Worf, son of Mogh


 * For the mirror universe counterpart, see Worf (mirror). For Worf's grandfather and namesake, see Worf (Colonel).

Worf, Son of Mogh, of the House of Martok, (2340- ), also known as Worf Rozhenko, was one of the single most influential people in Klingon and Federation politics of the late 24th century.

Worf was directly responsible for the ascension of two Chancellors of the Klingon Empire, Gowron in 2367, and Martok in 2375. Worf was also responsible for the installation of Emperor Kahless in 2369.

The first Klingon in Starfleet, Worf served notable tours of duty aboard the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-D), the USS Defiant, IKS Rotarran, and Starbase Deep Space 9 before being appointed Federation Ambassador to the Klingon Empire in 2375. In 2379, Worf resigned from his ambassadorial post and returned to Starfleet, serving on the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-E).

Early Life
Worf was born on the Klingon homeworld Qo'noS on May 23, 2340. He was named after his grandfather, General Worf.

His father, Mogh, head of a noble house, was an influential starship captain who served as first officer under K'mpec, and became a friend and ally during K'mpec's career on the Klingon High Council; his mother, Kaasin, was a master of the mok'bara art of combat. He had one younger brother, Kurn.

By the age of six, Worf was already proficient with the bat'leth, a traditional Klingon bladed weapon. When his father and mother were given the task of rooting out a traitor on the outpost on Khitomer, Worf insisted on accompanying them.

Mogh did not find the traitor in time to save the Khitomer outpost from being devastated in a brutal and unprovoked assault from the Romulan Star Empire, in response to false intelligence indicating weapons of mass destruction were being developed on Khitomer. Worf was one of the few survivors of the massacre. His infant brother, Kurn, was left behind on Q'onoS in the care of a family friend and Klingon Imperial Intelligence agent named Lorgh.

The first vessel to respond to the outposts distress call was the Federation starship USS Intrepid. Worf was discovered buried in the rubble of his family's residence by a Starfleet officer named Sergey Rozhenko, and it was determined that he had suffered some brain damage, losing part of his memory. Rozhenko spent much of his off-duty time with Worf, aiding in his recovery. After learning from another survivor, Worf's nursemaid Kahlest, that the boy's life may be in danger if he stayed in the Klingon Empire, Rozhenko convinced his wife Helena that they should adopt the boy. Lorgh used his connections in the Empire to ensure the adoption's legality, and began to raise Kurn himself. (TLE novel: The Art of the Impossible)

The Rozhenkos raised Worf on the farming colony of Gault and on Earth in Russia and the city of Minsk, with their own son Nikolai "Simon" Rozhenko. (TNG Starfleet Academy novel: #1 Worf's First Adventure)


 * Note on two slight discrepancies: 1) Worf's First Adventure gave Worf's brother the first name "Simon," as it was published prior to "Homeward"'s production. 2) The city of Minsk is actually the capital of Belarus, and therefore, not actually a part of Russia. However, the details of the political structure of eastern Europe in the 24th Century are not known.

While living on Gault, Worf was active on the local soccer team, serving as team captain. In 2353, during a tense game, a crucial play caused Worf and an opponent named Mikel to leap up and attempt to hit a high-flying ball with their heads. The two impacted, and force of the impact was such that, while Worf did not even feel the hit, Mikel's neck was broken. Mikel died the next day; the tragic accident prompted Worf to become very restrained in his behavior and emotional outbursts for the rest of his life, mindful of Human frailty. (DS9 episode: "Let He Who Is Without Sin...")

Starfleet Academy
In the year 2357, Worf and Nikolai enrolled in Starfleet Academy. Upon arriving at the Academy, a Brikar cadet named Zak Kebron picked a fight with Worf believing that Klingons had no right to join Starfleet. Rather than expel the two students before they could even report to their first classes, the Academy decided to make the pair roommates, forcing them to work out their differences.

Worf soon joined a study group that originally included his brother, cadets Mark McHenry and Tania Tobias of Earth, and Soleta of Vulcan. After Worf and Kebron came to state of mutual understanding and respect (if not actual friendship), Kebron joined the group as well.

When the squad was told that they were going on a training exercise on Prometheus Station, the cadets had no reason to believe that anything was amiss. They unexpectedly came under attack from a Romulan warbird and, suddenly without a commanding officer, were forced to work together to save each other's lives. In the end, however, none of it was real. The real training exercise was not on Prometheus Station, but on an Academy holodeck.

