Star Trek 2395

[AslanC]

Okay I am thinking of making a new campaign to honor the new game, and I am thiking about doing it 20 years after the Dominion War.

So I am curious as to what people think the Federation (hell the Star Trek Universe) will look like after 20 years.

I think the Romulans will take the role of the 23rd Century Klingons, IE perpitrators of a Cold War.

I see the Cardassian Union completely crumbling and either petitioning for Federation membership or at UFP Protectorate.

The Klingons have been racked by almost 20 years of civil war between the noble houses, many of whom are opposed to the Martok Regime and its' pro-Fedddie leanings.

That's all I have.

What do you think will happen?

[ImperialOne]

I think the Cardassians will be stronger, I don't know if they will petition the Federation or become enemies once again.

I agree with the Klingon point-of-view.... in lieu of any external threat, they will bicker amongst themselves. Almost like Feudal Japan.

Will there even be a Romulan Empire? Maybe not, according to Star Trek X: Nemesis

[Dan Stack]

Well, most people view post-Dominion war as being parallel to post-WWII.

However, my game has viewed it as being parallel to post-WWI.

Meaning 20 years later might have an isolationist Federation (USA), a crumbling Klingon Empire (UK or France?) and a potential ally for the Cardassians in the Romulans (Soviet Union).

[qerlin]

I figured a new bad guy needs to show up: the Kelinan or some other race.

The UFP took a serious hit with Borg and Dominion War, but for me the betrayal of their ideals -- working with the So'na, the attempt to move the Ba'ku, dirty tricks by Section 31 -- all weakened the faith of some of the newer member races. I see a bunch of little worlds pulling out of the Federation, but ultimately, it stabilizes and comes back. I see Bajor winding up as a major player in the UFP.

The Cardassian Union is broken by the war and never really recovers. I see them going through a period of balkanization and warlordism that makes diplomacy with them near impossible. Everytime they start to get somewhere, a new warlord pops up and screws the whole thing up.

The Ferengi start to move toward the UFP, but the Grand Nagus is knocked off by free trade factions and they ally themselves heavily with the Orions. I would have the Orions as an up-and-coming power -- still decadent, but pulling themselves into a more cohesive confederation with other minor powers looking to not get swallowed up by any of the bigger powers.

The Romulans: I had them fight a civil war between the Tal Shiar-imperialist faction and the more open pro-Vulcan/UFP faction. Lead by one of the commanders of the Romulan forces in the DW, the latter forces win, but the nw relations are uneasy and are causing distrust of the VUlcans in some camps of the UFP. This could all be a very clever trick to lower the Fed's guard, after all...

The Klingons: another civil war, sparked off by the Romulan-UFP relations and Martok is toppled for a more nationalist Klingon faction. They haven't gone to war with the Federation, but they are repudiating certain treaties that they feel weaken them. Lots of cold war stuff between the Klingns and Romulans over who 'gets to have' the Federation as friends.

The Dominion. You can always bring them back. Great villains.

The Borg. If you use Voyager in your game canon, I'd just leave them out -- they were emasculated before the horrible end episode.

Androids. Daystroms cracked the problem. They're a burgeoning section of the population. Not all are humanoid in form, there are robots and sentient starships. Machine intelligence is getting frighteningly smart and adaptive...

Slipstream travel is becoming the norm, with warp as backup. Transwarp, slower than the slipstream, is now a dead line of technology.

Genetic engineering: making a comeback. Some of the problems of early eugenics programs have been hammered out. Still unpopular in the Federation, but increasingly used in other cultures.

Nanotechnology: better, faster, and gives you cool toys like the Batman armor from the last Voyager episode. Nano-based robotics allow for androids that can change appearance and have a lot of the same qualities as holography, but more stable.

Medical tech: death? What's that?

[erhershman]

My version is that the UFP gets tossed right into a war with the Romulans after the DW, because the Romulans are the strongest of the Alliance after the war, with the capacity to easily attack the crumbling Federation. They ally themselves with the Breen, who are still a major threat.

[Dan Stack]

One thing I agree with qerlin on - the Federation has betrayed its ideals - through Section 31 and Sisko's actions with the Romulans.

I'm not saying I would have done differently - I think Sisko did what he had to do.

But Star Trek has always shown that the road to hell is paved with good intentions - so many episodes of TOS showed worlds which became dystopias as the result of good intentions - two cultures willingly walk into death chambers because a computer simulation told them to ("A Taste of Armageddon"), computers which rule over people for their own good (countless episodes, etc.)

I think there will be a price to pay for what Sisko did. Star Trek demands it.

A weaker Federation would seem to be the answer. Or possibly a harsher Federation - "yeah, we did it. So what? What choice did we have?" But would the Vulcans stay as part of such a civilization. What about the Betazoids - a peaceful culture, brutally occupied by the Dominion...

My suggestion, at least as an intellectual exercise. Suppose it becomes common knowledge that Sisko tricked the Romulans into the Dominion War. How do the members of the Federation react? The Dominion, Cardassians, Romulans, Klingons, etc.?

