Ed Mercer

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> *Look, Admiral, ever since I was a kid, I have wanted to serve on an exploratory vessel. And for you to put me in the captain's chair... yes, I'm ready.*— Ed Mercer to Admiral Tom Halsey
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**Ed Mercer** was the Human Captain of the USS *Orville*. Since his days at Union Point, Mercer was respected as a gifted, young officer who seemed destined for admiralty. However, an affair between his wife, Kelly Grayson, and another man left him emotionally devastated and his performance suffered. A year later, Mercer was given command of the *Orville* based on Kelly's secret recommendation to Planetary Union Central.

From early into his career, Ed was involved in some of the Planetary Union's most important political and military missions: infiltrating and capturing the *Yakar*, leading the *Orville* in the Battle of Earth, representing Earth at the Planetary Union Council's vote on the Sanctuary and ultimately overseeing the resolution of the Kaylon conflict that would see the Kaylon becoming provisional members of the Planetary Union.

He is portrayed by American actor Seth MacFarlane, who also created *The Orville*.

## Early life

Ed Mercer was born to Bert and Jeannie Mercer in Boxford, Massachusetts on Earth sometime in the late 24th century. As a child, he dreamt of commanding his own starship.

Ed enrolled in the academy Union Point, where he became "drinking buddies" with Gordon Malloy. Gordon and Ed sat next to each other in every class they shared, such as astroarchaeology under Professor Lamarche. One of Ed's flight instructors was Marcos, the eventual captain of the USS *Roosevelt* during the Battle of Earth. He got a 'B+' in Temporal Theory, later stating no student received an 'A' in the course. "It's time travel, no one really gets it." Ed excelled academically and graduated top of his class, and he enlisted in the Planetary Union's Fleet.

In 2400, Ed served as an Ensign on the USS *Bohr* along with Gordon and Ycil.

Ed began dating Kelly Grayson, an officer several years his junior, in 2414. Ed and Kelly married later that same year and rented an apartment in New York City, New York.

The two were friends with another couple, Jeff and Maureen. (In fact, Ed and Kelly each hated them, but assumed the other like them.) When they invited Ed and Kelly to an opera, Kelly made Ed smoke marijuana beforehand, knowing he hated opera. Kelly mixed up joints and accidentally gave him her "weapons-grade weed." The marijuana took effect in the middle of the theater, and Ed grew intensely paranoid he would be paralyzed if he stayed in his seat for longer than two minutes. He jumped out of his seat and "bashed" Maureen's head, giving her a massive bruise on her face. Jeff and Maureen stopped hanging out with Ed and Kelly.

Ed worked tirelessly to advance in rank and commuted to Epsilon Eridani every day, much to Kelly's dismay, who felt ignored.

Ed and Kelly's marriage strained. Kelly later said that she tried on "numerous occasions" to talk to her husband, but Ed simply shut her out. Ed claimed she never showed appreciation for working for their future.

Around September 2418, Ed came home to find Kelly in bed with Retepsian archaeologist Darulio. Dumbstruck and at a loss for words, Ed left, refusing to listen to Kelly as she begged for a chance to explain. The couple divorced, and Ed moved out of the apartment to live with Gordon.

Ed grew depressed following the affair. His work ethic collapsed, and he began self-medicating with alcohol. He showed up late to work, his work became "sloppy," and was reported six times for working hungover. Admiralty was going to consider Ed for command until his recent unprofessionalism alarmed them. In 2419, Kelly secretly recommended Ed to Admiral Tom Halsey for command.

Halsey promoted Ed to captain of a mid-level exploratory vessel as his "one last chance." As the *Orville*'s helmsman had departed with her previous captain, Ed quickly hired Gordon.

## Early career as captain

> *I just want to say I am thrilled to be your new captain. I want this to be an efficient ship, tightly run, but also one that you're glad to be serving on.*— Ed Mercer
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Ed became captain of the USS *Orville* in the morning of September 10, 2419. After introductions with his new crew, he spearheaded their first mission to resupply the science station on Epsilon 2. Along the way, they picked up their new first officer, Kelly. Ed was incensed. Kelly tried to apologize, which angered him further, so she agreed to request a transfer to another ship.

The *Orville* arrived at Epsilon 2 the next day. Ed led an away team to the Epsilon Science Station with Kelly, Chief of Security Alara Kitan, and Doctor Claire Finn. Their mission was sabotaged by Derek Ashton, a researcher and spy, who hailed the Krill military to steal a quantum accelerator from the scientists.

The away team managed to return to the *Orville* with Doctor Aronov and the device. Outclassed by the heavier Krill ship, Ed and Kelly cunningly sent the accelerator to the Krill destroyer with the seed of a redwood tree. Ed remotely activated the device, causing the seed to erupt in growth and destroy the Krill ship.

After their narrow victory in the Battle of Epsilon 2, Ed asked Kelly to remain First Officer.

#### Imprisonment in a Calivon zoo

Main article: Command PerformanceAround September or October 2419, the *Orville* picked up a distress call from the USS *Blériot*. When they arrived, a battle with the Krill had just ended and Ed learned his parents, Jeannie and Bert, were aboard. Ed and Kelly took a shuttle over, leaving Alara acting captain.

The Blériot was actually a Calivon buoy with a teleporter disguised by a holographic generator. The buoy sent Ed and Kelly to a zoo exhibit, an exact replica of their old apartment in New York City. Within a few days, Ed and Kelly devolved to bickering about each other.

Meanwhile, the *Orville* traced Ed and Kelly to Calivon space. Alara and Isaac negotiated their release. (Alara nearly got Ed and Kelly killed when she told the Calivon Zoo Administrator that the pair are sick.) Once freed, Ed resumed command of the ship.

#### The Bio-ship

    Main article: If the Stars Should Appear

> *Captain, it seems we have encountered a dictatorial theocracy.
> Oh, great, those are always fun.*— Isaac and Ed Mercer
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The *Orville* encounterd a massive bio-ship in November 2419. He led an away team into the ship to discover an enormous interior ecosystem, so he split the team in two: himself, Isaac, and Doctor Claire Finn in one group and Kelly Grayson and Alara Kitan in the other.

Ed's group found a couple with a small farm. Their son, Tomilin, believed the officers to be from the "Underland" and took them to the Reformers, a group of religious dissidents under a theocratic dictatorship led by Hamelac. Elsewhere, Hamelac's police shot Alara and took Kelly to Hamelac for interrogation. Alara managed to contact Ed, who rescued her and led a rescue mission to save Kelly.

The group stormed Hamelac's headquarters and took Kelly by force. Kemka, leader of the Reformers, then guided the away team to the Bridge of the bio-ship. Ed ordered the ship's sunroof to be opened so that the people would realize they do not live in the world Hamelac preached.

#### Pria Lavesque and the theft of the Orville

Main article: PriaEd lost control of his ship in late November or December 2419 when the Orville picked up a distress signal from the *Horizon*, a ship trapped on a nearby sundiver. Ed, Helmsman Gordon Malloy, and Alara took a shuttle and rescued its captain, Pria Lavesque. Ed invited Pria to a cocktail party later that evening and the two soon began dating.

Pria claimed to be a Vega Mining Consortium worker but was secretly from the 29th century. During a tour of the ship's Engineering, she installed a small device which granted her control of the *Orville*. Kelly and Alara suspected Pria is not who she said she was and illegally searched her quarters. Ed was furious and reprimanded them both. Chief Engineer Steve Newton discovered Pria's device, and Ed confronted her.

Pria revealed her true identity: an antiquities dealer from the future who traveled through a wormhole to steal the *Orville*. She took the *Orville* to the 29th century for sale to a Benzian collector, but the *Orville*'s crew managed to wrest control back and fled to the 25th century.

Ed vowed never to mistrust his First Officer, Kelly again, then summoned Pria to his office. She pleaded with him to return to the 29th century and not disrupt the original timeline, but Ed ordered the *Orville* to fire upon the wormhole, destroying it and erasing Pria.

#### Other missions

* In October 2419, Ed refused to force Doctor Claire Finn to perform a sex-change operation on the child of Second Officer Bortus and Klyden, and all parties attended Tribunal on Moclus. At Tribunal, Ed scoured the planet to find Heveena, a lone female living in the mountains. He brought her to testify, and she revealed herself to be the famous author Gondus Elden.
* In December, the *Orville* answered a distress call from the mining colony Kastra 4, under attack by the Krill destroyer *Kakov*. Under Ed's orders, they eluded the enemy by flying through the planet's atmosphere, then dropeds the entire payload at once, destroying the Kakov utterly and winning the Battle of Kastra 4.