The experience made Worf's brother realize that Starfleet was not the place for him, and he returned to Russia. (TNG Starfleet Academy novel: #1 Worf's First Adventure)

K'Ehleyr
A few months later, Worf's squad (dubbed the "Dream Team"), were assigned as liasons to the colony world of Dantar IV, a Federation/Klingon co-venture that was having troubles. Once on Dantar, Worf met a Klingon emissary named K'Ehleyr, to whom which he formed an immediate attraction.

When an unknown force attacked the colony, there were not enough evacuation ships for everyone. Worf, his squad, and and a squad of Klingons under the command of K'Ehleyr stayed behind so the civilians could escape. Worf and K'Ehleyr worked together and got their respective squads to work together as well. During this time, Worf's attraction to K'Ehleyr grew. (TNG Starfleet Academy novel: #2 Line of Fire)

After Soleta captured one of their attackers, a Brikar named Baan, Worf would not allow the Klingons to incarcerate Kebron simply because of his ancestry. After rescue came in the form of the USS Repulse, it was revealed to the cadets that the Brikar government had briefly declared war against the Federation.

Worf and K'Ehleyr parted company in the transporter room of the Repulse, and Worf said that he did not believe that the two of them would meet again. K'Ehleyr disagreed. (TNG Starfleet Academy novel: #3 Survival)

It turned out that K'Ehleyr was correct. The two would meet more than once in the coming years, and engage in a physical relationship. K'Ehleyr hid from Worf the fact that she became pregnant and gave birth to his son, Alexander.

USS Aldrin
Worf served as an ensign aboard the USS Aldrin from the years 2361 to 2364. Also on the Aldrin were "Dream Team" alumni Soleta and Tania Tobias.

In 2363, Worf was a part of an away team on the planet Kalendra Minor that was attacked by Romulans. This was the first time Worf had encountered the race since his parents' deaths all those years ago, and he did not hesitate to use lethal force against those that he encountered. (NF No Limits short story: "Revelations")

Enterprise-D
In 2364, Worf transfered to the Federation's new flagship, the USS Enterprise NCC-1701-D with the rank of Lieutenant, junior grade under the command of Captain Jean-Luc Picard. (TNG episode: "Encounter at Farpoint")

Worf's life changed quickly aboard the Enterprise. In late 2364, and the position of ship's Chief of security after the death of the previous position holder, Lieutenant Tasha Yar. (TNG episode: "Skin of Evil," "The Child") By 2366, he was given the rank of full Lieutenant.(TNG episode: "Evolution,")

In 2366, he was reunited with his brother, Kurn, who was now serving in the Klingon Defense Force. Kurn informed Worf that their father, Mogh, was accused of being the traitor that aided the Romulans at Khitomer all those years ago. Mogh's accuser was Duras, Son of Ja'rod. It was later revealed that Ja'rod himself had been the traitor, and that the Klingon High Council was covering up the truth behind Khitomer to protect Duras' politically powerful family, the House of Duras. Worf accepted discommendation to protect the Klingon Empire and prevent a civil war. (TNG episode: "Sins of the Father")

When K'Ehleyr discovered the truth in 2367, she confronted Duras and Duras murdered her, leaving Worf with the young son that he only just discovered that he had. Worf slew Duras under the Klingon Right of Vengence aboard Duras' ship; only by virtue of the intervention of Captain Picard, then serving as Klingon Arbitor of Succession, was Worf spared a court-martial and dishonorable discharge from Starfleet. (TNG episode: "Reunion")

Worf and Kurn were instrumental in the accenssion to power of Chancellor Gowron, Son of M'Rell, over Toral, Son of Duras, in the years 2367 and 2368. For their assistance, Gowron restored their family name and gave Kurn a seat on the High Council. (TNG episode: "Redemption")

In late 2368, he began a romantic relationship with ship's Counselor Deanna Troi that lasted close to two years. TNG episode: "Ethics," "Parallels")

In 2369, Worf was instrumental in having the clone of the original Kahless the Unforgettable installed as Emperor of the Klingon Empire. (TNG episode: "Rightful Heir")

