by Bryan Jecko
graphics by Ratonpier
NOTES:
        No other single race encountered by the Klingons has proved as frustrating and difficult to defeat as the Kinshya. First encountered in early 2239, the resulting all-out war which finally ended in 2244 gave Klingon commanders ample opportunities for Glory – most of it posthumously.
        The most obvious extension of the “Demon” race is their uninspiring, if deadly, globe ships. For almost 100 years now, the Klingons have encountered numerous sizes and variations to the basic Kinshya combat craft design – and in all that time, no single vessel has ever been captured. Only recently have the Klingons been able to decipher the Kinshya language and discovered just how diversified their enemy is.
        To date, Klingon Intelligence has discovered that the Kinshya have fielded over 20 variants to the basic Cruiser sized globe vessel. Designated the C-4, the simple design has proven as resilient as the Kinshya them selves. The oldest known model was the Version 1, first encountered by the Empire in early 2243. The Version 1 was often mistaken for the slightly smaller C-1 cruiser, and in fact differed little from it lighter cousin. But the C-4 mounted 8 weapons emplacements, giving the Kinshya vessels excellent firepower. Even the Klingons dreaded D-7 was no match for the more heavily armored Kinshya cruiser.
        Several years after major hostilities ended, Klingon commanders began to encounter a more heavily armed version of the C-4 which had now taken the place of the C-1 and C-2 cruisers. The Version 2 increased overall firepower by nearly 40%, forcing field commanders to commit an entire wing of cruiser to deal with a single enemy vessel. This forced the Klingon to continue committing large numbers of combat craft to the disputed boarder.
        In 2256, Klingon commanders again noticed an increase in firepower from Kinshya cruisers. Designated the Version 3, the new ship proved more than a match for the more powerful Klingon D-7c which was launched that same year. But in 2259, the Klingon Empire faced it’s first real threat from the Kinshya boarder since their initial encounter.
        In late 2259, Klingon captains began reporting a C-4 who’s weapons had far greater accuracy than the standard Klingon disruptor. This Version 4 became the bane of the Empire and the range superiority enjoyed by field commanders soon became a thin of the past. New Klingon vessels were quickly fielded to take advantage of the latest in technology, but could not counter the new Version 4’s long range weapons and increased overall power.
        Surprisingly, the Kinshya seemed to prefer the short ranged high-firepower weapons of previous designs, and in 2262, field commanders began encountering a more heavily armed, yet shorter ranged version. Only close in debris scans confirmed that the new version was indeed younger in design than the Version 4. This new Version 5 also seemed to be the variant that older vessels were being upgraded to. Even to this day, no one seems to know why the design was preferred over the Version 4. The Version 4’s comeback seemed immediate in 2266, when nearly every Kinshya cruiser was pulled from the front lines. Within weeks, as Klingon commanders planned massive sweeping invasions of Kinshya worlds, a new variant was detected. This Version 6 initially was credited with over a dozen kills after being first encountered. It would be nearly 20 years before the Empire discovered that the Version 6’s only improvement was it’s primary shielding system.
        By 2267, the Kinshya seemed to be less of a threat. Attacks again known Kinshya targets elicited less successful counter attacks and defenses, and the introduction of a new C-4 did little to bolster the front line efforts. The Version 7 introduced a new primary weapon, a massively powerful plasma cannon. Klingon commanders that ventured too close quickly became aware of the new ships capabilities. But the weapons power curve was enormous, and the range was extremely short. By 8,000 km, the weapons power dropped to nearly zero making the weapons somewhat when countered with the Version 7’s slow speed. The Version 8 fared only slightly better despite an apparent complete overhaul of the primary design. The Version 8 fielded longer ranged phasers, a significant change from earlier laser and disruptor weapon systems. The Version 8 also incorporated photon torpedo technology as well as an improved warp drive and more efficient shields. The version 8 was through to be more capable than the dreaded D-7m, and was soon seen in alarming numbers along the boarder. The Version 9, only rarely encountered, seemed to increase the torpedo capability at the cost of the main phasers.
        The Version 10 and 11 both seemed to return to the simpler all-beam weapon design favored by the Kinshya. Version 12 and 13 vacillated between heavy beam weapons/ light torpedoes and the reverse. In 2283, the Kinshya fielded another Plasma armed variant that gave the Klingons pause. The Version 14 was sufficiently powerful enough to force the Empire to reconsider operation again the Romulans and Federation and did in fact curtail exploration efforts towards Cardassian space.
        Like the famed D-7, the Kinshya seemed to have continued their development of the C-4, with Versions 15 through 20, all of which have proven dangerous to the front line commanders. Currently, the Type 18, the seemingly most well-balanced of the C-4’s is also the most numerous, with many older variants being converted to this versions.
        The Kinshya seem to have no other real main line cruiser designs, and the estimated 8,000 C-4’s constructed over the years attest to the uninspired and simple design philosophy. Klingon intelligence can confirm the known destruction of over 3,987 C-4’s over the years – many at the cost of heavy Klingon causalities. Despite the tremendous length of the conflict, the Kinshya have not changed their tactics or military operations in nearly 100 years of conflict. The Klingons continue to progress and make small in roads into Kinshyan territory, and the recent peace accords with the Federation may allow more powerful pushes into the void area.
To date, no production facilities for the C-4 – or any other Kinshya vessel – have been located. Production rates are estimated at 10 various designs per year, but the guess is believed by many to be much lower than actual production rates. The Klingons have not classified Kinshyan vessels with “names” and recent translations of the language and data bases has indicated that the Kinshya do not use proper names for either their vessels or ship classes. The Klingons have also never captured a Kinshyan vessel in tact, although 1 C-4 Version 9 was captured nearly so.