The Federation-Klingon Cold War was a decades-long conflict between the United Federation of Planets and the Klingon Empire. The conflict arose after a disastrous first contact between the powers in the early 23rd century, which led to what Spock described in 2293 as "almost seventy years of unremitting hostility". The conflict flared up from time to time; the Federation considered the Klingons to be imperialistic, while the Empire had a similar view of the Federation's continually expanding membership. Short wars broke out on several occasions, as well as a notable period of peace enforced by the Organians from the mid 2260s with the establishment of the Organian Peace Treaty. A final lasting peace was established in 2293 with the signing of the Khitomer Accords following the disastrous explosion of the Klingon moon Praxis. (TNG episode: "First Contact"; TOS movie: The Undiscovered Country; TOS comic: "Four Thousand Throats..."; TOS episode: "Errand of Mercy")

Disastrous first contact[]

Despite previous contact with United Earth as early as 2151, and contact with the Vulcans even earlier, it was a "disastrous first contact" in the early 23rd century that sparked decades of war and mistrust between the Federation and the Klingons. (ENT episode: "Broken Bow"; TNG episode: "First Contact"; SA comic: "Prime Directives")

The first contact occurred between the Starfleet starship USS Sentry and Klingon warship IKV Devisor. Or, in 2218 when the USS Ranger was destroyed by Klingon forces at first contact at the planet Agbar IV. The Klingons used this attack to steal warp technology from the Ranger. (TOS novel: The Final Reflection; Last Unicorn RPG module: All Our Yesterdays: The Time Travel Sourcebook; Decipher RPG module: Starfleet Operations Manual)

Rising tensions[]

Already hostile relations between the Federation and Klingons erupt into open hostility when the Klingons launch a sneak attack on the Ardan IV colony in 2223. (Last Unicorn RPG modules: Star Trek: The Original Series Core Game Book, All Our Yesterdays: The Time Travel Sourcebook)

In 2228, the USS Bastion was engaged by Klingon vessels near the Mutara Nebula. The Bastion managed to destroy five vessels before being destroyed herself. (Decipher RPG module: Starfleet Operations Manual)

Despite the increased skirmishing, the Federation was able to send its first ambassador to the Klingon High Council, Dr. Emanuel Tagore, in 2227. (TOS novel: The Final Reflection)

The Battle of Donatu[]

The rising tensions between the Federation and the Empire reached boiling point in 2244, when the Klingons launched an attack on the Federation colony on Donatu V. Only one Federation starship was in the system at the time, the Icarus-class USS Endeavour, which was on a resupply mission. The Endeavour was quickly overwhelmed and boarded by the superior Klingon forces.

Before the Endeavour was boarded, they managed to get a distress call to the USS Yorkshire, another Icarus-class vessel. When the Yorkshire arrived in the Donatu system, the starship managed to inflict some damage on the Klingon fleet. As a result the Klingon commander ordered that the Endeavour 's crew be executed by flushing them into space out of airlocks, in the hopes that it would draw the Yorkshire into lowering their shields and transporting the victims aboard.

Things looked bleak for the two Federation starships, with Klingon reinforcements on the way, but the tide turned when Admiral William M. Jefferies arrived on the Constitution-class prototype USS Constitution. Although the Constitution had no functional weapons systems, its deflector shields were much more powerful than the Yorkshire's. So the two ships ran in tandem with the Yorkshire firing on the Klingon ships, and hiding in the Constitution's shields.

There was no victor at the battle, the Klingons withdrew, and the Yorkshire and the Constitution were severely damaged, while the Endeavour was lost. While the Federation considered the matter over, the Klingons viewed this as a focal point of hatred against the Federation, and began plotting their revenge. (TOS novels: Killing Blow, River of Blood, Seeds of Rage)

Late-2240s[]

In the 2240s the Klingons sent a team of surgically altered agents to try and steal Starfleet's second Constitution-class starship (the future USS Enterprise, then known as the NX-0002) during in its shakedown cruise. The Klingon team succeeded in infiltrating the ship, posing as three of the cadet crew for the voyage, and managed to disable it by placing a bomb in the starboard intercooler. With the ship disabled the team then killed most of the crew and called in the IKS Shadow, which had been hiding in the Sol system's Oort cloud, to take the ship into tow. A small group of survivors, including Admiral Charles Rasmussen and Number One, devised a plan to use the ship's shuttlecraft to attack the Klingon ship. Rasmussen piloted one of the shuttles on a suicide attack, which freed the ship allowing the remaining crew to call for help. The USS Constitution answered the call and destroyed the D7-class on its arrival. Only nine of the cadet crew, plus the medical staff, survived the Klingon attack. (TOS comic: "Shakedown")

