Star Trek: The Next Generation: Articles of the Federation

Star Trek: The Next Generation: Articles of the Federation

By Keith R.A. DeCandido

Pocket Books/Star Trek |  416 pages | ISBN 9781416510291 | June 2005

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.

Review by Roger D. Noriega

Phasers? Shields? Red-Alert? Nope. Won’t find any of that here. Writer DeCandido weaves a tale which brings an aspect to the world of Star Trek that is rarely witnessed. Star Trek is about exploring the unknown, but the instruments of such wayward discovery originates from someplace else and Articles of the Federation gives us that place.

DeCandido gives us a look into the Federation’s capital and its executive. It’s executive is Nan Bacco, recently elected to the Presidency of the Federation, former governor of Cestus III and we find out that she is only the second-ever President elected in a special election.

In addition, we learn that politics in Palais de Concord is just as cutthroat and devious as The Old Republic and modern politics today. We learn that the times we live in the Federation universe are trying times indeed. For those not familiar, Pocket Books famously re-launched Deep Space Nine, later Voyager and then The Next Generation. Year One of the Next Generation was 2364 (1987 A.D.), Yoyager’s last year was 2378 (2001 A.D.). In this novel, Articles of the Federation, the year is: 2380, approximately one year after the events in Star Trek: Nemesis. One can say that the future is in the hands of Pocket Books and boy, it is an intricate future.

Returning this adventure, Political intrigue is first and foremost on the agenda here and as mentioned previously, the universe we know, are dark indeed. Shocking events have taken place, both to the membership of the Federation and in its executive. Benjamin Sisko is rumoured to have said that “The road to hell is paved with good intentions” and as such, we learn that others make decisions trying to “do the right thing,” but end of doing the wrong thing.

Star Trek fans should enjoy this tome of future events which fills in lots of missing information in Federation History.