Chang (General)

Species:	Klingon
Affiliation:	Klingon Empire
Rank:	General
Occupation:	Chief of staff to Chancellor Gorkon
Status:	Deceased (KIA)
Died:	2293
Played by:	Christopher Plummer

Chang (tlhIngan Hol: cheng) was a Klingon General and chief of staff to Chancellor Gorkon in 2293. He was a part of the Khitomer conspiracy that sought to prevent any lasting peace treaty from being signed between the Federation and the Klingon Empire.

Chang was very fond of the writings of the poet William Shakespeare, although he preferred to read the works in the "original" Klingon language version. One of his favorite quotes was from Hamlet: "taH pagh taHbe'" (in English, "To be or not to be!").

At a dinner in Gorkon's honor aboard the USS Enterprise-A, Chang proclaimed that the Klingons needed "breathing room," which, as Captain Kirk pointed out, was an unintentional paraphrase of a similar claim made by Earth dictator Adolf Hitler in 1938.

As part of the Khitomer conspiracy, Chang commanded a prototype Klingon Bird-of-Prey that had the ability to fire its weapons while it was cloaked. Chang's ship fired on the IKS Kronos One while it was under escort by the Enterprise-A, making it appear as if the latter ship had fired upon the Klingons, violating the terms of the truce. This attack made it possible for co-conspirators Burke and Samno to board Kronos One and assassinate Gorkon.

When Enterprise officers James T. Kirk and Leonard McCoy boarded Kronos One to provide assistance and to prevent a full-scale conflict from developing, Chang ordered them arrested and charged with Gorkon's assassination under the rules of interstellar law. He also served as the prosecutor for the state at Kirk and McCoy's trial, where he was successful in obtaining a conviction by forcing Kirk to admit that, as captain, he was responsible for the conduct of the crew under his command.

However, Chang was surprised that, because of the impending peace talks, the Klingon judge did not order the customary death sentence, but instead sent the pair to Rura Penthe. In order to put Kirk and McCoy away permanently, Chang had the commander of the prison camp arrange for Kirk and McCoy to attempt to escape, so that they could be killed without explanation. However, they were rescued in the nick of time by the Enterprise-A.

With time running out before the Khitomer Conference, Chang ordered his Bird-of-Prey to intercept and attack the Enterprise in orbit of Khitomer. His ship initially had a huge advantage in being able to fire while cloaked, causing massive damage to the Enterprise-A, despite attempts by the late-arrival of the Excelsior to distract Chang (even though they could do little more than be "something else to shoot at"). However, Enterprise first officer Spock and Dr. McCoy were able to modify a photon torpedo by fitting it with an enhanced sensor unit, thus allowing it to track Chang's ship by homing in on the plasma exhaust from the impulse engine. Chang and his bridge staff were killed when the modified torpedo struck the bridge of the Bird of Prey. The Enterprise and the Excelsior quickly destroyed the ship after the torpedo hit caused it to decloak. (Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country)

Appendices

Background

Chang was played by Christopher Plummer. Plummer reportedly requested that his character have more subtle Klingon make-up, giving Chang a more human look than most Klingons in the Star Trek films. Chang's appearance, as well as his affection for the works of the human playwright Shakespeare, may be explained in part by the Klingon augment virus that spread through the Empire in the mid-22nd Century. Among its other effects, the virus dissolved Klingon cranial ridges and gave its victims a more human-like appearance (see "Affliction"). One of Chang's ancestors may have been a "smooth-headed" Klingon who was exposed to the retrovirus. Also, according to Star Trek the Magazine Villian Special last year (2009), it describe Chang's part in the Khitometer Conspiracy being like that of Operation Valkryie's Colonel Count Clause Von Staufenburg when Staufenburg tried and failed to kill Hitler in an effort to save Germany from utter destruction in World War II.

Apocrypha

Statue of General Chang in the Hall of Warriors

• The game Star Trek: Klingon Academy shows that Chang lost his eye in a blood duel against the usurper Kalnor who attempted to gain control of the Klingon Empire.
• Also according to Klingon Academy, Chang was present at the Battle of Organia.
• According to the novelization of Star Trex VI: The Undiscovered Country, Chang acquired the sobriquet "the Merciless," after commanding punitive attacks on enemies of the Klingon Empire.
• Also according to the novelization, the name of Chang's prototype Bird-Of-Prey was Dakronh.
• Although difficult to see, a statue of Chang is present in the Hall of Warriors (DS9: "Apocalypse Rising").

External links

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• Template:NCwiki
• Chang (General) at Wikipedia