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The '''Battle of Veridian III''' was a confrontation between the {{USS|Enterprise|NCC-1701-D|-D}} and a renegade D12-class [[Klingon Bird-of-Prey]] in [[orbit]] of [[Veridian III]] in [[2371]]. Under orders from Dr. [[Tolian Soran]] and in revenge for previous affairs with the [[Federation]], the [[Bird-of-Prey]], commanded by the [[Duras sisters]], opened fire on the ''Enterprise''. Although the ''Enterprise'' would have easily destroyed the Bird-of-Prey under normal circumstances due to its substantially superior weaponry and defense systems, the crew of the Klingon ship exploited a key weakness in the ''Enterprise''{{'}}s defenses and was thereby able to inflict severe damage on the Federation [[flagship]] before the Bird-of-Prey was destroyed. The ''Enterprise''{{'}}s victory was consequently a Pyrrhic one, as that ship was additionally lost in the process. |
The '''Battle of Veridian III''' was a confrontation between the {{USS|Enterprise|NCC-1701-D|-D}} and a renegade D12-class [[Klingon Bird-of-Prey]] in [[orbit]] of [[Veridian III]] in [[2371]]. Under orders from Dr. [[Tolian Soran]] and in revenge for previous affairs with the [[Federation]], the [[Bird-of-Prey]], commanded by the [[Duras sisters]], opened fire on the ''Enterprise''. Although the ''Enterprise'' would have easily destroyed the Bird-of-Prey under normal circumstances due to its substantially superior weaponry and defense systems, the crew of the Klingon ship exploited a key weakness in the ''Enterprise''{{'}}s defenses and was thereby able to inflict severe damage on the Federation [[flagship]] before the Bird-of-Prey was destroyed. The ''Enterprise''{{'}}s victory was consequently a Pyrrhic one, as that ship was additionally lost in the process. |
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After the [[House of Duras]] fell from power at the end of the [[Klingon Civil War]] of [[2367]]–[[2368|68]], the Duras sisters, [[Lursa]] and [[B'Etor]], sought incessantly to regain power and take control of the [[Klingon Empire]]. ({{TNG|Redemption|Redemption II|Firstborn}}) In 2371, they forged an alliance with Dr. Soran. He had developed several [[trilithium]] weapons, one of which was used to destroy the [[Amargosa]] [[star]] in order to redirect the [[Nexus]] energy ribbon to bring himself closer to returning to that paradisaical reality. In exchange for providing him with the required trilithium (courtesy of theft from the [[Romulan Empire|Romulans]]) and escorting him to several different locations, Soran provided the Duras sisters with the specifications to build the trilithium missile. With such a powerful weapon, they would be able to take control of the Klingon Empire. |
After the [[House of Duras]] fell from power at the end of the [[Klingon Civil War]] of [[2367]]–[[2368|68]], the Duras sisters, [[Lursa]] and [[B'Etor]], sought incessantly to regain power and take control of the [[Klingon Empire]]. ({{TNG|Redemption|Redemption II|Firstborn}}) In 2371, they forged an alliance with Dr. Soran. He had developed several [[trilithium]] weapons, one of which was used to destroy the [[Amargosa]] [[star]] in order to redirect the [[Nexus]] energy ribbon to bring himself closer to returning to that paradisaical reality. In exchange for providing him with the required trilithium (courtesy of theft from the [[Romulan Empire|Romulans]]) and escorting him to several different locations, Soran provided the Duras sisters with the specifications to build the trilithium missile. With such a powerful weapon, they would be able to take control of the Klingon Empire. |
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Revision as of 22:55, 7 April 2013
The Battle of Veridian III was a confrontation between the USS Enterprise-D and a renegade D12-class Klingon Bird-of-Prey in orbit of Veridian III in 2371. Under orders from Dr. Tolian Soran and in revenge for previous affairs with the Federation, the Bird-of-Prey, commanded by the Duras sisters, opened fire on the Enterprise. Although the Enterprise would have easily destroyed the Bird-of-Prey under normal circumstances due to its substantially superior weaponry and defense systems, the crew of the Klingon ship exploited a key weakness in the Enterprise's defenses and was thereby able to inflict severe damage on the Federation flagship before the Bird-of-Prey was destroyed. The Enterprise's victory was consequently a Pyrrhic one, as that ship was additionally lost in the process.
