Gowron, son of M'Rel


 * For the mirror universe counterpart, see Gowron (mirror).

Gowron was a male Klingon who served as Chancellor of the Klingon High Council from 2367 to 2375.

Early Life and Rise to Power
Prior to becoming Chancellor, Gowron was considered a political outsider who often challenged the High Council. When it became apparent in 2367 that K'mpec was dying, Gowron quickly rose to become one of two main challengers for the office of Chancellor. The other challenger was Councilor Duras, Son of Ja'rod. After K'mpec died, Gowron met with Captain Jean-Luc Picard of the USS Enterprise-D and Councilor Duras on K'mpec's ship for the Sonchi ceremony, to verify that K'mpec was truly dead. Duras attempted to have Gowron assassinated during this ceremony by having one of his bodyguards carry out a suicide bombing, which ultimately failed. Worf later killed Duras after Duras murdered K'Ehleyr. As a result, Gowron was the only challenger left for the office. (TNG episode: "Reunion").

Near the end of 2367, shortly before Gowron's installation ceremony, the sisters of Duras, Lursa and B'Etor, challenged his claim to the office of Chancellor, instead supporting the claim of Toral, the illegitimate son of Duras. Picard however decided that any claim the House of Duras had to the office died with Duras.

Shortly afterwards, Gowron's ship was attacked by two Birds-of-Prey loyal to Duras. Commander Worf of the Enterprise was on board at teh time, and assisted the crew during the battle. Also joining the battle on Gowron's behald was Kurn, son of Mogh. With this new source of support, Gowron decided to proceed with his installation as Chancellor. His first act after assuming the office was to restore the honor of the House of Mogh, ending Worf's discommendation.

A brief civil war erupted in the Empire, with Worf and Kurn continuing to fight on Gowron's side. Meanwhile Starfleet helped to expose the Romulan support the House of Duras was receiving, leading to the loss of lost nearly all support in the Empire for the Duras sisters, and eventually their defeat. (TNG episodes: "Redemption, Parts I & II").

2367-2371
In order to shore up his position as Chancellor, Gowron began revising the official histories after taking power. These revised histories indicated that it was his prowess as a warrior that brought him and his forces to victory, with no mention made of the Federation's help. When Picard needed a cloaked ship to sneak into the Romulan capital, Gowron ignored him until Picard threatened to turn to Gowron's rivals, and to then give those rival's the Federation's gratitude. At this point, Gowron agreed to provide Picard with a ship to transport him to Romulus. (TNG novelization: Unification).

When the clone of Kahless appeared on Boreth in 2370, Gowron saw him as a threat to his power, and intercepted the Enterprise as it ferried Kahless to Qo'noS. When the clone agreed to become the ceremonial Emperor, with the actual power still resting with the Chancellor and the High Council, Gowron at least publicly dropped his opposition to Kahless, and even kneeled in obedience to the Emperor. (TNG episode: "Rightful Heir").

Gowron later presided over sessions of the Klingon High Council in which D'Ghor attempted to seize the lands and property of the House of Kozak. By forcing Quark to marry her, Grilka was able to keep the council from acting on D'Ghor's claim. Gowron then declared that Kozak was dead, and that his House would now be known as the House of Quark. This gave Grilka enough time for Quark to discover that D'Ghor had used financial manipulation to attempt to bring down the House of Kozak. When D'Ghor attempted to execute Quark for bringing the evidence before the council, Gowron realized that Quark had been telling the truth. Telling D'Ghor that he had no honor, Gowron and the other members of the High Council discommended D'Ghor, who was then ejected from the Great Hall. Afterwards, Gowron informed Grilka that circumstances were unusual enough to grant her dispensation to lead the House on her own. (DS9 episode: "The House of Quark").

In the second half of 2371, Gowron faced a crisis within the Empire as a newly discovered scroll revealed new information on Kahless the Unforgettable and his role in Klingon history. Enterprise Captain Jean-Luc Picard and Emperor Kahless both helped Gowron to stabalize the situation within the Empire. (TNG novel: Kahless).

Also in 2371, the Romulan Commander Sela used Thomas Riker in an attempt to assassinate Gowron and launch a massive biological attack on Qo'noS. Riker was prevented from assassinating Gowron, and escaped before he could be captured by Starfleet. (TNG novel: Triangle: Imzadi II).

