Star Trek

I just saw the latest LD episode 6: Parth Ferengi's Heart Place. The poking fun on modern capitalism was one point.

This is what star trek was supposed to be. One of the greatest episode IMHO.

The title is a pun on the 2004 British horror parody television series Garth Merenghi’s Darkplace. The Ferengi dragging Boimler out of his room is using a Ferengithe Ferengi merchant Ulis in 2151 (ENT: “Acquisition”).

Rom became the Grand Nagus in DS9: “The Dogs of War”, Zek appointing Rom as his successor to carry on his reforms to create a kinder, gentler Ferenginar.

The Genesis Device is of course the central McGuffin of ST II. The one that blew up and created the Genesis Planet was thought to be the only one, but we’ve seen another model stored in Daystrom Station (PIC: “The Bounty”).

“He thinks Rom is the next Lonz.” A deep cut, Lonz was the most famous nose flute player in Ferengi history, also known as “Old Golden Nostril” (DS9 book: Legends of the Ferengi).

Rule of Acquisition No. 62: “The riskier the road, the greater the profit”, was first mentioned in DS9: “Rules of Acquisition”, among other episodes.

The Stardate is 58901.5. The Ferengi Alliance wanting to join the Federation is a huge deal. Although Nog was the first Ferengi in Starfleet (DS9: “Heart of Stone”), by 2400, there will be more Ferengi cadets in Starfleet Academy (PIC: “The Star Gazer”, a Ferengi flag is being flown during commencement among other flags showing the composition of the graduating class), and by the 32nd Century, Ferengi officers are seen frequently, even a Captain (DIS: “Anomaly”).

The foods being served on board the Parliament-class (LD: “Cupid’s Errant Arrow”) USS Toronto (NCC-70494) include a bowl of Ferengi tube grubs (DS9: “Homefront”), cheese cut out in Starfleet delta shapes and a wooden serving board in the shape of a Galaxy-class cruiser.

The bald Admiral is Vassery, who commanded Douglas Station and was the one Mariner mocked for his pronunciation of “sen-soar” (LD: “Moist Vessel”). He also appeared in Mariner’s holoprogram (LD: “Crisis Point”).

Moab IV is the location of the Genome Colony, a self-contained domed enclosing a genetically and socially-engineered society (TNG: “The Masterpiece Society”). The environment outside the dome was uninhabitable at the time the Enterprise-D visited, so Vassery’s joke might mean that has changed. Or is just a bad joke.

The 10th Rule of Acquisition is “Greed is eternal” (DS9: “Prophet Motive”); Freeman trying to quote this expresses her skepticism about Ferenginar’s application.

Leeta’s title as “First Clerk” is the title of the Nagus’ personal financial assistant (DS9: “Ferengi Love Songs”). Rom and her are accompanied by what seems to be a female Hupyrian. The species is known to be favorites of the Grand Naguses as servants, bodyguards and food tasters due to their devotion to their masters and their vows of silence to anyone other than their master. Zek’s male servant was Maihar’du (DS9: “The Nagus”).

I got to admit, the Ceremonial Invoice and the “Friends and Family Discount” made me spit out my soda. God, I’ve missed the Ferengi - the DS9 development of them, specifically. Yes, Quark made an appearance in DS9: “Hear All, Trust Nothing”, but still.

Self-sealing stem bolts are a component that nobody is quite sure what they do or what they’re for, except that they’re self-sealing. And are stem bolts (DS9: “Progress”).

For the record, “Lieutenants junior grade” is the grammatically correct usage. Much like it’s “Attorneys-General” and not “Attorney-Generals”.

There have been two travel guides published in the real world for Star Trek under the Hidden Universe Travel Guides banner: one for the Klingon Empire and the other for Vulcan. I also love the fact that the Cerritos is statistically the horniest and least committed crew in Starfleet because that tracks so much.

Finishing each other’s diophantine equations (polynomial equations where only integer solutions are allowed) could be a reference to a classic gag from Arrested Development where Michael says about Nellie, that they finish each other’s… and Lindsay chimes in with “Sandwiches?” to Michael’s bewilderment. The same joke coincidentally shows up in That 70s Show and as part of the song “Love is an Open Door” in Frozen.

