Star Trek Online/Codex/The Path to 2409/2399

Responding to the success of the Federation dual citizenship program, Starfleet expanded the Starfleet Academy admission guidelines to accept applicants from races allied with, but not formally part of the Federation. These cadets would be allowed to apply for dual citizenship and would otherwise be considered a full citizen of the Federation, and therefore would not need a command-level recommendation for acceptance.

"There are many dedicated, quality applicants out there who simply don't have access to a Starfleet captain," said Starfleet spokesperson Marie Durant. "We're opening the doors." One change that Starfleet saw immediately was a rush of Ferengi applicants. Inspired by the example of Nog and social reforms on Ferenginar, hundreds of Ferengi applied to join Starfleet.

On Stardate 76014.61, dignitaries from throughout the Federation gathered to celebrate the opening of the first links of the Federation transwarp network, a rapid transit technology based on Borg designs found by the U.S.S. Voyager.

"Planets that were weeks away at warp will be connected in ways they never could be before," said Federation President Aennik Okeg. "When the crew of the U.S.S. Voyager brought this technology back from the Delta Quadrant, they created a world where someday you can have breakfast on Deep Space Nine, and be at Cestus III in time to catch an afternoon baseball game."

On Stardate 76306.19, the I.R.W. Alth'lndor notified Nova Roma that it was experiencing unexplained malfunctions in several systems, but that the problems would not impede the ship's progress.

General Velal offered to send a ship to rendezvous with the Alth'lndor. Tebok assured Velal that the engineers on the Alth'lndor believed the problems were being caused by a computer virus and that they would have a solution for the problem shortly.

Two hours later, the Alth'lndor dropped out of warp and transmitter a final distress signal. The I.R.W. Kaidor was the closest vessel, and it raced to the Alth'lndor's location. The Kaidor reported detecting an antimatter containment failure, but before her crew could act the Alth'lndor exploded, killing General Tebok and all hands.

Praetor Taris ordered that until a new commander for the fleet was selected all fleets must report to her directly. Velal went to Tebok's allies in the Romulan Senate to block Taris, and the Senate quickly passed a bill that mandated Senate approval for all high-level military appointments.

The uncertainty in the chain of command once again threw the Romulan fleet into chaos, and several commanders announced that they would no longer report to any authority but their own. Starfleet stepped up border patrols in response, hoping to block any rogue ship before it could attack a Federation target.

President Aennik Okeg announced plans to travel to Qo'noS to meet with Chancellor J'mpok to try to find a peaceful solution to the Klingons' conflict with the Gorn. However, before he could depart Paris, the I.K.S. Kang returned to Qo'noS.

Captain Ja'rod met in a closed session with J'mpok and the High Council for more than seven hours. Reports indicated that Ja'rod revealed the details of his investigation into the Undine presence in the Gorn Hegemony to the Council, and that the infiltration went much deeper than previously believed.

A day later, J'mpok, with the full backing of the High Council, ordered an invasion of the Gorn Hegemony. "No more waiting. No more talking. We are Klingon, and we will protect the Alpha Quadrant from these qa'meH quv - these replacers of honor with dishonor. We attack!"

A combined Gorn and Orion fleet stormed across the border into the Gorn Hegemony. The ships clashed with Gorn and Nausicaan forces in multiple systems, and the simmering conflict flared into open warfare.

After the Klingon Empire invaded Gorn space, J'mpok sent a message to President Aennik Okeg, asking for Federation assistance as spelled out in the Khitomer Accords. In response, the Federation Council condemned the invasion and demanded that the Klingons withdraw from Gorn space and return to the negotiating table.

"This is not the first time that the Klingons have acted rashly," said Councilor Astoni-Yhard of Grazer. "For all we know, they're chasing shadows. What reason would these 'Undine' have for being here now?"

The Klingon response was swoft. In a tersely worded message, J'mpok pulled the Klingon Empire out of the Khitomer Accords and recalled all Klingon ambassadors back to Qo'noS.

"Chancellor J'mpok's decision is regrettable," Okeg said. "However, it is his to make. We will continue to do all we can to repair our relationship wiht our longtime friends in the Klingon Empire."

After the Klingons withdrew from the Khitomer Accords, Federation citizens were unceremoniously ejected from the Empire. It is only because of his ties to Qo'noS that Ambassador Worf was allowed to stay in the First City.

"J'mpok needs the ships and crews loyal to the House of Martok fighting the Gorn," a Federation government insider told hte Tellar News Service. "If he had kicked Worf out, Drex would have pulled his support."

"Still, don't think that the fight between Drex and J'mpok is over. The needs of the Empire may be foremost today. Tomorrow is a different story."