### Infiltration of the *Yakar*

    Main article: Krill (episode)

> *Ed, they're sending you into enemy space, and you're acting like it's some big joke. My God, if you are discovered.
> Look, Kelly, why do you think I'm trying to lighten the mood here? I'm scared off my ass.*— Kelly Grayson and Ed Mercer
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Ed's most dangerous, and important, mission of his early career as captain took place in December 2419. In the aftermath of the destruction of the Kakov, a rare Krill shuttle was recovered from the wreckage. Admiral Ozawa joined the USS *Orville* to give Ed and Gordon Malloy a new mission: to pose as Krill survivors from the Kakov, infiltrate a Krill destroyer, and escape with a copy of the *Anhkana*. The Anhkana was a Krill holy text that preached the destruction of all other species believed inferior, which Planetary Union Central understood motivated the Krill. Though an Anhkana sat in every destroyer, the Union had not yet procured a copy.

Advanced holographic projection technology recovered from the Calivon was adapted to fashion holographic disguises for Ed and Gordon. Posing as Krill soldiers "Chris" and "Devon," Ed and Gordon were picked up by the *Yakar*. Captain Haros gave Chris and Devon quarters. The two met Teleya, a school teacher on the ship.

Ed and Gordon managed to make a partial copy of the book, and, later, discovered a massive bomb several decks below. The bomb was a prototype to be dropped on the Union colony planet of Rana 3. Ed noticed that the Krill were extremely susceptible to UV radiation, and they devised a plan for Gordon to hack into the ship's engineering and cause the ship to emit large amounts of light; enough to kill a Krill but not enough to kill a Human.

Gordon successfully hacked into the ship's computers and sets a timer for the UV blast. Ed found Teleya and her young students in a classroom, and he destroyed the lighting. The Yakar arrived at Rana 3, but a blast of UV radiation was emitted, killing most Krill life on board excepting Teleya and the students.

Ed and Gordon took the nearly empty, captured Yakar to Planetary Union space. The mission was a rousing success. Not only did the two successfully acquire a copy of the Anhkana, but stole an entire Krill destroyer to boot.

### January 2420 through January 2421

    Around January 2420, the *Orville* supervised research on an ancient birthing bucket discovered on the planet Lopovius. Ownership of the world was claimed by the Bruidian and Navarian species, resulting in a protracted and bloody conflict. As the birthing bucket contained genetic material of the first peoples of Lopovius, both sides agreed to honor the analysis of the Planetary Union as proof of one species' right to the planet.

Compounding the problem was that the Union forensic archaeologist joining the *Orville* was Darulio, the man who slept with Ed's then-wife, Kelly Grayson, in 2418. Worse, Kelly slept with Darulio a second time when she was supposed to greet the Navarian delegation in the Shuttle Bay.

Ed was outraged and threatened to dismiss Darulio. However, when he confronted the archeologist in Science Lab 1, he was unwittingly exposed to Darulio's sex pheromones and developed an attraction. Ed courted Darulio, ignoring his duties and jeopardizing the peace process, and ultimately slept with Darulio as the threat of war loomed.

Fortunately, Chief of Security Alara Kitan learned of Darulio's pheromones and, with Nurse Henry Park, used synthesized Retepsian pheromones to lure the Navarian and Bruidian ambassadors into a temporary romantic asttraction. Both sides called off hostilities, and Ed (and Kelly) recovered from the influence of Darulio's pheromones.

#### Discovery of a multiphasic planet and letter of reprimand

    Ed's record as captain was marred around April or May 2420 with a letter of reprimand when Ed and Kelly began dating.

After an away team of Kelly, Helmsman Gordon Malloy, and Isaac crash-landed on an uncharted planet, Kelly healed an injured girl with a dermoscanner. The native people had witnessed the healing and worshipped Kelly as a god. Ed, protecting Kelly, neglected to include Kelly's first contact in his incident report to Admiral Ozawa.

The planet's peoples developed a religion around Kelly, invoking her not only as a healer but as a judge of accused criminals; and Ed was forced to inform Ozawa of Kelly's first contact. Ozawa was furious though she declined to strip him of command only because the away team "never intended to go down there in the first place." She placed a letter of reprimand in his permanent file at Planetary Union Central.

Ed took Kelly to the Valondis, the religious head, to disavow her godhood. While the Valondis believed her, he was quickly assassinated by a church leader to preserve power in the Church of Kelly. Ed next sent Isaac in an attempt to steer the people away from Kelly yet, as the peoples eventually surpassed the Union in technological prowess, they abandoned religion and belief in Kelly irrespective of the *Orville*'s interference.

#### Rescue of the Chogs

In early June 2420, Ed and Gordon took a shuttle from AXP 1E 1048-59 to Outpost 23 to speak at a tactical conference to brief officers on their mission on the *Yakar**. En route*, they intercepted a distress beacon from the BCV *Burton*, which had crashed onto a nearby planet after a devastating battle with the Tzel, but they were shot down by the Burton's still-active Plasma Cannon. They crashed onto the planet's surface, discovering a population of Chogs surviving off of the Burton's Food Synthesizers.

Ed and Gordon investigated the wreck of the Burton. A 100-year-old message left by its acting captain explained that after the Burton crashed, the planet's ecosystems, once verdant, were destroyed by a leaking quantum reactor. The Burton's surviving crew set the Burton up to protect the remaining Chogs. When the *Orville* arrived, Ed arranged for the Planetary Union to terraform the planet so that the Chogs may thrive once again.

#### Other missions

* In February 2420, the USS *Orville* grazed a pocket of two-dimensional space. When a Horbalak trader carrying stolen Krill weapons passes through the space and dies, Ed directs the *Orville* into the spatial anomaly to hide. Ed joined Navigator John LaMarr in a shuttle, ferrying the *Orville* to a nearby aperture back to the three-dimensional universe.
* Around June, Ed supervised the interception of a ship of Union xenoanthropologists headed for Krill space. The xenoanthropologists converted to the Krill religion after reading the copy of the Anhkana Ed and Gordon had captured. They briefly managed to sabotage the *Orville*'s navigation to enter Krill territory, but the crew escaped by generating a holographic version of the Orville to distract the Krill.
* In August, Ed oversaw the rescue of the Nyxians from their dying planet, Nyxia.
* In early September, the *Orville* took Chief of Security Alara Kitan to her home world of Xelaya to regain her strength. Ed ventured to the surface of the planet in a gravity environmental suit, but was shot by Cambis Borrin with a PM-32. Ed's suit failed and his leg was nearly crushed under Xelaya's high gravity, but Alara and her father managed to kill Cambis and his wife, Floratta, and save Ed.
* In October, Ed led a small delegation to Regor 2 for first contact. When the Regorians imprisoned Kelly and Second Officer Bortus as Giliacs, Ed supervised a plan to trick the Regorians by altering their constellation.
* In December 2420 and January 2421, Ed oversaw upgrades to the ship's deflector screens.

### Betrayal of Janel Tyler

Main article: Nothing Left on Earth Excepting FishesEd met the ship's dark matter cartographer, Lieutenant Janel Tyler, in August 2420 and the two soon began dating. By about September or October, the two took a romantic excursion to Sensoria 2, but they were waylaid by Krill marauders and taken captive.

Ed and Janel were imprisoned in separate prison cells aboard a Krill destroyer, and guards forced Ed to watch them torture Janel until he gave up his Planetary Union command codes. Ed gave them false codes. Satisfied, Janel revealed herself to be Teleya, the schoolteacher from the *Yakar**. Over the course of a year, she had undergone transcellular micrografting to appear Human, fooling even bioscanners, to enter the Union and eventually join the* Orville*.*

Suddenly, the ship was attacked by Chak'tal, an enemy of the Krill. Ed and Teleya fled the destroyer by escape pod to the nearest habitable planet.

#### Survival and escape

The planet was empty of sentient life, and a signal was impossible from the lowlands where they landed. Teleya forced Ed to carry a portable distress beacon to the peak of the nearest mountain. Midway, the two realized the sun will rise soon, so they sought shelter in a cave. Ed predicted that if the Krill and the Union did not learn to trust each other, violence and war would leave "nothing left on Earth excepting fishes."

Ed learned that day on the planet lasts the equivalent of 23 Earth days. Without food and fleeing Chak'tal soldiers who pursued them to the planet, Teleya permitted Ed to summit the mountain and send the distress signal. The USS *Orville* picked up the signal. Ed guided Teleya up the mountain, covered by Ed's jacket. Chak'tal began scaling the mountain and the *Orville*'s shuttle approached. Teleya, sensing the desperation of betrayal, almost shot Ed, but she instead handed him the Plasma Pistol to fire upon the Chak'tal and hold them at bay until they boarded the shuttle.

#### Aftermath

Back aboard the *Orville*, Ed made a highly controversial unilateral decision to release Teleya to the Krill, overriding his First Officer's strong objections and risking a court martial, in the hope that his decision would soften the Krill to the Union.

