Bravo Fleet
Difference between pages "Introduction to Bravo Fleet Writing" and "B'rel class"

Difference between pages "Introduction to Bravo Fleet Writing" and "B'rel class"

From Bravo Fleet
(Difference between pages)
 
 
Line 1: Line 1:
While Bravo Fleet offers many activities, our history as a role-play group means we retain a strong creative spirit. Members’ writing in various forms is at the forefront of driving the group’s canon as [[Starfleet|Starfleet’s]] [[Fourth Fleet]] in {{year}}. Bravo Fleet writing falls into two formats: [[Roleplaying Game Policy|roleplaying games]] (historically referred to as ‘sims’) and writing on members' [https://wiki.bravofleet.com/index.php/Command_Policy#2_-_Primary_Commands Commands].
{{Specification
| image = [[Image:Brelclass.png]]
| displayName = '''''B'rel'' Class'''
| name = B'rel
| affiliation = [[Klingon Empire]]
| operator = [[Klingon Defense Force]]
| status = Active
| role = *Warship
*Scout
| type = Bird-of-Prey
| precedingClass = M'Chla
| succeedingClass =
| dateEntered = 2275
| productionEnd =
| retired =
| expectedDuration = 80 Years
| expectedRefit = 10 Years
| timeResupply = 6 Months
| crewComplement = 12
| emergencyCap = 50
| civilians =
| populationCap =
| flightCrew =
| passengers =
| length = 157.76 meters
| width = 181.54 meters
| diameter =
| height = 98.54 meters
| decks = 6
| propulsionSystem = Matter/Antimatter powered warp drive
| cruiseSpeed = Warp 6.5
| maxSpeed = Warp 8.5
| emergencySpeed =  Warp 9.8 (3 hours)
| energyWeapons = 2x wing-mounted disruptor cannons
| torpLaunchers = *1x forward
*1x aft
| torpPayload = 50 photon torpedoes
| shields = *Klingon deflector shields
*Klingon cloaking device
| dockingfacilities =
| shuttleBays =
| shuttles =
| runabouts =
| fighters =
| aux =
| msd =
}}The '''''B'rel''-class bird-of-prey''' has been the premier versatile multi-purpose warship of the [[Klingon Empire]] since its inception in the late 23rd century. Although the overall original design is over a century old, several rounds of system refits and upgrades over the decades and its ease of production have kept this design at the forefront of Klingon military technology. Because of these ongoing upgrades, the ''B'rel'' is one of the most ubiquitous starships in the Klingon Empire.
===Exploration and Science===
The ''B'rel'' class is not, by any means, a ship of exploration or science. The primary use of its sensor array is to track down and hunt targets. The ''B'rel'' has limited capabilities to survey astronomic phenomena and would be far more likely to deploy a probe and signal for a more capable vessel to return to the area for a more extensive survey.  


== Roleplaying Games ==
===Diplomacy===
RPGs. Group Writing. Sims. This form of collaborative writing is part of Bravo Fleet’s history, taking part most often on Starfleet ships in {{year}} - though games exist for different eras, factions, and even genres.
Much like exploration, the ''B'rel'' has extremely limited diplomatic facilities or functionality. The ship is, at best, an escort for a larger vessel of diplomacy. Should the need for diplomacy arise, short of having a Klingon general on board, a ''B'rel'' would be most likely to report back to the nearest starbase so that a true diplomatic attachment could be sent in its stead.


It tends to take the language and form of a role-playing game, with members as ‘players’ writing (usually) one character and a Game Master writing the ship’s captain and dictating the main story beats. There can be all sorts of variations within this - the GM isn’t always the captain, players may write for many characters, or plots may be improvised by players rather than developed by the GM. Even writing in a less role-playing form, where members may share writing of characters and the planning of the story, counts as an RPG.
===Engineering===
The ''B'rel'' is a simple design that follows the lineage of the Klingon-designed birds-of-prey dating back to the earliest years of Klingon interstellar travel. The design consists of a central "body", a "neck" with a "head" at the fore, and two "wings" flanking the body. The ship is capable of three configurations, signaled by the positioning of the wings on the ''B'rel'': cruise (wings out), attack (wings down), and landing (wings up). Over the years the design has stayed the same while systems including the warp drive, impulse drive, disruptor cannons, and torpedo launchers have been refitted, upgraded, and even completely replaced throughout the design's history.


