ANDORIANS- Of the races currently part of the Federation, the Andorians are seen as the most non-human. This is due to their insectiod rather than mammalian evolution. The Andorians are ruled by a matriarchy, but their females are rarely seen by off-worlders.  Male Andorians are raised in large groups and each group is divided into sub-groups of three called triads. The triads are closer than brothers and each member is trained to be a warrior. Each triad is also trained in other skills. They might be doctors, scientists, poets, chefs or countless other professions. Upon maturity each triad is bonded to a female Andorian and enters into her service as a warrior and in whatever secondary skill they have trained in. An Andorian woman’s  wealth and power is judged by the number of triads she has bonded with. In Andor’s past great wars were fought between rival matriarchs, with millions of triads sacrificing their lives. This deference to females has caused problems with Andorians serving in Starfleet who are in units commanded by females. The government on Andor is the Matriarchal Council, headed by the Grand Matriarch.     Though slender in appearance and soft spoken, Andorians posses great strength and their bodies are covered with a tough exoskeleton that protects them from most physical harm.  Andorians have a high regard for poetry and music. Most of their history is told in epic poems and song, which are memorized and performed by triads trained in those arts. TELLARITES - Tellarites love to argue, or so most other Federation members like to think. They are very blunt and speak their minds, with little thought for the consequences. This can make negotiations with them very difficult. A very proud people, they feel the Tellarite civilization to be superior to all others.  Family is very important and monogamy  is the common practice. Archly conservative, they are wary of new ideas. Joining the Federation was a controversial  decision and many Tellarites are still opposed to Federation membership. Their government is based on the  democratic republic model. Debate is a popular pastime. Prior to the founding of the Federation, Tellar and Andor fought a long bitter war and distrust still exists between the two worlds. ORION PIRATES- The Orions are a criminal organization, not an alien race. The first Orion pirates were from Rigel V and are physiologically very similar to Vulcans, and like the Romulans, may be an off shoot of that race. The pirates terrorized the Rigel system for centuries and with the invention of warp drive spread their criminal organization throughout the galaxy. Most of the illegal activity in two quadrants can be traced to the Orion organization. While Rigelians still dominate the organization, all sentient species are welcome. The typical crew of an Orion ship may include Rigellians, Terrans, Klingons and countless other species. Federation Intelligence believes, but cannot prove, that the Orions control the governments of Rigel V, Rigel II and Rigel VII.  Many independent space stations are fronts for Orion smuggling and slavery operations. Orion captains and their ships are known for their boldness—often attacking ships, space stations and even planets who are seemingly their superior. Their ships are very deceiving. What externally looks like a merchant ship may actually posses the fire power to take on a starship and the speed to out run it.    RIGELLIANS- The Rigel System is one of the most populated areas of the Federation. It contains four planets that support sentient life and one planet rich in dilithium crystals.  As stated above Rigel V is the homeworld of the first Orion Pirates and it’s inhabitants may be related to the Vulcans. Rigel V is well known  for it’s vast merchant fleets and opulent lifestyle, which detractors attribute to the Orion Pirates.  Rigel II is known for its gaming and entertainment facilities. Most of these are owned by wealthy merchants from Rigel V.  Rigel IV is a colony of Rigel V and the source of political unrest. The inhabitants wish to be recognized as an independent world.  Rigel VII was used as a prison for the Rigel System for many centuries.  Over one hundred years ago the prisoners rioted and took over the planet.  Society there has regressed to a medieval level and the planet is under strict quarantine by the Rigellian government. Rigel IX is a barely habitable planet at the edge of the system. Rich in dilithium, the planet is home to hundreds of miners hoping to make their  fortunes. Native born Rigellians look like Vulcans but lack their telepathic skills and devotion to logic. They tend to enjoy life and are a boisterous, loud people who love fine food, fine clothes and other trappings of wealth. Like the Orions, the Rigellians readily welcome off-worlders into their society and many have migrated there, attracted by the opulent life style. Characters & Aliens from other Star Trek Shows Most of the characters from the other Trek shows would be too young to appear in this series as anything other than children or time travelers. Kirk would be around ten years old and Spock would be about thirteen at the time this series takes place. McCoy and Scotty would be in their early twenties, but  I'm not sure that having other actors playing adult, although younger, versions of these characters would be accepted by fans. Sarek and Amanda are also possibilities, but again would the fans accept other actors in these roles? Of course the characters from Next Generation, DS9 and Voyager would not haven been born yet. Using the Klingons would probably be problematic, since we would have to face the question of the different appearances of the original series Klingons and the Movies/Next Generation Klingons. Though I suppose the TOS Klingons could be ignored or just never mentioned.  The Romulans were still incommunicado at this time, but Romulans disguised as Vulcans or Rigellians might be used. At this time, the Cardassians, the Bajorans and Ferengi live in an area of space that had not yet been explored by the Federation. It is unlikely that the Enterprise would run across them. The Trill seem to have been around since the Federation's founding so an appearance by a member of that species would not be out of line. Betazed also seems to be a Federation member of long standing.