## The Battle of Earth

The USS *Orville* *had* hosted the Kaylon emissary Isaac since September 2419, ostensibly to learn about the Planetary Union and the cultures of biological life in order to determine whether or not to join the Union. The Kaylon remotely deactivated Isaac in late January 2421, having secretly decided that biological life must be eradicated from the universe. When the *Orville* arrived, the Kaylon commandeered the ship and launched an attack on the Union.

During the journey to Earth, the Kaylon held Ed and the other senior officers captive in the Shuttle Bay. Along the way, the Kaylon armada was greeted by the USS *Roosevelt**.* Wishing to keep their attack secret, they forced Ed and First Officer Kelly Grayson to tell Marcos, now captain of the Roosevelt, that the armada was an ambassadorial envoy as the Kaylon have decided to join the Union. Ed secretly alerted Marcos that his message is a lie by wishing him "a 13-button salute," but the Kaylon knew of the code; they destroyed the Roosevelt and, as punishment, forced Ed to watch them kill an ensign.

Isaac unexpectedly betrayed the Kaylon, killing the Kaylon and allowing Ed and the surviving crew to re-take the ship. In the ensuing Battle of Earth, Ed led the *Orville* through a fever-pitch fight against the Kaylon armada. When several spheres made a break for Earth, Ed ordered the *Orville* to evacuate and to ram the ship in a last-ditch, kamikaze attempt to stop them. Fortunately, a large Krill fleet arrived in time to route the remaining Kaylon.

### Lak'vai Pact of Tarazed 3

Main article: Blood of Patriots
The Kaylon conflict permanently altered the political relations of the Planetary Union and the Krill, and the two hastily agree to a temporary ceasefire in February 2421. As Ed's experience with the Krill was unmatched by any other officer, the Union sent Ed to the Tarazed system in March to sign a lak'vai pact with Ambassador K.T.Z.

The rogue terrorists Orrin and Leyna Channing attempted to sabotage the signing, but Ed managed to stall for time until sufficient evidence was procured to charge the pair with violating the ceasefire. Ed and the Ambassador signed the Lak'vai Pact of Tarazed 3 several days later.

## Career after the Battle of Earth

Main article: SanctuarySeveral weeks later, the *Orville* discovered a planet of Moclan women and girls hidden from the government on Moclus, a refuge known as "The Sanctuary." While the *Orville* remained in orbit, Ed and Heveena, now the planet's leader, joined Admirals Halsey, Tucker, Perry, and Ozawa at the Planetary Union Council on Earth.

Moclus demanded the women be delivered home to be forcibly transitioned from female to male, lest the planet exit the Planetary Union and forge an independent alliance with the Krill. With the Kaylon threat imminent, the Union's members were split over acceding to Moclus.

In close-door sessions, Ed argued forcefully for refusing Moclus' demands on human rights grounds, and said he had told the Council for years not to rely so heavily on Moclus for its weapons manufacturing. Meanwhile, a Moclan Battlecruiser, led by Captain Dojin, found the sanctuary planet and began capturing the female Moclans. After admiralty ordered the *Orville* simply to stand by, Ed indirectly instructed First Officer Kelly Grayson and Second Officer Bortus to stop Dojin's illegal rendition and a skirmish soon broke out between the *Orville* and Dojin's soldiers.

The Council agreed to a provisional compromise: the enclave would cease bringing female Moclans and the Moclan government would take no action against the planet's current inhabitants. Ed told Heveena that he was dissatisfied with the shaky peace agreement.

#### Mission to Alibar

In July 2421, Ed and Kelly posed as Alibars and investigated whether a large construct in orbit around planet Alibar was a weapon. The two determined the weapon was in fact an enormous Quantum Shifter, a device to shift the entire planet to an alternate universe. They escaped to the *Orville* just before the Shifter activated.

#### Mission to Cruxis

Later that year, Ed bumped into his old professor, Lamarche, while the *Orville* was docked at Outpost 47. Lamarche enthralled Ed with evidence part of the fleet of the Zankon empire, which existed 3.4 million years ago, was hidden inside the Cruxis system - a powerful quaternary star system. The group indeed found the lost Zankon fleet, but it was destroyed by Lamarche's assistant, Chalmi, to prevent another species from using Zankon technology to hurt others.

#### The Issue of Isaac

Main article: Electric Sheep
The Kaylon invasion of Earth had been a traumatizing experience for many members of the Orville, and officers grew increasingly hostile against Isaac for his role in the battle.

In earlier 2422, Captain Ed Mercer oversaw the USS *Orville* as it was in the Union Dockyard over Earth undergoing a massive refit to be better prepared against the Kaylon threat. At the same time, he learned of an issue that had been bubbling among the crew: there were many on-board who were dissatisfied with his decision to reinstate Isaac. Although Isaac had ultimately chosen to betray his people to assist the crew, there were those who felt that this did not make up for his initial betrayal. They would shun him during meals in the vessel's Mess Hall and the new Navigator, Ensign Charly Burke, told him to his face that he was not welcome and that it was a shame that he could not feel sadness, her having personally lost a friend in the Battle of Earth.

Things came to a head when the word "MURDERER" was graffitied upon the wall of the Science Lab where Isaac typically spent his time. Having heard of the incident with Charly, Ed summoned her to his office. She denied having written the graffiti. He accepted this, but he still expressed his concern at her behavior. In return, she expressed her doubts regarding Isaac, saying that he had a big problem in that a lot of people on the ship were angry about him having reinstated Isaac. She expressed concern that Isaac might be carrying some sort of sleeper program. In response, he admitted to her that while it was heresy for a captain to say it, he didn't know if she was wrong and he struggled with the decision. Despite this, he felt that Isaac was the only person who might be able to help them if the Kaylon were to attack again.

Later, it was discovered that it was actually Claire Finn's son Marcus who had written the graffiti. After Marcus then told Isaac that he wished he was dead, Isaac ended up committing a robotic form of suicide by using a spike to shut down his own central processor. Ed delivered Isaac's eulogy, stating that he knew he was not loved by all and had left behind a troublesome legacy. He nevertheless stated that Isaac worked alongside them and while he couldn't feel what they felt, they felt it for him and so each knew a different Isaac. Following this, John LaMarr found a way to restore Isaac's consciousness. Doing so, however, required Charly's rare talent of visualizing four-dimensional space.

Ed went to Charly, asking her to perform the procedure. She refused, citing her previous concerns. Ed tried to argue with her. He told her that she did not have a monopoly on grief. She asked if he thought he was going to get some secret Kaylon code from Isaac. When she pointed out that the Kaylons had killed thousands, he told her to prove that humanity was better than them. He implored her to help, but before the conversation could continue further, the Kaylon themselves attacked. The damage caused by the Kaylon destabilized the backup that John had discovered, making it imperative that the procedure be performed as soon as possible. When, however, Charly continued to refuse, Ed relieved her of duty. Ultimately, however, Marcus Finn convinced her to do the procedure and afterwards Ed restored her to duty.

#### The Shadow Realms

Main article: Shadow Realms
In light of the ongoing negotiations with the Krill, the Krill agreed to grant the Planetary Union access to visit certain areas of their territory in exchange for access to certain resources. Ed was particularly excited by the new opportunities for exploration that this opened up. The Krill, however, warned against the exploration of what they called the "shadow realms," which according to their *Anhkana* contained demons which lay in wait to possess people's souls. Ed, however, was dismissive of the notion, stating that without direct evidence he and his people wanted to see for themselves what was out there. The Krill then offered a prayer for the souls that were about to be lost.

Ed's choosing to ignore the Krill's warning would turn out to have disastrous consequences. The *Orville* discovered a seemingly derelict vessel. Within it, however, was a pathogen which infected the visiting admiral, Paul Christie, who was leading the mission. This pathogen turned him him into a spider-like alien and he soon began attacking and infecting other members of the crew as well. The *Orville* was finally able to escape when the transformed crew-members were forced to flee after Claire Finn developed an agent that could attack and kill them, but several were lost.

#### Planet of Fear

Main article: Mortality Paradox
While out exploring, the *Orville* picked up signatures indicating a thriving civilization on the planet of Narran 1. This was greatly confusing, as all previous Planetary Union scans had indicated the planet to be a lifeless rock. Ed decided to personally lead an away team consisting of himself, Kelly Grayson, Talla Keyali, Bortus and Gordon Malloy.

Upon arrival on the planet, the group was subjected to a series of unusual and terrifying situations. In each case, they would find themselves in a setting that seemingly could not possibly exist on the planet, such as a 20th century American high school or a Moclan morgue. In each case, they would find themselves facing mortal danger, with one of them experiencing a strange sensation of being out of body, as if they were simply an observer of their own seeming impending death. Ed personally experienced this as they found themselves upon an ancient aircraft that was out of control and about to crash.

