Star Trek_The Klingon Empire

[ghosty]

During the Replicator Invasion, the only Federation ally who tried to help was the Klingon Empire, against the wishes of the High Council, the Chancellor led the KDF into battle alongside Starfleet only to be killed at the Battle of Sol where the Replicators overran humanity's birthplace.

The death of the Chancellor led to a period instability within the Empire especially when a number of Klingon worlds were overrun by the Replicators. Only a the determined sacrifce of the House of Mogh prevented a Replicator invasion of Q'OnoS.

The various great families finally met under the ascicious of the Emperor Khaless the only man who could keep the Klingon people united. Khaless appointed a new Chancellor the first time the Emperor had taken a direct hand in government since his rebirth. His decision was challenged and with a stroke of the Bat'leth the Emperor was dead.

The only unifying force in the Empire was dead and civil war broke out among the clans. Seventy years later, Kordek the Unifier was victorious at the Battle of Kel'drak'mar'zan over the combined armies of his enemies. Kordek was hailed as Emperor but he refused, and declared he would rule as Chancellor.

Kordek spent the rest of his life trying to rebuild the Empire but it was a different galaxy now and the old ways had to be adapted. The Klingon Empire became the Klingon Imperium.

Central power was concentrated on Q'OnoS under the Chancellor. The leaders of the great houses sit in an expanded High Council, numbering some 169 members. The Chancellorship is not the elected post it once was but is a hereditary position tracing its direct ancestry to Kordek the Unifier.

The Chancellor cannot rule alone although he controls a powerful fleet and army, he cannot match the combined power of all the great houses, so politics is a more important game than war within the Empire. Skillful manipulation of the various factions have kept the House of Kordek in power.

Outside of Q'OnoS, the great houses rule their individual fifes in their own fashion provided that they obey the laws of the Imperium. Each house can maintain armies and fleets but their size are limited.

Inter clan warfare is permitted but must adhere strictly to a set of protocols laid down by the Unifier to minimize the impact the wars would have on civilians, industry and commerce.

Houses which disobey or flout the law and traditions are declared renegade and destroyed or must flee into exile. A number of these exiled great houses have gone into the mercenary trade.

Culturally, the Klingons have remained largely unchanged by the Replicator Invasion. Honour and family still rank high among Klingon ideals.