Favorite Trek Secret Service

[Alienesse]

I know I'm probably too new around here to go around asking people to vote in my polls, but I think I've got an interesting topic for one: secret services organizations in the Trek universe.

As far as I know, there are three such little devious scheming machines: the Obsidian Order, the Tal Shiar and Section 31. Which is your favorite and why?

Thank you.

 

[clever_username]

tal shiar, with section 31 a close second.

mostly because i love romulans, and i know little to nothing about the obsidian order. section 31 is cool, but it seems to go against everything the federation stands for.

hmmm, i wonder if section 31 had any involvement with the whole pegasus cloaking thing. is riker a section 31 agent?!!

 

[tomalak301]

I loved the Tal Shiar. For one, that name just sounds menacingly cool. I really wish if we had a Romulan movie, (Nemesis wasn't) than it really would have gotten into this group a lot more.

 

[Alienesse]

I loved the Tal Shiar. For one, that name just sounds menacingly cool.

I feel the same about the Obsidian Order. I love the name, it sounds all dark and insidious.

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

Vulcan has the V'shar.

I voted for Section 31 though because they are not common knowledge among their own people. Every Cardassian knows about the Obsidian Order, every Romulan knows to fear the Tal'Shiar. Section 31 is is the ultimate secret service.

 

[Caliburn24]

Arguably the Founders are the best intelligence service of any of them, able to effortlessly infiltrate and influence any government, race or organization outside of the Borg.

Once a few Founders join Section 31 things will get really interesting.

 

[I am not Spock]

Section 31. As teacake said, they're so secret, even their own people don't know about them, or if they do, deny all knowledge. I don't think the idea goes against Star Trek at all. If the other powers have secret intelligence services, why not the Federation? Not everyone can be waving the flag of peace, I guess. You need guys watching your back, willing to do what it takes to get things done.

 

[Rush Limborg]

Section 31--all the way.

Thanks to the Founders, the O.O. bites the dust.

Thanks to the Founders, the Tal Shiar mostly bites the dust.

Thanks to Section 31, the Founders come this close to biting the dust.

Who is superior? I'd think the answer's obvious.

 

[Sector 7]

I always liked the Tal Shiar. Section 31 goes against everything for which the Federation stands. Obsidian Order is a DS9 thing, so I have no opinion.

 

[TiberiusMaximus]

Tal Shiar. It just sounds so cool...and I love Romulans.

 

[Bishop76]

Section 31 goes against everything for which the Federation stands.

That's why I like them so much - to know that there is still a darkness in the Federation is really cool and very interesting to me. Plus, they're just straight up bad-asses.

 

[sbk1234]

Section 31. As teacake said, they're so secret, even their own people don't know about them, or if they do, deny all knowledge. I don't think the idea goes against Star Trek at all. If the other powers have secret intelligence services, why not the Federation? Not everyone can be waving the flag of peace, I guess. You need guys watching your back, willing to do what it takes to get things done.

All this.
The others were a close tie for second, though.

 

[Rett Mikhal]

I've always disliked the Fascist aspect of Section 31. It goes against what Roddenberry envisioned. In fact, it was Section 31 that prevented me from watching DS9 when I first heard about them.

The Tal Shiar for me. Yeah, they're cut-throats, murderers, thieves, backstabbers, and all around dishonorable people... but they don't lie about it, they pride themselves on it. There's something to be said about that.

Ever notice most Tal Shiar captains are women? I get the sneaking suspicion they seduced and killed their way to the captain's chair... That Tal Shiar captain in Starfleet Command III was the worst.. everything about her screamed snake. Plus she practically won in her endeavor to destroy the Federation/Klingon alliance.

That, and I greatly admire the Tal Shiar's patience. They can sit cloaked in space for years waiting, observing, looking for weakness. Then, when the time comes, strike hard with their D'Deridexes (which are, in my opinion, the most powerful and beautiful ships in Star Trek).

So that's my two cents.

 

[Fenric]

Section 31 all the way, i found them surprisingly refreshing to see a darker element compared to the rest of the federations utopia was such a nice contrast and it often gave more interest, were as most people expected there to be all these sorts of organizations maintaining the power for races like the Cardassians, who would have thought that the nice old federation would have such an organisation also i loved sloan in DS9.

 

[Vonstadt]

Went with Section 31, I mean they are so creepily secret most of the their own people have NO idea that they are even around. Plus the over the top patiriotic fanaticsm always gave the creeps.

Vons

 

[LutherSloan]

I doubt I need to explain my answer...

 

[thew40]

Section 31. Powerful, super-secretive, and even though they are devious, they have our security in mind!

Obsidian Order was always kinda dull to me. The Tal Shiar actually seem the scariest, but Section 31 is far more interesting.

 

[Luther Sloan]

Section 31 is always more appealing because it helps protect that 'homo sapiens' only club.

_______________________________________________________

AZETBUR:
Inalien... If only you could hear yourselves? 'Human rights.' Why the very name is racist. The Federation is no more than a 'homo sapiens' only club.

CHANG:
Present company excepted, of course.​

_______________________________________________________

~Star Trek Vl: The Undiscovered Country

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

I've always disliked the Fascist aspect of Section 31. It goes against what Roddenberry envisioned. In fact, it was Section 31 that prevented me from watching DS9 when I first heard about them.

The Tal Shiar for me. Yeah, they're cut-throats, murderers, thieves, backstabbers, and all around dishonorable people... but they don't lie about it, they pride themselves on it. There's something to be said about that.

Ever notice most Tal Shiar captains are women? I get the sneaking suspicion they seduced and killed their way to the captain's chair... That Tal Shiar captain in Starfleet Command III was the worst.. everything about her screamed snake. Plus she practically won in her endeavor to destroy the Federation/Klingon alliance.

Are you implying that no one sleeps their way to the top in Section 31?

::titters:

 

[Shatnertage]

I chose Obsidian Order because it sounds the most menacing...or like a knock-off fraternal society.

As far as Section 31 goes, there's actually a Title 31 of US Code that deals with financial transaction reporting for banks and casinos. So there's lots of talk about "Title 31 Enforcement" and "Title 31 Compliance." And whenever I talk about it, I always slip up and call it "Section 31."

Someday someone's going to think I know more than I should....