▁non - ag gression ▁and ▁technology ▁exchange ▁treat y ▁with ▁the ▁Rom ul an ▁Star ▁Empire , ▁although ▁neither ▁side ▁has ▁high ▁regard ▁for ▁the ▁other . ▁There ▁are ▁no ▁significant ▁t ensions ▁with ▁the ▁G orn ▁Star ▁Kingdom , ▁the ▁Th ol ian ▁Assembly ▁or ▁the ▁Sh a ' kur ian ▁Duch ies ▁( a ▁new ▁race ▁created ▁specifically ▁for ▁this ▁game ) ▁at ▁this ▁time . ▁ ▁Just ▁prior ▁to ▁the ▁events ▁of ▁the ▁game , ▁General ▁Ch ang ▁defe ats ▁a ▁would - be ▁us ur per ▁named ▁Kal nor , ▁head ▁of ▁the ▁powerful ▁House ▁of ▁G ' I og h , ▁and ▁hal ts ▁his ▁attempted ▁coup ▁d ' état ▁against ▁the ▁K ling on ▁government . ▁He ▁then ▁conven es ▁the ▁eigh teenth ▁term ▁of ▁the ▁El ite ▁Command ▁Academy ▁as ▁de an ▁and ▁head ▁instruct or ; ▁additional ▁field ▁instruct ors ▁are ▁Colonel ▁Pok tar l , ▁Brig ad ier ▁K ' m ak ▁and ▁Commander ▁Th ok ▁Mak ▁( you ng er ▁brother ▁to ▁Colonel ▁W orf , ▁vo iced ▁by ▁Michael ▁D orn ), ▁all ▁prior ▁gradu ates ▁and ▁season ed ▁war riors . ▁An ▁Academy ▁less on ▁consists ▁of ▁a ▁lecture ▁by ▁Ch ang ▁followed ▁by ▁a ▁sim ulated ▁star ship ▁mission , ▁in ▁which ▁cad ets ▁play ▁a ▁vital ▁role ▁during ▁an ▁important ▁stage ▁of ▁a ▁fict it ious ▁war ▁between ▁the ▁Federation ▁and ▁the ▁K ling on ▁Empire . ▁Only ▁five ▁percent ▁of ▁cad ets ▁gradu ate ▁from ▁the ▁pr estig