In-universe examples of UFP spying?

[Nathan]

Just wondering if there are in-universe examples on how the Federation spies/keep tabs/gathers intel from non-aligned worlds.

Specifically, say the Feds wants to spy/keep tabs/gather intel on the Thoilans/Romulans/Breen and want to have a ship in there territory, is a covert civilian ship used or is the plot device a "Federation ship with holo-emitters and modified to give warp emissions based on what ship they are trying to be.

For example, you would assume the Feds would want to spy/keep tabs/gather intel on the Thoilians (even with a treaty in place), I can't imagine the USS <insert name here> is parked in orbit around the homeworld, Starfleet Intelligence must/want to do it covertly.

Wonder if there are any examples in Trek Lit on how it is done.

 

[David cgc]

The biggest examples I can think of in Trek Lit are the Tucker plotline from the Romulan War novels (though that's more of a 31 thing than an intelligence thing), and the Tzenkethi spy mission shown in "Brinksmanship" and followed up on in "The Missing."

 

[Leto_II]

The biggest examples I can think of in Trek Lit are the Tucker plotline from the Romulan War novels (though that's more of a 31 thing than an intelligence thing), and the Tzenkethi spy mission shown in "Brinksmanship" and followed up on in "The Missing."

Plus just about anything T'Prynn does, just by her idly standing around and breathing on a daily basis.

 

[20fridge]

Cast No Shadow is basically about a Starfleet Intelligence operation and it hints at spy operations that happened before The Undiscovered Country.

 

[nx1701g]

The first novel in the Typhon Pact Series (Zero Sum Game) focuses on a Starfleet Intelligence mission involving a mission to the Breen Homeworld to destroy the Breen Slipstream Prototype vessel.

The Section 31 novels revolve around Section 31 so they all have some sort of intelligence background.

 

[Cyfa]

The Lost Era novel Catalyst of Sorrows is about a Starfleet Intelligence mission. Admiral Uhura sends an undercover Starfleet crew into Romulan territory aboard a civilian ship. The story covers how and why Uhura chooses the officers she does, and the upgrading of the ship (a freighter), as well as the mission itself.

 

[GeorgeKirk]

The Romulan Way is about a Starfleet Intelligence deep-cover operative on ch'Rihan (Romulus).

 

[Reanok]

David Mack's Ds9 Section 31 novel Disavowed is a spy Mission for Bashir & his girlfriend Sarina Douglas. It's a great story. The other Section 31 novels are also really good stories.

 

[Nathan]

Thanks all, and I've read most. Just working on my own fan fic. I suppose that the Federation (Starfleet Intelligence) must use ships (mostly disguised as cargo/merchant/passenger ships) as a base of operations when in "enemy territory"/neutral territory as to not raise suspicion.

Was just thinking how/if the US does it with other nations.....meaning a US Frigate isn't anchored just off the coast of some neutral/hostile country when it wants to be on the downlow.

 

[Idran]

I'd suggest using embassies. Officially, they aren't supposed to be host to espionage operations. Unofficially, every nation uses them for such and every nation is aware of it, but there's a general agreement for each nation to look the other way and not investigate too heavily so that people continue to look the other way for their own operations. They're well-supported by both the host nation and the originating nation, there's nothing suspicious about new staff coming in or going out since it happens so regularly (and the originating nation does any background checks rather than the host nation), they're often constructed by the originating nation and the originating nation also tends to handle security meaning there's less chance of local authorities catching wind of operations (as well as diplomatic relations tending to preclude investigation as easily or as heavily as native ground), and they're well-connected in every sense: socially, technologically, governmentally. That's how the US usually does it (along with everyone else), and I'd assume it's how the Federation would as well; in fact, it Litverse-canonically has with the Federation embassy on Qo'noS at least a couple times that I can think of (Left Hand of Destiny and the A Time to... series).

 

[Nathan]

Good point Idran, but I wonder what the UFP does in the cases like the Tholians, Gorn, the Romulans (in TNG Season 2 time era). You'd think there would still be spy missions going on when we don't have formal ties.

 

[Idran]

Good point Idran, but I wonder what the UFP does in the cases like the Tholians, Gorn, the Romulans (in TNG Season 2 time era). You'd think there would still be spy missions going on when we don't have formal ties.

Oh, certainly; I wasn't speaking as a universal thing, I was just offering a suggestion for your fanfic.

 

[flandry84]

Starfleet intelligence?
Return of the oxymoron.

 

[T'Girl]

In TUC when Sulu made mention of "cataloging gaseous anomalies" that was euphemism for spying. Sit on the border and let the sensors do their work, occasionally send in a probe, maybe a shuttlecraft.

 

[Idran]

In TUC when Sulu made mention of "cataloging gaseous anomalies" that was euphemism for spying. Sit on the border and let the sensors do their work, occasionally send in a probe, maybe a shuttlecraft.

I'm fairly certain that was a legitimate fleet-wide scientific project, it wasn't the intention that it was a euphemism. There's plenty of Federation in the Beta Quadrant considering that the Alpha/Beta border passes through Sol.

 

[Christopher]

The gaseous anomalies survey was real. Remember, in the climax, Uhura suggested modifying the gas sensors intended for that survey as a means to detect the exhaust from the cloaked Klingon Bird-of-Prey. So the line in Sulu's log entry was a subtle Chekhov's Gun to set up the solution in the climax. (Although it's a bit awkward, since Sulu's line implies they've spent three years doing nothing but cataloguing gaseous anomalies.)

 

[Paris]

^Uhura was on the Enterprise. Sulu was on the Excelsior. Am I missing something?

 

[David Mack]

^Uhura was on the Enterprise. Sulu was on the Excelsior. Am I missing something?

No, you're not — the writer and director of the film did. They established at the start of the film that Excelsior had such equipment aboard — then they had Uhura reference it during the climactic battle sequence, as if they had said the gear was on the Enterprise all along. I suspect that's the kind of error that occurs either because of a last-second rewrite with a poor continuity check, or an on-set change that no one caught.

 

[Christopher]

As Idran said above, I took it to be a fleetwide project.

 

[Paris]

As Idran said above, I took it to be a fleetwide project.

My bad. I must have missed that.

Enterprise wasn't in the same area and didn't seem to have a specific mission like Excelsior did, so I don't agree, but to each their own. I'll just go with Davd Mack's explanation