Martok Martok was a Klingon warrior of the 24th century Klingon Empire and became Chancellor of the Klingon Empire . He was a popular general in the Klingon Defense Force s and saw his people through the Dominion War of the 2370s . He led the House of Martok , married Sirella and had children including Drex . Early life . Martok was born into a common family in the lowlands of Ketha Province on the Klingon homeworld , Qo ' noS . As a young man , he had a pet targ that he described as , " " a filthy , mangy beast but in his bony breast beat the heart of a warrior " " . ( ) Fifteen generations of Martok ' s family had served the Empire as warriors , but Martok ' s father had hopes that Martok could become an officer . It took some doing , but Martok was able to take the entrance exam , and passed . However , when he went before the Oversight Council , something considered to be a simple formality , his application was rejected . Kor , " Dahar " master , felt that it was inappropriate for a man without noble blood to become an officer in the Klingon forces . With the " mark of Kor " on his record , Martok could not enlist even as a common soldier and was forced to become to a civilian laborer . He served under General ShiVang aboard his flagship from 2345 to 2350 . Fortune smiled on Martok , however . During a battle with the Romulan s , Martok ' s ship was boarded . Martok acquitted himself so well in the fighting that he earned a battlefield commission . Sadly , his father did not live to see that glorious day . ( ) Career . Klingon Civil War . Martok worked his way up the ranks , eventually attaining the position of general . During the Klingon Civil War of 2368 , he played an important role in commanding the forces loyal to Gowron at the Battle of Mempa , and began a steady rise to hero status in the Empire . ( ) Imprisonment . At some point during 2371 , Martok was secretly abducted by Dominion forces while hunting Saber bear on Kang ' s Summit . From there , he was transported to the Gamma Quadrant and imprisoned in Internment Camp 371 while a Changeling impersonated him in an attempt to ignite war between the major powers of the Alpha Quadrant as a precursor to Dominion invasion . While imprisoned , Martok was forced to fight his Jem ' Hadar captors in hand - to - hand combat so they could familiarize themselves with Klingon fighting techniques . During one such fight , Ikat ' ika maimed Martok by destroying his left eye , resulting in partial blindness . Though Martok ' s shape - shifting copy was discovered in early - 2373 , his real self remained isolated in the Dominion prison facility until later that year when he was joined by Lieutenant Commander Worf and Elim Garak . As a Klingon , Worf was also made to fight his Jem ' Hadar guards . Fortunately for them , this caused a sufficient enough distraction that Garak was able to work on a transceiver device that commanded a nearby runabout , allowing them to successfully beam out of the facility . ( ) The Dominion War . Upon returning to the Alpha Quadrant , and with Chancellor Gowron ' s approval , Martok was assigned to command the Klingon detachment on the space station Deep Space 9 . He was also offered the opportunity to regain the sight in his left eye with a prosthetic , though Martok rejected this outright . ( ) Later that year , Martok was given command of the Bird - of - Prey with orders to locate the missing cruiser , however , having been confined for over a year , he was hesitant about his command ability . With the " Rotarran " s crew already low on morale due to a string of defeats against the Dominion , Martok requested Worf join him as his first officer . During the mission , Martok was extremely cautious in his command the ship , deliberately avoiding opportunities to engage the Jem ' Hadar in battle . The situation came to a head when the crew of the " Rotarran " nearly mutinied , but due to Worf ' s challenge of Martok ' s leadership , this was averted . The ensuing fight was very much one - sided in Worf ' s favor ; at one point , the bridge crew began chanting Worf ' s name , expecting him to be victorious . Worf pinned Martok against a console and pointed his " d ' k tahg " centimeters from Martok ' s chest . At that moment , the two men exchanged glances , and Worf sensed that the warrior spirit within his commanding officer was returning . Seeing this , Worf subtly let his guard down , allowing Martok to defeat his first officer with a stab to the abdomen . The general immediately gained the crew ' s loyalty , and he remembered his duty as a soldier of the Empire . ( ) Near the onset of the Dominion War , Martok patrolled the Cardassian border to watch for the Dominion invasion fleet . During the ensuing battle at