Kor, son of Rynar, was a Klingon man, one of the greatest warriors to have served the Klingon Empire. Kor served the Empire throughout the latter half of the 23rd century, including the command of the battle cruisers IKS Kut'luch, IKS Klothos and IKS Bortas and well into the 24th century, by which time he was considered a venerated Dahar Master. Kor's illustrious career finally ended in battle with the Jem'Hadar in the Dominion War.
Kor's line name can also be read as Kor epetai-Zareht. (TOS novel: Dwellers in the Crucible)
Biography
Family and heritage
Kor, son of Rynar, was the head of the House of Kor, and was descended from the Klingon Imperial Family. (DSC episode: "The Butcher's Knife Cares Not for the Lamb's Cry", DS9 episode: "Once More Unto the Breach")
Kor was also a QuchHa', a Klingon without the species' characteristic cranial ridges as a result of being a descendant of those Klingons infected by the augment virus in the mid-22nd century. A cure for the disfigurement was developed in Kor's lifetime, which was administered to him in 2290. (ST novel: Excelsior: Forged in Fire)
Kor was married to Kali, who also served under him on the IKS Klothos, and had at least two sons Rynar and D'kar. (TOS novel: The Tears of the Singers; TAS episode & Log Four novelization: The Time Trap; TOS - Constellations short story: "The Leader"; ST novel: Excelsior: Forged in Fire)
- Kali was identified as Kor's wife in a story set in 2270. It is not known if she was already married to him in her earlier appearance in "The Time Trap", nor is it clear whether or not she is the mother of Kor's children.
Rynar, Kor's firstborn, was killed by the Albino (a disowned member of the House of Ngoj, the former name of the House of Kor) in 2295 in retaliation for Kor, Kang, Koloth and Hikaru Sulu's attempts to curtail the mutant Klingon's illegal and terrorist activities. The Albino's attack also killed Kang and Koloth's own firstborns, resulting in the three Klingons and Curzon Dax (the godfather of Kang's son) declaring a blood oath of revenge, which they finally fulfilled in 2370 when they tracked down and killed the Albino. (DS9 episode: "Blood Oath"; ST novel: Excelsior: Forged in Fire)
By the time of Kor's death, he was considered the last son of his House, and so the House of Kor died with him. (DS9 episode: "Once More Unto the Breach")
History
Tarsus IV
By 2233 Kor was already part of the Klingon Defense Force and Commander of the IKS Klothos.
By 2246, Kor had risen to command the IKS Kut'luch, a D6-class battle cruiser. In October that year, Kor was ordered by General Korrd to prevent any Federation vessels from entering the Tarsus system and delivering aid to the stricken colony on Tarsus IV.
Eventually, the Kut'luch encountered the USS Enterprise, under the command of Captain Robert April. April attempted to gain Kor's assistance in the humanitarian mission to Tarsus IV, but Kor was determined to do battle, and attacked the Enterprise. After a brief battle, the Enterprise brought all of her weaponry to bear on the Kut'luch and disabled her. Awaiting to die in glorious battle at the hands of April, Kor was bemused when the Enterprise retreated, and Kor vowed not to be fooled by a human Starfleet captain again. (TOS - Enterprise Logs short story: "Though Hell Should Bar the Way")
- The Player's Guide for the Star Trek Roleplaying Game by Decipher indicates that Kor's military career did not begin until the mid-23rd century.
Organia
In 2267, rising tensions between the Empire and the United Federation of Planets sparked into war between the two powers following the destruction of the IKS Vortha at the hand of the USS Enterprise. The Vortha's final logs indicated the Federation starship was headed for Organia, so the High Council resolved to take the planet for the Empire. Councilor Kahnrah specifically suggested Kor be assigned to command the battalion sent to Organia.
Kor and his men arrived at Organia without event; the Enterprise departing as soon as it detected the Klingon fleet. Kor immediately set up his headquarters, now in role of planetary governor. The Organians were generally docile, and showed no resistance to the occupation. With the exception of one fiery man named Baroner; Kor decided to make Baroner his liaison to the Organian people. Kor's first officer, Kahlor, questioned this decision, which Kor explained as a security tactic, keeping the only troublesome individual close at hand. Content everything was under control, Kor settled into his office, anticipating a dull assignment administrating his new world.
