Changes: Chang's Bird-of-Prey

Revision as of 20:38, 20 March 2008

Chang's Bird-of-Prey was a prototype Bird-of-Prey commanded by General Chang in his efforts to discourage the potential peace talks between the Federation and the Klingon Empire. The vessel was equipped with a cloaking device that somehow allowed the vessel to fire its torpedoes while cloaked, an ability once considered impossible on other vessels, due to power constraints.

As the USS Enterprise-A escorted IKS Kronos One, which was transporting Chancellor Gorkon to Earth for peace negotiations, the cloaked Bird-of-Prey hid directly under the Enterprise. The only sign of its presence was a large amount of neutron radiation, which was detected too late as the Enterprise crew witnessed what appeared to be two torpedoes seemingly fired from their vessel hitting Kronos One, which was further complicated by the work of saboteurs who made it appear as though the Enterprise was missing those two torpedoes. As a result, Gorkon was assassinated, and Captain Kirk and Dr. McCoy were arrested for his murder. Fortunately, the Enterprise daringly managed to rescue them, disobeying orders from Starfleet Command.

Despite some skepticism from his fellow officers, Captain Spock, was able to determine the existence of this vessel, as it seemed to most logical explanation, if theoretical. His theory was proven true as he gleaned the information by way of mind meld with Lt. Valeris, who had been found to be in league with the conspirators, learning that there was only one such ship. After learning the new, secret location for the peace conference from Captain Sulu, on the USS Excelsior, both vessels headed to Khitomer where the Bird-of-Prey was waiting for them.

USS Excelsior and Enterprise firing on Chang — Chang's ship under fire.

As Chang quoted Shakespeare over all the comm channels, his ship opened fire on the helpless Enterprise, causing it heavy damage. The Excelsior, arriving late, was just as incapable of tracking Chang's ship and was damaged as well. Spock determined that despite its cloak, the Bird-of-Prey still released plasma exhaust, and based on an idea from Cmdr. Uhura, installed equipment, with McCoy's help, on a photon torpedo designed to catalog gaseous anomalies. Once fired, the torpedo wound around space, slowly beginning to lock in on the exhaust from the Bird-of-Prey, until it impacted on the unshielded bridge, killing Chang and his command crew and exposing the ship, allowing further fire from the Enterprise and Excelsior to destroy it. (Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country)

Appendices

Background

The model explosion of this vessel was later reused for the destruction of the Bird-of-Prey in Star Trek Generations.

Apocrypha

In the novelization of the movie, this ship is called the Dakronh.

The Star Trek Customizable Card Game gives its name as IKC Kla'Diyus. This is likely in reference to the Hamlet character King Claudius, who, like Chang, was responsible for the faceless murder of a rightful ruler, although the motivations are different.

The vessel is featured as a playable ship in two missions of Star Trek: Klingon Academy. Named the IKS guHmoH, the ship is used by the player's character to spy on meetings between Melkor and his supporters using a highly-advanced sensor array that requires the player to bring their ship within 50 kilometers of Melkor's bridge. Template:Bird-of-PreyClassStarships