In 2370 Worf defied orders to report to the bridge when the Enterprise came under attack, instead going straight to Deanna Troi's quarters. Fortunately his instincts were correct and his actions saved Deanna's life, he was reprimanded by Captain Picard for defying orders never the less. Later when Deanna had recovered, he walked in on her and Commander Riker having a pillow fight, dropping the flowers he had bought her in the process, the two were able to reassure Worf they were just acting as friends as Riker departed on a date leaving Worf and Deanna to their romantic evening. (TNG comic: Strategy)

By the time the Enterprise was lost on the planet Veridian III in 2371, Worf had risen to the rank of Lieutenant Commander. (TNG movie: Generations)

Shortly after the destruction of the Enterprise-D, Worf proposed marriage to Deanna, and she accepted. The engagement was short lived. After a harrowing experience involving Romulan known as Sela, Deanna realized that she still had feelings for her first love, Commander William T. Riker. The two broke off their relationship, but remained friends. (TNG novel: Imzadi II)

Deep Space Nine and the Defiant
After the destruction of the Enterprise and his break-up with Deanna, Worf took a leave of absence from Starfleet and travelled to the Klingon monastary on Boreth. It was there that he recieved his orders to report to Starbase Deep Space 9 in the Bajoran sector in early 2372. Klingon Chancellor Gowron had amassed a large fleet of ships for reasons unknown, and the stations commander, Captain Benjamin Sisko, had requested Worf's assistance in discovering the truth.

When Worf discovered that the Klingons were planning on attacking Cardassia, Worf relayed this information to Sisko. Gowron was willing to forgive Worf for this, but only if he accompanied Gowron for the assault on Cardassia. When Worf refused, Gowron stripped his family of land and title, effectively restoring his state of discomendation.

Sisko offered Worf the position of station's strategic operations officer, coordinating Federation assets throughout the bustling Bajor Sector, as well as the position of first officer of the USS Defiant -- a switch to the command track. Worf accepted. (DS9 novelization: The Way of the Warrior) Worf served in those positions for four years, throughout the Dominion War.

Worf helped rescue General Martok, Son of Urthog, who had been replaced by a Founder, from a Dominion internment camp in 2373. The two became fast friends, and Worf eventually underwent a ritual making himself Martok's brother by blood and a member of the House of Martok.

He briefly commanded his son Alexander, who had joined the Defense Force, when Worf was temporarily attached to General Martok's vessel, the IKS Rotarran. In early 2374, Worf married Starfleet Lieutenant Commander Jadzia Dax, a Joined Trill; the union lasted until her untimely death in late in December of that year. During the war, Worf and Jadzia served together on an important mission to extract a Cardassian defector; when Jadzia's life was endangered, Worf chose to save her instead of the defector, earning a major reprimand. It was Captain Sisko's opinion the reprimand might prevent Worf from ever earning command of his own ship, but that as a man Sisko could not fault Worf for rescuing his wife. (DS9 episode: "Change of Heart")

Ambassador Worf
Towards the end of the war, Worf was instrumental in the installation of Martok as the new Klingon Chancellor, after Gowron's dishonorable actions caused the deaths of many Klingon warriors. Gowron had taken personal command of Defense Force assets on the front lines, and was purposefully launching suicidal and wasteful attacks in an attempt to discredit the popular Martok, whom Gowron had come to see as a threat to his power base. Worf challenged Gowron to a duel for his actions and killed him; Worf then had the right to become Chancellor himself, but instead chose to bestow the office upon Martok.

After the war was over in late 2375, Martok 'thanked' Worf by requesting that he be named as the new Federation Ambassador to the Klingon Empire. Worf had lived in between the two societies for his entire life. He was responsible for the installation of the last two Chancellors and an Emperor. Furthermore, both K'Ehleyr and Jadzia's previous host, Curzon Dax, had held the position. He was the perfect choice. (DS9 novelization: What You Leave Behind)

Before Worf could take on the position, he had to assist Martok in securing his position as Chancellor. A coup engineered by the Klingons Morjod and Gothmara destroyed the Great Hall and threw Qo'noS into chaos in early 2376. It was only when Ezri Dax brought the legendary Sword of Kahless into Martok's possesion that Martok's position was solidified. (DS9 novel: The Left Hand of Destiny, books one and two)

Worf's first assignment as Ambassador brought him to the world of taD, Klingon for "frozen," to settle a dispute between the indigenous population, who had appealed for recognition from the Federation after overthrowing the local Klingon government, and the Empire, who wished to have taD back under their own control.

