The universe of Star Trek is so much richer when we create detailed background documents to explain and describe what goes on after the show ends. And the tradition of rewriting real-life documents to fit the fictional universe goes back to Franz Joseph’s Star Trek Technical Manual . (For those who didn’t know, his version of the Federation Charter was quite liberally borrowed from the real Charter of the United Nations .)
Back in college, I had the opportunity to immerse myself in some similar documents during research for my history classes. And I was inspired to do basically the same thing; take some real-world documents and rewrite them to fit the Star Trek universe.
Available Documents
Starfleet General Orders
Adapted by Chris Gray and Chris St. John
As per Starfleet Directive 94-A, an officer must quote a General Order or other regulation to increase the dramatic tension in a confrontation. If you’ve ever wondered just what all those numbered orders refer to, this is the list you’re looking for!
The Earth-Romulan War: The Treaty of Peace
Adapted by Dan Carlson
While working on my History of the Earth-Romulan War, I decided to create a longer, more detailed version of the treaty, instead of using the short one written by Franz Joseph. I based the text on the armistice that ended the fighting of the Korean War, which also established a buffer zone between two hostile nations.
The Dominion War: Documents of Surrender - Cardassia
Adapted by Dan Carlson
DS9 emphasized similarities between the conflict with the Dominion and Earth’s Second World War, especially in the final episode. Starting from that idea, I used the Instrument of Surrender for Germany as a template for Cardassia’s surrender—it was a planet that had been utterly devastated during the war and would need direct assistance and guidance to rebuild.
The Dominion War: Documents of Surrender - The Dominion
Adapted by Dan Carlson
Again referring to World War II for inspiration, I used the Japanese Instrument of Surrender as a template for the document signed by the Founder on Deep Space Nine in ”What You Leave Behind”. The original documents referred mainly to military withdrawal from occupied territories—which made sense considering that the Dominion was essentially an occupying power on Cardassia.
The Convention on the Prohibition of Subspace Weapons
Adapted by Dan Carlson
Star Trek: Insurrection stated that subspace weapons were banned by the Khitomer Accords. But the Khitomer Accords were supposedly between the Federation and the Klingons. It’s possible that the Khitomer Accords were not a single document, but a group of documents negotiated at the same time. I based this document on the UN convention banning biological weapons.
The Organian Peace Treaty
Adapted by Franz Joseph
This document was included in the original Star Trek Star Fleet Technical Manual (1975). It’s both terse and vague as far as legal documents go, but it makes sense that the Organians would simply want the Klingons and the Federation to stop fighting. Considering that peace generally held for the next 100 years, the vagueness must have been a good thing!
The Charter of the United Federation of Planets
Adapted by Franz Joseph
Also published in the Star Trek Star Fleet Technical Manual , the Federation Charter was clearly adapted from the Charter of the United Nations. Later series showed that the Federation had a much different organizational structure—for example, there’s never been a mention of any legislative body other than the Federation Council itself. This document still makes for an interesting and useful reference.
United Federation of Planets Uniform Code of Military Justice
Adapted by Chris St. John
Starfleet may be a peaceful organization, but it still has a clear martial hierarchy. Chris took the United States UCMJ and adapted it for the 24th century, adding specific details like General Order 7, rules for intercultural tolerances, and more.
