

(covers information from several alternate timelines Multiple realities

"Do you know what my one regret is, Worf? That we weren't raised together. In the Empire, on Earth, it wouldn't have mattered, but the sons of Mogh should have never been separated."

Kurn, son of Mogh, was a male Klingon in the 24th century and officer in the Klingon Empire. He was biologically the son of Mogh, and Worf's younger brother, but was raised by Lorgh. His true lineage was not generally known until 2366, when Mogh was accused of being a traitor during the Khitomer Massacre. Kurn later supported Gowron during the Klingon Civil War, and afterwards gained a seat on the Klingon High Council. However, he fell from grace when Worf refused to support the Klingon invasion of Cardassia. To regain his honor, his memory was wiped and he assumed a new identity of Rodek, son of Noggra.

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Early life and career

Kurn was born in 2345 and not yet a year old, when his father Mogh left Qo'noS for Khitomer with his wife and older son Worf. However, because Kurn was so young, and since the trip to Khitomer was only meant to be a brief visit, he was left in the care of Lorgh, a family friend. After his parents were killed at the Khitomer Massacre, Lorgh accepted Kurn as his own son due to his own lack of male offspring. The High Council assumed that Kurn had actually accompanied his family and died in the attack that killed his parents. Kurn did not know his true family until he reached the Age of Ascension. Kurn eventually joined the Klingon Defense Forces and rose to the rank of commander. (TNG: "Sins of the Father")

He lived with his daughters at a house on Qo'noS. This house was near a lake which was so clear that the bottom could be seen. (TNG: "Firstborn")

A mention was made of Kurn having a family of his own in "Firstborn", but they were never shown onscreen.

In 2366, Duras, a powerful member of the Klingon High Council, claimed that new evidence had emerged implicating Mogh of betraying the Klingons at Khitomer. Duras led the Council to judge Mogh guilty, believing that Worf would not care and that there were no members of his house left to oppose the accusation. Since Worf, as Mogh's heir, was responsible for challenging the Council's judgment, Kurn requested a posting aboard the USS Enterprise-D as part of the Officer Exchange Program to evaluate his brother as a warrior. Kurn was impressed with Worf, and told him of Duras' claims. The two of them returned to Qo'noS to clear Mogh's name, with Captain Picard providing Kurn with further reasons to admire his brother when Picard took the Enterprise itself to Qo'noS so that Worf's crew could stand beside him during his challenge.

Worf took on Kurn as his cha'DIch during the proceedings, but insisted that Kurn not reveal his true father so that he would not also suffer the consequences if Worf failed. Duras knew of Kurn's true bloodline, and had two assassins attack him before the Mek'ba. Kurn was stabbed and left in a coma, compelling Worf to ask Picard to take his place as cha'DIch. After Worf accepted discommendation to avoid civil war, Kurn continued posing as the son of Lorgh to preserve his honor and position. (TNG: "Sins of the Father")

Civil war

After Chancellor K'mpec died a year later and the Klingon Empire again teetered on the verge of civil war, Kurn believed that Gowron was too weak to lead the Empire and prepared to assassinate him and battle the forces of the Duras sisters himself. Now in command of a Klingon squadron from the Bird-of-Prey IKS Hegh'ta, Kurn secured the allegiance of four squadron commanders in strategic sectors. However, Worf asserted his authority as the older brother and ordered Kurn to support Gowron. Kurn was able to convince three of his allies to join him, and came to the aid of Gowron when his flagship IKS Bortas came under fire while in orbit of Qo'noS. Once he was installed as chancellor, Gowron restored the honor of the House of Mogh. (TNG: "Redemption")

In the ensuing Klingon Civil War, Kurn served with distinction in several engagements. In one particular battle, he destroyed two pursuing Birds-of-Prey from a squadron commanded by Larg by triggering a solar flare. He led the forces which stormed the Duras family residence at the end of the war and captured Toral, son of Duras. In recognition of his support, Gowron gave Kurn a seat on the High Council. (TNG: "Redemption II")

Dishonor and a new life

For a time, it seemed as though the House of Mogh was on the rise; it was rumored that his house might even be in contention for the position of chancellor if Gowron died. (DS9: "The Way of the Warrior")

In 2372, he learned of Gowron's and Martok's plan to invade the Cardassian Union, and of Gowron's desire to end the treaty with the Federation in response to its disapproval. Kurn opposed the decision to break the treaty, since he thought Gowron underestimated the Federation, and did not want to provoke a war, a war he knew could come and that the Empire might lose. He was overruled in council. However, Kurn's position soon ended when Worf refused to join the Klingon invasion of the Cardassian Union after being asked by Gowron personally. In retaliation, Gowron seized the House of Mogh's lands and titles, and publicly expelled Kurn from the High Council in disgrace. (DS9: "Sons of Mogh", "Rules of Engagement")

