The Cha'ouw Empire -- Chalchaj 'qmey in the Klingon language -- was a sovereign political, economic, military and social entity located in known space between the borders of the United Federation of Planets, the Klingon Empire and the Romulan Empire, extant during at least the 24th century. It shared close ties with the Klingon Empire, being recognized by the Klingon High Council after the Battle of the Illinois Sector and was accepted as a member of the United Federation of Planets. The UFP maintained this alliance with the presence of a Federation starbase, Starbase 12, on the border between Cha'ouw and Federation space. (Star Trek: Black Hawk)
- While not explicitly mentioned, it seems likely that the Cha'ouw Empire was located within the Triangle.
Cha'ouw culture[]
The Cha'ouw culture was split between a primarily artisanal and technological society, with no obvious caste system, and produced some of the "best engineers in the galaxy". The original Chal were a race of Klingon/Romulan hybrids. In addition to the qualities inherited from their parent species, members of the race had Human organs harvested from prisoners obtained by both empires. Their immune systems were also very advanced and resisted the effects of stasis. Due to the outbreak of a lethal virogen many Cha'ouwians began taking Human mates in order to genetically combat the virus' effects, the culmination of which has significantly strengthened the race's immune, neurological, and cardiovascular systems. The first generation of Chalchaj 'qmey from the Romulan side were actually outcasts, political prisoners, and other undesirables. Those that were not exiled to Remus were instead sent to the Chal colony. There was some level of kinship between the Chalchaj 'qmey and the Remans. (TOS novel: Captain's Blood). In appearance, the Cha'ouw race were humanoid with the distinctive Klingon forehead ridges and the pointed ears that mark their Romulan ancestry.
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Despite their close relations with the Federation, the Cha'ouw Military patterned its culture after the Klingon Defense Force. A Cha'ouwian Warrior can be just as fierce as any Klingon warrior and perhaps even more so, inspiring the adage - "More Klingon than Klingons..." to describe members of the Cha'ouwian military. Their primary defense, the Cha'ouwian Imperial Star Fleet, is a mixture of Starfleet, Klingon and Romulan vessels. The Imperial Star Fleet regularly sent its members to the Federation's Starfleet Academy, and the Klingon Warrior and Romulan Academies, in hopes of combining strategy and tactics of all three races - a direct reflection of their own race. Therefore it is not unusual to see Imperial Star Fleet personnel wearing the uniform of the different races onboard their ships.
Early history[]
The Cha'ouw Homeworld, Chal, was an uninhabited planet first colonized by the Klingons in 2264. During the short-lived Klingon-Romulan Alliance, it was decided that the colony would host a cross-breeding program and a hidden military storage facility of both Romulan and Klingon weapons and vessels to be used in a surprise invasion of the Federation. The invasion never materialized however, the colony was abandoned by both the Romulans and Klingons in 2289 and left with the hidden base for possible future use.
A Federation starship located Chal in 2289 and opened a dialogue with the inhabitants. In 2292, the Federation, as a goodwill gesture, gave the Chal a stripped-down starship, the recently decommissioned USS Enterprise-A with the retired Captain James T. Kirk in command. There he met Teilani, with whom he fell in love. However, their time together was short-lived as a rival and conspirator from the Khitomer Conference -- now Commander, Starfleet -- Admiral Androvar Drake attempted to ignite a war between the Klingons and Federation in order to destroy the negotiated agreements. Using the Enterprise-A and himself as bait, Kirk lured Drake into a nebula where the proud starship was destroyed but not before rescued by Captain Hikaru Sulu and the Excelsior. The later action between Kirk and Drake led directly to the death of Admiral Drake and the thwarting of the conspiracy. (TOS novel: Ashes of Eden).
- NOTE: Divergence from Star Trek canon established in the novel Ashes of Eden:
After Kirk left Chal, Teilani learned she was pregnant with his child. However, by the time word would have reached him, Kirk had already died aboard the Enterprise-B. Teilani had a "normal"-appearing son, whom she named K'Jam'S[1] (after James Kirk) of the Cha'ouwian House of KiRk (pronounced Key Rock).
