u.s.s. Lancelot NCC-74410

diplomatic/JAG dEPARTMENT

KLINGONS

Klingons are a warrior people, originating on the planet Qo'noS. Proud, aggressive and with an almost religious regard for tradition and honor, Klingons have had a military orientation as far back as their historical records show, and their warlike attitude make them a power to be feared and respected on a Galactic scale. Klingons are a warrior race who hold personal and family honor above all else. They are larger than Terrans with a greater percentage of their body weight being muscle. Klingons are proficient in the use of ritual hand-to-hand weapons and unarmed combat, and will actually prefer to fight using these methods over beam weapons.

They frequently train in off-hand weapons training in order to surprise opponents. All Klingons will train in at least the bat'telh and the d'k tahg, and many frequently train in some of the other ceremonial Klingon weapons. Some also train in Mok'bara - the Klingon martial art form.

Klingons have a genetic predisposition to combat. They are immensely strong, and are able to sustain serious injury yet remain functional, thanks to their unique biological structure, which incorporates duplication of all essential organs to allow for damage to vital bodily functions. This is known as brak'lul in the Klingon language, and is what makes Klingons superb warriors in close-quarters combat.

However, such hardiness is not matched by Klingon medical technology, advanced though they are in many other fields. This is primarily due to the fact that, in Klingon society, death in battles is the ultimate vindication of Klingon life, to be celebrated as the freeing of the warriors spirit. Indeed, a wounded Klingon unable to face his enemies is expected to perform the ritual of Hegh'bat - literally, The Time to Die - a ritualized suicide akin to the rite of Seppuku practiced in the Japanese islands of Earth, until the 20th Century.

In common with many races in this sector of the Galaxy, Klingon DNA is compatible with that of Earth humans, and crossbreeds, although are rare, are not unknown. This is due to their common origin four billion years ago when a humanoid progenitor race seeded Class-M planets with their own DNA. The Klingon forehead is a major distinguishing feature of this race, consisting of a ridged, bony pattern. This pattern is different for every Klingon, and is as distinguishing as fingerprints. Klingons have enhanced senses. Two of them, acute taste and smell, and acute vision, are genetic, but the third, combat reflexes, is learned from childhood, and is therefore second nature to Klingons.

Most Klingons feel it is dishonorable to lie, cheat, steal, or bluff, and dislike those who do. This helps explain their dislike of Ferengi. Klingons are now blood enemies of the Romulans, despite (or perhaps -on account of-) their former treaties with them.

The Klingon Empire was founded approximately 1,500 years ago by the revered warrior Kahless the Unforgettable. He finally unites the Klingon people after killing his evil tyrant brother Morath, with the Klingon sword of honour, known as the bat'telh, with whom he battled for twelve days and twelve nights because Morath had dishonored their family by the telling of a lie.

The homeworld of the Klingon Empire is Qo'noS, and First City is its large and sprawling capital. It was once an enormous fortress, and its architecture reflects a military sensibility in its ease of defense and spartan decoration.

First City's skyline is dominated by the immense structure known as the Great Hall - the ceremonial building which functions as a parliament, a supreme court and a public square for the Klingon people, and from which the Klingon High Council rules its interplanetary empire.

Because of its unique function of providing a common meeting place within a warlike society, First City is designated neutral ground among the many political factions within the Empire.

The Klingon definition of neutral conduct, however, does not appear to preclude acts of assault, assassination, and kidnapping, providing they are carried out discreetly.

A typical example of Klingon culture can be found in the Old Quarter of First City. One form of popular entertainment for its inhabitants is to frequent local nightclubs which, to non-Klingon sensibilities, appear to be sophisticated country clubs run by gangs of criminal thugs.

Indeed, the level of recreational violence in First City nightclubs is so high that it is not unusual for criminal acts to occur in full view of the clientele, who are not in the lest distracted or disturbed. But this side of the Klingon personality should not detract from the Klingon sense of honor - especially in battle.

Political Facts

Although an Empire in name, the Klingon Empire is actually ruled by the Klingon High Council with the leader of the council assuming authority through a complex Rite of Succession. The Council is usually composed of 24 members, and they meet at the ancient Great Hall in the First City

From the 21st Century to 2369, a period which includes the disastrous first contact between humans and Klingons in 2218, the High Council assumes complete rule in the Empire. However, in 2369, a clone of Kahless is produced by the monks of Boreth, using blood from a religious relic, and is hailed as the original Kahless. Although this claim is quickly disproved, the clone is recognized as rightful heir to the throne and installed as the ceremonial Emperor of the Klingon People.

By this time, the Klingon is at peace with the Federation - a startling departure for a naturally warrior race. However, the circumstances that causes the end of hostilities are as much about economic realities as they are about peaceful intentions

In 2293 one of homeworld's moons Praxis, is almost completely destroyed. At the time Praxis is a key energy-production facility, but over-mining and insufficient safety precautions, exacerbated by a economy stretched to its limits by military expenditures, leads to a catastrophic explosion.

The ecological effects of this disaster threatens to deplete the oxygen in the homeworlds atmosphere and because of the planets importance to the Klingon Empire contemporary Starfleet estimates conclude that the Empire can last no longer than Qo'noS itself - about fifty years. These estimates match those made within the Klingon government.

With the Klingon economy now in taters, Gorkon, the leader of the High Council, takes the historic step to sue for peace. The resulting diplomatic initiatives undertaken in light of this threat lead to a decades-long peace between the United Federation of Planets and the Klingons, and change the balance of political power in the Galaxy.

Rivals and enemies for nearly a century, Klingons are first encountered by the Federation in 2218. Only with the Khitomer Accords is an uneasy peace established with one of the Galaxy's most fearsome races.

The Klingon commander Kang is one of the first Klingons to realize that victory can arise from peaceful cooperation with humans. He joins forces with Captain James T. Kirk in 2268, when the crews of the two commanders are held captive by the Beta XII-A entity. By choosing a peaceful strategy, Kirk and Kang successfully defeated the entity.

Another advocate for the cause of peace with the Federation is Chancellor Gorkon, leader of the High Council. But the hostile side of Klingon nature is revealed in 2293, when he is assassinated - though too late to destroy the peace process. Even so, it is characteristic of the Klingons that for every peacemaker there is a warmonger waiting in the wings.

The Klingons have never been known as great diplomats, preferring the ways of battle and conquest. A fateful first encounter with the United Federation of Planets in the Earth year 2218 led to war with them. Not until the Khitomer Peace Accords of 2293--brought about by the destruction of the Klingon moon Praxis and the death of their chancellor Gorkon--did the Klingons truly begin to form peaceful relations with the Federation. And in the midst of that peace for the Klingons came attacks at their Narendra III and Khitomer outposts by their former allies, the Romulan Star Empire. And in 2268, the Klingon Empire fell prey to a civil war, caused in part by the Romulans' covert support of the rogue Klingon House of Duras the traitor. Nevertheless, the Klingons see a greater threat in the Cardassians, who clearly attempt to increase their military strength, and in the Ferengi, who have no honor

Treaty of Organia

Khitomer Peace Accords

Treaty of Archanis

Should you have any questions or comments please e-mail the Chief Diplomatic/JAG Officer at the Diplomatic/JAG Department aboard the U.S.S. Lancelot.