The two most iconic alien races in the Star Trek universe are the Vulcans and the Klingons. The first, embodied in particular by Mr. Spock, are faithful allies of the humans of the Federation to the point that their culture seems diluted by that of humans. The latter form the main antagonists of the heroes in many series and films. They are therefore the alien culture on which we have more information. Some fans have even gone so far as to marry in disguise and in the Klingon language. No wonder they're the second playable faction in Star Trek Online.
Klingons are originally from the planet Qo'noS. Its rotation is not the same as that of the Earth. Their calendar is therefore different from that of the Federation. For comparison, a thousand years for them means one thousand five hundred years for humans and their allies. This date corresponds to the age of Kahless, the founder of their culture. This common warrior forged the first bat'leth sword and used it to bring down a tyrant. Then he took the title of Emperor and unified the whole planet. Recognized philosopher, he established a code of honor of the warrior which is still the first moral reference in the time of STO. A prophecy announces his return, like many great heroes in many cultures. For the next thousand years (according to our timeline), they only spread to surrounding systems, and only get warp technology in the second half of our 20th century. During the following century the Third Dynasty is put down, the role of Emperor is abandoned and his powers are attributed to the Chancellor of the High Council, the leader of a group of nobles.
Emperor Kahless
The Klingons had their first contact with the Vulcan sector (where the Federation was born) in the 22nd century. The skirmishes multiplied. A first conflict ended in a Cold War. It resumed in 2267, but the intervention of another race brought peace a few days later. In 2268, the Empire traded a few cruisers for the Romulan occultation device. A technology that would be very useful to them in their next plans. The Alliance lasted only three years. In this threesome, Federation hero James T. Kirk became a hated enemy of all Klingons. In 2293, he was even accused of having murdered a chancellor. But the circumstances were special. Praxis, the moon of Qo'noS had just exploded, unbalancing everything that lived on the planet. The Chancellor wanted to negotiate to obtain relief for his people. He had been eliminated by a faction opposed to peace. Kirk, in charge of the escort, ended up cleared and all this served as a basis for the negotiations of the Kithomer conference which led to a situation of peace between the three factions. Relations became peaceful, and the Federation even became a potential ally after the USS Enterprise C vessel sacrificed itself to save a Klingon colony in 2344.
In 2340 was born Worf son of Mogh. After his parents died, he was rescued and adopted by a Federation human. He returned to Qo'noS to follow the coming of age rituals, but left soon after. He was the first Klingon to join Starfleet, where he rose to the rank of colonel. Close to three of the last four chancellors, he helped to bring closer ties with the two powerful factions. His first assignment was the USS Hawk, then he became the tactical officer of the USS Enterprise D. Its captain was then Jean-Luc Picard, with recognized diplomatic skills. He learned a lot under this influence. While the Klingon High Council was split between two factions on the subject of peace, it offered Chancellor K'mpec arguments to ward off his hawkish rival. House Duras responded by assassinating the Chancellor and starting a civil war. The USS Enterprise D supported the pacifist Gowron who became the new chancellor. The warmongers wanted to regain control by cloning the Kahless Emperor, but Gowron and Worf found a compromise so that his role would be symbolic. When the Empire intervened in the Dominion War in 2372, Worf was transferred to Deep Space 9 station as a mediator. With Gorown moving away from the Federation line, Worf participated in his downfall and the rise of the new Chancellor Martok. In return, the latter made him an honored member of his household. In 2375, Worf gave up his military career and became the ambassador who made the link between the Federation and the Empire.
Ambassador Worf
But all of Worf's efforts can fall apart at any time. Kahless' code allows you to challenge your boss to take his place. Martok lost and was replaced by J'mpok. He belongs to the warmongering faction and one of his first decisions was to denounce the Kithomer accords. He resumed an expansionist attitude, notably conquering the Gorn Hegemony in 2403. He also made alliances with the Orion Syndicate in 2394, the Naussicaans in 2405, the Letheans and the Ferasans, even going so far as to offer them places in the military hierarchy which is the backbone of the Klingon Empire. He seems to have identified the main disadvantage he had against the Federation: a smaller and less diverse pool of troops. But the peace faction still exists and a chancellor cannot afford to neglect such a powerful part of his people to start a new all-out war. Not to mention other threats that still worry the galaxy.