2372-2375
In late 2371 General Martok was captured by the Dominion and replaced by a Founder, who acted as Gowron's chief of staff. On a mission to destabalize the Alpa Quadrant in advance of a Dominion invasion, the Martok changeling provided evidence that Cardassia's Detapa Council was replaced with Founders. In early 2372, he convinced Gowron and the other High Council to stage an invasion of Cardassia. When the Federation refused to support the invasion, Gowron withdrew from the Khitomer Accords, ending the alliance between the two powers. While Captain Benjamin Sisko and Worf were able to convince Gowron not to proceed with the invasion, the two powers remained at odds. (DS9 episode: "The Way of the Warrior")

Because Worf refused to support the invasion, Gowron caused Worf and the House of Mogh to lose their standing in the Empire. Worf's brother Kurn, Son of Mogh lost his seat on the council, in the presence of Emperor Kahless. (DS9 episode: "Sons of Mogh")

Over the next year, at the behest of the Martok changeling Gowron became increasingly aggressive, and soon open combat began between the Federation and the Empire. As part of a plan to further destabalize the Alpha Quadrant, when Odo was returned to the Great Link the link let it slip that Gowron was a changeling. The Federation sent Captain Sisko, Odo, Worf, and Chief Miles O'Brien on a mission to expose the changeling. Captured by the Martok changeling, Worf was given an opportunity to engage Gowron in personal combat, but stopped short of killing Gowron when Odo realized that Martok was the changeling, not Gowron. The Martok changeling was swiftly killed. Gowron at first was hesitant to engage in talks with the Federation, feeling that once combat was started it could not be stopped. But Odo said that talk was the best course as it was the last thing the Founders wanted. These talks met with limited success though as the two forces had more skirmishes. (DS9 episodes: "Broken Link", "Apocalypse Rising", and "Nor the Battle to the Strong")

In mid 2372, Gul Skrain Dukat of the Cardassian Empire revealed that he had negotiated with the Dominion for the Cardassians to join the Dominion. Dominion forces entered Cardassian space, and forced the Klingons in Cardassian space to withdraw. Seeing that the Dominion had gained a foothold in Alpha Quadrant space, Gowron re-signed the Khitomer Accords, restoring the alliance between the Federation and the Empire. As part of a new agreement between the two powers, a permanent military presence by the Klingons was established on Deep Space Nine. When the real General Martok was rescued by Worf and Garak, Benjamin Sisko requested that Martok be assigned to lead DS9's Klingon contingent, and Gowron agreed to this request. (DS9 episode: "By Inferno's Light").

Over the next several months, the Dominion sent more forces into Cardassian space, preparing to invade the other Alpha Quadrant powers. At the end of 2372, the Federation mined the entrance of the Bajoran wormhole and retreated from Bajoran space. The Federation and the Klingon Empire engaged the Domion in battle, beginning the Dominion War. After several weeks of fighting, Gowron agreed to send a large force to help retake Deep Space Nine. (DS9 episodes: "Call to Arms" and "Sacrifice of Angels")

During the war, the elderly Dahar Master Kor wanted to play a direct role in the war, but after a long life he had acquired a large number of enemies - who refused him a direct role in the war. By then Kor was suffering from lapses in memory and concentraion. When Worf intervened to give Kor a chance to participate directly in the war, Kor suffered a memory lapse in the middle of combat. Realizing that Kor was not fit for a combat role, both Martok and Worf decided that they would prevail upon Gowron to give him a sutibable position, however Kor soon died in combat with the Jem'Hadar, saving the lives of the surviving Klingons in the process. (DS9 episode: "Once More Unto the Breach")

Fall from Power
In 2375, Worf became convinced that Gowron would have to be challenged after Gowron had taken direct command of the Klingon forces in an attempt to undermine Martok's support in the Empire. Gowron engaged in a number of foolhardy attacks that cost of a number of Klingon ships and warriors. Martok was seriously wounded in one of the attacks. Worf at first tried to convince Martok to challenge Gowron, but Martok refused on the grounds that it would be dishonorable to do so while an enemy stood before them.

After talking to Ezri Dax, Worf realized that if the Empire continued on its current course with Gowron leading it that it was doomed to eventual destruction. When Gowron proposed another foolhardy attack, Worf had enough, and stood up to challenge Gowron. He took off his combadge to symbolize that he was speaking as a warrior and a member of the House of Martok instead of a Starfleet officer.

Gowron then said there was only one response to Worf's challenge, and moved to grab a bat'leth, and Worf did the same. The two men fought, and Worf soon found himself on the ground. When Gowron raised his sword to deliver a killing blow, Worf stabbed him in the chest with a part of a bat'leth. Worf then performed the Klingon death ceremony for Gowron, holding the man's eyes open and screaming to warn the dead that Gowron was about to arrive.

Martok took the Chancellor's cloak and draped it over Worf's shoulders, and tried to proclaim him the next leader of the Empire. Worf refused, instead giving the cloak and the office to his friend Martok, who became the next Chancellor of the Klingon Empire. (DS9 episode: "Tacking Into the Wind").