by Ben Robinson
SHIFT SYSTEM
Life on board is divided into three six-hour shifts, with at least 12 crew members always on duty. Although the captain is formally part of the shift system he tends to stand outside it and will be on the bridge whenever he feels his presence is necessary. Typically, the captain and first officer will work the same shift, though in theory they each command a separate shift.
The three rosters—or ghom ngoy’ in Klingon—operate in a strict hierarchy, with the most senior roster including all the command officers except the second officer, who typically heads up the second roster, and the third officer who moves between shifts. Whenever the ship is entering combat, the shift system is abandoned and all the senior crew members take their stations. The first roster takes command with all the other warriors on standby to replace anyone who falls in battle.
FIRST SHIFT [DUTY SHIFT]
Qu’ poH wa’DIch
Officers and warriors on the duty shift are responsible for operating the ship. The bridge should always be staffed with at least four crew members, with two warriors assigned to the engineering section, one to the sensors, one to the weapons room and one to the medical bay, and one servant to the galley.
Klingon crews are rigorously drilled. Each duty shift involves a session of battle drills with the computers programmed to simulate the sensor inputs that would be generated in an actual battle. The drills take place under the supervision of the first or second officers and take two different forms. The first of these is used when the crew is on active battle duty. The computers are put into a simulation mode. Weapons are not fired and the ship continues on its pre-programmed course, but the consoles all behave as if the ship really were at combat and to the untrained eye it is impossible to distinguish the data they provide from the real thing.
This form of drill is necessary when the ship is cloaked or in times of war when it is important to conserve photon torpedoes. However the Klingons are keenly aware of the limitations of this kind of training and wherever possible they prefer to train with live weapons and active helm control. In these kinds of drills the computer still generates an artificial attacker, but the ship responds to the crew’s commands, weapons are fired, the cloak is engaged and dropped and the ship actually performs the maneuvers ordered by the helmsman.
Many Klingon captains regard this kind of drill as insufficiently realistic and it is quite common for them to drop out of warp and spend time shooting asteroids as target practice.
The drills are supervised by the first or second officer, who note reaction times and administer discipline to crew members who do not meet the standard expected of them.
The officers assigned to the weapons room start each shift by recalibrating and testing the targeting sensors, and once every third shift stripping down and rebuilding the ship’s supply of disruptor rifles.
SECOND SHIFT [LEISURE SHIFT]
Qu’ poH cha’DIch
During the second shift the crew are at what loosely translates as leisure. In practice this means that they congregate in one of the two communal areas on the ship: the mess hall or the training hall. Off-duty crew members will invariably head to the mess hall rather than their extremely basic quarters and at least some crew members can always be found here. Meals are served at the beginning of each shift and it is common for the entire shift to eat together.
Even outside of ‘formal’ meal times the mess hall is furnished with a constant supply of gagh and dishes such as bregit lung. Other delicacies such as heart of targ or pipius claw are reserved for special occasions such as a significant victory.
On a successful ship, the captain will ensure there is a plentiful supply of bloodwine, but during active combat missions this is only consumed by the men on the second shift, ensuring the crew have time to sober up before they return to their duty stations.
During this shift crew members are also expected to practice hand-to-hand combat in the training hall, and to spend time studying tactics and the exact specifications of enemy ships.
Senior members of the staff, such as the first officer, consider this shift to be a working one and use it to perform their admin duties.
THIRD SHIFT [SLEEP SHIFT]
Qu’ poH wejDIch
The third shift is reserved for sleep and most warriors will spend it in their quarters.
