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Star Trek: Articles of the Federation (view source)

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* [[Balkanize Me]]: It finally happens to the crumbling Romulan Star Empire. Specifically, Commander Donatra declares herself empress of a new interstellar nation, the Imperial Romulan State, with the result that Romulan space is effectively split in two. The Klingons agree to recognise Donatra's government, eager to encourage division among the Romulan people. The Federation is pressured into showing solidarity with its Klingon allies and so also ends up recognizing the IRS.
* [[Bizarre Alien Biology]]: The whole mess with the Trinni/ek dignitaries is a result of their forced physiological adaptation to the unique properties of their home sun.
* [[Character Filibuster]]: Councillor Bera chim Gleer of Tellar has never had a speech on the council floor go shorter than forty-five minutes...and that was when he had a cold. Usually, it's twice that, minimum.
* [[Continuity Nod]]: Many. Most significantly to the first two novels of the [[Star Trek: Titan]] series and the [[Star Trek: A Time to...]] series, which introduced President Bacco and set the political stage for this novel.
* [[Damn, It Feels Good to Be a Gangster!]]: Ihazs, as usual. He's a leading member of the Orion Syndicate (an interstellar crime cartel), and certainly seems to enjoy his life of sophistry and elegance.
* [[Deadpan Snarker]]: Sivak.
* [[Democracy Is Bad]]: Apparently, the Tzenkethi Coalition believes this, at least in terms of where the Federation goes wrong. The degree to which their leaders' moral indignation is genuine, and the degree to which they are simply trying to maintain the Tzenkethi caste system for selfish purposes, is unclear. It probably varies from leader to leader. Certainly, the "evils" of Federation democracy make a convenient scapegoat when things go wrong for the Coalition.
* [[Fantastic Racism]]: The pacifistic Mizarians are considered to be "the vermin of the galaxy" by Klingons. Martok, being asked by Bacco to provide support for a scientific organization affiliated with no major nation, is ''not'' pleased to hear that their leader is Mizarian.
* [[The Federation]]: We ''finally'' get to see how the United Federation of Planets works as a political entity.
* [[Giant Spider]]: The Koas from [[Starfleet Corps of Engineers]], essentially big spiders with octopus heads, make another appearance - joining the Federation.
* [[Government Conspiracy]]: Reporter Ozla Graniv discovers the truth about President Zife's resignation and the debacle at Tezwa (see [[Star Trek: A Time to...]]). President Bacco also confronts Admiral Ross about his participation in Zife's {{spoiler|removal at gunpoint.}} As a result, {{spoiler|Ross retires, removing himself from politics and any degree of influence over government policy}}.
* [[Gunboat Diplomacy]]: President Bacco resorts to this when overseeing negotiations between the Carreon and the Deltans. The Deltans require a new water reclamation system for their planet, and the Carreon havehas the design they need. Because of an old feud, however, the Carreon refuse to negotiate properly. Bacco ends up using the implied threat of Federation military strength to stop the Carreon messing the Deltans around. As she tells the Carreon Ambassador, diplomacy is the means by which conflict is avoided. If Carrea won't negotiate in good faith, the only remaining option is war - and she makes it clear Carrea wouldn't stand a chance.
* [[Harsher in Hindsight]]: During the state funeral for former President [[Star Trek: Deep Space Nine|Jaresh-Inyo]], President Bacco says that there's one measuring stick for the President: If the Federation's still intact at the end of your term, you've done a good job. The novel ends with a somewhat upbeat callback from Chief of Staff Piniero, pointing out that while the first year of Bacco's term had its ups and downs, the Federation is still intact, so...However, two months later (in universe), [[Star Trek: Destiny]] happens. Bacco did a fine job through the apocalyptic mayhem and its aftermath, but it's still a bit of a knife-twist.
* [[He Who Must Not Be Seen]]: Ambassador Emra, and seemingly all Tzenkethi. This is part of a general [[Running Gag]] in the [[Star Trek Expanded Universe]], in which the Tzenkethi's physical appearance is left a mystery (the [[Star Trek: Typhon Pact]] series recently put an end to it, though).
* [[Implausible Deniability]]: Everyone knows Admiral Mendak was working on the orders of Praetor Tal'aura when he {{spoiler|destroyed Klorgat IV's moon}}, but no one can prove anything - particularly after Mendak and his crew kill themselves with their own honourhonor blades.
