Nacene Reach

The Nacene Reach is an area of space several thousand light-years in diameter approximately 70,000 light-years from Federation space named for the Nacene, a powerful race of extragalactic explorers who travelled through this area of space centuries ago and built the array that brought the starship Voyager to the Delta Quadrant. As of 2399, it is the latest area to be charted by Starfleet, connected to the Barzan System (Alpha Quadrant) every ninety-one days by way of the Barzan Wormhole. This area has largely been unexplored since Voyager was last here in 2372, so the Federation ships in this area have been tasked with re-establishing contact with the races in the area to see what potential there is for trade and continued exploration through the wormhole.

History

Initial Exploration

In 2371, the USS Voyager first entered the Nacene Reaches in 2371 when it was pulled by a coherent tetreyon beam from the Badlands to the Ocampa System. For almost three years, Voyager travelled through this area of space until it exited into the Nekrit Expanse, making several first contacts along the way, most notably, the Ocampa, the Talaxians, the Haakonian Order, the Kazon Collective, the Trabe and the Vidiian Sodality.

Renewed Efforts

In 2388, the USS Banting, in an attempt to use a salvaged Borg transwarp coil, was thrown far from its destination and past Borg Space through a fluke accident that resulted in them ending up near the Takar system. After re-establishing contact with the Federation through the Pathfinder Project, Starfleet was able to guide them to the Delta Quadrant end of the Barzan wormhole, where they participated in an experiment to stabilise it in 2389, remaining on station until they were relieved by a series of other science vessels who maintained near radio-silence while the situation was evaluated. By 2399, a relay station had been deployed at the mouth of the wormhole and a task group deployed to explore the region more fully.

There are no major Starfleet facilities besides a relay station at the mouth of the Barzan Wormhole in this area of space, nor are there any Federation colonies.

Vaadwaur Attacks

In 2402, elements of the Vaadwaur military started to launch unprovoked attacks against many of the Nacene Reach's inhabitants. Many of these raids were devastating, killing millions and destroying key facilities and ships. Their intention was not apparent until two Starfleet squadrons, the Constellation and Odyssey, banded together to lead an investigation and, with help from the Rakosan government, started to form a coalition against the Vaadwaur. Through a combined joint effort, the local powers were able to identify that the Vaadwaur were trying to form a buffer zone that gave them free access to an asteroid field that Voyager once explored—within this asteroid, contained dilithium crystals that could remain stable at higher warp frequencies. These crystals would be essential for their long-term plans for the Blackout event taking place in the Alpha and Beta Quadrants. The Delta Coalition, consisting of the Rakosans, Talaxians, Haakonians, Vidiians, Trabe, Kazon and Pralor, defended this asteroid field from being taken and discovered the location of the new homeworld being used by the Vaadwaur. The conflict eventually ended after the Coalition, led by the Starfleet forces, launched an attack against the new Vaadwaur homeworld in the Nekrit Expanse. After witnessing multiple defeats and the uprising on their doorstep, the Vaadwaur fell back and relinquished any influence on the inhabitants of the Nacene Reach. All of the Delta Coalition members returned to their own territory to rebuild, with the coalition coming to a natural end.

During the Delta Coalition's formation, it was discovered that for centuries, the Vaadwaur had influenced and manipulated many key events in the Nacene Reach, from supporting the conflict between the Talaxians and Haakonians, escalating the racial divide between the Kazon and Trabe, developing a control frequency for the Pralor and Kravic Automated Personnel, and sustaining the Vidiian phage. The Vaadwaur intended always to have control of this region. Before their first downfall, they used the Nacene Reach to maintain a significant amount of their vast empire with resources and riches from this region. With all of this now becoming public knowledge, the Vaadwaur agreed to remove assets, like sleeper agents, from the Nacene Reach, allowing the region to finally grow without any outside influence.

Species and Lifeforms

Delta Coalition

The Delta Coalition was the brief alliance between many of the inhabitants of the Nacene Reach in 2402. The defence-pact was formed with the Federation and Rakosan governments acting as neutral third parties to everyone else. The Coalition was formed for one purpose: to the end the Vaadwaur threat to the region. The members that joined the Federation and Rakosans, included:

Kazon Collective
Trabe Governing Council
Autonomous Province of Talax
Haakonian Order
Vidiian Sodality
Pralor Automated Personnel

Others were invited to join, including the Kravic Automated Personnel, the Sikarians and the Krowtonan Guard, but could not commit significant military resources to it. The Delta Coalition's aim was to support one another during this time of conflict through mutual defence and providing humanitarian help if/where needed. Its members also agreed to stop any aggression against one another. They would also share any intelligence on the Vaadwaur.

Once the conflict with the Vaadwaur had concluded the coalition ended. This was due to so many of its members, and others in the region, being devastated by the Vaadwaur initial attacks. No one could sustain a long-term agreement. Nevertheless, the Coalition did have some influence over some of its members and their relations between each other. Examples included some Trabe being able to settle down on a planet and develop a joint colony with the Rakosans, the Haakonians and Talaxians taking further steps to explore how they could improve their relations and the Vidiians beginning to consider changing some of their medical practices in harvesting organs from others (however this was not completely certain). It did place the Rakosans in a position of being able to act as peacemaker, a neutral third party, in a hopes in developing long-lasting peace between its neighbours.

Major Powers

Kazon Collective The Kazon Collective is the most dominant power in this region of space, though they are technologically-inferior to nearly every other race in the area. They maintain their superiority through sheer numbers and force of will; it's not worth it for the more advanced races to try to contain them when doing so would undoubtedly unit the fractured sects against whoever attacked them. One-on-one, Kazon raiders are little threat to Starfleet vessels, but their carriers do pose a threat. Kazon ships are rarely found alone, unfortunately, and the best practice is simply to avoid them. Starfleet has a strict policy against technology trading of any kind with the Kazon and all starships have standing orders to self-destruct or be scuttled to avoid capture and their technology following into Kazon hands, due to the threat they would pose to the rest of the quadrant with advanced technology.
Vidiian Sodality The Vidiian Sodality is a nation-state ravished by a disease known as The Phage which causes the Vidiians to seek out other life-forms to harvest their organs and tissue to replace their own. They have a fearsome reputation in this area of space and should be avoided at all costs, as their ships are a match for smaller Starfleet vessels, which they grapple onto with physical cables. Before the Phage, the Vidiians had a reputation as artists and architects, but the disease has driven them to extreme measures for the survival of their species. Starfleet, hopeful based on the success of one cooperation between Voyager and the Vidiians, is interested in developing a cure for the Phage, if that is even possible.
Haakonian Order The Haakonian Order is an interstellar power that covers a relatively large area of space up to the border of the Nekrit Expanse. They are warlike and were responsible for subjugating the Talaxians, who now live under occupation in the Autonomous Province of Talax.

Minor Powers

Lifeforms

Space-Dwelling Life Forms
Reptohumanoids

The Nacene Reach in Play

This area of space is resource-poor and the powers at work here are technologically inferior to the Federation, especially compared to the Gradin Belt. People here are desperate to survive and no one power has control of the area. The Federation's exploratory efforts are focused on figuring out why this area of space lacks so many common resources and on maintaining the peace in the region, as far as the Prime Directive allows.
Following on from the Vaadwaur conflict in 2402, it was made clear why some of the powers in this region are not as well-developed due to the long-lasting influence and manipulation of the Vaadwaur Supremacy.
The Nekrit Expanse provides a natural barrier that shields this region from the more advanced races further towards the galactic core, like the Borg.