Star Trek Online/Codex/The Path to 2409/2404

Starfleet celebrated the opening of more links in the Federation transwarp network.

"In these troubled times, this technology is more important than ever," said Admiral Chakotay at the opening of a transwarp hub in the Alpha Centauri system. "Speed is essential if we need to repel an attack by the Klingons or the Romulans, or evacuate an entire planet if there is an environmental disaster.

"Just as warp drive once made the stars reachable, transwarp will make exploration of the entire galaxy possible."

Much of the Federation's time in 2404 was spent adjusting to the new balance of power in the galaxy. With the Klingon Empire expanding its influence and stability returning to the Romulans, the possibility of either side turning their attention to the Federation increased.

"If it's not the Klingons, it will be the Romulans. If it's not the Romulans, it will be the True Way! Mark My words - the Federation will come under attack, and it will happen soon," said activist Crom Neret.

The Soong Foundation sued for an injunction forcing Starfleet to reveal the whereabouts and condition of all of its holographic programs.

"We want to review these cases," said Soong Foundation attorney Alyssa Cogley-Shaw. "There are sentient lifeforms trapped in lives of misery and slavery, like the EMH Mark I holograms who have been mining dilithium for more than thirty years!"

Starfleet appealed the injunction, saying that the request was too broad and it invaded officers' privacy. "The brave men and women serving the Federation deserve to have some holographic entertainment without legal review," said Starfleet spokesperson Marie Durant. "Even if all classified uses of holograms were struck from this injunction, it is still illegal and irresponsible."

Legal analysts predicted this holorights case, like that of The Doctor, could go all the way to the Supreme Court of the Federation.

On Stardate 81753.16, Chancellor J'mpok informed the Federation ambassador that he was invoking ancient claims to the Hromi Cluster and the sectors surrounding it, an area that had been ceded to the Federation for decades.

J'mpok said that he would allow the Federation three months to remove all Federation citizens and assets from the region. There would be no negotiation.

According to Federation News Service polls, more than seventy percent of Federation citizens opposed acceding to the Klingons' demands. "Well of course we're not leaving," said Cassidy Munzer, a musician living on Earth. "We have to stop the Klingons somewhere, don't we?"

Federation President Aennik Okeg called for calm. "Let's not fight the war before the first shot is fired," Okeg said. "We will explore every option open to us, and peace is of utmost importance."

The Romulan Star Empire was enjoying a time of peace that it hadn't seen since the destruction of the Romulan homeworld almost two decades before. Praetor Sela settled long-simmering disputes between colony worlds, opened the Romulus memorial at the remains of the homeworld, and gently shaped the Senate to her way of thinking.

"She's using a little bit of blackmail, a dose of charm and a lot of guile," said a Starfleet Intelligence operative on Nova Roma. "But Romulus hasn't had a leader who can pull people together like she can since Donatra disappeared."