Modern Star Trek lacks most of the subtlety of its earlier iterations. While classic entries in the franchise revolved around solving problems with clever gambits and scientific knowledge, recent incarnations frequently rely on more direct conflict. Subsequently, the antagonists have to advance as military threats. One of the most notable enemies in Star Trek: Discovery is the Emerald Chain. While they represent similar thematic elements, the Emerald Chain is a more straightforward takedown of predatory business culture.
The fifth and final season of Star Trek: Discovery is currently airing. Its current Rotten Tomatoes scores tell an unpleasant story. It has an 83% positive score from professional critics and 21% from audience members. The discrepancy is massive, but it suggests several things. Angry fans will frequently gather to hurt a show’s reputation for daring to alter their precious canon or cast diverse performers. However, the critics’ 6.9 out of 10 average score is also troubling.
How did the Emerald Chain form?
Perhaps the most notable event in Star Trek: Discovery is the Burn. The Burn was a mysterious calamity during which all dilithium in the galaxy became inert. This caused the deaths of millions, as every ship with an active warp core lost anitmatter containment and suddenly exploded. The death toll will never truly reveal itself, as the immediate effects pale in comparison to other longer-term disasters. This period of widespread panic, devastation, and death led to an opportunity for several of the worst people in space. The Orion Syndicate was a massive criminal empire involved in everything from illegal gambling to slave trading. They partnered with the warlike Andorian culture to form a new organization called the Emerald Chain. Their illicit activities and blatant violations of sentient rights allowed them to attain the power of a de facto state in a massive territory.
The Emerald Chain gained the Federation’s attention through a series of questionable deals with pre-warp civilizations. After the Burn created widespread panic and instability, Emerald Chain representatives would approach species like the Kweijan with offers they couldn’t refuse. The Kweijan specifically faced the starvation of millions after the Burn shifted the orbit of their moon and altered their tides. The Emerald Chain swooped in to offer a solution in exchange for access to an endangered species they could sell for food. The Chain arranged these types of deals all over the galaxy. They ignored the Prime Directive in pursuit of profit, acting like a dark mirror of the Federation. This would gradually draw the Federation into an inevitable conflict. At its height, the Emerald Chain arranged predatory deals with at least 50 star systems. They enslaved countless sentient beings and operated cruel mercantile pursuits across the galaxy.
Who leads the Emerald Chain?
Osyraa is the leader of the Emerald Chain. She’s an Orion woman who rules with an iron fist. When the show wants to depict the Emerald Chain’s actions, it usually uses Osyraa. Osyraa’s vessel and the flagship of the Emerald Chain is a heavy cruiser called the Viridian. Her origins remain unclear. Sometime before her appearances on the show, she captured a rebellious Andorian named Ryn. She had her armed regulators hack off one of his antennae before conscripting him into slave labor in a scrapyard under her nephew. Her nephew, Tolor, forced Ryn to install explosive collars on their other slaves. Tolor later loses Ryn, prompting Osyraa to feed Tolor to a worm. She was a cruel and clever schemer who worked to further legitimize the Emerald Chain. Her tricks saw some success before landing her in less convenient circumstances. She offers this strong line to explain her philosophy:
My ancestors knew that power is a virtue, and there is no nobility in suffering.
What happened to the Emerald Chain?
Osyraa very nearly arranged a suitable deal with the Federation. She tried to hold Kwejian hostage, but the Discovery crew solved their problem shortly before an unrelated party wiped out the species. Osyraa later hijacked the Discovery to force a meeting with Starfleet Admiral Charles Vance. She suggested a deal that would enable the Emerald Chain to continue expanding without consequences. She even offered significant changes to the Chain’s operating procedures, including an end to slavery. Negotiations broke down when she refused to stand trial for her crimes. She killed Ryn and tried to blow up Federation headquarters. Her attack failed, as did her escape. Michael Burnham shoots her dead with a phaser, leaving the Emerald Chain under new management. The group’s remaining members fractured, leading to a proposed armistice agreement involving freeing the slaves. Only a few holdouts maintain the criminal operation, typically with much less success.
The Emerald Chain could emerge again in some form. The death of Osyraa may have been a fatal blow. It could also reshape the organization into a scrappier group. As it stands, the Emerald Chain’s actions have fallen out of focus. Though a fascinating idea animated this evil group, Star Trek: Discovery had less to say about capitalist imperialism than it seemed to.
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