, food, and affection. Grazerites grow up emotionally secure and certain of the benign nature of the universe. With the birth of their first child, Grazerite parents attain full citizenship, and can participate in their own upsol's deliberations and in Vacca III's consensus democracy. Like all important Grazerite occasions, a communal ritual involving the entire upsol marks first-birth.

Grazerites enjoy thinking and talking together, as agreement comes easily. Grazerite debates, such as they are, resemble long-winded rodomontades in which each speaker agress with the last while slightly restating and refining the previous arguments. Grazerites can while away endless hours in this fashion, never getting bored, solemnly agreeing with each other for hours while jointly ambling toward a consensus. Their self-image as scintillating converstionalists is not shared by other species, but they prosper in Federation governmental circles.

Notable Grazerites

Grazerite psychologist Dalig-Bentor heads up the counselor program at Starfleet Academy. His pioneering work in the connections between group and individual psychology have overturned academic though on Vacca III and in the rest of the galaxy.

Humans

Personality

It can be difficult to speak of a single Human personality, for as soon as you make a generalization, someone comes along who shatters it. Their dual natures puzzle most other alien species. The Human psyche has great capacity for evil, displaying incredible violence, cruelty, and self-centeredness. Humans can be ruled by their passions—anger, fear, loneliness, greed, and desire. Yet, they display an equal capacity for what some have called the better angles of their nature. Courageous, altruistic, kind-hearted, curious—these are just some of the words used to describe humanity.

If indeed Humanity can be stereotyped, it can be said that they are insatiably curious, principled, and friendly. They seek out what lies beyond the farthest horizon just to see it, and search for answers wherever there are questions. They stand by their principles, even in adversity, and fight tenaciously to defend them. But over all, Humans are outgoing, eager to make friends with anyone and share a sense of connectedness with other beings.

In many ways, Humans represent the best and worst of what any sapient species can be.

Physiology and Appearance

Humans form the baseline from which most demographers describe other species. They stand from about 1.5 to 2 meters tall, with skin color ranging from dark brown to pale pink. Their hair and eye colors likewise span the spectrum. Many aliens find the Human lack of distinctiveness not only boring, but ugly.

Humans speak Federation Standard, and language that sounds remarkably like the old Earth language English.

Homeworld

Humans hail from Earth (Terra), the third planet orbiting a type G2V star named Sol, in Sector 001. Several important installations are located in this star system—the Utopia Planitia shipyards, Jupiter Station, and Pluto Flight Control—as well as colonies on Mars and the Moon. Most importantly, Earth is the capital world of the United Federation of Planets, with the Federation Council convening in San Fransisco and the President's office located in Paris.

So many worlds are climate controlled to meet the narrow tolerances required by Humans that people often forget the diversity of Earth's environment. From the stark beauty of the Gobi desert to the lush vegetation of the Indo-Chinese jungle, from the island ecologies of Melanesia to the frozen wonder of Antarctica, Earth holds numerous biozones equal to dozens of planets.

History and Culture

Human history is marked with many dark chapters, characterized by war, hunger, disease, and want. For some 6,000 years, Humanity seemingly sought to tear itself apart, as the species struggled over economic systems, political philosophies, and national boundaries. The Eugenics War of the late 20th century occurred after genetically bred supermen quietly seized behind-the-scenes power in some forty nations, then fell to fighting amongst themselves. World War III, the third global conflict in 100-years, almost wiped out the Human race and left the planet on the verge of ecological and economic collapse. Afterward, warlords ruled pockets of civilization with an iron hand, while large swaths of the population were left to fend for themselves. It seemed as though Humanity had exhausted itself.

Zefram Cochrane

The importance of Zefram Cochrane's first faster-than-light space flight cannot be overstated. Using research he started prior to the Third World War, he constructed a prototype of his "warp drive," which solved the problem of relativistic space by "warping" space around the vessel. On the first test flight, the warp signature of Cochrane's ship attracted the notice of a passing Vulcan survey ship. Realizing that Humankind now had the capacity for interstellar travel, the Vulcans landed near Cochrane's settlement in Montana. Although he embarked on is endeavor to earn money, Cochrane instead revitalized humanity.

This first contact with extraterrestrial life sparked a remarkable recovery from the recent nuclear war. Humans once again learned to look up from their problems, to imagine the possibilities open to them.

Stunning Transformations

With new vistas to explore and new challenges to meet, the Human race rose to confront the root causes of their dark past. They begin to conquer hunger, eradicate poverty, and cure many of the diseases that plagued humanity—cancer, heart disease, diabetes. By the 24th century, this transformation of Human nature is complete. Free from suffering, want, and pain, the Human condition changed from one of strife to the true pursuit of happiness.

Alongside this social revolution came a political one, as well. The old United States of America merged with the European Hegemony and the Pan-Asian Alliance in 2113, to establish the planet's first united world government. Though dozens of countries held out (Australia was the last to join, in 2150), the drive toward political unification was inexorable. With a forum to discuss global issues and the political muscle to enact global policies, along with a dedication to democratic principles and individual freedoms, Humanity eliminated the root causes of war.

These changes culminated in the incorporation of the United Federation of Planets in 2161. After the devastating Romulan-Earth wars of 2156-60, Humans feared a return to conflict and strife, only on an intergalactic scale. Andorians, Tellarites, Vulcans—all could become potential adversaries in the same way Earth's nations contended over land and philosophies. Humanity sought to expand the principles of unity, peace, and self-determination on an interplanetary scale by forming a federation of planets. The Vulcans, Tellarites, Andorians, and Alpha Centaurans, each with histories similar to those of Earth, agreed to band together into an alliance of worlds, where differences could be aired peacefully and all would share equally in prosperity.

The United Federation of Planets would bring its message of peace, friendship, mutual respect, and freedom to dozens of worlds over the next several hundred years.

