Yeah...not a big fan of Enterprise. Even with that said, the races that form the UFP have some common ground, not the least of which is the ability to reason that going out and conquering other worlds/races isn't the way to go. None of them were expansive with regards to forming "empires."
Tell that to the Andorian Empire (or if you want to go with the pre-ENT, Franz Joseph version, the Star Empire of Epsilon Indi). We've been told since the Andorians' debut in "Journey to Babel" that they're a warrior race.
And if you check out a history book, you'll find that empires and conquest aren't exactly unprecedented for humans either. And Vulcans were quite warlike and imperialist on their own planet before Surak's time, as we see in the Romulans, who retain the culture of pre-Surakian Vulcan. If humans and Vulcans learned to outgrow their militant eras, why can't other species?
Aside from "We hate Feddie Bears," what's the common ground with members of the Typhon Pact? Why and HOW can they put aside aspects of their nature to form alliances?
Aggressive in defense of their territory against perceived intrusions, yes. That doesn't mean they're unable to recognize that they can defend their territory better with the help of partners.
There's also the contradictory aspect of the Star Trek Online story which has the Gorn conquered and annexed by the Klingon Empire, but I suppose that can be attributed to another continuity/story, etc. In either case, I'll agree there's more room to maneuver with regards to the Gorn.
I don't see opportunism and vengeance going together. An opportunist is someone who will seize any opportunity for gain or advantage, not discriminating on the basis of morals, past allegiances, or anything else. So by definition, an opportunist won't hesitate to work with a former enemy if there's something to be gained by it.
That sounds more like the Romulans who would be looking to shoot you in the back at the right time. Coincidently, it's they themselves who claim to have the saying "
never turn you back on a Breen."
That's a very one-sided analysis. Remember, the Romulans joined the Federation/Klingon alliance against the Dominion despite having been enemies with both powers for centuries.
Because they thought the Dominion killed an ambassador. If that hadn't occurred, they were not going to join the war. The exchange between Dax and Sisko is a perfect example of how Romulan psychology works, and why I can't believe them being in this Pact. Furthermore, in the past, they seem to isolate themselves in order to regroup. Rarely do they seek assistance, and when they get it, they're ready to go on the attack. It's a trait they're known for.
We also saw Donatra allying with the Enterprise against Shinzon.
That entire movie is contradictory to how Romulans have been portrayed in so many ways.
And we know that the Romulans were briefly allied with the Klingons and then became their mortal enemies.
For technology, and then again with the Duras family, but to destabilize the Empire and the alliance with the Federation. Otherwise, they tend to HATE Klingons
So canon shows that the Romulan Star Empire is often very mutable in its allegiances. And both canon and prose have shown us many Romulans who aren't xenophobic or warlike, from the Commander in "Balance of Terror" all the way through Praetor Kamemor in the current novels.
Canon shows there are some exceptions, but overall, they are untrustworthy and prefer to go it alone.
Tholians - territorial, extremely "ZOMG, GET AWAY FROM ME!!!1!!11!" xenophobic.
Yes, and the books have made it clear that they've joined the Pact mainly due to their hostility toward the Federation, seeing it as an "enemy of my enemy" type of alliance. Which is completely believable even for such an antagonistic state, since there's plenty of precedent in history. If the Federation weren't a factor, the Tholians would probably want nothing to do with the rest of the Pact, but as long as they feel the UFP is the greater threat, they'll grit their metaphorical teeth and try to use the Pact to counter it.
I just can't warm up to this concept at all, and I'm not even a big Tholian fan. Just doesn't fit their
modus operandi at all IMO
The other 2 races I dunno much about, but all that is basically why the "Pact" is IMO completely unbelievable...especially with regards to the Romulans joining it.
I have to ask, have you actually read the novels or are you just going from what you've heard? Because the novels have made it very clear that, while these nations agree in theory that it's in their best interest to cooperate, it's proving very, very difficult for them to overcome their traditional self-interest and self-centeredness and learn to work together. If anything, their schemes and stratagems are more about jockeying for power against other members of the Pact than about countering the Federation as a united front. So maybe it's not as unbelievable as you imagine.
As I stated, I read up on them. Not reviews, but summaries. People's reviews (or lack of popularity) don't sway me when I find something interesting or entertaining. I've tried reading some of these books: TNG, DS9, New Frontier, and the DS9 relaunch.
They just don't do it for me. It's not only with Star Trek either, but Star Wars novels as well. I love R.A. Salvatore's Dark Elf trilogy - LOVE IT. Didn't like his Star Wars book. So it's definitely not from lack of "trying" or attempts to delve into the written medium of Trek, I'm just picky about the books I read and how they flow.
