Gowron

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Gowron is a fictional character of the Star Trek universe. He was the supreme Chancellor of the Klingon Empire from 2367-2375. He was played by Robert O'Reilly and featured in the TV series Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Gowron was most easily recognized by his prominent eyes, which made for a particularly initimidating expression; he was the son of M'Rel.

In 2367 (in the fourth-season TNG episode "Reunion"), Chancellor K'mpec disclosed to Enterprise-D captain Jean-Luc Picard that he had been slowly poisoned, and before he died, appointed Picard as Arbiter of Succession (the person who chooses the next Chancellor, which is assumed to be a typically Klingon position), in part to allow him to determine who poisoned him. The two contenders were Gowron, who, at the time, was a political outsider who had challenged the Klingon High Council many times previously, and Duras, the son of Ja'rod, the Klingon who betrayed the outpost at Khitomer to the Romulans. The previous year (in the third-season episode "Sins of the Father"), Duras had falsely blamed Worf's father Mogh for the crime in order to protect his late father from blame, which, according to Klingon culture, would have resulted in Duras sharing in that dishonor. Before the aribtration process could be resolved, however, Worf's one-time mate, K'Ehleyr, discovered the evidence that implicated Ja'rod, and to prevent her from disclosing it, Duras murdered her. Claiming right of vengenace, Worf challenged Duras to a duel, and killed him, resulting in Gowron's ascension to the Chancellorship.

Later that year Gowron faced opposition to the validity of his Chancellorship from Duras' sisters, Lursa and B'Etor, who supported Toral, the adolescent illegitimate son of Duras, as a candidate for Chancellor. Picard, acting in his previously-appointed role as Arbiter of Succession, reaffirmed Gowron's place as Leader. This led to a brief Klingon Civil War, during which Worf, having resigned his Starfleet commission, fought for Gowron's side. Because of the Duras family's long-suspected collusion with the Romulans, and the belief that the Romulans were supporting the Duras sisters with supplies during the Civil War, the Federation imposed a blockade along the Klingon-Romulan border preventing Romulan assistance to the Duras house. When the Romulans abandoned the Duras sisters, Gowron became the undisputed Chancellor of the Klingon Empire, and Worf returned to Starfleet. (This occurred in the fourth-season finale "Redemption part I", and the fifth-season premiere "Redemption part II").

In 2369, Gowron's political authority was once again challenged, this time by Kahless the Unforgettable, the mythic founder of the Empire who appeared to have risen from the dead, as prophesied. Kahless was later proven to be a clone, created by the religious leaders to provide unity in the unstable Empire. Nonetheless, under pressure from Worf, who argued that the Empire needed a new spiritual leader, if not a political one, Gowron made this new "Kahless" a symbolic Emperor (this occurred in the sixth-season TNG episode Rightful Heir).

In early 2372, Gowron launched an assault upon the Cardassian Union, claiming that the newly installed civilian Detapa Council was infested with shapeshifters from the Dominion, a powerful organization from the Gamma Quadrant that was attempting to gain a foothold in the Alpha Quadrant. His assault was condemned by the Federation, who moved to rescue the Detapa Council. As a reaction Gowron revoked the Khitomer Accords with the Federation, ending eight decades of peace. (This occurred in the fourth season DS9 premiere, "The Way of the Warrior".) A year later Gowron risked a war with the United Federation of Planets, demanding the disputed Archanis sector. It was later learned that these actions were taken under the advisement of the Empire's most important commander, General Martok, who was later found to be a Changeling (one of the shapeshifting Founders and agents of the Dominion), who had kidnapped the real Martok. The Changeling was killed, but Gowron refused to reverse the policies he began under the false Martok's influence, claiming that the fighting could not simply be stopped once it had began. (This occurred in the fourth season DS9 finale "Broken Link" and the fifth season premiere, "Apocalypse Rising".)

Months later in 2373, the real Martok was discovered in a Dominion asteroid prison by Worf and Garak, and subsequently rescued. At the same time, the Empire suffered a brutal assault by Cardassian forces following the revelation that Cardassia was now a member of the Dominion (in the fifth season two-parter, "In Purgatory's Shadow" and "By Inferno's Light"). Gowron restored the Khitomer Accords and the alliance with the Federation. At the end of 2373, the Dominion War broke out, and after a stalemate of two years Klingon forces under the leadership of Martok had gained the upper hand.

In 2375, Gowron relieved Martok of command of the Klingon forces, and decided to lead the forces himself, despite having never distinguished himself as a military commander or tactician. Worf speculated that Gowron did this out of jealousy or fear of Martok's popularity. Subsequently, Gowron ordered several poorly-conceived attacks on Dominion forces, resulting in the deaths of countless warriors and severe injuries for Martok. Worf urged Martok to challenge Gowron, but the low-born Martok refused out of loyalty. At a Klingon staff meeting Worf decided to challenge Gowron himself, and killed him. Although Worf had earned the right of becoming the new Chancellor, he refused the position, insisting that it had been earned by Martok, who begrudgingly accepted. (This occurred in the seventh season DS9 episodes "When it Rains..." and "Tacking Into the Wind".)

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