The management of these games is overseen by the Bravo Fleet Operations Officer, who ensures they meet expected standards of quality and activity, usually agreed upon by both the Ops Officer and a prospective GM. These expectations exist because BF members can usually apply to join these games, so a GM is taking on a commitment to run an activity for the fleet.
Like all previous bird-of-prey designs, the ''B'rel'' is capable of atmospheric flight and planet landing. This can increase its ability to stay away from a home port by making planetfall to enact critical repairs. Additionally, the ''B'rel'' can use planets to restock supplies such as foodstuffs or raw materials used to make new spare parts or even additional photon torpedoes.


RPGs are run on the main Bravo Fleet website, using the Bravo Fleet Management System (BFMS). The BFMS also stores character biographies and crew rosters and supports the collaborative writing of members, which is easily seen and shared with the whole fleet. In Character, the 25th-century Starfleet ships are the Fourth Fleet’s Forward Operation Forces. They operate independently of [[Task Forces]], pursuing a wide range of missions under the command of the Fleet Operations Officer.
Throughout the hundred-plus years of its service, the ''B'rel'' has largely been one of the most well-engineered vessels in the Klingon Defense Force arsenal. While visually identical throughout the years, several subclasses of the ''B'rel'' have sprung up as technological advances are made. As these advances come, the ''B'rel'' continues to get engineering refits class-wide.


== Command Writing ==
===Tactical===
{{For|article=[[BFMS Fiction Guide]]  on how to write on the website}}
While typically used as a scout, the ''B'rel'' class is a ship that is still quite dangerous by itself, utilizing its cloaking device to make surprise attack runs on targets. The ''B'rel'' has also proven itself by being used during times of war in packs, or wings, for concentrated attacks against larger, sometimes stationary, targets like capital ships and space stations. Although typically outgunned by cruiser-type vessels, the ''B'rel'' is small, agile, and highly maneuverable while still being able to inflict high amounts of damage. This gives them the ability to hold their own against many other ships that 'outclass' them and also makes them the perfect warship for Klingon attacks on enemy starbases and planetary outposts.
BF fiction is on the main site, where writing in the Bravo Fleet canon of all flavours can be found, from official Intelligence Office releases to the narratives driving Task Force story-arcs to the stories of individual members. This is the core of Bravo Fleet canon, lore development, and IC fleet activities. The majority of this fiction, and that discussed in this guide, focuses on stories about the Starfleet officers and starships of the Fourth Fleet in the 25th century - the [[Writing Primary Characters|Primary Characters]] of members, and their primary or squadron commands.


Once you reach the rank of Midshipman, you can request your own Primary Command. This acts as an OOC platform and 'collection' for your writing, as well as the IC premise for your story - normally some sort of ship. For Midshipmen to Lieutenants, this is a ''California''-class utility cruiser, a minor ship best-suited to simple missions in Federation space. It might be based out of the Headquarters of your Task Force, going off into missions in that area of the galaxy, but your TF doesn't force you into any one region, base, or place. If you want some guidance on what might make a good story at that level, talk to your Task Force staff for help. Once you reach the rank of Lieutenant Commander, you get the freedom to choose from a selection of ship classes. At any point you have the liberty to write your starship’s adventures anywhere in Bravo Fleet canon, with your Task Force’s specific mission for inspiration and direction.
Armaments employed aboard ''B'rel''-class vessels have varied widely over their long service life, but the most common set of armaments is two forward-firing medium disruptor cannons located on the wingtips, a medium torpedo launcher located forward just beneath the bridge, and a light aft-firing torpedo launcher located just above the impulse engine. These ships are geared towards frontal assaults, followed by repositioning under cloak, and struggle when swarmed or otherwise boxed in by threat vessels. Some vessels of this class have been equipped with disrupter beam emitters on the dorsal and ventral surfaces of the ship to address this deficit, but the majority of Klingon houses have not bothered with doing so, preferring instead to let ''B'rel'' captains prove their worth through guile, instinct, and tactics rather than technology.