Honus is the ship’s bartender (LD: “Mugato, Gumato”) and Nurse Westlake (LD: “Second Contact”) is named for Chris Westlake, the composer for LD.

We see a Ferengi shuttle (DS9: “Little Green Men”) flying by as we approach Ferenginar, on which it is always raining (DS9: “Family Business”). The Ferengi language has 178 words for rain (and none for “crisp”), rather like the hundreds of words Inuits use to describe various types of snow (DS9: “Let He Who is Without Sin”). The tall building dominating the skyline is the Ferengi Tower of Commerce, the capital building of the government (“Prophet Motive”).

Signs advertise All You Can @#S%!, Slug-O-Cola (DS9: “Profit and Lace”), Uncle Quark’s Youth Casino, Maxium Oo-Mox Rub Dungeon, Acquire Pour Homme, Lobe’s Lodge, Slug-Nasium. A marquee says “Now Playing: Latinum Lost!!!” which may be a reference to the Litverse novella Lust’s Latinum Lost (and Found), which centers around the erotic holonovel of the same title.

The aFerengi shuttle (DS9: “Little Green Men”) flying by as we approach Ferenginar, on which it is always raining (DS9: “Family Business”). which may be a reference to the Litverse novella Lust’s Latinum Lost (and Found), which centers around the erotic holonovelgi lobes is a symbol of virility and business acumen, which is what the Slug-O-Cola commercial plays on.

Quimp appeared in LD: “Envoys”, meeting Mariner on Tulgana IV, staging a fake attack to boost Boimler’s confidence.

Oberth-classes (like the USS Grissom from ST III) take a lot of flak. T’Ana once screamed that she didn’t spend 7 years on one just to get reassigned to a station (LD: “The Stars at Night”).

The “dagger of the mind” drink probably refers to TOS: “Dagger of the Mind” where a neural neutralizer empties a mind and makes it susceptible to suggestion.

Rom was on Sisko’s baseball team, the Niners, in DS9: “Take Me Out to the Holosuite” and scored the only run for the team in that game.

The unicorn dog in the Ferengi landlord cop show is of the species from Alfa 177 (TOS: “The Enemy Within”). We last saw one of them in the menagerie in LD: “I Have No Bones Yet I Must Flee”.

As Boimler laughs about product placement he is sitting in front of the Paramount logo. The screen also resembles the CBS eye logo.

Parth is using a holographic imager, but oddly enough closer to the Starfleet design (last seen in SNW: “Those Old Scientists”) rather than a Ferengi one (DS9: “Meridian”).

Mariner and Quimp play dabo (DS9: “Babel”) at the Ferenginar Historical Library.

Quark’s Federation Experience Bar & Grill (referring to the late lamented Las Vegas Star Trek: The Experience), has models of the Voyager and Enterprise-D hanging from the ceiling as the TNG theme tune plays. Among the decor are signs that say Engineering, Ten Forward, Where No Gift Has Gone Before, Jeffries Tube Entrance, Red Shirts and Holodeck Arcade.

Patrons enter the place between two TOS-style nacelles and are greeted by a Ferengi with a Vulcan hairstyle and eyebrows in a blue science division uniform. In a blink and you’ll miss it moment, there is a naked female Ferengi (head and shoulders visible) at one of the tables as we initially pan towards Tendi and Rutherford. Ferengi females were traditionally not allowed to wear clothes, but this began to change with Zak’s reforms, helped along by Quark and Rom’s mother Ishka.

On display are a Mugato (TOS: “A Private Little War”), the Guardian of Forever (TOS: “The City on the Edge of Forever”), a Vulcan gong in the arena from TOS: “Amok Time” and a Taurean ape-man with a spear from TOS: “The Galileo Seven”.

Tendi and Rutherford are seated at a table whose wall panels have a TOS-style red trim and chairs from that era. The Red Alert sound has of course been standard since TOS. The Ferengi bouncers are dressed in TNG-era security uniforms.