In October 2246 the USS Enterprise, under the command of Captain Robert April, was attacked by Commander Kor. The attack delayed urgently needed supplies reaching Tarsus IV, resulting in the death of 4,000 colonists at the hands of Governor Kodos. (TOS - Enterprise Logs short story: "Though Hell Should Bar the Way")

Despite the tensions between the two powers, both signed the Seldonis IV Convention regarding the treatment of prisoners of war in 2248. (Last Unicorn RPG module: All Our Yesterdays: The Time Travel Sourcebook)

Also in this year, the USS King Richard, under the command of Karis Tatenen, was involved in a skirmish with several Klingon scout ships at Pakheth, near the Regulus star system. Shortly after, the King Richard encountered several Klingon battleships at Vonra and engaged them in a fierce battle. Although outnumbered and out-gunned, the King Richard emerged victorious and Tatenen became famous across the Federation, becoming known as the "Hero of the Battle of Vonra" and the "Destroyer of Klingons". (TOS - Star Trek II Short Stories short story: "The Blaze of Glory")

2250s[]

In 2251, a rare early example of the two powers working together begun. The Klingons had exiled many M'tachtar prisoners to an uninhabited planet in the Klingon Neutral Zone. In a secret agreement with Starfleet, both a Federation starship and a Klingon warship are to check the planet sporadically. The first starship to do so is the USS Republic, under the command of Captain Rollin Bannock. The Republic delivered force field barriers and surveillance equipment to the planet. (TOS - My Brother's Keeper novels: Republic, Enterprise)

Mutual hatred and fear of the Federation led the Klingons to found a colony on Chal in 2253, along with the Romulan Star Empire. The inhabitants of Chal were genetically engineered to survive the aftermath of any war, and flourish in total destruction. (TOS novel: The Ashes of Eden)

In 2254 the crew of the IKS Varchas under command of Kaaj, son of Torg learnt of the Starfleet's Project Pharos, an interstellar lighthouse in the Marrat Nebula, and the fact that the Pharos siteworld was rich in dilithium. Concluding that the Federation planned to claim the open region, Kaaj rallied local brigand forces to attack Starbase 13 while his crew made an assault on Pharos. The USS Enterprise was called in to defend Starbase 13, and then battled with Varchas over Pharos. With limited options to avoid war Captain Christopher Pike had the Enterprise fire on Pharos, igniting the dilithium deposits and thus eliminating the reason for war, while making an alternate lighthouse in the region. As more Federation ships approached a dishonored Kaaj was forced to withdraw. Later that year, Kaaj attempted to avenge Pike with an attempt on his life on the planet Prairie, but was once gain thwarted by the Enterprise crew. (EV comics: "The Fires of Pharos", "The Flat, Gold Forever")

Later in 2254 Kaaj's crew attempted to obtain the Thanatos from Temazi. Starfleet became aware a rogue Klingon house was attempting to secure the weapon and sent a team from the Enterprise to stop them. Meanwhile the Klingons also learnt of Kaaj's plans and sent two D7-class battlecruisers under the command of Kharg to stop him, and destroy the entire planet in process. A three way battle between the Enterprise the Klingons and the Thanatos weapon ensued, with all sides taking heavy damage. (EV comics: "Thanatos", "Nemesis")

The precise outcome of the Temazi incident is unknown as the Early Voyages series was cancelled before the story concluded. Evidently the Enterprise survived the incident, and if either side obtained the Thanatos technology it did not tip the scales in the ongoing conflict.

Early-2260s[]

In 2260 the Federation made the Fortran homeworld Fortra a protectorate. In response the Klingons sent the IKS Roney to Qolis (a former Fortran colony the Klingons has previously colonized) to remind the Federation who had control of that planet. However at Qolis the Roney soon found itself under attack by a group of twelve Fortran vessels, armed with Federation phasers and tractor beams. The Fortran ships destroyed the Klingon governor’s satellite, and took the crew of the Roney into custody on the planet. When captain Kraviq was taken for questioning he broke free, and attacked the Fortrans. When General Tork arrived with his fleet to re-secure the planet he found Kraviq dead, along with four thousand of the capital city's inhabitants. Following the incident the Federation claimed no knowledge of the Fortran's plans and withdrew from Fortra. (TOS comic: "Four Thousand Throats...")