CREW SHIFT SYSTEM
CREW OF A BIRD-OF-PREY
FIRST SHIFT
SECOND SHIFT
THIRD SHIFT
CAPTAIN
DUTY: BRIDGE
OFFICE/LEISURE
SLEEP
FIRST OFFICER
OFFICE/LEISURE
DUTY: BRIDGE
SLEEP
SECOND OFFICER
OFFICE/LEISURE
SLEEP
DUTY: BRIDGE
THIRD OFFICER
DUTY: BRIDGE
OFFICE/LEISURE
SLEEP
COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER
DUTY: BRIDGE: COMMUNICATIONS
OFFICE/LEISURE
SLEEP
ENGINEERING OFFICER
DUTY: BRIDGE: ENGINEERING
OFFICE/LEISURE
SLEEP
HELMSMAN
DUTY: BRIDGE: HELM
OFFICE/LEISURE
SLEEP
SCIENCE OFFICER
DUTY: BRIDGE: SCIENCE
OFFICE/LEISURE
SLEEP
WEAPONS OFFICER
DUTY: BRIDGE: WEAPONS
OFFICE/LEISURE
SLEEP
ENGINEER
DUTY: ENGINEERING
OFFICE/LEISURE
SLEEP
ENGINEER
DUTY: ENGINEERING
OFFICE/LEISURE
SLEEP
COOK
DUTY: MESS HALL
OFFICE/LEISURE
SLEEP
DOCTOR/SURGEON
DUTY: SURGERY
OFFICE/LEISURE
SLEEP
WARRIOR
DUTY: WEAPONS ROOM
OFFICE/LEISURE
SLEEP
WARRIOR
SLEEP
DUTY: BRIDGE: COMMUNICATIONS
OFFICE/LEISURE
WARRIOR
SLEEP
DUTY: BRIDGE: ENGINEERING
OFFICE/LEISURE
WARRIOR
SLEEP
DUTY: BRIDGE: HELM
OFFICE/LEISURE
WARRIOR
SLEEP
DUTY: BRIDGE: SCIENCE
OFFICE/LEISURE
WARRIOR
SLEEP
DUTY: BRIDGE: WEAPONS
OFFICE/LEISURE
ENGINEER
SLEEP
DUTY: ENGINEERING
OFFICE/LEISURE
ENGINEER
SLEEP
DUTY: ENGINEERING
OFFICE/LEISURE
JUNIOR COOK
SLEEP
DUTY: MESS HALL
OFFICE/LEI SURE
WARRIOR
SLEEP
DUTY: SURGERY
OFFICE/LEISURE
WARRIOR
SLEEP
DUTY: WEAPONS ROOM
OFFICE/LEISURE
WARRIOR
OFFICE/LEISURE
SLEEP
DUTY: BRIDGE: COMMUNICATIONS
WARRIOR
OFFICE/LEISURE
SLEEP
DUTY: BRIDGE: ENGINEERING
WARRIOR
OFFICE/LEISURE
SLEEP
DUTY: BRIDGE: HELM
WARRIOR
OFFICE/LEISURE
SLEEP
DUTY: BRIDGE: SCIENCE
WARRIOR
OFFICE/LEISURE
SLEEP
DUTY: BRIDGE: WEAPONS
ENGINEER
OFFICE/LEISURE
SLEEP
DUTY: ENGINEERING
ENGINEER
OFFICE/LEISURE
SLEEP
DUTY: ENGINEERING
ASSISTANT COOK
OFFICE/LEISURE
SLEEP
DUTY: MESS HALL
WARRIOR
OFFICE/LEISURE
SLEEP
DUTY: SURGERY
WARRIOR
OFFICE/LEISURE
SLEEP
DUTY: WEAPONS ROOM
WARRIOR
OFFICE/LEISURE
SLEEP
DUTY: WEAPONS ROOM
FLEET COMPARISON
The Klingon fleet has always consisted of two basic types of vessel—small raiding and scouting ships such as the Bird-of-Prey and large capital ships such as the K’Tinga-class battlecruiser or the more recent Vor’cha-class attack cruiser. The first of these types of ship has often had a remit to stray far outside Klingon space, mounting raids on enemy colonies or carrying out intelligence missions. The Bird-of-Prey has been at the heart of this kind of activity since the Klingon Empire first achieved interstellar flight, and the 22nd-century (and even earlier) versions of the ship are instantly recognisable as being broadly similar to those in service today.
The larger capital ships from the K’Tinga-class battlecruiser to the vast Negh’var are normally tasked with patrolling the borders of Klingon space and maintaining order within the Empire, quelling rebellions and presenting a show of power. In times of war, they are used in mass assaults and planetary invasions.
It is not uncommon for a Klingon starship to remain in service for more than a century, since the Klingon Defense Force has always prioritized making the maximum number of ships available, rather than concentrating on fielding the most advanced fleet possible. The feudal nature of Klingon society also means that the Great Houses are reluctant to put a weapon away even when they have added a new and superior one. As the Klingon bards would have it, “There is no reason not to carry a sword and an axe.”
RAPTOR-CLASS
The Raptor-class was a small Klingon scoutship that first entered service in the 2130s. Like all Klingon ships that predate the Klingon-Romulan alliance of 2268, it was not fitted with a cloaking device. It was armed with photon torpedoes and disruptors, and was designed to enter a planet’s atmosphere and attack targets on the surface. It had powerful but unsophisticated warp engines that could take it up to Warp 5 on the old warp scale.
The Raptor’s small size made it ideal for reconnaissance missions, but it was principally used in raiding missions along the borders of Klingon space, with the crew mounting brief and deadly assaults on the enemies of the Empire in a bid to prevent their expansion and to gather intelligence that could be fed back to the Klingon Defense Force prior to a more sustained assault or invasion. Like all vessels of the period it was designed to operate for extended periods of up to six months away from space stations or Klingon planets. The crew would routinely supplement their supplies by mounting raids on other species, meaning that in some cases Raptors operated away from Klingon space for up to a year. However, Raptors normally operated within relatively close range of the larger battle cruisers that led the expansion of the Empire during this period.
The Raptor was less heavily armed than this era’s Bird-of-Prey, which was in service at the same time and had a similar mission profile, and, unlike the Bird-of-Prey, it used conventional warp nacelles rather than warp wings.
