RECONTACT

In 2395 AD, Starfleet began picking up unusual subspace signals from around the giant star Deneb. Located over 3,000 light years from the core worlds of the Federation, a normal warp speed journey to the region would have taken years. However, Starfleet had refined the process of transwarp speeds and was in the middle of upgrading the fleet to that standard when the Deneb communication came in. It was a plea for help from the TF 12 task force that had disappeared 15 years earlier. Suspicious, Starfleet sent a small force at high transwarp speeds to the Deneb area and the first starship to make contact with the Second Federation was the USS Majestic Intent, a Alexander-class battleship. Starfleet vessels had fallen into traps many times before and by sending in the Majestic Intent they was ready for anything. Luckily, it turned out all was well: the Second Federation was finally in contact with the United Federation and within 5 years the Deneb Arm was fully established, creating a colonization zone to the area.






 







 
THIS MAP
This is a general map of the region near the giant star Deneb. It shows only major worlds and alien homeworlds in the south east corner of the Deneb area. Each hex is 5 light years across.


This region became more heavily populated once communication with the UFP was restarted, and the area became a launching point for Federation colonization from 2400 AD onward.







 
THIS MAP
This is a general map of the general area around the star Deneb and the nearby Blueheart Nebula around the year 2400 AD. Second Federation space grew until it surrounded the few nearby hostile empires, forcibly keeping them within their own small areas of space. Later, a serious attack by the Primisaurr Empire in 2475 AD against the Deneb Sector caused substantial problems for the UFP before they were finally defeated, two years later.








 
THIS MAP
This is a general map of the gateways between the Milky Way Galaxy and the Andromeda Galaxy and the Milky Way Galaxy and the Triangulum Galaxy. The interstellar gateway that links our galaxy with theirs was built by the Originators, their terraforming efforts can be found at both destinations. Clusters of human and humanoid inhabited worlds can be found on these worlds.









 
 
 
THIS MAP
This is a general map of the Second Federation before discovery by the UFP.








 
THE GATEWAY

This is a photo of the Originator Gateway Device. This vast interstellar bridge was created long ago by the Preservers, with Starfleet scientist best estimates being around 1 million years BC. The Gateway Device creates a near instant transit portal between the Milky Way and Andromeda galaxies and it is bound at both ends by a massive gravity well: a large and ancient and slow-moving black hole (known as the "Anchorpoint"). The Gateway has Devices at both ends so travel between the galaxies goes both ways. 
There is a size and weight limitation in using the Gateway Device: starships must be able to fit through the portal and the mass restriction is around 50 million tons. The Milky Way Device is under the control of the United Federation of Planets (it was first discovered by the Second Federation) and is heavily defended, mostly by automated weaponry. Starfleet Command has begun sending exploratory starships through the gateway from 2405 AD onward. A second Gateway Device to the Triangulum Galaxy was recently activated by the Milky Way Device and exploration by Starfleet vessels is scheduled to begin next year.