Fortunately, Baroner was even more trouble than Kor anticipated; he (along with a Vulcan trader the Klingons had unsuccessfully interrogated) was in fact a Starfleet officer undercover, Captain James T. Kirk, who commanded the Enterprise. Kirk and his first officer, Spock decided to try and ignite rebellion by blowing up a Klingon ammunition-depot, and were promptly captured by Kor's men. Unfortunately, the prisoners were just as promptly able to escape. Kor enacted the Empire's no-tolerance policy on terrorism, and ordered two-hundred Organians executed, with more to follow periodically until the prisoners were handed over.
Kirk could not tolerate the loss of innocent lives, and attacked Kor's office. However, with hostility rising, the Organians then took the opportunity to reveal their true identities; powerful non-corporeal beings. The Organians stopped the immediate conflict by making both sides' weapons too hot to operate, and then forced a peace treaty on the two powers, under the threat of neutralizing their space forces if they did not comply. The Organians prophesized that the Federation and Klingon Empire would one day join together as allies, though for the present, Kor was simply left to ponder what a pity it was the conflict had been curtailed, for, "[It] would have been glorious!" (TOS episode & Star Trek 2 novelization: Errand of Mercy; ST - Klingons - Blood Will Tell comic: "Against Their Nature")
A short while later Kor's son, D'kar, attempted to take revenge on Kirk for the loss of honor he perceived their House to have suffered. Kirk managed to survive the young Klingon's assault, and captured him. Per the terms of the Organian Peace Treaty, D'kar was returned to his people; the Enterprise rendezvoused with Kor's battlecruiser, and Kor had a brief reunion with Kirk when he beamed aboard to receive his son, whose actions he was not best pleased with. (TOS - Constellations short story: "The Leader")
Beta Thoridar
In 2269, Kor (along with fellow captains Koloth and Kang) was ordered to report to the dilithium mine at Beta Thoridar to investigate unrest among the QuchHa' workers there. Kor was tasked with interrogating the miners, who were part of the malvaQ bortaS group, and finding out why they were carrying out attacks against the mine. Kor discovered that the QuchHa' miners were being mistreated because of their mixed heritage, and eventually challenged the mine's incompetent security chief Sorkav to hand-to-hand combat. Kor defeated and killed Sorkav, much to the delight of everyone present. Kor's advice to the QuchHa' mine workers was that despite their human-looking appearance, they were still Klingons — and should always conduct themselves with honor. (ST novella: The Unhappy Ones)
Time trap
By 2269, Kor commanded the Klolode-class battle cruiser IKS Klothos. In that year, he and two other battle cruisers worked in tandem to create a mouse-trap maneuver to try and destroy the USS Enterprise as she entered the Delta Triangle region. Unfortunately, the region was notorious as the location of many starship disappearances, and during the attack, the Klothos vanished. The remaining vessels continued the attack, prompting the Enterprise to make for the Klothos' former position, where she promptly disappeared, too.
Both ships had been transported to a pocket universe known to the people who lived there as Elysia. Upon detecting the Enterprise's arrival, Kor put the Klothos into silent-running mode, attempting to hide among the derelict ships that littered Elysia to attack the Starfleet vessel. As he made his strike, though, his weapons failed to reach their _target, having been nullified by the peaceful locals.
Shortly after Kor and Kirk were transported to the Elysian Council, where they were welcomed to the area, told it was impossible to leave, and warned any violent behavior would be treated harshly. Neither captain was willing to accept they would be stuck their forever, and both had their crews work in tandem on escape plans.
Despite the insistence of his crew that it would not work, Kor decided to try and make an escape-run, going to high warp to try and break out of the pocket universe. As predicted, the plan failed, but did inspire Spock on the Enterprise to suggest a new plan: Both ships might be able to work in unison, using their combined power to successfully break through.
Kor agreed to the plan, but also had his crew work on a plan to destroy the Enterprise in the process. Kor elected Kali to carry out the plan: While on the Enterprise at a social function between the two crews and their Elysian hosts, Kali snuck into the starship's computer room and planted a small explosive capsule, which would detonate when the Enterprise reached a high warp speed as she broke out of the time-trap.