Eventually, it was revealed that the "Talla" that had accompanied them was actually Dinal, a member of the Kandarians, whom the *Orville* had previously encountered. Her people's planet was in a multiphasic orbit which caused it to shift between universes, with 700 years passing in the other universe for every 11 within that of the Planetary Union. As such, 50,000 years had passed for her people and they were now essentially immortal.

She had created the simulations in order to experience mortality, fearing the atrophy of herself and her civilization. Ed decried what she had done as being akin to the experiment that Humans had once performed on animals. She, however, was dismissive of this, assuring him and the others that they were not in any real danger. She encouraged them to outgrow self, to abandon labels such as "Captain," "explorer" and "husband." In discussing the experience afterward, Ed admitted that he personally would live forever if he could, as he always wanted to know what happened next.

#### Supreme Chancellor Teleya

Main article: Gently Falling Rain
With negotiations with the Krill continuing to go well, the Planetary Union moved into the final phase: the signing of a treaty that would cement the alliance against the Kaylon first shepherded by the Lak'Vai Pact. The signing was to be held in the Krill capital city of Dalakos with a contingent including the Planetary Union president, Alcuzan, and led by an away team from the *Orville* with Captain Ed Mercer. Ed was excited about the opportunity to become one of the few Humans to have ever set foot on the Krill homeworld. His enthusiasm, however, was tempered by the news that Teleya had emerged as the prime opponent in the upcoming election for the Supreme Chancellor of Krill against the current Supreme Chancellor, Korin, whom they had negotiated the treaty with. It turned out that after Ed had released her, Teleya quit the Krill military and rebranded herself as a fiery politician, advocating a return to the core principles of Avis.

Just as the group was putting the finishing touches on the treaty, the results of the election came in. It turned out that Teleya had narrowly won the election, scoring last-minute wins in several key provinces. To everyone's shock and horror, forces commanded by Teleya then stormed the room and captured both the treaty party and Supreme Chancellor Korin. Teleya then personally executed Korin before having Ed brought before her. He told her that she was an uptown girl now and when she did not respond explained that he was referencing Billy Joel. He tried to appeal to the "common ground" between them, but she replied that there was no common ground and that he had simply been too stupid to resist a false seduction. When he pointed out the Kaylon threat, she dismissed it, stating that the Krill military had developed new, more powerful weapons that rendered the Union's help unnecessary. She informed him that she had executed Korin and told him that he was clinging to an illusion. He said that he had let her go and pleaded with her to do the same with the Union delegation, asking if she really wanted to start a two-front war. She, however, dismissed his pleas, calling for her guards and stating that the execution would proceed as scheduled.

Secretly, however, it turned out that Teleya was letting Ed go. After being led away from her office, he was given a cloak and instructed to follow and not ask questions. He was then led inside a room and inside was a child that appeared to be half Krill and half Human. "She is yours," the Krill agent that had led Ed there told him, explaining that the girl, Anaya, had been conceived during Ed's abortive romance with Teleya's "Janel Tyler" persona. Teleya had the child raised in secret, knowing the potential consequences if anyone learned of her existence. Ed asked if the idea was to embarrass Teleya by going public with the child. He was told, however, that it was more tricky than this because if Teleya were simply deposed in this manner another zealot would rise to take her place. He would have to personally convince Teleya to go public in order for the plan to have a chance of working. Ed was dubious of the idea, but nevertheless agreed to go back before Teleya and give it a shot.

Ed, however, was ultimately unable to persuade Teleya. She did not consider his arguments convincing. When, finally, frustrating, he asked why she had even had the child if not for this, she saw it as more evidence of his Human failings, showing him what happens to those on Krill who have abortions. She then ordered him to be sent back to the others. She then tried to execute the entire Union party but failed thanks to a rescue team sent by the *Orville*. Afterwards, Ed expressed regret to Kelly that he might never see Anaya again, something which she found a shame as she always thought he would be a good father. President Alcuzan left the decision to him as to whether to try to use Anaya against Teleya going forward, but he worried that Teleya might simply choose to make her disappear.

#### Topa's situation

Main article: A Tale of Two Topas
Ed wrote private letters to Anaya, hoping that one day he might be able to show them to her. Meanwhile, as the crew of the *Orville* were exploring a Hemblicite tomb, Kelly reported to Ed and Claire that she was worried about Bortus and Klydens' son, Topa. She explained that he was unhappy and she suspected it to be dysphoria brought on by the sex change he had undergone shortly after being hatched. Ed suggested that she should speak with Bortus and Klyden regarding the matter. This ultimately resulted in Kelly, secretly aided by Bortus, revealing the truth of the operation to Topa.

In the aftermath of what happened, Ed, Kelly and Claire met again to discuss Topa's situation. Claire reported that Topa was not at risk of self-harm. Shortly after this, Topa declared his intention to undergo a procedure to transition back to female. Ed, Kelly and Claire then met with Bortus and Klyden, but Klyden absolutely refused to even consider the idea.

Union policy allowed the procedure with Bortus's consent, but because of the thorny political situation involved, Ed, Kelly and Claire had to speak with the admiralty as well. They forbade the procedure due to the concern of the Moclans pulling out of the Union, leaving the Union vulnerable against the Kaylons, and it was left to Admiral Howland to deliver the news. Later, however, they discovered a workaround by having Isaac perform the procedure, as he was not a Union officer. Howland then personally came to the *Orville*, giving both Ed and Kelly a stern lecture for having disobeyed orders, though she also revealed that the gamble had paid off, as the Moclans were actually now more committed due to it having been a Kaylon who had performed the procedure.

#### Malloy Lost in Time

Main article: Twice in a Lifetime
Aboard the *Orville*, continued experimentation with the quantum accelerator resulted in two exciting new developments: the device now how the capability to generate a field with could encompass an entire ship and it also now had the ability to send objects either to the past or the future. As a result of these developments, the crew of the *Orville* were ordered to surrender the device to a research facility, lest it fall into the hands of the Kaylon, who might try to use it to wipe out humanity before they even gained the ability to travel through space. As the '*Orville* was traveling to surrender the device, however, the Kaylon attacked and a power surge resulted in the device's unexpected activation, sending Gordon Malloy back to the year 2015.

The crew then received a communique from Gordon, which he had mentioned to send from the year 2015, asking for his rescue. They searched the database and discovered an obituary showing Gordon as having died in 2068. However, thanks to the timeline being in flux, they could still attempt a rescue and negate this timeline, and thus Ed ordered the vessel to travel back in time using the quantum accelerator in order to try rescue Gordon, in accordance with the Union's temporal law. As it turned out, however, the *Orville* only had enough power to take it back to 2025. They were ten years too late, but Ed decided to head down with Kelly and try to rescue Gordon anyway.

Upon finding Gordon, however, they discovered that in the ten years since he had arrived on Earth, he had built a life for himself. Violating temporal law, he had become a pilot with a commercial airliner and had even sought out and married Laura Huggins, having a child with her named Edward in honor of Ed, with another on the way. Ed was shocked that Gordon would go so far, but Gordon told him that he didn't know what it was like, having to try to survive on his own with no human contact. He had even gone so far as to kill animals for food, something that was considered murder in the time of the Union. He did not apologize for his actions and told Ed that he had taken too long and he was happy there now.

Gordon pleaded with Ed to leave him and his family alone, or if they did have to go back, to take him with them. Ed, however, refused. He informed Gordon that he would simply take the *Orville* further back in time, rescuing him before this timeline could ever come to be. He told him that it was illegal and immoral to play god with history, but Gordon accused him of doing the same by making this decision. He begged Ed not to do it, but Ed was not persuaded. The *Orville* traveled back to 2015. Although they were this time about a month late, Gordon was still more than grateful to be rescued. Afterwards, Ed and Kelly informed him of what had happened. He told them that they done the right thing, but this did not make them feel better.

#### An Janisi alliance and Timmis

Main article: From Unknown Graves
The *Orville* was chosen to host a delegation of Janisi, whom the Union were hoping to establish ties with in order to be better prepared against the Kaylons, given the loss of the Krill alliance. Although they were not being offered full membership at the time, it was hoped that they could at least develop some bonds of friendship. The situation was tricky as the Janisi were a culture that was ruled entirely by women, viewing all males in positions of power as suspect. As such, the crew of the *Orville* decided to put in place a farce, with Kelly being presented as the captain of the *Orville*. Ed was reduced to the role of a baggage-handler for the Janisi, along with Gordon.