In 2262, a skirmish occurred between Federation and Klingon vessels in a wide expanse of space claimed by both sides. (FASA RPG module: Star Trek IV Sourcebook Update)

The president of Kobax VI was assassinated in 2263 by a covert Klingon agent as a precursor to invasion of the Federation planet. The invasion is deterred when order is quickly restored and the identity of the assassin uncovered. (FASA RPG module: Star Trek IV Sourcebook Update)

As of 2264 the two sides had experienced a period of peace following the agreement of the Federation/Empire Treaty, which defined the territory of both sides. This peace was shattered that year when the Klingons made an advance into Federation space and established an outpost on the planet Tally where they began testing a new offensive system which transmitted a high-frequency neural disruptor signal capable of paralyzing the Human nervous system. While on a mission to the planet the USS Enterprise discovered the Klingon presence and sent a landing party to investigate; upon arrival they were immediately paralyzed. Defying orders Uhura commandeered the shuttlecraft Keppler to rescue the landing party, using her communication expertise to nullify the effect of the Klingon weapon, destroy it, and rescue the landing party. With the intelligence gathered on the weapon the Federation were able to develop an effective countermeasure. (TOS comic: "Uhura's Story")

In 2265, the Enterprise, under the command of Captain James T. Kirk, proceeded to the prison planet of the M'tachtar with Admiral Ellen Mangione aboard. On the planet the landing party was ambushed and the M'tachtar managed to take control of the Enterprise. Qadar, leader of the M'tachtar, had half of the crew beamed down to the prison planet, and then set course for Qo'noS to meet with Emperor Grannoch.

Captain Kirk and a small party managed to escape from the Enterprise and were rescued by the IKS Doj, under the command of Commander Kang. Kang allowed Kirk one hour to regain control of the Enterprise, which he succeeded with, and the M'tachtar were returned to Qo'noS for execution. (TOS novel: Enterprise)

Prelude to War[]

By 2263 there was a popular belief the Klingons were gearing up for war; freight routes along the Klingon border were particularly well paid at the time in acknowledgement of the dangers. On stardate 1422.3 a Federation freighter with a shipment of dilithium was hijacked by a group of Klingons. In the ensuing battle aboard the vessel the ship was flown into a crash-landing on Serjilla IV. The Federation crew managed to escape, while the Klingons remained aboard and tried to repair the ship to get away with the cargo. With the assistance of an abundant local tribble population the Federation crew was eventually able to retake their ship and maroon the Klingons on the planet. (TOS comic: "Alien Spotlight: Tribbles")

Later that year, a serious skirmish broke out involving heavy casualties suffered by both Federation and Klingon forces. This incident was regarded as the prelude to imminent war between the two powers. (FASA RPG module: Star Trek IV Sourcebook Update)

By late 2266, war between the Federation and the Klingons, was deemed inevitable by Ambassador Robert Fox. After months of negotiations, a stalemate had been reached, and Fox warned Admiral Robert Justman and Lieutenant Patrick West of Starfleet Command that war was only seven months away.

The Klingons increased their readiness for the coming war by increasing the number of agents in Klingon space. One of their key missions was to kill Captain Kirk, who would take a key role in the coming war. To do this, Agent Kell was surgically altered and took the role of Starfleet security officer, Jon Anderson and placed him aboard the Enterprise. Other agents were also placed in Starfleet Command with orders to assassinate Admiral Justman and other key command personnel.

As well as fighting a stealth war, the Klingons also made an agreement with the Orions. (TOS novel: The Edge of the Sword)

Organian intervention[]

In 2267 the anticipated war broke out. A key confrontation occurred at Regulus, where Captain Suvuk squared off against Klingon forces under the flagship IKS Hakask. Suvuk was the hero of the day, surviving capture and torture to single-handedly disable the Klingon vessel and make off with their battle plans. (TOS - Rihannsu novel: My Enemy, My Ally)

At the outbreak of war, the USS Enterprise was ordered to secure Organia. En route the Enterprise was attacked by a Klingon scout vessel IKS Vortha, which they promptly destroyed.