From the rank of Captain, you may be entitled to an additional Starfleet ship under the  [https://wiki.bravofleet.com/index.php/Command_Policy#3_-_Squadrons Squadron system]. If at any point you wish to write a story about a non-Starfleet ship or a different era in Trek canon, this would require reaching the rank of Commander and successfully submitting a fiction proposal to the Intelligence Officer. Before considering one of these other stories, be sure to read the [[Fiction Proposal Guide]].
===Shipboard Life===
The ''B'rel''-class is a ship that is quintessentially Klingon to its core. With very few amenities, life on a ''B'rel'' is a cramped one of committing to the duty of the ship. The ship is efficiently built with little to no room to spare. Crew quarters are largely barrack style with some double bunks. Very few single cabins exist on the ship and are solely reserved for the captain and select officers. A mess hall exists that can accommodate the entire crew at once and is largely the extent of "recreation" on a ''B'rel''.  


=== Fleet Canon and Member Canon ===
The standard complement for a ''B'rel'' is 12 crew, but certain mission profiles may call for more. The ''B'rel'', even for a ship its size, can still comfortably (by Klingon standards) crew up to 36 crew members.
Bravo Fleet canon is laid out by the [[Canon Policy]]. In brief, all members are required to abide by Star Trek canon and Bravo Fleet canon. But you are, as individual writers, encouraged to pay attention to Section 1.3 of the Canon Policy, titled 'Member Canon.'


This consists of small details that are not specified by official or fleet canon, relevant to and developed by individual members. At its most obvious, it’s things like the creation of a strange nebula your starship surveyed somewhere in the Alpha Quadrant, or the lone Klingon captain who helped a ship. These are details that affect only your stories and your characters, and while you are welcome to discuss them, write about them, or even [[Submission Guide|add them to the Bravo Fleet wiki]], unless or until they are ratified by the Intel Office no other members are obligated to follow that canon or acknowledge its existence.
==Class History==
The ''B'rel'' first began development in the late 2260s as the first Klingon design to natively include the new and enhanced Klingon cloaking device derived from the Klingon vessel [[ma:Sarcophagus|''Sarcophagus]]; while other Klingon ships had used the cloaking technology in the interim, the ''B'rel'' was the first to be built with it integrated into the design. The ''B'rel'' was the first new bird-of-prey design in a generation and had a direct lineage from its immediate predecessor, the [[M'Chla class|''M'Chla''-class]] bird-of-prey, and its predecessor before that the [[ma:Klingon_Bird-of-Prey_(22nd_century)|''Vo'n'talk''-class]] bird-of-prey. By the 2290s, the ''B'rel'' could be found wide and far throughout Klingon territory used in several different roles. The native inclusion of the new cloaking device allowed the ship to become a dangerous predator in the depths of space. In fact, the first ''B'rel'' encountered by the [[United Federation of Planets]] was during the [[ma:Genesis_(planet)|Genesis Incident]] which indirectly caused the destruction of the [[ma:USS_Enterprise_(NCC-1701)|USS Enterprise]], also resulting in the capture of the ''B'rel'' by Rear Admiral [[ma:James_T._Kirk|James T. Kirk]]. This vessel remains in Starfleet hands at the Fleet Museum over Athan Prime.


But those are easy examples. The Intel Office does not aspire to flesh out every single detail about the Trek universe, and nor does Star Trek canon itself provide all of the details. Some facts slip through the cracks: what’s the state of Tokyo in the 25th century? Who taught Basic Warp Design at Starfleet Academy in 2387? What is the current status of a very minor one-off alien race from TOS, almost a century and a half later?
After that incident, the run-ins with the ''B'rel'' on the frontier against both the Federation and Romulan Star Empire increased exponentially. The ease of construction, adaptability, and versatility of the design allowed the Klingon Empire to mass-produce these vessels at staggering rates. Additionally, many upgrades and customizations to the ''B'rel'' systems allowed for the [[Great Houses]] to customize their own with slight modifications over the coming decades.