Compared to many other space-faring civilizations, Human culture is very young. Having developed over the last 25,000 years, it is a flourishing, vibrant, though some might say arrogant and naïve, civilization. When the Vulcans first encountered them, they believed Humanity to be a savage species ruled by emotions, a belief they would not shake for some time. The Tellarites thought Humans unsophisticated philosophically and politically. Many other species, though, would be amazed at Humanity's optimism, openness, and vitality.

Customs

Humans have a lot of customs, held over from ancient nation-states, religions, and ethic groups. Humans take a great deal of pride in their balkanized past. They are proud of their heritage, and many can recount where their ancestors originated from across many generations. Indian or Scots, French or American, these distinctions remain important touch-stones to the past, while not limiting their potential. Many retain their attachments to their individual ancestries; they enjoy their regional garb and practice regional art forms, and speak thousands of languages and dialects. In short, Humans celebrate their diversity, while remaining distinctively Human.

Exploration and Innovation

Humans are seemingly consumed by a desire to see what's behind the next horizon, to climb every mountain, to plant their feet on virgin ground. And when asked why, their answer is simply "because it's there." From the first raft of lashed-together logs that set off from a nameless shore for parts unknown, the Human experience has been one of exploration. Explorers like Amerigo Vaspucci, Magellan, and Marco Polo braved the unknown in their quest to travel to unexplored parts of the globe—and are celebrated heroes to this day. And when they had spread across their world, they looked to the stars.

Humans don't believe it when they're told "it can't be done." Heavier than air flight was considered impossible, until the Wright Brothers launched their fragile airplane. Traveling faster than the speed of sound was thought impossible, until that was done, too. Sending Humans to the moon and getting them back safely wasn't feasible, until Neil Armstrong took his first steps. Superluminal space flight was once thought science fiction, until Zefram Cochrane broke the light barrier.

These twin impulses, common in Human society, led them to fling themselves into space. The moon shots of the United States in the 1960s, the Voyager space probe program, the Jupiter missions, and the launch of the Enterprise are all steps on an unstoppable march into space. Humans are confident they can do anything, and that it's their destiny to go where no one has gone before.

Notable Humans

Doctor Leonard McCoy, Chief Medical Officer of the U.S.S. Enterprise, represents humanity's capacity for caring, compassion, and self-sacrifice. Known to his friends as "Bones," he repeatedly risked his own life to provide medical care to anyone who needed it, including people who wished him ill. Intolerant of regulations, procedures, customs, or orders that inhabited his ability to do his job, he always stood up for the dignity and rights of all sentient beings.

Enconters

From isolated dilithium mines to far-flung colony worlds, Humans can be encountered under almost any circumstances in almost any environment. Even in their early days of space exploration, Humans seem to have a knack for finding trouble or hard-to-reach places.

After two hundred years in space, humanity is involved in intergalactic politics on a grand scale. They make peace with the Klingon Empire and maintain a stalemate with the Romulans, although new threats arise—the Cardassians. More and more, Humans become embroiled in thorny issues requiring deft handling and subtle negotiations.

Napeans

Personality

Napeans strike outsiders as dour and reticent. As a race, they are still grappling with their empathic powers, which they gained only recently in their evolution. Without intending to, they read the emotions of others. This makes them cautious about revealing their feelings to non-empaths, as they worry that they may be tainted by things they are not supposed to know.

Physiology and Appearance

Napeans are humanoids with putty-colored skin and a large, leaf-shaped bone ridge that runs down from the crown of their high foreheads to the top of te nose. A tiny, egg-shaped organ near the base of the brain, created as a mutation by an experiment in genetic engineering, receives empathic signals and communicates them to the brain proper.

Napeans speak Napea, a choppy, harsh-sounding language.

Homeworld

The Napeans have terraformed their homeworld of Napea to a state of conformity that strikes many outsiders as obsessive. Each continental land mass has been reengineered so that it consist of 70 percent flat, arable plains and 20 percent rolling hills, which are also suitable for agriculture and pastoral grazing. The remaining 10 percent is devoted to the whims of those fortunate enough to own large tracts of it. So Napea does have mountains, canyons, waterfalls and other such spectacular features, but they are all artificially created, just like the planet's overall design. The Napeans have also engineered their weather to flatten out all seasonal variations. Precipitation falls in predetermined amounts in predetermined places according to need and the temperature never strays far from 20 degrees Celsius.

History and Culture

Napea was once a hostile place for advanced life forms. Volatile weather and geology made natural catastrophes frequent occurrences. The idea that Nature is an enemy to be fought and tamed has therefore been part of the Napeans' collective consciousness since their prehistory. When their race came of age technologically, mastering their environment became both a possibility and an urgent priority. Within a century, they mastered sophisticated terraforming and weather control techniques that would make their past hardscrabble life a distant memory.

As the prosperity that came with an absolutely stable environment settled in, however, so did widespread boredom. With the struggle for basic survival no longer an outlet for their energies, it seemed that Napeans began to turn on each other out of sheer anomie. In their major cities, rioting and other violent crime became common pastimes, especially among the young.

At this point, scientist Iwane Opuh began investigating mutated pathogens as a way of modifying their behavior to, in effect, "cure" violence. Opuh developed a virus that caused a mutation in the Napean genetic structure; this mutation produced an organ embedded in the brain that granted them empathic ability. If Napeans were forced to understand how others felt, he reasoned, they would stop killing each other. In 2216, without prior approval from any higher authority, Opuh released his creation into the air, forcing his designed mutation on the planet's entire population.

Not all Napeans approved of Opuh's action and he went into hiding soon thereafter, never to be heard from again. But it worked. All Napean children born since then have empathic ability, and Napean society quickly stabilized to the point where their political and scientific development could resume. In 2290 Napean scientists developed a warp drive, and in 2320 they became members of the Federation.

