K'Taal

Unusually, K’Taal grew up with two sisters and an older brother. Her father was in the Klingon Defense Force, and her mother taught primary school.

K’Taal and her brother followed her father into the Klingon Defense Force, actually going through training together. K’Taal earned her first combat experience during the Dominion War, and both gained respect and loathing for the Cardassians. (This has, not however, impacted her ability to work with the species, as was necessary for a short time in her early Starfleet career).. During a skirmish with the Jem’Hadar, K’Taal’s brother and sister-in-law were both killed, and she took responsibility for her nephew, remaining extremely loyal to him.

During the Dominion War, K’Taal worked with Starfleet, and eventually decided to transfer. While the KDF was loathed to see a good officer leave, they agreed to let her transfer her service, although she kept her Klingon citizenship. She first served aboard the Diligent-class USS Pythagorus from 2381-6–after going
through an abbreviated Starfleet training course in 2379-81. She underwent Advanced Tactical Training in 2386-8, and briefly served on the USS Tigris in 2388.

With hostilities between the Klingon Empire and the self-styled Sovereignty of Kahless in the offing–(being an astute person, K’Taal predicted this), she officially transferred her citizenship to the Federation. She still
maintains some contact with her sisters on Q’Onos, although after she married her wife, this has been almost non-existent.

From even as far back as her time in the Klingon Defense Force, K’Taal was never attracted to men. While her parents and brother were accepting of this, she did not tell many others–her sisters are a good example of the reactions she received within the Empire. While at the KDF academy, she had to rebuff the advances of one of her instructors, and she is slightly nervous that they may face each other in battle one day.

During the Dominion War, K’Taal had a turbulent relationship with a Starfleet science officer named Taavis. For a variety of reasons, the relationship was not sustainable, and it was only after over a decade of no contact that they were able to start reconciliation. Unfortunately, this was cut short when
Taavis was killed on an away mission.

Eventually, with the help of her son, and the woman who would become her wife, K’Taal was able to open her heart again. She married Elizabeth
Shaw, a Terran artist of some note, in 2387. While they do not see each other as often as they would like because of K’Taal’s Starfleet service, they nonetheless have a happy, successful relationship.