STARBOARD VIEW
FORE VIEW
DORSAL VIEW
SPECIFICATIONS
Length
145.61m
Beam
114.65m
Height
26.72m
Mass
200,825 metric tonnes
Crew
12
Performance
Warp 5.0
22ND-CENTURY BIRD-OF-PREY
The 22nd-century version of the Bird-of-Prey was a relatively small raiding and scouting vessel with a crew of 48. It had a top speed of warp 6, making it easily capable of interstellar travel. It was the most heavily armed Klingon vessel of the era with eight separate disruptor banks, including twin disruptor cannons that were mounted on the underside and could fire in a 360-degree radius, and a forward-mounted disruptor that fired from a position next to the forward photon torpedo launcher in the familiar position in the nose. A second photon torpedo launcher fired aft.
Unlike the similar Raptor-class it used energised warp wings, which are the signature design feature of this class of ship.
Despite its relatively small size it carried a shuttlecraft, which could be launched from the rear of the ship in a bay below the impulse engines. Tactically, the Bird-of-Prey had two significant weaknesses—a lack of aft weaponry and armament and an exposed plasma junction that was vulnerable to attack if an enemy knew the exact spot to target.
In this era the Bird-of-Prey was one of the most far-ranging ships in the Klingon fleet and their captains were at liberty to fly far beyond the limits of Klingon space. In fact, Birds-of-Prey were seen as far away as Earth. They operated without support from larger, capital ships, meaning their crews had extraordinary opportunities to earn honor.
STARBOARD VIEW
FORE VIEW
DORSAL VIEW
SPECIFICATIONS
Length
145.36m
Beam
137.27m
Height
66.21m
Mass
198,596 metric tonnes
Crew
48
Performance
Warp 6.0
D5-CLASS
The D5 battle cruiser first entered service in the 2120s and remained an essential part of the Klingon Defense Force well into the 23rd century, when the last remaining ships in service were fitted with some of the first cloaking devices. One of the most famous D5 battle cruisers—the Klothos—was Kor’s ship when he led the attack on Caleb IV.
When they were first introduced, the D5s made up the backbone of the Klingon Defense Force and routinely patrolled Klingon space, defending it against all enemies. They were also in the vanguard of any planetary assault and had the firepower to devastate a planet from orbit. In its time, it was the most powerful ship in the fleet and no less a person than Admiral Krell adopted one as his flagship.
They were heavily armed with multiple disruptor cannons and photon torpedoes. Like other Klingon ships of the period, it was fitted with a double disruptor cannon that was mounted below the ship and could fire in a 360-degree radius. It also had state-of-the-art sensors that were the equal of anything in the Starfleet or Vulcan fleets.
The D5’s spaceframe could be adapted for use as a freighter when it was stripped of its major weaponry. Unlike the Bird-of-Prey it used conventional warp nacelles rather than energised warp wings. Although they were slightly larger than scouting ships such as the Raptor and Bird-of-Prey they could achieve higher speeds and could sustain Warp 6 for extended periods of time. However, they rarely operated outside of Klingon space unless they were part of an invasion force.
STARBOARD VIEW
FORE VIEW
DORSAL VIEW
SPECIFICATIONS
Length
210.62m
Beam
157.57m
Height
44.12m
Mass
273,228 metric tonnes
Crew
48
Performance
Warp 6.0
K’TINGA-CLASS
The K’Tinga-class battle cruiser formed the backbone of the Klingon fleet that patrolled the borders of Federation space in the mid to late 23rd century. It was one of the longest serving ship designs in the Klingon Defense Force and is very closely related to the D5-and D7-class battlecruisers, which followed the same basic layout, although the surface details were quite different. While not a true K’Tinga-class, which refers to the exact internal equipment, a predecessor of this class was in service as early as 2151.
Ships of this class were roughly analogous to the Federation’s Constitution-class ships, which were their counterparts in the abortive Federation-Klingon war of 2
267. In the 2290s the K’Tinga was the most advanced type of ship in the Klingon fleet and one of them served as Chancellor Gorkon’s flagship, Kronos One, until his assassination by General Chang.
In the 2270s the K’Tinga-class was among the first Klingon ships to be fitted with a cloaking device. The standard layout for a ship of this era featured disruptors and photon torpedoes, with some ships of this type using an experimental concussive charge.
Far more advanced ships using the same basic spaceframe remained in service in the later 24th century and played a significant role in the Dominion War alongside the more advanced Vor’cha-class ships that were intended to replace them. Some of these ships used a forward mounted disruptor bank that could be fired from the navigational deflector around the photon torpedo launcher.
STARBOARD VIEW
DORSAL VIEW
FORE VIEW
SPECIFICATIONS
Length
349.54m
Beam
251.76m
Height
98.41m
Mass
760,000 metric tonnes