Society

Napeans still grapple with Iwane Opuh's double-edged gift to them. While their empathic powers have forged social stability, they also struggle to suppress negative emotions and embarrassing feelings. This is quite impossible among their own kind, but they try anyway, since absolute emotional transparency has a way of straining familial and social relationships.

Their history has taught Napeans to place great faith in advanced technology as a way to solve serious problems. Having learned to see the natural world as hostile, they don't understand conservationists objections to re-sculpting the environment. However, the idea of genetically altering life forms appalls them; this, too, stems from their collective history. They feel deep amdivalence toward Iwane Opuh's legacy, and their popular culture has turned him into an almost supernatural figure. No firm reports of his death have ever surfaced, and rumors exist that he invented an immortality elixir and yet lives. Dozens of sightings of Opuh are reported every year, although most are pure hoaxes and the rest are otherwise dubious.

Regulans

Personality

The average Regulan is calm, collected, and strongly individualistic. Regulans dislike crowding, dirt, noise, and disputatiousness. Some Regulans can seem finicky or prickly to outsiders, and they remain non-demonstrative of even strong friendships. However, many Regulans put a veneer of flirtatiousness or banter over this private core, especially when dealing with non-Regulans.

Physical Description

Regulans are slightly slimmer in the hips and chest than Humans, but well-muscled on their lighter frames. Regulans closely resemble Terran felines, with flat noses, fore-mounted eyes, tufted ears, prominent canine teeth, long tails, and sleek fur ranging from deep black to tawny. Female Regulans tend to have longer manes than males.

Regulans speak Regulan Standard and Federation Standard.

Homeworld

From their home planet of Regulus V, Regulans have settled a number of colony worlds, including Asref IV, 15 Lyncis II, Regulus III and La'ven III. Regulans from any of these worlds can serve in Starfleet.

Culture

Regulans evolved from arboreal predators with many similarities to the smaller Earth feline species such as ocelots or jaguars. Early Regulans spent their whole lives on the move, prowling across hundreds of square kilometers of forest and plain. Regulan society evolved as a loose confederation of matrilinear clans, meeting at specific locations for mining, government, and other relatively fixed functions. Regulan civilization advanced much slower than Earth's, since the Regulans lacked the "trooping instinct" that Earthly primates had. The Regulans acquired star drives from a failed invasion by an aggressive species millennia ago, during their late industrial era. Although it killed hundreds of thousands of Regulans, the war with the Kodom allowed them to bootstrap their technology without overpopulating and devastating their planet's ecosystem.

Their cultural insistence on low population densities (and the fear of a follow-up attack) caused the Regulans to spread out over a number of planets almost immediately after the war; Regulans made first contact with a number of races, including the Orions and the Ferengi, during this exciting "frontier era." When Regulan and Federation ships first met in 2249, it only took a few years of discussion for seventeen of the twenty Regulan colony worlds to accompany Regulus V into full Federation membership. Regulans merged their Regulan Sky Navy with the Federation's Starfleet, and have continued to provide a disproportionate number of Starfleet's most intrepid explorers and fighting captains ever since.

Notable Regulans

Admiral S'rrel became one of the first Regulans to join Starfleet, working his way up the chain of command serving both as Regulan Ambassador to Earth and full-time Starfleet officer. He encouraged other Regulans to join up, and was famous for placing Regulan communications officers onto front-line starships. Many of "S'rrel's get" later served as Regulan ambassadors themselves to planets they first visited as shipboard officers. S'rrel remained a strong supporter of Starfleet in his later years on the Federation Council.

M'morr is 15 Lyncis' best-known archaeologist, and famous in Federation historical circles for her unorthodox theories and for her absolute fearlessness in hunting down proof of some ancient culture or bizarre legend. She specializes in new discoveries, often handing off immense finds to junior scholars for cataloging and publication.

Tellarites

Personality

Tellarites tend to have personality extremes, be they extremes of happiness, irritability, heroism, passivity, or anything else. Other members of the Federation find this tendency amusing, irritating and often bizarre, but the Tellarites' many good qualities more than make up for it. For instance, a Tellarite diplomat might get so involved in arguing that some people only think of him as a nonstop debater. Only later do they realize that his questions and counterpoints often make them consider problems in new ways and develop unique solutions.

Such behavior might also stem from the Tellarites' hatred of the unexplained. Tellarites who find themselves confused or out of place may ask more questions about the situation than would a three-year-old Human. This need to know serves them well in their professions, especially for those who become engineers and scientists. It also means they spend large amounts of time working on problems that other people consider inconsequential. While such tendencies can be annoying, they also make the Tellarites ideal for problems that require fastidiousness and attention to detail.

While Tellarites can run to extremes of cheerfulness, jocularity, enthusiasm and the like, they rarely become incredibly indolent. Despite their girth and pig-like appearance, they are physically active by proclivity. Naturally energetic, they take great pride in accomplishment, no matter how minor that accomplishment might be. Like most beings, they enjoy having their achievements recognized, though vanity does not rule their race.

Tellarites especially admire deeds that help ensure their own security. Tellarite's rarely enjoy finding themselves at the whims of chance. They always want a backup plan, like to know that someone else is watching their backs, and hate to operate without a safety net. Part of the reason they so willingly embraced the Federation was the additional security it could provide them. Some say this also helps explain their desire for extreme levels of detail—they hate the unknown, no matter how little it may be.

Their obsession with detail also shows itself in how they set up their administrations and bureaucracy. Tellarite bureaucrats can prove nightmarish for those who don't know how to deal with them, insisting that every form get filled out properly and go through the proper channels. However, Tellarite bureaucrats often know what those channels are and, unlike many other bureaucrats, rarely try to pass the buck. A good listener can quickly sift through Tellarite bureaucracy simply because their instructions are accurate and their bureaucrats accountable.

