We are a long, long way from the time of mass Klingon lobotomization. The Klingons are still dangerous at the time the quest is set and will be for another 60 years.
And cloaking devices are pretty scary first strike weapons. For the strongest of the local powers to start developing them... Well... I think even lobotomized TNG-era Klingons would be worried by that.
I'm not saying the Klingons are stupid. I'm saying the Klingons are
alien. They don't consider dying in a fight to be a particularly bad thing. Mutually assured destruction probably sits quite comfortably with them, especially if they judge their opponent more likely to be deterred than they are- which most people would be.
Moreover, they manage to cope with the Romulans having cloaks, why would they react with such unique shock and horror to the Federation having them?
All in all, I think the Klingons are going to be a lot less likely to try and pressure us into signing a no-cloaks treaty. Remember that the canon Romulans had a
unique motive here that did not apply to the Klingons: the Romulans are trying to make it impossible for any Federation vessel to penetrate Romulan space, under any circumstances, because of their intense paranoia and desire to maintain secrecy. Keeping our ships cloak-less forces us to stay on our side of the Neutral Zone.
The Klingons probably aren't nearly so worried about one or two of our ships stooging around. They might be worried about a fleet decloaking and attacking them, but they already have that problem dealing with the Romulans and you don't see them demanding that the Romulans abstain from cloak development.
0_0
no, just no....
this is literally breaking a tech because the GM wouldn't like us having it, or the council being so caustic to Starfleet development that a 'Coup' option would most likely follow the encounter.
Now a single militarization point cost per ship equipped with cloak? yes, I could see that. It'd be on the scale of the Defiant, the Council knows that a Cloak isn't a scientific thing and is watching, but defense should be a priority.
You're missing something important. The
first cloaked ship we build presents massive destabilizing diplomatic problems and, by its very existence, makes war with the Romulans highly likely. It is a
really big deal. Not just one militarization point (which is potentially awkward but not really very important).
I actually wouldn't mind the idea of Starfleet unilaterally building a cloaked prototype vessel sending our militarization through the roof.
Edit: ... man, what has the Cheron been eating lately!?
Plomeek soup. What else?
[raises eyebrow.]
I, too, view the prospect of the Cardassians having to deal with a bunch of angry Klingons with greeeat equanimity.
I, too, view the prospect of the Cardassians having to deal with a bunch of angry Klingons with greeeat equanimity..
I think it's easier not to push affiliates until we are certain that we have the defense. And Gretarians yes. Even if it is highly unlikely, I'd rather secure them against outside influence
Our defense is increasing fairly rapidly, and we can always put on the brakes after we get them up to 300. Because past that point it would
still take easily several years for an affiliate to become a full member spontaneously.
Heh, if a technology only comes in use after you've gone back in time a couple of times, I figure that it's functionally useless.
Would you extend that logic to the weapon capabilities of the deflector dish, being that Nash only figured out what to do with it on the possibly-26th try?
Also: If it were discovered that the Federation was developing cloaking tech and was ready to use it? I guarantee the Romulans would lose their minds and alpha strike us. This is why a Starfleet crew LITERALLY MUTINIED in canon.
About a hundred pages ago, I suggested (more or less) that the Federation might construct a small number of cloaked
reconaissance vessels, explicitly for that purpose, lightly armed, with Romulan observers aboard like was originally done with the
Defiant.
Me, I'd suggest that the cloaking device be impossible to engage without two Romulan officers' permission on a
dual key system. I leave it to the ingenuity of the Romulans to work out the most unstealable key interface possible; I figure they'll come up with something pretty good.
Now, this might be a no-sell, but it's about the limit of what I'd actually suggest personally.