With the assistance of his new attache, Giancarlo Wu, and the crew of the IKS Gorkon Worf, adapting to the needs of his new post, came up with a solution that pleased all parties and avoided bloodshed, installing a Klingon engineer from the Gorkon crew as a ceremonial emperor while granting practical autonomy to the populace. His new career was off to a good start. (TNG novel: Diplomatic Implausibility)

The Gateway Crisis and Malkus
In May of 2376, the Petraw, a race claiming to be the ancient Iconians, put the region into chaos by opening all of their powerful Gateways at once. Worf, at the request of his former captain, Jean-Luc Picard of the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-E), assisted in the task of uniting the various factions against the Petraw. Worf was even briefly re-united with the crew of the USS Defiant during the final part of the mission. (TNG novel: Gateways #4: Doors Into Chaos; short story: The Other Side "What Lay Beyond") Soon after, Worf became immersed in his new ambassadorial duties, taking care of matters such as going over reports from taD, multiple drafts of a treaty between the Empire and the Tholian Assembly, and even mundane matters such as arranging for a Bolian opera house to tour the Empire.

In early June, Worf was assigned to be one of the Federation's envoys to a conference at Khitomer between the major powers of the quadrant. One of his travelling companions on the voyage to Khitomer was none other than the legendary Ambassador Spock of Vulcan.

During the voyage, Spock's consciousness was comandeered by the ancient tyrant Malkus. Spock managed to subdue the entire shuttle, and set course for Malkus' location on the planet Narendra III. When Spock temporarily re-gained control, he suggested a that mind-meld with Worf might further weaken Malkus' hold on him. Worf agreed.

Together, the two living legends fought their way past Malkus' mind-controled servants, and were present when the Malkus Artifacts, the source of both Malkus power and consciousness, were deactivated, defeating the tyrant.(Star Trek novel: The Brave and the Bold #2: The Final Artifact)

The Order of the Bat'leth
A few weeks after the Malkus incident, Martok had Worf inducted in the Order of the Bat'leth, an organization founded millenia ago by the Lady Lukara, widow of Kahless, to ensure that Kahless' visions of honor were upheld in the Empire. The order had long since abandoned that idea, but Martok re-activated the Order's original purpose, believing that the Klingon Empire must be more honorable in its future dealings. (Star Trek: IKS Gorkon novel: A Good Day to Die)

Worf recieved his first summons from the Order when fellow initiate, Captain Klag of the IKS Gorkon, informed the Order that the Empire was going back on an honorable arrangement with the people of the world San-Tarah. Worf travelled with Martok to that distant world in order to insure that Klingon honor was upheld. (Star Trek: IKS Gorkon novel: Honor Bound)

Soon after the San-Tarah incident, Worf attended the induction of the Republic of Bajor into the United Federation of Planets. (DS9 novel: Unity)

Aluwna
In late 2376 and early 2377, Worf was put in command of a Klingon fleet assisting Starfleet in the evacuation of worlds that were in the line of fire of the Genesis Wave, a lethal form of energy that remade planets in its wake, destroying all life that was unfortunate enough to be present when the wave hit.

At the transformed planet of Aluwna, Worf and his Klingon warriors, including his son Alexander, fought off the Moss Creatures that activated the wave in order to re-form worlds to their own specifications, while struggling to restore the planet's population from a series of transporter satellites.

When Worf was too busy on the planet's surface to perform his diplomatic duties, Worf delegated the task to Alexander, who performed in the position admirably. Worf would remember his son's diplomatic skill in the future. (TNG novel: Genesis Force)

The Wardens
Also in 2377 Worf was one of the many victims of the Wardens plot to take over the galaxy. Whilst the Klingon High Council, under Warden control, prepared to go to war with the Federation, the Wardens kidnapped Worf in and effort to prevent him from defusing the situation. Fortunately the crew of the USS Incursion were at hand and promptly rescued Worf from captivity, delivering him to the Council chambers where he quickly moved to dissuade Chancellor Martok from launching the planned attack. (ST game: Star Trek: Away Team).

