| “ | I don't bite. Well, that's wrong. I do bite. | „ |
| ~ K'Ehleyr to Worf |
K'Ehleyr was a female Klingon-human hybrid introduced in the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode The Emissary, and the first wife of Worf.
She was portrayed by Suzie Plakson, who also portrayed Doctor Selar, a Female Q, and an Andorian named Tarah in other Star Trek related productions.
The product of a Klingon father and a human mother, K'Ehleyr was born in the first half of the 24th century. In the 2350s she was an emissary leading a group of Klingon cadets when she met a young Starfleet cadet named Worf. Working with Worf and the other cadets they were able to save a joint Klingon-Federation colony from an attack. She and Worf entered into a relationship in 2359 but didn't proceed as neither were ready to commit to a relationship.
K'Ehleyr and Worf met again in 2365 when K'Ehleyr was dispatched to the USS Enterprise-D to help deal with the Klingon ship IKS T'Ong, which had on an extended mission where the crew had been in cryosleep for over seven decades. The crew awoke not knowing the Federation and Klingons were now allies. Her visit forced her and Worf to confront their feelings for each other, and the pair made love after a Klingon exercise session on the holodeck, resulting in the conception of a child. Afterwards Worf wanted to immediately marry K'Ehleyr, but she refused to take the oath with Worf and become his wife.
Working with Worf and the Enterprise crew, the pair were able to successfully devise a means of peacefully resolving the situation with the T'Ong without having to destroy the vessel. K'Ehleyr boarded the T'Ong and spent the next three days bringing the Klingons up to speed on the 24th century until other Klingon ships could arrive and escort the T'Ong back to base.
Shortly after having her and Worf's child, who she named Alexander, K'Ehleyr was named the Federation's ambassador to the Klingon Empire. She spent most of her time working out of the Federation embassy on Qo'noS, and Alexander never left the compound when he lived with her.
K'Ehleyr and Alexander accompanied the dying Chancellor K'mpec to meet Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the Enterprise in 2367. With K'mpec dying the threat of a Klingon civil war was high as various contenders would fight for control of the Empire. She also wanted Worf to meet Alexander. Recently discommended by the High Council, Worf was unwilling to acknowledge K'Ehleyr as his wife nor acknowledge Alexander as his son.
Determined to figure out what happened to Worf, K'Ehleyr began her own investigations, which had the unfortunate effect of alerting Worf's enemy Duras when she used her diplomatic codes to access Klingon computer files on Duras and the Klingon High Council's inquiries into the Khitomer massacre. K'Ehleyr was then murdered by Duras. She died in Worf's arms with their son Alexander present. As this was the first time Alexander had seen someone die, Worf told him to look upon his mother's deceased form and always remember death. Boarding Duras's ship, Worf claimed the right of vengeance against Duras on the grounds that K'Ehleyr was his wife.
After her death K'Ehleyr's body was transported to Earth and buried in New York City's Woodlawn Cemetery. After Worf himself became Federation Ambassador to the Empire, he visited her grave for the first time. He told his friend Martok about K'Ehleyr during the Dominion War when Alexander joined the crew of the Rotarran during the war.