| “ | I have bound myself to Picard as qalankhkai. Anyone who threatens him will be choosing to die! | „ |
| ~ Elnor, warning Romulans not to threaten Jean-Luc Picard |
Elnor was a Romulan male introduced in the Star Trek: Picard episode Absolute Candor.
Elnor was portrayed by Ian Nunney as a child, and as an adult by Evan Evagora.
As a small child Elnor was orphaned. Due to the impending supernova of the Romulan sun Elnor was among the 250,000 Romulans evacuated to Vashti in 2385. He was taken in by the Qowat Milat, an order of Romulan warrior nuns who were among the best warriors in Romulan society. While on Vashti he met and befriended Starfleet Jean-Luc Picard, who was leading the Federation evacuation efforts. During their time together Picard taught Elnor fencing and read to him from Earth literature, including the Three Musketeers. When rouge synths bombed Mars, Picard had to leave but promised to return soon.
The attack led the Federation to call off its plans to help the Romulans, and Picard resigned from the fleet in protest. Picard did not return to Vashti until 2399, and found that Elnor had grown into a young man during this time. Unable to find a suitable home for Elnor, the Qowat Milat nuns raised him themselves, and trained him in The Way of Absolute Candor. He became quite skilled in the order's weapon of choice, a single edged sword called a tan qalanq. Prior to Picard's return Elnor had completed his training with the Qowat Milat, but was unable to become a full member of the order due to being a man. Even so the Qowat Milat leader Zani considered him a gifted warrior.
Picard came to Vashti in 2399 to seek Qowat Milat assistance in locating Bruce Maddox and to safeguard the late Commander Data's "daughter" Soji Asha. Zani suggested Picard ask Elnor if he would consider binding himself to Picard's quest as a qalankhkai, or free sword. Still upset over being abandoned by Picard years earlier, Elnor initially refused and Picard prepared to leave Vashti to continue his quest.
While sitting in a restaurant, Picard was confronted by the former Romulan Senator Tenqem Andrev, who berated Picard for his choices and the Federation's abandonment of the Romulans. Observing Picard's behavior, Elnor decided that Picard's quest was worthy as it was a lost cause, and decided then to bind himself to Picard's quest as qalankhkai.
Meanwhile Senator Andrev's friends pushed Picard out into the street when Andrev tried to engage Picard in a sword fight. Initially parrying Andrev's blows, Picard dropped his sword and refused to fight anymore. Andrev moved in for the killing blow when Elnor asked him to stop and choose to live. Andrev continued moving in on Picard, at which point Elnor subdued Andrev's friends and decapitaed Andrev in a single, swift stroke.
Elnor was beamed aboard the ship La Sirena before Andrev's friends could fire their disruptors on Elnor and Picard. Once on board Picard snapped that Andrev did not need to die, but Elnor retorted that Andrev chose to continue the fight, and that once he fought a Qowat Milat the outcome was no longer in doubt. He did swear to Picard that he would only fight when Picard wished going forward.