‘Star Trek: Lower Decks’ Brings Back Nova Squadron as Nova Fleet
Four years on, Star Trek: Lower Decks connects with the original “Lower Decks” episodes from TNG. And the shape that takes is Nova Fleet.
The recent Star Trek: Lower Decks episode “Inner Fight” gives us a huge insight into Beckett Mariner’s past. It turns out the real reason she resists promotion is because she was friends with Sito Jaxa.
And if you don’t have an encyclopedic knowledge of Star Trek, you may ask: Who is Sito Jaxa?
Sito Jaxa was a Starfleet officer stationed on the Enterprise D. But Sito isn’t like most ensigns. During her academy days, she was part of a cover-up. Sito, Nick Locarno, Jean Hajar, and Wesley Crusher were all part of a prestigious group called Nova Squadron. They planned to undertake a forbidden shuttlecraft maneuver called the Kolvoord Starburst. But in their efforts, their fifth member Joshua Albert dies.
A formal hearing eventually roots the truth out. For Nick Locarno, this means expulsion. For everyone else, it means being held back a year and losing trust with basically everyone.
One person who continues to admire Sito Jaxa is Beckett Mariner. Sito never gives up. She fights her way to be an ensign on the Enterprise. She is so good at her job that she’s tasked with an undercover mission. And Sito Jaxa dies on that mission.
But all these years later, Mariner comes face to face with Nick Locarno. Nick remembers Beckett’s relationship with Sito and wants Mariner’s help. And wouldn’t you know it—Locarno has a jacket with a symbol that looks exactly like the Kolvoord Starburst.
Not only is Nova Squadron back, but it’s expanding. In the upcoming Lower Decks season 4 finale Locarno reveals the new Nova Squadron: Nova Fleet.
The Return of Nova Squadron
Everything about Nick Locarno suggests he is recruiting for the season four finale of Star Trek: Lower Decks. He may have a one-man vessel, but he uses it to ensnare far larger vessels. So far we know of Romulan, Ferengi, Bynar, Orion, and Cardassian ships’ involvement.
At first, it seems like these ships are gone. But in “Inner Fight” we find out that their captains are stranded while the remainder of the crew and their ships remain unharmed. We actively see Locarno’s ship next to a Klingon vessel, suggesting they are in cahoots. And in the latest preview clip, we see there are a lot more ships in the Nova Fleet than that.
But a team of strangers he can’t trust? That doesn’t make sense. And while Locarno insists finding Mariner is an accident we think it’s intentional. Whatever his plan is, Nick needs a team he can trust. What Nick needs is individuals he knows and likely ones, like him, who were once a part of Starfleet. Nova Fleet needs leaders and that means a new New Squadron, too.
Nick is one member. Clearly, if Nova Squadron is coming back then Mariner is member number two. So if there’s a new squad in addition to the fleet, who are the remaining three members? Here is a list of possible candidates and their likelihood of being on board.
Courtesy of CBS Television
1. Jean Hajar
Other than Nick Locarno, there’s only one other member of Nova Squadron that we know is both alive and not existing outside of time: Jean Hajar. Looking back on it, we actually don’t really know anything about Hajar. She is part of Nova Squadron. She tries to cover up the death of her classmate. And eventually, she gets held back a year just like Wesley Crusher and Sito Jaxa.
However, the likelihood of Hajar showing up is high. She is alive after all. And if Nick Locarno is making a new Nova Squadron it stands to reason he’d start by looking at the original one.
It’s also noteworthy that Walker Brandt, who plays Jean Hajar, is still a currently working actress. She doesn’t need to come out of retirement. If anything, returning to play Hajar is a chance for Brandt and Trek writers to give the character some actual CHARACTER.
But Hajar isn’t the only Nova O.G. who is still alive.
Courtesy of CBS Television
2. Wesley Crusher
Could Wesley Crusher return as a member of Nova Squadron? He is the only other confirmed living member of the original team. Crusher is also a genius. If a bunch of ships suddenly disappear, it’s certainly within Crusher’s abilities to make that happen.
But let’s be honest. The chances of Wesley Crusher being a part of Nova Squadron are slim to none.
At the end of “First Duty” Wesley Crusher is the one who admits to Nova Squadron’s crimes. It stands to reason that the rest of the team, Nick Locarno especially, aren’t Crusher’s biggest fans. More than that, it feels ethically out of Crusher’s wheelhouse to team up with Locarno to get into some mischief.
We also know that by the time Star Trek: Picard Season 2 rolls around, Wesley Crusher is a “supervisor” who basically exists outside of time and space. Crusher’s gig is to keep an eye on time and make sure nothing gets mucked up. He’s basically a Timelord.
All that said, though, we have no idea when Crusher hops outside of known space and time. Maybe the impetus for that choice involves rejoining Nova Squadron first.
We’ve talked about the living members of the original Nova Squadron, but what about the “dead” ones?
Courtesy of CBS Television
3. Sito Jaxa
Sito Jaxa is dead. During the episode “Lower Decks” she gets on a shuttlecraft with a Cardassian for a secret mission. And after the mission is over, the remains of Jaxa’s escape pod are found by an Enterprise probe. Sito Jaxa is dead.
Okay, but what if she isn’t though?
Have Federation officers been kidnapped and held prisoner for long periods of time before? Yes. Have the Cardassians specifically and secretly held Bajorans captive on a prison planet for years at a stretch? Also yes. So it’s entirely possible that Sito Jaxa is still alive. And from a narrative perspective, we have to consider the possibility. Mariner name-drops Sito in “Inner Fight”. A good reason for that would be to bring Sito back with the most emotional oomph possible.
