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Delta Quadrant

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Locator logo insignia showing the galaxy 's Delta Quadrant .

The Delta Quadrant is one of the four quadrants of the Milky Way Galaxy , and is home to many alien races and cultures , most notably the Borg Collective . ( TNG episode : " The Price "; DS9 episode : " Q-Less ", Star Trek: Voyager )

• 1.2 History
• 1.3 Kelvin timeline
• 1.4 Scientific phenomena
• 1.5 Sectors
• 1.6 Stars and systems
• 1.7 Planets and planetoids
• 1.8 Races and cultures
• 2.1 Connections
• 2.2 References
• 2.3 External links

History and specifics [ ]

Star map of the Delta Quadrant.

The members of the Confederacy of the Worlds of the First Quadrant refer to the quadrant as the First Quadrant . ( VOY novel : Acts of Contrition )

The Delta Quadrant comprises one quarter of the galaxy , with major extensions of several spiral arms making up its environs, including major portions of the 3 KPC , Norma and Crux Arms , as well as trailing sections of the Carina and Orion Arms and a small portion of the base of the Sagittarius Arm . ( ST reference : Star Charts )

History [ ]

The Delta Quadrant represented an incredibly remote frontier to the Federation and other Alpha Quadrant races and cultures in the 23rd and 24th centuries . The romance of this concept led to a bar named after the Delta Quadrant in an alternate reality of the 2250s . ( TOS - Starfleet Academy novel : The Delta Anomaly )

The first known Humans to explore the Delta Quadrant was the Hansen family in 2354 , when they followed a Borg cube through a transwarp conduit . Unfortunately, Magnus and Erin Hansen could not bring back any data on the unexplored region, as they were assimilated in 2356 . ( VOY episode : " The Raven ")

An expedition to explore the far side of the Barzan wormhole led a shuttlecraft commanded by Lieutenant Commanders Data and Geordi La Forge to the Delta Quadrant. However, the wormhole was expected to lead to the Gamma Quadrant and was found to be unstable. The two officers managed to return safely. ( TNG episode : " The Price "; VOY episode : " False Profits ")

In 2369 , Q offered to take Vash to the Delta Quadrant if she continued her adventures with him. Vash declined the offer. ( DS9 episode : " Q-Less ")

In 2371 , the Federation starship USS Equinox was catapulted to the Delta Quadrant by the Caretaker , a representative of the Nacene . Later that year, the Caretaker pulled the USS Voyager into the distant region. After becoming stranded, Voyager spent seven years travelling through the quadrant, before returning to the Earth in 2377 . ( VOY episode & novelization : Caretaker , VOY novelization : Equinox , VOY episode : " Endgame ")

Due to limited expeditions into the distant quadrant, the Federation knew very little about it until 2374 , when Voyager made contact with Starfleet . Since Voyager 's return, the Federation's knowledge of the Delta Quadrant has increased considerably. ( VOY episode : " Message in a Bottle "; VOY episode & novelization : Endgame )

Voyager was fitted with a quantum slipstream drive and assigned to Project Full Circle , a Starfleet expeditionary force sent to explore the Delta Quadrant. ( VOY novel : Full Circle )

In 2568 , when Prefect Tamar of the Kelvan Armada arrived in the Milky Way Galaxy to check on Rojan 's advanced team, he expected them to have seized control of the most of the galaxy, and be advancing into the Delta Quadrant after 300 years. ( TOS - Strange New Worlds 9 short story : " Gone Native ")

Kelvin timeline [ ]

In 2262 of the Kelvin timeline , the USS Enterprise under Captain James T. Kirk became stranded in the Delta Quadrant for a month. There, they encountered Eurydice of Hexel VII . She then brought the Enterprise to the Dark Market , where she gave them to the Market's Syndicate in exchange for her daughter. However, Kirk was able to escape and the Enterprise was able to return to the far edges of the Alpha Quadrant . ( TOS - Eurydice comics : " Part 1 ", " Part 2 ", " Part 3 ")

Scientific phenomena [ ]

The Delta Quadrant houses a sector of space devoid of star systems for at least 2,500 light-years . The crew of the USS Voyager nicknamed this area of space the Void . As the ship journeyed through, they encountered a species native to the area known only to the Voyager crew as the Night Alien . ( VOY episode : " Night ")

