Rongovian Ambassador and Christopher Pike in “Unfinished Business”

So, Captain. Tell us... why should we ally ourselves with your Federation?

Christopher Pike

Easy: you shouldn't.... Why would you turn our enemies into your enemies? We're just a few years clear of the Klingon war. The Romulans are out there biding their time. And who knows what species we'll piss off next. It's not like we're coming to you with any great respect for your culture. We barely know anything about it. And what would you get in return? The hypothetical benefits of new trade markets? Scientific advancement? Our promise of support in the event of a crisis, which will probably only come about because you've thrown in your lot with us? No. The Federation has lots to offer, sure, but it always exacts a price. You have good reason to suspect that price is too high for you to pay.