Star Trek: First Contact began with Worf sitting in the USS Defiant's Captain's chair during a battle with the Borg. Although the Defiant was built to fight the Borg, the "tough little ship" was rendered "adrift but salvageable" as Worf took his usual spot as Security Chief of the USS Enterprise-E. Worf would command the USS Defiant several more times in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine in place of Captain Sisko. But why did the Klingon serve as Acting Captain of Sisko's starship, to begin with?
Why Worf Was Acting Captain Of Star Trek: DS9’s USS Defiant
Being Strategic Operations Officer has its privileges
On Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Lt. Commander Worf was not Chief of Security or even a security officer as he was on Captain Jean-Luc Picard's (Patrick Stewart) USS Enterprise-D and E. When Worf joined DS9, he accepted Captain Sisko's newly created position of Strategic Operations Officer. Deep Space Nine did not need Worf's skillset in Security; Starfleet had Lt. Commander Michael Eddington (Ken Marshall) in that position, while the station's Bajoran security forces were led by Constable Odo (Rene Auberjonois). Worf's role as Strategic Operations Officer allowed him to command the USS Defiant.
As DS9's Strategic Operations Officer, Worf switched to a red Starfleet uniform instead of the yellow he wore on the Starship Enterprise. Red denotes Worf moved to the Command track, leaving his previous Security track behind. Worf outranked most of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine's crew as Strategic Operations Officer, including his future wife, Lt. Commander Jadzia Dax (Terry Farrell), who was Science Officer. As Strategic Operations Officer, Worf had the duty and privilege to command the USS Defiant when Captain Sisko was not aboard.
Worf Had A Deeper Connection to Star Trek: DS9’s USS Defiant
The Klingon preferred living on a starship
Lt. Commander Worf not only commanded the USS Defiant, but he even chose to live aboard it. Worf was never comfortable living on the Deep Space Nine space station. With its coterie of aliens coming and going, many conducting criminal enterprises, Worf found his old habits as a Security Officer died hard, nor did he enjoy being neighbors with Ferengi like Quark (Armin Shimerman). Overall, Worf found living on DS9 distasteful. But aboard the USS Defiant, Worf gained the peace he craved. He could even blast his Klingon opera throughout the empty starship's comm system to his heart's content.
Lt. Commander Jadzia Dax also commanded the USS Defiant when Captain Sisko and Worf were not aboard.
It's not surprising Worf preferred living on the USS Defiant, as he spent over seven years residing aboard the Starship Enterprise, and he continued to do so whenever the Klingon was part of a Star Trek: The Next Generation movie. Worf was comfortable aboard Federation starships, and he was attuned to living and working among Starfleet Officers. Worf certainly knew his way around a starship's bridge and interiors, although he also could adapt to serving among Klingons when Worf would join General Martok's (J.G. Hertzler) missions aboard his Bird-of-Prey, the IKS Rotarran, during Star Trek: Deep Space Nine's Dominion War.
Worf Became Captain Of The Enterprise After DS9
The Klingon succeeded Captain Picard
Worf's years on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine working with Captain Sisko as Strategic Operations Officer and commanding the USS Defiant honed the Klingon into a capable starship Captain. After DS9 ended, Worf briefly served as Federation Ambassador to Qo'nos before he returned to Starfleet, taking his old spot as Security Chief of the USS Enterprise-E in Star Trek: Nemesis. But after Commander Will Riker (Jonathan Frakes) became Captain of the USS Titan, and Lt. Commander Data (Brent Spiner), died in Star Trek: Nemesis, Worf found himself next in line to become Captain of the Enterprise.
Worf learned how to be a starship Captain thanks to his time on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.
As Star Trek: Picard season 3 established, Worf succeeded Jean-Luc Picard as Captain of the USS Enterprise-E when Picard was promoted to Admiral in 2381. While little is known of Worf's tenure as Captain of the Federation's flagship, the Enterprise-E was eventually lost under mysterious circumstances that Worf insists were not his fault. Regardless, Worf learned how to be a starship Captain thanks to his time on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and the Klingon cut his teeth by commanding the USS Defiant.
