The Inter-Stellar Concordium (ISC) is an organization, similar to the Federation, of several species. As is typical of the eastern regions of the known area of the galaxy, all of these species are native to different planets, but these star systems are within a relatively small area at the center of the ISC Trusteeship Territory. As with the Gorns and Romulans, there are no other significant sentient species in their territory.

The ISC became aware of the Gorns and Romulans in 2560 (Y160) when the energy flashes of a battle were detected by a far-ranging survey mission. As the ISC are singularly pacifistic anyway (having found wars very unprofitable), their first encounter with the two warring empires left a scar on the ISC psyche. They had assumed that the development of warp-power would lead all species to a higher understanding based on the realization that there were enough worlds for everyone. The "outworlders" were considered to be dangerously violent and not entirely sane.

The ISC withdrew before they were detected and concentrated on building a defensive fleet. This was a psychological burden on the ISC, but they felt that their neighbors could not be talked to. The ISC developed their tactics in battle simulators before the fleets were built, resulting in an integral tactical doctrine and the lack of anachronistic ships, such as the Romulan Warbird.

During the next ten years, the ISC became aware of the Orion Pirates. Relations were complicated as at least three cartels and several independent operators were involved. Although the ISC did not have any form of alliance with the pirates, and found their activities intolerable in a polite society, they did obtain from them a great deal of information about the rest of the galaxy.

This ISC attitude toward open warfare reached fulfillment in 2585-86 (Y185-Y186) when the General War reached an end. Since nothing had really been settled by the eighteen years of warfare, the ISC knew that left to their own devices the forces of the galaxy would be back at each other's throats within a decade. Eventually, the fighting was bound to overflow into ISC territory. Considering that the ISC had more major ships than any three of the empires combined, they recognized a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to save the galaxy from itself.

The "ISC Conquest" (known in the ISC as "the Pacification Program") between 2586 (Y186) and 2588 (Y188) (during which ISC fleets roamed more or less at will within the entire known area of the galaxy as far as Lyran space) was not a conquest as such, but a self-appointed peacekeeping mission to end all warfare forever. The ISC never actually conquered any major empire (and quickly learned to leave the Tholians alone), but they did manage to force the empires to withdraw from the border areas. The ISC reasoned that, if they kept the empires apart and had enough force to crush anyone who tried to challenge their control, they could keep wars from happening. In the end, the two years of peace enforced by the ISC (during which warship construction reached a peak) may have given the Galaxy the edge to survive the Andromedans.

The arrival of main elements of the Andromedan Invasion in the period 2588-2592 (Y188-Y192) caught the ISC forces dispersed across the entire known area of the galaxy; more than two-thirds of their forces were destroyed before they could concentrate. During the Andromedan War, the ISC gradually gave up its previous idealistic philosophy and adopted a galactic outlook similar to that of other empires.

The ISC now call themselves Peacekeepers seeking to bring law and order to a chaotic universe. The ISC are further expanded in the Federation Commander: War and Peace module.

Emblems of the Pre-ISC Factions (Adobe Acrobat Required)