Star Trek Series Design #7: Status of the Quadrant

[Lt. Staplic]

So Far we've decided:
- Series will take place 20-30 years after TNG/DS9/VOY
- The series will primarily follow the Federation, however we may have plots involved and centered around The Klingon Empire and/or the Romulan Empire
- The main setting will be a Warship
- The main cast will be mostly Sr. Officers with a few Enlisted personnel to give us a new side of Trek

This week we discuss the status of the other major powers:

Here's where we stand:
- The Dominion War ended 20-30 years ago. At the end of the war the various powers were in a myriad of different states. The Cardassians suffered the most with huge losses to their population, fleet, and industrial capability. The Breen's fleet would have been severely crippled but AFAIK their own territory would have remained fairly stable. The Romulan's suffered the least of the allies, and would remain just under their previous strength, which was well below the pre-war Fed's or Klingons, however their political setup was shattered after the Reman uprising, and unknown numbers of their fleet were destroyed then leaving them severly crippled. The Federation took big losses during the war, but is probably the best off of the three powers. There was a lot of fighting in Federation Space, and the fleet took large losses, but the Federation seemed to be able to remain strong and pumping out ships, it's fleet was probably halved by the end of the war at minimum. The Klingon fleet would have been severly decimated during the war leaving them with few ships, although their society would be at an all time high after the war. The various other minor powers who didn't take part in the war would retain their pre-war strengths and abilites, and probably wouldn't pose any major threat to any big power other than the Cardassians.

So the question now is where do we want to go from here? We're setting place 20-30 years later, how do the other powers respond from the war? Another major thought is, with the Federation returning to exploration, there is a possibility that in 20 years they may have encountered an entirely different interstellar power, this would be ours to create: friend or foe, major power or a small one.

[Reliant121]

There are several possibilities that could make this a very very interesting period.

1) The Klingon empire would be desperately in need to replenish its fleets. The Klingons have never taken any notice of the hippy mindset of the Federation, and would see the lack of warships in the klingon fleet as a weakness. Trouble is, where do they get their resources? I can see the Federation taking the Cardassians as a protectorate race, which leaves only one place that I think is truly unstable enough for the Klingon's to take advantage: The Romulan Empire. I think the various Titan novels have it right, in the sense Romulus will completely collapse into a state of barely contained civil war as the various political factions vie for power. The Romulans will be too concerned with their own infighting to hold on to their territory, leaving resource rich edge systems ripe for the picking for the Klingons.

Cardassia is an interesting one to look at. THey have shown some traits, such as medical technological ability and several universities that are well reputed (IIRC) that COULD make them Federation Member candidates. This could make a large story arc of Bajoran protest, AS WELL as a large parallel story of the Cardassian civilian population vying with the more military minded.

[Mikey]

I think the Cardassians are too proud to become UFP members... some would even resent Federation aid.

[Reliant121]

That would be the other issue. I can see a number being progressively minded, but a majority being too prideful.

[shran]

That would be the other issue. I can see a number being progressively minded, but a majority being too prideful.

That, and if Bajor has become a Federation member by this time, they might object to Cardassian membership.

[Atekimogus]

That would be the other issue. I can see a number being progressively minded, but a majority being too prideful.

That I don't believe. There is a difference between the top brass military command who rather fall on their own sword before accepting help from the UFP and the average joe-cardassian who has to support a family. To be honest Cardassians didn't even seem that warlike or xenophobic to me and that is considering that we almost only saw their military.

The are a bit like the stereotypical ww2 germans and now that they are rid of their military they sure will accept help from the UFP and I can see them becoming friends and allies rather fast.

As for Romulans, is the destruction of Romulus a given? I mean given the alternative universes one could argue that the universe we see in STXI is the one were Spock Prime fails to save Romulus wereas the Prime-Timeline could be the one where he manages to safe the homeword.

As for the Klingons, I think there could be trouble with the them as the UFP tries to help Cardassia on their feet and the klingons refusing to give up conquered cardassian worlds. If so it would be interesting to see if the Organian Peace Treaty is still valuable and enforced by the Organians. The short skirmish with the klingons during DS9 would suggest otherwise but maybe that is because it didn't happen in the old neutral zone.