[Phantom]

Personally I think that if the Romulan/Federation situation goes to a Cold War footing it will be late Cold War. But I don't really see any Cold War. They still may not be friends, but at least they would be talking to each other. With the Taurhai at their back door the Romulans can't afford to throw away an ally like the Federation...And they know that I think.

As to a price to be paid for what Sisko did to bring the Romulans into the DW, I don't think so...I have faith in Garaks ability to effectively hide (dispose of) such evidence.

Give the fractious nature of the Klingon Empire, I could see a Civil War, but I think it would be based more on dwindling resources rather then one of a political nature.

If any power becomes isolationist it would be the Union, there naturally xenophobic tendencies mixed with how they were handled in the War would only increase these feelings.

The Ferengi...Who cares? Sorry.

[AslanC]

Originally posted by Phantom
With the Taurhai at their back door the Romulans can't afford to throw away an ally like the Federation

Ahhh, yes, for me this won't be a problem since I don't use the Taurhai at all. But I can see your point for those who do.

Originally posted by Phantom
If any power becomes isolationist it would be the Union, there naturally xenophobic tendencies mixed with how they were handled in the War would only increase these feelings.

Who is the Union? The United Federation of Planets? I am lost on this one...

[qerlin]

I think he means the Cardassian Union, Aslan.

For Dan: I had the Betazoid and the Benzites bail from the UFP -- they were hurt in the DW and found the moral dillemas internally distressing (and there was one hell of a media campaign exploiting the UFP's problems by the Orions and Ferengi -- in our campaign [set in 2382 now].) Also newer members like the Cairn and others got out, some joining the new Orion COnfederacy, which promises much more internal sovereignty and freedoms.

As for the Ferengi, Aslan -- still think a villain doesn't have to be a big, kick-ass monster force to be dangerous...sometimes it's the goofy, harmless-looking guys that get ya.

[Phantom]

Originally posted by AslanC


Ahhh, yes, for me this won't be a problem since I don't use the Taurhai at all. But I can see your point for those who do.

Who is the Union? The United Federation of Planets? I am lost on this one... [/B]

Sorry, yes I meant the Cardies. I don't like typing out long titles if I don't have to.

Just out of curiousity why do you not use the Taurhai? I always thought they were the perfect foil for the Romulans.

[Lt.Khrys Antos]

Our game is set in 2387, all the major powers still exist and the Federation is still the same.

The Romulans should act just like the Soviet Union did prior to WW2. Firstly, they managed to enter Federation space and see for themselves the level of productivity that they possess. Secondly, they realize that they cannot win against the Federation and must catch up industrially. Their intention is not war, it is merely to level the playing field in order to be a power player. Their intentions notwithstanding, this will cause the next war against the Federation.

The Cardassian Union is under occupation by Romulan forces and is reminiscent of the siege of Berlin. A small pocket of Cardie space surrounded by the Feds which refuse to leave and receive supplies from an unknown source. Defections are common from the Romulan population.

The Klingons got involved in a second civil war and Martok is deposed, because of his Fed @ss kissing ways. A more Romulan-centric Chancellor took over and attempted to begin a war with the Feds. A civil begins when Romulan and Federation forces begin to support different sides. The coup fails and the Chancellor is killed when he attempts to flee into Romulan space. The Klingons are also broken financially and militarily.

The Federation did not lose any members after the war IMO, for two reasons.

1) If it would have, it would have snowballed into a breakup. It occurs quite often in large states, their collapse is followed by the creation of smaller states and the Federation would not let that happen.

2) Their is no place to go for these people. Their lives and markets are so dependent on the Federation that they have no choice. The planetary governments are meaningless.

The Federation Council and world governments also have many ex-Starfleet officers running for officer. They advocate greater security and militarization instead of peacenik with the Romulans.

[Joe Dizzy]

The Romulans - The Romulans did what they always do. They hid in secrecy, while still keeping an eye on the Klingons and the UFP. The inner conflict between fractions that supported the Vulcan re-unification movement and those violently opposed to it has almost exploded. Radical factions of the Tal Shiar, the Romulan Fleet and the Senate have formed a Pro-Active Resistance Movement, which has begun attacking Federation outposts near the Neutral Zone in secret and annexing various independent homeworlds. While the ruling body of the Romulan Empire has distanced itself from the Movement, they seem to remain inactive in trying to stop them. (For reasons of internal stability and security, they opted for a typical romulan way of countering these terrorists: long-term espionage.)

The Federation - in the last 20 years a new breed of politicians and officers has silently flooded the UFP and Starfleet. A more opportunistic and power-hungry kind. With stances like 'our people need room to breathe' and 'doing whatever is necessary to end threats to our way of life' a more manipulative, militaristic and aggressive method of handling inter-planetary affairs has been employed. There are even rumours of UFP admirals using military force, black-mail and political pressure to ensure the Federation's growth in power. With the recent Romluan attacks, the neo-UFP has begun producing battle-ships en masse apparently preparing for another long drawn-out war with the Romulans.

