Trelane

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Trelane
Trelane in The Squire of Gothos
Species	Unknown lifeform
Gender	male
Home planet	Gothos
Portrayed by	William Campbell
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Trelane is a fictional character who appears in the Star Trek: The Original Series episode "The Squire of Gothos". He was played by William Campbell.

Trelane is a childish and overbearing being who appears to be human; however, sensor scans reveal nothing about his physiology. He abducts people to his private castle on Gothos for his amusement. Captain James T. Kirk and members of the Enterprise crew are taken to Gothos and detained by Trelane who simply wants to play games with them. His idea of fun, however, turns deadly. Trelane alludes to instrumentation that grants him his powers. Kirk eventually deduces the likely location of the instrument from Trelane's behavior and destroys it. The Enterprise flees, but it is recaptured when Trelane proves able to move his planet to intercept them, despite attempts at evasion. Kirk is returned to Gothos where Trelane announces that the machine Kirk destroyed wasn't the only instrumentation at his command, and that his replacement equipment was unbreakable. In a mock trial, Trelane sentences Kirk to death; Kirk staves off death and attempts to buy the lives of his crew by engaging the puckish alien's curiosity. At about the time when Trelane tires of the games and prepares to destroy Kirk, two colorful blobs of light materialize. These are Trelane's parents, confirming Kirk's growing suspicion that Trelane's conduct stems mostly from immaturity. They chastise their errant youngster and permit Kirk and the Enterprise to depart unharmed.

[edit] Q-like behavior

It is suggested by some Star Trek fans (and at least one Star Trek Expanded Universe novel, Q-Squared by Peter David) that Trelane is a young member of the Q Continuum, a race of near-omnipotent beings who harass, in various ways, beings much weaker than they are.

Like Q, Trelane viewed humans as playthings, appeared in many guises, could instantly rearrange matter and energy, and even subjected Kirk to a mock trial. He initially relied on a machine to assist his self-described "instrumentality," but after it was destroyed he displayed even greater feats. When Kirk asked about this, Trelane responded, "Did you really think that was the only medium of instrumentality at my command?" At the end of the episode Trelane is revealed to merely be a child of his race—this may explain his partial reliance on the machine.

Peter David's novel attempts to resolve the apparent discrepancy by suggesting that Trelane is (in essence) developmentally disabled relative to other Q; the machine analogous to crutches or a wheelchair.