Bajor: The native inhabitants of the Bajor-B'hava'el system, the Bajoran culture has a rich history extending back for five hundred millenia. Led by a religious leader known as the Kai, at the center of their belief system is a religion that adheres to the teachings of the Prophets, extra-temporal and -dimensional beings who are believed to live in the interstellar phenomena known as the Bajoran Wormhole. Members of the United Federation of Planets, Bajorans are encountered routinely in the Vanguard Fleet's area of operations.

Cardassian Union: Due to the close proximity of their homeworld to that of the Bajorans, Cardassian and Bajoran history have been intricately connected. Originally a peaceful race of beings dedicated to the arts and spirituality, the Cardassians evolved over time into their current aggressive and militaristic society in response to the depletion of natural resources on their homeworld. More an empire than a union, the Cardassian Union encompasses dozens of star systems who all answer to the overall authority of the Central Command on Cardassia Prime. Following their defeat in the Second Federation/Cardassian War (2404.05.01), the current state of the Cardassian Union is one of rebuilding and uncertainty. In the peace negotiations, the Cardassians were forced to make concessions to the Federation -- including trade restrictions, neutral peace observers, and the establishment of Starfleet bases within their borders -- in order to prevent a Klingon invasion. As a result, there is an unsteady peace between the two powers, primarily due to the enforced sanctions placed upon the Cardassians. Cardassians are encountered routinely in the Vanguard Fleet's area of operations.

Ferengi Alliance: Although often discounted as a power in the Alpha Quadrant, the Ferengi Alliance possesses more influence than most other humanoids would care to admit. A race wholly devoted to commerce and the acquisition of profit, the Ferengi are one of the quadrant's primary economic powers, a force to be reckoned with in the political and social arena. Led by their leader, the Grand Nagus, each Ferengi's business dealings (and therefore life) is dedicated to fulfilling the 285 Rules of Acquisition. Able to be found wide-spread throughout the Vangaurd Fleet's area of operations (and the Alpha and Gamma Quadrants), and maintaining vast stores of information, only makes the Ferengi that more powerful. Their military power is slight, but the Ferengi have learned there are more ways to rule than by might. The current status of Federation-Ferengi relations is neutral but friendly, with each power enjoying free trade between their borders.

The Dominion: While actually comprised of three individual races -- the Founders, an ancient race of shapeshifting beings who served as rulers; the Vorta, cloned diplomats and administrators; and the Jem'Hadar, genetically engineered warriors -- the Dominion nevertheless represents an ever-present threat to the Federation. Towards the end of the Dominion War (2403.04), it was becoming apparent that Dominion defeat was eventually at hand. The Founders, unwilling to surrender, tried desperate tactics in an effort to reverse the inevitable. The Vorta, unwilling to all the Founders to continue upon their current road to defeat, caught the Founders by surprise in an uprising. In the end, the Founders paid with their lives -- it is believed that all Founders were killed during the uprising. Assuming control of all Dominion territories and resources, the Vorta called an end to all hostilities in the war. In the resultant negotiations, Commodore Connor Andrews represented the allied Alpha Quadrant races in the talks that led to the signing of the Treaty of Bajor. Since the end of the war, little has been heard from the Dominion. Some suspect that the Dominion is merely recovering from its defeat, but many others suspect that in this new isolationism the Dominion is rebuilding in order to return to their previous plans to control the Alpha Quadrant. It is highly unlikely to encounter any of the Dominion races in Vanguard Fleet's area of operations.

The Maquis: Patterning itself both in name and tactics after the French underground of Earth's World War II, the Maquis is a paramilitary organization of former Federation citizens and Starfleet officers. Formed at the colonies affected by the border changes wrought by the Federation-Cardassian Treaty of 2370, the Maquis grew in response to Cardassian hostilites toward those colonies and to the perception that they had been abandoned by the Federation government. Members of the Maquis have often been victims of violence directed toward them by the Cardassian military. They feel the intention is to force them from their homes, and many choose to fight rather than leave. The Maquis is organized into a series of cells, with only the well-protected leaders of each cell knowing the whereabouts of the other cells. Starfleet officers who are sympathizers to their cause othen provide them with weapons and information, and occassionally join their ranks. Maquis activity has varied greatly over the decades. On rare occassions the Maquis have cooperated with the Federation, such as during the retaking of Starbase 968 and the Bajoran system from a Cardassian invasion force in the Battle of Bajor (2403.12.27). But mostly, the Federation finds itself at odds with the Maquis, such as in the current environment of peace between the Federation and the Cardassian Union. Due to their secretive nature, encountering the Maquis in Vanguard Fleet's area of operations is rare. When encountered, it is usually in response to a Maquis attack, or to deal with the aftereffects of such an attack.

The Xenolathe:
At least two factions/hives of the Xenolathe exist, engaged in what can best be described as a civil war. One side is aligning itself with a current Federation enemy, while the other side is making an attempt to befriend the Federation. The reasons for the civil war is the same as the motives for the American Civil War: slavery. In this case, the Xenolathe are using another race, called the Nageri, as living starships. The Xenolathe use these creatures as biotech spaceships. Cybernetic implants that are biotechnological in nature allow the Xenolathe to control the Nageri. One faction of the Xenolathe want to continue using the Nageri as slaves. The other faction wants to free the Nageri, and has taken to using constructed starships in order to avoid the moral issues at the core of this dispute.

The Nageri: The Nageri are a race of space-dwelling aliens. An adult Nageri has, on the average, a mass of about 500,000 metric tons. The race naturally has the ability to manipulate subspace fields, thus they can travel at warp velocities without the aid of artificial technology. These massive creatures inhabit space and are in many respects similar to Earth whales. The Nageri 'feed' off of pure solar energy, and use this energy to generate the chemical components that their bodies need to survive (in a process similar in many respects to photosynthesis). The Nageri gather the raw chemical material they need by 'eating' comets and other space debris. Due to their ability to manipulate subspace fields, these creature communicate using a natural form of subspace radio communication. Their dense hides are at least as strong as the tritanium/duranium hulls used on most Federation starships. This makes them invulnerable to the temperature and pressures extremes of space. Socially, the Nageri are again similar to whales, traveling in groups called pods, and have a high level of social organization. While they are intelligent, they are not able to produce technology due to the fact that they lack limbs that are capable of the required manipulation.