At the same time, the *Orville* detected lifesigns in an underground cavern on a planet they were surveying. Ed personally led an away team with Gordon and Charly, as he was useless on the Bridge at the moment, given the need to maintain the Janisi farce. Upon arrival, they discovered something highly unusual - a scientist named Villka and a Kaylon named Timmis with the capacity to experience emotions. Ed told Villka that she had some explaining to do and she explained that she had repaired Timmis and in the process found a dormant electrochemical pathway which she used to grant him emotions. Timmis told Ed that was his people were doing was wrong and that biologicals and his people could coexist. Timmis told Ed that his and Villka's shared experience could provide a springboard for peace with the Union. He asked Ed to present their idea to the Union and he agreed.

Ed and Kelly reported Timmis' existence to Admiral Tom Halsey, who ordered him transported to Earth for further study once the talks with the Janisi were concluded. The Janisi, however, were still hesitant to ally with the Union and Ed decided that the time had come to reveal the deception. He and the others at first tried to ease the Janisi into the idea of males having a role in the culture by having males present at a briefing. Things, however, went south when the Janisi tried to personally claim Ed for sexual relations. Ed then revealed himself to be the captain. The Janisi, angered at the deception, broke off the talks and prepared to leave.

Kelly, having researched the Janisi, asked Ed to join her in an attempt to find common ground with the Janisi and thus win their trust. The two of them went back to the Janisi, explaining that they had once been married, their union having ended when she was unfaithful. She explained that she had been faithful but he hadn't, yet he allowed her to serve as first officer because he valued her expertise, wisdom and professional skill. This was in a way similar to their culture, as men were expected to remain faithful, but women could mate with whoever and as many men as they wanted. The Janisi leader agreed that this was a start, promising that if the Union sent a diplomatic representative to the Janisi regency that that they would not be turned away.

#### Inspection of the Sanctuary

Main article: Midnight Blue
As part of the terms that created the Sanctuary planet for the Moclan females, both the Planetary Union and the Moclan government were permitted an annual inspection. For the Moclans, this was to ensure that Heveena was not smuggling any additional new females to the planet and for the Union this was to ensure that the Moclan government was not harassing or mistreating the members of the colony in any way. The *Orville* sent down a delegation consisting of Kelly, Bortus and Bortus's daugther, Topa. During the inspection, Heveena secretly enlisted Topa on a mission, revealing to her that she had once again begun smuggling Moclan females to the planet and asking her to use the advanced communications array of the *Orville* to speed the process. Topa, however, was kidnapped by the Moclan inspection team on suspicion of being in league with Topa.

After Bortus and Kelly did not report in, having decided to personally pursue Topa and her kidnappers, Ed ordered the *Orville* the Sanctuary planet in violation of the treaty. He had Heveena brought to the *Orville* and quickly discerned that she was hiding something. She revealed the truth of having enlisted Topa and he asked that she go before the Union council and reveal this in order to try to force the Moclans to aid in the investigation into Topa's disappearance. Heveena, however, refused, stating that she wouldn't risk what she had built for this. Ed was stunned, telling her that she was trying to advertise tactical opportunism as being pious morality.

Ed asked Heveena to remain on-board the *Orville* while Talla Keyali completed her investigation. Trying a different tack, he then had an officer escort Heveena to one of the Environmental Simulators. There, she found herself in a late 20th century cabin in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee where she discovered Dolly Parton, whose music she greatly respected and had served as the inspiration for her revolution. She, however, recognized what Ed was doing and told Dolly that she wasn't really, only for her to reply that while she might not be real, she was still all Dolly. Seeing her and hearing her music ultimately convinced Heveena to testify before the Council.

Ed then attended the Council meeting, along with Gordon Malloy, who expressed a personal interest in Topa's safety. When Gordon personally spoke out against the Moclans, telling them that they treated people like garbage, he tried to stop him, but to no avail. Ed later stood witness, along with the others, when Kelly and Bortus arrived with a badly beaten Topa, explaining that the Moclans had tortured and nearly killed her. Following these events, he sat together with Kelly, giving her 90-proof blend coffee. The two, along with Bortus and Heveena, then learned from Admiral Halsey that the Union Council had unanimously voted to expel Moclus from the Union. Ed asked what was next and Halsey expressed that it was going to be a messy separation, stating also that the Sanctuary planet had been placed under Union protection.

#### Adam Collier

Main article: Sympathy for the Devil
Following the dramatic events of Moclus and Topa, Ed and Kelly found themselves on a most unusual mission. The two of them traveled to a remote world where within an Environmental Simulator in an underground bunker, they assumed the roles of two Red Cross officials visiting a Nazi concentration camp during World War II. There, they discovered Adam Collier, known within the simulation as the German "Otto Vogel." Adam's parents had been discovered by the Krill when he was only an infant, his mother Pamela placing him within the simulator to keep him from being discovered. The simulator was rigged in a way to have enough power for many years, but what neither she nor her husband Leonard could know was that he would end up being adopted by a German family and grow up to become a high-ranking Nazi official.

Within the simulation, Ed and Kelly acted the role of inspectors. They pretended to meet with "Otto" regarding conditions in the camp, Otto having worked to try to hide all evidence of the terrible conditions within the camp prior to their arrival. As he was giving them the tour, however, a Jewish man ran forward, stating that they were killing them. He then wrested a rifle from one of the simulated guards, shot and killed him, then attempted the same with Otto, only for the bullets to pass directly through him. Otto was greatly confused by the incident and the other guards shot the Jewish man dead. Otto was stunned at his seemingly miraculous survivor. Ed told him that he and Kelly could explain what had happened and then Kelly called for the computer to hold the simulation, freezing everything in place around him. They then had Adam put on a set of clothes before ending the simulation, but when his world disappeared around him, he went into a state of shock. They were left with no choice but to stun him.

Thus began Adam's painful integration into the real world of the 25th century. Ed largely left Adam's care to Dr. Claire, but things were complicated by the fact that he instinctively distrusted Claire due to her being a *Scwarzes* - a German term for a person of color. Ed spoke with the other crew regarding Adam's situation, but nobody quite knew how to handle it, as none of the crimes he had committed were actually real. Meanwhile, Adam had trouble believing anything around him was real, despite Ed and the crew's best efforts, and refused to accept his true parentage. Deciding a different tack was required, Ed paid a personal visit to Adam. He spoke with him about the fact that he had never known true pain, explaining that the simulator had prevented him from ever experiencing any sort of real pain or injury. When Adam still did not understand, he decked him in the face and sent him sprawling to the ground, telling him that what he was feeling now was a mosquito bite compared to what he had done in the simulator, or at least thought he had done.

Ultimately, Adam came to realize that the reality he was surrounded by was the true one, but found the idea so oppressive that he assaulted those who had been assigned to guard him, then retreated back into the simulator. There, he set the simulator for a fictitious reality in which Germany was victorious in World War II and he was living together happily with his wife and child. Ed then led a team to take him out of there, ending the simulation himself and finding himself struck anew by the tragedy of the man's life, a man who had been unwittingly led by a machine into a path of indoctrination and a mass of hatred and shattered hopes. As Adam was sent away to the Melbourne Center to be deprogrammed, Ed told his parents Leonard and Pamela that he wished they could have done more. When they asked what we would be done regarding his "crimes," he replied that it was as much a matter for philosophers as the courts, an answer that felt oddly empty and left him feeling sorry he couldn't do better.

#### An Understanding with the Kaylons

Main article: Domino
Over the planet of Xelaya, Ed saw the deployment of a powerful new quantum weapon against the Kaylons. Created by Charly Burke and Isaac, the weapon turned the battle into a rout which saw the complete destruction of all Kaylon vessels present. Afterwards, Ed, along with Kelly, Charly and Isaac, met with the admirals at Planetary Union Central to discuss the further use of the weapon. Admiral Perry was all for building a larger version of the weapon to completely annihilate the Kaylons, but Ed sounded a note of caution. He felt that to use the weapon in such a manner would be a genocide, a complete violation of Union principles and no different from what the Kaylon were trying to do.

Ultimately, the Planetary Union Council agreed that the weapon should instead be used only as a deterrent. The *Orville*, along with Admiral Tom Halsey, traveled to Kaylon 1 to deliver terms of surrender to the Kaylons. When the Kaylons attempted to attack, they used the weapon until finally the Kaylons agreed to talk. When Kaylon Primary asked how they knew if the terms for peace weren't a deception, Ed pointed out that they could have destroyed all of them, but they hadn't. When Primary asked why, he told them it was because they were not the monsters they thought they were. Halsey agreed, telling him that they believed the quality of mercy to mightiest in the mightiest, stating further that they didn't have a choice. Primary agreed to the terms, but threatened that they would find a weakness in the weapon.