The destruction of the Vortha prompted the Klingon High Council to send a fleet under command of Kor, son of Rynar to take Organia for the Empire and destroy the Enterprise. The Enterprise arrived at Organia shortly before the Klingons, but was forced to depart when the fleet did arrive, leaving Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock stranded on the planet.

While the Klingons established their rule over the planet Kirk and Spock donned disguises, and after being interrogated by the Klingons were allowed to go about their business - with Kirk in the guise of Baroner being appointed Goveror Kor's liaison to the Organian people.

The Klingons’ peaceful conquest did not last long when Kirk and Spock decided to try and spark an Organian resistance by blowing up the Klingons’ ammunition depot. The Klingons’ discovered Kirk's true identity and took him into custody, but the Organian leader, Ayelborne, freed them. The two acts of apparent Organian terrorism prompted Kor to order two-hundred Organians be shot in punishment, and order more be periodically killed until the Starfleet spies turned themselves in.

Horrified by the deaths Kirk decided to make a strike against Kor and attacked him in his base of operations on the planet. At the same time the Federation fleet arrived above the planet to face off against the Klingons. Appalled by the escalating violence, the Organians, who were (unknown to both powers) in fact non-corporeal beings, decided to intervene and prevented the continuation of immediate hostilities by making it impossible for the Starfleet and Klingon forces to fight by making their weapons too hot to touch. At the same time Ayelborne simultaneously appeared before the Federation and Klingon leadership to impose a peace treaty on the two powers to prevent further violence. (TOS episode: "Errand of Mercy"; ST - Klingons - Blood Will Tell comic: "Against Their Nature")

The Organian Peace Treaty created a buffer zone between the two powers, the Klingon Neutral Zone, which Starfleet enforced with a series of listening posts to monitor Klingon activity. In the two year period following the treaty Starfleet gradually moved its forces from the Klingon border to the Romulan Neutral Zone, perceiving the Romulans as an increasing threat. (TOS - The Enterprise Experiment comic: "Part 3")

Conquest through competition[]

Throughout the rest of the 2260s and 2270s, both the Klingon Empire and Federation remained cautiously peaceful. Under the terms of the Organian Peace Treaty either side could continue to expand and compete for planets, but by showing who could best develop new worlds' agricultural and economic potential rather than military conquest.

In 2267 the Klingons attempted planted the agent Gralmek, who had assumed the role of Arne Darvin, on Deep Space Station K-7, where he was to poison a vital supply of quadrotriticale which was to be sent to Sherman's Planet. Unfortunately for Gralmek a trader named Cyrano Jones was also visiting the station at the time, and one of his products, tribbles, over-ran the station. When the tribbles consumed the grain they died due to the poison and thus Gralmek's mission was exposed. (TOS episode: "The Trouble with Tribbles"; ST - Klingons - Blood Will Tell comic: "Issue 2")

Several months later the Klingons retrieved Gralmek in a prisoner exchange; returning an Andorian captive to the Federation in return for their agent. (ST - Klingons - Blood Will Tell comic: "Issue 2")

2267 also saw the Klingons attempted to swing Capella IV into their favor by helping a rival faction on the planet in a coup d'etat. Intervention by the crew of the USS Enterprise saved the young heir and his mother (TOS episode: "Friday's Child")

Later that year the Klingons also attempted to take control of the planet Neural, a world that was deemed hands-off under the terms of the Organian Peace Treay. Commander Krell of the IKS Korthos was tasked with pushing the limited of the Treaty by infiltrating the Neural population and pushing them towards a Klingon philosophy, preparing them for a future in the Empire. Krell put his plan into action through Apella, a native who he supplied with increasingly complex designs for weapons. When the Federation learnt of this they balanced the scales by providing the opposing Hill People with comparative weapons. The result was massive destruction on Neural, as a war of perfectly balanced sides was thought. When Krell returned to Neural to inspect its progress he concluded that while neither the Klingons nor the Federation had won the world, but the Klingons had succeeded into turning the planet to the Klingon way. (TOS episode: "A Private Little War"; ST - Klingons - Blood Will Tell comic: "Issue 3")

In 2268 the Klingons also sought to take control of the abundant supplies of dilithium on the planets in the Tellun system. Klingons agents attempted to disrupt the peace between the worlds of Elas and Troyius, which was being mediated by the Federation. The attempt to stop the marriage of Elaan to solidify the peace failed. (TOS episode: "Elaan of Troyius")

