Alexander Rozhenko

From Memory Alpha, the free Star Trek reference

Species:	¾ Klingon ¼ Human
Affiliation:	Klingon Defense Force
Rank:	Bekk
Status:	Alive (2375)
Born:	43rd day of Maktag, Stardate 43205 (2366)
Father:	Worf
Mother:	K'Ehleyr Jadzia Dax (step-mother)
Other Relative(s):	Worf (great-grandfather) Mogh (grandfather) Sergey and Helena Rozhenko (adoptive grandparents) Kurn (uncle) Nikolai Rozhenko (foster uncle) Jeremy Aster (foster uncle) Martok (foster uncle) William T. Riker and Deanna Troi (godparents)
Played by:	Jon Steuer, Brian Bonsall, unknown actor (photo), Marc Worden, James Sloyan

Alexander Rozhenko, or Alexander, Son of Worf, was the son of Worf and Federation Ambassador K'Ehleyr. He was conceived in 2365 and born on the forty-third day of Maktag in 2366 and is both a member of the House of Mogh and the House of Martok. (TNG: "Reunion", "New Ground")

[edit] Early life

Alexander was conceived during a brief encounter between Worf and K'Ehleyr when the ambassador came aboard the USS Enterprise-D in an effort to defuse a potential crisis presented by the return of a Klingon D7 class battle cruiser that had been dispatched decades before as a sleeper ship. (TNG: "The Emissary") After the crisis was successfully resolved, K'Ehleyr departed the Enterprise. She concealed her pregnancy and the birth of Alexander from Worf, finally revealing it several years later when she returned to the Enterprise as part of a contingent representing K'mpec in his efforts to persuade Jean-Luc Picard to act as the Arbiter of Succession for the Klingon Empire.

Until that point, Alexander had lived with his mother, not knowing who his father was. Despite a coy attitude meant to antagonize Worf, K'Ehleyr wanted Worf to acknowledge Alexander as his son. Worf was reluctant to do so because of his recent discommendation and the dishonor that Alexander would be forced to share as a result. However, despite his concerns Worf was forced to acknowledge the relationship of K'Ehleyr and Alexander to him when K'Ehleyr was killed by Duras because of her investigation into the circumstances surrounding the Khitomer Massacre and Worf's discommendation.

After K'Ehleyr's death, Worf took custody of Alexander and sent him to live with Worf's foster parents, Sergey and Helena Rozhenko. (TNG: "Reunion")

[edit] Aboard the Enterprise

Alexander in 2367.

Alexander was brought back on board the Enterprise-D one year later by Helena Rozhenko. During his time on Earth, Alexander had had problems adjusting. Though smart and high-spirited, he was not always truthful and sometimes difficult to control. Helena and Sergey believed that Alexander's behavior problems were not unusual for a boy of his age, but could only be solved by the presence of his father. Helena also admitted that the two of them were too old and ill-equipped to raise a Klingon child, even one who was ¼ Human. (TNG: "New Ground")

Alexander wasn't a "typical" Klingon child, considering that he was one-quarter human and had lived with Humans for most of his life. Initially, the adjustment to living on the Enterprise was very difficult. Much to his father's dismay, Alexander displayed tendencies toward telling lies and even was guilty of small instances of theft. Even after his father disciplined him, Alexander's behavior was a problem in school, causing Ms. Kyle to report to Worf that his defiance, along with continued theft and lying, were disrupting the class. His disobedience to Worf and disregard for the instructions of his elders and ship's regulations eventually came to a head when Alexander was nearly killed in a fire in the ship's biolab. (TNG: "New Ground")

Alexander eventually settled into life on the ship and made friends, but the adjustment took time. Deanna Troi took a special interest in the child and his difficulties adjusting to the ship and his father. The two developed a strong relationship, so much that Worf asked the counselor to be Alexander's guardian when it appeared he might die following a dangerous medical operation. (TNG: "Ethics") Alexander was also friendly with Counselor Troi's mother, Lwaxana Troi, who came aboard the Enterprise in 2368 to be wed to Campio. In their brief time together, Alexander and Lwaxana spent time together on the holodeck and became good friends, much to his father's dismay. (TNG: "Cost of Living")

