We were…. waylaid…. but we have returned. My runabout, SS Terra Nova, is safely back aboard the Enterprise. And, yes, so is Lieutenant Worf Rozhenko. Our mission, though dangerous, and nearly a disaster, was, in the end, a success.
We found Lieutenant Worf, and we brought him home.
Last month, Lieutenant Worf received a message (via commship), from a Klingon commander, named Kurn, a man who claimed to be his younger brother. Kurn informed Worf that their house – the House of Mogh – was accused of treason to the Empire, and Mogh, their deceased father, had been named as the traitor who aided the Romulan attack on Khitomer twenty years ago. Kurn asked Worf to meet him on the Klingon colony world of G’araxa, and the two would travel to the Klingon home world to try and clear their family name.
Worf secured transport aboard a non-Federation vessel bound for G’araxa. Upon arrival, he met with Commander Kurn (who was living under the protection of an assumed House), and the two brothers booked passage to Qo’Nos. On Qo’Nos, Worf challenged the High Council allegations against his father, with Kurn as his ceremonial aide. Unfortunately, Kurn was attacked and killed in a tunnel under the city, and Worf was forced to face his challenge alone. Opposed by the powerful House of Duras, Worf failed, and was executed for the crimes of his father.
Thankfully, though, the story doesn’t end there. Another Klingon house (which shall remain nameless, for reasons of honor and security) owed the House of Mogh a secret long-standing debt. They managed to obtain Worf’s body, moments after his perceived death, revived him, and whisked him off to a secret location on Qo’Nos. There, he was stabilized, cared for, and nursed back to health – in repayment of that family debt.
Lieutenant Worf was unable to return to the Enterprise, as planned, because he was "dead", and was under the secret intensive medical care of those who rescued him.
Here, aboard the Enterprise, my runabout, and its search and rescue crew -- operating as civilians -- set off to find Lieutenant Worf when he didn’t return from his personal leave. Our mission was recorded through posts I shared on my personal Sam Archer Facebook page.
On the evening of the day we finally gained a hearing with the Klingon High Council – after they informed us of Worf’s execution, a personal courier delivered a message to our runabout (which was parked in the capital city space port), asking us to meet. Since it was a clandestine meeting, I referred to it as a “sight-seeing visit” to avoid suspicion. That meeting, the next day, was with members of the Klingon house that rescued Worf.
We met, in secret, and Lieutenant Worf was returned to us. Leaders of this house also provided us with ferry passage, out of Klingon space, aboard a Klingon warship owned by this house. Clearance codes were changed, and this warship – was temporarily altered so as not to arouse suspicion. Unfortunately, part of our escape plan was leaked (most likely by a house spy), and our warship was boarded during a brief supply stop. After a daring hand-to-hand fight (aboard the warship), we jumped back into warp, and arrived safely at the coordinates of the USS Enterprise, where she was awaiting our return.
Now, in the present, our entire crew (the four mission personnel, and myself), Lieutenant Worf Rozhenko, and the SS Terra Nova are back aboard the Enterprise. We also have a new secret ally among the Klingon houses. Their house identity, however, is known only to those of us who were aboard the Terra Nova. They requested anonymity, and we will uphold their request. We are grateful for their assistance, and honored by their actions that saved Lieutenant Worf’s life. We wish them well, and hope their identity (as far as this matter is concerned) can remain secret.
Unfortunately, there is a downside to this mission. Lieutenant Worf Rozhenko can never again set foot in Klingon territory. The ties to his heritage have been broken, and his family honor is gone. He is dead on Qo’Nos, and no longer a son of Mogh. He is now, in every sense of the word, an orphan who grew up on Gault (and later, Earth). He remains a citizen of the Federation, and a respected Starfleet officer, but his Klingon birthright is no longer valid.
So, yeah, that was our mission. We’re back, we’re alive, and we’re exhausted. It sure feels good, though, to be home – among friends -- and no longer surrounded by millions of Klingons (some of whom still want to kill us).
-Lieutenant Sam Archer
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March 17, 2366 -- (Original Devron Timeline, altered by temporal anomaly)