The Romulans[]

In 2266, a year before the Organians imposed their treaty the Klingons had already began an ambitious plan obtain the new cloaking device the Romulan Star Empire had been developing. The Klingon Korlat was sent to curry favour with the new Praetor, who in his blind greed for power was happy to ally with the Klingons. Korlat pushed the Praetor to deploy his new ghost ships against the Federation. (TOS comic: "Alien Spotlight: Romulans")

Following the Organian Treaty the Klingons saw a possible way to circumvent it in the alliance they had created with the Romulans, using their leverage they intended to use the Romulans as pawns against the Federation. By manipulating Romulans of various political persuasions the Klingons set up Gaius (the son of the Romulan commander killed when the first ghost ship engaged the USS Enterprise) to inherit the praetorship, and then brought about the assassination of the previous praetor and his new wife, Gaius' mother. Entirely at the Klingons' whim the new praetor was installed, and spurred by hatred and a desire for vengeance the Romulans prepared for attacks on the Federation. (TOS comics: "The Hollow Crown, Issue 1", "The Hollow Crown, Issue 2")

Flaring tensions[]

In 2268 the being (*) drew the IKS Voh'tahk to the planet Beta XII-A with fake distress call from the IKS Blortlh, supposedly under attack by a Federation starship. Once at the planet (*) initiated massive damage in the Voh'tahk, forcing the crew to beam down to the planet where they planned to capture the crew of the USS Enterprise (who had been drawn their by a similar distress call claiming a colony on the planet was under attack) and claim the Federation starship. Captain Kirk had the Klingon personnel beamed aboard the Enterprise, disarming them in the process, and then beamed over the remaining survivors from the Voh'tahk, before destroying it due to radiation danger. On the Enterprise (*) then started to spontaneously transform objects into swords, spurring the Klingons to fight, and the Starfleet crew to fight back. (*) basked in the violence, feeding of the negative emotions, but eventually the crews figured out what was happening and began to work together, defeating (*) with laughter. (TOS episode: "Day of the Dove"; ST - Klingons - Blood Will Tell comic: "Issue 4")

A brief state of war in 2269 was also stopped with Organian intervention. (TOS novel: Spock Must Die!)

Metan conspiracy[]

In 2269 a species named the Metans attempted to draw the Federation, Klingons and Romulans into war. The Metans had long believed themselves to be the only species in the universe, so when they found out about other races considered them a test of their faith, an evil to be destroyed. They hoped to destroy much of that evil be implicating other races in atrocities and starting an interstellar war. (TOS - The Chosen comic: "Collision Course!")

The Metans began their plan with an attack on the Klingon colony Tarnak II, using Federation weapons. When the USS Enterprise responded to a distress call from the colony they were implicated as the attackers. The Klingons refused to believe the Enterprise's evidence that they had arrived after the attack and close diplomatic channels. The Klingons began to amass forces on the border ready for war with the Federation. (TOS - The Chosen comic: "The Hunted")

Meanwhile the Metans made other attacks on along the Romulan Neutral Zone. As the Enterprise was blamed by the Klingons for the earlier attack, Starfleet thought it best to keep them away from the Klingon conflict and had them investigate the supposed Romulan attacks. (TOS - The Chosen comic: "Blood Enemies")

Working with Koram of the Tal Shiar the Enterprise crew identified a singular foreign culprit for the attacks, and calculated their next move. Federation Ambassador Julia Bertrand, a Metan who had been sent to the Enterprise as a diplomatic advisor then gave away the identity of the attackers when she signaled her people to continue their plan.

The Enterprise, Korams Bird-of-Prey, and a Klingon battle cruiser commanded by Kang then worked together to apprehend the Metan ship before it launched its next attack. With the culprits identified and stopped the Klingons were satisfied the Federation was not responsible and war was averted. (TOS - The Chosen comic: "Collision Course!")