Over the next four months, Kurn oversaw the dissolution of the House of Mogh. After this, he wandered as a persona non grata in the Empire, unable to commit suicide, as it was considered a dishonorable mode of death. He finally arrived at Deep Space 9 in a drunken state. He asked Worf to restore his honor by killing him in the Mauk-to'Vor ritual. Worf reluctantly agreed, but Jadzia Dax realized what Worf was about to do and with Odo's help secured medical treatment for Kurn in time to save his life. Since Captain Sisko made it clear that Worf could not attempt the Mauk-to'Vor a second time, he arranged for Kurn to join Odo's station security forces. Odo complimented Kurn as being good at his job if a little stern. However, this ended after an incident where Kurn allowed the Boslic Tilikia to shoot him. Worf, seeing the depth of Kurn's despair, convinced him that it was the Empire who was acting dishonorably, by following Gowron against Cardassia and the Federation. Subsequently, Kurn helped to uncover the Klingon plot to mine the Bajoran system by infiltrating the attack cruiser IKS Drovana. During the mission, Kurn saved Worf's life by correctly spotting a guard's intent to kill. Afterward, as Kurn had killed another Klingon warrior, was prepared to accept the dishonor of direct suicide, however, Worf had arrived at a new solution at Dax's suggestion. The plan was that Kurn's memory would be wiped, his face surgically altered, and his DNA resequenced, allowing Kurn to assume a new identity. According to Doctor Bashir, the only things Kurn would remember were the Klingon language and the fact that he was a Klingon; essentially providing him the most basic set of skills to survive in the Empire.

A family friend, Noggra, agreed to take Kurn as his own son, who was renamed Rodek. Rodek was told he suffered amnesia during a shuttle accident. (DS9: "Sons of Mogh")

It is never explained how Kurn's complete disappearance from Klingon society is accounted for nor how Rodek's sudden addition to the House of Noggra happened. It is possible that Kurn's death was faked and a series of fraudulent documents were drawn up for "Rodek."

Parallel universe

In another quantum reality, Worf was unable to attend the bat'leth tournament on Forcas III in 2370 due to a malfunction in the Enterprise's main deflector. Kurn attended the tournament in his place despite his lack of experience with the blade. (TNG: "Parallels")

Appendices

Appearances

Background information

In the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Firstborn", K'mtar/Older Alexander Rozhenko reveals that he has knowledge of Kurn despite them never meeting (at least on screen). K'mtar also mentioned that Kurn had no male heirs, suggesting that perhaps Kurn may have a daughter or daughters (TNG: "Firstborn").

It should also be noted that despite being his younger brother, Kurn outranked Worf (in the Klingon Defense Force) and gave him orders in some of his appearances (TNG: "Sins of the Father", TNG: "Redemption").

Kurn was played by Tony Todd in all of his appearances.

He is also the only Klingon seen crying on screen (contradicting Spock's assertion in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country that Klingons have no tear ducts).

Apocrypha

The novel The Art of the Impossible establishes that Lorgh actually petitioned Mogh and his wife Kassin, to care for Kurn while they were on Khitomer so as not to risk the entire family if something should happen to them. According to the novel, Lorgh recognized that a Klingon had to have betrayed them to the Romulans. In doing so, the individual who was responsible or the person's family, might seek vengeance against Mogh's family. With Worf safely in the Federation, Lorgh knew Kurn would be a target so he took Kurn in as his son, making sure General Worf's line would continue (as he had been a friend of Worf's) and vowing to make Kurn a powerful and influential warrior in the Empire.

The I.K.S. Gorkon book series indicates that Kurn, in his new identity as Rodek, continues to serve the Empire on board a ship named for the Klingon Chancellor, serving as both weapons officer and later also as second officer.

The Deep Space Nine relaunch novel Warpath and the Star Trek: Mirror Universe novella Saturn's Children feature the mirror universe version of counterpart (β), serving as a General in the Klingon-Cardassian Alliance.

Kurn (as Rodek) appears in Star Trek Online, voiced again by Tony Todd. By the game's setting in the early 25th century, Rodek has risen to the rank of General, and was involved in the "Reckoning" storyline involving the Lukari (a race introduced in the leadup to the expansion Agents of Yesterday) and the Tzenkethi. [1][2] He also appears in the feature episode "Brushfire", in which he and the player character raid a Son'a prison in the Briar Patch to liberate former Chancellor Martok, who recognizes Rodek as Kurn and reveals his true bloodline to him. Kurn later joins the player in repelling an assault on Bajor by the Tzenkethi, followed by the Hur'q, the latter reappearing to menace the galaxy after having been thought extinct for millenia.

The alternate reality version of Kurn appears in the third issue of the Star Trek: Ongoing story arc The Q Gambit where he is stationed on the Klingon colony of Earth after the Empire defeated the Federation and conquered Earth renaming it "Tera'." He meets with Benjamin Sisko and Odo after escaping from Terok Nor and sees James T. Kirk, Montgomery Scott, and Nyota Uhura with them. Unaware of who they are, Kurn notices how oddly familiar their outfits look. Kurn then escorts the group to meet with his brother Worf, who is Chancellor of Tera'. As Worf prepares to meet with the advisory council over Sisko's intelligence reports and the events that brought Kirk and his crew to the future while also having rooms prepared for Kirk and his party, Kurn then tells Worf that there's been a change of plans on a planetary scale as he and Worf's guards kill Worf, and it's revealed that they're actually Changelings who proclaim Earth is now under Dominion control.

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