Deep Space 9 , the " Rotarran " played a critical role in defending the USS " Defiant " long enough for the minefield to be deployed . ( ) Months later , Martok was instrumental in convincing Gowron to lend support to Starfleet ' s offensive to recapture Deep Space 9 from the Dominion in 2374 . Although Klingon forces were late arriving at the battle , they played an important role in defeating the Dominion fleet in that engagement . ( ) As the war continued , Martok saw fit to remain with the " Rotarran " , making it his flagship . In mid - 2374 , he was appointed Supreme Commander of a combined Starfleet and Klingon Ninth Fleet , a position Martok resented due to the amount of paperwork and bureaucracy involved as well as his " elderly assistant " , Darok . ( ) A few days after Operation Return , Martok sent several scout ships to the Cardassian border to check for signs of Dominion activity . ( ) Later that year , Martok dispatched three squadron s of Klingon attack cruiser s to bolster the Dorala system ' s defense perimeter . Colonel Kira Nerys was confident that Martok would ensure the Klingons held the line until Starfleet reinforcements arrived . ( ) In mid - 2375 , a Changeling named Laas was discovered and brought aboard Deep Space 9 . During his time on the station , Laas killed one of the Klingon soldiers , resulting in a furious reaction from Martok , who asked for him to be detained while a magistrate determined whose jurisdiction the situation fell under . ( ) Klingon Chancellor . As one of the most prominent military leaders in the war , Martok gained immense popularity in the Empire for his near - heroic exploits against the Dominion . Gowron , ever the politician , feared Martok ' s popularity and devised a plan to discredit Martok and end any potential threat to his authority . In late 2375 , Gowron inducted Martok into the Order of Kahless , and immediately assumed personal command of Klingon forces on the front lines , relegating Martok to a secondary command role . ( ) Gowron then began ordering Martok on near - suicidal missions against Dominion forces , hoping that a string of defeats would weaken Martok ' s popularity and discredit him as a military leader , or that Martok would die in battle and thus cease to be a threat to Gowron ' s authority . However , Worf and Captain Benjamin Sisko recognized that Gowron was jeopardizing the entire war effort to satisfy his political ego . Worf tried to convince Martok to challenge Gowron for the leadership on the grounds of dishonorable conduct in orchestrating the discrediting of Martok . Martok refused to betray his loyalty to Gowron , despite the latter ' s treachery . Worf then challenged Gowron himself , accusing Gowron of being a coward for squandering the Empire ' s resources on a petty act of vengeance . Worf killed Gowron in the ensuing combat , becoming the new chancellor . However , he immediately abdicated in favor of Martok . Martok tried to refuse , claiming he did not seek the leadership , but Worf responded by quoting Kahless : " Great men do not seek power , they have power thrust upon them . " ( ) Following the successful conclusion of the war , Martok returned to Qo ' noS to assume the role of leading the Empire and finally purging it of the corruption that had so weakened it in the past . ( ) Personal relationships . Sirella . Martok was married to Lady Sirella , a noble woman , and they had at least one son together named Drex . A traditional Klingon , Martok viewed marriage as another form of combat , albeit a subtle and more disguised form of battle . Although he described Sirella as a " " mercurial , arrogant , prideful woman " " , he did love her deeply . ( ) Following their marriage , as Sirella was moving into their home , she " accidentally " left the door open allowing Martok ' s beloved pet targ to escape . Martok never saw him again though he did forgive Sirella eventually . ( ) Worf . Martok and Worf first met during their time in Jem ' Hadar custody and quickly developed a mutual respect for one another . With Martok injured and exhausted from daily combat , Worf was forced to take over as fresh meat for their Jem ' Hadar guards . During each fight , Martok would stand by Worf ' s side , encouraging him to win . When it came time to fight First Ikat ' ika , Worf was so physically exhausted that he considered allowing Ikat ' ika to kill him . However , realizing Worf ' s plan , Martok spurred him on in what was a moment of " tova ' dok " , giving Worf reason to continue on and defeat his opponent . ( ) The relationship between Martok and Worf continued to grow . In 2373 , Martok was detained by Constable Odo for throwing one of his men , K ' retok , from the station ' s Promenade . Worf defended