Tezwa
In 2379, Prime Minister Kinchawn of the independent world of Tezwa threatened war with the Klingon Empire. Worf was asked by Koll Azernal, the chief of staff to Federation President Min Zife, to make an appeal to Martok allowing the USS Enterprise to make a diplomatic attempt at negotiations before the Klingons attacked the less-advanced world. Martok reluctantly agreed. When Kinchawn siezed the peace delegation and attacked the Enterprise and the Klingon fleet with powerful nadion-pulse cannons that the Tezwan government had been secretly supplied with by Zife and Azernal via the Orion Syndicate, over 6,000 Klingons lost their lives.

Worf was contacted shortly thereafter by Captain Picard. Picard had been ordered by the President to bring Tezwa under Federation jurisdiction and to prevent the Klingon invasion at any cost (the true origin of the cannons remaining a secret). Picard asked Worf to provide him with the command codes for the Klingon fleet, knowledge that would allow Picard to remotely disable the Klingon fleet and save the lives of billions of Tezwans without even firing a single shot.

With the clandestine assistance of Commander Vasily Zeitsev of Section 31 (whom Worf believed to be an agent of Starfleet Intelligence), Worf managed to get the information he needed after attacking Klingon Councillor Kopek, anonymously blackmailing him into giving him the password necessary to acquire the command codes. Picard was successful in his attempt to bring Tezwa under Federation control and there wasn't any evidence to link Worf to the deed. However, his involvement was suspected by most on the Council and Worf made many enemies that day, including Kopek. (A Time to... novel: A Time to Kill)

Return to Starfleet
A month after the Tezwa incident, the Federation Embassy on Qo'noS was seized by terrorists who demanded that Martok step down as Chancellor and the treaty with the Federation be terminated. The terrorist leader, a Klingon named Rov, also made the odd claim that Emperor Kahless had been replaced by a hologram. Worf eventually re-took the embassy from the terrorists.

Two weeks later, Worf discovered that Rov's claim of the Emperor being replaced by a hologram was actually true. When Worf returned to Earth to get the Federation's assurance that they had nothing to do with Kahless' disappearance, he left his son Alexander with his embassy duties.

After the recovery of the Emperor and the election of new Federation President Nanietta Bacco, Worf tendered his resignation as Federation Ambassador to Qo'noS. Worf had done his duty for years and decided that he wanted to return to where he had been truly fulfilled- Starfleet. Impressed with the diplomatic skills shown by his son, Worf suggested that Alexander succeed him as Ambassador. President Bacco accepted the nomination.

Upon his return to the fleet, Admiral William Ross offered Worf the position of First Officer on the USS Titan, under Captain William T. Riker. Worf initially accepted the assignment, but instead took a posting on the USS Enterprise-E under his old commander, Jean-Luc Picard, after the death of Commander Data in battle with Reman warlord Shinzon. (A Time to... novel: A Time for War, A Time for Peace)

First Officer
Following Data's death, Worf and Geordi La Forge were cleaning out Data's quarters, when Data's pet cat Spot jumped into Worf's arms - Spot had selected her new owner. Worf tried to protest that he was not a cat person, but La Forge said that now he was. Following this, Spot's care fell to Commander Worf. At first the two didn't get along, but Worf soon came to see Spot as a proud warrior who sees what she wants and takes it. (TNG novel A Time for War, A Time for Peace; Star Trek: Titan novel Orion's Hounds and movie Star Trek: Nemesis).

Worf accepted the position of temporary First Officer of the Enterprise in the months following the battle with Shinzon. Worf did not feel worthy to accept the position permanently when Picard offered him the job due to his actions on Soukara in 2374, when he abandoned an important mission in order to save his wife Jadzia.

When Captain Picard was transformed once again into Locutus in early 2380, Worf led the mission that rescued Picard. This and advice from ship's CMO Beverly Crusher convinced Worf to accept the promotion on a permanent basis.

Worf felt an immediate attraction to the Enterprise's new Counselor, the Vulcan T'Lana, when she first reported for duty. Despite T'Lana's initial dislike of the Klingon, the two seem to be in the beginings of a romantic relationship. (TNG novels: Death in Winter; Resistance)

Worf was instrumental in saving the Universe. That's right, the entire universe. (TNG novel: Q & A)


 * According to the short story Staying the Course in the book Strange New Worlds 9, Worf is serving as Chancellor of the Klingon Empire around the year 2402. No mention is given as to how he ascended to the position.