Tendi’s comment about the velour uniforms catching fire is similar to Boimler talking about exploding tricorders in LD: “Those Old Scientists”.

Sitting weird in chairs is a stereotype for bisexuals, of which Mariner is one. Naturally, the Ferengi Dominion War Memorial remembers the profits lost during that conflict.

The blind box is modeled on a TOS-era shuttle. We see a rocky backdrop for one of the tables that might be Sarpeidon from TOS: “All Our Yesterdays”.

The 8th Rule of Acquisition, “Small print leads to large risk” is from the beta canon book The Ferengi Rules of Acquisition.

The Ferengi dragging Boimler out of his room is using a Ferengi energy whip (TNG: “The Last Outpost).

Written by: Cullen Crawford

Directed by: Brandon Williams

I'm truly enjoying all these interviews that are coming out as Patrick Stewart goes around on the promotion circuit.

Direct YouTube link

Clearly there is some chemistry between the characters, but it often appears that Shaxs is putting up with a lot that he is not interested in, or is even finds unpleasant.

Specifically in “Room For Growth” and “I Have No Bones Yet I Must Flee” we get insight into their off duty time together, which appears to be running a holodeck program where Doctor T’Ana escalates the violence and then wants Shaxs participate in sexual activity, while making their holographic victims watch. In both episodes Shaxs implies that this is not something he enjoys. In “Room For Growth” we see Shaxs open up to Doctor T’Ana about things he’s going through and she mocks him for it.

And obviously Shaxs is a character capable of tremendous violence, and it’s something he enjoys, but unlike Doctor T’Ana, he’s also interested in wellness. In “Envoys” we see that Shaxs is concerned about the job satisfaction of his subordinates, and in “Empathological Fallacies” he makes it clear that he views part of his responsibilities as the Cerritos chief of security to see to the mental wellbeing of the crew as well as their physical wellbeing. He puts that in action for himself as well, which we see in “wej Duj” where he’s using art therapy to deal with his own trauma. T’Ana, by contrast, is hostile to the idea. In “Mugato, Gumato” we see that she’s removed her own name from the list of patients aboard the Cerritos.

It seems as though Shaxs is the one putting in all the effort, and Doctor T’Ana is somewhat toxic.I feel like Shaxs could do better.

Amidst Franchise Changes, Star Trek: Lower Decks' Mike McMahan Gave Us His Worried Perspective On The Show's Future

Pretty self-explanatory tl/dr: if you like the show, watch it (and get your friends onboard).

https://www.cinemablend.com/interviews/amidst-franchise-changes-star-trek-lower-decks-mike-mcmahan-worried-perspective-shows-future

@startrek #StarTrek

Taking place a day after Brad Boimler undies, the same happens to Spike the dragon only it was near-death.

For reasons only the space-koala understands, both swap places.

More info on my blog! https://www.fimfiction.net/blog/1023724/a-star-trek-ld-crossover-idea

Hello,

In the recent years, I have had much less time available to watch new shows (I have a young kid). So I am quite lagging behind: I haven't seen PIC, nor the last season of DIS, nor SNW. I tended to not find the right moment to read books either. I finally started reading e-books and I realise how convenient they are to take advantage of 15 minutes of calm and discretly (and without noise) read a chapter or two. I used to read books on paper exclusively, and to find reading on screen difficult, but it turns out that I am now becoming an e-book reader and they allow me to spend much more time reading.

So, I've started with Robinson's Stitch In Time because I heard a lot of good reviews. And it is indeed GREAT. Beautifully written. I wanted to read more, so I looked up what else Robinson had written, and bought "Prophecy and change Anthology". I read it entirely though I was initially interested only in "The Calling". But I was a bit disappointed as I found "The Calling" too esoteric for my liking. Nevertheless, I was eager to read more about Garak. So I bought and read "Enigma Tales" by Una McCormack, and it is AWESOME! Very well written. I like her writting style.