Recently though a group of 'old-fashioned' Starfleet officers have begun openly questioning the Federation Council. With the (mostly secret) support of various colonies, planetary governments (Vulcan, Betazed and others) and even outside help (rumours speak of Klingons and even the romulan re-unification movement) they are starting their own rebellion.

The Klingons - Martok has re-structured Klingon society. Putting a new emphasis on 'honour' and less emphasis on tradition he managed to lead lead the Klingon Empire into a new (glorious ) age of prosperity and wealth. Working closely with the UFP, the Klingons adopted a great many of the Federations philosophies and in combination with the Klingon culture of old, a different kind of Klingon society was formed.
Recently though, Martok has been extremely displeased by the UFPs actions (see the planet offer to the Cardies). He openly protested against their politics which was "without honor and without heart". With full support of the Klingon government, Martok ordered Klingon diplomats to be ready to return to Qo'nos, should he decide to break off diplomatic relations with the UFP entirely.

The Cardassians - the cardassians had trouble stablizing their economy in the last years, so they turned to the UFP for help. Politicians quickly saw the PR-potential in supporting and re-building a former enemy.
Recently the Cardassians were offered two new planets to colonize by the UFP. Those planets apparently being 'gifts' of new members of the UFP. (See above.)

The Ferengi - Nagus Rom has led the Ferengi alliance into a new age of... uncertainty. Economics are shaky. Ferengi culture still has trouble adjusting to seeing females as equal. Interplanetary trade has lessened. Basically the Ferengi are adjusting to not exploiting others, while around them all hell breaks loose.

So basically, the UFP have switched roles with the Klingon Empire. The Romulan Empire is falling apart, but won't admit it. A bunch of trigger-happy yahoos are more or less responsible for starting a war between the UFP and the Romulans. And the Ferengis still don't have a clue.
The Dominion is way, way over on the other side of the galaxy. Though might play a pivotal role in how the current situation rolls out.

Joe, who's afraid he might have been watching too much Star Wars lately

[Eric R.]

If and when my 2381 series gets going I had always seen the following:

UFP - After failing to form a losse asscoation of the major powers based on the Wartime alliance it slowing shrinks from further exploration with the attitude of "we might not like what we fine". The federation is facing a huge moral and spiritual crisis caused by the emense loss of the Dominion War. The bright eyed optimism and drive of the pre-war Federation is gone. A Romulan rep at the Congress of Babel (The place where the final treaty ending the war is hammered out) says that the "Federation has at last been forced to grow up." Pacifism and isolationism sweeps through the core worlds which were not physically hurt during the war, but still have deep wounds from the loss of so many sons and daughters. Further there is a wide spread trend in "expiermenting" with Mystism.

Romulans - ready to go forth but growing tensions with the Tahri (Sp?) temporiarily destractions them long enough before they can take advantage of the fed weakness. Now they are enaged in a cold war with the Feds/Klingons and a hot war with the Breen.

Klingons - After many years of infighting peace seems to be at last coming under Chancellor Martok. However a new war is brewing with the Feline (Kzin & Lyrans) races along there border once again. When the series starts Worf has just been assinated on the steps of the Council building (and yes Alexander was there to watch as foretold, but not quite in the way previous outlined) the assination was carried out by roque elements of the Durass's align with the Lyrans.

Cardassians - the post war occupation ended in 2380 when the last allied ships left Cardassian space. The New Cardassian Repubican Union (CRU) is a weak ruling body but has the backing of the new army. it has already set out to retake several worlds which had taken the opportunity to declare Independence during the Occupation. No body recognized the new worlds and have sinced more or less turn there back as the CRU begins to rearm to both take care of teh problem and to guard against both potential Dominion and Romulans threats.

[CmdrBluejeans]

Some ideas:

1. The Romulan-Taurhai war is now A Known Thing to the Federation. The Federation has offered Starfleet diplomatic vessels to soar in and help mediate cease fires, or perhaps Starfleet has forged an agreement with both sides that permits Starfleet ships to fly in for humanitarian relief, since neither the Romulans nor the Taurhai trust each other to rescue survivors without causing more trouble, etc.. Plot thread: perhaps for a few episodes, the mediation breaks down and the Federation must actively side with the Rommies.

2. What if the Klingon Empire just keeps getting worse and worse until finally there is a clear-cut 'civil war' again, and not just a little one like before, but one that actually leads to secessions and /rival/ Klingon mini-empires, each claiming to be the 'true' Empire. You'd see warring over certain symbolically important as well as strategically important star systems, for instance.

3. The Cardassians remain independent in name, but the Union is tied heavily to its trade with the various other major powers, thus requiring it to dance the herky-jerky every time this week's Klingon Chancellor sneezes.

More as I think about this further...


BJ

[StyroFoam Man]

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