Some of these are questions which the Intel Office may answer as they arise. Others - like the Academy teacher - will most certainly not be defined by Bravo Fleet canon. Members are welcome to specify these details in their own stories, but with the understanding that nobody else is bound by them. Strong and interesting ideas that flesh out relevant parts of the universe may be adopted by the Intel Office into Fleet canon, but until then, they are Member Canon.
By the 2370s, the ''B'rel'' had been in service to the Empire for a hundred years. There were thousands of these vessels in service, and likely just as many lost over the years in glorious battles. However, the class received its largest litmus test during the [[ma:Dominion_War|Dominion War]] in the 2370s. As the Klingons entered the war against the [[Dominion]], they largely found themselves responsible for counteracting the Dominion's most pervasive warship: the [[Category:Dominion_Starship_Classes#Jem.27Hadar_Fighter|Dominion attack ship]]. Originally the Dominion attack ships quickly overwhelmed the Klingon ''B'rel''s showing superior weaponry and tactics. However, within only a few weeks of the war, the Klingons were able to develop new techniques for fighting enemies that were so unlike anything they had encountered before. Using Federation shield upgrades on their ships, and a few modifications to their weapons systems, the ''B'rel'' proved to be a match for the Dominion attack ship. Nearly neck-and-neck in every way, the remainder of the encounters during the Dominion War were decided by pure tactics and ship commander experience when the two ships ever came head to head. The ''B'rel'' proved to be very successful against the Dominion attack ships; so much so that the Klingon flagship, the [[ma:IKS_Rotarran|IKS ''Rotarran'']], was a ''B'rel''-class bird-of-prey.  


Might this lead to contradictions? Very possibly. Is this a problem? Not usually. Often such details can be reconciled; it is possible, or even likely, that multiple officers taught Basic Warp Design at the Academy in 2387. It’s worth remembering that even Star Trek canon occasionally contradicts itself on these minor details, and Star Trek has survived it. If two entirely separate stories have different, minor details, it’s very easy to live and let live. If necessary, consult the Intel Office for guidance.
During the Dominion War, the [[Klingon Defense Force]] was hit the hardest of the Alliance in terms of ships lost. Many of these ships for the Klingon Empire were of the ''B'rel'' class. However, because of the ease of construction of the ''B'rel'', hundreds more of these ships have been constructed to recoup the losses of the war and continue production into the 25th century. Additionally, the Klingon Empire has continued to enact persistent overhauls to the internal systems of the ''B'rel'' to keep it on par with the latest technical advances. The ''B'rel'' continues to be in widespread use across the Klingon Empire by all houses, both major and minor, with no end in sight on its production.


Remember that member canon doesn't mean "do what you want, and other people don't have to adhere to it." The point is that member canon should be details other people ''can'' ignore because it's a big galaxy. Don't contradict fleet canon, or Trek canon. Avoid, if possible, defining things that can't be worked around - do you really ''need'' to name the current head of Starfleet Tactical, even if fleet canon hasn't specified it? Our goal is to build a cohesive universe where everyone's playing in the same large sandpit, leaving room for one's own flair and stories - rather than to dictate every detail, ''or'' to have chaos wherever we go.
===''K'vort''-class===
The ''K'vort''-class bird-of-prey is a wholly different class from the ''B'rel'', but is distinct only in size. Everything about the ''K'vort'' is just a scaled-up ''B'rel''. Originally built in the 2340s as a response to Romulan aggression, the ''K'vort'' serves as a troop transport being able to hold upwards of 400 troops with an additional 150 crew. The sole premise of the vessel is that it uses the original ''B'rel'' design to pack as many troops as possible onto the vessel that can then successfully and safely make planetfall to rapidly deploy troops. Due to its very niche design, the ''K'vort'' is not a common sight in the Empire and is primarily purpose-built with very few exceptions.


== Common Issues ==
==In Play==
As ever, the [[Canon Policy]] explains the do's and don't and ins and outs of Bravo Fleet storytelling and content creation. But there are a few mistakes/misunderstandings/knowledge gaps which come up fairly often:
*The ''B'rel'' is still one of the most common designs in use by the Klingon Empire, even in the 25th century. This is due to the fact that they had to be mass-produced following the Dominion War for the Empire to regain its military capacity after such immense losses.
*Make no mistake - just because the ''B'rel'' is an "old" design doesn't mean it can't still hold its own. The ship has been getting regular refits over the years to keep it in line with other ships in surrounding empires as well as between Great Houses.
*The ''B'rel'' is a dogfighter. Its main tactic is to make runs at targets in their fore, cloak, and reposition themselves for another attack run. Their goal is to always keep their enemy in front of them where they can bring their main weapons to bear.
*The ''B'rel'' is one of the best examples of the Klingons finding a design that works and, true to their militaristic nature, using it until the wheels fall off. The ''B'rel'' won't be fully replaced until a new bird-of-prey design comes out that completely overshadows the ''B'rel''. It's also favored by too many captains who know and trust the design.