I am aware that I am not reading in the proper order, but I then decided I wanted more from Una McCormack, so I read "The Fall: Crimson shadow". But I decided to read The Fall in order, so I read Revelation and Dust before. I liked "Revelation and Dust" much much less than Enigma Tales. The writer style is quite heavy, especially when it comes to describing female characters. But it was OK. "Crimson shadow" was AWESOME. I found the description of the transition towards democracy on Cardassia, and the challenge with the facist old guard trying to take back control by various demagogical means very well written. And with a lot of references to real world issues: Starfleet leaving Cardassia somewhat reminiscent of western forces leaving occupied countries in the middle east, the fascist rethoric of Cardassia First reminiscent of some policians IRL. This is SF like I like it: the reader escapes into the Star Trek world, and at the same time is invited to reflect on IRL issues (a bit like Persian letters).

I was less impressed by the rest of the mini-series. The shenanigans on Andor were ok and I finally longed for the characters. But the conspiracy inside the Federation with the moustache-twirling villains that are Velk and Ishan made little sense to me. How could it be that the Federation which has existed for so long has so little counter-powers? How could an unelected person (president pro tempore) be allowed to wield that much power and make decisions without democratic oversight? Why do so many Starfleet personnels obey direct orders if this is illegal to do so? Why not telling him that he isn't authorized to issue them direct orders if that is so?

The shenanigans made sense on Cardassia which was a military dictatorship for at least a century. It made sorta sense on Andor because of what they endured in their recent past and the dangers for their survival (though it was already far fetched that people would be so uninformed after 200 years in the Federation). To top it up, the last book (poisoned chalice) is much too predictable. You know the answer basically after the first few pages, and the story is just lagging. It almost felt like the author is just trying to fill pages (though I was still willing to keep reading until the end). There is also (I don't remember in which books in the mini series) all this discussion about Kira in the wormhole and things she experience there, but it is an unused Chekov gun. There are chapters about her, and then nothing.

So my question is: what to read next? What are good series worth reading? Are there more featuring Garak? Is there a book with Kira coming back from the Wormhole? Do we get to see Crusher under Captain Ro on DS9?

As I stated in introduction, I haven't been able to keep up with the new shows, and I don't want to get spoilt. So, I'd rather not go with books taking place after the events of PIC until I have had to opportunity to watch the shows (unless they don't spoil anyway).

Any advice?

• Captain Sokel and the VCF Sh’vhal were both introduced in “wej Duj” the same episode in which we first saw T’Lyn.

     • This is the first time the prefix VCF has been applied to a ship. Presumably it is Vulcan specific.

• The Betazoid diplomats the USS Cerritos is ferrying spent three weeks on Angel I, a planet with a matriarchal society introduced in the episode Angel One.

     • The diplomats’ whalebones have labels that read ”Angel 1” in front of a flower-like emblem that was seen on the surface of Angel I.

     • When the USS Enterprise D visited Angel I in “Angel One”, Data described their technological development as being similar to that of mid-20th century Earth. It’s never explicitly stated that they’re pre-warp, though. The Federation considered it important to maintain excellent diplomatic relations with the planet.

• The Cerritos is taking the diplomats to Risa, a ”pleasure planet” first introduced in “Captain’s Holiday”. It’s a popular destination for Starfleet officers engaging in sex tourism.

• We learn that ancient Catians used to hunt ancient Betazoids for food.

• Katrot has a cap that reads, *”It’s Romulan ale o’clock somewhere,” which she purchased from a woman on Angel I. Romulan ale was introduced in “Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan”, and is illegal in the Federation. Of course, Angel I is not a Federation world, and it is very close to the Romulan neutral zone.

• In her personal correspondence to Sokel, T’Lyn makes note of her ”chaotic tendencies” and ”punishment,” both of which were plot points in “wej Duj”; Sokel recommended T’Lyn be reassigned to a Starfleet due to her inability to control her emotions.

• ”I know you don’t drink, but there’s going to be a chocolate fountain if you want to get wild.” It has become a bit of fan canon that Vulcans become intoxicated consuming chocolate, though it’s not actually supported by anything we’ve seen on screen.

