Sons Of Chang

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The Sons Of Chang are an extremist political group within the Klingon Empire whose purpose is to return the Empire to the days of glorious warfare against any and all who would oppose them. Over the years they have committed a number of dishonourable acts to try and further this cause, but to the evangelical followers the end justifies the means.

Contents

History

General Chang
Personal Data
Species: Klingon
Gender: Male
Eye Color: Blue
Hair Color: None
Biographical Data
Faction: Klingon Empire
Base of Operations: Qo'noS
Professional/Military Data
Occupation: Chief of staff to Chancellor Gorkon
Rank: General
Current Assignment: Deceased (KIA 2293)
An idealistic Klingon who believed the only way for the Klingon people to endure was through the way of the warrior


Roots

In 2293 a catastrophic explosion on the Klingon moon, Praxis, cost the Klingon Empire their key energy production facility, as well as imperiling Qo'noS's ecosphere. Without diverting resources from their vast military expenditures to combat the disaster, the Klingon Empire had approximately 50 years remaining before it dissolved, according to Starfleet estimates.

Vulcan Ambassador Sarek directed his son, Captain Spock, to open a covert dialog with Gorkon, the Chancellor of the Klingon High Council in the weeks following the disaster. Gorkon recognized the Empire's precarious state, and through Spock, he proposed immediate peace negotiations with the Federation. Officially, the Federation and Klingon Empire embraced Gorkon's peace initiative, and Gorkon departed for Earth aboard the battle cruiser IKS Kronos One.

The prospect of an end to nearly 70 years of hostilities, coupled with massive demilitarization, was not welcomed by some of the more conservative elements on either side of the Neutral Zone. Starfleet's Admiral Cartwright protested welcoming Klingon "trash" into the Federation, and insisted the proper course was to bring them to their knees and dictate a resolution on Starfleet's terms. Gorkon's chief of staff, General Chang, seemed to believe an outright war was more palatable than resolving the crisis politically. Both men would find support within their fleets, as well as from without, and joined in a conspiracy to subvert the peace process.

Although the conspiracy was revealed and thwarted by Starfleet many within the Klingon Empire believed that General Chang had been correct to attempt to lead the Klingon people into glorious battle once more, rather than bowing to the Federation. Prime advocates of this faction, which came to be known as the Sons Of Chang, were the House of Duras who saw the actions of the House of Mogh during this time to be particularly unfavourable.

Hidden Influence

An orbital view of the planet Khitomer
An orbital view of the planet Khitomer

Never having any true military power to support them the Sons Of Chang instead relied on subterfuge and indirect influence in order to achieve their goals, with followers usually acting on their own cognisance as and when they saw an opportunity to draw the Empire back into war. This included having Ja'rod of the House of Duras aid in the Romulan assault of the Khitomer colony in 2346, who also planted evidence with the aid of other members of the faction to frame the House of Mogh for his actions.

In 2367 the Sons Of Chang again made contact with the Romulans, arranging contact with the half Human Commander Sela and providing intelligence required for the kidnap of USS Enterprise-D's chief engineer Geordi La Forge in an effort to assassinate Klingon governor Vagh of Krios. At the time Vagh was investigating weapons which had seemingly been provided to rebels on the planet by Starfleet. In fact these weapons had been provided by the Romulans and modified to appear of Federation origin before being shipped by the Sons to the planet.

Unfortunately this plot was uncovered by the crew of the Enterprise, exposing the Romulan's influence once more. Luckily the Sons Of Chang follower, Ambassador Kell, was remanded into custody of Vagh who promptly had him executed for his crimes before he could reveal his connections to the group.

Direct Action

Chancellor K'mpec in 2367
Chancellor K'mpec in 2367

Around this time other members of the Sons Of Chang gained access to Chancellor K'mpec's household and using their position began to poison his bloodwine with Veridium Six. Although the act was to be considered dishonourable by many within the Empire, the Sons understood that only by removing the man they had come to see as a pacifist and appeaser to his Federation masters could the Empire once again grow strong.

Acting to support this agenda the House of Duras began to garner political influence with the key Great Houses, many of whom had members on the Klingon High Council. By the later half of the year Duras had support from a large majority of the High Council, while his opponent Gowron's support came largely from political outsiders and military personnel.

Things were looking favourable for the Sons Of Chang's plans for war, but at the moment of their victory the prize was snatched from their grasp as Duras's blunt and brutal methods for silencing the Federation ambassador K'Ehleyr's discovery of their actions at Khitomer led to his death. With their principle supporters dishonoured and disgraced the Sons saw the dreams of glory vanishing.

Unholy Alliance

Romulan Commander Sela
Romulan Commander Sela

The next few weeks were frantic for the Sons Of Chang, who desperately used every contact and dirty trick to find a new figurehead for their movement and gather enough support to allow him to contest Gowron's position as the new Chancellor. In their desperation the group were approached by Commander Sela, who promised aid and support from the Romulan Star Empire who also believed that the peace between the Klingons Empire and the Federation was harmful for the greater good.

