Star TrekKlingons are probably more human-like than you think, according to a scene from Star Trek: Lower Decks. In Star Trek: Lower Decks' season 5 finale, “The New Next Generation”, the USS Cerritos and a small fleet of The Klingon Birds of Prey are captured in a Schrödinger Field that turns things into other versions of themselves on the other side. Star TrekThe vast multiverse. Captain Carol Freeman (Dawnn Lewis) sends schematics to protect against the changes at Schrödinger Camp, but vengeful Klingon Captain Relga (Roxana Ortega) banishes Freeman's help from the proverbial airlock.
Only the hull of the USS Cerritos is vulnerable to Schrödinger Field transformations, so the California-class Federation ship transforms into different classes of Federation ships, such as the Sovereign class. Klingon ship design has remained fairly consistent over the centuries, so it's not all that obvious that Relga's Klingon Birds of Prey are subject to the same series of transformations. This changes when the historic move to a Klingon sailing barge creates a horrible fate to an entire ship full of Klingon warriors, who immediately float to their deaths outside the not-so-space-worthy ship.
Star Trek: Lower Decks Revealed That Klingons Navigated Their Homeworld Like Humans Did on Earth
Lower Decks References Star Trek: Voyager's Barge Of The Dead
Star Trek: Lower Decks transforming a Klingon bird of prey into a Klingon sailing barge reveals that the Klingons had an ancient naval tradition, just as humans had on Earth. The style of the Klingon barge is very similar to that of a human vessel, implying that Klingons once sailed the oceans of Q'onoS, centuries before Klingon warriors ventured into space-and long before humans' 16th to 19th century Age of Sail. The common link between Klingon and human navigation traditions could explain the choice of the HMS Enterprise holodeck program for Worf's (Michael Dorn) promotion to Lieutenant Commander in Star Trek Generations.
The Klingon barge in Star Trek: Lower Decks is further supported by the legend that permeates Lieutenant B'Elanna Torres' (Roxann Dawson) near-death experience in Star Trek: Voyager season 6, episode 3, “Barge of the Dead.” The transformed Bird of Prey is almost exactly like the Klingon Barge of the Dead that brings dishonored souls to Gre'thor, or Klingon hell. The Schrödinger field even imitates the red sky that TravelerThe Barge sails (albeit unintentionally). A Klingon legend that features a sailing barge so prominently must have its roots in the reality of Klingon sailing culture.
Klingons are explorers, not just warriors
Since Star Trek: DS9, Star Trek has made an effort to show a variety of Klingons
The Klingon sailing barge suggests that ancient Klingons, like humans, were also explorers, not just warriors. For the ancient Klingons, exploration was likely fueled by the warlike Houses' taste for conquest, which would have to be satiated by sailing to more distant shores in order to encounter new enemies. Shipbuilders and inventors allowed the Klingon Empire to expand with faster, more powerful means of transportation. Ancient naval traditions could have given rise to the hierarchy of modern Klingon Houses, with greater honor going to those with skills related to supporting the Empire's navy.
Klingon culture supports warriors for their glorious reputations, but Scientists, explorers and even farmers can bring honor to the Klingon Empire after General Martok (JG Hertzler) rises from humble beginnings to become Chancellor. In Star Trek: Prodigy Season 2, Episode 13, “A Tribble Called Quest,” Klingon geneticist Dr. K'Ruvang (Jorge Gutierrez) seeks to restore his honor by manipulating the tribbles' genetics to make them less formidable. Captain Ma'ah (Jon Curry) and Malor (Sam Witwer) are blood wine producers in Star Trek: Lower Decks, with a legacy that may even date back to Klingon sailing barges.