     • Vulcans do drink, however, despite Spock’s claim that they don’t experience the ”dubious benefits” of alcohol. Spock drinks in “The Enterprise Incident”, “Requiem for Methuselah”, and “The Broken Circle”. Sakonna drinks Bajoran spring wine and we learn that there’s a Vulcan port in “The Maquis, Part I”, which is where people think Quark offers Sakonna chocolate, but does not actually happen in the episode. Tuvok and Chakotay share some Vulcan brandy in “Repression”. And, of course, the Vulcans who made official first contact with Earth drank with Zefram Cochrane in “Star Trek: First Contact”.

• T’Lyn has a painting on her wall depicting a large statue carrying a lirpa. The painting is based on a matte painting of Vulcan made for “Star Trek: The Motion Picture”.

• Boimler is quizzing himself on the names of everyone aboard the Cerritos, and we find out the blue woman with barbels is named Sleepy Merp, making her the third named Merp on the ship, along with Big Merp and adjectiveless Merp, and I have several questions.

     • Boimler does say he’s trying to remember ”every single crew member’s name,” but one of the people in his quiz is Honus the bartender.

• ”This crew is always weird and yelling.” T’Lyn has summed out three and a half seasons of “Star Trek: Lower Decks” in a single sentence.

• Boimler asks Shaxs if he’s going to learn tsunkatse, a popular bloodsport on the planet Norcadia Prime in the Delta Quadrant that Seven of Nine was press ganged into participating in, in the episode “Tusnkatse”.

• The Bear Pack engages in activities related other security officers in or related to Starfleet.

     • Haubold shares her slam poetry about Worf, who became chief of security aboard the Enterprise D after Yar’s death in “Skin of Evil”.

     • Kayshon uses charades to depict constable Odo, the security chief on Deep Space 9, introduced in “Emissary”.

• T’Lyn proposes that Zanthi fever could be affected the Betazoids, which would then cause the crew’s increased emotional instability. In “Fascination” Lawaxana Troi’s Zanthi fever affected several of the people aboard Deep Space 9.

• This is the first time we’ve learned ensign Haubold’s name, despite her being a background character since the series premiere, “Second Contact”.

• Shaxs’ ritual box is not the same as the containers holding the Tears of the Prophets, but it shares many of the same elements.

• Shaxs’ puzzle depicts captain Malcolm Reed and the NX-01 Enterprise.

• Shaxs’ Bajoran tarot deck has art based on the Rider-Waite deck, and features several Bajor specific cards:

     • Celestial Temple i.e. Bajoran Wormhole

     • Orbs - This card is based on the Ten of Pentacles and depicts ten orbs; originally it was believed there were only nine Tears of the Prophets, but Captain Sisko discovered the Orb of the Emissary in "Shadows and Symbols"; because not all the orbs have been named on screen, with books, comics, and video games we have names for 16 different orbs.

     • Invasion - A Bajoran in a field with a sword, facing down what I believe we can assume to be a Cardassian based on the legs and boots.

     • Derna - Bajor’s fourth moon, seen in “Image in the Sand”

     • The Emissary - The cars is based on The Magician; we see Sisko wearing what appears to be the a hat Winn Adami wore as a vedek, and robes similar to those of Kai Opaka except in white and red.

     • Borhya - In “The Next Phase” Ro tells Geordi of the Bajoran spirits of the dead.

• The Betazoid delegates turn out to have been officers of the Betazed Intelligence Agency the whole time.

• The starmap depicting the Cerritos’ proximity to the Neutral Zone also show Romulus, and, notably, the planet Cheron, which was seen in “Let That Be Your Last Battlefield” and was the homeworld of Bele and Lokai.

     • The map is a recreation of the one seen in “Balance of Terror”.

• T’Lyn is actually the cause of the emotional outbursts aboard the Cerritos, and she notes that Vulcans can suffer similar afflictions to Zanthi fever such as Bendii syndrome, the same condition which affected Sarek in “Sarek”.

     • T’Lyn states that Bendii syndrome ”is mostly observed in the elderly,” and lets Mariner know she is only 62 years old. Sarek was 201 when he became afflicted.

