Section 31 is the unofficial designation of a rogue and officially nonexistent intelligence and defense organization resembling secret police or a black-ops organization in the Star Trek fictional universe. Star Trek collectively refers to a science-fiction franchise spanning six unique television series, 726 episodes and ten feature films in addition to hundreds of novels, computer and video games, fan stories and other works of fiction all set within the same fictional universe created by Gene Roddenberry in the... The starship Enterprise as it appeared on Star Trek Star Trek is a culturally significant science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry in the 1960s. ... Star Trek: The Animated Series is an animated science fiction television series set in the Star Trek universe. ... List of Star Trek: The Animated Series episodes This is a list of episodes from the fictional animated television, Star Trek: The Animated Series, set in the Star Trek universe. ... 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Overview

The "black operations" group exists outside the sphere of influence of Starfleet Intelligence, which deals with threats to the security of Earth, and later the United Federation of Planets. In the Star Trek fictional universe, Starfleet Intelligence is an intelligence agency of the United Federation of Planets. ... In the Star Trek fictional universe, the United Federation of Planets (UFP) – widely referred to and known amongst fans as merely the Federation – is an interstellar federal state of more than 150 member planets and thousands of colonies. ...

Its operating authority stems from an obscure provision of the Starfleet charter — Article 14, Section 31, from which they derive their name — that makes allowances for bending the rules during times of extraordinary threats. While the original intent may have been to give Starfleet personnel some leeway when it comes to unusual or extreme circumstances, some Federation Council and Starfleet officials have taken it a step further and secretly created a standing organization able to respond to any threat, preemptively if need be. Section 31 might be compared to the Romulan Tal Shiar or Cardassian Obsidian Order, but operates much more covertly (and, unlike those organizations, does not interfere in the day-to-day lives of Federation citizens). Starfleet Command In the Star Trek fictional universe, Starfleet is the paramilitary defense, research, diplomacy, and exploration force of the United Federation of Planets (UFP) with – as of the late 24th century – hundreds of starships and starbases at its disposal. ... The Romulans, a fictional race in the Star Trek universe, are descended from Vulcans and are characterized as being passionate, cunning, and opportunistic. ... In the Star Trek fictional universe, the Tal Shiar is a Romulan intelligence organization, comparable to the KGB. The name possibly refers to the Tal Shaya, or Vulcan death grip (actually an erroneous term) as seen on the original Star Trek series. ... It has been suggested that Cardassian military ranks be merged into this article or section. ... The Obsidian Order is a Cardassian secret police organization in the fictional Star Trek universe. ...

They defy the principles of the Federation in order, supposedly, to protect them, which is one of the reasons why Section 31 is not officially sanctioned by Starfleet, and even its very existence is not acknowledged openly. But the philosophy of "protection at any cost" that allows for Section 31, is also employed by Starfleet in certain other venues; examples include the ultra-secret "Omega Directive", which gives captains almost unlimited authority to destroy the dangerous Omega molecule, including violating Starfleet's Prime Directive of noninterference. Also, the Starfleet Intelligence program of temporarily reassigning line officers to covert operations (such as Picard's team in "Chain of Command, I and II", TNG). Starfleet Command In the Star Trek fictional universe, Starfleet is the paramilitary defense, research, diplomacy, and exploration force of the United Federation of Planets (UFP) with – as of the late 24th century – hundreds of starships and starbases at its disposal. ... The Omega Directive is an Voyager episode centered around the fictional Omega Directive Spoiler warning: Travelling through space Voyager is suddenly rocked by a distant explosion. ... In the Star Trek fictional universe, the Prime Directive, Starfleets General Order #1, is the most prominent guiding principle of the United Federation of Planets. ...

Controversy

The introduction of Section 31 has been controversial among Star Trek fans, some of whom feel it goes against the ideals of creator Gene Roddenberry. However, the film Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, produced while Roddenberry was still alive, revealed that Starfleet was capable of Section 31-style tactics even during the time of Captain Kirk. Perhaps a sign of these shifting attitudes within Star Trek is the fact that three episodes depicting controversial policies — DS9's "Inquisition," which introduced Section 31, and "In the Pale Moonlight," which featured covert attempts to get the Romulans into the Dominion War, as well as Voyager's "The Omega Directive" — all aired within the same two-week span. Gene Roddenberry, the creator of Star Trek Eugene Wesley Roddenberry (August 19, 1921 – October 24, 1991 Born in El Paso, Texas) was an American scriptwriter and producer. ... Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (Paramount Pictures, 1991; see also 1991 in film) is the sixth feature film based on the popular Star Trek science fiction television series. ... James Tiberius Kirk, played by William Shatner, was captain of two starships Enterprise (NCC-1701 and NCC-1701-A) in the fictional Star Trek universe. ... Space station Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (ST:DS9 or STDS9 or DS9 for short) is a science fiction television series produced by Paramount and set in the Star Trek universe. ... The starship Voyager (NCC-74656), an Intrepid-class starship. ... The Omega Directive is an Voyager episode centered around the fictional Omega Directive Spoiler warning: Travelling through space Voyager is suddenly rocked by a distant explosion. ...