Prelude
After the House of Duras fell from power at the end of the Klingon Civil War of 2367–68, the Duras sisters, Lursa and B'Etor, sought incessantly to regain power and take control of the Klingon Empire. (TNG: "Redemption", "Redemption II", "Firstborn") In 2371, they forged an alliance with Dr. Soran. He had developed several trilithium weapons, one of which was used to destroy the Amargosa star in order to redirect the Nexus energy ribbon to bring himself closer to returning to that paradisaical reality. In exchange for providing him with the required trilithium (courtesy of theft from the Romulans) and escorting him to several different locations, Soran provided the Duras sisters with the specifications to build the trilithium missile. With such a powerful weapon, they would be able to take control of the Klingon Empire.
On an inspection of the Amargosa observatory by Lieutenant Commanders Data and La Forge, Dr. Soran assaulted La Forge and captured him, transporting them to the Duras sisters' ship. The craft set a course for the Veridian system, where Soran planned to destroy the Veridian star. Doing so would result in altering the course of the Nexus energy ribbon to come into contact with Veridian III, allowing Soran to return to the Nexus.
After Data and Captain Picard discovered that Dr. Soran was next planning to destroy the Veridian star, the Enterprise set a course for Veridian III at maximum warp. Upon intercepting the Klingon ship (which was cloaked at that time), Picard warned that any missiles fired at the Veridian star would be destroyed.
Soran ordered the destruction of the Enterprise but B'Etor pointed out that their ship was completely outgunned by the Galaxy-class starship. Soran decided to return La Forge's VISOR to him, after performing some modifications to the device, which gave Lursa and B'Etor a live video feed from La Forge's point-of-view.
The Bird-of-Prey decloaked and hailed the Enterprise. Demanding the return of his chief engineer to the Starfleet vessel, Picard agreed to exchange himself for La Forge, but only on the condition that he could speak to Soran (who was on the surface of Veridian III) first, and in person. The sisters agreed and returned La Forge to the Enterprise while Picard was transported to Veridian III.
When La Forge returned to engineering, the video feed from his VISOR gave the Duras sisters exactly what they had been looking for. A freeze-frame revealed that the Enterprise's shields were operating on a frequency modulation of 257.4 megahertz. The Duras sisters adjusted the frequency of their ship's photon torpedoes to match, preparing to attack. (Star Trek Generations)
The battle
The renegade Bird-of-Prey fires on the Enterprise
The Enterprise fires on the Bird-of-Prey
The Klingon Bird-of-Prey fired a spread of torpedoes at the Enterprise, which passed through the Starfleet vessel's shields, impacting on the flagship's secondary hull. In retaliation, the Enterprise returned fire, but the phaser blast had no effect on the Klingon ship and the Klingons fired disruptors at the Enterprise, severely injuring the conn officer. Counselor Troi took the conn officer's place and brought the Enterprise out of orbit.
While the Bird-of-Prey continued its onslaught on the Enterprise, Commander Riker asked recently promoted Lieutenant Commander Worf about the ship and its weaknesses. Worf pointed out that the ship was a D12-class Bird-of-Prey, which had been retired from service due to defective plasma coils. He did not see how the defect could be used to their advantage, but the coils formed part of the ship's cloaking device. Data informed Riker that if a low-level ionic pulse were to be targeted at the Bird-of-Prey's plasma coils, it would reset the coil and engage the cloaking device. While the cloak engaged, the shields would drop, leaving the ship vulnerable for just a few seconds. While the Enterprise was still sustaining damage from the Klingon ship, Data began work on the pulse and eventually initiated it. Savoring almost imminent victory, the Klingons targeted the bridge of the Enterprise. Instead, their shields dropped and their cloak began to engage, at which time the Enterprise fired a single torpedo that hit home on the Bird-of-Prey, completely destroying it. (Star Trek Generations)
Aftermath
Even though the Enterprise had destroyed the Klingon vessel, damage caused by the Bird-of-Prey led to an imminent warp core breach aboard the Enterprise. On Riker's instruction, a saucer separation was therefore carried out, with all personnel evacuated to the saucer section. The warp core detonated sooner than expected, though, leading the saucer section to crashland on the surface of Veridian III. The ship was subsequently deemed non-salvageable and declared destroyed, but casualties were light and successful efforts to rescue the remaining crew began soon thereafter. (Star Trek Generations)
