The Borderlands
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| The Borderlands |
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| Stations |
| Major Neighboring Powers |
| Local Species |
| Stellar Cartography |
| Federation Presence |
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Regional Overview
The Borderlands is a vast swath of Federation space that borders the Klingon Empire. Little is known of this volatile region and local legends talk of rampant piracy, hazadous stellar phenomena and space-faring ‘monsters’- all of which have combined to ward off merchants and colony vessels. Despite being recognised as Federation space by most Alpha and Beta Quadrant powers, the area contains a number of indigenous and unaffiliated civilisations such as the Nascaik, the Thama, the Demesians and the R’ongovians- and the Federation has committed to respecting these sovereign claims.
While there are no official stellar boundaries, it is commonly accepted that the Paulson Nebula marks one, with the Celendi Nebula marking another. The oft-disputed Archanis Sector is not considered part of The Borderlands, but is considered adjacent- as is the Mempa Sector. Some parts of the infamous Briar Patch fall within the Borderlands, as does the Azure Nebula- the site of a confrontation between the Starship Excelsior and a Klingon battlecruiser in late 2293.
Starfleet Involvement
Starfleet’s first known exploration of this uncharted expanse dates back to the mid 22nd century, when the SS Enterprise NX-01 under the command of Captain Johnathan Archer. During this period, the region was considered lawless and there was a significant Orion Syndicate presence, mostly centred around Verex III. During this time, Klingon scouts were known to operate in the region, looking for new opportunities for imperial expansion. However this initiative by the High Council was suspended by the turn of the 2160s. It is believed that the Syndicate withdrew from Verex III (and by extension, The Borderlands) at the turn of the 23rd century in favour of an increased presence in the Rigel Sectors.
The brief but bloody Federation - Klingon War of 2257 also saw attempted expansion into the region by both powers, although as per the Armistice- both nations agreed to pull out the region. As a result, much of The Borderlands formed part of the Klingon Neutral Zone until its dissolution following the signing of the First Khitomer Accords in 2293. For much of the 24th century, neither power showed much interest in The Borderlands aside from several skirmishes during the Federation-Klingon Cold War of 2373. The Second Khitomer Accords ceded The Borderlands to the Federation, which went uncontested by other Alpha/Beta Quadrant powers.
Since the end of the Dominion War, Starfleet patrols of the region have been infrequent, although in recent years their number and permanency have increased. In 2391, the USS Gemini was dispatched to investigate the disappearance of the USS Hermes, which led to the establishment of the first Federation outpost in the region, Deep Space 224. The station’s mission was further enhanced by the permanent assignment of the USS Resolution to the region in 2397. When that ship was destroyed the following year, the USS Excalibur-A took over its duties. By 2399, the USS Chesapeake and the USS Berlin had also been assigned to patrol the region. A further four starships were assigned to the region on a semi-permanent basis. Starfleet Strategic Operations also deployed resources to combat a rising number of pirate attacks and concerns of weapons smuggling out of the ‘failed’ Earth colony Turkana IV, although political commentators expressed doubt that these efforts would meet with much success.
When the USS Excalibur-A was reassigned to the Tholian Border in early 2400, the USS Doyle-A - rechristened as the USS Artemis-A - was dispatched in her place to keep up Starfleet's efforts in the area.
Factions & Spatial Anomalies
Given the vast size of The Borderlands, many areas within its commonly accepted boundaries are distinct from one another. Additionally, the region is home to a vast array of stellar phenomena many of which are still not fully understood.
In addition to DS224 and the small contingent of Starfleet vessels permanently assigned to The Borderlands, Starfleet operates the mysterious Outpost 89 Delta. Very little is known about this small installation and rumours of its mission vary from a listening post to intelligence officer training. Deep Space Station K-7 also falls within The Borderlands, although only just.
The Federation and the Klingon Empire are not the only Alpha and Beta Quadrant powers to have a presence in the region. Son’a and Sultan colonies have also been discovered within the region and there are also unconfirmed reports that the Orion Syndicate have begun to return.
Several minor powers call The Borderlands home, most notably the R’ongovian Protectorate which have a number of small colonies and outposts near the Celendi Nebula Nebula. In addition, the Nascaik Defence Coalition and the Thama Scientific Sovereignty have territory that falls within the commonly accepted boundaries of The Borderlands. Disputes between the two powers, who are historically arch-rivals, periodically flare up, most recently in 2398 thanks to a dispute over the rights to the planet Vionius IV. The Da’al also have several colonies scattered through the mid-section of The Borderlands.
The "failed" Earth colony of Turkana IV is located on the outer edges of the Borderlands. As of 2399, it was believed to be a hub of bioweapon smuggling and a port of call for slavers.
Unaffiliated stations also exist throughout the region. Rinascita Station was, until 2398, ostensibly a civilian water reclamation station until it was decommissioned following the discovery of illegal Genesis technology experiments.
Aside from the aforementioned Celendi Nebula, the region also includes portions of the Azure Nebula, the uncharted and volatile Paulson Nebula which has been responsible for the destruction and disappearance of numerous ships as well as some of the outer boundaries of the stellar remnant known alternately as the ‘Briar Patch’ and ‘Klach D’kel Brakt’ by the Federation and the Klingon Empire, respectively.
The Celendi Trade Lane
Despite the reluctance of many shipmasters and commercial entities to venture in to The Borderlands, there does exist a shipping route,(albeit one that is used infrequently) known as the Celendi Trade Lane. The commonly accepted route begins at StarBase 118 in the nearby Trinity Sector and stretches to the Klingon Border, skirting the outermost boundaries of the Celendi Nebula (from where the route gets its name). Once the lane reaches the Klingon Empire, it becomes subsumed by the greater wa’neS (Wayfarer’s Passage) trade routes.
The few vessels and enterprises that utilise the route rarely venture from its prescribed course, for fear of falling foul of piracy, stellar phenomena or other navigational hazards. During the Dominion War, the trade route was used by the Klingon Defence Force to run military supply convoys in cooperation with Starfleet (and later the Romulan Star Empire). Several Dominion and Cardassian wrecks have been sighted near the route that date from this conflict.
Starfleet Missions in the Region
| SB118 Borderlands Episodes | |
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| Serving Ships USS Resolution · USS Excalibur-A · USS Artemis-A | |
| Year | Individual Missions |
| 2397 | Unity · Come What May · The Saural Inquisition |
| 2398 | The Ties that Bind · Stranded · Time in a Bottle · Cats Among The Pigeons · Shadow Out of Mind |
| 2399 | In Plain Sight · The One With All The Timezones · The Trouble With Tacos |
| 2400 | Hide and Seek · Impact · Drill · Both Sides Now |
| 2401 | Wolf in Sheep's Clothing |
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