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THE STAR TREK ENCYCLOPEDIA: A REFERENCE GUIDE TO THE FUTURE KLINGON OPERA 245

were using ships described as birds-of-prey (traditionally a (In the anti-time reality created by the Q Continuum, by Romulan term) that were equipped with cloaking devices. (Star 2395 the Klingon Empire had gained control of Romulan space. Trek Ili: The Search for Spock). Relations between the Klingons and the Federation were poor, Early talks between the Federation and the Klingon Empire and the Klingons had closed their borders to Federation vessels.) took place at the Korvat colony in 2289. While no major break- (“All Good Things...” [TNG]). through resulted, some small progress was made when Federation negotiator Curzon Dax earned the respect of his Klingon col- Klingon High Council. Ruling leagues. ("Blood Oath” [DS9)). The Klingons considered tribbles to body of the Klingon Empire. The be an ecological menace, a plague to be wiped out. In the latter council was composed of about part of the 23rd century, hundreds of Klingon warriors were sentto two dozen members and met in the track them down throughout the galaxy. An armada obliterated the ~~ Great Hall of the First City of the tribble homeworld, and before the 24th century, tribbles had been ~~ Klingon Homeworld. (“Sins of the ud eradicated. (“Trials and Tribble-ations™ [DS9)). Father” [TNG]). So powerful was - -~ A new chapter in relations between the the council that after the death of Klingons and the Federation was opened the emperor in 2069, no successor ascended the throne, and the [ - In 2293 when a catastrophic explosion on council alone controlled the empire. (“Rightful Heir" [TNG)). The p Praxis caused serious environmental High Council has a long history of political intrigue and power | bl damage to the homeworld. In the eco- struggles. When council member Duras attempted to unjustly nomic disarray that followed, Klingon convict the late Mogh of having betrayed his people at Khitomer, 0 Chancellor Gorkon, leader of the High the council, led by K'mpec, was willing to let the accusation PERE Council, found that his empire could no stand, for fear the powerful Duras family would plunge the - al longer afford its massive military forces. empire into civil war. (“Sins of the Father” [TNG]). K'mpec held MX Gorkon therefore launched a peace ini- the position of council leader for longer than anyone in history, oy J tiative, offering to end some 70 years of until his death in 2367. (“Reunion” [TNG]). SEE: Arbiter of a) wlll hostilities with the Federation. Just Succession; Rite of Succession. His successor, Gowron, prior to a major peace conference, Gorkon was murdered by successfully fought off a challenge by the Duras family to place Federation and Klingon interests who sought to maintain the Duras's illegitimate son, Toral, as council leader. That struggle status quo. Gorkon's successor, his daughter Azetbur, con- culminated in a brief but bitter civil war between council factinued her father's work, and successfully concluded the tions in 2367-2368. Gowron's victory was in part achieved by Khitomer Accords with the Federation later that year, his promise to restore rightful honor to the Mogh family in ending nearly a century of hostilities. (Star Trek VI). exchange for military support by the sons of Mogh. The Klingon High Council was a hotbed of (“Redemption, Parts | and II" [TNG]). “Redemption, political intrigue that nearly plunged the empire Part I” establishes that a female cannot be a memInto civil war in 2367 when council leader ber of the High Council, although Azetbur was K'mpec died of poison. This murder, viewed council leader in Star Trek VI, as a killing without honor under Klingon tradition, triggered a bitter struggle to deter- Klingon Homeworld. The capital planet of mine K'mpec's successor. K'mpec had the Klingon Empire. A large, green, Class-M taken the unorthodox precaution of appoint- world, the homeworld was rarely referred to ing a non-Klingon, Jean-Luc Picard, as his by its formal name, Qo'no$ (pronounced Arbiter of Succession, Under Picard's kronos). (Star Trek VI: The mediation, political newcomer Gowron Undiscovered Country). The emerged as the sole candidate for Enterprise-D visited the planet in council leader. (“Reunion” [TNG]). 2366 when Worf challenged the Forces loyal to the powerful Duras High Council ruling that his father, family unsuccessfully attempted to Mogh, was a traitor. (“Sins of the Father” block Gowron, plunging the empire [TNG]). The ship visited the homeworld again in into a brief, but bitter Klingon civil war late 2367 when Jean-Luc Picard attended the installain 2367. (“Redemption, Parts | and II" tion of Gowron as High Council leader. Picard had served [TNG]). Though their nation was called an empire, it had not been as Gowron's Arbiter of Succession. (“Redemption, Part |" ruled by an emperor for more than three centuries. This situation [TNG)). The Enterprise-D again returned to the Klingon changed rather dramatically in 2369, when the clerics of Boreth Homeworld a few weeks later, when Picard requested the loan of produced a clone of Kahless the Unforgettable. Although their ini- a Klingon bird-of-prey for a covert mission into Romulan space to tial claim that the clone was the actual Kahless was quickly dis- investigate the disappearance of Ambassador Spock proven, this clone was regarded as the rightful heir to the throne ~~ (“Unification, Part I” [TNG]). SEE: Kling. and, with the support of Chancellor Gowron, was installed as the ceremonial emperor of the Klingon people. (“Rightful Heir” [TNG]). Klingon Intelligence. Information-gathering service of the The empire was ever-vigilant against potential outside Klingon government. In 2371, a covert team composed of three threats and, in early 2372, reacted strongly when a civilian upris- Klingon Intelligence agents was sent to Deep Space 9 to observe ing overthrew the Cardassian military, placing power into the and to take appropriate action against a Romulan delegation vishands of the Detapa Council. Fearing that the Cardassian gov- iting the station. Klingon Intelligence correctly feared that the ernment had been taken over by the Dominion, Gowron's forces, Romulan delegation might attempt to destroy the station and the commanded by a changeling agent impersonating General Bajoran wormhole. “Visionary” [DS9)). Martok, invaded Cardassia Prime, intending to execute the Detapa Council and install an imperial overseer to rule. The Klingon Neutral Zone. A no-man's-land between the United Federation Council condemned the Klingon invasion, and in Federation of Planets and the Klingon Empire. Passage into response, Gowron cancelled the Khitomer Accords, expelled all the zone by ships of either nation was forbidden by treaty. (Star Federation citizens from the empire and recalled his ambas- Trek lI: The Wrath of Khan). The Klingon Neutral Zone was abolsadors. (“The Way of the Warrior” [DS9]). Open hostilities ished in 2293 by the Khitomer Accords. (Star Trek VI: The between the Klingons and the Federation flared up over the next Undiscovered Country). few months, resulting in the destruction of the Starship Farragut at the Lembatta cluster and a pointless skirmish at Ajilon Klingon opera. Form of musical theater. (“Unification, Part II" Prime. A cease-fire with the Federation was established shortly [TNG]). In Klingon culture, opera was used to tell stories related to after the incident at Ajilon. (“Nor the Battle to the Strong” [DSS]). their proud history and traditions, as in the Kot’baval Festival