Plans made and ships combined, the Klothos and Enterprise made their escape runs, and succeeded. Unfortunately for Kor, however, the Elysians detected the sabotage plan and warned the Enterprise, allowing the grew to jettison the capsule. Kor promptly detached his ship from the Enterprise and headed for his home base, signaling them to indicate he had masterminded his vessel's escape. (TAS episode & Star Trek 4 novelization: The Time Trap)
Extrauniversal mining
While the Organian Peace Treaty had benefitted the Federation, the Klingon Empire began to suffer from economic withdrawals, unable to engage in the pillaging and conquest that had sustained it for so long, combined with increased harassment from the Romulans. Under unknown circumstances, Kor discovered a group of advanced alien drones capable of opening portals to other universes. Travelling to one, Kor discovered an alternate Earth, having never recovered from World War III, this Earth was instead ruled by primitive self-aware apes. Bargaining with General Marius, Kor aimed to conquer the alternate Earth as a foothold in this new universe, one free of Federation or Romulan influence. Though Kor came close to installing Marius as his puppet ruler, the crew of the Enterprise had discovered his plot and stopped the proxy war before it could start. Retreating to his ship, Kor led Kirk on a chase around the solar system but failed to destroy his foe, retreating back through the portal once his reinforcements had been destroyed. (TOS - The Primate Directive comics: "Issue 1", "Issue 2", "Issue 5")
Preserver hunt
By 2270, Kor's defeats to the Enterprise crew, combined with his failure to conquer Organia had taken a detrimental tole on his sanity and he was now dedicated to restoring his house's honor at any cost. As his ship patrolled the edge of the border zone, they intercepted a communiqué about a mysterious find at Loren 5. When the Klothos arrived in the system, they found their weapons now worked on Federation _targets once more, destroying Deep Space Station K-22 and bombing away a portion of the surface of Loren 5 to reveal a Preserver city. Seizing a Preserver obelisk from the city, Kor began using it to try and find a Preserve outpost located nearby only for the Enterprise crew to infiltrate his compound and steal the artifact.
Pursuing, Kor detected the obelisk's detonation. Though such an act crippled the Enterprise, the Federation ship now knew the location of the outpost. The Klothos arrived at the border of the Gorn Hegemony only for Ayelborne to again appear to the Federation and Klingons, declaring that the Organian Peace Treaty was over but that neither side was permitted to pursue Preserver technology. Though Kor attempted to destroy the Enterprise, he was chased away by a cloaked fleet of Constitution-class vessels. Humiliated once again, a bitter Kor met with Koloth to discuss allying with the Romulan Star Empire. (TOS - Year Four: The Enterprise Experiment comics: "Part 3", "Part 4", "Part 5")
Taurus II
In 2270, Kor was using the effects of the Murasaki 312 phenomenon to set a trap for Federation civilian and Starfleet starships by setting a number of powerful distress beacons in orbit around Taurus II. At least one Starfleet science vessel and a Telllarite merchant vessel were ambushed this way, and the science vessel was shot down over Taurus II.
The commanding officer of a Pioneer-class cruiser came to the aid of the survivors of the science vessel and the Tellarite vessel, defeating several Klingon ground troops that were going through the wreckage of the science vessel, and later destroying the distress beacons, and saving the Tellarite vessel from several Klingon starships that were part of a task force under Kor's command. Together with the crew of the USS Enterprise the commanding officer defeated Kor's flagship, forcing the Klingon commander to retreat. (STO mission: "The Taurean Affair")
The Battle of Caleb IV
Later on, Kor and the Klingons had allied themselves with the time-traveling race known as the Na'khul, who were seeking to destroy the Federation for actions that would happen in the year 2410. Setting up a trap for the Federation on Caleb IV, the Klingons attacked a series of communication arrays in orbit, drawing out a team of Federation cruisers lead by Admiral Isaac Garret.
When the ships moved to drive them off, two D7 Battlecruisers lead them into the trap, where a fleet of D7 and D5s first revealed their brand new cloaking device. The ships were captured by the Klingons; however, the commanding officer of the Pioneer class cruiser, now promoted to captain who had earlier helped defeat Kor over Taurus II and a landing party were able to board the ship thanks to some help with the Temporal Agent Daniels.