The deaths of Lursa and B'Etor reduced the House of Duras to just one effective member, Toral. He later attempted to gain control of the Klingon Empire by claiming the Sword of Kahless. (DS9: "The Sword of Kahless")
Background information
Early in the writing of Star Trek Generations, the screenplay's writers – Ronald D. Moore and Brannon Braga – intended for the Battle of Veridian III to have a different outcome than it does in the film's final version. A couple of drafts of the film's script established that Riker and other surviving crew members from the Enterprise, following the crash-landing of the ship's saucer section, discovered that the Klingon sisters and some officers from their Bird-of-Prey had not only survived but had also crash-landed on the same planet. The two separate crews were therefore marooned there. The Klingons at first attacked the Starfleet officers but both crews eventually managed to put aside their differences enough to collaborate on finding a way off the planet. (audio commentary, Star Trek Generations (Special Edition) DVD/Blu-ray)
Industrial Light & Magic was assigned to create the visual effects footage used in depicting the Battle of Veridian III. The sequence challenged ILM to devise a strategy of representing the conflict with a bare minimum of shots and no budget for pyrotechnic elements. (Cinefex, No. 61, p. 74) The battle was planned in computer-generated storyboards done by John Knoll at ILM. (The Art of Star Trek, p. 285) Photon torpedoes incorporated into the sequence were rendered by Knoll, taking inspiration from photon torpedo effects work in Star Trek: The Motion Picture. Phasers and disruptors in the battle were done by Don Butler. Although the deflector shields in the sequence retained an oval shape from Star Trek: The Next Generation, considerable thought and experimentation went into how detailing of the shields would look, as the majority of the shots were to be close-ups of the ships in combat and would therefore clearly show the shields in detail. In views of the Bird-of-Prey distantly firing on the Enterprise in the foreground, the Klingon ship initially seemed to subtract from the effect of the Enterprise's shields flaring, so the Bird-of-Prey was changed to look smaller in those shots. (Cinefex, No. 61, p. 74)
Like many of the effect visuals in Generations, virtually none of the views of the battle were included in the first work edit of the film but were inserted into the movie for its second cut, which was exhibited as a test preview. The first assembly of the film's live-action footage from the battle sequence also involved several alternate takes and slightly more footage than in the movie's second work print and the theatrical cut, which were much the same as one another. The extra footage included, at one point, a Klingon officer reporting minor damage to one of the Bird-of-Prey's warp nacelles. A visual effect shot that was in the original edit, and in only that assembly of the film, was taken from Star Trek III: The Search for Spock; in a strange inconsistency, this shot (also reused in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home) showed the Bird-of-Prey cloaking, at the point near the battle's conclusion when the ship was established as decloaking. The only visual effects footage found in all three versions of the film were the views of the decisive photon torpedo firstly being fired from the Enterprise and then streaking towards the Bird-of-Prey, as well as the footage of the exploding Bird-of-Prey, which was a recycled shot from Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country. [1] Of how the sequence was edited, Director David Carson stated, "We developed the Klingon battle into this huge, noisy battle." (The Making of the Trek Films, p. 163)
Some Star Trek fans were outraged that the battle ends with Lursa and B'Etor being killed off. In fact, some fans were more dissatisfied with this conclusion to the battle than their unhappiness at Kirk dying. (audio commentary, Star Trek Generations (Special Edition) DVD/Blu-ray)
However, production staffers such as Brannon Braga and Rick Berman were proud of the sequence. While editing the movie, Berman commented, "To my delight, the battle and demise of the Klingon vessel is an incredible action-adventure sequence." Berman also cited the same sequence as one of several in the film that surprised him by how good (in his opinion) they turned out. (Star Trek Generations (novel), hardback ed., p. 278) Braga once remarked that the battle is "cool." He proceeded to state, "I really enjoyed the space battle, and it came at a point in the film when there had been no action since the opening. Maybe a little too long, so finally we get excited. This is good old-fashioned Star Trek." (audio commentary, Star Trek Generations (Special Edition) DVD/Blu-ray)