Star Trek sets the stage for the New Federation vs. the Klingon War

The Klingons and the Federation have always been friends and foes throughout Star Trek, but now things are more hostile than ever.

Warning! Spoilers for Star Trek #2 ahead!

Back in the classic days of Kirk, Spock, and McCoy in Star Trek, there was no more dangerous enemy to the peace-loving Federation than the warrior race known as the Klingons, but a few Over the centuries, the hostility between the two great powers has gradually cooled, until now. In IDW Publishing's latest Star Trek series, Benjamin Sisko and Wolfe find themselves facing the possibility of another war between Starfleet and the Klingons.

The hostility between humans and the warrior race on the planet Qo'noS began as early as their first contact in the 22nd century, when Captain Jonathan Archer was sent to bring a lost Klingon back to his people. However, the conflict really heated up in the 23rd century, when the Interstellar Federation and the Klingon Empire clashed over several territorial disputes, leading to the 70-year Cold War. Over the decades, direct hostilities broke out several times, including the Battle of the Binary Stars in 2256 and the Border Dispute in 2267, culminating in a forced and uneasy peace initiated by an advanced race known as the Organians. The final peace between the greatest powers of the Alpha and Beta quadrants did not happen until the signing The Khitomer Protocol of 2293. After these negotiations, all-out war broke out again only in 2372, but for a relatively short time, as it soon became apparent that the war was being started by the allied changelings.

This Klingon-Federation War Will Be Unlike Any Other

This new layer of disgrace to the Klingon Empire could make a new war between the Federation and the Empire even more destructive. That's because the war isn't about fighting for territory or resources, but about maintaining -- and covering up lies -- the mythology of Klingon society. This is more a jihad than a border dispute, with some of the Federation's most prominent faces at the center of it, including Beverly Crusher and Data. This is the kind of war that would cut to the very roots of the Klingons, probably to the last warrior.

Although the Federation and the Klingons have found a lot in common in recent years, even forging a strong alliance during the Dominion Wars, they have seen more bloodshed when they stand on opposite sides On opposite sides of the battlefield rather than shoulder to shoulder. There are still many in the Empire who welcome another chance to take on a human-led Starfleet, whom some consider their worst historical enemy. After all, in the brief skirmish of the War of 2372, both sides showed enough brutality to nearly cripple both the Empire and the Federation.

While many peace talks and acts of goodwill by humans and Klingons have done a lot to put out the flames of war, it may just take the right spark to reignite hostilities between them. Now, that spark could come from the Federation's Captain Benjamin Sisko and his crew of Star Trek notables, who soon find themselves and their mission at odds with the Klingons.

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