Martok ' s actions , claiming it was a disciplinary measure and that K ' retok was not injured . As a result , Captain Sisko ordered the general ' s release but warned Worf that he would ask Gowron to assign someone else to lead the Klingon detachment if there were any future incidents similar to this . ( ) When Martok was appointed Commander of the " Rotarran " , he quickly realized that his time in confinement had dampened his command ability and requested Worf to join him as his first officer . When it became apparent that Martok was avoiding engagements with Jem ' Hadar targets , Worf challenged his leadership to prevent a full - scale mutiny on the ship . During the fight , Worf realized Martok ' s confidence and tenacity had returned and permitted him to win , establishing his authority in front of the crew . This lead to the " Rotarran " s first victory over the Jem ' Hadar , and the rescue of the " B ' Moth " . Rather than punish Worf for mutiny , Martok thanked him for reminding him of his duty as a soldier of the Empire , and offered Worf a place in his House as a " brother " . Together , the " brothers " turned a low - morale vessel that was on the brink of mutiny into the Klingon Empire ' s most distinguished ship . ( ) With Worf a firm part of Martok ' s house , the two of them developed a close friendship over the coming years . Worf trusted Martok enough to ask his advice concerning his upcoming marriage to Jadzia Dax in early - 2375 . ( ) Martok later participated in Worf ' s " Kal ' Hyah " ceremony and when Worf got cold feet , convinced him to put the wedding back on track . After Jadzia died , Worf became concerned that her death had not been sufficiently honor able for her to enter " Sto - vo - kor " . Worf needed to win a glorious battle in her name for her to enter it , and General Martok gave him such a mission – destroy the Dominion shipyards of Monac IV . ( ) Towards the end of 2375 , it was Worf who made Martok Chancellor of the Klingon Empire after defeating Gowron in ritual combat . In return for this gesture , Martok requested that Worf be appointed Federation Ambassador to Qo ' nos . With the permission of his superiors , Worf accepted , much to the delight Martok , who looked forward to having " an ambassador who ' ll go Targ hunting " with him . ( ) Benjamin Sisko . Though Sisko had met Martok ' s Changeling impersonator in early 2372 , he and the real general didn ' t meet until his return from the Gamma Quadrant . Based on Worf ' s recommendation , Sisko requested Martok be the head of the Klingon contingent on Deep Space 9 . ( ) When Martok requested Worf ' s presence as first officer on the " Rotarran " , Sisko was more than happy to grant it . ( ) In 2373 , it was Martok who first made Captain Sisko aware of a coded message his ships picked up while patrolling the Cardassian border . He also informed Sisko that the Klingon High Council had given cloaking devices to the Maquis , which they had believed were to be used on their ships . This information allowed Sisko to launch a mission to stop the missiles before they reached their targets though ultimately , it was a ruse by former Starfleet officer Michael Eddington to rescue his family . ( ) Following the capture of Deep Space 9 by Dominion forces , Martok and Sisko worked together more and more as military commanders . Indeed , when Sisko expressed his frustration with the war effort and his desire to , " " get right back to the front lines " " , Martok agreed , promising his ship will be , " " right by your side " " . This proved true when , shortly afterward , Martok rescued Captain Sisko and his crew from an uncharted planet in Dominion space . ( ) Prior to the launch of Operation Return , Sisko bet Martok a barrel of bloodwine that he would step foot on Deep Space 9 before the general . Though Martok eventually lost the bet , Sisko simply replied , " " We ' ll drink it together " " . ( ) It was Sisko who recommended Martok for the position of Supreme Commander in 2374 , much to Martok ' s annoyance . In turn for his new - found role as fleet commander , Martok requested Worf remain his principal intelligence officer on the " Rotarran " , a request Sisko happily granted . ( ) As Supreme Commander , Martok and Sisko continued to work closely together for the duration of the Dominion War . Martok had a hand in planning the First Battle of Chin ' toka , during which he promised Sisko and Admiral William Ross they would drink blood wine in the halls of the Cardassian Central Command within a year . ( ) In 2375 , while discussing a raid behind Dominion lines , Sisko promised Martok he would have ships waiting , " with phasers charged " , should he bring back any company . ( ) The relationship between Martok