Star Trek: Articles of the Federation

A book in the so-called Star Trek Novel Verse, notable for its in-depth look at the internal politics of The Federation. Featuring Ensemble Darkhorse character President Nanietta Bacco and her cabinet, the novel has a great many subtle links to the rest of the expanded universe while remaining entirely readable on its own terms.

From the back cover:

Following the surprise resignation of Federation President Min Zife after the disastrous Tezwa affair, Nan Bacco of Cestus III has won a hotly contested election to become the new chief executive of over one hundred fifty planetary civilizations and their colonies. But no sooner does she take office than the Romulan Star Empire falls into chaos. With tensions already high, a Reman refugee ship is sighted approaching a Federation outpost, its intentions unknown. As the first year of the Bacco Administration unfolds, the Federation Council is slow to work with its new president, and not always supportive of her policies or her appointments to key council positions; a successful first contact suddenly becomes a diplomatic disaster; and the sins of President Zife prove difficult to lay to rest...as one celebrated Starfleet officer's career reaches a turning point.

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Tropes used in Star Trek: Articles of the Federation include:

• Actor Allusion: Chancellor Martok is irritated when Praetor Tal'aura's voice reminds him of his dead wife's. This is an in-joke, as Tal'aura and Martok's wife Sirella were played by the same actress.
• Actual Pacifist: The Mizarians, as a species. Their pacifism causes problems for warrior cultures like the Klingons, who are unable to respect or relate to them. See: Fantastic Racism, below.
• Alien Arts Are Appreciated
• Arch Enemy: Commander, now Empress, Donatra is the Arch Enemy of Praetor Tal'aura. Their rivalry, established in Star Trek: Titan and the Star Trek: The Next Generation Relaunch, intensifies here. It's in this novel that Donatra declares the worlds and fleets loyal to her independent of Tal'aura's Romulan Star Empire, forming the Imperial Romulan State.
• Ass in Ambassador: The hawkish Klingon diplomat K'mtok, though he's better here than he is in his earlier appearances. He actually demonstrates a degree of genuine respect for President Bacco, as well as reasonable restraint in his dealings with the Romulans.
• Balkanize Me: It finally happens to the crumbling Romulan Star Empire. Specifically, Commander Donatra declares herself empress of a new interstellar nation, the Imperial Romulan State, with the result that Romulan space is effectively split in two. The Klingons agree to recognise Donatra's government, eager to encourage division among the Romulan people. The Federation is pressured into showing solidarity with its Klingon allies and so also ends up recognizing the IRS.
• Bizarre Alien Biology: The whole mess with the Trinni/ek dignitaries is a result of their forced physiological adaptation to the unique properties of their home sun.
• Character Filibuster: Councillor Bera chim Gleer of Tellar has never had a speech on the council floor go shorter than forty-five minutes...and that was when he had a cold. Usually it's twice that, minimum.
• Continuity Nod: Many. Most significantly to the first two novels of the Star Trek: Titan series and the Star Trek: A Time to... series, which introduced President Bacco and set the political stage for this novel.
• Damn, It Feels Good to Be a Gangster!: Ihazs, as usual. He's a leading member of the Orion Syndicate (an interstellar crime cartel), and certainly seems to enjoy his life of sophistry and elegance.
• Deadpan Snarker: Sivak.
• Democracy Is Bad: Apparently, the Tzenkethi Coalition believes this, at least in terms of where the Federation goes wrong. The degree to which their leaders' moral indignation is genuine, and the degree to which they are simply trying to maintain the Tzenkethi caste system for selfish purposes, is unclear. It probably varies from leader to leader. Certainly the "evils" of Federation democracy make a convenient scapegoat when things go wrong for the Coalition.
• Fantastic Racism: The pacifistic Mizarians are considered to be "the vermin of the galaxy" by Klingons. Martok, being asked by Bacco to provide support for a scientific organization affiliated with no major nation, is not pleased to hear that their leader is Mizarian.
• The Federation: We finally get to see how the United Federation of Planets works as a political entity.
• Giant Spider: The Koas from Starfleet Corps of Engineers, essentially big spiders with octopus heads, make another appearance - joining the Federation.
• Government Conspiracy: Reporter Ozla Graniv discovers the truth about President Zife's resignation and the debacle at Tezwa (see Star Trek: A Time to...). President Bacco also confronts Admiral Ross about his participation in Zife's removal at gunpoint. As a result, Ross retires, removing himself from politics and any degree of influence over government policy.
