Star Trek Expanded Universe
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The Cha'ouw Empire is a political, economic, military and social entity set somewhere between the United Federation of Planets, the Klingon Empire and the Romulan Empire. It is closely allied with the Federation and the Klingon Empire but appears to be closer to the Federation with the presence of a Federation Starbase on the exact boarder between Cha'ouw and Federation called Starbase Rockford. (Star Trek: Black Hawk)

The Cha'ouw are split between primarily an agrarian society to one that are called some of the best engineers in the galaxy. They are a race of hybrid Klingon/Romulan, with some being hybrid Klingon/Romulan/Human (the Imperial House KiRk has the latter hybrid mixture). However despite their close relation to the Federation, the Cha'ouw Military patterns their military culture after the Klingon Empire, maybe slight tone down. Cha'ouw can be just a fierce warrior as any Klingon warrior (perhaps even more so). (This brings up the adage - "More Klingon than Klingons..." to describe some of the members of the Cha'ouwian Star Fleet and Marine Corps.) However they patterned their starship registration and names after the Federation Starfleet, interchanging "CIV" (Cha'ouw Imperial Vessel) with "USS" and assigning "NCC" numbers to each vessel belong to Cha'ouw, either of Federation, Klingon Romulan or some other design (Example - USS Cha'ouw (NCC-1777)), a Klingon Battle Cruiser, is sometime referred to as "CIV Cha'ouw") with all dedication plaques having the USS suffix. It is also not unusual to see member of the Cha'ouw Imperial Star Fleet wearing a standard Starfleet duty or dress uniforms of the particular times in place of their Klingon Warrior uniforms.

Early history

The Cha'ouw Homeworld, Chal, was an uninhabited planet that was 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 found the location in 2289 and opened dialog with the inhabitance of Chal. In 2392 the Federation, in a good will gesture, gives the Chal a stripped down starship, the recently decommissioned USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-A) with retired Captain James T. Kirk in command. There he meets Teilani, whom he falls in love. However their time together is short lived as a rival and conspirator from the Khitomer Conference, now Commander, Starfleet, Admiral Androvar Drake who is attempting to ignite a war between the Klingons and Federation, destroying the recently concluded peace conference, after the hidden base is revealed. Using the Enterprise-A and himself as bait, Kirk lures Drake into a nebula where the proud starship is destroyed but not before rescue by Captain Hikaru Sulu and the Excelsior and the death of Admiral Drake. (ST Novel: Ashes of Eden).

Here is where the Black Hawk universe separates from the Shatnerverse. After Kirk leaves Chal, Teilani discovers she is pregnant with his child but by the time word reach was to able him, Kirk had already died aboard the Enterprise-B. Teilani has a normal son, which she names after James Kirk and becomes K'Jam'S of the Cha'ouwian House of KiRk. James would later become a leader of the Chal, attending Starfleet Academy (starting a tradition of Cha'ouw princes altering their appearance and going to the academy), becoming a starship captain in his own right and then leaving Starfleet to become a military leader of his own people's Star Fleet.

Battle of the Illinois Sector and declaration of the Empire

In 2324, the Klingons decided to reclaim Chal, but the Federation opposes this. The Romulans had withdrawn any claims to Chal. However the Chal had been preparing for such an event when the Klingon, attempting to assert their claim by send a fleet of vessels to Chal were met by a equally strong fleet manned by the newly established Chal Star Fleet.

The Klingon and Chal fleets met in the one and only battle of their brief conflict, known as the Battle of the Illinois Sector, which actually happened with 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 loosing (per mutual defense treaty signed in 2292). The Chal was thought by the Klingons to be a weak race as most were half-Romulan. However, lead by Admiral K'Jam'S, the Chal prevailed, decisively defeating the Klingon fleet. Shortly after this the Klingon Empire recognized the Chal government and pledged to assist their former colony. Then the Chal government, lead by the new Leader of the Chal, K'Jam'S, declared the beginning of the Cha'ouw Empire with K'Jam'S it's first Emperor and the House of Ki'Rk become the primary Imperial House of the empire.

Cha'ouw Today

In 2367, diplomatic tension between the Federation and the Cha'ouw Empire increased when agents for the empire stole secret plans of the phase cloak technology that was in violation of the Treaty of Algeron between the Federation and the Klingons. The Cha'ouw had been experimenting with this technology and had failed. They learned of the Federation attempt and stole the plans to help them understand the technology better. It was moot as weeks later the technology was revealed when the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-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 boarder 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, commissioned in 2375. However 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.

Relations between the Cha'ouw and the Federation are quite good. It is not unusual to see Cha'ouw Engineers helping on Federation dry-docks such as Utopia Planitia or 40 Endrani, and Federaion engineers assisting on the Chal Homeword's dry-docks. They have a mutual defense pack and allow Starfleet starships to patrol areas within the Cha'ouw Empire and vice versa with 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.

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