* You shouldn’t be writing about or including characters or ships from Star Trek canon! You can refer to them ''existing'', but for eg, we don’t know what the state of Sisko or DS9 are in the 25th century, so don’t make it a key part of your writing; don’t be an old friend, protégé, relative, etc, of ''any'' canon Trek character'','' that sort of thing.
{{clear}}
* The Command Registry is a list of all ships available in Bravo Fleet. It is meant to be a rarely-changed archive so that ships can build up a history, to help maintain a unified canon, instead of ships appearing and disappearing. This repository is not the play-thing for you to create your own task group. ''Do Not'' use ships in the registry for your writing if it’s not your own Command - there are many other names out there.
** Non-registry Starfleet ships can feature in your stories - there's always a ship that needs rescuing, or delivers a guest, or maybe does even join your Command in an adventure. But there's a difference between a story where your characters work with a friendly or rival crew, and giving your captain command of their own task group of NPC ships, and the latter is against the rules - wait until you're eligible for a [[Command Policy|squadron]] for that.
* The brass of Fourth Fleet Command are identified and established as characters – it’s [https://bravofleet.com/staff these fine folks]. If you need a staff-level character to appear in your writing (for briefings etc), either reach out to your Task Force Staff, or the Intel Office has established an NPC: Commodore [[Uzoma Ekwueme]]. He’ll show up, tell you what’s what, dress you down or pin a medal on you. Don’t kill him or make him evil.
** This means, for most members, you shouldn't be inventing new admirals for your stories. That includes unnamed characters with the rank of admiral - that still counts as an admiral character.
* This links to another rule: Your characters can hold ''up to'' the rank of captain ''or'' your OOC fleet rank, whichever one is higher. Like access to certain ship classes, starbases, or fiction concepts, writing flag officers is gated to OOC rank. With the TF staff characters, commanders of TFHQs, and Commodore Ekwueme, PCs and NPCs exist to facilitate your storytelling. Otherwise, allowing members to create and write flag officers, even as minor characters, usually results in one of the following:
** Creating a new random Fourth Fleet admiral (see above!).
** A member trying to bypass rank restrictions, in the same way that writing a lot about a non-registry ''Sovereign''-class starship that joins your avatar command on adventures would be.
* Please pay ''close attention to our [https://wiki.bravofleet.com/index.php/Canon_Policy#Section_6_-_Content_and_Ratings Content Rules]''. In short: check if your Command needs to list its rating. And, to just directly quote this part from our policy:
** Sexual violence should be addressed, if at all, with particular care. It should never be depicted directly in a scene, or be discussed by characters in any detail. Reference to sexual violence of any sort should never happen without the explicit OOC permission of every member involved in the story and, in RPGs, the GM. Stories may be removed at the Intelligence Officer's discretion, as per the above on appropriate content.
*One final note that’s less about the rules and more about tone: Bravo Fleet has a frankly shameful history of failing to engage with the themes and tone of Star Trek. Starfleet is not a military (having weapons doesn’t make you military), Starfleet Marines have never, ''ever'' been canon, Section 31 (and equivalent depictions of Intelligence) is almost always written in a way which makes the reader want to die of embarrassment, and Star Trek is not a universe about the power of might making right. The Federation may be flawed but it is fundamentally a government founded on principles of respect, liberty, and the search for peace and knowledge. The Intel Office has worked hard to move away from depictions of Starfleet that would be more at-home in an unironic interpretation of the movie ''Starship Troopers.'' Work with us to tell stories that may be set against challenges in a difficult universe, in places which are dark and where doing the right thing is hard – but are at their core about a hopeful view of the future and humanity, even if it’s working ''towards'' that view.

Revision as of 13:32, 3 March 2024

Brelclass.png
B'rel Class
Information
Affiliation

Klingon Empire

Status

Active

Type

Bird-of-Prey

Role
  • Warship
  • Scout
Lineage
Preceding Class

M'Chla-class

Service
Operator

Klingon Defense Force

Entered Service

2275

Endurance
Expected Design Life

80 Years

Expected Refit Cycle

10 Years

Expected Resupply Cycle

6 Months

Crew Capacity
Standard Complement

12

Emergency Capacity

50

Dimensions
Length

157.76 meters

Width

181.54 meters

Height

98.54 meters

Decks

6

Propulsion
Propulsion Systems

Matter/Antimatter powered warp drive

Cruise Speed

Warp 6.5

Maximum Speed

Warp 8.5

Emergency Speed

Warp 9.8 (3 hours)

Armaments
Energy Weapons

2x wing-mounted disruptor cannons

Torpedo Launchers
  • 1x forward
  • 1x aft
Torpedo Payload

50 photon torpedoes

Shields
  • Klingon deflector shields
  • Klingon cloaking device
Template:Specification

The B'rel-class bird-of-prey has been the premier versatile multi-purpose warship of the Klingon Empire since its inception in the late 23rd century. Although the overall original design is over a century old, several rounds of system refits and upgrades over the decades and its ease of production have kept this design at the forefront of Klingon military technology. Because of these ongoing upgrades, the B'rel is one of the most ubiquitous starships in the Klingon Empire.