Physiology and Appearance

While Humans may not find Tellarites beautiful, they take great pride in their swinish appearances. A light fur covers their short, stout bodies, and they can grow very full beards and lush heads of hair. These beards do nothing to obscure their porcine-like snouts, however; and these upturned noses do more to contribute to their similarity to Terran pigs than does anything else. The Tellarite snout proved an asset on Tellar's thinner atmosphere, however, Tellarite blood runs rich with oxygen. This helps explain their much-vaunted endurance, which enables them to work longer (and argue louder) than others.

Their deep-set eyes, smooth skin, short fur and abundant hair run the gamut of colors, and they take such pride in their natural colors that they rarely use dyes. Whatever their skin color, they tend to take on a reddish hue due to their higher blood pressure and bright red blood.

Descended from a Tellar mammal with similarities to Terran apes, boars and groundhogs, they share features with all of these. They have fewer fingers than humans, and their digits tend to be much larger, but they can maneuver these with a surprising dexterity. Their ancestors left them with a well-defined fatty area around their midsections, and Tellarites can live off this area for a long time, if need be. They still eat and drink a great deal, though their body tends to quickly burn through the effects of alcohol. Omnivorous, Tellarites enjoy eating a wide range of plants and animals, including more than a few that make Humans ill. Alien cuisines catch on easily on Tellar, and the planet even hosts Klingon-style restaurants.

Tellarites speak their own common language, Tellarite, as well as Federation Standard. Most Tellarites learn both languages, though Tellar sees less and less use. Most concepts have multiple words related to it, with each of those words emphasizing some other part of the concept. This enables Tellarites to explain the smallest details of an idea and split the tiniest hairs while arguing.

Homeworld

Life thrived on Tellar despite an atmosphere slightly thinner than Earth's. Tellarites never went in for the teeming metropolises that cover Earth, and much of the planet's natural environments still survive. Beautiful forests, teeming jungles and clean waters cover much of the planet. Part of the reason Tellarites left so much of Tellar's surface unchanged was their development of subterranean habitats. Descended from a burrowing animal, many Tellarites prefer the comfort of an underground den.

Tellarite communities dot the planet, often developed in such a way as to meld into the natural surroundings. Exceptions to this rule do exist, however, and Tellar's largest cities include architectural wonders that attract visitros from across the Federation.

History and Culture

Prior to their encounters with Starfleet and the other founding members of the Federation, the Tellarites had already struggled their way through planetary divisiveness to space travel. Unlike other worlds where resource acquisition or territoriality led to warfare, the Tellarites fought primarily over intellectual concepts—almost like religious warfare, but without the spiritual underpinnings. Tellarite engineers, with their species' tendency to see patterns and mechanics in all things, proposed the creation of mathematically-generated, regimented forms of language, bureaucracy, and government. Different factions adopted elements of these artificial cultures, but also battled over who had the most efficient "social technology." With their typical pig-headnedness, though, Tellarite citizens refused this call and instead settled on older, historically-recorded linguistics, vocabularies and cultural activities. This "throwback culture" then used these elements as a basis for redefining technological living; the Tellarite engineers and scientists recast their inventions in the mold of an agreed-upon standard. Individual citizens showed that debate and divisiveness were central to healthy government, and refused to participate in the carefully-machined state engines of the era. Within four generations, state divisions had crumbled so far that a de-facto world government emerged simply because cultural and national boundaries no longer existed. Tellarite engineers fashioned early warp drive and soon met the Vulcans, Humans and other nearby species.

Tellarites often demonstrate a marked caution about the world around them. They despise unexplained phenomena and take pains to make things fit into their meticulous worldviews. In their quest for knowledge, though, they travel the length and breadth of the Federation as merchants, tourists, engineers and members of Starfleet. Some earn stellar reputations for honesty while others become known as rogues, with most Tellarites falling in between.

Thanks to their insatiable curiosity coupled with an eye for detail, Tellarites excel at managing business ventures and are among the first to voice enthusiasm for exploring strange, unknown places. Even while traveling, however, they try to learn everything they can about a place before visiting it. If they discover a new world, they prefer exhaustive sensor scans before setting foot on it. They hate dealing with new races until they've learned how the race's culture and physiology fit into the scheme of things.

Consequently, Tellar's libraries gained renown for the comprehensive nature of their collections. If one has materials on a subject, then it probably has a plethora. Finding exactly the data one needs may take a long time, but one of the books or computers surely has it. Many Tellarites enjoy feeling that they contributed to their race's knowledge, and they send reams and reams of their studies to these repositories. Much of the data may appear useless, but Tellarites like to know all the facts. Given their enthusiasm for debate and discourse, Tellarites often put seemingly contradictory materials and studies side-by-side with equal weight; one must view all sides of a problem, the Tellarites believe, to arrive at a solution appropriate for all approaches.

In fact, Tellar prides itself on having everything a person could need somewhere on (or in) it. Visitors joke that the planet's massive bureaucracy exists primarily so Tellarites can keep track of where they left things. Tellarites hate to discard anything that might prove useful, but they do not let it clutter up their lives. They store old objects in museums and storage facilities with comprehensive records; should a need for some cast-away item surface, it's usually a simple matter to track down.

Notable Tellarites

Tarnoc, the political scientist and diplomat who helped draft the Federation Constitution in 2160, also helped ratify it on his homeworld. His debating skills remain the stuff of Tellarite tall tales and children's stories to this day, and his absolute and unflinching personal integrity continues to inspire even adult Tellarites of all types.

Gnarr began his career as a spaceframe designer, and eventually became head of Starfleet's space design team after Tellar joined the Federation. Frustrated at the weaknesses of conventional metals, he eventually led the team that first refined duranium from pollarium. Since Tellarite companies owned almost all the pollarium mines in the quadrant, he also made Tellar immensely wealthy. Engineer, metallurgist, and financier, he typifies the Tellarite dream.

