Klyden

**Klyden** was a Moclan civilian who lived aboard the USS *Orville* with his mate, Bortus, and their daughter, Topa. Klyden accompanied Bortus through various postings on Planetary Union vessels for several years. Both already lived aboard the Orville in 2419 when Ed Mercer became captain.

In 2422, Klyden left his mate and daughter in a rage after Topa transitioned from male to female, after she discovered she was forced to be a male her entire life. He later realized the wrongness of his actions after his daughter suffered great harm inflicted at the hands of the Moclan government. He apologized for his actions, telling Topa it was time that he must change and that he accepted her and was proud to call her his daughter. With Moclus being expelled from the Union for their actions, Klyden joined his mate and daughter in renouncing their Moclan citizenship to remain on the *Orville*. He and Bortus then rekindled their relationship in the Commencement Rite of the Kazh-gahl, or The Renewal of Mating Vows.

Klyden is portrayed by American actor Chad L. Coleman.

## History

### Early Life

Much of Klyden's background is unknown. He was originally born female, which his parents changed to male shortly after birth. His parents never disclosed the operation to him, but was discovered years later.

Talla Keyali, Chief of Security of the Orville, stated that records showed Klyden had been educated in "the fundamentals of engineering."

Klyden met Bortus around the year 2413, and the two became mates.

When Bortus was assigned to the USS *Clemens*, Klyden underwent a routine medical evaluation to join him. It was the first time a non-Moclan medical officer had examined Klyden, and he learned that he was originally born female.

### Aboard the USS *Orville*

Sometime later, Bortus was assigned as second officer of the USS *Orville* under an unnamed captain, and Klyden followed him.

As a civilian aboard the Orville, Klyden was sporadically involved in ship affairs:

* Around December 2420 or January 2421, Locar, Bortus' former *kodashik*, visited the Orville. Locar was heterosexual, a secret known to a few including Bortus. Bortus disclosed Locar's secret to Klyden, and Klyden confronted Locar in the Environmental Simulator, vowing to reveal his sexuality to Moclan authorities. (Heterosexuality was regarded as a perversion, punishable with life imprisonment.) Despondent, Locar faked his own death and framed Klyden as his murderer. Klyden was held in the Brig during this time, but maintained his innocence. Chief of Security Talla Keyali found Locar hiding in a shuttle. A tribunal on Moclus convicted Locar, presumably for acting on his heterosexual desires and for framing Klyden for murder, and Klyden was freed.

* While the Orville was docked at Kaylon 1 a month later, Klyden attended Isaac's farewell party with Bortus and Topa in the Mess Hall. When the Kaylon seized the Orville as part of their war on biological life, the Kaylon found Klyden with Topa in their quarters and took them captive in the ship's Shuttle Bay.

### Personal life

Klyden and Bortus became mates in 2413. Their *gomaska,* or first date, was dinner at the Moclan Central Arcade and playing in a combat simulator. Klyden accompanied his mate on at least two starships: the USS *Clemens* and the Orville.

In October 2419, Bortus laid an egg and, 21 days later, Klyden and Bortus welcomed their new child, a female.

#### Dispute over Topa

The newborn caused a stir on the Orville. Modern Moclans claimed they were a nearly all-male species and a female birth was exceedingly rare. Privately, Klyden and Bortus agreed to surgically alter the sex of the child to male, and the couple refrained from naming the child until after the operation.

Eventually Bortus experienced a change of heart and opposed the operation. However, Klyden remained in staunch favor of sex reassignment. During an argument, Klyden disclosed his female birth. Bortus was upset that he was not told sooner, but Klyden said he was worried Bortus would leave him were Bortus to learn his birth-sex.

To prevent the procedure, Bortus demanded Tribunal on Moclus. Klyden was horrified by the prospect of a public trial. The trial lasted a single day. The jury found in favor of Klyden and the child underwent the operation. The parents took the child and returned to the Orville. In their quarters, Klyden and Bortus reconciled for the good of the child, whom they named Topa.