Underspace was a vast network of subspace corridors which allowed traveling up to two-hundred light years possible within five minutes. It was said the corridor likely spread the entire Delta Quadrant. A ship could only access Underspace if the ship passing through had its warp field modulated at the correct frequency to interact with the corridor. ( VOY episode : " Dragon's Teeth ")

Kelemane 's planet was a planet in the Delta Quadrant which contained a tachyon core, which generated a subspace particle field . Due to the generation of the particle field, the planet rotated 58 times a minute, translating to a day occurring every 1.03 seconds outside of the field. On the surface of the planet, the native species was unaware of these circumstances. ( VOY episode : " Blink of an Eye ")

Sectors [ ]

Stars and systems [ ], planets and planetoids [ ], races and cultures [ ], appendices [ ], connections [ ], references [ ].

• TNG episode : " The Price "
• VOY episode : " Caretaker ", etc.
• PIC novel : Firewall

External links [ ]

• Delta Quadrant article at Memory Alpha , the wiki for canon Star Trek .
• Delta Quadrant article at STO Wiki , the FANDOM wiki for Star Trek Online .
• Delta Quadrant article at Star Trek Expanded Universe wiki , the wiki for fan-authored Star Trek .
• 1 Ferengi Rules of Acquisition
• 2 The Chase
• 3 ISS Enterprise (NCC-1701)

Den of Geek

Star Trek Just Addressed One of Deep Space Nine’s Biggest Unanswered Questions

The Star Trek: Discovery episode "Mirrors" includes a HUGE reveal about the Breen, an odd alien species from Deep Space Nine.

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This Star Trek: Discovery article contains spoilers.

“I wonder what the Breen look like under those helmets?” asks Ezri Dax in the Deep Space Nine season seven episode “‘Till Death Do Us Part.” That’s a strange question, given that Ezri and Worf had been captured by the Breen and interrogated for some time. But despite their close and uncomfortable contact with the hostile alien species, neither hostage learned much about them.

“They say no one has ever seen one and lived to speak of it,” Worf answers.

Ezri continues in her usual lighthearted manner. “Maybe they’re all furry. It’s supposed to be very cold on Breen.”

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“One thing is certain.”

“They’re horrible cooks?”

“They are dangerous,” responds Worf, with even greater gravity than the Klingon usually assumes. “They do not tolerate incursions into their space. During the Second Empire, Chancellor Mow’ga sent a fleet of Klingon ships to conquer their homeworld, and they were never heard from again.”

Until today, that bit of dialogue encapsulated everything that Trekkies knew about the Breen. First mentioned in The Next Generation, the Breen appeared most prominently in the final season of Deep Space Nine , in which the Breen presented a threat that undid whatever gains the Federation had made in the Dominion War.

When the Dominion first entered the Alpha Quadrant through a wormhole from the Gamma Quadrant, they threatened to immediately overwhelm the Federation. As a result, the Federation had to align with longtime antagonists the Klingon Empire and the Romulan Star Empire. That confederation was more than a match for the Dominion/Cardassian alliance, but then the Dominion upped its hand by enlisting the terrifying Breen. It would take a miracle for the Alpha Quadrant forces to win. Fortunately, the Federation had a miracle on its side in the form of the Prophets (and the morally flexible Section 31 ) and won the war.

The Breen rarely appeared after Deep Space Nine concluded, and it’s easy to see why. They felt like they came from another universe, even moreso than the alien oddities that often appeared on Star Trek . With their monocular helmets and gravelly, indistinguishable voices, they felt like something out of Star Wars — specifically, they felt like riffs on Princess Leia’s bounty hunter disguise at the start of Return of the Jedi . Although they get a couple of nods in Voyager and, of course, Lower Decks , the Breen were largely relegated to a handful of non-canon novels.

That is, until the Star Trek: Discovery season five episode “ Mirrors .” In that episode, we finally learn that L’ak, a courier who has been chasing past Discovery in a search for Progenitor tech with his partner Moll, is a Breen who doesn’t wear helmet that hides his face, showing us for the first time what the species actually looks like under the armor. That’s a surprise because L’ak appeared to be just a regular green-skinned alien, a little lizard-esque in appearance, almost like a Reptilian Xindi from Enterprise .