Very little of Section 31's history has been revealed in on-screen canon. In the Star Trek Expanded Universe a series of novels were published profiling Section 31 operations with regards to James T. Kirk, Jean-Luc Picard, and the crews of Deep Space Nine and Voyager. In the context of fiction, the canon of a fictional universe comprises those novels, stories, films, etc. ... The Star Trek Expanded Universe is a generic term to describe an extrapolation of events which occur in the Star Trek Universe outside the scope of the television series and feature films. ... James Tiberius Kirk, played by William Shatner, was captain of two starships Enterprise (NCC-1701 and NCC-1701-A) in the fictional Star Trek universe. ... Jean-Luc Picard is a character in Star Trek, the commanding officer (having the rank of Captain) of the USS Enterprise-D and the USS Enterprise-E. He was played by British actor Patrick Stewart in the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation (TNG) and resulting films. ... Deep Space Nine (DS9) In the Star Trek fictional universe, Deep Space Nine (or DS9 for short) is a space station and primary setting for the television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. ... The starship Voyager (NCC-74656), an Intrepid-class starship. ...

Roddenbery's vision of the Federation is likely to have been inspired by American democracy. The addition of Section 31 adds a touch of realism to the Star Trek Universe, especially to the concept of the "Federation". In American politics, the existence of intelligence organizations, such as the NSA or CIA, is widely perceived to be compatible with a democratic form of government; while many fans like to compare Section 31 to groups such as the NSA or the CIA, this comparison overlooks the fact that both the Central Intelligence Agency and the National Security Agency are officially acknowledged organizations that are subject to the authority of the American government, while Section 31 is unacknowledged and operates without any accountability towards the Federation government. NSA can stand for: National Security Agency of the USA The British Librarys National Sound Archive This page concerning a three-letter acronym or abbreviation is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... The CIA Seal The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is an American intelligence agency, responsible for obtaining and analyzing information about foreign governments, corporations, and individuals, and reporting such information to the various branches of the U.S. Government. ...

Section 31 in Star Trek: Enterprise

It was already known that Section 31 had existed since the birth of the Federation, so Star Trek: Enterprise, which starts in 2151, follows DS9's example by subtly introducing the organization and its role in Federation politics. The NX-01's tactical officer, Malcolm Reed, was somehow involved with the section prior to his posting aboard Enterprise and was recalled to service in November 2154 to prevent Enterprise from interfering in the creation of a viral cure that would also alter Klingon physiology (as detailed in the episodes "Affliction" and "Divergence"). For his role, Reed was thrown into the brig by Captain Jonathan Archer until he explained his actions and revealed his contact, a man named Harris. The next year, during the crisis caused by the Terra Prime terrorist group commandeering a powerful energy emitter used in the terraforming of Mars and using it to hold Starfleet headquarters hostage, Reed went back to Harris for help in finding a way onto Mars past the sensor networks. Harris provided details to flaws and holes in the martian sensor networks that would allow them to infiltrate the base, although he assured Reed that it would not be the last time they met ("Terra Prime"). The starship Enterprise (NX-01) Star Trek: Enterprise is a science fiction television series set in the Star Trek universe. ... Malcolm Reed (born September 2) is the fictional British officer on the Enterprise, in the TV series Star Trek: Enterprise. ... // Klingons (tlhIngan in the Klingon language) are a race of humanoids in the fictional Star Trek universe. ... Jonathan Archer is a fictional character from the television show Star Trek: Enterprise (2001-2005). ...

Fandom conjectures regarding Enterprise and Section 31 have also served to help rectify alleged continuity problems within the Trek universe, the most recent being the suggestion that Section 31 was responsible for covering up the discovery of several Borg drones in 2153 (two centuries before official first contact), an idea supported by the revelation made in the Star Trek: Voyager episode "The Raven" that Starfleet was aware of the Borg's existence years before the first contact detailed in Star Trek: The Next Generation. It is also widely suspected that Section 31 was involved in the events of Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country and Star Trek: Insurrection (novels of the Star Trek Expanded Universe have explicitly linked the characters Admiral Cartwright and Admiral Dougherty to Section 31). Similarly, some believe a divergent branch of Section 31, either the Temporal Oversight Commission, or the Department of Temporal Investigations, is also responsible for the cover-up of the Temporal Cold War although its resolution at the start of Enterprise's fourth season appears to render this speculation moot. The Borg or Borg Collective is a race of cyborgs in the Star Trek fictional universe. ... The starship Voyager (NCC-74656), an Intrepid-class starship. ... First contact is a term used to describe a first meeting of two previously unknown cultures. ... The title as it appeared in most episodes opening credits. ... Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (Paramount Pictures, 1991; see also 1991 in film) is the sixth feature film based on the popular Star Trek science fiction television series. ... Star Trek: Insurrection (Paramount Pictures, 1998) is the ninth Star Trek feature film. ... The Star Trek Expanded Universe is a generic term to describe an extrapolation of events which occur in the Star Trek Universe outside the scope of the television series and feature films. ... Fleet Admiral Cartwright from Star Trek VI Fleet Admiral Cartwright is a character of the Star Trek universe who appears in two feature films, those being Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home and Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country. ... The Temporal Cold War is a fictional conflict waged throughout history, notably during the 22nd century AD in the Star Trek universe. ...

External links

• Section 31 article at Memory Alpha, the Star Trek wiki
• Section 31 Podcast, a production of Darker Projects
• Section 31 at The Star Trek Non-canon wiki