Encounters

Tellarites make their homes throughout Federation space, though they tend to associate primarily with their own kind. This has less to do with any racism on their part as it does with many other races' exasperation at their pig-headed nature.

Many Tellarites work as engineers and merchants, travelling the galaxy in search of interesting work and good money. They make good soldiers, though a few commanders lose their tempers in the face of relentless Tellarite questions.

Tiburonese

Personality

Tiburonese project an easy-going, sensual, hedonistic image. Tiburonese enjoy respect without formality, and honor those with open minds. However, their desires can easily become drives; a dedicated, single-minded Tiburonese is far from the contradiction in terms it might seem.

Physical Description

Tiburonese are taller-than-average humanoids, ranging in color from reddish tan to pale golden. Some Tiburonese have faint stripes on the back of their heads, hands, and legs. Tiburonese have large, elaborately flanged ears and sport a row of tiny, bony protrusions running across the head and down the neck. Many, though not all, Tiburonese of both sexes shave all body hair; others trim their into elaborate styles.

Tiburonese speak Tiburonese and Federation Standard.

Homeworld

Tiburonese are hybrids of the natives of Tiburon and those of Ucal, another Class-M planet in the same system. Both planets have completely interbred.

Culture

The highly technological society of the Tiburonese is a direct outgrowth of alien conquest. The warlike, authoritarian Ucali conquered the pastoral inhabitants of the planet Tiburon in a war for resources fourteen centuries ago. The Spartan elites of the Ucali ruled Tiburon with cruelty, allowing the infamous butcher Zora to conduct atrocities in the name of "genetic experimentation" on the Tiburonese populace. However, the nativ Tiburonese cleverly subverted their captors, tempting them into pleasure, gratification, and eventually decadence. The Ucali finally underwent a total cultural meltdown; their young military cadets and elite soldiers refused to follow the orders of a corrupt regime that no longer practiced the stern asceticism it preached. During a period of anarchy, the Tiburonese population interbred with the Ucali, removing the problem and ending the caste system the Ucali had enforced.

Although the Tiburonese rejected science for centuries, they were forced to maintain an intricate technical infrastructure to keep their planet alive after its looting and devastation by the Ucali. The work of Neprin and others led to a culture and economy heavily dependent on robots and labor-saving devices, freeing the Tiburonese themselves to pursue only joy and pleasure. The brilliant acoustic physicist Dr. Sevrin rebelled against this insulated culture, claiming that over-reliance on technology had weakened the Tiburonese. It does seem to have suppressed their immune systems; the incurable and deadly disease synthococcus novae infects hundreds of thousands of Tiburonese.

Fortunately, Tiburonese high technology remains well able to control any problems it may have created (Dr. Sevrin was, it turned out, insane), not least because the Tiburonese treat the satisfaction of curiosity as a crucial pleasure. The joys of scientific investigation and exploration animate Tiburonese culture. They also delight in subverting intolerant or authoritarian regimes. Ever since joining the Federation in 2229, Tiburonese representatives on the Council or in Starfleet constantly urge it to take a more active role in deposing despotic rulers. To many Tiburonese, there are self-evidently higher virtues than the non-interference doctrine of the Prime Directive.

Notable Tiburonese

Alari, the Tiburonese courtesan who seduced the Ucali High Suzerain in 1154, began the Grand Subversion that transformed Tiburon from an occupied planet into the soruce of all cultural trends for the system. Her precepts and proverbs guide many Tiburonese even now (if often ironically); one of the best-known is "He who can make love best, never needs to make war."

The neurochemist Neprin pioneered emotional cybernetics, practical robotics, and atmospheric reionization. His scientific principles led to the development of the orgone re-oscillator, the key device at the center of Tiburonese energetic biophysics.

Trill

Personality

Trill do not possess a stereotypical personality, except for their universal concern for the symbionts. Every Trill child grows up with the hope of being assigned a symbiont, and those joined with a symbiont guard it with their lives. Much of their society revolves around these extraordinary beings.

As with Humans, Trill personalities run the gamut from kindness to curmudgeon, openness to introspection, optimism to cynicism. They are generally open to new experiences, eager to discover more about the universe, and willing to lend a helping hand to those in need. Joined Trill in particular seem to be especially outgoing and inquisitive.

Physiology and Appearance

Outwardly, Trill appear much like Humans. They stand 1.5 to 2 meters in height, with weight ranges similar to Humans, as well. Skin tones range from light pink to olive, but no darker. Hair and eye color is almost universally dark—brown, black, as well as other shades. What distinguishes Trill from Humans or other humanoids are two rows of dark brown spots that run down their bodies from their foreheads to their heels. These are distinctive to each individual Trill, as fingerprints are to Human, or head ridges are to a Klingon.

Internally, joined Trill are distinguished by their symbiont. A cavity above the stomach holds the symbiont and provides several neurological connections for the symbiont to link up. The symbionts themselves appear as small, sightless vermiform, approximately half a meter in length.

Trill speak their own language of the same name, and Federation Standard.

Homeworld

Trill is a beautiful, Class-M planet oribing two stars, one Type A7 V (white, dim dwarf), the other Type O4 V (blue, bright dwarf). The two stars are in close orbit, with planets orbiting the center of mass. It is the sixth of nine planets, with predominantly rocky worlds in the inner orbits (planetary Class-D and -F) and Class-G "sludgeballs" in the outer orbits. By the 24th century, Starfleet established a starbase orbiting the outermost planet to provide for system defense.

The Trill homeworld is earthlike—oxygen-nitrogen atmosphere, 70% water, and a gravity of 1.1G. The planet is on average hotter than Earth, with a mean temperature of 30 degrees Celsius. The landscape consists primarily of densely packed forest, although extensive ice fields exist in the polar regions. Due to the unique chemical composition of the water, oceans on Trill are purple.

