The Klingon Prison Ship IKS Shelka - A Star Trek Adventures Mission Treatment

Sharing another idea from my dusty pile of notes. As before, I present the basic idea and comment on how it can be adapted to different circumstances and eras of Star Trek.


IKS Shelka

There are times when the Klingon Empire has a prisoner that is too high risk for Rura Penthe and too valuable to execute.

One solution is to take a decommissioned battlecruiser out of mothballs and convert it into a mobile maximum security prison. A variety of battlecruisers have served in this role over the decades. The ship is referred to as IKS Shelka in classified records, but it runs under a number of false names and registries conceal its identity and purpose. Shelka is typically deployed to remote parts of the Empire with a carefully vetted crew and their charges. Any observers it would assume it to be another obsolete warship serving out its last days patrolling a backwater sector.

In 2371, IKS Shelka is a K't'inga-class battlecruiser with transponder codes declaring it to be any of a dozen other Klingon warships of the same class. Holographic emitters can change the name and registry painted on the hull in the unlikely chance that the captain lets another ship get close enough for a look. Shelka runs under cloak at random times to throw off attempts to track it. The ship's flight plans are highly classified and the captain has the authority to change course on a whim if there is any suspicion that Shelka is being pursued. As a last resort, Shelka retains its full armament and a reinforced compliment of security personnel. Shelka's captain and crew are under orders to take all necessary measures to keep their charges secure.


"Person of Interest"

Shelka is an expensive prison to run and space is limited. Individuals are sent there only if they are worth the trouble. One such individual happens to be the only person in the galaxy who has the answers the player characters are looking for. Unfortunately, the Klingon Empire isn't keen on giving up the latest prisoner of Shelka. Starfleet Intelligence knows of the existence of Shelka, but hunting down a battlecruiser in a remote sector of the Klingon Empire is an adventure in itself.

This may work best in eras when the interests of the Federation and Klingon Empire aren't aligned. TOS is the obvious choice, but Shelka isn't likely a K't'inga in that era - I'd use a D7 upgraded with a cloaking device instead. There is also the period of tension and outright war in 2372-2373. With most of the Klingon fleet either invading the Cardassian Union or engaging Starfleet, there would be an opening for a single starship to slip into Klingon space and find Shelka.

Alternately, the Klingon Empire could be reluctant to give up the prisoner even to an ally. The individual may possess information that might harm the Empire or the reputation of one or more of its high officials. In that case, finding Shelka is the only option. A Starfleet crew might try persuading Shelka's captain to allow them to question the prisoner. Klingon player characters may opt for a more direct approach and worry about the political consequences later.


"Run for the Border"

The KDF detects Shelka making a high speed run for the borders of the Klingon Empire. All communications were lost days ago. Now, with the prison ship running for another polity's space, they assume the worst. There is a KDF task force already on its heels, but they are too far behind to catch up before it reaches the border. The Klingons must find some way of slowing, stopping, or destroying Shelka.

The Klingon Empire captured someone of value from another organization and placed them in one of the Empire's most secure facilities. The covert arm of that organization sent in a team on a fast ship, intercepted Shelka, and freed the prisoner. Their mission was complicated when their ship was destroyed in the process. The individual, the covert operations team, and any prisoners they could convince to join their cause took the only option available - seize control of Shelka and make a run for it!

How things play out depends on the organizations involved:

The Cardassian military might have a few warships standing by on their side of the border, but won't risk escalating the situation unless they are already at war with the Klingon Empire (any time after 2372).

There is a brief period in 2371 when the Obsidian Order has the warships to support their covert operation team, but might not want to play that card.

In periods where the Federation and the Klingon Empire are in conflict, this could be a covert Starfleet operation to extract a high value asset or captured Federation official. The player characters could be on the covert operations team aboard Shelka or on a starship trying to intercept Shelka before the Klingon task force can catch up. Escape attempts by the other prisoners will complicate these efforts. Additionally, any surviving Shelka crew will take any opportunity to prevent escape, even if they have to destroy the ship.

If the Federation and the Klingon Empire are allies during the adventure, the player characters' starship could receive a call for aid in intercepting Shelka before it can escape. This may present a moral quandary for a Federation starship crew if no alternative to destroying Shelka presents itself. Alternately, the player characters could receive a call for help from Shelka - the prisoners want to claim asylum within the Federation! Things get awkward when the Klingons show up wanting their prisoners back.

The prisoner may be a Klingon renegade with information that the Empire wants, but has resisted all attempts at interrogation. The prisoner might be rescued by mercenaries hired as deniable assets by other Klingons. Romulans if the prisoner is associated with the House of Duras. Or associates of the prisoner from the Orion Syndicate.

The Orion Syndicate might arrange for another fast ship to take the prisoner and the team to safety before Shelka can be intercepted, but aren't likely to take on a Klingon task force.

The Romulan Star Empire could be relying on its military or the Tal Shiar to run such an extraction operation. In either case, cloaked warbirds are likely already on the way to intercept Shelka. In the case of the Romulan military, they may have enough force on hand to make a fight of it with the pursuing Klingon task force. The Tal Shiar may not have that kind of firepower, but are likely to have something tricky in mind.