#### Life after the tribunal

> *"Bortus, will you be home for dinner?"
> "I have already told you, we have an important diplomatic assignment - I must work late."
> "Very well. We will just spend another night by ourselves.*— Bortus and Klyden
>
>

The tribunal over their child's sex created a lasting rift. Roughly a month after the trial, Bortus began to spend increasing amounts of time at work, sometimes leaving for his shift an hour early to avoid discussing his absence with Klyden. Klyden stated that he felt neglected by Bortus, who spent very long hours at his post on the bridge; he became a compulsive eater, perhaps stemming from depression, and argued with Bortus whenever they were together. According to Bortus in early 2420, the two had not had sex since the tribunal.

By June 2420, the now eight-month-old Topa rapidly matured to the physical and mental equivalent of a seven-year-old human. Complaining that he could not spend his day entertaining Topa, Klyden had Bortus enroll Topa in the Orville's school.

#### Divorce attempt and reconciliation

By August, Klyden had grown despondent. "I feel Bortus does not wish to be with me," he later recalled. "That he does not find me attractive anymore." As a result of Bortus spending even less time at home due to his pornography addiction, Klyden attempted to divorce Bortus while he slept in their quarters by plunging a dagger into his chest - a traditional Moclan divorce.

The attempt was unsuccessful. Klyden was thrown into the Brig until Ed released him at Bortus' insistence, and the couple attended daily couples counseling with Doctor Claire Finn.

#### Tensions resurface

After Klyden's unsuccessful divorce attempt, the couple return to married life. In the months that followed, Klyden and Bortus maintained a strained peace. They attended a Union Symphony concert with Topa in December 2420. At the same time, Bortus grew a mustache after Gordon Malloy said he would "look pretty good" with one. The mustash embarrassed and disgusted Klyden. Bortus later relented and removed it.

Klyden's persistent and deep disrespect of women grated on Bortus. When Topa shoved his classmate, Olivia, for a toy, Bortus was upset to hear Topa say Klyden believed females were inferior and therefore "it doesn't matter what they think." Klyden, on the other hand, believed life aboard the Orville had changed Bortus' view of women for the worse.

Soon after, The Sanctuary, a refuge for Moclan females, applied for recognition within the Planetary Union, and Moclus threatened to secede. Klyden was happy by the possibility to return to Moclus. Bortus said Klyden never felt comfortable aboard the ship and did not like living around so many women and girls on the Orville - though Klyden denied this.

#### New Horizons

In 2422, Bortus and Klyden visited the Belajok Sea on Moclus during Bortus's shore leave. Bortus was losing weight on the advice of Gordon Malloy, who felt that Klyden would appreciate Bortus's "summer body."

Later that year, after Topa found out she was forced to be male by the Moclan government, she transitioned to her birth sex. Klyden, at least, in some respects, blamed Commander Grayson for this situation as she brought her concerns about Topa's psychological and emotional well being to his parent's attention. Further, Kelly gave Topa an indirect clue as to where she could find detailed information on the sex reassignment done to her as an infant while Bortus secretly provided the password to the protected file. Klyden angrily approached Kelly in her office and tried to intimidate and physically attack her.

Kelly, in response, swiftly evaded the attack and was able to pin the much larger man against the wall with his arm behind his back. She made it clear to him that she would "forget" about the incident but that if he ever tried anything like that again to any officer she would: "snap his arm off and mount it on her wall" making certain he understood her very clearly before he left the office. Similarly, when Klyden tried to intervene and stop Isaac from performing the surgical procedure on Topa; Isaac used his superior physical strength to forestall Klyden's interference. These events infuriated Klyden so much that he left his mate and daughter left in anger. He told Bortus that he would not even give him the dignity of the sword, referring to his previous attempt to divorce him via normal Moclan custom. As he left, Topa told him that she loved him, but he replied that he wished she was never born.