History and Culture

Trill history has been marked by a surprising lack of violence. Their annals record no wars or social upheaval, and they have experienced an unending history of peace and prosperity, largely due to the presence of the symbionts.

The First Joining

Although Trill history recounts the First Joining between host and symbiont, it says little about origins of the species. There are two theories as to the genesis of their symbiotic relationship. One suggests that the symbionts, already intellectually highly-developed, realized the limitations of their form and "invented" hominid life. By chemically manipulating amino acids and proteins found in the water combined with bioelectric discharges, they encouraged the evolution of sapient bipedal life over thousands of years. Another theory holds that humanoid Trill migrated to their current homeworld, perhaps fleeing some planetary disaster or merely seeking to colonize another world. Once on Trill, they discovered the symbionts and agreed to the peculiar arrangement they have to this day.

The Federation Era

Since the 23rd century, the Trill have been known to the Federation. During this period, a handful of Trill wandered the Galaxy as adventurers, scientists, and explorers. They remained neutral in Galactic politics, and kept the location of their homeworld a secret, to protect the symbionts from what the Trill saw as more primitive and warlike species, though they frequently offered their "good offices" to negotiate settlements between political rivals. Although Trill joined the Federation in the early 24th century, they kept the nature of symbiosis and the identity of the symbionts a secret. It was not until an emergency involving Ambassador Odan in 2367 that the Federation learned of the symbiotic relationship. This fact is not known at the beginning of the campaign.

Society

The symbiont forms the center of Trill society. They have touched every aspect of Trill culture, and society revolves around them. Rules governing marriage, the education system, the legal system—all have been designed to account for the needs of the symbionts. In fact, it is impossible to discuss Trill society independently of the symbionts.

Trill are a species of over-achievers as they all crave symbiosis with a centuries-old intellect. Federation psychologists believe that Trill somehow feel incomplete without a symbiont, that joining may be a biological impulse that gradually wears off with age. As the product of millennia of symbiosis, Trill society is highly advanced and highly sophisticated. They possess a rich trove of literature, music, and art.

The Symbiosis Commission

This body of five officials oversees all aspects regarding symbionts. While a vast bureaucracy of life scientists tend the spawning pools in the Caves of Mak'ala that hold unjoined symbionts—maintaining their temperature, the delicate chemical balance of the water, and providing sustenance—the commission screens applicants to the symbiont program. Only the best and brightest are selected to join, and even many exceptionally qualified applicants are rejected; the process is very competitive. Even those who qualify mentally and academically must also pass a physical examination, for it is widely believed that only one in a thousand Trill can join. The Commission matches the personalities and capabilities of host to symbiont to achieve the maximum benefit not only to both symbiont and Trill, but also to society.

Little known, however, is the truth, that almost half of all Trill possess the physical and mental requirements to join. No special training is required, nor do the symbionts themselves require highly-educated hosts. The Symbiosis Commission suppresses this information because there are not enough symbionts to meet demand. Were the secret to get out, the Symbiosis Commission fears social upheaval as citizens clamor to join. Thus, they maintain the fiction that symbiosis is a privilege to be earned through achievement.

Joining

For a trill to be considered eligible to join, the must undergo a rigorous training program designed to screen out those mentally, psychologically, and physically unfit. To present a suitable host for the fantastically old and educated symbionts, all Trill children attend school for much of their childhood (eight hours per day, seven days a week, for most of the year). The requirements are stringent and most who apply fail the rigorous admission exams.

When joined, a Trill undergoes an operation to implant the selected symbiont. Once joined, host and symbiont become biologically interdependent and after 93 hours neither can survive without the other. Should the symbiont be removed, the host usually dies within hours. The host experiences physical and psychological changes as his personality and that of the symbiont merge into a hybrid persona. Personality traits such as favorite food, treasured book, or handedness might change. The host gains the memories of the symbiont's past lives, and since symbionts can live for centuries, passing from host to host, it may contain the experiences of many Trill. This can be disorienting for the newly joined host, as he finds himself attracted to new "old" friends, and remembering experiences he didn't directly go through.

This new, hybrid life-form is considered to be another person under Trill law, and does not have to uphold commitments of previous hosts.

There is one strong taboo associated with joining—that of reassociation with former spouses and relatives of a previous host. Such an occurrence can be extremely disorienting for both the host and the symbiont. Loved ones have a difficult time reconciling old feelings with a new face, and can find new personality traits both confusing and upsetting. The host often feels as though his feelings have been hijacked, as he loves people he's never met and feels differently towards his own friends and family. And the symbiont is caught in the emotional storm. Joined Trill who violate this custom are ostracized, and when they die their symbiont is not passed on to another host; instead it is left to die.

Encounters

Trill make their way across the Alpha Quadrant, visiting many worlds within Federation space. A few join Starfleet to provide their considerable expertise to the cause of peaceful exploration. Rarer still are those Trill who make their way beyond the Federation's borders, into the Klingon Empire, Cardassian Union, and Tzenkethi Expanse; these Trill seek to foster amity between rivals, or simply want to learn more about the native culture.

The Trill have increased their profile in the galaxy, with more and more Trill leaving their world to explore. Trill diplomats began working with the Federation on difficult negotiations, such as those between the two moons of Peliar Zel.

Vulcans

Personality

Vulcans exalt logic over emotion, and usually repress or sublimate emotions in daily behavior. Vulcans who deal with non-Vulcans on a regular basis often maintain an almost glacial calm, possibly as self-defense against so much unguarded feeling. Among themselves, Vulcans usually seem more relaxed; Vulcan ambassadors often cultivate a kind of distant good humor and politesse. Even Vulcan ambassadors, however, have trouble predicting or depending upon the behavior of more emotional species.