Onboard, the captain sabotaged the ship and confronted Kor. There, Kor revealed that he didn't care that the Na'khul might be using them, as they were ready for anything. He defeated the captain in single combat, only to have his ship rattled by the sabotage. The captain and the landing party escaped, though Kor found it quite thrilling. Though the other Starfleet ships managed to escape, he took great comfort in not only killing the captain and destroying the ship they used, but also in gaining a great victory against the Federation. (STO mission: "The Battle of Caleb IV")
Changing attitudes
In 2270, following the Elysian incident, Kor (now married to Kali) and the IKS Klothos were deployed to the planet Taygeta V in order to investigate an interstellar rift threatening to engulf much of the Klingon Empire. There, he encountered Captain James T. Kirk and the starship Enterprise once again, and despite the threat of a crew mutiny, Kor entered into a truce with Kirk, and the two commanders worked together to avert the crisis. (TOS novel: The Tears of the Singers)
Kor then commanded a squadron of three vessels late in 2270, and he led this group to the edge of the Klingon Neutral Zone in order to neutralize a renegade Klingon brigand-group that had commandeered the USS Bakker, again reinforcing his growing respect for James T. Kirk and his crew. (TOS - Unlimited comic: "Action of the Tiger")
Around 2270, the Klingons were able to cure at least some of those affected by the Augment disease. While many Klingons, including Kor's friend and fellow Captain Koloth, were cured, and had their standard Klingon physiology restored, Kor and his friend Kang were not so fortunate, and were left with a more human-like appearance for another 19 years. (ST novel: Excelsior: Forged in Fire)
Return to Organia
In 2285, the Excalbians somehow imprisoned the Organians and commenced with an experiment that involved throwing the Empire and the Federation back into war. Kor and Kirk forced their way into the Organian council chamber and discovered the Excalbians' manipulations. Kirk convinced the Excalbians that the best way to conduct their experiment was to "get their hands dirty" and take their battle directly to the Organians themselves. The resulting confrontation led to the disappearance of both species from the planet. With the disappearance of the Organians, the enforced peace between the two powers also came to an end. The two powers would manage to forge a peace on their own terms inside of a decade. (TOS comics: "Errand of War", "Deadly Allies")
Debts and honor
In the 2270s tensions between the QuchHa' and HemQuch groups (those without, and with, cranial ridges) began to rise. In 2273, a Klingon Dreadnought-class starship under the supervision of QuchHa' personnel was destroyed in an attack by extra-dimensional beings. The HemQuch took advantage of the fallout of the attack to gain political power and force QuchHa' Klingons, such as Kor, into low-status postings at the extremities of the Empire.
In 2286, Kor, then commanding the IKS Revenge, allied with Captain Kirk, then of the USS Enterprise-A and Commander T'Cel of the ChR Phoenix to investigate the expected return of the extra-dimensional beings, in the hope of regaining honor for his people. The three commanders planned to use one of their vessels as bait, and then attack with the other two. Kor insisted his ship should be the bait, so that he and his crew could battle the aliens when they attempted to take the vessel.
The Revenge and the Phoenix were lost in the battle, but the group were otherwise successful in their confrontation, and Kor and his crew were beamed over to the Enterprise before their vessel's demise. During the battle, Kor fought along side Jamie Finney, who took the rare opportunity to learn about, and embrace, Klingon culture. Kor was so impressed with Finney that he invited her to serve along side him, citing the Organians' prophecy that one day the Klingons and the Federation would be allies and friends. (TOS comic: "Debt of Honor")
In 2290, a cure for those Klingons who had been resistant to the earlier Augment virus-cure was finally developed. Both Kor and Kang were given this cure, and had their standard Klingon appearance restored as a result.
In the late 23rd century, Kor, Kang, Koloth, and Starfleet Captain Hikaru Sulu attempted to bring the Albino, a man who had committed numerous crimes against the Empire, to justice. The four were unable to capture the Albino, who in retaliation infected the firstborn of each man with a genetic disease based on the virus developed on Omega IV. Kor's son Rynar, Kang's son DaqS, and Koloth's oldest child died from the disease. Sulu's daughter Demora Sulu also fell ill from the disease. Fortunately, Sulu had partially passed the immunity he acquired to the Omega IV virus to his daughter, and she recovered after a few days. Kor, Kang, and Koloth each swore a blood oath to hunt down and kill the Albino. They were joined by Curzon Dax — the godfather of Kang's son. The four invited Captain Hikaru Sulu to join them in the blood oath; however, Sulu refused. (TLE novel: Excelsior: Forged in Fire; TOS episode: "The Omega Glory"; DS9 episode: "Blood Oath")
The three Klingons and Jadzia Dax were able to finally confront the Albino in 2370. The blood oath was fulfilled when Kang killed the Albino, but both Koloth and Kang lost their lives in the process, and Kor was wounded. (DS9 episode: "Blood Oath")
At some unspecified point prior to 2345, Kor, by then considered a Dahar Master, was a member of the Oversight Council for the Klingon Defense Forces. When (future General) Martok attempted to join the military, Kor rejected him, on the basis it was inappropriate for a man of non-noble blood to serve as an officer. Martok was forced to serve as a civilian laborer, and while he did eventually earn his commission, he resented Kor for his judgment for decades to come. (DS9 episode: "Once More Unto the Breach")
Sword of Kahless
Prior to 2372, Kor had been serving as the Klingon ambassador to Vulcan. While doing so, a Vulcan expedition in the Gamma Quadrant found the Shroud of the Sword of Kahless in an old Hur'q base, and the Shroud was subsequently given to Kor.
