Difference between pages "Task Force 93" and "B'rel class"

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{{icons|bfc}}{{Task Force
+
{{Specification
| name = Task Force 93
+
| image = [[Image:Brelclass.png]]
| seal = [[Image:TF93Seal.png]]
+
| displayName = '''''B'rel'' Class'''
| mandate = Humanitarian Operations
+
| name = B'rel
| headquarters = [[Starbase 93]]
+
| affiliation = [[Klingon Empire]]
| url = [http://www.bravofleet.com/group/task-force-93/ Main Link]
+
| operator = [[Klingon Defense Force]]
| co = CDRE Imya Jori
+
| status = Active
| xo = CPT Taylor Shakespeare
+
| role = *Warship
| logo = [[Image:TF93.png]]
+
*Scout
}}'''Task Force 93''' is the Fourth Fleet's designated humanitarian operations unit. Based out of [[Starbase 93]] on the border to the old [[Romulan Neutral Zone]], this task force is tasked with providing humanitarian support and protection to struggling regions of the galaxy. While this includes protection from predatory factions, Task Force 93 aids worlds devastated by natural disasters or violence, and treats with local and major powers to coordinate this assistance.
+
| 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.  
  
==Objectives==
+
===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.
  
*'''Assist''' the rebuilding of cultures ravaged by natural or political disasters
+
===Engineering===
*'''Protect''' isolated worlds from predatory factions
+
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. 
*'''Monitor''' the old Neutral Zone to bring safety and support to abandoned peoples
 
*'''Preserve''' the stability of chaotic regions across the Federation border
 
  
==Overview==
+
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.
  
For the last decade and a half, Task Force 93 has served as a humanitarian and peacekeeping force along the Romulan border. Following the hypernova of 2387, it was tasked with securing the former Neutral Zone, protecting Federation interests in the Beta Quadrant. Worlds have been abandoned by the Federation and [[Romulan Factions]] alike, left to fend for themselves against the ravages of regional dangers, fledgling and weak infrastructures, and natural disasters. With the [[Fourth Fleet]]'s repurposing with a galactic mandate, it was deemed Task Force 93 take this skill and expertise to all troubled corners of the galaxy.
+
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.
  
Recent years have seen many powers withdrawing their support to many regions as they reinforce the borders they can protect. In their wake are worlds vulnerable to regional piracy or exploitation by other powers, worlds forced to rebuild governance and infrastructure from scratch, worlds lacking any support should the worst happen. Be they independent or answering to a higher government, Federation or otherwise, the support that now arrives fastest is from Task Force 93.
+
===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.
  
This work is more than bringing blankets. It takes engaging with communities to meet their needs, navigating fraught diplomacy with local leaders and their conflicting priorities, providing protection from opportunistic pirates that might see such a world ripe for the taking, or nearby powers that might see them ripe for seizing. Across the galaxy are worlds that have been chewed up and spat out by one government or another. To some, Task Force 93 is a welcome helping hand. To others, a necessary shield.
+
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.
  
==Task Force Assets and Headquarters==
+
===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''.
  
While Task Force 93 is no longer the major Starfleet force supervising the Neutral Zone, it retains its headquarters at [[Starbase 93]] on the border, which is home to Devron Fleet Yards. With the capacity to resupply and maintain ships in the region as well as the Task Force's vessels, the fleet yards  provides a base of operations from which relief missions can be launched to all quarters of the galaxy.
+
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.
  
The flagship of Task Force 93 is the [[USS Verity|USS ''Verity'']], an [[Odyssey Class|''Odyssey''-class]] heavy explorer, which is based out of SB93.
+
==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.
  
=== Task Force Composition ===
+
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.
  
==== Task Group 44 ====
+
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.
  
*[[USS Corax|USS ''Corax'']], a [[Raven Class|''Raven''-class]] corvette
+
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.
*[[USS Eagle|USS ''Eagle'']], a [[Rhode Island Class|''Rhode Island''-class]] scout
 
*[[USS Excelsior|USS ''Excelsior'']], a [[Excelsior II Class|''Excelsior II''-class]] heavy cruiser
 
*[[USS Galahad|USS ''Galahad'']], a [[Intrepid Class|''Intrepid''-class]] light explorer
 
*[[USS Polaris|USS ''Polaris'']], an [[Odyssey Class|''Odyssey''-class]] heavy explorer
 
*[[Saratoga Squadron]]
 
**[[USS Saratoga|USS ''Saratoga'']], an [[Obena Class|''Obena''-class]] explorer
 
**[[USS Gagarin|USS ''Gagarin'']], a [[Gagarin Class|''Gagarin''-class]] heavy escort
 
**[[USS Knight|USS ''Knight'']], a [[Edison Class|''Edison''-class]] heavy frigate
 
*[[Sutherland Squadron]]
 
**[[USS Sutherland|USS ''Sutherland'']], a [[Sutherland Class|''Sutherland'' class]] research cruiser
 
**[[USS Hornet|USS ''Hornet'']], a [[Defiant Class|''Defiant''-class]] escort
 
*[[USS Warspite|USS ''Warspite'']], a [[Inquiry Class|''Inquiry''-class]] exploratory cruisers
 
  
==== Task Group 58 ====
+
===''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.
  