Power of the Preservers[]

Finally in 2269 the IKS Klothos under command of Kor lead a Klingon assault on the mining outpost at Loren 5 after listening in on reports from the planet of rich dilithium deposits and the unearthing of a rich archaeological site. After two years of the Treaty forcing the peace in this instance the Organians failed to stop the Klingon assault; the Klingons destroyed Deep Space Station K-22 and Kor's men secured the planet, finding a Preserver outpost. After investigating the Preserver city the Klingons found an interface device, and hoped to use the knowledge it contained to find further Preserve outposts, and the advanced technology they might contain to give the Klingons the upper hand. (TOS - The Enterprise Experiment comics: "Part 3", "Part 4")

The crew of the Enterprise devised a plan to draw Kor back to Loren and take back the Preserver device by planting captain Kirk and Mr Spock in Klingon custody, while Sulu, disguised as a Klingon boarded Kor's ship when he returned to secure the device. Following a speedy rescue of Kirk and Spock the Enterprise made its escape, with Spock interfacing with the device shortly after to try and find the location of further Preserver outposts himself. (TOS - The Enterprise Experiment comics: "Part 4", "Part 5")

The Enterprise succeeded in finding an outpost, in Gorn space, at which point Ayelborne of the Organians appeared and informed Kirk, Spock and Arex they were not yet ready for the knowledge of the Preservers. Further Ayelborne informed the group that the Organians no longer intended to force the peace, leaving it to the Klingons and Federation to sort out their own problems. Ayelborne then returned the party to the Enterprise just as Kor, who had been following intended to begin an attack. The Enterprise headed back to Federation space at best speed where a Starfleet fleet lead by the USS Federation waited to do battle with Kor's fleet. (TOS - The Enterprise Experiment comic: "Part 5")

2270s[]

In the early 2270s the Klingons' manipulation of the Romulan Star Empire began to pay off as the Romulans launched a war against the Federation. Using unmarked ships the Klingons also fought in the war, but as far as anyone could tell they were merely Romulans. Hoping to bring the conflict to a swift conclusion the Federation installed a stolen cloaking device aboard the USS Yorktown and sent the ship to engage in covert operations against the Romulans along the neutral zone. The Yorktown engaged with a Romulan fleet, inflicting significant damage before making a retreat. It then encountered and attacked an unmarked Klingon vessel, disabling it after severing the command bulb from the rest of the ship. The new Romulan flagship, under cloak, was also at the scene and rescued personal from both the Klingon ship and the Yorktown moments before the command bulb crashed into the Yorktown, destroying its bridge. (TOS comics: "Schism, Issue 1", "Schism, Issue 2", "Schism, Issue 3")

Shortly after the Romulan fleet arrived at the scene, as did the IKS Blade of Kadoth. With both sides seeking to take the Yorktown to avenge their loses they turned on each other. An additional force of Federation starships then arrived created a huge three-way battle. With the situation having escalated dramatically the Organians stepped in once more; noting how they had hoped the combatants could learn to live in peace Ayelborne demanded a cessation of hostilities and declared the Organians would reinforce the treaty, and extend it to include the Romulans. Ayelborne also revealed to Praetor Gaius how the Klingons had manipulated him, and thus the Klingon-Romulan Alliance fell apart. (TOS comic: "Schism, Issue 3")

Sometime later the Klingon Kloor discovered Alpha Tau IV and began to artificially accelerate the development of the population of Human clones living there. After the medical ship Joanna discovered this while doing a routine check on the planet, the Klingons began to destroy what they had created on the planet, rather than let their actions become known to the Federation. Fortunately the USS Yorktown arrived, rescuing the Joanna's crew. Before Kloor's ship could be apprehended it self destructed. (TOS comic: "Medics")

In 2273 a trio of battlecruisers, under command of Krell, was dispatched to Earth, following the V'Ger incident, to be briefed on the incident. En route however they witnessed the recently refitted USS Enterprise jump to warp, and decided capturing that ship and its various technological advances would be of greater advantage to them. The fleet activated their cloaks and went in pursuit. When they attacked the Enterprise the Starfleet vessel's new phaser design allowed them to cripple Krell's ship, forcing a retreat. The Klingon High Council later refused any responsibility for the attack under the claim that Krell's actions were unsanctioned by them. (TOS comic: "Renewal")

The V'Ger incident also revealed the existence of a Klingon terror weapon; the Klingons had constructed a dreadnaught gun vessel, a huge and powerful craft capable of inflicting massive damage to planets. The V'Ger crisis drew the attention of a group of extra-dimensional beings who attacked and destroyed the dreadnaught. Shortly after the wreckage was discovered by the USS Enterprise and ChR Phoenix revealing its existence and thus nullifying its tactical advantage. (TOS comic: "Debt of Honor")

A short time later the Klingons made another attempt to steal the Enterprise. After a damaged Federation starship drifted into Klingon space, the Klingons captured its crew, included a horror film archivist; they drugged him and connected him to their latest thought enhancer technology. The Klingons set about making an intricate trap for the Enterprise, drawing them off course to investigate a signal sent from a space station the Klingons converted into a haunted house in space. Using an implant in the skull of a sympathetic prisoner being transported aboard the Enterprise, Raytag M'Gora, the Klingons were able to terrorize the Enterprise crew with projections of monsters from the horror film archivist's mind. They hoped the capture the Enterprise after the crew were terrorized to death, the only person they wished to capture, for his technological expertise, was Mr. Spock - this was their downfall.