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In fact, “Mirrors” does a lot more than just show us the face of the Breen. We also learn more about their culture, getting a sense of why they refuse to use a Universal Translator in conversation with other races and of their political system. In a move that recalls another Star Wars property, The Mandalorian , the Breen consider their helmets their true faces, and in fact have a transparent look when they remove that helmet.

But as L’ak makes clear, the Breen have the capacity to change, something hinted by the warmth and softness performer Elias Toufexis brings to his imposing character. Not only has L’ak made his skin non-translucent, but he’s adopted Federation Standard (aka English) and moved beyond his hierarchical culture.

Those changes are a good thing, because the Breen have always created problems for Star Trek canon. As many fans have noted, although Worf insisted that no one had seen the Breen under their costumes, Kira and others stole Breen uniforms to move behind enemy lines at one point on the series. They must have gotten a glimpse of the Breen then, right?

For Ronald D. Moore , one of the key creatives during the ’90s Star Trek era, that’s not necessarily the case. “There’s nothing in those helmets. I don’t think there’s a guy in there, which is something we never got around to saying,” Moore said in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion . “Or maybe there’s a little slug, some tiny little creature in there. I never wanted them to be humanoid in any way.”

“Mirrors” goes against Moore’s wishes then, but that shouldn’t be too much of a surprise. Discovery started its life by radically altering the Klingons. Looks like it will be ending its life by radically altering the Breen. But this time, it’s for the better.

Star Trek: Discovery is streaming now on Paramount+.

Joe George | @jageorgeii

Joe George’s writing has appeared at Slate, Polygon, Tor.com, and elsewhere!

Continuing Mission

A Fan Site for the Star Trek Adventures RPG by Modiphius

Delta Quadrant Review, Part 1

Well, we’ve come full circle. What started with the Beta Quadrant and Alpha Quadrant , then continued more recently with the Gamma Quadrant . Now we’re at the final slice of the Milky Way Galaxy, the Delta Quadrant Sourcebook and what a finish. Folks, if you like Voyager and/or Borg then you are in for a treat. If you just want new ideas, fresh stats, and innovative mechanics then read on as well. Come for a ride and see just how far this thing goes.

This post originally appeared on my site Mephit James’ Blog .

The introduction to this book lays out the goal of the Delta Quadrant Sourcebook succinctly. “This supplement covers everything you’ll need to play a game of Star Trek Adventures in the far-flung reaches of the Delta Quadrant.” Full stop. Sure you can bring those elements back to Federation space or you can have one-off encounters with the Hirogen or Vaadwaur, but primarily this is a book for campaigns set in the Delta Quadrant.

As with the Alpha Quadrant Sourcebook and the Gamma Quadrant Sourcebook , this book outlines new areas and options for Star Trek Adventures and it also advances the timeline of the game. The core rulebook started with a default year of 2371, around the events of Star Trek Generations and just before the start of Star Trek: Voyager . The Alpha Quadrant book moved that to 2372, the time just before the Dominion War started when the Federation and Klingons were clashing. The Gamma Quadrant book moved it even farther to 2374 when the Dominion War was at its peak, at the most desperate moments of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine . This supplement advances things further yet to the 2379 (nearly a decade after the core book) which puts it after the series run of Voyager and also after Star Trek: Nemesis (the latest point in the canon timeline until Star Trek: Picard ).

All of this is to say that the elements in this book require a pretty advanced time period for your game. For many, this isn’t going to be a problem. All of the games that I’ve played in have been set after the 2370s anyways and a good proportion of players are in the Star Trek Online era. However, a large fraction of home games likely follow the events of the Living Campaign and are already underway using the default year of the core rulebook. As such, the main focus in this book is a Starfleet vessel somehow ending up in the Delta Quadrant like Voyager was contending with the same sort of issues as on that series. Not a bad focus but one to keep in mind.

The Delta Quadrant

After the Introduction chapter comes the largest chapter in the book, an overview of political forces and major regions of the Delta Quadrant. This could otherwise be known as “a summary of Voyager antagonists” but as with the Tzenkethi in the Alpha Quadrant and the Dominion in the Gamma Quadrant, there ar a lot of blank spots filled in with this sourcebook. I particularly like the tone of this chapter which is written as a briefing for Starfleet captains on the political situation in the Delta Quadrant, a fun way to hide plot hooks.