• We learn that Boimler was aboard the Cerritos when he turned 25.

• T’Lyn’s running with ridged arms bent at 90° may have been inspired by Spock’s running in “Star Trek: Into Darkness”.

• “Phasers? Big phasers?” In “Where Pleasant Fountains Lie” when Mariner asked Boimler how the type-3 phaser differed from others, his response was, “They take two hands.” • Big Merp is playing the titular game from “The Game”.

• Steve Stevens and another person are wearing anbo-jyutsu gear introduced in “The Icarus Factor”. According to Kyle Riker, anbo-jyutsu is ”the ultimate evolution of the martial arts.”

• Dolorex gives Cap’n Freeman a Betazoid PADD with an image of the Mysterious Threat on it. The PADD has the emblem previously seen on the Betazoid flag in “The Star Gazer” on it.

• ”Maybe all three of us could go to the pottery shop and throw some clay?” We learned the Cerritos has a pottery room in “wej Duj”.

I've always wanted to use the world behold.

The video I posted is the extended version. If you'd like to watch the 31 minute edited version, the link is here!

Many fediverse fans are exasperated that Paramount has (once again) missed the opportunity to take our money with official tie-in merchandise and left us to our own creations, or non-licensed creators.

While it says a lot that fans on a nonmonetizing platform are literally demanding that Paramount get its profit-taking act together, all this Moopsy fan-entitlement is currently being redirected into crafting energy.

So MakeYourOwnMoopsyMonth it is.

First out of the gate is a charming ceramic Moopsy demonstrating appropriate predatory behaviour on a blue crochet duck. Enjoy.

Simon & Schuster had a larger than usual array of ebook deals for September 2023.

October 1st is the last day for this group, a new set (likely fewer books) will come on line Sunday the 2nd.

If you haven’t given Treklit a try, these ebook deals are a great low cost way to get into it.

Hey there,

I think it's kind of sad that there isn't much talk on here about the super cool novel-verse that Trek has, let alone the fan fiction community!

Maybe this could be a starter thread for people recommending their favorite licensed or unlicensed works of Trek fiction, together with like a sentence to sell people on it! There's so many points of the Star Trek universe that only novels, comics or even fan fiction explore, and as someone who loves writing plausible fiction about underexplored areas of the universe (like ancient Bajoran history or the day-to-day of an Earth citizen) I wish more people would engage with it.

GO

The title is a play on the term “pathological fallacy”, where traits seen in one person or group are extrapolated to be part of the entire population that person belongs to.

Captain Sokel of the VCS (“Vulcan Command Ship”?) Sh’val was last seen in LD: “wej Duj” as T’Lyn’s commanding officer, who recommended that she be reassigned to Starfleet.

Angel I is the titular planet in TNG: “Angel One”, which is ruled by women. It was visited by the Enterprise-D in 2364. Risa, of course, is a resort planet that has featured or been mentioned in almost every post-TNG series.

Katrot says she loves the Starfleet carpeting. In PIC: “Võx”, Picard says he misses the Enterprise-D’s carpeting. The other Betazoid diplomats are Cathiw (who makes a pass at Ransom and Freeman) and Dolorex.

“Anything glowing and green” might refer to Aldebaran Whiskey, which matches the description (TNG: “Relics”).

Romulan ale was illegal in Kirk’s time (ST II, ST VI), became legal during the Dominion War when the Romulans allied with the Federation (DS9: “Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges”), but then apparently became illegal again after (Nemesis). Then again, Romulan Ale was part of a consignment of Alpha Quadrant gifts to be handed to the Karemma (LD: “Hear All, Trust Nothing”), and in PIC: “Disengage” it’s implied to be contraband, so who knows?

The names Boimler are trying to memorize include Jet Manhaver (LD: “Cupid’s Errant Arrow”), the second coolest person on the Cerritos, Hans Federov (named in LD: “Room for Growth” and “The Stars at Night”) a.k.a. Towel Guy and the ship gossip, Honus (LD: “Mugato, Gumato”) the bartender, Kayshon (LD: “Kayshon, His Eyes Open”) the Tamarian security chief, Taylor (named in LD: “In the Cradle of Vexilon”) the Kzinti ensign, Merp (named in LD: “I, Excretus”), Big Merp (“In the Cradle of Vexilon”) and Sleepy Merp.

