The Thread was a region of space in the Beta Quadrant. Surrounded on all sides by the Klingon Empire and Romulan Star Empire, the Thread was a narrow strip or "isthmus" of space that connected the main body of UFP space with the Canopus Core region. There were few Federation-controlled planets in the region, one of which was Freecloud, if only nominally. (Star Trek: Picard, Chabon: "Notes on Freecloud")