and Sisko soon developed into more of a personal friendship , with the two of them discussing personal issues such as Sisko ' s marriage to Kasidy Yates . Martok later invited the Captain to the ceremony which saw his induction into the Order of Kahless . ( ) After Gowron ' s announcement that he would be leading the Klingon forces for the rest of the war , Sisko sided with Martok , making it clear to Gowron the mistake he had made removing him from command . Gowron observed Sisko ' s loyalty to his friend , though the captain denied it had nothing to do with that . ( ) Following his appointment as Chancellor , Martok took part in the final Battle of Cardassia alongside Sisko . Upon landing on Cardassia Prime , he kept his promise of opening a barrel of blood wine . However , both the Captain and Admiral Ross declined to drink due to the death and destruction that lay around them . ( ) Julian Bashir . The relationship between Doctor Bashir and Martok developed during their time in the Jem ' Hadar prison facility . When Martok was made to repeatedly fight their Jem ' Hadar guards , Bashir was the one who helped him recover , patching up his wounds wherever possible . ( ) Following their rescue and return to the Alpha Quadrant , it was Bashir who healed Martok following a severe shoulder injury that occurred during a holographic training exercise . Bashir , observing the General may have been pushing himself too hard , accused Martok of acting , " " like a fool " " , especially when he had no sight in his left eye . Martok , though angered by the doctor ' s statement , restrained himself from lashing out . When Bashir offered to reconstruct the eye with a prosthetic and thereby restoring Martok ' s sight , the general instantly rejected it . Bashir continued his line of reasoning but Martok cut him off saying , " " There are limits to how far I will indulge you . " " Realizing he may have pushed it too far , Bashir ended their conversation on a lighter note , jokingly instructing Martok not to come back to his infirmary dripping with blood as it " " takes days to get out of the carpet " " . ( ) Memorable quotes . " " There is no greater enemy than one ' s own fears . " " " " Your . . . actions on the " Rotarran " - at the time I thought they were disloyal . But I have come to realize that your intention was to remind me of my duty as a soldier of the Empire and as a warrior . For that I am grateful . " " " " You did the same for me once . " " " " We keep falling back . The Dominion keeps pushing forward . I tell you Worf , war is much more fun when you ' re WINNING ! Defeat makes my wounds ache . " " " " You never told me that your wife was opposed to this marriage ! " " " " Sirella is a woman of strong convictions ; she believes that by bringing aliens into our families we risk losing our identities as Klingons . " " " " That is a prejudiced , xenophobic view ! " " " " We are Klingons , Worf ! We don ' t embrace other cultures , we conquer them ! If someone wishes to join us , they must honor our traditions , and prove themselves worthy of wearing the crest of a Great House . " " " " We are not accorded the luxury of choosing the women we fall in love with . Do you think Sirella is anything like the woman I thought that I ' d marry ? She is a prideful , arrogant , mercurial woman , who shares my bed far too infrequently for my taste . And yet . . . I love her , deeply . We Klingons often tout our prowess in battle , our desire for glory and honor above all else . But how hollow is the sound of victory without someone to share it with . Honor gives little comfort to a man alone in his home . . . and in his heart . " " " " I am a loyal soldier of the Empire . I would rather die than dishonor my uniform . By raising a hand to my chancellor in a time of war , I would bring shame to everything that I ' ve fought to protect , everything that I believe in . " " " " Before you waste too many tears , remember . These are Cardassians lying dead at your feet . Bajorans would call this poetic justice . " " Appendices . Background information . Martok was played by recurring " Star Trek " guest actor J . G . Hertzler . According to the script for " Apocalpyse Rising " , his name was pronounced as " MAR - tok " . " " After auditioning for a number of " Star Trek " roles and not getting them , Hertzler told his agent , " " Don ' t send me up to " Star Trek " anymore . They ' ve seen everything I could possibly ever do and I haven ' t gotten a role . Don ' t waste their time or my time . " " However , shortly after his last audition , " Deep Space Nine " casting director Ron Surma came up to him and suggested he go for the role of Martok . In an unusual take on the role , Hertzler decided he wasn ' t going to