K'Jam'S became a leader among the Chal, attending Starfleet Academy (beginning a practice of Cha'ouw princes altering their appearance and going to the academy), becoming a starship captain in his own right, then leaving Starfleet to become a military leader in his own people's Star Fleet.
In 2324, despite Federation opposition, the Klingon Empire decided to reclaim Chal in the absence of Romulan challenge. However, with their newly established space fleet, the Chal was preparing for such an event when the Klingon launched a force sized fleet in an attempt to assert their claim. The Klingon force was met by an equally strong fleet in the one and only battle of their brief conflict, known as the Battle of the Illinois Sector (which actually happened within Federation space in Sector 021).
To their credit, the Federation and Starfleet kept their distance and allowed the battle to proceed, intending to intervene only if the Chal appeared to be losing (per a mutual defense treaty signed in 2292). The Chal were thought to be a weak race by the Klingons as most were half-Romulan. However, lead by Admiral K'Jam'S, the Chal prevailed, decisively defeating the Klingon fleet. Shortly after, the Klingon Empire recognized the Chal government and pledged to assist their former colony. The Chal government was formed and lead by House Ki'RK, which then declared the beginning of the Cha'ouw Empire. K'Jam'S rose to serve the first Emperor and his House, the House of Ki'RK, became the prime noble house of the Empire.
Cha'ouw in contemporary times[]
In 2367, diplomatic tension between the Federation and the Cha'ouw Empire increased when agents for the empire stole secret plans of phase cloak technology that violated the Treaty of Algeron between the Federation and the Romulans. The Cha'ouw had been experimenting with this technology and had failed in their efforts. They learned of the Federation attempt and stole the plans to help them understand the technology better. Furor over the theft became a moot point as weeks later the illegal technology was revealed by the USS Enterprise-D (TNG: "The Pegasus"). Because of this, Starfleet and Cha'ouw Imperial Star Fleet agreed to work together on this project within the Cha'ouw Empire.
Despite this, plans were forged to build a new space station on the border between the Federation and Cha'ouw to serve as a strategic outpost, complete with one of the most modern construction facilities in the galaxy. This would later become Starbase Rockford, later designated as Starbase 12, commissioned in 2375. The partially completed station was used by the Federation Alliance, which the Cha'ouw was a member, as a repair and supply station during the Dominion War. This site was placed in extreme danger as the Breen attacked areas close to the starbase at Hades VI. After the war, standard construction was completed.
As of the late 24th century, relations between the Cha'ouw and the Federation wre quite good. It was not unusual to see Cha'ouw engineers working or even administering Federation drydocks such as the Utopia Planitia or the 40 Eridani facility, and Federation engineers assisting on the Chal homeworld's drydocks. Their mutual defense pact allowed Starfleet starships to patrol areas within the Cha'ouw Empire and Cha'ouw ships within areas of Federation space. Many Cha'ouw officers have attended Starfleet Academy and a few Starfleet officers have attended the Cha'ouwian version of the academy.
Fan associations[]
The Cha'ouw Empire: An International Star Trek Fan Association is an independent Star Trek Fan Club made up of several chapters, mainly in the eastern and midwestern United States. The base of the association was formed among former chapters of the United Federation of Planets Internationalé's Sector One. Initially formed as part of the Federated Alliance, the Cha'ouw Empire took over the chapters after the Alliance folded. Most chapters are also members of various other associations such as KAG, Starfleet International and the Maquis International, among others.
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Reference[]
- ↑ K'Jam'S also listed as possible dead twin killed on Hades VI, an undercover agent assigned to the protection of the Cha'ouwian Emperor, a doppelgänger agent and member of the classified "Dark Fire" Directorate. While the persona has many listed history stories and articles. This individual seems to be in many places at many times of the course of the Cha'ouwain History. Such stories have neither been confirmed nor denied by the government of Cha'ouw.