Klingons in Starfleet in the Kelvinverse?

[Crazy Eddie]

Why do people keep saying Arne Darvin was assigned to K-7 when it's stated he's the personal assistant of Nils Baris, and therefore goes where he goes, be it K-7 or Earth?

Because it's implied that Baris was the administrator of K7 and had been there for quite some time. The implication is that Darvin was installed as his assistant for that specific reason, with K7 being a Federation outpost in disputed space where a little sabotage would go a long way. If Baris wasn't in charge of K-7, Darvin would probably arrange to start working for someone who WAS.

 

[Tenacity]

Because it's implied that Baris was the administrator of K7 and had been there for quite some time.

This is Mister Lurry, manager of K7.

... this is Nilz Baris. He's out from Earth to take charge of the development project on Sherman's Planet.

Mister Baris is the Federation Undersecretary in Charge of Agricultural Affairs in this quadrant.

Mr. Lurry was the administrator, Undersecretary Baris was on K7 owing to overseeing a special project. Baris was not the administrator of K7.

 

[DonIago]

But Baris wasn't in charge of K7, Lurry was.

 

[FormerLurker]

^ and ^^

Exactly. And Baris introduces Arne Darvin as his assistant. Darvin may have been set up to be in place on K-7 to sabotage the Sherman's Planet development, but that is not how he got there. He had to take the long way, first to Earth, to be installed as Baris's assistant, and then to K-7. One wonders what devilment he got up to on Earth before heading out to K-7.

 

[Crazy Eddie]

^ and ^^

Exactly. And Baris introduces Arne Darvin as his assistant. Darvin may have been set up to be in place on K-7 to sabotage the Sherman's Planet development, but that is not how he got there. He had to take the long way, first to Earth, to be installed as Baris's assistant, and then to K-7. One wonders what devilment he got up to on Earth before heading out to K-7.

I kind of assumed Darvin was a real person at some point and a Klingon agent was surgically altered to look like him and assume his identity. The kind of intelligence reach they would need to fabricate an entire background that would survive that kind of close vetting has seriously disturbing implications about Federation security.

 

[DonIago]

Or perhaps Klingon Darvin took the position at a time when Baris was considered to be a rising star, but not at a time when an assistant position to him would be considered to require particularly close vetting.

Hell, given the number of crazy admirals we see in Starfleet, if you didn't already have reservations about Federation security, I'm not sure why this would be the tipping point.

 

[Timo]

Is this supposed to be our heroes' first encounter with the alarming concept of "surgically altered to look like"?

If so, Starfleet could be full of Klingons at the time, because extensive and delicate bioengineering is far from unknown to the Klingons in ENT. How did the Feds fail to realize this? Or has there been a backlash from the incident where Klingons injected themselves with an insta-humanizing agent, so that the very concept is now a state secret and even security agencies are forbidden from spreading memos that would help fight the problem, out of fear that it would just worsen the problem? Genetic manipulation is the subject of silly taboos in all the eras, supposedly, even if we don't get much dialogue on it in TOS yet.

If the "anybody could be a Klingon in disguise" thing is common knowledge, at least to the authorities, how come Darvin exists? I mean, his organization could bribe and blackmail a given number of tricorder-wielding UFP authorities into letting him pass, but that'd only work for moderate levels of paranoia. And one would expect high levels of paranoia around and after "Errand of Mercy", "Trouble with Tribbles" etc.

Timo Saloniemi

 

[Markonian]

For the sake of discussion, Kirk has a Romulan first officer on the USS Endeavour (NCC-1805). (ST comic: To Boldly Go Issue 1)

 

[Timo]

That a species-culture is at odds with the UFP, or has declared outright war, is not a major hindrance to a member of that species-culture serving in Starfleet. Indeed, heightened tensions might result in an increase in dissent, treason and defection, making the UFP welcome members of totalitarian, specieistic enemy cultures in its own ranks for propagandist purposes. After suitable loyalty checks, of course.

Romulans in Starfleet are only unlikely because of the lack of contact with, or indeed knowledge of, them. And that's not an issue in the Kelvinverse where Romulans appear a thoroughly known quantity in 2258 at the latest. Other species or cultures might have other special hindering factors - the Jem'Hadar might die of malnutrition before completing basic Starfleet training, say, or the Ocampa of old age before completing command studies. Klingons... probably don't suffer from any special hindrances. After all, Worf, a supposedly average full Klingon, didn't.

Timo Saloniemi