Accepting this aid the Sons were quickly able to make a move against Gowron, revealing Duras's illegitimate son Toral as a challenger to Gowron's leadership of the Council. With the Sons Of Chang's political maneuvering in the background Toral's case was heard before the High Council, but was ultimately declined by the Arbiter of Succession, Captain Jean-Luc Picard of the Federation.

The Sons were prepared for this eventuality however, ordering their supporters on the High Council to withdraw their support from Gowron's leadership, along with their own military might. Using the supplies and resources provided by the Romulans the Sons Of Chang quickly managed to fight off Gowron's remaining followers, many of whom found that officers aboard their own ships were secretly in alliance with the Sons. With the Federation unable to intervene in an internal Klingon dispute Gowron was left unsupported and vulnerable at every turn.

Bitter Defeat

Starfleet officer Worf Rozhenko
Starfleet officer Worf Rozhenko

Once more fate was not to be on their side however and when the Federation blockaded the Klingon-Romulan border the supplies which the Sons had come to rely on for their continued success were swiftly cut off. Facing a full-scale assault from Gowron's remaining forces the Sons demanded the Romulans brave the blockade in order to continue the war. Unfortunately this led to the Romulan supply lines being compromised by the Federation forces, revealing the root of the groups power and turning many who had not been aware of their deal against them.

With their forces in tatters and the House of Duras in hiding the Sons Of Chang found their new figurehead leader convicted of treason by the High Council. Handing over the young boy's fate to the head of the House of Mogh in gratitude for their support during the war Gowron let the leader of the House, Starfleet officer Worf Rozhenko decide the best course of action. Worf opted to spare Toral's life, as he recognised the Toral had been little more than a pawn, although he believed that the man's sisters Lursa and B'Etor had been pulling his strings.

With Gowron rebuilding the High Council, appointing only those who had proved their loyalty during the civil war, the Sons Of Chang found themselves cut off from the higher echelons of the government and most of their intelligence sources compromised. As part of a purge following the war most sleeper agents within the military were also

The Individual Eleven

Damage sustained by the IKS Drovana
Damage sustained by the IKS Drovana

With most of their support in ruins and forces scattered the Sons Of Chang took on a whole new strategy in their plans. Rather than trying to make large-scale changes with drastic action instead they concentrated on converting the hearts and minds of the Klingon people to their way of thinking. Splitting into eleven distinct groups the Sons dispersed across the Empire, each cell attempting to place themselves in key low-level positions in the military, in civilian communications and in the local government.

In these positions the Sons began to disperse subtle anti-Federation messages amongst the news traffic, gradually convincing the public that the treaties with their allies were more harmful than helpful to their ongoing needs as a people.

After contact was made with the Dominion in 2370 the Changelings found this to be highly useful in their own efforts to destabilise the political situation in the Alpha and Beta Quadrants.

In 2372 an operative onboard the IKS Drovana, a Vor'cha-class attack cruiser that was in the process of deploying a cloaked minefield around the Bajoran system, deliberately detonated one of the devices, damaging the ship. This was an attempt to alert the Federation to the presence of the minefield, hopefully enflaming relations between the two powers.

Raising Tensions With The Cardassians

This action attracted the attention of General Martok, a high-level officer in the Klingon Defense Forces who seemed to be sympathetic to the Sons Of Chang's cause. Providing them with resources, ships and trained personnel the General sponsored raids against Cardassian targets, who the Klingon Empire believed had been subverted by the Changlings. This culminated in the invasion and occupation of the Cardassian Union.

The Federation Council quickly condemned the invasion, and in response an enraged Gowron withdrew from the Khitomer Accords, ending the alliance between the Klingon Empire and the Federation, much to the rejoice of the Sons Of Chang.

The remains of the Cardassian defenders
The remains of the Cardassian defenders

With Starfleet ordered not to interfere until the Federation Council could re-establish a dialog with Gowron, the Klingons were free to cross into Cardassian space. However, Elim Garak, aboard Deep Space 9, was able to send warning to Legate Dukat, Chief Military Adviser to the Detapa Council. Although the outlying Cardassian colonies were overwhelmed almost immediately, the Cardassian fleet did mobilize in time to offer some resistance as the Klingons pressed closer to Cardassia Prime.

However, the Klingons still broke through the Cardassian lines after a pitched battle, leaving them only 52 hours from Cardassia Prime. Realizing the planet could not hold, Sisko offered to shelter the Detapa Council aboard Deep Space 9. Dukat evacuated the council members aboard the cruiser Prakesh, and with a timely rescue from the USS Defiant reached Deep Space 9. With this development, the Klingon fleet turned away from Cardassia and attempted to take the council members from Deep Space 9 by force. Unfortunately, the weapons of the station had been heavily augmented in anticipation of a Dominion invasion, and it was able to withstand the siege long enough for Starfleet reinforcements to arrive.