Tsunkatse is a mixed martial art arena fight (VOY: “Tsunkatse”). Boims thinks he’s being initiated into a fight club - well, there’s slamming of a sort anyway.

Worf, son of Mogh, grew up on the farm colony of Gault (TNG: “Heart of Glory”), raised by his human adoptive parents, the Rozhenkos. The security officer reciting the poem is named Haubold.

Lwaxana Troi, while suffering from Zanthi Fever, empathically broadcast her feelings of affection for Odo, making a number of the crew act amorously (DS9: “Fascination”). Betazoids are telepathic among themselves, but can teach others to hear their thoughts, too, as Troi apparently did to Riker (TNG: “Encounter at Farpoint”), although this was kind of dropped after the pilot.

Alterian flaking may come from the same planet as the Alterian chowder that Sisko attempted to order in Quark’s (DS9: “Armageddon Game”).

The jigsaw puzzle (Starfleet Security Series, 1000 pieces) has a picture of the NX-01 Enterprise and Malcolm Reed on its cover.

The map of the Romulan Neutral Zone, like most maps in the post-DIS era, is based heavily on Geoffrey Mandel’s Star Charts. The Cerritos is in the vicinity of the planet Syrma, or Iota Virginis (in a starchart in PIC: “Disengage”). The planets marked on the map are Romulus and Romii (TOS: “Balance of Terror”) and Cheron.

It’s unclear whether this is the same Cheron as that in TOS: “Let There Be Your Last Battlefield”, and beta canon sources are contradictory on this point. Cheron is stated to be the site of a humiliating defeat for the Romulans (TNG: “The Defector”) and in ENT: “In a Mirror Darkly”, the USS Defiant database identifies the Battle of Cheron as the one that ended the Earth-Romulan War.

Sarek suffered from Bendii Syndrome, which caused him to lose control of his emotions and also affect people around him (TNG: “Sarek”) and he eventually died from it (TNG: “Unification”).

T’Lyn is 62 years old. In comparison, T’Pol was 63 when she joined the NX-01 in 2151.

The (apparently Bajoran) Tarot cards show the Emissary, Derna (the fourth moon of Bajor, DS9: “Image in the Sand”), the Borhya (a Bajoran word for ghost, TNG: “The Next Phase”), Invasion, the Celestial Temple and the Ten of Orbs (Nine orbs were said to have appeared over the centuries in DS9: “Emissary”, with a tenth orb recovered in DS9: “Shadows and Symbols”).

Shax says the Invasion card is more of a rebirth, rather like the traditional Earth tarot card Death, which is associated with transformation and also rebirth. Then again Boimler says all the cards are about rebirth.

Tendi’s admittedly heightened desire to make T’Lyn be her friend harkens back to LD: “Moist Vessel”, where she admits that it kills her if someone doesn’t like her. As Tendi hugs T’Lyn, we see Big Merp at the back using the Game headset (from TNG: “The Game”).

When Mariner says that Sarek was “Vulcan as a motherfucker”, both her hands are in the Vulcan salute. She showed a similar two-handed salute to Freeman, described as a “sarcastic Vulcan salute” in “Moist Vessel”. Interestingly enough, the Vulcan salute was invented by Leonard Nimoy based on the Jewish Priestly Blessing, which also uses both hands.

It’s always struck me as strange that while technically nobody on either side is supposed to enter the Neutral Zone, the Romulans routinely seem to lurk inside the Zone just outside of the Federation border of it. While startrek.com claims the Zone is only one light-year wide, that’s still a lot of room compared to what is usually depicted.

As someone on their first watch through (aside from the recent movies).

My god, that was a good episode. Great depiction of a space battle. Excited I finally decided to take the plunge.

Written by: Jamie Loftus

Directed by: Megan Lloyd