be , " " offensive , overbearing , self - possessed , arrogant , boorish . I ' m going to be Patrick Stewart as a Klingon . " " The producers then asked Hertzler if he knew what a Klingon was and requested he play the character in the traditional sense . In response , Hertzler then picked up a metal chair and threw it against an old plaster wall . " " I caught my thumbnail when I tossed it . I ripped about half my thumbnail off . " " Hertzler recalled , " " I played linebacker in college , and to play football , especially linebacker , it ' s barely controlled rage . So that ' s where I ' m coming from in terms of life , barely controlled rage . So the linebacker welled up in me and there I was , with a chair in the wall and blood dripping from my thumb , and I ranted and roared . They said , ' Well , thank you , ' and they looked a little worried . I heard a day or two later that I got the role . " " Martok was initially meant to be a one - time character to appear only in , but the producers were so impressed by Hertzler ' s performance that they decided to bring him back for , in which it is revealed he is in fact a Changeling . Indeed , this revelation was the idea of writer Ronald D . Moore , who was nervous about killing off long - time character Gowron . " " He came to me after the story was broken and said , ' You know what ? Can we make it Martok instead of Gowron ? " " writer and producer Ira Steven Behr recalled . " " We ended Season 4 saying that Gowron was the changeling . And if we do a whole episode about going to kill Gowron the changeling then there ' s no surprise for the viewers . ' Which was true , so I said , ' Yeah , sure . Why get the TNG fans freaked out . " " Looking back on the episode , Ira Steven Behr believed the " Martok twist " was the best thing they could have done ; " " Because I really think J . G . Hertzler is great , and it paid off in dividends . " " ( " " , pp . 363 - 364 ) Similarly Rene Echevarria commented , " " This is the show where we fell in love with J . G . Hertzler as an actor . It was like , ' Hey , this guy is terrific . And here we are killing him . " " The producers loved Hertzler ' s performance as Martok so much , that they soon began thinking of ways to bring him back to the show . As Echevarria recalled , " " We were killing a Changeling , which started us thinking , ' If he ' s been replaced , where ' s the real guy ? Maybe he ' s not dead . Maybe we can find him . " " ( " " , p . 364 ) Indeed , Hertzler returned in the role for the two - parter and . " " We wanted to bring back Martok . We really like him , " " recalled writer Robert Hewitt Wolfe . Similarly , Behr noted , " " We didn ' t have any particular plans for him . We just liked him . We thought it would give Worf someone from his own people that could like and admire . " " ( " " , pp . 422 & 428 ) J . G . Hertzler appreciated Martok ' s relationship with Worf ; " " Worf finally had a friend , somebody that he could communicate with . Their agenda is not one of scheming or plotting or politicking . It ' s warrior to warrior . I think that ' s what the writers like about Martok . Plus he ' s a crusty old bastard ! " " ( " " , p . 428 ) When creating Martok ' s facial features for , Makeup Designer Michael Westmore went for a unique look . " " He has a scar across his cheek and on his lip , " " said Westmore . " " I made teeth for him and tried to do something a little different with them . All the teeth are from different molds , and they give a certain curl to the lip depending on which teeth I select . " " When Martok returned in , Westmore elected to change the makeup slightly , eliminating the scar while removing Martok ' s left eye . " " We decided not to show an empty socket . So we did it as if the skin had been pulled down and sewn , " " Westmore explained . Though the design was unique , it did have its drawbacks . " " It totally closes up that one eye , " " stated Westmore , " " which made it impossible for " [ Hertzler ] " to do his own stunts because he no longer had any depth perception . " " ( " " , pp . 262 & 428 - 429 ) This lack of depth perception proved problematic for Hertzler at times , particularly when the camera had to move in for a close - up shot . " " I remember doing a scene with Worf , and we ' d rehearsed it – I had to run through this area to one side of me – and of course , the camera wasn ' t there in rehearsal , " " Hertzler reflected . " " So when we actually shot the scene , I ran right into the camera . " Bam ! " Because they forgot I couldn ' t see on that side . " " ( " " , p . 