• Gunboat Diplomacy: President Bacco resorts to this when overseeing negotiations between the Carreon and the Deltans. The Deltans require a new water reclamation system for their planet, and the Carreon have the design they need. Because of an old feud, however, the Carreon refuse to negotiate properly. Bacco ends up using the implied threat of Federation military strength to stop the Carreon messing the Deltans around. As she tells the Carreon Ambassador, diplomacy is the means by which conflict is avoided. If Carrea won't negotiate in good faith, the only remaining option is war - and she makes it clear Carrea wouldn't stand a chance.
• Harsher in Hindsight: During the state funeral for former President Jaresh-Inyo, President Bacco says that there's one measuring stick for the President: If the Federation's still intact at the end of your term, you've done a good job. The novel ends with a somewhat upbeat callback from Chief of Staff Piniero, pointing out that while the first year of Bacco's term had its ups and downs, the Federation is still intact, so...However, two months later (in universe), Star Trek: Destiny happens. Bacco did a fine job through the apocalyptic mayhem and its aftermath, but it's still a bit of a knife-twist.
• He Who Must Not Be Seen: Ambassador Emra, and seemingly all Tzenkethi. This is part of a general Running Gag in the Star Trek Expanded Universe, in which the Tzenkethi's physical appearance is left a mystery (the Star Trek: Typhon Pact series recently put an end to it, though).
• Implausible Deniability: Everyone knows Admiral Mendak was working on the orders of Praetor Tal'aura when he destroyed Klorgat IV's moon, but no one can prove anything - particularly after Mendak and his crew kill themselves with their own honour blades.
• Intrepid Reporter: Ozla Graniv. Brek chim Glamok, too. Both end up in trouble, though at least Graniv finds one hell of a story.
• Jerkass: Councillor Molmaan, though that's simply his Zaldan cultural heritage. As a member of a race who Will Not Tell a Lie, he is completely lacking in tact.
• Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Kant Jorel, after being mostly just a plain jerk in his previous appearance. His back-story with the Bajoran Resistance (however briefly explored) certainly helps.
• Knight in Sour Armor: Admiral Ross appears to be this, at least by this point.
• Littlest Cancer Patient: Zormonk, essentially. A Tzenkethi child with a deadly disease whose only hope for life is with a particular Federation doctor. His father attempts to smuggle him to the Federation for treatment. He dies, having gotten to them too late.
• Lizard Folk: Established Lizard Folk race the Gnalish show up in the novel, and their representative to the Federation is introduced: Gorus Gelemingar.
• Meaningful Funeral: President Bacco feels she has a duty to make former president Jaresh-Inyo's funeral service memorable.
• Multicultural Alien Planet: During the funeral service for former president Jaresh-Inyo, his culture is referred to as "semtir". His species is Grazerite, but apparently (and in a welcome departure from Planet of Hats) not all Grazerites have the same customs.
• My Species Doth Protest Too Much: C29 Green is unusually forward-thinking for a Nasat, being the only Forest Quadrant Governor to actually try V1 Red's new transport system rather than dismiss it out of hand as "too risky".
• No Biochemical Barriers: Averted in one scene. The Trinni/ek food fleer/ok has to be removed from the menu during preparations for a state dinner welcoming the Trinni/ek Speaker. It's determined to be poisonous to Bajorans, Betazoids, Humans, Trills, and Vulcans, and causes an allergic reaction in Tellarites.
• The Remnant: Some of the Reman factions are still spouting Shinzon's battle cries and making suicide runs at Federation outposts.
• Sassy Secretary: Sivak, President Bacco's secretary, is essentially this. He's Vulcan, so he's very much a Deadpan Snarker, but he fits the Sassy Secretary trope too. He doesn't chew gum, of course, but he probably would if he found some, just to be more annoying...
• Suicide Attack: The Reman crew of Vkruk, against Outpost 22.
• Total Eclipse of the Plot: In the dominant native religion of Lembatta Prime, a solar eclipse is a sacred event. The planet shuts down entirely during an eclipse, forcing President Bacco to postpone her state visit.
• Treachery Cover-Up: The Federation populace remains unaware of ex-President Zife's illegal activities (see Star Trek: A Time to...).
• The Unpronounceable: Ex-President Thelian's full name is Thelianaresth th'Vorothishria. Say it five times, fast.
• Unusually Uninteresting Sight: Balduk thugs carrying naked Trills through hotel lobbies is carefully ignored, at least when the Balduks are hired by local crime lord Ihazs.
  • Unusually Uninteresting Report: Kant Jorel is irritated that none of the press corps blinks an eye on the subject of the Koas. "They put their planet in a box, people!" (See Starfleet Corps of Engineers).
• We Will Use Manual Labour in The Future: The planet Aligar uses slave labour to harvest its raw materials, including those destined for export. President Bacco gives a furious What the Hell, Hero? speech to the Federation Council when the subject of renewing their trade agreements comes up. The agreements are terminated, but the Council ends up filibustering everything for two months until she admits she crossed a line.
• X Meets Y: Word of God on this one: it's Star Trek meets The West Wing. There's even a character named Karin Noosar.