* [[Intrepid Reporter]]: Ozla Graniv. Brek chim Glamok, too. Both end up in trouble, though at least Graniv finds one hell of a story.
* [[Jerkass]]: Councillor Molmaan, though that's simply his Zaldan cultural heritage. As a member of a race who [[Will Not Tell a Lie]], he is completely lacking in tact.
* [[Jerk with a Heart of Gold]]: Kant Jorel, after being mostly just a plain jerk in his previous appearance. His back- story with the Bajoran Resistance (however briefly explored) certainly helps.
* [[Knight in Sour Armor]]: Admiral Ross appears to be this, at least by this point.
* [[Littlest Cancer Patient]]: Zormonk, essentially. A Tzenkethi child with a deadly disease whose only hope for life is with a particular Federation doctor. His father attempts to smuggle him to the Federation for treatment. {{spoiler|He dies, having gotten to them too late.}}
* [[Lizard Folk]]: Established [[Lizard Folk]] race the Gnalish show up in the novel, and their representative to the Federation is introduced: Gorus Gelemingar.
* [[Meaningful Funeral]]: President Bacco feels she has a duty to make former president Jaresh-Inyo's funeral service memorable.
* [[Multicultural Alien Planet]]: During the funeral service for former president Jaresh-Inyo, his culture is referred to as "semtir". His species is Grazerite, but apparently (and in a welcome departure from [[Planet of Hats]]) not all Grazerites have the same customs.
* [[My Species Doth Protest Too Much]]: C29 Green is unusually forward-thinking for a Nasat, being the only Forest Quadrant Governor to actually try V1 Red's new transport system rather than dismiss it out of hand as "too risky".
* [[No Biochemical Barriers]]: Averted in one scene. The Trinni/ek food ''fleer/ok'' has to be removed from the menu during preparations for a state dinner welcoming the Trinni/ek Speaker. It's determined to be poisonous to Bajorans, Betazoids, Humans, Trills, and Vulcans, and causes an allergic reaction in Tellarites.
* [[The Remnant]]: Some of the Reman factions are still spouting Shinzon's battle cries and making suicide runs at Federation outposts.
* [[Sassy Secretary]]: Sivak, President Bacco's secretary, is essentially this. He's Vulcan, so he's very much a [[Deadpan Snarker]], but he fits the [[Sassy Secretary]] trope too. He doesn't chew gum, of course, but he probably would if he found some, just to be more annoying...
* [[Suicide Attack]]: The Reman crew of ''Vkruk'', against Outpost 22.
* [[Total Eclipse of the Plot]]: In the dominant native religion of Lembatta Prime, a solar eclipse is a sacred event. The planet shuts down entirely during an eclipse, forcing President Bacco to postpone her state visit.
* [[Treachery Cover-Up]]: The Federation populace remains unaware of ex-President Zife's illegal activities (see [[Star Trek: A Time to...]]).
** {{spoiler|Aspects of it do come to the knowledge of Bacco, who is forced to call Admiral Ross in due to being implicated and get the truth. Ross, knowing the full truth would result in her getting killed, takes the blame for as much as he can without revealing everything he knows and agrees to retire, because he knew Section 31 was involved, and he and Bacco would be dead if he didn't}}.
* [[The Unpronounceable]]: Ex-President Thelian's full name is Thelianaresth th'Vorothishria. Say it five times, fast.
* [[Unusually Uninteresting Sight]]: Balduk thugs carrying naked Trills through hotel lobbies isare carefully ignored, at least when the Balduks are hired by local crime lord Ihazs.
** Unusually Uninteresting Report: Kant Jorel is irritated that none of the press corps blinks an eye on the subject of the Koas. "They put their planet ''in a box'', people!" (See [[Starfleet Corps of Engineers]]).
* [[We Will Use Manual Labour in The Future]]: The planet Aligar uses slave labourlabor to harvest its raw materials, including those destined for export. President Bacco gives a furious [[What the Hell, Hero?]] speech to the Federation Council when the subject of renewing their trade agreements comes up. The agreements are terminated, but the Council ends up filibustering everything for two months until she admits she crossed a line.
** This also is a bit [[Hypocrite|ironic to call out given the Federation is allied with Klingons, who still have slavery they openly practice]].
* [[X Meets Y]]: [[Word of God]] on this one: it's ''[[Star Trek]]'' meets ''[[The West Wing]]''. There's even a character named [[Significant Anagram|Karin]] [[Aaron Sorkin|Noosar]].
 
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