Predator class

Predator class

The Predator-class was a class of warship utilized by the Kazon Collective during the 2370s. They were originally designed by the Trabe and later commandeered by the Kazon and used as a massive warship. This class of vessel was much clumsier in battle at lower speeds than at warp speed and could be easily out maneuvered by an agile craft. (VOY: "Initiations")

Two Kazon sects known to possess this class during the 2370s were the Kazon-Ogla and Kazon-Nistrim. Although the Kazon had seized a large majority of the Trabe fleet, a small number of these ships remained under Trabe control as part of the Trabe convoy. (VOY: "Alliances")

In 2371, an Ogla carrier attacked the USS Voyager, and Val Jean, while the two vessels attempted to protect the Caretaker's array. The Kazon ship was destroyed by Chakotay when he rammed the Val Jean into the larger carrier, which in turn caused the larger carrier to crash into the array. (VOY: "Caretaker") Tom Paris later recalled that the vessel was "armed to the teeth." (VOY: "The Voyager Conspiracy")

In a holographic scenario experienced by The Doctor, he was told by B'Elanna Torres that USS Voyager had been attacked by two Predator-class warships which had taken the ship by surprise. The two ships had apparently hit Voyager with a volley of plasma torpedoes, which initiated a core breach and forced the crew to abandon ship. (VOY: "Projections")

In early 2372, a second Ogla carrier captured a Federation shuttlecraft and later destroyed it. (VOY: "Initiations")

In late 2372, First Maje Culluh of the Kazon-Nistrim gathered a fleet of eight carriers to mount an attack against the Voyager. Their attack formation was in a classic Cardassian echelon.

Voyager was able to divert four of the vessels from the fleet, leaving them to face four ships on their own. They were able to destroy one of the carriers with three photon torpedoes, however, this was not enough of a deterrent, and the combined weapons' fire of the three remaining carriers managed to overwhelm the severely damaged Voyager's shields and allow Nistrim troops to board and capture the Starfleet vessel. (VOY: "Basics, Part I")

A vessel of this class later appeared in the TCARS display aboard the USS Relativity during the 29th century. (VOY: "Relativity")

List of Kazon carrier vessels

• Unnamed Kazon carrier vessels

Appendices

Appearances

• VOY:
  • "Caretaker"
  • "Initiations"
  • "Alliances"
  • "Basics, Part I"
  • "Unity" (flashback sequence)
  • "Relativity" (flashback sequence/Star Trek Encyclopedia variation display graphics)

Background information

Star Trek Encyclopedia "variation"

According to Star Trek Encyclopedia, the Kazon carrier vessels were the Predator-class warships mentioned in "Projections". The most recent edition of the Encyclopedia featured an inaccurate representation of this class of vessel. The image was later used on screen in an LCARS display in "Relativity".

In the first draft script of "Caretaker" (written at a time when the Kazon were to be called "Gazon"), this type of vessel was described as "a HUGE Gazon ship – an eight hundred pound gorilla."

Studio model

Curry's design

The model at auction

The Kazon carrier vessel was a design by Dan Curry. At the time, the production team of Star Trek was spread thin as several productions were in various stages of development (Star Trek Generations, TNG: "All Good Things...", DS9: "The Jem'Hadar" and VOY: "Caretaker" as well as the documentary Journey's End: The Saga of Star Trek: The Next Generation). The regular design team for Voyager had their hands full, hammering out the details for the USS Voyager and the Caretaker's array (as was related in the book A Vision of the Future - Star Trek: Voyager). To ease the workload, Curry, whose regular function was that of Effects Supervisor, pitched in by tackling the Kazon ships, wanting to imbue the ships with that culture's "rough, low-tech retro" look. (Star Trek: Communicator issue 105, p. 59) For the same reason, the build of the models, once the design was approved, was sub-contracted out to an outside vendor, WonderWorks Inc., who delivered the two models as per specification.[1]. Unlike with its contemporary companion fighter design, no need was ever perceived to modify the carrier vessel model.

Bauer's enlarged forward section

A relatively small model, when delivered, it was not up to the task of the close-up of Chakotay's suicide run with the Val Jean in the penultimate act of VOY: "Caretaker", so a larger partial model was needed. As Dan Curry remembered, "Joe [Bauer] built the big foreground (kamikaze) miniature of the Kazon ship; David [Stipes] just did endless hours supervising motion control...and everybody really did a magnificent job." (Star Trek: Communicator issue 105, p. 59) Bauer actually built the enlarged forward section and Stipes had to composite all the footage shot. (The whole sequence was discussed by Curry in the VOY Season 1 DVD special feature "Red Alert: Visual Effects Season One".)

As the role of the Kazon as main antagonists was played out early on in the series, no CGI version of the design was ever produced, the two later appearances being either stock footage or a LCAR display.

The physical model, measuring 31"×8", listed as Lot#352 and estimated at US$2,000–$3,000 was sold on 6 October 2006, in the 40 Years of Star Trek: The Collection auction, with a winning bid of US$3,500 ($4,200 including buyer's premium).

External link

• Star Trek Ships: Expanded - Kazon at The STArchive