Physical Description

Vulcans closely resemble Humans, with the same average height and weight. Their pointed ears are slightly larger than the Human norm, and their slanted eyebrows sometimes give them a questioning look. The inner, or nicitating, eyelid is not visible. Vulcan skin complexions range from olive to dark mahogany, with a green cast provided by their copper-based blood. The Vulcan heart rests in the lower center of the torso, surrounded and protected by highly efficient lungs.

Vulcans speak Vulcan and Federation Standard.

Homeworld

The planet Vulcan (or Ti-Valka'ain, in the Vulcan language) is the second planet of six orbiting the orange star 40 Eridani A (part of a trinary system; the other two stars are too far away to be immediately visible in Vulcan's sky). Vulcan is a harsh, desert world (barely a quarter of the surface is water) with a thin atmosphere and high (1.4 G) gravity. Vulcan's geology produces starkly upthrust mountains: craggy, inhospitable, and inspiring to the planet's ascetic logicians and mystics alike. The capital city of Vulcan, ShirKahr is a low, stark city laid out in logical grids and quarters around an ancient oasis.

History and Culture

The Vulcans possess a sophisticated, ancient culture with customs dictated by their devotion to logic. Vulcan art forms are formal and precise, intended not to evoke an emotional response but to stimulate thought or help induce a meditative mindset. Vulcans also enjoy strategy games, formal debates, and similar activities. A Vulcan must apply logic to all situations he encounters and never give in to emotion (including violent emotions). The constraints of Vulcan reproductive biology, however, make this difficult. Every seven years beginning at age 14, Vulcan males experience Ponn farr, in which the mating urge emerges with irresistible force. A Vulcan who does not mate suffers a fatal neurochemical imbalance. He may also experience plak-tow, the "blood fever," when he loses all control of his emotions and can fight and kill without hesitation. Hence, Vulcans generally bond in their preteen years, to logically select mates before the madness of Pon farr. Vulcan marriages then proceed logically in the koon-ut-kal-if-fee ceremony, only rarely resulting in ritual combat to the death.

Vulcans see violence as a waste of resources, time, and lives, and therefore illogical. If a Vulcan practices a martial art, he does so to hone his physique and discipline his mind. Above all else, Vulcans value peace and prefer to resolve differences—logically—through meditation. They are no fools, however, and when a Vulcan logically concludes that force must be met by force, he makes a formidable adversary.

Surak

Surak, the great teacher whose Awakening in 312 is the central event of Vulcan history, rejected violence in all its forms. He believed in total peace, pure logic, and ideal selflessness. Since all Vulcans know empirically that they possess a katra, or soul, ideologies of peace and life resonated with them even in Surak's era of global civil war. Vulcans applied his teachings to the formal logic of T'Plana-Hath and arrived at the philosophy of "infinite diversity in infinite combination," a delicate blend of studying the universe and aiding those who can add both diversity and spirit to it. Suc motives caused Captain Sevak to contact Earth in 2063 to welcome Humanity to the stars. Captain Sevak was a follower of the way of Jarok, who attempted to reconcile Surak's logic with the undeniable truth of emotional existence; followers of Jarok seek to embrace, understand, and thus tame their emotions rather than fighting to repress them.

Even more radically, some Vulcans have rebelled against the emotionless nature of Surak's ideal, from the warrior followers of Tellus (who left Vulcan in exile in 369 to eventually found the Romulan Empire) to Tomaris' 22nd-century group of disaffected psychic explorers to Sybok's quixotic 2287 search for God in the center of the Galaxy. Emotional stress in Vulcan lives has even led to the development of opportunistic infections such as Bendii Syndrome, which leaves Vulcans prey to sudden emotional attacks and mental breakdowns. Like all members of the Federation, the Vulcans have not achieved full species maturity, or learned all the answers, even from their violent past and scientific present.

Notable Vulcans

Spock, son of Sarek and the Human Amanda Grayson, was the first Vulcan to join Starfleet. He served as Chief Science Officer aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise during the legendary five-year mission commanded by his good friend James T. Kirk. After retiring from Starfleet, Spock followed in his father's footsteps and became an ambassador. He paved the way toward peace with the Klingon Empire.

Sarek, Spock's father, was one of the Federation's greatest diplomats. He played a pivotal role in the debate over Caridan's entry to the Federation and later joined his son in a peace initiative toward the Klingons. His principles and logical arguments won over a majority of the Federation Council in many debates.

Encounters

Vulcan can appear anywhere, in any story. Although most Vulcans will be the law-abiding, emotionless professionals familiar from science labs and Starfleet vessels across the Federation, there are many exceptions. Vulcan traders ply the spacelanes, even on quite primitive planets; a logical search for a profit is no different, to some, than the logical search for new nebulae. Vulcan terrorists of the Vulcan Isolationist Movement connive to separate their homeworld from the emotional Federation, possibly with the aid of the Vulcans' descendants in the Romulan Empire. When the situation requires it, Vulcan ambassadors can lie with the best of them, which can have repercussions among less-peaceful species.

The 24th century Federation holds hundreds of member species, but the Vulcans are one of the few founding races. This affords them a level of great respect among younger races, who see the Vulcans with something like awe. Human-Vulcan relations normalize to the point that the two species often fraternize and regularly learn to accommodate each others' differences. Still, even within logic, there is room for dissent; the Vulcan Isolationist Movement hopes to secede Vulcan from the Federation, even as legendary Ambasador Spock attempts to reconcile the differences between Vulcans and their Romulan cousins.

Zakdorns

Personality

Zakdorns are highly solitary beings, so they get very little practice in social interaction and don't grasp its importance to other races. They have an understandable reputation for arrogance and petulance because they don't know how to smooth over their differences with others, and they wouldn't care even if they did. They frequently display compulsive behavior and feel threatened if they cannot control the immediate circumstances in which they find themselves.