First up in this alphabetical line-up is the Devore Imperium , a xenophobic militocracy that particularly hates telepaths, which was seen in Voyager ’s sixth season. Next comes the Haakonian Order , the force that devastated Neelix’s people, and the hidden Hierarchy , who watch from afar and unfortunately get no real species name here. There are, of course, the Hirogens who hunt anything they find, and the Kazon , who form sects around strongman dictators, together probably Star Trek: Voyager ’s most memorable villains. The Krenim Imperium (a would-be temporal power) and Malon Cooperative (awash in their own radioactive waste) were both an “oh yeah them” moment for me, while Species-8472 needs little introduction (but gets a full, dense page).

The Srivani , a medically-focused species with phase variance cloaking technology, I have no memory of but really want to go back and watch now, likewise with the xenophobic and mysterious Swarm . Everyone knows the Talaxians thanks to Voyager ’s Mr. Neelix, and the resurrected Vaadwaur Imperium will be familiar to Voyager fans and players of Star Trek Online alike. I still can’t think of the diseased Vidiian Sodality without shuddering and the Voth have always been appealing due to my well-established love of dinosaurs.

With all of this in mind, it’s worth jumping back to the Introduction chapter again to point out that there’s a “Yesterday’s Enterprise” sidebar (one of my favorite features of this game) which gives you ideas for using the Delta Quadrant in earlier eras. This page offers a brief overview of Delta Quadrant history, starting with the migration of the Voth before the Star Trek: Enterprise era, through the enslavement of the Kazon by the Trabe during the events of Enterprise , and then a few lost missions to the Delta Quadrant during the original series. All of this can provide fodder for GMs in earlier era wanting to pepper this book’s material into their campaigns.

The chapter continues with some stellar and spatial phenomena encountered by the U.S.S. Voyager on its journey: graviton ellipses , trimetric fractures , chaotic space , the Nekrit Expanse , the Vaadwaur’s Underspace , Omega Molecules , subspace voids , and (of course) fluidic space . There’s also a brief survey of Delta Quadrant worlds (each getting about a quarter of a page) with Avery III , the Demon Planet where the silver bloods live, Banea , Drayan II , Enara Prime , the “ Weird Planet Diplaced in Time ,” Hemikek IV , that planet where they found Amelia Earhart in that one episode , Malon Prime, the Monean Waters , Ocampa V , the planet fought over by the Kradin and Vori , Quarra , Sikaris III (the most tragic of Easter eggs now), Takar II , Talax , Taresia , Uxal VI (home to radiation sickness thanks to an ancient Earth probe), and Vaadwaur Prime.

Let’s stop beating around the bush here. There are many different threats in the Delta Quadrant but the biggest one is the Borg. As the book puts it, “the single greatest threat the Federation has ever encountered, the Borg are a relentless foe which has existed for thousands of years. While its origins remain a mystery, the Collective has established one of the largest territories within the Galaxy.” I’d go farther to say that they have the largest territory in Star Trek canon: much larger than the Federation or even the Dominion. They are a blackened cancer on the galaxy and they are growing.

The Borg represent one of the easiest ways to bring Delta Quadrant elements to your Star Trek Adventures game in the Alpha and Beta Quadrants. The twenty-five page section on the Borg Collective is part of the second chapter along with the parts discussed above, but since it’s so very large and the Borg are so very important to the Star Trek narrative we’re going to give it more attention too.

Of course, the Borg are already discussed in the core rulebook so what new stuff is offered here? Well, there’s three pages of material that details the design and function of the Collective to detail the Borg a little more (as Star Trek: Voyager did), plus five sidebars with messages from various groups on their encounters with the Borg (from Starfleet, the Romulan Star Empire, the Cardassian Central Command, the Obsidian Order, and a Talaxian trader). There’s a section on “Resisting a Force of Nature” (i.e. how to combat the Borg), another on their ships and technology, a full-page after action report on the tragic Battle of Wolf 359 , some perspective on life in the Collective and the types of drones that make it up, and a short section on life as a disconnected or “liberated” Borg drone.

