Voq

This page details Voq in the primary universe; for the Voq in the mirror universe see Voq (mirror).

"I serve the light of Kahless. I am reborn in his flames."

—Voq, 2256

Voq
Voq in 2256.
Known aliases:	Ash Tyler
Species:	Klingon (Albino)
Gender:	Male
Died:	2257
Affiliation:	Klingon Empire, House of T'Kuvma
Family
Children:	Tenavik
Career
Rank:	Torchbearer
Voq as Ash Tyler

Voq was a Klingon follower of T'Kuvma and a member of his House. Following T'Kuvma's death, Voq became a sleeper agent, posing as Lieutenant Ash Tyler in order to gain information from Starfleet. (DSC episodes: "The Vulcan Hello", "The Wolf Inside")

Biography

Voq was born with albinism, which made him an outcast from his house and Klingon society. He eventually called himself "son of none". Voq would playt'Sang. Despite his condition, Voq then became a follower of T'Kuvma and was accepted into his house. He became one T'Kuvma's most devoted follower.

In 2256, he served aboard the Sarcophagus and became the Torchbearer after Rejac's death and was Given T'Kuvma's Bat'leth. In that capacity, he lit the Beacon of Kahless and members of all the Great House's and the Empire's High Council came in response to it. (DSC episode: "The Vulcan Hello")

Despite the contempt he received from the High Council and Commander Kol, the Council agreed to unite the Empire in order to fight the United Federation of Planets. He and L'Rell then proclaimed T'Kuvma as "the Unforgettable". Following the initial Battle of the Binary Stars, Voq and the Sarcophagus's crew then came under attack by the USS Shenzhou's captain Philippa Georgiou and XO Michael Burnham attempted to capture T'Kuvma. Despite being subdued by the two officers, they failed in their mission despite T'Kuvma's death. Voq then held T'Kuvma and promised him that the Empire would rally behind his memory. (DSC episode: "Battle at the Binary Stars")

Despite achieving T'Kuvma's goal of unifying the Empire, Voq and the crew of the Sarcophagus were stranded in the debris field left by the battle for months. During this time, L'Rell told him a story about T'Kuvma early life. Despite his crew making repairs, Voq refused to use the Shenzhou's warp drive to finish the repairs due it's part in T'Kuvma's death. (DSC episode: "The Butcher's Knife Cares Not for the Lamb's Cry"; DSC - The Light of Kahless comic: "Issue 1")

Kol then arrived, offered supplies to his crew and convinced Voq to use the Shenzhou's warp drive. With L'Rell, Voq was able to salvage the warp drive. Unfortunately, Kol was able to convince the crew to follow him instead of Voq and use the Sarcophagus as his flagship. L'Rell was then able to convince Kol to leave him aboard the Shenzhou to slowly suffocate and die.

During his time aboard the Shenzhou, Voq found Burnham's personnel records and discovered that she was the one who killed T'Kuvma's. L'Rell then beamed aboard and signaled a Klingon raider to take him to the matriachs of House of Mo'Kai, where he be given power to use against the Federation. (DSC episode: "The Butcher's Knife Cares Not for the Lamb's Cry") Some time shortly afterwards Voq and L'Rell had intercourse, resulting in the conception of a child. (DSC episode: "Point of Light")

Voq was then warned by L'Rell that it would cost him everything. Voq then underwent extreme agonizing surgery in order to appear human. Voq was then given the identity of a captured Starfleet officer, Lieutenant Ash Tyler who was captured at the battle. When the surgery was complete, Voq's original personality was subsumed by Tyler's personality. Voq's personality would come out when L'Rell would speak a Klingon prayer. (DSC episodes: "The Butcher's Knife Cares Not for the Lamb's Cry", "Despite Yourself", "The Wolf Inside")

As Ash Tyler

Following the surgery, Voq believed he was Tyler and was taken to a prison ship. There, he shared a cell with Harry Mudd. During this time, he learned that Mudd robbed a bank on Betazed. During this time, he was "tortured" by L'Rell, which gave him PTSD. He was then joined by the USS Discovery's captain, Gabriel Lorca. Together, they made their "escape", leaving Mudd behind, and stealing a raider. They were then rescued by the Discovery. (DSC episodes: "Choose Your Pain", "Magic to Make the Sanest Man Go Mad", "Into the Forest I Go")

A week later, Captain Lorca appointed "Tyler" as his new Security Chief. (DSC episode: "Lethe")

Following a away mission to Pahvo, "Tyler" then assisted Burnham in boarding the Sarcophagus and placing sensors to break through it's cloak. However, he then suffered catatonia when he encounter L'Rell and Admiral Katrina Cornwell. However, "Tyler" was able to bring himself out of it and take Cornwell and L'Rell aboard Discovery. (DSC episodes: "Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum", "Into the Forest I Go")

Despite finding peace with Burnham, Voq was tormented by his memories of his surgery, which he as Tyler were believed to be nightmares. "Tyler" then confronted L'Rell about this before the Discovery ended up in the Mirror universe. L'Rell then tried bring Voq out of his Tyler persona by reciting her prayer. However, "Tyler" was disturbed by this and went to see Dr. Hugh Culber about this. Dr. Culber then did a scan on him and discovered that his "torture" was actually a surgical operation and that he had two personalities in him. When Culber to ground from his mission to infiltrate the ISS Shenzhou. Voq, to ensure his secrecy, killed Culber and accompaned Burnham and Lorca to the Shenzhou. (DSC episodes: "Into the Forest I Go", "Despite Yourself")

During his time aboard the Shenzhou, "Tyler" acted as Burnham's personal guard. Together, then met a group of Rebels on Harlak. There, Voq/Tyler then met his counterpart, which awakened his memories and caused him to attack his counterpart. Voq then tried to kill Burnham when she discovered that Tyler was Voq. However, he was stopped by Saru. Burnham then had Voq beamed into space with some of the classifed information on the USS Defiant's arrival. Before he suffocated, Voq beamed back aboard the Discovery. There, Saru took the information from him and had him sent to sickbay. (DSC episode: "The Wolf Inside")

In Sickbay, Voq was dying due to his two sets of memories. Thus, L'Rell had to perform the Klingon death ritual for Voq knowing that he was dead. However, Ash Tyler continued to live with Voq's memories. (DSC episodes: "The Wolf Inside", "Vaulting Ambition")

Appendices

Appearances

2256 DSC episode: "The Vulcan Hello" DSC episode: "Battle at the Binary Stars" DSC - The Light of Kahless comic: "Issue 1" DSC episode: "The Butcher's Knife Cares Not for the Lamb's Cry" DSC episode: "Choose Your Pain" (as Ash Tyler) DSC episode: "Lethe" (as Ash Tyler) DSC episode: "Magic to Make the Sanest Man Go Mad" (as Ash Tyler) DSC episode: "Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum" (as Ash Tyler) DSC episode: "Into the Forest I Go" (as Ash Tyler) DSC episode: "Despite Yourself" (as Ash Tyler) DSC episode: "The Wolf Inside" (as Ash Tyler)

External link

• Voq article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.