[Mikey]

It's not a question of being warlike; consider rather Japanese attitudes at the end of the Shogunate. The Cardies appear rather similar.

[Atekimogus]

Maybe, but to me they never seemed that way. Japanese of that era were more isolationist and xenophobic wereas Cardassians are very much people of the quadrant, so to speak.

Nevertheless, I cannot imagine the general population turning down needed help even moreso that they are probably now under a civilian government which already demonstrated prior to the war that they would accept federation help. Consider also that generally the average civilian is not as fanatical as the military dictatorship.

[BigJKU316]

Maybe, but to me they never seemed that way. Japanese of that era were more isolationist and xenophobic wereas Cardassians are very much people of the quadrant, so to speak.

Nevertheless, I cannot imagine the general population turning down needed help even moreso that they are probably now under a civilian government which already demonstrated prior to the war that they would accept federation help. Consider also that generally the average civilian is not as fanatical as the military dictatorship.

More than that being buried under a giant pile of your own dead people tends to change ones outlook on things. I have no idea how many people lived on Cardassia Prime, but 800 million dead is a ton. I would think that would modify behavior quick, fast and in a hurry.

[Mikey]

Sure, but then again I never said that Cardassia would refuse Federation aid... just that some Cardassians would resent it and decry it. What I said was that I thought Cardassia would be too proud (and mistrustful and possibly bigoted) to become members of the UFP.

[BigJKU316]

Sure, but then again I never said that Cardassia would refuse Federation aid... just that some Cardassians would resent it and decry it. What I said was that I thought Cardassia would be too proud (and mistrustful and possibly bigoted) to become members of the UFP.

Yeah, I don't see full memebership, at least not without another major crisis.

[Reliant121]

I think its a matter of perception.

I see the Cardassians in two distinct variations. Prideful, and aggressive, the sort that naturally find themselves in the military. In this we get three subsets, Ones like Damar who are relatively honourable and upstanding underneath all the bureaucratic shit. Ones like Dukat who, although having some evil genius like qualities, are keenly intelligent and use that intelligence for good or bad purposes as long as it furthers the cause. Then you have the third, who are the typical arrogant Cardassian.

The other set are the opportunists. Those that will seek aid and help, and exploit any situation as long as it furthers Cardassia.

[Sonic Glitch]

I think its a matter of perception.

I see the Cardassians in two distinct variations. Prideful, and aggressive, the sort that naturally find themselves in the military. In this we get three subsets, Ones like Damar who are relatively honourable and upstanding underneath all the bureaucratic s**t. Ones like Dukat who, although having some evil genius like qualities, are keenly intelligent and use that intelligence for good or bad purposes as long as it furthers the cause. Then you have the third, who are the typical arrogant Cardassian.

The other set are the opportunists. Those that will seek aid and help, and exploit any situation as long as it furthers Cardassia.

And then you have the "plain and simple tailors"

[Atekimogus]

Yeah, I don't see full memebership, at least not without another major crisis.

Well I would say that depends on how the membership is seen, if it is like becoming a member of the US for example, or just a member of the EU or UNO.

I tend to believe that it is more like joining the EU for example. You give up a few powers but remain pretty much a sovereign nation, at least on the outside. If so I would see no reason why they wouldn't join in 20 years time. Germany made it from mortal enemy to fast friend in a far shorter period.

[Vic]

I think its a matter of perception.

I see the Cardassians in two distinct variations. Prideful, and aggressive, the sort that naturally find themselves in the military. In this we get three subsets, Ones like Damar who are relatively honourable and upstanding underneath all the bureaucratic s**t. Ones like Dukat who, although having some evil genius like qualities, are keenly intelligent and use that intelligence for good or bad purposes as long as it furthers the cause. Then you have the third, who are the typical arrogant Cardassian.

The other set are the opportunists. Those that will seek aid and help, and exploit any situation as long as it furthers Cardassia.

And then you have the "plain and simple tailors"

Ahh, plain and simple tailors, my favorite kind of Cardie.