With peace seemingly having been achieved, the crew of the *Orville* returned to Earth to celebrate in a cabin left to Kelly by her father. After the festivities had died down, however, Ed found Charly standing around, looking troubled. She told him that she felt that they should have wiped out the Kaylon when they had the chance. She said that they were making a huge mistake and he agreed there were many who felt the way she did. She asked if he really thought they could be trusted and he told her they needed to give it a chance. She said he must think her a lousy person, but he told her that he didn't and that she had made tremendous strides. She said that she knew they weren't all evil, that Isaac and Timmis had proved that, but she worried that they might find a weakness and that would be it. He told her it was a fundamental tenet of the Union that they didn't kill unless they had to and she told him she hoped that such high-minded principles didn't kill them.

That evening, Admiral Perry, aided by other like-minded indivdiuals, stole the quantum weapon and delivered it to the newly formed Krill-Moclan Alliance. Investigating a tip provided by Bortus, Ed ordered the *Orville* to Draconis 427, where they discoverd a Krill-Moclan fleet in orbit. The planet posssessed a power source great enough to wipe out the Kaylons from thousands of light years away. Ed stated that they would need some help. He then sent the *Orville* back to the Kaylons, where he explained to them what had happened, proposing an alliance between their peoples to find and neutralize the weapon.

Ed then oversaw things from orbit as the Battle of Draconis 427 commenced. A ground team consisting of Isaac, Charly, Kelly, Talla, and Kaylon Primary traveled down to the planet to locate and destroy the weapon. They succeeded, but Charly was forced to sacrifice her life to stop the weapon. Ed was deeply disturbed to learn that Charly had not survived, learning also in the process that Supereme Chancellor Teleya had been captured and was now their prisoner. He asked Primary what was to happen next, if he was to depart peacefully or if the battle was not over. Primary did not answer at first, finally asking why Charly had terminated her life. Isaac and Gordon both explained that Charly had sacrificed herself to save the Kaylons, Isaac telling him that it was what he had been trying to tell him all along, that not all biologicals were like their Builders. Primary finally realized that the Kaylons had, perhaps, been wrong.

Ed went to Teleya in the Brig, stating that bad pennies kept turning up. She told him they had no right to detain her, but he replied that she would have committed genocide otherwise. He told her that they were taking her back to Earth and he couldn't protect her this time, but there was somebody she could protect: their daughter Teleya. He pleaded with her to leave their daughter in his care. She, however, was contemptuous of this, telling him that the fulfillment of a divine purpose eclipsed all family bonds and stating that so long as she was a prisoner, he would never see her.

In the shuttle bay of the *Orville*, Ed conducted Charly's memorial service. He stated that Charly would receive the Union Medal of Valor posthumously for her brave actions. He continued that no medal could bring her back, but they could acknowledge what she had done. He then asked who would like to speak and Isaac volunteered, giving a moving speech regarding Charly's sacrifice.

#### Lysella and the Finns

Main article: Future Unknown
In the wake of Topa's torture, Bortus's mate Klyden returned to the *Orville*. Klyden had left the *Orville*, disgusted at Topa's decision to transition back to female, but renounced his views and his Moclan citizenship following Topa's torture. In order to patch up their rocky relationship, he and Bortus decided to undergo the Commencement Rite of the Kazh-gahl. In the absence of a Moclan official, Ed was chosen to officiate the ceremony on the remote world of Listak 2. He, along with others from the ship's crew, witnessed as a naked Bortus chased a naked Klyden through the planet's forests, then the two stood together performing the sexual act.

Back aboard the *Orville*, Ed oversaw the vessel's relief mission to Sargus 4, where John LaMarr had once been arrested and very nearly lobomotized for profaning a statue. The vessel received an unexpected communication from Lysella, the woman who had aided them on the previous mission. They brought her aboard the vessel, where she requested asylum, explaining that the Sargun government had become even more oppressive. Ed decided to accept her request, placing Kelly in charge of acclimating her to Union culture.

Meanwhile, Isaac proposed marriage to Claire Finn. As news of this began to circulate around the vessel, Claire discussed the matters in her quarters with Kelly and Talla. When Ed dropped by, he at first started to leave upon seeing them deep in discussion, but they told him to come back, saying he was the only sober person in the room. Claire asked him for his opinion on the proposal, and he suggested that they she ask her children. They agreed that he had been helpful, then dismissed him. Claire then took Ed's advice and went to her children, who had already heard about the proposal and agreed wholeheartedly that she should marry Isaac if it was what she wanted.

Ed was on the Bridge when Isaac paid a visit, asking Gordon to be his best man. He then witnessed as Bortus usurped the position instead. Later, he attended the bachelor party hosted by Bortus and very nearly fell asleep, as it was a dull affair that involved Bortus impresonating Elvis Presley and performing a dreary rendition of "Love Me Tender." Later, he spoke with Gordon in Engineering about Bortus having taken the position. Gordon expressed his rage at Bortus and when Ed asked him if he was more mad about the Kaylon attack on Earth or this, Gordon stated it was this.

Later, Claire asked Ed for advice on choosing between two different wedding dresses and was unhappy when he stated he liked them both equally. Kelly came to Ed, revealing that Lysella was having difficulty adjusting and that she was suffering a form of survivor guilt. He asked her what she would do if she had to make the call alone and she told him she thought that Lysella was confused and that her conscience was getting to her. He agreed to allow Lysella to return, but told Kelly to inform her that the *Orville* wasn't a passenger ship. Ultimately, however, Lysella would end up remaining aboard the ship after being caught trying to smuggle technology to Sargus 4 and learning what the consequences were the Union did the same with another planet in the past.

The time came for Claire and Isaac's marriage and as a Union captain, it was Ed's happy duty to perform it. He spoke of the great traditions of ship's captains from the distant past before revealing that Claire and Isaac had written their own voews. The two gave their vows and he pronounced them married. Afterwards, during the reception, he received a comm stating that a transport had docked and that someone was on his way to meet him. He returned to the reception with a happy surrpise: a visiting Alara Kitan. He then watched along with the others as Bortus attempted to give the wedding toast, only for it to go so badly that Claire prompted Isaac to have Gordon step in instead. Gordon then gave a much more lighthearted speech before performing the song "Secret O' Life" for the group.

## Alternate timelines

Main article: Alternate timeline
In the original timeline, Ed died in late 2419 when the USS *Orville* *wa*s destroyed in a dark matter storm. The timeline was permanently altered when Pria Lavesque saved the *Orville* in an attempt to steal the ship.

In an alternate timeline where Kelly Grayson declined a second date with Ed in 2413, Ed never became captain of the *Orville*. Almost immediately after Kelly turned him down, Gordon Malloy took Ed to a bar to cheer him up. They met Olix, who consoled Ed and the two became acquaintances. Ed vowed to take the first assignment possible just to be away from Kelly, a rash choice that probably damaged his career.

Though getting close a couple of times, Ed never attained command of a starship. He served as Second Officer of the USS *Watson* from earlier than September 2419 and then as its First Officer in October. He later told Kelly that he had anticipated "another year or so" to become captain were it not for the Kaylon conflict.

Ed was unhappy during his time on the Watson. The captain, Barrett, found him immature and annoying, but talented and intelligent enough to keep, and she privately rejected his application to transfer to the USS *Jefferson*. Ed had applied to the Jefferson to work beside Kelly, who was now its First Officer. Before the Kaylon invasion of Earth, Ed applied for the captaincy of the USS *Sagan* but lost out to Cheva. Refusing to stay on the *Watson* any longer, Ed took the chance to become the Commanding Officer of the Epsilon Eridani outpost. Ed had time only to appoint Gordon Malloy as his Chief of Staff before the Kaylon attacked. After ensuring that the staff had evacuated, Ed and Gordon made for the shuttle bay, escaping aboard shuttlecraft ECV-342-1.  The two spent months scavenging for supplies before being picked up by Kelly Grayson's cell of rebels and joining their plan to reset the timeline.

## Relationship with Kelly Grayson

Ed met Kelly Grayson in 2413. The two went for drinks for their first date, leaving Kelly very hungover the next morning. Ed called, and she accepted his invitation for a second date. Kelly later recalled Ed had "zero game" for calling at 9:00 a.m. the next morning: "If I had been five years younger, I probably wouldn't have answered. But I had too much fun with you."

Ed and Kelly married in 2414, getting an apartment in New York City, New York.

Ed claimed that during this period, Kelly would make Ed drink more than he wanted at parties.

Ed began commuting to the Epsilon Eridani outpost, but his commitment to work taxed their relationship. Kelly recalls experiencing months of loneliness.

With their relationship at the brink of collapse, Ed and Kelly attended counseling. In late 2418, Kelly met and slept with Darulio, a Retepsian archaeologist working as a civilian for the Planetary Union. "Ed had trouble with balance," Kelly later told Alara Kitan. "Between work and home. I just started to feel like I was living alone. Although I regret sleeping with Darulio, in a way I feel it was inevitable." Ed discovered the affair and the two soon divorced.