However, there are two main reasons Sito Jaza may not return—and they’re both compelling. For one thing, Shannon Fill, who plays Jaxa, isn’t currently acting. It’s certainly possible that she can come out of retirement, but there’s no guarantee that she wants to. And it would be a bummer to see the character recast.
The biggest reason we think Sito Jaxa is still dead involves former producers Michel Piller and Jeri Taylor. Way back when “Lower Decks” was being written, Taylor said she wanted Jaxa to survive and return for later episodes. However, Piller insisted that Jaxa remain dead so as not to lose the overall meaning and power of her death. Ultimately, Taylor went along with Piller. Is it possible Sito Jaxa is still alive? Absolutely. Would her resurrection cheapen her death? Yeah, a little bit.
Let’s give this one 50/50 odds and move on to potential new members of Nova Squadron.
Courtesy of CBS Television
4. Sam Lavelle
Nick Locarno seeks out Beckett Mariner for help specifically. Why? The obvious answer is that they are connected by one person: Sito Jaxa. And if Locarno’s plan is in Jaxa’s name (and I suspect it is), Mariner is not the other person he’ll seek aid from.
Sito Jaxa’s chief rival for promotion on the Enterprise is Sam Lavelle. Both ensigns are strongly driven, And there’s a point where they are both up for the same job. Ultimately, Sito’s death results in Lavelle getting the promotion. At the time, Lavelle feels he does not want or deserve the promotion. However, his friends remind him that the best way to honor Sito is to work hard and honor the position the same way she would.
If Nick Locarno seeks out people using Sito Jaxa’s name, Sam Lavelle will answer the call almost undoubtedly. Dan Gauthier, just like Walker Brandt, is still working as an actor. We have no idea what Sam Lavelle does after the events of Lower Decks. It stands to reason he may resent Starfleet over Sito’s death. Might he resent them enough to team up with Nick Locarno? Maybe!
Sam Levelle isn’t Sito Jaxa’s only friend aboard the Enterprise.
Courtesy of CBS Television
5. Taurik
Almost everyone on this list is human—until now. If there’s a Nova Fleet, it doesn’t make sense for every leader to be human. And in fact, there’s at least one other person we know who also has a connection to Sito Jaxa—Taurik.
While Sam Lavelle may be Sito’s chief competition, she is no less close with our other OG Lower Decker Taurik who works in engineering. In fact, something worth considering is that Taurik is a little flippant with Geordi LaForge.
Taurik wants to know things he is not meant to know. And Taurik also wants to change the Enterprise using technology that isn’t quite ready for prime time. Is it possible that Taurik does not see Starfleet as logical? Sure! And might Taurik seek someone with different ideas and a fleet of their own? It’s feasible. And if there’s a Vulcan ship in Nova Fleet, Taurik is probably the best captain.
Here’s one other funny consideration. Nick Locarno and Taurik have something metatextual in common. The actors who play these characters go on to play virtually identical characters albeit with different names on Star Trek: Voyager. Robert Duncan McNeill goes from Nick Locarno to Tom Paris. And Alexander Enberg goes from Taurik to Vorik.
What if Nova Fleet’s leadership comprises actors who play multiple similar characters? That’s a very Star Trek: Lower Decks move. And with that in mind…
Courtesy of CBS Television
6. Thomas Riker
In “Inner Fight” a number of names come up as potentially at risk of capture. Nick Locarno is one name. Another is Thomas Riker. And if actors who play multiple roles are on the list, then is there a better option than Jonathan Frakes.
If you don’t recall, Thomas Riker is the transporter clone of William Riker. Thomas has lived alone on an isolated planet for years, but he has no idea he’s a transporter duplicate. When he escapes he finds a version of himself who has a life and is a commander. Thomas Riker tries to start over, but he eventually moves on from Starfleet and joins the Maquis.
Nick Locarno seems to have no love for Starfleet. Thomas Riker has little love for them, either. But Jonathan Frakes absolutely loves Star Trek. The actor is more involved with the franchise than literally anyone else. Frakes appeared on Star Trek: Lower Decks previously. But it’s been a few years, so why not bring him back?
Both from an actor standpoint and a storytelling one, making Thomas Riker part of a new Nova Squadron just makes sense. However, he’s not the only transporter clone out there. And the only thing missing from this list is someone who is an active part of Star Trek: Lower Decks itself.
With that in mind, our final guess for who is part of the new Nova Fleet is…
Courtesy of Paramount Plus
7. William Boimler
Just like with Thomas Riker, William Boimler is a duplicate version of Bradward Boimler as the result of a transporter accident. But unlike Thomas Riker, William Boimler not only makes it back to Starfleet immediately, but he also climbs the ranks faster than Bradward does. As a matter of fact, William Boimler is presently a part of the mysterious Starfleet black ops division Section 31.
Of course, most people do not know there’s a Boimler in Section 31. As a matter of fact, everything thinks the Boimler clone is dead—but he isn’t. And there are a number of reasons why it makes sense for William Boimler to be part of Nova Fleet.
For one thing, William Boimler is not a good guy. He is manipulative and quick to game the system. As a matter of fact, most members of Section 31 aren’t exactly the most trustworthy. Not only does Section 31 keep secrets, but its members mess with people’s minds, one of them nearly lets an evil A.I. destroy all sentient life. And of course, one member of Section 31, Emperor Phillipa Georgiou used to be the Emperor of the alt. universe, fascist Terran Empire.
Nova Fleet should have someone specifically from Lower Decks involved. The bonus of it being William Boimler is that we will have no idea if he’s working with Nova Fleet or a double agent until the final moment.
Those are our guesses as to who may appear as a part of Nova Fleet in Star Trek: Lower Decks‘ season 4 finale. Tell us who you think will turn up and where the story is going!