Exploration and Science

The B'rel class is not, by any means, a ship of exploration or science. The primary use of its sensor array is to track down and hunt targets. The B'rel has limited capabilities to survey astronomic phenomena and would be far more likely to deploy a probe and signal for a more capable vessel to return to the area for a more extensive survey.

Diplomacy

Much like exploration, the B'rel has extremely limited diplomatic facilities or functionality. The ship is, at best, an escort for a larger vessel of diplomacy. Should the need for diplomacy arise, short of having a Klingon general on board, a B'rel would be most likely to report back to the nearest starbase so that a true diplomatic attachment could be sent in its stead.

Engineering

The B'rel is a simple design that follows the lineage of the Klingon-designed birds-of-prey dating back to the earliest years of Klingon interstellar travel. The design consists of a central "body", a "neck" with a "head" at the fore, and two "wings" flanking the body. The ship is capable of three configurations, signaled by the positioning of the wings on the B'rel: cruise (wings out), attack (wings down), and landing (wings up). Over the years the design has stayed the same while systems including the warp drive, impulse drive, disruptor cannons, and torpedo launchers have been refitted, upgraded, and even completely replaced throughout the design's history.

Like all previous bird-of-prey designs, the B'rel is capable of atmospheric flight and planet landing. This can increase its ability to stay away from a home port by making planetfall to enact critical repairs. Additionally, the B'rel can use planets to restock supplies such as foodstuffs or raw materials used to make new spare parts or even additional photon torpedoes.

Throughout the hundred-plus years of its service, the B'rel has largely been one of the most well-engineered vessels in the Klingon Defense Force arsenal. While visually identical throughout the years, several subclasses of the B'rel have sprung up as technological advances are made. As these advances come, the B'rel continues to get engineering refits class-wide.

Tactical

While typically used as a scout, the B'rel class is a ship that is still quite dangerous by itself, utilizing its cloaking device to make surprise attack runs on targets. The B'rel has also proven itself by being used during times of war in packs, or wings, for concentrated attacks against larger, sometimes stationary, targets like capital ships and space stations. Although typically outgunned by cruiser-type vessels, the B'rel is small, agile, and highly maneuverable while still being able to inflict high amounts of damage. This gives them the ability to hold their own against many other ships that 'outclass' them and also makes them the perfect warship for Klingon attacks on enemy starbases and planetary outposts.

Armaments employed aboard B'rel-class vessels have varied widely over their long service life, but the most common set of armaments is two forward-firing medium disruptor cannons located on the wingtips, a medium torpedo launcher located forward just beneath the bridge, and a light aft-firing torpedo launcher located just above the impulse engine. These ships are geared towards frontal assaults, followed by repositioning under cloak, and struggle when swarmed or otherwise boxed in by threat vessels. Some vessels of this class have been equipped with disrupter beam emitters on the dorsal and ventral surfaces of the ship to address this deficit, but the majority of Klingon houses have not bothered with doing so, preferring instead to let B'rel captains prove their worth through guile, instinct, and tactics rather than technology.

Shipboard Life

The B'rel-class is a ship that is quintessentially Klingon to its core. With very few amenities, life on a B'rel is a cramped one of committing to the duty of the ship. The ship is efficiently built with little to no room to spare. Crew quarters are largely barrack style with some double bunks. Very few single cabins exist on the ship and are solely reserved for the captain and select officers. A mess hall exists that can accommodate the entire crew at once and is largely the extent of "recreation" on a B'rel.

The standard complement for a B'rel is 12 crew, but certain mission profiles may call for more. The B'rel, even for a ship its size, can still comfortably (by Klingon standards) crew up to 36 crew members.

