Jack of Harts

The New England Federation Starfleet is filled with Federation citizens who are just a bit too rebellious to be entirely comfortable in the Better Americas for Better Americans the Federation builds. It is an entirely volunteer organization, and most people who serve end up going back home after their first tour. They’ve seen how bad things are out there and are suddenly very happy to go home. But Starfleet is run by those who never go home. Those who realized how bad things are out there, and will never let it come for their homes, their families. They are the sheepdogs, protecting the sheep from the wolves most don’t even know exist. And behind every Starfleet smile is a suspicious mind wondering if you are a wolf that needs to be put down.

The New England Federation Starfleet’s primary mission is to explore new worlds for the Federation to colonize. To build new Better Americas for Better Americans. Starfleet’s secondary mission is to help those who think they want to go out and find something better than what they have at home. It is the first option suggested for Federation citizens that are too non-conformist to fit in. Not the truly dangerous of course, but those who are simply a bit too willing to question authority. A little too rebellious. Starfleet sends them to seek out new worlds beyond the frontiers, other races and other civilizations, and to show them how lucky they are to have been born a Federation citizen. To file off the rough edges and make them happy to come home.

The New England Federation built the first American starships and funded the bulk of the cost of colonizing Alpha Centauri and the other first wave colony systems. And they carefully vetted the colony organizers to make certain they understood who was really in charge and who would get first crack at the best resources the new colonies discovered. That usually involved bribes. Sometimes blackmail, but unwilling agents were so hard to keep. It was much better to make sure their agents had a stake in the windfalls to come. It was after all very important that an agent you bought remained bought. The Federation was very good at keeping people bought, and equally good at tracking down those who forgot they were bought. Forgetful agents rarely enjoyed that.