Political Situation; 2360

       The assumed cruising speed is Warp Factor 6 new scale. The grid scale is 40 light years to the square.

       The Federation/Romulan/Klingon borders are in contact all along the hard zones of each power. With the improvements in technology each capital is within days reach of any forces.

       The Tholians have been contained. Due to their inability to endure anyone near their "claimed" territory, it was necessary, abet distasteful to neutralize any Tholian expansion efforts, and to hold them within this territory Negotiations with the Tholians have proven impossible. They are unwilling to bend or accept a compromise from their originally stated position. They will not recognize any border other than their own. Force however, they understand, and after the destruction of their colonies by the Gorns and the UFP, they desisted attempting new colonies in Gorn and UFP space. This mutual problem has brought the Gorn Hegemony and the UFP into contact and a formal exchange of ambassadors.
       Likewise they share a Romulan problem. The Romulans have stated that they disapprove of a Gorn UFP alliance. The Gorns told them "go fish" and the UFP said "What Alliance? We have only agreed to agree." The Romulans consider this a threat, but can only complain.

       The reason for all the Romulan complaints is they lack the forces to fight either the Gorns or the UFP. The exploding Kliges'chee have keep them busy for over 40 years. Thus far they have beaten back the more primitive Kliges'chee ships, amassing a huge squishy zone in the process. On one hand this is a marvelous barrier to the Kliges'chee, but a nightmare for the Romulan administrators that have to deal with lots and lots of non-romulans. Brief encounters with the Cardassians and the Ferrengi have proved both an ignorable nuisance that can be dealt with later.

       Klingon/Federation relations could not be rosier. The Klingons have signed the Great Alliance, an agreement for the combining of the Klingon Empire and the UFP. So far, it has been working. With a alliance with the UFP and the strange quietude of the Romulans, the Klingon have expanded along their open border. They have contacted the Hal Armin, the Cardassians, and the Ferrengi, dicing a little with each of them. No out right attempts at conquest have been made. In truth the Klingons are recovering from a massive internal conflict, and don't have the ship power to conflict with anyone right now. That situation is being rectified.

       The Orions are happy as clams, well semi-happy, slavery was outlawed in the UFP so fast your head would spin, but other trade, legal and otherwise is running fine. After all private citizens with more "enlightened' views of slavery are willing to buy, and be silent. The have their fingers in everyone's pie, and they like the taste.

       The new players in the central politics are the Cardassians, and the Ferrengi.

       The Cardassians have had brushes with the Klingon, and the Romulans, neither came to much, and a major war with the UFP with heavy casualties on both sides. The conflict is still short of a resolution. The Cardassians have also run into the Hal Armin, and tried their usual tricks. They found the logical insects massing on the border to conduct a war of genocide. A war the insects expected to win, by a margin low enough to make their own survival questionable. Some fast talking and the execution of some promising commanders got them off the hook, once, and only once. If they attack the Hal Armin again, there will be NO talk.

       Ferrengi have had brief encounter with the UFP. Nothing even concrete has yet been said from either side. They have traded with the Romulans, who despise them, but need the war materials they can provide. They have traded lightly with the Klingons, who again, hate their guts, but buy their goods.
       The Ferrengi attempted to contact the Tholians once, once. They bandaged the burnt "fingers" and have never tried again.
       Ferrengi Influence in the Triangle is a given., as well as the place seething with Cardassian spies. With five powers in the mix the place is worse than it ever was when you only had three players to worry about.

       Initial contact has been made with the Bendarii Empire. So far the contact have been of a peaceful nature. Further contact and a formal exchange of ambassadors is being explored.

       Along with the Bendanii are the As'Taan, a related speices with it own ploitical union. They have proved parocial and edgy. No reations exists between the As'Taan and the UFP.

       Association is firmly within the UFP borders, and the Partha System, now known as Felicity is well settled and prospering.

       A new Confederation has joined the UFP the Fresians have had warp drive for 50 years, and have joined as Associate members while the UFP studies them and they study the UFP.

Other Areas

       The Zantree Alliance has formed from five charter races to become a minor power, devoted to surviving the Kliges'chee. United by the fact that if not United they would fall. On their side are a sub-group of Kliges'chee themselves. They seek to avoid being dragged into the mass mind, and losing all individuality. Massive space battle consume resources as the "proper" Kliges'chee seek to wipe out the heretics.

       Agricorp/Colocorp is in the final stages of a genetically induced fanatical loyalty to one of two corporations. Experiments into the viability of virus induced brand loyalty worked, too well. What is left of their civilization is gone, only the random warring bands of fanatical salesmen seeking customers.

       Reliant's World has entered its second century. Relations between the natives and the settlers are at an all time low. The natives are considering genocide as the only viable solution. The idea is abhorrent, so much talk will be made before anything is decided.

       The Elfan have ceased to be an interstellar power. They still hold about twenty light years around their home star, but do not even pay much attention to that.

       The Farceit have boiled out of their world, seizing and holding all they can. They threaten the existence of two nascent civilizations the Neudoni and the Tyvan. Shortly they will bite off too much and claim the Three Suns Station. The Builders will seek help.

       The Galowayians have expanded trade in every direction. They hold little territory. Trade knowledge is their "land" and they will trade with anyone for almost anything.

       One exception is the Sixians. These slop-browed, low-wit, cavemen with warp drives are a plague on the small area they can operate in. No one know where they got warp drives, and some blame a Rishian artifact.

       Doria is one of the more plagued areas. The Sixians take a tribute from them when ever they feel like it, Doria is a pre-warp culture with some interesting twists.

       The Sixless have now traveled for 172 years. All of the population has been born in space, and no living memory remains of open sky. 37 ships have failed of the 2364 that launched.

       The hard edge of the Acceptian Empire has been touched by the squishy edge of the UFP. Contact is only a matter of time.