Sometime following this, Topa visiting Heveena's sanctuary world, where Heveena tasked her with a secret mission of serving as a contact to smuggle Moclan females to safety, a violation of the terms of the agreement between the Moclans and the Planetary Union. In response, the Moclans kidnapped Topa and transported her to a secret black site, a military installation in the Zonari System, where they tortured her for information. After she was rescued and her torture exposed, the Planetary Union voted to expel Moclus from its ranks. Learning of the incident, Klyden returned to the Orville. There, he told Bortus that when Ed had informed him of what had happened, he boarded the first transport he could find.

He asked to speak with Topa and Bortus allowed it. He then told her that he missed her and she replied that she had missed him too. He told her he had said regretful things to her. She told him that she understood and it was okay, but he said that it wasn't, that she was almost lost because of people like him. He told her that he had allowed a lifetime of prejudice to cloud his judgment and that he had to change. He told her that he accepted her exactly as she was and that he was proud to call her his daughter. The two told each other that they loved each other. Afterwards, both he and Klyden renounced their Moclan citizenship and resumed their relationship. They, along with Topa, then enjoyed dinner with Kelly Grayson, who had played a key role in rescuing Topa.

After the crew of The Orville succeeded in brokering what seemed to be a lasting peace with the Kaylons, Klyden joined the vessel's crew on a vacation at an idyllic country area on Earth. He and Bortus enjoyed a musical performance by Gordon Malloy and Charly Burke along with the others. Following this, he and Bortus got into an argument regarding the proper way to crack a walnut, which Bortus seemed unable to succeed at. Bortus told Klyden not to shout at him, promising that he would access the "interior meat", until finally Talla Keyali came over and offered help, cracking a walnut using only one of her hands. Klyden complained that the two of them now looked like fools, but Bortus simply ate the walnut.

## Alternative timelines

In the original timeline where Pria Lavesque did not rescue the Orville from a dark matter storm, Klyden was killed along with the rest of the ships passengers and crew.

In an alternate timeline where Ed Mercer did not become captain of the Orville, Klyden lived with Bortus and Topa aboard the Orville under Captain Griffith. During the Battle of Earth, all hands evacuated the Orville, and Klyden and Topa fled to Moclus. The two presumably died when the Kaylon destroyed Moclus several months later.

## Personality

Compared to his mate, Bortus, Klyden was more personable and outgoing. Typical of Moclans, Klyden spoke in direct, terse sentences, free of underlying implications or hidden meanings. He was sensitive about Bortus' time spent away on duty, and the "neglect" he felt. Klyden began living with Bortus aboard Union vessels years ago, but Klyden seems to have vocalized his complaints only after Topa's birth.

Klyden was far more cautious and conservative than his mate. When the Union investigated whether a large construct orbiting the planet Alibar was a weapon, Klyden sharply criticized the mission because it prevented the Krill from preemptively destroying the possible threat. To Klyden, if the construct were a weapon, then the Krill did them a favor; and if the construct were not, then the Krill attacked a reclusive society of little consequence.

### Relationship with the crew

Klyden maintained friendly relations with the crew during his early period aboard the Orville, but things started to sour after successfully changing Topa's sex to male in November 2419.

Chief of Security Talla Keyali bitterly hated Klyden. She had a romantic interest in Locar, and blamed Klyden for Locar's life imprisonment for heterosexuality. In her final conversation with Klyden, she ordered him never to speak to her again.

He came into direct conflict with Kelly Grayson after she began tutoring Topa for the Union Point Entrance Exam. When she told him and Bortus that Topa was unhappy, he replied that all children were unhappy. When she pointed out that they were talking about somebody who was surgically altered without their knowledge or consent, he told her that she had overstayed her welcome and to go. He was later livid with her after Topa discovered the truth, believing, not without reason, that she was directly responsible.