428 ) Hertzler viewed Michael Ansara ( Kang in ) as an influence for his portrayal of Martok . Hertzler commented , " " Ansara set the mold for me , because he has such tremendous dignity on stage and on screen . As a Klingon , especially a general , you have to be not only a loose cannon , but a loose cannon with great dignity . If you can find that balance , then you ' re extraordinary . That ' s Michael Ansara . " " ( ) Like many actors , Hertzler had also developed a sort of background story for his character , particularly with reference to the scar on his face . " " That scar was caused , it was determined , by Martok ' s biting through his lip with the tooth that sticks out , during some sort of combat situation , and it healed , " " he said . " " I think Michael " [ Westmore ] " figured out that after they ' d ripped out his eye , Martok had so many scars that they should get rid of some of them . " " Hertzler , whose father was a mechanic in the US Air Force and rose his way up to the rank of colonel , compared his character to his own family background ; " " We had a work - oriented home , and I believe that ' s what Martok ' s life was like . It was a soldierly , military family that never had any officers . Combined with what I ' d already developed in my own mind as a backstory , Ron " [ D . Moore ] " s take all made sense to me . " " ( " " , pp . 428 & 622 ) Hertzler was happy he was given the opportunity to show Martok ' s aggressive side in . " " It was an actor ' s dream , " " he said . " " I got to really let loose my most venomous , vindictive anger at this old man , and just attack him relentlessly . I think that made some of the viewers uncomfortable , because it was hard to like Martok in those scenes , but we all do things people don ' t like . It made my character three dimensional , so I was happy . " " In order to further develop this side of Martok , Hertzler later approached the producers and requested he not join in the singing at the end of the episode . " " They were worried about that , but I said ' Listen , Martok can give Kor all the due praise , but he cannot sing to him because the hatred is still there , underneath . He does not forgive what that man did . " " Hertzler explained , " " I thought that was more important for my character than bringing him all the way around . I wanted to leave that show unfallen . " " ( " " , p . 622 ) Of Martok ' s darker side , authors Mark Jones and Lance Parkin wrote , " " Hertzler ' s venomous invective is almost shocking and adds more colour to the Klingon General . " " ( " Beyond the Final Frontier " , p . 260 ) The final script for " The Way of the Warrior " describes Martok as , " " an imposing , battle - scarred Klingon warrior . " " When filming for , Hertzler , who also played Laas in the episode , was worried that Laas would be too much like Martok . " " I was worried about damaging the image of Martok , since Laas kills a Klingon in the show , " " Hertzler revealed , " " I don ' t like watching myself on film . But I really do enjoy watching Martok . I didn ' t want to do anything that would compromise the reality of " that " being . " " ( " " , p . 657 ) Hertzler remains a popular actor with fans at conventions . As part of the " Official Star Trek Convention " in Las Vegas , Nevada , Hertzler appeared on stage with Gowron actor Robert O ' Reilly , both in full Klingon makeup . During their 45 - minute stage time , both actors greeted fans , answered questions and performed their " Klingon rap " , later giving away several Klingon - themed limited - edition Monopoly board games . O ' Reilly and Herztler later performed their Klingon rap in - character during a interview in preparation for Oz Comic - Con in Australia . Several items worn or used by Hertzler were later sold off in the It ' s A Wrap ! sale and auction . Among the items was a metal badge which represents the House of Martok ( sold for $ 405 ) , a Klingon hospital gown as featured in ( sold for US $ 192 . 50 ) , a Klingon robe ( sold for US $ 2 , 275 . 50 ) , and a Klingon uniform that was originally made for the " Star Trek " movies and later worn by Hertzler in " Deep Space Nine " ( sold for US $ 4 , 200 ) . Apocrypha . Hertzler first appeared as a Klingon in the non - canon video game " " , in which he played the character of " Elderly Klingon " , along with Worf actor Michael Dorn . Coincidentally , a song featured in the game , and one which Hertzler and Dorn recorded together , ended up being used in the episode . ( " " , p . 