Star Trek: Everything We NOW Know About The Klingons

3. After Another Thousand Years, They Still Really Dig Their Ceremonies

Star Trek Starfleet Academy 300th Night
CBS Media Ventures

After Jay-Den joined the Academy, he quickly found friendships with his fellow cadets. Darem, Caleb, Genesis, SAM, and Tarima all became close to him, to one extent or another. However, in terms of his family, he was the only member of the House of Kraag present, while also being the only Klingon.

While Jay-Den may not have been the most traditional Klingon in the life that he chose for himself, he also grew up among those old traditions, embodied by his parents and brother. Though his brother died, and his parents departed, he was still Klingon. It was this that helped him suggest a way for the Federation to help the surviving Klingons.

As Obol Wachok emphasised to Chancellor Ahke, the Klingons would not accept the charity of the Federation in the form of a new world. Jay-Den suggested a compromise, consisting of Starfleet 'challenging' the Klingons for 'encroaching' on Federation territory. This successful gambit was just one of two rituals that Jay-Den brought to the Academy with him.

In 300th Night, he invited his friends (sans Tarima, apparently) to take part in the R'uustai Ceremony. This ceremony was Jay-Den's invitation for them to join his family, which audiences previous saw demonstrated in The Bonding. Worf invited Jeremy Aster to join his family, following the death of the latter's mother. 

The Klingons may have faced seismic shifts in their culture and society, yet there are still those traditions that remain, regardless of the passage of years. 

Contributor
Contributor

Seán is the host and head writer/presenter for TrekCulture, as well as a writer/presenter on WhoCulture and WhatCulture Horror. He has authored two novels, dozens of short stories, and hundreds of articles for WhatCulture. He holds a Master of Arts in Creative Writing from University College Dublin. As part of his work with TrekCulture, Seán has been invited to participate in collaborations with Roddenberry Entertainment, as well as contributing to several Star Trek community projects. An avid fan of Star Trek, Doctor Who, and the horror genre at large, Seán's expertise has helped develop these channels to the successes they are today. As host of the Ups & Downs series on TrekCulture, Seán has become internationally recognised for his positive yet critically informed approach to reviewing every episode of modern Star Trek, ensuring he is one of the go-to voices in the Trek community. Favourite Quote to describe himself: "I'm serious about what I do, just not always about the way that I do it"