While on board the Enterprise, Alexander at one point developed a Deadwood holodeck program with the help of Reginald Barclay in 2369. Despite his efforts to find extra duties for himself, Worf agreed to participate in the program as a means of interacting with his son and improving their relationship. To his surprise, Worf enjoyed the program, especially his role as the sheriff with Alexander as his deputy. Initially, the program was too easy and Alexander was disappointed, so he ordered the difficulty level be reset to four, forcing his father to expend more effort in apprehending the criminal characters. At the same time, Lieutenant Commanders Geordi La Forge and Data were conducting an experiment which went awry and influenced the program. The main characters took on the appearance and abilities of Data and the holodeck safeguards were removed, making the 19th century firearms lethal and placing Alexander in jeopardy. Alexander eventually escaped, but he worried that the episode would mean his father would never again visit the program. His father assured him that if the town of Deadwood were to be threatened again, they would need a sheriff... and a deputy. (TNG: "A Fistful of Datas")

In 2369, Alexander helped Captain Picard and others regain control of the ship from DaiMon Lurin. The captain, along with Ro Laren, Keiko O'Brien, and Guinan, had passed through a molecular reversion field that had reverted them to a stage of physical youth. Blending in with the ship's civilian children they re-took the ship. Alexander participated in their plan by distracting several of their guards. (TNG: "Rascals")

[edit] Service to the Empire

In 2374, after years of avoiding Klingon culture, Alexander enlisted in the Klingon Defense Forces at the height of the Dominion War. He was given the rank of bekk, and assigned to the IKS Rotarran under General Martok and Worf. He had severe trouble serving with other Klingons, as he was unskilled as a warrior and displayed many Human traits that the other crew members found soft and disgusting.

Alexander's adjustment to life among Klingons was difficult. He was unable to offer a full explanation for his change of heart to either Worf or Martok but seemed to recognize, as he reached Klingon maturity, that his path lay with his people. Though none questioned his commitment, his combat skills were sorely lacking and his lack of knowledge of Klingon customs hurt his standing on board.

Moreover, his presence on the vessel proved a trial for Worf and a source of resentment among the crew. At Martok's urging Worf attempted to mend his relationship with Alexander both as a father and a first officer. Alexander's difficulties with his duties, including a false battle-alert due to his misreading of sensors, and locking himself into a corridor after successfully performing emergency repairs, eventually won him the begrudging affection among the crew. In turn, this attitude eased his relationship with Worf and the two reached a reconciliation that led to Alexander joining the House of Martok. (DS9: "Sons and Daughters").

Alexander continued his service aboard the Rotarran and strengthened his relationships with his fellow Klingons. They began to consider him a good luck charm after he flooded an entire corridor with superheated hydraulic fluid. The crew believed the more mistakes Alexander made, the fewer they would make in battle. Later that year, along with most of the Rotarran's crew, he transferred to the IKS Ya'Vang where he hoped the good will toward him would continue. (DS9: "You Are Cordially Invited")

By 2375, Alexander had been made weapons officer of the Ya'Vang and, according to Ezri Dax, was beginning to lose his clumsiness. (DS9: "Penumbra")

[edit] Family

[edit] K'Ehleyr

Alexander only knew his mother briefly but his love for her, and hers for him, remained with him his entire life. Likewise, her death marked him forever. It was the first time Alexander had seen death, and the powerful image of Worf over the bloody body of K'Ehleyr was particularly difficult for him. (TNG: "Reunion")

Many years later, the fear of losing his father in the same way he lost his mother haunted Alexander and drove him to travel back in time in order to prevent his father's death. (TNG: "Firstborn")

[edit] Worf

Worf and Alexander

From the beginning Worf had a hard time adjusting to the presence of Alexander in his life. He was particularly distressed that K'Ehleyr had not taught the child anything of Klingon tradition before her death. His distress was made even more acute by Alexander's continued insistence that he had no desire to become a warrior. (TNG: "Reunion")