449 ) The novel " Doors Into Chaos " refers to Martok as " Martok , son of Krigar " , while the novel " Honor Bound " and later novels refer to him as " Martok , son of Urthog " . Martok also appears in the real time strategy game " " in which he leads the Klingon Empire in a war against the Borg . In the sequel " " , he takes leadership of a combined Klingon and Federation force in order to put down a Cardassian rebellion that develops while the bulk of the Federation fleet is fighting the Borg in the Delta Quadrant . Martok is voiced by his " Deep Space Nine " actor J . G . Hertzler . The story of Martok ' s reign as Chancellor following the events of " What You Leave Behind " is told in the two - part novel series " The Left Hand of Destiny , Book One " and " Book Two " , written in part by Hertzler himself . The novels depict Martok ' s return to Qo ' nos and his quelling of a second Klingon Civil War . In the Pocket TNG novel " A Time to Kill " , Martok swears that revenge must be taken for 6 , 000 Klingon lives lost in an assault against a planet harboring previously - unknown weapons . He prepares a second fleet of nearly forty vessels . However , Worf obtains the Fleet Command Codes and delivers them to Captain Picard , who uses them to neutralize the Klingon fleet and claim " batyay ' a " - complete control over a conquered foe . Martok , realizing that it could have only been Worf would could have accessed and delivered the codes , refuses to bring charges against his housemate . This story is followed up in the final novel of the series , " A Time for War , A Time for Peace " , which sees the Federation embassy on Qo ' nos seized by terrorists who are determined to reveal a secret within the upper echelon of Klingon government . In the " " novel " Gods of Night " , Martok rallies support of the Great Houses following a Borg attack on Khitomer , and pledges the support of the Klingon Defense Forces in repelling the Borg from the Quadrant . This is followed up in " Lost Souls " when he takes command of the IKS " Sword of Kahless " and leads a Klingon fleet in combat against the Borg . Martok later bears witness to the death and destruction the Borg cause during a devastating attack on Qo ' noS . In the alternate future of the " " series , Martok devises a plan to destroy the Bajoran Ascendancy with Project Looking Glass , which involves moving the entire Klingon fleet into the mirror universe where it travels to the mirror universe Bajor . There , it reappears in the " prime " universe and bombardes the planet , destroying it and the Ascendancy . However , the Ascendancy ally Grigari intercepts the Klingon fleet and destroys it , thereby killing Martok . In the storyline for " Star Trek Online " , Martok is supposedly killed in ritual combat in 2393 . His successor , J ' mpok , leads the Empire against the Gorn and withdraws from the Khitomer Accords in 2399 when the Federation Council condemns the invasion of Gorn space . Despite his death , Martok ' s House is still influential ; Worf serves as " gin ' tak " to Drex , Martok ' s son and heir . In addition , Klingon players will be called to aid the Lady Sirella at the family estate in the Ketha Lowlands , avenge the death of her grandson M ' ven , son of Drex , and fight for the House of Martok in the bat ' leth competition on Forcas III , the same tournament where Worf won Champion Standing in nearly four decades earlier . Martok makes his first appearance in " Star Trek Online " in the feature episode " Brushfire " , in which he is again voiced by J . G . Hertzler . Set in 2411 , it reveals that Martok has in fact been alive since his overthrow by J ' mpok , kept in a secret prison in the Briar Patch run by the disgraced House of Torg and guarded by the Son ' a . Torg orchestrated Martok ' s removal from the Chancellorship so that he could undermine the less - popular J ' mpok and become Chancellor himself , and eventually Emperor . General Rodek and the player character are dispatched to rescue him from the prison just as Torg prepares to deliver Martok to the Tzenkethi , who refer to him as " the Butcher " . Escaping the prison with the player characters ' aid , Martok later beams aboard Torg ' s flagship , the I . K . S . " charghwI " , and claims the Right of Vengeance for his grandson M ' ven . Slaying Torg in single combat , Martok takes control of his ship and joins Rodek and the player character ( reinforced by ships commanded by Worf and Sirella ) in fighting off Torg ' s Son ' a and Tzenkethi allies before returning to Qo ' noS with his wife and the warriors of his House . He pledges to J ' mpok that he does not wish to return to the Chancellorship , and instead returns to the Klingon Defense Force with his old rank of General . Martok ' s mirror universe counterpart is depicted as succeeding as Regent of the Klingon - Cardassian Alliance following his capture by the Terran Rebellion in 2375 in the novels " Warpath " and " Saturn ' s Children " . In the subsequent novel " Rise Like Lions " , he is killed in honorable combat and succeeded by in 2377 , who is later killed and succeeded by Duras in 2378 .