Class History

The B'rel first began development in the late 2260s as the first Klingon design to natively include the new and enhanced Klingon cloaking device derived from the Klingon vessel Sarcophagus; while other Klingon ships had used the cloaking technology in the interim, the B'rel was the first to be built with it integrated into the design. The B'rel was the first new bird-of-prey design in a generation and had a direct lineage from its immediate predecessor, the M'Chla-class bird-of-prey, and its predecessor before that the Vo'n'talk-class bird-of-prey. By the 2290s, the B'rel could be found wide and far throughout Klingon territory used in several different roles. The native inclusion of the new cloaking device allowed the ship to become a dangerous predator in the depths of space. In fact, the first B'rel encountered by the United Federation of Planets was during the Genesis Incident which indirectly caused the destruction of the USS Enterprise, also resulting in the capture of the B'rel by Rear Admiral James T. Kirk. This vessel remains in Starfleet hands at the Fleet Museum over Athan Prime.

After that incident, the run-ins with the B'rel on the frontier against both the Federation and Romulan Star Empire increased exponentially. The ease of construction, adaptability, and versatility of the design allowed the Klingon Empire to mass-produce these vessels at staggering rates. Additionally, many upgrades and customizations to the B'rel systems allowed for the Great Houses to customize their own with slight modifications over the coming decades.

By the 2370s, the B'rel had been in service to the Empire for a hundred years. There were thousands of these vessels in service, and likely just as many lost over the years in glorious battles. However, the class received its largest litmus test during the Dominion War in the 2370s. As the Klingons entered the war against the Dominion, they largely found themselves responsible for counteracting the Dominion's most pervasive warship: the. Originally the Dominion attack ships quickly overwhelmed the Klingon B'rels showing superior weaponry and tactics. However, within only a few weeks of the war, the Klingons were able to develop new techniques for fighting enemies that were so unlike anything they had encountered before. Using Federation shield upgrades on their ships, and a few modifications to their weapons systems, the B'rel proved to be a match for the Dominion attack ship. Nearly neck-and-neck in every way, the remainder of the encounters during the Dominion War were decided by pure tactics and ship commander experience when the two ships ever came head to head. The B'rel proved to be very successful against the Dominion attack ships; so much so that the Klingon flagship, the IKS Rotarran, was a B'rel-class bird-of-prey.

During the Dominion War, the Klingon Defense Force was hit the hardest of the Alliance in terms of ships lost. Many of these ships for the Klingon Empire were of the B'rel class. However, because of the ease of construction of the B'rel, hundreds more of these ships have been constructed to recoup the losses of the war and continue production into the 25th century. Additionally, the Klingon Empire has continued to enact persistent overhauls to the internal systems of the B'rel to keep it on par with the latest technical advances. The B'rel continues to be in widespread use across the Klingon Empire by all houses, both major and minor, with no end in sight on its production.

K'vort-class

The K'vort-class bird-of-prey is a wholly different class from the B'rel, but is distinct only in size. Everything about the K'vort is just a scaled-up B'rel. Originally built in the 2340s as a response to Romulan aggression, the K'vort serves as a troop transport being able to hold upwards of 400 troops with an additional 150 crew. The sole premise of the vessel is that it uses the original B'rel design to pack as many troops as possible onto the vessel that can then successfully and safely make planetfall to rapidly deploy troops. Due to its very niche design, the K'vort is not a common sight in the Empire and is primarily purpose-built with very few exceptions.

In Play

  • The B'rel is still one of the most common designs in use by the Klingon Empire, even in the 25th century. This is due to the fact that they had to be mass-produced following the Dominion War for the Empire to regain its military capacity after such immense losses.
  • Make no mistake - just because the B'rel is an "old" design doesn't mean it can't still hold its own. The ship has been getting regular refits over the years to keep it in line with other ships in surrounding empires as well as between Great Houses.
  • The B'rel is a dogfighter. Its main tactic is to make runs at targets in their fore, cloak, and reposition themselves for another attack run. Their goal is to always keep their enemy in front of them where they can bring their main weapons to bear.
  • The B'rel is one of the best examples of the Klingons finding a design that works and, true to their militaristic nature, using it until the wheels fall off. The B'rel won't be fully replaced until a new bird-of-prey design comes out that completely overshadows the B'rel. It's also favored by too many captains who know and trust the design.
Retrieved from "https://wiki.bravofleet.com/index.php?title=Introduction_to_Bravo_Fleet_Writing&oldid=12817"