### Working together aboard the *Orville*

Ed and Kelly did not speak to each other for a full year. Motivated by guilt and a chance at forgiveness, Kelly quietly petitioned admiralty to promote Ed from lieutenant commander to captain and to make her his first officer. Ed took command of the USS *Orville* in September 2419 and Kelly joined the next day. Though initially outraged, Ed accepted her as first officer after surviving the Battle of Epsilon 2.

Their former relationship became a point of contention on the job. For example, she grew jealous when Ed dated Pria Lavesque and she illegally searched Pria's quarters.

By January 2420, Kelly had accepted that a relationship with Ed would be impossible: "He would never trust me in that way again."

### Darulio returns, and a second attempt at a relationship

Darulio was assigned to the *Orville* in the winter of 2420 to study a Lopovian birthing bucket. Kelly slept with Darulio a second time (missing her appointment with the Navarian and Bruidian delegations), infuriating Ed and reopening old wounds. Kelly considered dating Darulio; Ed spoke with Darulio, intending to remove him from the ship. Ed soon grew amourous with Darulio, and the two slept together.

Darulio, as a Retepsian, was in a biological period of producing a powerful, nearly irresistible sex pheromone. When the pheromones wore off, Ed asked Darulio if Kelly had been under the influence of his pheromones when she slept with him. Darulio says only, "Maybe."

Ed took Darulio's answer as confirmation Kelly had not been in control of herself when she had the affair and several months later told her over drinks in the Mess Hall that he was ready to attempt a relationship again. The two dated for a month. However, after Ed protected Kelly by failing to notify Admiral Ozawa of first contact with a developing world and risking his career, Kelly decided that a relationship was impossible and broke up with him around June 2420.

### Moving on

Kelly began dating Cassius, a civilian schoolteacher aboard the ship, in July and revealed their relationship to Ed in August. Ed was hurt and jealous, he even spied on them enjoying wine in her quarters, but slowly accepted her new boyfriend. Ed briefly dated the dark matter cartographer Janel Tyler from August until September, and Kelly broke up with Cassius around December 2420.

### Dating young Kelly

Main article: Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and TomorrowBy early 2421, Ed stated he was still open to a relationship again, but Kelly remain edunchanged. After Isaac's research on the quantum accelerator brought Kelly from seven years ago into the present, Ed began dating her, which perturbed the older Kelly.

On their first date, Ed and young Kelly went for dinner at Mooska's. She goaded Ed into drinking heavily, and the two kissed goodnight. For their second date, Kelly took Ed, Gordon, Bortus, Klyden, and Talla Keyali to a simulation of one of her favorite places on Earth: a nightclub. Ed felt out-of-place in a club at his age.

Ed slowly saw his feelings for young Kelly were really a reflection of his feelings for the older Kelly. One night, Kelly wore blue lingerie, which Ed recognized as an article older Kelly had worn on their one-year anniversary. After a brief kiss, Ed confessed, "Seven years ago, she was you, and I was completely in love with her. And yes, she's changed a lot, but so have I. We've evolved together. And... I still love her."

## Personality

> *Ed, in the eyes of the admiralty, you've proven yourself worthy of that chair. You have validated our trust in you.*— Admiral Halsey to Ed Mercer
>
>

Ed Mercer was a skilled, if inexperienced, leader. Since his days as a cadet at Union Point, Ed's achieved top scores and worked hard, and Admiral Tom Halsey predicted he would command his own heavy cruiser by the age of 40. Yet Ed's commitment to work came at the cost of personal development, and his early marriage to Kelly Grayson suffered.

Becoming captain of the USS *Orville* reinvigorated Ed, and he quickly proved a capable, attentive commander willing to risk life and reputation for the sake of others. He risked court martial to release Teleya to the Krill without Union approval. When Captain Dojin forcibly extracted Moclan women from their sanctuary planet for sex reassignment surgery, Ed feigned communication problems so that Kelly, as acting captain, could fight Dojin's soldiers under the shield of plausible deniability.

Ed's independent streak derived from a principled understanding of morality where ethical values are more important than blindly following orders; and Ed rarely came to a decision without examining his own beliefs first. For example, he played devil's advocate with Kelly when he questions the Moclus' mandatory sex reassignment of Topa.

However, Ed's willingness to jettison protocol for others got him into trouble. While dating Kelly in May 2420, he declined to inform Admiral Ozawa that Kelly made first contact with a planet's developing civilization. The infraction nearly cost Ed his rank.

Ed consumed alcohol liberally, therapeutically, and socially. Gordon Malloy was Ed's drinking buddy at Union Point. After his divorce from Kelly, Ed self-medicated with alcohol and his job performance suffered. Ed continued to drink heavily even as a captain to the point that Chief of Security Alara Kitan mentioned that the crew had noticed he was often seen at the Mess Hall's bar during off-hours.

A true explorer at heart, Ed once expressed that he would choose to live forever if it were possible. When asked why, he replied simply "I want to see what happens."

### Ed's crisis of self-doubt

Around March 2420, Ed learned Planetary Union Central had promoted him to captain based on Kelly Grayson's recommendation. Though Admiral Halsey told Ed that he had proven himself worthy of the captain's chair, Ed lost faith in his abilities. After a month of self-doubt and reflection, Ed saw that he should have thanked Kelly for campaigning for him: no single person succeeds without the help of their peers.

### Relationship with Gordon Malloy

Gordon Malloy and Ed Mercer had been close friends since Union Point, and Ed even hired Gordon to be helmsman of the *Orville*. As Gordon was overly laid-back even to the point of negligence, Ed often kept him in check.

Ed and Gordon worked well together on the field. They infiltrated and captured the *Yakar*and rescued the Chogs from their dying world. Their friendship was not perfect. Orrin Channing had once been Gordon's best friend before Orrin was captured by the Krill. When Orrin reappeared, Ed admitted that he felt insecure about his friendship with Gordon.

### Relationship with the crew

When Ed first met Alara Kitan as his new Chief of Security, he was put off by her lack of experience. His opinion softened after rescuing Kelly and him from a Calivon zoo, and he awarded her a Sapphire Star for bravery. By February 2420, Ed told her, "If I was being rushed by an angry Moclan who wanted to kill me, the one person I would want between him and me is you." Ed initially resented Claire Finn because he believed that she held a presumption that he needed an adviser or counselor to do his job. Over time, however, he came to trust and rely on her, to the point that he could not imagine captaining the Orville without the security of her watchful eye. When Talla Keyali first replaced Alara Kitan, it took time for him to get used to her tough, hard-edged demeanor in comparison with Alara. He found it sad, as he had developed a substantial trust in Alara. Over time, however, Ed grew to like Talla, her having proven herself on multiple occasions and having pulled the Orville's crew out of more than one tough spot.

## Production

Ed Mercer is the first character created by Seth MacFarlane for the show, a reaction against the traditional approach to make captains in science fiction virtuous, wizened leaders. According to MacFarlane: "There's a consistency to the classic starship captain model that they are paragons of virtue, that they are these models of nobility. That is what I was trying to steer away from, because I haven't seen a captain who is kind of that mediocre, accounting kind of guy." Instead, he wrote the character of Ed as a flawed, but ultimately good person, and then added a co-worker who is also his ex-wife to flesh out Ed's foibles and add drama.