Physiology and Appearance

Zakdorns are humanoids whose bald heads are marked by folds of thick, fibrous tissue that hangs down from their cheeks. Most Zakdorns have three of these pouches on each side of the face, although the number has been known to vary. Scientists who have studied Zakdorn anatomy theorize that these structures served as mating displays early in the race's evolution.

Zakdorns speak Zakdorn.

Homeworld

Zakdorns take their name from their original homeworld, Zakdorn, which was destroyed by an artificially induced catastrophe in 2170. They now live on an exact replica of Zakdorn that they constructed in their home system. This replica is not entirely satisfactory—many geological features are simply holographic simulations of the originals, and genetically engineered replicas of native fauna occasionally behave in uncharacteristic ways—but it remains a remarkable feat of engineering.

History and Culture

Weak central authority characterized most of Zakdorn social evolution, as their instinctive reluctance to cooperate with each other made it almost impossible for those who would lead to persuade others to follow. Even chieftains and kings whose intentions clearly served the common good found that their persuasive (and even coercive) appeals had limited effect. Nation-states were exceedingly fragile, as communities (and individuals within communities) did their best to remain isolated from each other.

The invention of electronic communications technology made it easier for ambitious Zakdorn leaders to make their constituents associate with each other whether they really wanted or not. Various nation-states began cobbling together their own comprehensive communications networks. These networks eventually merged into a planet-wide network called the Imon Uldani. But for the Zakdorn, easy worldwide communication meant bickering on an unprecedented scale. Small groups dedicated to destroying the network surfaced. In 2170 one of these underground organizations detonated a massive explosive device in the atmosphere, intending that the electromagnetic pulse would cripple the Imon Uldani. Instead, it set off a chemical chain reaction that ultimately dissolved Zakdorn's ozone layer and made the planet uninhabitable.

Faced with such a crisis, the Zakdorn united for the first time in their history to evacuate their homeworld and resettle on nearby class-M planets. Over the next 150 years, Zakdorn scientists and engineers worked on the Great Project—a replica of Zakdorn as it had once been, complete with all geological features and native life forms, and sen in an orbit synchronized with the irradiated hulk of the original planet. This new Zakdorn became habitable in 2320.

The Federation made first contact with the Zakdorns in 2300. The Zakdorn accepted technical assistance from Federation member races on the Great Project and applied for formal membership in 2344.

Society

In keeping with their prickly temperaments, Zakdorns have a deliberately anti-social society. They live by themselves and do not cohabit for any reason other than child rearing. They consider reproducing their species a chore at best, a distasteful biological compulsion. Mating involves only brief contact between partners, usually arranged by long-distance communication through third-party brokers. The brokers help negotiate a contract between the partners stipulating their obligations (or lack of obligation) to participate in raising the child. They also name the child if the parents cannot agree on a name (Zakdorns have no social convention requiring that children inherit their parents' names). Children live with their fathers until maturity, receiving only periodic visits from their mothers.

Zaldans

Personality

Zaldans are inherently territorial and brusque toward those they conceive as interlopers or outsiders. However, there are few truer friends than a Zaldan who has "adopted" you. Zaldans enjoy hard work, especially hard mental work. The Zaldan ethical code of complete and total honesty means they don't "get" sarcasm or irony, and often seem rude and abrupt to non-Zaldans. Zaldans consider even elementary social courtesies grossly rude and immoral, although they accept Starfleet discipline as a military necessity.

Physical Description

Zaldans are bulky humanoids with thick muscles and an extra layer of subcutaneous fat. The average Zaldan is taller than the average Human, and can additionally be distinguished by webbed fingers and toes. Zaldan skin color ranges from grayish-tan to pinkish-white; their hair color runs from deep brown to platinum blond. Off duty, Zaldans dress in leathers, usually trimmed with fur.

Zaldans speak Zaldan and Federation Standard.

Homeworld

Zald (Dolium V) is a cold, oceanic world orbiting a white main-sequence star. Zaldans mostly live in floating cities, drawing power from ocean-thermal conversion and hydrogen fusion. Zaldans mine metal from seawater, and farm the herds of marine mammals on Zald and fields of carnivorous kelp.

Culture

Zaldans evolved from aquatic mammals, and retain a strong territorial and social instinct. The difficulty of developing high technology with a population as low (and a land area as small) as Zald's kept the Zaldans at a primitive, tribal state for millennia. In 1567, the coming of alien colonists, the Kimilon, upset this harsh equilibrium. The Kimilon attempted to civilize the natives, training them in technical skills and preaching Kimilon etchis and religion while using the Zaldans to construct the floating cities the Kimilon used as mining and farming stations. Unfortunately for the Kimilon, the Zaldans' territorial instincts remained intact; a rebellion led by one Rouil Lees captured a network of cities, knocked the Kimilon starships out of orbit, and completely liberated the planet by 1916. Successful, the most extremist rebels purged Lees, massacred every Kimilon colonist, and plunged the newly-independent world into civil war. Two centuries later, the exhausted Zaldans slowly unified under the mantle of "Leesite" thought—a code of complete, unflinching honesty in all matters personal and governmental. Examining Kimilon technology, the Zaldans developed warp drive in 2290, and immediately encountered a Centauran freighter. Although the Zaldans' prickly demeanor proved challenging for Federation diplomats, Zald became a full member of the UFP in 2339. Intriguingly, no traces of the Kimilon have ever been found in Federation historical or xenological records.

Notable Zaldans

Starfleet Captain Rondon currently commands the deep-space exploration vessel U.S.S. Jah'tor. A brave and clever officer, he wisely keeps a Vulcan anthropologist and a Betazoid historian on his staff to handle first contact missions. Rondon takes a strong interest in Starfleet Academy, and often serves on entrance examination panels.