Enslavement

[Lt Cmdr Matt]

I have an idea for a race or set of races...Since we know little about the Federation border closest to the core, I gigure that there can be a pretty big military force and a smaller force that just wants to explore or do there thing. The larger race has them enslaved after a war that they had for territory, when the Federation encounters them will the Federation help or stay out of each others lives?

It may sound too much the Cardassians and Bajorans but thought it would be a good idea because you can have the resistance movements you did in DS9 and if you really want to can have a war... You can have an orginization just like the Maquis except different.

What do you guys think.. maybe the dominant race in actually and alliance between two races...more to come like the race stats if this is a good idea!

[Dan Gurden]

Two Words...

Prime Directive.

The Fedreation may want to help, but they are bound by the first tennet of the Starfleet. Unable to interfere with events outside of the Federation.

They will be able to send diplomatic ties, and offer diplomatic/trade incentives to help ease the burden of this slave race, eventually helping to negotiate freedom... But anything else breaks the Prime Directive and would have to be either totally deniable, or independant action by a rogue crew due a court-martial upon their return.

As you said... Eactly like the Cardassian/Bajoran thing. This will take a fair amount of work to make it different from that well-known back story. Got anything in mind?

[Lt Cmdr Matt]

Dan, you said it perfectly! Prime Directive! That's what I am going for so maybe a Federation crew will go AWOL stealing there ship and battling with the strong race. Or it leaves that possibility. It also allows a Federation Rogues too. I have no idea about the relationship between the Cardassians and Bajorans as I never saw the shows....

Can you or anyone point me in a direction that is away from the Card/Baj thing?

[Imagus]

I thought the Prime Directive only applied to pre-warp civilisations?

I can understand the staying out of the way, but that's more likely to be a diplomatic thing.

[C5]

Well, quite simply, you could have the two races being still at war when the Federation arrives. Both powers could actually be some alliances, the smallest being a sort of micro-Federation (like the UFP at its beginnings, with a no more than five members), and the biggest some Empire like the Romulans (but maybe not that big - it could span a dozen of worlds). The smaller power could already have lost several of its worlds and colonies when the Federation discovers them.
Maybe what remains of the smallest power could call the Federation for help while the biggest orders them to stay away... and while the UFP tries to find a solution, some members of StarFleet could decide to go rogue and help.

[Lancer]

I think there are several ways you could involve a Starfleet crew:

Some refugees from the loosing side of the war ask for asylum from the Federation, with some enemies hot on their heels, who in turn ask that these "criminals" be turned over to them or else...

Commerce raiders from both sides could be threatening Federation trade in the region, maybe to get their hands on supplies for the ongoing war.

And (IMO best of all): The loosing side not only asks the Federation for help, but applies for Federation membership as well! Actualy I have no idea how the Federation would react to such an application, but in your game it could open the door for some officialy sanctioned Starfleet missions into contested space and maybe even bring Starfleet in as a peacekeeping force.
Turning down a request for help may be one thing, but I believe that turning down a membership application from a species that - apart from the war - would be a perfect candidate for membership would be an entirely different matter.

[pathstrider]

I thought the Prime Directive only applied to pre-warp civilisations?

I think the PD is a general principle - the fallout of which is that you _must_ not, under any circumstances mess with pre-warp civilisations. When it comes to a more advanced culture, the PD still applies generally as the Federation beleives in allowing races to develop, in relation to the IDIC philosphy. The Federation won't impose itself on others. Or that's the idea.

Mark

[Michael Barratt]

As a thought:

What would the Federation do if they had a treaty with someone, and found out later there was a war going on?

What I mean is this: Federation meets people X, and those X-ians have a great deal of space under their borders, and gosh that's swell. They seem pretty stable, their parliament is nearby, and they begin with trade negotiations, ratify up to more solid relations - and then find out the big ol' secret: X is at war with Y, which is on the opposite end of their space, and has been for a while. They kept it quiet, knowing it would make the Federation nervous.

Worse, the Y folk have some real reasons to be at war... And there are many Fed ships within X's borders by this point, and X can choose to close their borders - which would leave Fed ships stranded...

Random thoughts,
The Doc

[Lt Cmdr Matt]

I like the ideas a lot. Though my favorite one has to be the War and the smaller culture loses. They seek Federation membership, the larger culture says no because they have won the rights of the lower culture. Is this okay?