The Important Bond Between Worf and La'An Noonien-Singh

Though separated by a century of Starfleet history, security officers Worf and La'An Noonien-Singh have a great deal in common that goes far beyond their crucial obligations to safeguarding their respective U.S.S. Enterprise starships.

The resolute and independent-minded characters each lost their parents at a young age, and these tragic events propelled them down paths which would see both officers grapple with the species who killed their birth parents, develop unique relationships with their adoptive parental figures, maintain deep feelings for their siblings, and struggle to understand and come to terms with their respective cultures and ancestry.

Orphaned by Conflict

After his parents died in a Romulan attack on the Khitomer Outpost, Worf harbored a deep and angry disdain for the Romulan people. These feelings manifested on multiple occasions, though perhaps none so controversial as during the U.S.S. Enterprise-D's 24th Century encounter with a wounded Romulan in Star Trek: The Next Generation's "The Enemy." With her imprisoned patient in need of a transfusion, Dr. Crusher discovered that Worf was the only officer aboard who could be a compatible donor. Worf steadfastly refused, vowing to forever blame all Romulans for his parents' murders. Not even the threat of tensions between the Federation and Romulan Star Empire boiling over into a conflict swayed Worf's position.

The Klingon's disposition did soften with age and experience, particularly given the assistance the Romulans provided during the Dominion War in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and the U.S.S. Enterprise-E's standoff with Praetor Shinzon in Star Trek Nemesis. In the latter case, Worf even seemed impressed, remarking that the Romulans had fought with honor.

The Gorn inflicted similar childhood trauma upon La'An Noonien-Singh, as they had intercepted her family's 23rd Century colony ship and deposited them in one of the reptilian species' planetary nurseries to be used as food and breeding sacks. La'An was the last surviving member of her family, so the Gorn followed their customs and sent her back out into space to die.

The brutality of her experience led her to describe the Gorn as pure evil and infused her with a hidden rage that she carried forward to her time on Captain Christopher Pike's U.S.S. Enterprise. That assignment placed her back in direct conflict with the Gorn Hegemony in episodes such as Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' "Memento Mori," "All Those Who Wander," and "Hegemony."

We have yet to learn whether or not Noonien-Singh's perception of the Gorn will evolve in any way; though when last we saw her, she had been taken prisoner by the Gorn once more.

Adoptive Role Models

The Federation starship U.S.S. Intrepid responded to the Romulan strike at the Khitomer Outpost, setting even more changes in motion for Worf. Sergey Rozhenko served on the vessel and helped rescue the Klingon boy, who didn't appear to have any surviving family to take care of him. The Starfleet officer and his wife Helena decided to adopt Worf, bringing him to be raised among the farmlands of Gault. The pair provided a loving home, and though the circumstances were difficult for the Klingon, their bond ultimately solidified and they became a single, loving family.

When the Rozhenkos visited him in The Next Generation's "Family," Worf initially appeared to be embarrassed by his parents, but his reluctance to see them was actually motivated by the dishonor he felt over receiving discommendation from the Klingon High Council. In reality, Worf held his parents in high-esteem, his reverence so strong that he followed Sergey's footsteps into a life of service in Starfleet.

In parallel, a young La'An found herself in need of a great deal of assistance after the Gorn had left her to die in space. Only the arrival of the U.S.S. Martin Luther King, Jr. prevented her from succumbing to such a grim and lonely fate. As was the case with Worf, La'An formed a strong attachment to Una Chin-Riley, the Starfleet officer who rescued her.

In Strange New Worlds' "Ad Astra per Aspera," Noonien-Singh testified that Chin-Riley saw to it that she was taken care of, with La'An considering Una to be her mentor and her family. Chin-Riley inspired La'An to pursue a career in Starfleet, going so far as to sponsor her application to Starfleet Academy. The two were so close that, upon learning Chin-Riley had concealed the fact that she was an Illyrian, La'An was angered and hurt that the senior officer had never confided in her about the topic. Nevertheless, as with anyone we hold dear, La'An eventually forgave Una.