Later, when Klyden discovered Isaac readying himself to perform a sex-change procedure on Topa, he was beside himself with rage. He attempted to physically restrain Isaac, but was no match for the android's strength.

After realizing his wrongness regarding Topa, Klyden returned to the Orville. Having apologized to Topa, he told Kelly that Bortus had told him of her heroic actions in saving Topa and thanked her for saving his daughter's life. He then invited her to share dinner with the family and she happily sat with them.

## Trivia

* When Topa first begins attending school on the Orville, Klyden is dissatisfied that Cassius does not offer combat training. Bortus states that they intend to find a tutor for their child.
* Chad L. Coleman speaks of his character in "Inside *The Orville*: 'A Tale of Two Topas'," a bonus feature available on Hulu. He states that there is a tremendous amount of pain and disconnect between his character and Topa, as Klyden is a Moclan traditionalist with inbred ignorance. André Bormanis describes him as someone who is scared, who knows that Topa will be rejected from Moclan society.
* Klyden saying that all children are unhappy could indicate he experienced gender dysphoria during childhood in the same way Topa did, which warped his perception of what childhood should be like; and never having resolution, be the source of much of his anger.

## Appearances

* *Episode 1x02: Command Performance*
* *Episode 1x03: About a Girl*
* *Episode 1x04: If the Stars Should Appear*
* *Episode 1x09: Cupid's Dagger*
* *Episode 1x12: Mad Idolatry*
* *Episode 1.5x01: New Beginnings, Pt. 1*
* *Episode 1.5x02: New Beginnings, Pt. 2* (mentioned only)
* *Episode 2x01: Ja'loja*
* *Episode 2x02: Primal Urges*
* *Episode 2x05: All the World is Birthday Cake*
* *Episode 2x06: A Happy Refrain*
* *Episode 2x07: Deflectors*
* *Episode 2x08: Identity, Pt. 1*
* *Episode 2x09: Identity, Pt. 2*
* *Episode 2x11: Lasting Impressions*
* *Episode 2x12: Sanctuary*
* *Episode 2x13: Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow*
* *Episode 2x14: The Road Not Taken* (mentioned only)
* *Episode 2.5x01: Launch Day, Pt. 1*
* *Episode 3x03: Mortality Paradox* (mentioned only)
* *Episode 3x05: A Tale of Two Topas*
* *Episode 3x08: Midnight Blue*
* *Episode 3x09: Domino*
* *Episode 3x10: Future Unknown*

## Notes

1. ↑ A complaint made by Bortus to Claire Finn in Episode 1x09: Cupid's Dagger.
2. ↑ This may simply be because Topa's birth and subsequent trial occur in early episodes, meaning the audience does not have the chance to observe their married life prior to Topa.

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Episode 1x03: About a Girl
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Episode 2x07: Deflectors
3. ↑ Bortus joined the Orville prior to Ed assuming command. Episode 1x01: Old Wounds
4. ↑ Episode 2x08: Identity, Pt. 1
5. ↑ Episode 1x02: Command Performance
6. ↑ Episode 1x09: Cupid's Dagger
7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Episode 1x04: If the Stars Should Appear
8. ↑ Episode 1x09: Cupid's Dagger
9. ↑ Episode 1.5x01: New Beginnings, Pt. 1
10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Episode 2x02: Primal Urges
11. ↑ Episode 2x06: A Happy Refrain
12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Episode 2x12: Sanctuary
13. ↑ Episode 3x03: Mortality Paradox
14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 Episode 3x05: A Tale of Two Topas
15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 Episode 3x08: Midnight Blue
16. ↑ Episode 3x09: Domino
17. ↑ Episode 1x05: Pria
18. ↑ Episode 2x14: The Road Not Taken
19. ↑ Episode 2.5x01: Launch Day, Pt. 1
20. ↑ Episode 1.5x02: New Beginnings, Pt. 2