The United Federation of Planets is composed of several races (Human, Vulcan, Orion, Andorian, Rigelian, Alpha-Centauran, Cygnan, etc.) which hold seats on the ruling council. The Federation is dominated by the Humans, including those of Terran parentage who were born on other planets. Humans provide more than 70% of Star Fleet (the military arm) personnel and dominate every phase of its operations.
The Federation is probably the most idealistic of all the empires. Federtion ships never attack without warning, and while the Federation has fought wars with all of its neighbors, it has never started one.
Economically, however, the Federtaion is the most aggressive power within known space. Federation merchant ships are found almost everywhere during peacetime, and the "Neutral Zones" between the Federation and its neighbors abound with Federation colonies set up within the strict letter of the relevant treaties.
The WYN Star Cluster is a huge nebula at the crossroads of Western Space. It issurrounded by an intense radiation zone, and for centuries was thought to be uinhabitable. Then, in 2216, the Miraki Duke -- thereafter known as the Usurper -- decided that he was the best candidate to be the new Patriarch. The fact that the current Patriarch still lived was something he viewed as merely a minor inconveniance.
To make a long story short, the Usurper lost a rather long and bloody civil war. Prefering death to capture (and consumption!) he decided to plunge his fleet into the lethal radiation zone of the WYN star cluster. Imagine his surprise when he found the radiation zone to be hollow!
The Usurper made contact with pirates and built a new society hidden within the cluster. Today the WYN cluster is a thriving economic powerhouse with over 40 million sentient citizens on 8 habitable planets. It is richer in rare minerals and metals than any other region of known space. Mirak renegades, Orion Pirates, Lyrans on the losing end of their constant civil wars, and Klingon vassals make up the bulk of the population, but members from every known race are known to exist there. They trade with all their neighbors (completely on WYN terms) and WYN raids are common near their space. The Usurper's descendants still have that claim for the throne to settle.....
The Cluster continues to exist for two reasons:
1) The unique and vast tracts of radiation and nebula have allowed them to specialize in defensive
weapons suited to this terrain.
2) The Cluster is filthy rich. No neighboring race can afford to let anyone else conquer
the WYN. Many times an ivasion by meighbor has been met with force by a fleet from another.
Will they continue to exist in your war?
The Lyran Democratic Republic began as the Lyran Dark Star County, named after the black holes in their territory, within the Enemy's Blood Duchy. It is comprised of the six Lyran hexes at the nexus of the Lyran, Klingon, and Hydran Empires. The exceptionally corrupt Count of the LDSC was overthrown in 2245 and all members of his family were slaughtered. A new republic was formed by the rebels, a democratic form of govt in which all males would vote for leaders, with voting power determined partly by the wealth and power of the individual.
At first the LDSC tried simply to be another county within the Lyran Empire, but the Enemy's Blood Duke worried over the possibility of commoners aspiring to power. Friction betweem the Duke and the county drove the LDSC further from the empire. The famous "Battle of the Long Claws" ended with the death of the Duke's chosen candidate for Count, and with royally-sanctioned autonomy for the new Lyran Democratic Republic.
The LDR find autonomy between three very large empires to be frightening, and may well be on their way to reintegrating with the Lyran Empire. The Empire has chosen to side with the Klingons in the upcoming war, however, and this does not sit well with the LDR. The Klingons have just fought a brief "war" with the LDR , and withdrew after losing several warships in exchange for destroying several minor LDR units. It is believed this was a local operation rather than a war sanctioned by the Klingon Emperor, but the LDR are still not willing to ally themselves with people who were just shooting at them.
The LDR has declared neutrality in the upcoming war. They pay a small tribute to the Lyran King and allow his ships to use their facilities for repair and resupply. This arrangement is satisfactory to the Empire, as it narrows the front along the Hydran border. Should the Hydrans decide to attempt conquest of the LDR, for very little economic payoff (else they would drive the LDR back into the arms of the Lyran Govt) it is expected that a similar arrangement would be made with them.
Last updated 10/5/2002