The next subsection covers Borg worlds. They are famous for their transwarp hubs and floating Unimatrix constructs but they also build on worlds that provide valuable resources and solid ground to set up their facilities. As an avid player of Star Trek Ascendancy the idea of Borg worlds fill me with dread, but this is some awesome information that can provide roleplaying opportunities. Terrestrial worlds, gaseous planets, Class-Y “demon” planets, and asteroid habitats are all detailed with Traits and mechanics (some of which could be used for non-Borg situations) and then those massive Unicomplex structures get the same treatment. If you can only think of encounters with the Borg as cubes attacking and boarding starships, read through this section and you might never think of that type of encounter again.

Species of the Delta Quadrant

So far we’ve gotten a lot of setting information on the Delta Quadrants, but starting with this chapter we start to get the crunch. Obviously, Delta Quadrant species have the same sort of problem as Gamma Quadrant species when it comes to a campaign based on a Starfleet crew. It’s easy to see how these could become new NPCs for your campaign but as PCs they would be unique members of Starfleet to say the least. Without something like the Bajoran wormhole, though, such a character would likely need to be carried by Voyager and if that happened then why didn’t we see it? Instead, maybe they were flung into the Alpha Quadrant by a Caretaker or wandered through a semi-stable Barzan wormhole . They might also be recovered Borg, which we’ll get to in a bit.

First off we have the resource Ankari and their alternative FTL technology, the organized Jye administrators, the Lokirrim who are master holographers (but in a war against “photonic insurgents”), the empathic and intrusive Mari , the aquatic and nomadic Moneans , the physically imposing Pendari , the peaceful and storytelling Sikarians , the familiar and endearing Talaxians , the possessive Turei who use the Underspace tunnels of the Vaadwaur, and the welcoming Zahl .

Liberated Borg, like Seven-of-Nine or Hugh (in his Star Trek: Picard version), are a really amazing option that could easily spiral out with GMs who aren’t careful. Like a hybrid character you have the Liberated Borg Trait and also the Trait of another species, the one you were born as. There are only two Talents for this species but one of them expands into a ton of options. Borg Neural Interface allows them to work more easily with computers and Borg Implants allows them to choose 1-3 implants from a sidebar. It’s up to the player how many they gain, but each implant adds +1 to the Difficulty of Medicine checks to treat the character and to the Complication range of social interaction Tasks. For some players this is too high a price but for others the opportunity to have a cybernetic arm built for engineering, stronger stamina, Resistance from exo-plating, or even adaptive shielding… Well every roleplayer is familiar with the idea of a “dump stat” so it’s not impossible to imagine going all out with a blunt, scarred character who has amazing implants. The built-in drawbacks are already a way to balance that but GMs should also be prepared to play up the Borg Trait and other complexities from their cybernetic existence.

We saw the stats for Liberated Borg in the Voyager Player Characters and that was also the introduction of the Ocampa stats. These, though, were the only part of those Player Characters that I disliked because the psionic abilities of Kes were just off the charts, and not in a good way. I don’t mind powerful abilities but they were also not very well defined. In the Delta Quadrant Supplement , though, we get unevolved Ocampa. This is fine but I’m still hoping for some fixed abilities for the sort of psionic powerhouse that Kes eventually became. Maybe I’ll have to write them myself.Lastly, several species from Star Trek: Voyager work simply as Traits added to existing species. The Silverblood clones from a demon planet and the resurrected members of the Kobali that were once part of other species. Disconnected Borg is an interesting/terrifying option to have characters be just straight-up Borgs using stats from the core rulebook (or this sourcebook) and being cut off from the Collective. This would be Hugh from The Next Generation or Seven when she first joined the Voyager crew. I think this is really only a good option for NPCs but some GMs might like having players who are the most powerful characters in every single scene. You do you, I guess.

Next Time…

Next time we’ll be looking at the starships and adversaries of the Delta Qudrant. Hopefully you see the huge potential of this book and so next time we’ll look at the vast playground it offers too. I’ll cut to the chase and say that my Tribble Rating for this book is 5/5. It’s totally anchored in canon , very accessible and full of Easter eggs, likeable to imagine all of your favorite Delta species in an RPG context, accessible in terms of show materials and readability, and (of course) high quality as we’re used to from Modiphius,

Recently I’ve been talking to folks about the different faces of Star Trek . The original series, The Next Generation , Deep Space Nine , and Discovery all show Starfleet up against opposing forces. The idealism of the Federation is contrasted with the paranoia of the Romulans or the bravado of the Klingons. Something like Voyager or Star Trek: Picard , though, is Starfleet when no one’s watching. As the U.S.S. Voyager headed home it could have cut corners, ignored directives, and done what it pleased. It didn’t, though, which was a central theme of the show throughout its run.

