Something popped into my head when reading through the '
ship problems' thread. We now have a Federation ship that can do a saucer separation, which might give some advantage in particular situations. Well, it popped into my head that, some years ago, I had a model kit for the Klingon Vor'cha. The info in that mentioned that the front section (the part just in front of the bridge) was a detachable module that could be replaced with others, depending on the mission, and, in extreme situations, be detached quickly, but permanently, in order to be used as a lifeboat.
Now, it occurs to me that, if the Klingons saw what the Federation can do with multi-vector ships, and were at least somewhat impressed, they might be of a mind to modify some Vor'chas so that this front module could separate, be a small, but powerful, combat vessel in its own right, then re-attach to the main section again - and you have a Klingon equivalent of the Galaxy refit, except this would be more like a prototype, not a refit.
Comments
In terms of cannon, the federation had ships with separation capabilities (and they were the only ones to ever demonstrate such an ability) while the klingons had cloaking which the feds never used (for reasons that are no longer valid after romulus went boom).
If your going to take ship elements unique to the feds and give them to the klinks, than you have to do the reverse as well.
But this isn't going to happen. Why? Go to the pvp forums or fed cruiser forums and see the plethora of responses on fed carriers.
No. Nifty idea but 110% unsupported by canon and entirely unneeded.
1 for 20 exchange sounds fair to me! Just so long as you promise the KDF 'saucer separation' will be just as pointless as the Fed one.
Except for the fact that the Romulan Star Empire is still around and kicking, albeit under new management, and it's already been stated canon that the Federation is still honoring their treaty considering not using cloak, you're right on the money there.
Which is also why I heavily object to all the cloaked Defiants. Not that I care that Feds have cloak in general, but it contradicts what we've been told the Federation is doing.
Canon begs to differ...
http://memory-alpha.org/wiki/The_Enterprise_Incident_(episode) (USS Enterprise steals and installs a Romulan cloaking device)
http://memory-alpha.org/wiki/Star_Trek_IV:_The_Voyage_Home (technically a Klingon ship, but the Federation posessed it)
http://memory-alpha.org/wiki/The_Pegasus_(episode) (experimental cloak developed by Starfleet Intelligence, used by the Enterprise-D)
http://memory-alpha.org/wiki/All_Good_Things (USS Enterprise-D refit used a cloaking device)
http://memory-alpha.org/wiki/The_Search,_Part_I_(episode) (USS Defiant was given a Romulan cloaking device)
http://memory-alpha.org/wiki/Star_Trek:_Insurrection (Cloaked holo-ship)
http://memory-alpha.org/wiki/Call_to_Arms_(episode) (Cloaking devices used on the self-replicating minefield)
Examples listed at: http://memory-alpha.org/wiki/Cloak
Now, as you were referring to the Treaty of Algeron, the TOS and AGT references are invalid, as are the Defiant and Minefield references (since they were done with Romulan permission). However, the Pegasus and Insurrection references are valid examples of the Federation using cloaking devices while the Treaty of Algeron was still in effect.
But...either way, the point is...the Federation used cloaking devices.
Meh, I get around that because my character works for Section 31, and they do what they want.
Plus, the Pegasus incidnet happened right infront of a romulan warbird, which Picard promptly then reported and revealed via subspace message to Romulus.
Sign
... and Galaxy Xs
While the literal statement "The federation has never used cloaking devices" is incorrect, the premise is still appropriate. The Federation has never officially used cloaking devices, except for two Defiant-class starships seen in DS9, both of which used the cloaking device with permission from the Romulan Star Empire.
The Pegasus incident involved a prototype phase-cloak that was merely in the experimental phase and was a top secret project that likely would not have been put into mass production even if the experiment hadn't gone horrifically wrong, unless a full-blown war started up between the RSE and the UFP.
The Insurrection instance is also a case of Top Secret activity, as well as being quite illegal in general, even without the cloaking device.