Once captured Spock was able to access the horror film archivist on the Klingon ship and mind meld with him. Spock used that link to project himself into the Enterprise and instruct his crewmates to shoot a young woman they had encountered in the haunted house, a projection of the archivist's dead wife. With her projection destroyed the archivist's illusion was shattered with pain, which overloaded the implant in M'Gora's head and started making the monsters appear on the Klingon ship. Spock, along with the archivist and the thought enhancer technology, were able to escape back to the Enterprise, the Klingon's plan thwarted. (TOS comic: "The Haunting of the Enterprise!")

Later that year both sides attempted to gain control over the neutral planet Hephaestus. The USS Enterprise was sent to negotiate mining rights for the Federation, while the IKS Kluggoth was sent by the Klingons to initiate a more sinister approach: The Hephaestans were not naturally sentient; they used a subcutaneous symbiont (given to them by an advanced race eons prior) to enhance their intelligence. The Klingons planned to destroy the manufacturing facilities for these implants and then systematically remove them from Hephaestans; rendering them sub-intelligent and making the planet open for the Klingons to claim under the terms of the Organian Peace Treaty. Fortunately for the Hephaestans the Enterprise crew learnt of this plan, and despite the Klingons successfully destroying the manufacturing center, was able to back-up the facility's computers in time to rebuild it. Subsequently the Hephaestans gave favor to the Federation and the Klingons withdrew. (TOS comic: "All the Infinite Ways")

2280s[]

War of 2285[]

In 2285 the Federation and Klingon Empire once again officially declared war. However both sides were being manipulated, by the Excalbians, who had nullified the Organians and set about beginning an experiment on a grand scale, to study the qualities of good and evil. The Excalbians sent individuals to take control of Starfleet's Grand Admiral Stephen Turner and the Klingon Emperor Kahless IV. (TOS comics: "Errand of War!", "Deadly Allies!")

The conflict began when the Klingons began to use a new space station facility capable of generating wormholes to launch sneak attacks on Federation vessels. The USS Enterprise was dispatched to investigate, and once it located the station sent a team to infiltrate it. The team destroyed the station's wormhole stabilizer device, causing it to drop out of wormhole space. Rather than let the facility be captured or destroyed by the Enterprise its commander, Koloth, activated the facility’s self destruct. (TOS comics: "The Wormhole Connection", "... The Only Good Klingon...")

With the station destroyed Kahless IV declared full scale war on the Federation. Bother sides launched attacks on unarmed civilian facilities. Wondering why either side was willing to participate in such atrocities, and why the Organians had not stopped the fighting, Kirk had the Enterprise set course for Organia.

The Enterprise arrived at Organia to find it hidden within a black field, and guarded by two Klingon battle cruisers, commanded by Kor. After a brief battle the Enterprise beamed Klingon survivors aboard and Kirk and Kor discussed the war. As they began to reach a conclusion that something was amiss the Excalbians revealed themselves. (TOS comic: "Errand of War!")

Seeing their mutual enemy the Klingon and Federation crew agreed to work together. They modified a shuttlecraft to penetrate the black field using a wormhole and then proceeded to find the Organians, imprisoned by the Excalbians. There Kirk proposed the Excalbians try a new experiment, making themselves the subjects in battle with the Organians. Both of the non-corporal races agreed and began their battle. With the Exclabians otherwise occupied the war came to an end, though at the same time the Organians' peace keeping force was also gone. The fate of Federation and Klingon Empire was now back in their own hands. (TOS comic: "Deadly Allies!")