*[[USS Auckland|USS ''Auckland'']], a [[Parliament Class|''Parliament''-class]] utility cruiser
+
==In Play==
*[[USS Avenger|USS ''Avenger'']], a [[Defiant Class|''Defiant''-class]] escort
+
*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.
*[[USS Drake|USS ''Drake'']], an [[Aquarius Class|''Aquarius''-class]] escort
+
*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.
*[[USS Hamilton|USS ''Hamilton'']], a [[Parliament Class|''Parliament''-class]] utility cruiser
+
*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.
*[[USS Hiddekel|USS ''Hiddekel'']], a [[Raven Class|''Raven''-class]] corvette
+
*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.
*[[Hood Squadron]]
 
**[[USS Hood|USS ''Hood'']], an [[Obena Class|''Obena''-class]] explorer
 
**[[USS Vancouver|USS ''Vancouver'']], a [[Parliament Class|''Parliament''-class]] utility cruiser
 
*[[USS Shepard|USS ''Shepard'']], a [[Reliant Class|''Reliant-''class]] frigate
 
  
== Task Force History ==
+
{{clear}}
When Task Force 93's mandate of providing support to those who needed it the most changed in 2399, assets were redeployed to ensure that the Task Force's focus was not just along the fractured border that the Federation now shared with the various Romulan factions. That said, the initial response from Task Force 93 maintained a focus near to the former Neutral Zone.
 
 
 
==== The Archanis Campaign ====
 
One of the biggest operations that Task Force 93 was fully involved with was the unexpected invasion of the  [[Hunters of D'Ghor]] of the [[Archanis Sector]]. Along with other ships from the Fourth Fleet, ships from Task Force 93 entered the Archanis Sector to assist with repelling the rogue Klingons and providing support to Federation worlds, outposts and other assets that were affected. The clean-up operation, after Starfleet forces were successful with their efforts, was led by Task Force 93. Restoring stability along the border was essential. Task Force 93 ships saw themselves having to prove to Federation colonies that the threat was now removed and that the Federation government took the incident seriously. Further construction of defence networks took place, alongside providing care and aid.
 
 
 
==== The Echoes of the Tkon ====
 
During the end of 2399, every single ship across Starfleet was placed on high alert after multiple sightings of the [[Omega molecule]] were reported. Task Force 93 ships were assigned to the duty of not only dealing with this threat, but also found them having to help ships that found themselves stranded after some molecules exploded, causing disruption in subspace and preventing warp drive to be used in some areas of known space. Furthermore, certain worlds and bases were left without any external support, as a result Task Force 93 became that vital lifeline to them. Eventually ships were given the order to provide assistance in tracking down [[Tkon Empire]] artefacts, which eventually resulted in the removal of the Omega threat and other dangers that this incident brought. Lessons learnt from the post recovery efforts from the Archanis Campaign prepared Task Force 93, for once again helping those who need assistance in rebuilding.
 
 
 
==== The Stormbreaker Campaign ====
 
In early 2400, the [[Century Storm]] hit the [[ma:Paulson Nebula|Paulson Nebula]] and the surrounding region. This phenomenon severely affected those ships, stations and colonies that existed in this area, causing huge disruption to communication and placing lives on the line. To prevent millions from being killed, the Federation government ordered an immediate evacuation of the area. Task Force 93 ships saw action, along with other ships from the Fourth Fleet, to help those who were affected by the countless ion storms. The entire event took time and many installations were either lost or severely damaged by the ion storms. Though many were saved, some were not as fortunate as others. Many search and rescue missions were undertaken by ships in Task Force 93.
 
 
 
==== Sundered Wings ====
 
Having so many ships and stations based near to the shared border with the Romulans, Task Force 93 found itself in the thick of it when the [[Star Empire of Rator]] collapsed and the [[Velorum Sector]] declared its independence before seeking assistance from the Federation. This massive political upheaval caused a high level of tension between the Federation and the various [[Romulan Factions]]. Task Force 93 ships were given the mandate to send ships into the area and provide relief effort to those Romulan worlds that were isolated from others and required the support to support their populations. The Velorum Sector eventually opted to join the [[Romulan Republic]] once a majority of their worlds were stabilised, thanks to the efforts of Starfleet and a meditated deal led by the Federation.
 
 
 
==== The Blood Dilithium Campaign ====
 
 
 
 
 
==== Command History ====
 
 
 
* Early 2399: Admiral Elizabeth Wolf
 
* Early 2399: Rear Admiral Sebastein Leclerc
 
* Mid 2399: Fleet Captain Azras Dex
 
* Late 2399: Vice Admiral Aubrey Seagraves*
 
* Early 2400: Captain Gar'rath
 
* Mid 2400: Captain Henry Maxwell
 
* Late 2400: Rear Admiral Zack Marshall-Bennet*
 
* Late 2400: Fleet Captain Imya Jori
 
 
 
''<sup>*denotes Interim Commander</sup>''
 

Revision as of 21:10, 7 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 Dominion attack ship. 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.