The Nature of Siblings

A shocking revelation emerged in The Next Generation's "Sins of the Father," as Worf found out that he had a younger brother, Kurn, who had stayed behind on Qo'noS and avoided the Khitomer massacre. The duo’s relationship was complex, especially in regard to Klingon political and cultural matters. Nevertheless, Worf stood by Kurn whenever possible, from fighting at his brother's side during the Klingon Civil War to trying to give him a new life on Deep Space 9 when the Empire stripped their family of its ships, land, and seat on the High Council.

Worf's relationship with his foster brother, Nikolai, was also strained at times, yet they nevertheless had great affection for one another. Additionally, Worf gained a brother through the Klingon bonding ritual known as the R'uustai. Following the death of Marla Aster, a Starfleet officer under his command, Worf bonded with her orphaned son, Jeremy, over their shared experiences and underwent a ceremony to welcome the boy into his family.

Unlike Kurn, La'An's sibling was not fortunate enough to avoid death at the hands of the enemy who attacked their family. Her brother Manu sacrificed himself so that she could try to evade the Gorn on the breeding planet. The memory haunted her, but as with Worf, the awareness of such loss allowed her to relate to a young person enduring comparable circumstances.

Noonien-Singh met Oriana, a girl who had fallen victim to the Gorn's methods and became separated from her parents, and sought a formal leave of absence so she could pursue leads related to the whereabouts of Oriana's parents. The process permitted La'An to become a big sister-like figure to Oriana, and the endeavor paid off when Oriana was reunited with her parents in "The Broken Circle."

Heritage and Ancestry

Although Worf and La'An each felt certain insecurities about their ancestries, their specific paths in those matters did diverge. Separated from his people, Worf dedicated himself to embracing all aspects of Klingon culture.

In "Family," Helena Rozhenko noted that Worf went so far as to only eat Klingon food, prompting her to research how to make rokeg blood pie. Worf's adherence to honor, duty, and his own warrior spirit reflected his interpretation of Klingon customs is well-known; though, he often found that other Klingons did not live up to his expectations. His self-confidence grew to the point that he was willing to challenge Chancellor Gowron for ruling without wisdom or honor in Deep Space Nine's "Tacking Into the Wind." Believing Gowron callously wasted Klingon lives during the Dominion War, Worf defeated him in ritual combat and selflessly handed the mantle of leadership over to General Martok.

La'An's journey has been a near inverse of Worf's, as she had an aversion to her genetically-modified heritage. This largely stemmed from the knowledge that Khan Noonien Singh, her most famous ancestor, had been a genocidal tyrant who employed his Augment nature as an excuse for him to rule over other humans.

In "Ad Astra per Aspera," La'An admitted that she carried her family's genetic augmentations and was worried they could make her become dangerous. By the time of La'An's temporal jaunt in
"Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow," she recognized the need to let go of the burden of her family name. La'An prevented a Romulan agent from killing Khan when he was still a child, resulting in a face-to-face meeting which saw her spare the future bio-engineered mass murderer so as not to alter history.

Securing the Future

Pursuing a career in security is the most obvious commonality shared by Worf and La'An, yet that trait manifested from additional parallels between the two. Having Starfleet officers as parental figures surely factored into their decision to attend the Academy, while a desire to protect others from the suffering they weathered played a role in choosing to sign up with security.

As the only Klingon among humans, Worf felt isolated and alone, yet many Klingons disapproved of him for being raised beyond the Empire's borders. The Noonien-Singh name established a barrier between La'An and her peers during her youth, causing her to have difficulty getting close to people. Keeping to themselves contributed to what would become Worf and La'An's stern attitudes and compassionate demeanors, two attributes that can be key for security officers to balance in their duties.

Of course, Worf and La'An never settled for an average security job aboard any ship in the fleet. Each possessed a commitment to their craft, a resolute sense of justice, and a drive to better themselves which earned them the prestige of becoming the Chiefs of Security on two of the Federation's most celebrated vessels. With these qualities rooted in their hearts, Worf and La'An were able to forge on through adversity and, regardless of the unique circumstances inherent in each of their lives, emerge as respected forces for good who stood against those attempting to trespass against their loved ones and other innocent citizens throughout the galaxy.