After Alexander came to live on the Enterprise Worf was shocked to discover his son lied often, and even stole objects. Despite his efforts to teach his son the values of Klingon society through traditional stories, such as the story of Kahless and Morath, Alexander did not take readily to the lessons. For a brief time Worf considered sending Alexander away from the Enterprise to a Klingon school. Eventually he decided against this, unable to part with his son, and offered Alexander the greater challenge of remaining on board with him. (TNG: "New Ground")

Still, it was the thought of his son that caused Worf to abandon thoughts of ritual suicide in 2368 and choose a risky surgery when he was paralyzed in an accident. (TNG: "Ethics")

In 2370, a future version of Alexander staged an assassination of Alexander and Worf by the House of Duras in an attempt to scare Alexander into taking the path of a Klingon warrior. The future Alexander argued that by doing so, even at that late stage of his life, he could prevent the future death of his father on the floor of the Klingon High Council. When Alexander still refused to follow the path of the warrior and attend school on Qo'noS, the future Alexander tried to kill young Alexander to prevent him the shame of failing his father. Luckily, Worf realized something was amiss and was able to save young Alexander's life. (TNG: "Firstborn")

In 2372, Worf brought an image of Alexander to starbase Deep Space 9 when he was stationed there. (DS9: "The Way of the Warrior") However, Alexander's relationship with Worf had not improved and he elected to live on Earth with the Rozhenkos rather than join his father on DS9.

That decision haunted both Alexander and his father. Alexander felt that because he had not been the son that Worf wanted he had been rejected, and Worf acted as if he had no son. This rejection continued to divide father and son when Alexander came aboard the Rotarran. He declared that he had no family or House and that any honor earned would be his own. Worse, his obvious lack of combat skill and previous declarations to never be a warrior lead Worf to accuse him of being ill-suited for life during war, and eventually try to transfer him off of the ship. Alexander refused and the confrontation between the two was only resolved after the rest of the Rotarran crew began to accept Alexander. (DS9: "Sons and Daughters")

Not long after the two continued to mend their relationship when Worf asked Alexander to act as his Tawi'Yan, or swordbearer, during his wedding to Jadzia Dax. Alexander was honored, even more so because it was clear that the couple had altered their plans in order to include him in the wedding before he transferred to the Ya'Vang. (DS9: "You Are Cordially Invited")

[edit] Appendices

[edit] Appearances

[edit] Background

Alexander was portrayed by three different actors over an eight-year period, which established that Klingon youths mature more quickly than do Humans. He first met his father in 2367 (age one, played by Jon Steuer TNG: "Reunion") appearing to be about four years old. He was later seen from 2368-2370 (age two-four, played by Brian Bonsall) appearing to be about ten years old. Alexander then served on the Rotarran (age eight, played by Marc Worden) appearing to be at least sixteen. Ronald D. Moore addresses this directly when talking about DS9: "Sons and Daughters": "We're pegging Alexander as being roughly the equivalent of a thirteen to sixteen-year-old Human male, although his actual age is much younger. Hey, Klingons mature faster, okay?" (AOL chat, 1997) This was also seen with Toral. This phenomenon is often referred to as Soap Opera Rapid Aging Syndrome.

On the picture seen in Worf's quarters in DS9: "The Way of the Warrior", Alexander was portrayed by an unknown actor.

The adult version of Alexander from an alternate future seen in "Firstborn" was played by James Sloyan. Rick Berman and Michael Piller were hesitant to cast Sloyan in the role, coming as it did so soon after his first appearance as Doctor Mora Pol in DS9: "The Alternate". However, Jeri Taylor convinced them that the Klingon makeup would hide this fact. (Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion)

"New Ground" establishes Alexander's birthday as the 43rd day of Maktag, stardate 43205. This would place his birth during the third season episode "Booby Trap".

[edit] Apocrypha

The novel A Time for War, A Time for Peace establishes that upon Worf's return to Starfleet, he nominates Alexander to succeed him as Federation Ambassador to the Klingons. When Alexander asks why, Worf simply tells him that he once had a vision of Alexander's future and Worf said Alexander's service to the galaxy would be one worthy of song.