Continued competition[]

In 2275 the Klingons Empire and a Federation explorer, Mace Magellan, simultaneously discovered Magellan's World. While the local inhabitants were more favorable towards the Klingons a territorial dispute between the two sides won Magellan the affection of the locals and he was elected provisional governor. The two sides were then given ten standard years to develop half of the planet for the benefit of its people; with the most successful side winning the entire world. The Klingons’ established highly effective strip-mines to utilize the planet's mineral wealth, and developed highly successful agricultural systems utilizing their typically hardy farming techniques. The Federation on the other hand took a more ecologically cautious approach to mining, producing low yields, and struggled to develop agriculture; necessitating a large amount of importation. As the deadline approached in 2285 the Klingons were at a clear advantage. Federation Ambassador Averill Stanton was assigned to try and swing the scales in the last few days competition. The Ambassador however took a less than honest approach to his assignment; hoping to regain credibility after a string of unsuccessful missions he conspired with the Federation's mining administrator on the planet, Alisa Ruthven, to destroy the Federation mining operation; hoping to frame the Klingons and thus win the planet. The plot was foiled by the crew of the USS Excelsior and Magellan, who discovered evidence of sabotage and deduced Ruthven's role. With the conspiracy quashed the Klingons won the entire the planet, though did agree to implement Federation-inspired ecologically sensitive mining techniques, and offered the Federation half the dilithium mined from the planet, at a reasonable cost. (TOS comics: "Maggie's World!", "Judgment Day!")

Genesis[]

The misinterpretation of the Genesis Device by the Klingon Empire led to tensions being at their highest level, including a bounty on James Kirk. (TOS movie, novelization & comic adaptations: The Search for Spock, The Voyage Home, The Final Frontier)

The Khitomer Accords[]

In 2293, the Klingons were finally pushed into a new negotiating position when the Klingon moon Praxis exploded, causing massive environmental damage to the Klingon homeworld. With the Klingon's large military budget they could not afford to mend the damage of this disaster and continue to fight the Federation; The Klingon Chancellor Gorkon called for a new peace between the two powers. (TOS movie: The Undiscovered Country)

Gorkon's proposal led to a near fifty:fifty split in the High Council; the deciding vote lay with Kahnrah. After consulting his Houses' archives for records of contact with the Federation, Kahnrah concluded the Humans could be honorable allies. Before he could cast his vote though he was attacked, and forced to kill his granddaughter, who supported the opposition and sought to stop him doing what she thought wrong for the Empire. In the Council chambers Kahnrah surmised that "If we are to conquer tomorrow, we must first live today" and the motion was passed. (ST - Klingons - Blood Will Tell comic: "Issue 5")

The opposition was not content to accept the High Council's ruling however and a conspiracy was begun to disrupt the peace, ironically working with individuals within Starfleet who also opposed the peace.

Starfleet dispatched the USS Enterprise-A to escort Gorkon aboard Kronos One to Earth to begin the talks. However the ships were shadowed by an experimental Bird-of-Prey which could fire while cloaked. The Bird-of-prey fired on Kronos One from below the Enterprise, giving the impression the Enterprise had fired herself. Yeomen Burke and Samno on the Enterprise then beamed aboard Kronos One and assassinated Gorkon. Shortly after the attack Captain Kirk and doctor McCoy beamed over to Kronos One to assist, and were promptly arrested when Gorkon died.

Kirk and McCoy were subjected to a show-trial, and imprisoned on Rura Penthe. However the peace talks were still to go ahead, moved to a more secure location on Khitomer.

As the Enterprise crew began to piece together events in an attempt to clear Kirk and McCoy's names the conspiracy was revealed, and once the Enterprise rescued their senior officer she and the Excelsior headed to Khitomer where they battled and defeated the Bird-of-Prey and prevented the assassination of the Federation President.

Despite the best efforts of those who opposed the peace on both sides the talks went ahead. The Khitomer Accords were signed, leading to the abolishing of the Klingon Neutral Zone and a lasting peace and alliance between the Federation and Klingon Empire. (TOS movie, novelization & comic adaptation: The Undiscovered Country)

Appendices[]

Connections[]

Federation-Klingon Wars
	Federation-Klingon Cold War (23rd century-2293) • Four Years War (2250s) • Federation-Klingon War of 2256-2257 • Federation-Klingon War of 2267 (2267) • Federation-Klingon War of 2269 (2269) • Federation-Klingon War of 2285 (2285) • Federation-Klingon War of 2372-2373 (2372-2373) • Federation-Klingon War of 2405-2410 (2405-2410)

External link[]

• Federation-Klingon Cold War article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.