@@ Line 9: / Line 9: @@
 '''Chang's Bird-of-Prey''' was a [[prototype]] Bird-of-Prey commanded by [[General]] [[Chang (General)|Chang]] in his efforts to discourage the potential peace talks between the [[Federation]] and the [[Klingon Empire]]. The vessel was equipped with a [[cloaking device]] that somehow allowed the vessel to fire its [[torpedo]]es while cloaked, an ability once considered impossible on other vessels, due to power constraints.
-As the {{USS|Enterprise|NCC-1701-A|-A}} escorted {{IKS|Kronos One}}, which was transporting [[Chancellor]] [[Gorkon]] to [[Earth]] for peace negotiations, the cloaked Bird-of-Prey hid directly under the ''Enterprise''. The only sign of its presence was a large amount of [[neutron radiation]], which was detected too late as the ''Enterprise'' crew witnessed what appeared to be two torpedoes seemingly fired from their vessel hitting ''Kronos One'', which was further complicated by the work of [[sabotage|saboteur]]s who made it appear as though the ''Enterprise'' was missing those two torpedoes. As a result, Gorkon was [[assassination|assassinated]], and [[Captain]] [[James T. Kirk|Kirk]] and [[Doctor|Dr.]] [[Leonard McCoy|McCoy]] were arrested for his murder. Fortunately, the ''Enterprise'' daringly managed to rescue them, disobeying orders from [[Starfleet Command]].
+As the {{USS|Enterprise|NCC-1701-A|-A}} escorted {{IKS|Kronos One}}, which was transporting [[Chancellor]] [[Gorkon]] to [[Earth]] for peace negotiations, the cloaked Bird-of-Prey hid directly under the ''Enterprise''. The only sign of its presence was a large amount of [[neutron radiation]], which was detected too late as the ''Enterprise'' crew witnessed what appeared to be two torpedoes seemingly fired from their vessel hitting ''Kronos One'', which was further complicated by the work of [[sabotage|saboteurs]] who made it appear as though the ''Enterprise'' was missing those two torpedoes. As a result, Gorkon was [[assassination|assassinated]], and [[Captain]] [[James T. Kirk|Kirk]] and [[Doctor|Dr.]] [[Leonard McCoy|McCoy]] were arrested for his murder. Fortunately, the ''Enterprise'' daringly managed to rescue them, disobeying orders from [[Starfleet Command]].
 Despite some skepticism from his fellow officers, [[Captain]] [[Spock]], was able to determine the existence of this vessel, as it seemed to most logical explanation, if theoretical. His theory was proven true as he gleaned the information by way of [[Vulcan mind meld|mind meld]] with [[Lieutenant|Lt.]] [[Valeris]], who had been found to be in league with the conspirators, learning that there was only one such ship. After learning the new, secret location for the peace conference from [[Captain]] [[Hikaru Sulu|Sulu]], on the {{USS|Excelsior}}, both vessels headed to [[Khitomer]] where the Bird-of-Prey was waiting for them.
@@ Line 16: / Line 16: @@
 As Chang quoted [[Shakespeare]] over all the comm channels, his ship opened fire on the helpless ''Enterprise'', causing it heavy damage. The ''Excelsior'', arriving late, was just as incapable of tracking Chang's ship and was damaged as well. Spock determined that despite its cloak, the Bird-of-Prey still released [[plasma]] exhaust, and based on an idea from [[Commander|Cmdr.]] [[Uhura]], installed equipment, with McCoy's help, on a [[photon torpedo]] designed to catalog gaseous anomalies. Once fired, the torpedo wound around space, slowly beginning to lock in on the exhaust from the Bird-of-Prey, until it impacted on the unshielded [[bridge]], killing Chang and his command crew and exposing the ship, allowing further fire from the ''Enterprise'' and ''Excelsior'' to destroy it. ({{film|6}})
-==Appendices==
+== Appendices ==
-===Background===
+=== Background ===
 The [[model]] explosion of this vessel was later reused for the destruction of the [[Klingon Bird-of-Prey|Bird-of-Prey]] in {{film|7}}.
-===Apocrypha===
+=== Apocrypha ===
 In the [[Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (novel)|novelization of the movie]], this ship is called the ''Dakronh''.
@@ Line 27: / Line 27: @@
 The vessel is featured as a playable ship in two missions of ''[[Star Trek: Klingon Academy]]''. Named the IKS ''guHmoH'', the ship is used by the player's character to spy on meetings between Melkor and his supporters using a highly-advanced [[sensor array]] that requires the player to bring their ship within 50 kilometers of Melkor's bridge.
 {{Template:Bird-of-PreyClassStarships}}
 [[Category:Unnamed Klingon starships]]