When the UFP and Klingon Empire actually became "allies".

[t_smitts]

I feel like the writers have been a bit inconsistent on when exactly this happened (and what it even means, for that matter).

In terms of productions, the first clue on this event came in the episode "Yesterday's Enterprise". Of course that episode established the Enterprise-C having sacrificed itself defending Narendra III from the Romulans in 2344. Castillo mentions in the episode that there was a peace treaty being negotiated at the time. The implication in the episode is that the heroism of the "C" crew not only prevented a later war but led to improved relations with the Klingons.

A couple of years later, we had the events of "Star Trek VI", with the Praxis explosion leading to a peace conference at Khitomer in 2293, said to be ending "seventy years of hostility". (Obviously, neither the episode's writers did not foresee this, and the film's writers probably weren't concerned with it fitting neatly with what the episode established).

A few years after that, in "Way of the Warrior", Bashir talks of "two decades of peace". The "Star Trek Chronology" takes this literally, as it often did, and says there was a new era of peace that began around 2352 (though more likely this would be something shortly after Narendra III). Funnily enough, the episode also talks about Gowron withdrawing from the Khitomer Accords (and reinstating them in "By Inferno's Light"), which would seem to imply closer to EIGHT decades, not two.

On top of that, in the episode "Faces", B'Elanna talks about it not being easy growing up because relations with the Klingons weren't so good when she was kid (which was presumably in the 2350's).

So how do you think this all fits together? What did the Khitomer Conference achieve? What was the "peace treaty" being negotiated around the time of Narendra III about?

And what exactly does being "allies" mean, anyway? Some of the early TNG episodes seemed to go so far as to suggest the Klingons had actually JOINED the Federation ("Heart of Glory" implied it with the Fed symbol on a Klingon ship, and "Samaritan Snare" flat out said it) before wisely pulling back.

Is there a difference between merely being at peace and being allies? Is that the difference between the Khitomer treaty and the presumed "post-Narendra III" treaty? What was the "two decades of peace", then? Was there a falling out in between?

Very complicated.

 

[Ithekro]

It is possible there were more treaties made between the Federation and Klingon Empire that took place at Khitomer. It was referred to as Camp Khitomer in Star Trek VI. The analogy might be Camp David as an example. Camp David has been used for more than one treaty. It is possible Khitomer was used for more than one negotiation with the Klingons before it was attacked by the Romulas in 2346. Perhaps it was the aftermath of that attack (the one were Worf's parents were killed) that the Khitomer Accords were signed and that what was signed after Star Trek VI was the Khitomer Peace Treaty.

 

[Admiral Shran]

The events of "Star Trek VI" are simply the cessation of hostilities between the Empire and the Federation. It's similar to what happened from 1989-1991 between the United States and Russia. The two countries began an era of peace but never officially became, and still aren't, allies.

The actual treaty of alliance, in which the Empire and the Federation move past just being at peace with one another and become full-fledged allies took place after the destruction of the Enterprise-C. It appears that tensions between the two power were somewhat frayed at that time but the self-sacrifice of the Enterprise-C and her crew convinced the Klingons to enter a formal alliance.

That is what Bashir is referring to when he remarks on "two decades of peace", as those events took place roughly between two and three decades prior. The two states haven't been enemies since the time of "Star Trek VI", but they existed in a relationship much like what the U.S. and Russia exist in today - neither enemies nor allies, just neutral toward each other.

Torres growing up when relations with the Klingons were less than stellar would fit in that timeline. She grew up in the years immediately before the destruction of the Enterprise-C.

As for the Khitomer Accords, it's possible that multiple treaties were negotiated and signed at Camp Khitomer. Obviously the treaty ending hostilities in "Star Trek VI" was signed there. It's likely that when the formal alliance was made official that that was also done at Khitomer. Therefore, Gowron could withdraw from these "second" Khitomer Accords only to reinstate them a year later.

 

[cultcross]

I see the Khitomer Accords as somewhat like the Good Friday Agreement, ending overt hostility but with a long way to go to heal the rifts behind it and bring the powers closer to genuine allies. I imagine many other treaties were drawn up in the interim, and Klingons being Klingons, I imagine there were some outbreaks of fighting along the way too. After all, we saw just that in DS9, followed by reinstating the Khitomer Accords. That could quite easily have happened before.

 

[Timo]

few years after that, in "Way of the Warrior", Bashir talks of "two decades of peace".

But that refers to peace between the Klingons and the Cardassians. Peace with the Federation has not been jeopardized yet when Bashir makes the comment; peace with Cardassia has just received a deadly blow, and this is the first time Bashir gets to see the bruises from that blow.

Sure, the writing is on the wall as regards UFP/KU relations, too. But that's still in Bashir's future.

Timo Saloniemi

 

[MacLeod]

Relations between the UFP and the KE could have fluctuated. So from sat 2160-2223 they could have been neutral but something happened in 2223 that caused relations to sour and become more hostile.

 

[Ithekro]

But that refers to peace between the Klingons and the Cardassians. Peace with the Federation has not been jeopardized yet when Bashir makes the comment; peace with Cardassia has just received a deadly blow, and this is the first time Bashir gets to see the bruises from that blow.

Sure, the writing is on the wall as regards UFP/KU relations, too. But that's still in Bashir's future.

Timo Saloniemi

Wasn;t bashir's statement at the time Sisko was racing to defend the Cardassian government officials on Dukat's ship, which was under attack by the Klingons. If Sisko goes in, he is clearly defying the Klingons and helping the Klingons' enemies, which is generally seen as a betrayal of a ally. Thus ending two decades of peace with the Klingons, because in order to help Dukat, Sisko is going to have to fight the Klingons.

 

[Timo]

What directly prompts Bashir's statement is seeing Cardassian warships in pieces after a Klingon attack. What else might have been going at the time doesn't sound particularly relevant. And conversely, nothing about what Bashir is seeing is relevant to whether or not Sisko will have to fight the Klingons.

Timo Saloniemi

 

[Ithekro]

But the Cardassians and Klingons had been fighting for a little bit before that if I recall. The Klingon fleet had warped off to Cardassian space and wrecked a lot on their way in if I remember correctly. It has been some years since I watched "Way of the Warrior"

 

[Timo]

This is the first time Bashir sees any of the fighting, or its aftermath. And he clearly reacts to what he sees.

We don't know exactly how much fighting had gone on before this moment. Klingons supposedly headed for Cardassia Prime directly from Bajor, and there are no star systems between those two - yet at the conclusion of the episode, we learn the Klingon advance has been stalled and the invaders are fortifying those star systems they were able to grab. So supposedly it was a multi-front affair, with the armada making essentially zero progress at the Cardassia Prime front, perhaps because Garak's alert had sent most ships scrambling to protect the home system from elsewhere.

Timo Saloniemi

 

[Ethros]

Torres growing up when relations with the Klingons were less than stellar would fit in that timeline. She grew up in the years immediately before the destruction of the Enterprise-C.

Just to be annoying, but the Enterprise-C was destroyed in 2344, B'Elanna was born in 2346.


Edit- Well wikipedia says 2346, Memory Alpha says 2349. Either way...