Forgotten Heroes: Star Trek TNG’s K’Ehleyr

By Owen Quinn author of the Time Warrior and Zombie Blues

I was recently made aware of just how many movies and television shows the younger generation have never heard of, never mind seen. So to that end, we look back at some characters you really need to see before you kick the bucket.

Long before Deanna Troi and Jadzia Dax on Deep Space 9, there was only one real woman for Worf. Her name was K’Ehleyr and she was very much the woman to challenge and pull away all of Worf’s Klingon traditions in a world that no longer needed those traits. She does not follow traditional Klingon ways much to Worf’s annoyance.

K’Ehleyr was feisty, sassy, unafraid of any male Klingon who sought to put her in her place and so very human. Her father was Klingon and her mother was human. She keeps her Klingon side under control while her human sense of humour has landed her in trouble before. She had a troubled childhood trapped between two worlds. Even her entrance is out of the ordinary as she is placed inside a torpedo shell in order to speed up her mission. Worf and she were old lovers and she debuted in the seond season episode the Emissary.

A Klingon cruiser has been in statis for many years and do not know there is between between the Klingon Empire and Federation now. To prevent them from attacking Federation outposts and ships, K’Ehleyr seeks the help Captain Picard.

It is clear K’Ehleyr and Worf have some unfinished business. Worf is far from pleased to see her when she arrives and says he has nothing to say to her. It doesn’t make it any easier when Picard assigns Worf to assist her. She doesn’t understand why Worf is so angry at her appearance now. They both blame each other for not giving their relationship a chance and as far as Worf is concerned it is a dead subject.

They butt heads constantly over the mission which is simply their unresolved feelings for each other boiling over. Worf drives her crazy with his new found optimism for solutions. Forming a bond with Troi, K’Ehleyr utilises the holodeck using Worf’s programmes. There they fight again but this time, they cannot hold their feelings back for each other and make love. It’s actually a beautifully done look at Klingon courtship and passion as K’Ehleyr falls under the influence of Klingon rituals as her heart melts for the man she loves. The soundtrack is exquisite as they fall for each other again.

Equally, seeing her in full combat mode as she kills the holographic opponents makes Worf realise that she is still as Klingon as he. However, it descends into chaos as their mating means they are bonded for life. Worf is furious when she refuses taking the stance that it doesn’t mean they fall back into ritual as she will not be his wife just because they have slept together. The meaningful part here is that she shouts at him that it is not her way even though it is his. She cannot believe he would have gone through with it despite the consequences to their lives and careers. She asks him to just feel something for once in his life that has nothing to do with ritual. They made love so just leave it at that.

When the mission is successfully concluded thanks to Worf, they part ways once more but this time they are changed. Worf is as stubborn as ever refusing to speak his feelings up to the last second. She turns on him for that. K’Ehleyr admits she almost married him the night before but was afraid of how powerful her feelings were. Worf finally admits that he will never be complete without her. This is such good writing as we feel for them despite the fact they are Klingon. Now as a fan, we wanted to see her back and maybe get a happy ending. If only life was that fair.

At this point it is season four and Worf has been banished and disgraced from the Klingon Empire in Sins of the Father. He discovers that not only does he have a brother he never knew but that the Duras family framed his father for collaborating with the Romulans to destroy the Khitomer outpost of which Worf was a survivor. The Council are aware of it but to protect an unstable empire from falling into civil war, Worf takes the disgrace. He is no longer recognised as Klingon or be acknowledged as one by any other Klingon. But K’Ehleyr is not just any other Klingon and as we know, is not big on Klingon tradition.

She returns in Reunion as ambassador to ensure Picard mediates in the succession of a new the current Emperor of the Empire as the current one is dying from poisoning. One of the two successors for the title are responsible and one of them is an old foe; Duras. However she has been keeping a secret of her own. She beams aboard with a child, Alexander. She has kept his existence from Worf and does not want their son to follow tradition. Worf will not acknowledge the boy as to do so would bring him into disgrace with his father. Worf and K’Ehleyr argue over how to bring him up. He also refuses to tell her what happened back on Kronos. She tells him that he is part of her and they almost take the marriage oath but Worf pulls back. He cannot allow either of them to share his disgrace. K’Ehleyr cannot even get answers from Picard. The man she knows would never give in to taking blame for something his family never did so what he is hiding drives her on. Undeterred, K’Ehleyr manages to find out which leads to tragedy. But before that she and Gowron have a face off which shows just how strong and unafraid of Klingons she is. This whole epeisode is filled with electric dialogue and K’Ehleyr’s facing down Gowron is one of them. She is a storng lady fileld with passion and loyalty and a deep running love for those she cares about.

Duras poisoned the Emperor and discovers K’Ehleyr has been asking too many questions. She faces off against the slimy Duras when she puts it all together.

Again there are moments that stand out in many fans’ memories and the events of Reunion stand out among the most heartbreaking ever. Worf and Alexander return to K’Ehleyr’s quarters to find her dying from multiple stab wounds. Her last actions are to tell Worf who killed her and ensure Alexander is safe. She then dies in Worf’s arms. Duras has stabbed her to death in an animalistic way to protect his secret. A frightened Alexander runs into a corner as Worf roars to the afterlife that his lover is coming to them. Cradling her slaughtered body, Worf tells his son to look upon death and never forget. He then kills Duras in revenge. He finally acknowledges his son and holds him as they both grieve the loss of the most important woman in their lives. I dare anyone not to reach for the tissues when we see Worf’s sentimental side.

In just two episodes K’Ehleyr made an impact that had devastating consequences but she would be happy that Worf has their son. Suzie Plakson would return to the show in different roles like Vulcan Dr Selar and in Star trek Voyager as Q’s girlfriend.

For so many spin offs, the success and memory of K’Ehleyr will never be forgotten.