Generic Organians

Context

This alien species appears in the Star Trek episode “Errand of Mercy”, originally broadcast in 1967.

This here profile has S P O I L E R S about this classic episode.

I just did this on the spur of the moment. I had a hankering to go back and watch the episode. And, since the Organians have only one canon appearance, I decided to write this just for the fun of it.

Canon sounds

The Organians have an appearance in a Star Trek: Enterprise episode, “Observer Effect”. But the Organians of that episode seem notably different than they were in the original Star Trek.

Furthermore, it is debatable whether Enterprise is properly a prequel to the original Star Trek, or more a prequel to the current-as-of-this-writing run of movies (Star Trek, Star Trek: Into Darkness and Star Trek Beyond).

Other than the “Organian” name being dropped once during the episode, there is no similarity between what they were in “Errand of Mercy” and what they were in “Observer Effect”. Although both are good stories on their own merits.

There have also been a number of non-canon stories involving the Organians. Some sites mix canon and non-canon information freely without distinguishing which is which. Here, I try to stick strictly to canon information.

Beyond the Enterprise episode, there were at least two non-canon novels.

More notes

This is a generic writeup on the Organians as a species.

There were only three of them that had names and dialogue: Ayelborne, Trefayne and Claymare. Their abilities were slightly different. But they could form a gestaltIn this context, several persons fusing to form a new entity., which was impossible to prevent. So I am going with what they could do collectively.

The Squire of Gothos  was a child, and another “all-powerful Star Trek alien” smug and arrogant type. These usually have:

Strange indeed for supposedly advanced, superior life forms.

In contrast, the Organians seemed to me neither smug, nor omnipotent – since they formed a gestalt of the species for many of their acts. They seemed the epitomy of what such beings should be if they existed: wise, peaceful and benevolent.

History

(This history, by definition, includes S P O I L E R S. If you have never seen the Star Trek original series episode, “Errand of Mercy”, I strongly recommend you watch it).

The Organians were once a corporeal life form. But over millions of years, they evolved into a non-corporeal form of life possessing vast and far-reaching powers.

They also developed an abhorrence for violence and of interfering in the affairs of other species.

Their hatred of violence extended not just to not causing harm themselves, but to allowing harm to come to others. Especially if they were indirectly the cause of it.

For reasons unknown, they stayed on or close to their home planet of Organia.

XXIII^rd century

In the 23^rd century, Organia became significant in the growing hostilities between the Federation and the Klingon Empire.

The starship Enterprise arrived. Captain Kirk and First Officer Spock beamed down.

The Organians created physical forms which they may or may not have partially inhabited to communicate. Kirk repeatedly noted their constant smiling and sense of peace. Along with an inability to comprehend any concept of being in danger.

In fact, when Kirk confronted the Klingon commander, Kor, they liked each other more than they liked the Organians. Their mutual disdain for the Organians seemed to enhance their grudging respect for each other.

This was largely because they mistook the attitudes of the Organians for cowardice.

Parlaying

On whatever higher, non-corporeal level they lived, the Organians had some sort of social system. There apparently was a high council to deal with any issues they might have. Including interactions with other species.

The High Council leader at the time was named Ayelborne. But he stated that they rotated and that he, Claymare, and Treyfane were merely the current high council.

The implication was that they took turns, possibly three at a time, until all of them had served as the high council and the chairman.

By today’s standards, they would be “a bunch of old White guys”. But Kirk would expect those in charge to be older and to have experience. As to the “guys” and “White” parts, well, the show was made during the 1960s and it often shows.

Taking action

After an interesting adventure for Kirk and Spock, the Organians finally revealed themselves. They caused all instruments of war to radiate at a temperature of 350 (unspecified) degrees.

This made it impossible for the Federation and the Klingons to fight. And it happened to all Federation and Klingon ships across the galaxy.

Ayelborne then appeared simultaneously:

He explained that, although they found such interference repulsive, they were stopping this war before it started.

He then asked all parties to depart as they found close contact with such primitive, violent species to be extremely painful.

Aftermath

In the aftermath, the Federation and the Klingons worked out what has become known as the Organian Peace Treaty.

Whether the Organians ever directly contacted Humans or Klingons again, they clearly lifted their direct interference. Since there were later skirmishes between Humans and Klingons.

It is improbable that they would interfere again to stop a war were one to occur. It was fairly clear they only interfered because their planet would have become a focal point occupied by one side or the other. Which is something they would not allow.

One assumes they went back to their peaceful, contemplative existence, unconcerned about the corporeal universe.

Adνеrtisеmеnt

Collected or downloaded Star Trek: The Original Series episodes

Enterprise version

Star Trek: Enterprise did a possible prequel. It presented the Organians as possessing people to observe other species. A power they neither displayed nor needed in the original Star Trek episode.

In that episode, they also seemed to experience no pain from proximity to such primitive species as Humans. Nor did one of them display much in the way of being horrified by the suffering of others.

Quotes

Ayelborne: “Captain, we see that your concern is genuine. We are moved. But again we assure you we are in absolutely no danger. If anybody is in danger, you are, and that concerns us greatly. It would be better if you returned to your ship as soon as possible.”

Kirk: “Gentlemen, you kept insisting that there was no danger.”
Ayelborne: “That is correct, Captain. There is no danger.”
Trefayne: “Ayelborne, eight space vehicles have assumed orbit around our planet. They are activating their material transmission units.”
Trefayne: “Ayelborne, several hundred men have appeared near the citadel. They bring many weapons.”
Kirk: “How does he know that ?”
Ayelborne: “Oh, our friend Trefayne is really quite intuitive. You can rest assured that what he says is absolutely correct.”

Captain Kirk: “You have no right to dictate to our Federation…”
Kor: “Or our Empire…”
Kirk: “…how to handle their interstellar relations. We have the right…”
Ayelborne: “To wage war, Captain ? To kill millions of innocent people ? To destroy life on a planetary scale ? Is that what you’re defending ?”

Claymare: “We find interference in other people’s affairs most disgusting. But you, gentlemen, have given us no choice.”
Kirk: “You should be the first to be on our side. Two hundred hostages killed.”
Claymare: “No one has died here in uncounted thousands of years.”

By Doug Mertaugh.

Source of Character: The original Star Trek episode “Errand of Mercy”.

Helper(s): Ethan Roe, Chris Chaplain, Darci, Sébastien Andrivet.

Writeup completed on the 12^th of July, 2018.