Hello all! Ric here with a look into a strange and unnerving
sighting from Star Trek canon; the Elachi. Star Trek is still full of unexplained mysteries
and plots that were not addressed on screen such as the origin of the aliens in conspiracy,
the self-repairing station or the subject of this video, the silent enemy antagonists.
This species was featured when they came across the Enterprise NX-01 in late august 2151,
as it was routinely deploying subspace buoys. A ship of unfamiliar design approached them from the
depths of space and when noticed it ignored the Enterprise’s handshake, prevented scans and left.
When it returned, it fired upon the Enterprise but then retreated once more,
proving hostile intent. Eventually they even beamed two of their own onto the ship
where they were glimpsed in the darkened halls, bent over a fallen crewman, doing
something. A phase pistol direct hit did seemingly nothing to them,
yet they retreated anyway. Medical evaluations of the downed crew revealed that they had
been the subject of invasive scans and readings suggesting this had been a raid to gather intel.
The spindly creatures were completely unidentified, and when they did communicate,
it was through parroting back Captain Archer’s own message of warning to him. An eerie and
unknown antagonist that prompted the Enterprise to properly arm itself with the precursor to
the Phaser systems before venturing further out. Several tales have ascribed motivation and meaning
to these aliens, referring to them as the Elachi and has some interesting facets to their biology.
They are actually a fungal lifeform that after the inclusion of the Mycelial Plane from Discovery,
had that retconned as their native plane of existence. This area is home to its
own ecosystem and several other sentient lifeforms, so for it to be the origin of
the Elachi actually fits in rather well. This also ties into further lore, which I’ll get to later.
The reason Elachi seem to kidnap humanoid lifeforms is dualfold, but the initial reason
is procreation. As fungal life, they require a substrate in which to develop and that is
found in the bodies of their captives. Seized individuals, after being deemed compatible are
brought back to their bases and infected with their spores. This leads the host to slowly
be consumed by the spreading fungus until it takes over completely, replacing every cell
in the host body until a new Elachi is made from the remains. Prior to this method however, they
were perfectly happy to remain in the Mycelial Network, and only seemed to have adopted this
method of reproduction in the face of leaving it. In a novel series that followed the events of Star
Trek Enterprise and the Earth Romulan War, the Elachi are briefly developed and their origin
is understood to be a dark planet, a planet that has drifted away from its star, or at least this
is one of their major bases. Because they are so alien in form, their motivations were ascribed to
simply not understanding how different life was, assuming that humanoid life was rather primitive.
Sure buddy, you just ignored the space ships the Enterprise crew were travelling around
in and did not consider a spoken language as signs of intelligence.
Now in Star Trek Online, these beings are also operating as servitors to the Iconians
in preparation for their return, gathering data and experimenting on the Milky Way inhabitants,
but that is a massive addition to the lore to throw in. This was supposedly the reason
for their radicalisation in leaving the Mycelial network as the Iconian’s persuaded them to serve.
As the network resides in a subspace domain, the species was already suited for and rather
adept at living outside of regular spacetime. As such their installations and bases were
constructed deep in subspace pockets where they hid beyond detection of most. They are not the
only species to reside in such subspace areas, the Nacene entity Suspiria for another example.
From these bases, they raided all throughout the Alpha and Beta quadrants, leaving rumour and tales
of their passing. Strange ships descending silently on lone vessels, testing them before
returning with the intent to capture. By the 22nd and 24th centuries, most of the focus was around
the fringes of Federation and Romulan territory. Accompanying the encounter with the Enterprise,
the Romulans had tales of miners in the Eridan Belt uncovering Elachi beacons, who returned to
reclaim their technology. But the encounters were dismissed as paranoia and superstition.
It was in 2409 that they made their overt move, in preparation for the full return of the Iconian
Remnants. The Elachi had been descending on the fractured Romulan colony worlds,
now deprived of the Star Empire or much else in the way of defences. These worlds went dark and
it was not until Virinat, an agricultural Romulan settlement, was attacked that word
managed to escape to the Romulan populus at large of these Elachi abductions. Their purpose was not
only to catch more fodder for their growth, but to destabilise any attempt the Romulans might
have at presenting a united challenge to the Iconians when they returned the following year.
It was during these skirmishes that one of their subspace bases was discovered and the
connection to the Iconians raised, as well as the purpose of the abducted colonists as
conversion, to feed and birth more Elachi. Steps were taken to combat them, and after
the Iconian’s defeat, some unexpected results manifested. Some of the converted Elachi began
to remember their host’s lives and the former personalities reasserted themselves, creating a
faction within the Elachi that wanted to return to the Mycelial Network and simply live. These
peaceful Elachi made contact in 2411 and tentative diplomatic ties were established. However many of
the Elachi are still directionless without their Iconian leaders or subject to the ravages of the
Mycelial Network and descending into insanity. That their tale in Star Trek Online, and while
it provides a great deal of background information and a history to them,
it is all tied into the giant sweeping changes of Iconain plots and schemes that makes the
central narrative of that game. As for appearing on screen,
well they kind of appeared once more in Star Trek Picard, but very indirectly.
Several ships were seen, small fighter-like interceptors in the first episode of season three
and these were Elachi ships, borrowed from Star Trek Online’s expansive ship catalogue of licensed
creations. Now I would just pass it off as a case of borrowing a non-canon ship to repurpose for a
quick on screen appearance, however there was a behind the scenes document put out that covered
the origin of these vessels. As part of Vadic’s small fleet, these ships were procured through the
black market and were described as salvaged Elachi vessels. While not much of the Elachi was known,
these ships had been captured by the Romulan Star Empire several years ago when a patrol intercepted
them. In the years following the Empire’s collapse, salvage and resources often slipped
through the cracks and these were such vessels. The computer system had been completely wiped,
and required a rebuild but the ships were operable and purchased from Commander R’vanna
of the Azure Sector Imperial Impound Yard 37. Honestly, I think the inclusion of the Mycelial
network as their origin point makes a lot more sense and I love their horrific reasoning for
taking captives. I’m not sure about the Iconian element added to the lore of the shows as that is
a major thing to include, but the fungal biology does well to match that eerie look and has this
alien feel of just… urgh. It’s very cordyceps of them, but what is created is not a mindless
fungal husk, but a new being, kind of like the Kobali repurposing a corpse to a new lifeform.
Evil creatures or just trying to survive, there is a cool Trek style dilemma there to explore and
the whole thing adds some much needed depth and detail to an area of Star Trek lore that I feel
really needs more development. That being the subspace fungal network where the idea is cool.
With their ships turning up on screen, but being referred to as Elachi vessels
in external documents, there is still a great deal of mystery around them.
Thanks for watching this breakdown on just what the Elachi are, the silent enemy of Enterprise.
Not every mystery of Star Trek needs explaining away, but in this case, I feel the added depth
and lore does enough to replace the mystery to make it worthwhile. What do you think, should I
do a video deep dive onto their culture at some point? Thanks again, I’ve been Ric and goodbye!