- Startrek.com gives Kor's ambassadorship as occurring in 2372.
Kor began making his own plans to retrieve the sword, but when he was drunk, he told a group of people in a bar on Torna IV of the shroud and his intent to retrieve the sword. Toral, son of Duras happened to be in the group, and sent Soto, a Lethean, after Kor to take Kor's memories of the shroud before setting out to retrieve the sword himself.
In early 2372, Kor convinced Worf, son of Mogh and Jadzia Dax that he knew of the sword's final resting-place. Dax and Worf convinced Benjamin Sisko to give them a Starfleet runabout to retrieve the sword, and the three made their way to the Hur'q base, where they found the sword. They were able to keep Toral from taking the sword from them; however, Worf and Kor began fighting over the blade. Feeling that the presence of the sword would lead to strife, Dax, Worf, and Kor set the sword adrift in space to one day be rediscovered. (DS9 episode: "The Sword of Kahless")
Dominion War
By the outbreak of the the Dominion War, Kor had fallen out of favor with Chancellor Gowron and the High council, and was unable to secure a command. He was also beginning to suffer from his old age; his memory began to fail him, and he became subject to periods of confusion as to where and when he was. In 2375, he traveled to Deep Space 9 to speak to his friend Worf to see if he could use his influence with General Martok to obtain Kor a command again.
To Worf's surprise, Martok angrily refused to allow Kor a command of his own, still bitter for Kor's prior refusal to allow Martok to join the military years before. However, Worf used his own authority in the Defense Force to post Kor to the IKS Ch'Tang as third officer. Martok was displeased with this, but accepted Kor being assigned to his ship. While en route to a Dominion base, Kor's stories enthralled many of the younger warriors on the ship. However, during the height of battle, both Worf and Martok were temporarily incapacitated. Kor's memory failed again, and Kor believed himself back in the 23rd century, attacking a Federation starbase with Kang. This lapse resulted in severe damage to the Klingon attack force, and when Martok recovered, he ordered Kor off the bridge.
Kor lost face in the eyes of the younger warriors on the Ch'Tang. Martok, despite having looked forward to the day when Kor would be humiliated, now took no pleasure in seeing Kor reduced to his current state. Worf felt guilty, feeling that a true friend would not have put Kor in the position that he did, and both men agreed to speak to Chancellor Gowron to request that he find a useful position for Kor in the Empire.
When it was decided to have a crew of volunteers led by Worf take one of the Klingon ships on a suicide mission aimed at the pursuing Jem'Hadar ships so that the other ships could reach the safety of a task force led by Captain Sisko, Kor learned of the plans. As Worf was preparing to leave, Kor asked Worf if he had a message for Jadzia Dax, before injecting Worf with a hypospray. Before beaming off the Ch'Tang, Kor told Worf that he would tell his deceased wife that Worf's heart still beat only for her. Taking Worf's place, Kor was able to engage the Jem'Hadar ships, ending his long life as a warrior, as the survivors on the Ch'Tang drank to his memory. (DS9 episode: "Once More Unto the Breach")
Appendices
Connections
| IKS Klothos personnel | ||
|---|---|---|
| Klingon Personnel | Kor, son of Rynar • Kahlor, son of Kolox • Kali • Kanff • Kaz • Kiregh • Thorn | 
|
| Klingon Personnel | Kor, son of Rynar | |
Appearances and references
Appearances
In production order:
- TOS episode: "Errand of Mercy"
- TOS novel: Spock Must Die!
- TAS episode: "The Time Trap"
- TOS comic: "Errand of War!"
- TOS comic: "Deadly Allies!"
- TOS novel: The Tears of the Singers
- TOS comic: "Debt of Honor"
- DS9 episode: "Blood Oath"
- DS9 comic: "Remembrance"
- DS9 episode: "The Sword of Kahless"
- DS9 novel: Armageddon Sky
- TOS novel: Treaty's Law
- DS9 episode: "Once More Unto the Breach"
- TOS short story: "Though Hell Should Bar the Way"
- ST - Klingons - Blood Will Tell comic: "Against Their Nature"
- ST novel: Excelsior: Forged in Fire
- TOS comic: "The Primate Directive, Issue 1"
- TOS comic: "The Primate Directive, Issue 2"
- TOS comic: "The Primate Directive, Issue 3"
References
External link
- Kor, son of Rynar article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.