Dominion Stooges

During this same time the Changlings began to infiltrate the Sons Of Chang in ernest, using their impostor General Martok to undermine their security and replace the key members of the organisation.

Throughout the Dominion War the Sons Of Chang were nothing more than a terrorist organisation within the Klingon Empire used by the Dominion to disrupt co-operation with the Federation. Information on their activities around this time is sketchy at best, although it is believed they were mainly involved in pointless operations below the notice of even Klingon Security.

Aftermath Of War

When the Dominion forces in the Beta Quadrant at the end of the Dominion War the Sons Of Chang found themselves without a number of their key commanders as the Changlings who had been imitating them vanished overnight. Lost and leaderless the group floundered in their goals, without resources or plans to guide their actions.

Luckily there were a large number of Klingons buoyed by the victory against the Dominion who believed that now was the time to keep the momentum of conquest going. With military assets at their disposal and experienced officers joining the cause the Sons once more began to garner political influence. Having learnt the bitter lessons of the past the organisation decided to play the slow game, gradually increasing their influence within the Empire as the future lay spread out in front of them.

New Horizons

Now a persistent and well established faction within the Empire the Sons Of Chang have both a strong political presence within the population, as well as the Great Houses, and military power to drive their desire for war. Many young Klingons, eager to forge their own names in the heat of battle, join the party each month, adding to the influence of the faction and helping drive the Empire down the path of war.

Known Operatives

House of Duras

House of Mallin

Formerly House of Kultan
Brigadier Mallin, Son of Kultan, head of the House of Mallin
Brigadier Mallin, Son of Kultan, head of the House of Mallin
In the 2330s and 2340s the House of Kultan came to prominance as General Kultan gained the attention of the High Council, his military strategies used against the Federation and Romulans leading to a string of victories. While on the surface the House appeared to be loyal and the prime example of how a Klingon House should be beneath the surface they held a great deal of resentment against the Federation. Secretly a member of the Sons Of Chang, Kultan used his position to slowly recruit warriors to the cause, at one point even testing the future Chancellor Martok.
At one point the House of Mallin almost managed to usurp Chancellor Martok's position with a coup d'etat led by his illegitimate son Morjod. When Martok had discovered that Gothmara was invovled in illicit experiments he had confronted her. She rendered him unconscious, and took advantage of him to conceive Morjod. Shortly after Martok become Chancellor, Morjod and his mother staged a coup, destroying the Great Hall in the process and killing most of Martok's family and both of his half-sisters. Taking command of a vessel, Morjod showed his brutal tendencies by beheading the members of the crew that failed him in some way, and setting their heads under the viewscreen.
In a battle on Boreth, his father defeated Morjod in battle. When Morjod began turning into a Hur'q, as programmed into him by his mother's experiments, Martok killed him before the transformation could be completed. Despite his earlier anger at Morjod over the deaths of his family, Martok held his son as he died, apologizing to the man and resolving to make things right.
The House has a history of scientific advancement, including researching into biological weaponry, genetic engineering and infiltration technologies.

House of Vrag

Formerly House of Ingka
Vrag, Son of dRacla, head of the House of Vrag
Vrag, Son of dRacla, head of the House of Vrag
The House of Ingka were opponents to Gorkon upon his ascension to the role of Chancellor in 2367. Beliving that the Federation had placed Gowron on the throne as their puppet the leader at the time, an honourable Klingon named Vok, began to investigate the new Chancellor's ties to the Federation, hoping to find some link between him and Starfleet. When he discovered that the only other candidate for the role, Duras son of Ja'rod, had been killed by a Starfleet officer his suspicions rose.
Soon after Vok was killed by Qua'lon of the House of SepIch, who had murdered his own brother Torghn and framed Vok in order to cover up his own guilt. When Vok's son dRacla was later killed by Torghn's son Pok, who defeated him in honourable combat in the mistaken belief that he was avenging his father's murder, dRacla's own son Vrag began to question the convenience of having so many who were questioning Gowron's motives being killed.
After the deaths of Lursa andf B'Etor of the House of Duras, both of whom had been good friends to the House of Ingka, Vrag renamed his House in his own name, publicly stating that this was due to his attempt to prove the House's loyalty to the Chancellor now it was under a new leader. In reality the House had joined up with the Sons Of Chang, who were at the time secretly counseling the Chancellor into a more aggressive stance against the Federation, mainly due to the fact that the organisation had been infiltrated by the Changlings of the Dominion.
With the leadership of the Sons vanishing at the end of the Dominion War Vrag made an attempt to seize control of the floundering organisation, but without sufficient backing from the other members he found himself without support, either politically or militarily, in order to hold power for long. When the new leader, G'Kar took charge Vrag saw his opportunity for advancement. Getting himself assigned to G'Kar's ship he has placed himself in the position to take charge should anything unfortunate happen to the Father.
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