## Trivia

* "Ed" is the short form of names beginning in "Ed-", like "Edward", "Edgar", "Edmund", etc.
* Ed Mercer's original name was "Ed Stevens," but was changed sometime after completing the first draft of the script and before shooting the pilot.
	+ Ultimately, creator Seth MacFarlane gave Ed the last name "Mercer," which MacFarlane frequently uses for characters in productions like *Family Guy*. Mercer is a surname of some of MacFarlane's relatives.
	+ "Mercer" is an English surname denoting someone who specializes in trading textiles.
* Ed's epaulet on his right shoulder (audience's left) have unique text that is barely visible. It can only be easily read in a scene in *If the Stars Should Appear*. The left side of the epaulet says UC 0321 PLANETARY UNION CENTRAL and the right side says M3-VW\UI-00. It is unclear what the codes mean and are probably gibberish added by the wardrobe department.
* According to Admiral Tom Halsey, Ed was not only top of his class at Union Point but was so highly regarded that the admiralty believed he would captain a heavy cruiser by age 40.
* Ed kept a plush of Kermit from *The Muppets* on the desk in his office. He tells Second Officer Bortus, "He's just a leader I admire. Always keeps his cool in a crisis; inspires greatness in people."
	+ Rarely noticed is that Ed's Kermit object in *Old Wounds* is not the famous plush doll but a small, two-inch figurine. The plush doll replaced the small figurine in the next episode, *Command Performance*.
	+ He earlier kept the Kermit doll in the living room of his apartment in New York City when he was married to Kelly Grayson.
* Ed had hypocritical standards when it came to the consumption of alcohol. He criticized Helmsman Gordon Malloy for getting drunk in the morning during *Old Wounds*, but attempted to have a beer shortly after waking up in *Command Performance*.
	+ However, this may be due to Ed disapproving of intoxication while piloting a vessel, and not an overall resentment towards alcohol consumption.
* According to First Officer Kelly Grayson, when Ed was truly in pain, he gave straight answers with no cursing.
* It seems as though Ed Mercer was highly educated on television shows from the 20th and 21st century judging by his continuous references to pop culture from those eras.
* When he was ten, his mother took him to the Salem history museum, which "scared the crap out of him" due to the holographic recreation of the trial and caused him to have nightmares for a month.
* Ed implied that he had been bullied throughout primary school, even claiming he had an Anti-Bullying law specifically named after him. It's unknown if this is simply hyperbole or a legitimate fact about the Earth's legal stance on bullying.
* He had arachnophobia, a fear of spiders.
* He and Lieutenant Dann shared the same birthday.
* Gordon Malloy recounted that when Ed and Kelly were together, Ed called Philippa Jones "Fallopia" at a mixer at Admiral Tom Halsey's house after drinking scotch.
* Ed might have attended Union Point with someone named "Nick Lewis," but he might have invented the name.
* Ed decorated his office with the following:
	+ Kermit plush doll
	+ A picture hanging at the right of the door:
		- Claude Monet's *Sunrise (Marine)* (Season 1)
		- John T. Daniels' 1903 photograph of the *Wright Flyer*'s first flight in air (Season 2)
	+ Scale model of the *Orville*
	+ Scale model of the Wright Flyer
	+ A piece of dead coral
* He flossed with only Navidian micro-silk because he has "very tight spaces between [his] teeth."
* He swam with his shirt on until he was 20.
* He said that he had always hated his name 'Ed Mercer' and would like to pick a different one.
* Ed makes no appearance in the comic-book issue *Heroes, Pt. 2,* despite being incorrectly credited.
* The last time Ed saw Professor Lamarche was at Ed's graduation from Union Point.
* Ed's philosophy for recovering from a lost love is to not visit the places where people have been happy (source: *Electric Sheep*).

## Gallery

Ed Mercer promo for *The Orville* season 1Captain Mercer and Pria Lavesque develop a close bond soon after meeting.A concept sketch of Mercer by the show's wardrobe designer Joseph Porro and illustrator Luca Nemolato. Note the name is "Ed Stevens", which was changed only late in production.Final concept of Ed MercerEd Mercer's epaulet
## Appearances

* *Episode 1x01: Old Wounds*
* *Episode 1x02: Command Performance*
* *Episode 1x03: About a Girl*
* *Episode 1x04: If the Stars Should Appear*
* *Episode 1x05: Pria*
* *Episode 1x06: Krill*
* *Episode 1x07: Majority Rule*
* *Episode 1x08: Into the Fold*
* *Episode 1x09: Cupid's Dagger*
* *Episode 1x10: Firestorm*
* *Episode 1x11: New Dimensions*
* *Episode 1x12: Mad Idolatry*
* *Episode 1.5x01: New Beginnings, Pt. 1*
* *Episode 1.5x02: New Beginnings, Pt. 2*
* *Episode 1.5x03: The Word of Avis, Pt. 1*
* *Episode 1.5x04: The Word of Avis, Pt. 2*
* *Episode 2x01: Ja'loja*
* *Episode 2x02: Primal Urges*
* *Episode 2x03: Home*
* *Episode 2x04: Nothing Left on Earth Excepting Fishes*
* *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 2x10: Blood of Patriots*
* *Episode 2x11: Lasting Impressions*
* *Episode 2x12: Sanctuary*
* *Episode 2x13: Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow*
* *Episode 2x14: The Road Not Taken*
* *Episode 2.5x01: Launch Day, Pt. 1*
* *Episode 2.5x02: Launch Day, Pt. 2*
* *Episode 2.5x03: Heroes, Pt. 1*
* *Episode 2.5x04: Heroes, Pt. 2*
* *Episode 2.5x05: Digressions, Pt. 1*
* *Episode 2.5x07: Artifacts, Pt. 1*
* *Episode 2.5x08: Artifacts, Pt. 2*
* *Episode 3x01: Electric Sheep*
* *Episode 3x02: Shadow Realms*
* *Episode 3x03: Mortality Paradox*
* *Episode 3x04: Gently Falling Rain*
* *Episode 3x05: A Tale of Two Topas*
* *Episode 3x06: Twice in a Lifetime*
* *Episode 3x07: From Unknown Graves*
* *Episode 3x08: Midnight Blue*
* *Sympathy for the Devil*
* *Episode 3x09: Domino*
* *Episode 3x10: Future Unknown*

## References

1. ↑ Episode 1x01: Old Wounds
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Episode 1x05: Pria
3. ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 3.12 Episode 1x01: Old Wounds
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Episode 2.5x07: Artifacts, Pt. 1 Cite error: Invalid `<ref>` tag; name ":20" defined multiple times with different content
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Episode 2x09: Identity, Pt. 2
6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 Episode 2x13: Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow
7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Episode 2.5x01: Launch Day, Pt. 1
8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 8.6 Episode 1x02: Command Performance
9. ↑ Kelly makes multiple comments about this in *Cupid's Dagger*. Ed talks about commuting to Epsilon Eridani in *Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow*.
10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 citation needed
11. ↑ Tom Halsey: "We would have offered you a command earlier but you haven't inspired confidence this past year." Episode 1x01: Old Wounds
12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 Episode 1x11: New Dimensions
13. ↑ Episode 1x01: Old Wounds
14. ↑ See Timeline, note 18.
15. ↑ Episode 1x04: If the Stars Should Appear
16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 Episode 1x03: About a Girl
17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 Episode 1x06: Krill
18. ↑ Episode 1x06: Krill
19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 19.3 19.4 19.5 19.6 Episode 1x09: Cupid's Dagger
20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 20.3 20.4 Episode 1x12: Mad Idolatry
21. ↑ Ed Mercer. Episode 1x12: Mad Idolatry
22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 Episode 1.5x01: New Beginnings, Pt. 1
23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 Episode 1.5x02: New Beginnings, Pt. 2
24. ↑ Episode 1.5x03: The Word of Avis, Pt. 1
25. ↑ Episode 1.5x04: The Word of Avis, Pt. 2
26. ↑ Episode 2x02: Primal Urges
27. ↑ 27.0 27.1 Episode 2x03: Home
28. ↑ 28.0 28.1 Episode 2x05: All the World is Birthday Cake
29. ↑ Episode 2x07: Deflectors
30. ↑ Episode 2x01: Ja'loja
31. ↑ *See Episode 1x01: Old Wounds; Episode 2x06: A Happy Refrain.*
32. ↑ Episode 2x08: Identity, Pt. 1
33. ↑ Episode 2.5x02: Launch Day, Pt. 2
34. ↑ Episode 2.5x08: Artifacts, Pt. 2
35. ↑ 35.0 35.1 35.2 Episode 2x14: The Road Not Taken
36. ↑ Digressions, Pt. 1
37. ↑ Kelly Grayson. Episode 2x13: Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow
38. ↑ 38.0 38.1 Episode 1x04: If the Stars Should Appear
39. ↑ Episode 1x11: New Dimensions
40. ↑ 40.0 40.1 Episode 2x04: Nothing Left on Earth Excepting Fishes
41. ↑ Episode 2x12: Sanctuary
42. ↑ Episode 3x03: Mortality Paradox
43. ↑ Episode 2x10: Blood of Patriots
44. ↑ 44.0 44.1 Episode 1x10: Firestorm
45. ↑ *Sympathy for the Devil*
46. ↑ 46.0 46.1 Pascale, Anthony. "Interview: Seth MacFarlane Talks Mission Of ‘The Orville’ And Defends Star Trek: TNG’s Replicators". *TrekMovie.com*. Sept. 4, 2017.
47. ↑ "Brannon Braga & The Orville Cast Full interview 2017 Panel NYC convention". *NYC ComicCon*. Nov. 20, 2017.
48. ↑ MacFarlane, Seth. Orville 1x01 - Pilot. *Fox Broadcasting Co.*
49. ↑ Thapa, Shaurya. "The Orville: 10 Things You Never Knew About The Star Trek Parody". ScreenRant. Sept. 8, 2020.
50. ↑ The Kermit doll can be seen in the Calivon reconstruction of their apartment. Ed: "This is the one from my office. I took it with me when I moved out." Episode 1x02: Command Performance