If you want a chance to tempt your players with dishonor and shortcuts, then join us next time for a wide open quadrant of just that.

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Excellent review, as always!

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Star Trek: Unexplained Anomalies In The Delta Quadrant

Star Trek's Dela Quadrant has a lot of strange things going on beneath the surface...

• Star Trek: Voyager explored various spatial anomalies, such as the Void, Quantum Singularities, Temporal Anomalies, Subspace Sinkholes, and Graviton Ellipses.
• These anomalies often presented challenges and dangers for the Voyager crew, but they also provided opportunities for cooperation and alliances with other species.
• The crew's ingenuity, resilience, and ability to work together were vital in navigating these anomalies and finding ways to escape and overcome them.

Throughout its almost sixty-year history, Star Trek has introduced numerous anomalies in space that led to some of the best episodes of television. This is especially true on the series Star Trek: Voyager where the Voyager crew along with members of the Maquis are taken to the Delta quadrant.

Star Trek Picard: 8 Ways Seven of Nine Has Changed Since Voyager

In a part of space that none of these officers or rebels have ever been, they had to band together to tackle these anomalies together. The series had a way of demonstrating the best of people when different species banded together to achieve a common goal.

This spatial anomaly trapped the Voyager in its crew in the episode aptly titled "The Void." The enclosed section of space was almost completely devoid of matter and energy. The only exceptions were ships that were pulled through the Void's funnels as they randomly opened in space.

The Voyager crew eventually escaped the Void with the help of some new allies and a mysterious species believed to be native to the Void. Voyager managed to escape the anomaly and help free other trapped ships in the process.

5 Quantum Singularities

While this is a broad phenomenon that has been covered multiple times in Star Trek and other science fiction franchises, a quantum singularity is essentially a black hole mixed with some other science fiction creation the writers need for the story. The Voyager crew encountered several quantum singularities during their time in the Delta Quadrant.

10 Best Episodes of Star Trek: Voyager

Quantum singularities created severe time distortions, and mirror images of the ship even caused the crew to get stuck while investigating it. One episode revealed the singularities helped power the Hirogen relay station . In another episode, "Species 8472," one of the most dangerous Star Trek alien races was found to live in a singularity that created interdimensional space portals.

4 Temporal Anomaly

In the episode titled "Shattered," the Voyager was split into thirty-seven different time periods due to an unnamed temporal anomaly. Throughout the episode, Chakotay can move between time periods because he was directly zapped by the anomaly. This also meant that different parts of his body were aging at different rates depending on what time period they were in.

Throughout the episode, he found the parts of the ship were often at some point in the series' past. The rest wound up existing in some type of alternate future depending on what decision would be made in the present. Eventually, Chakotay can get Captain Kathryn Janeway to help him resynchronize the ship.

3 Subspace Sinkholes

Tom Paris , Tuvok, and the Doctor get pulled into an enclosed pocket of subspace thanks to a subspace sinkhole in the episode entitled "Gravity." The shuttle wound up in an area with a star and several planets with their shuttle crashing onto one of those planets. Inside the subspace sinkhole, time advanced at an accelerated rate, meaning the crew experienced a month trapped on the planet for every day on Voyager.

The Voyager crew was able to use a multi-spatial probe as a transporter relay to save their stranded crewmates. This rescue was just in the nick of time as an alien vessel wound up closing the sinkhole not long after, crushing everything inside it.

2 Graviton Ellipses

Humanity first experienced a graviton ellipse in the year 2023 during a mission to Mars when a spacecraft crew was sucked into the ellipse. The Voyager crew found the spacecraft and its pilot, Lt. John Kelly, in the Delta Quadrant centuries later.

6 Underrated Star Trek: Voyager Episodes

The Voyager crew studied Kelly's logs and learned that he was able to survive for a while inside the ellipse and learned of the existence of aliens. He died knowing there was a reason to look to the stars. The Voyager crew gave Lt. Kelly a proper funeral as the anomaly disappeared again.

1 Chaotic Space

Chaotic space is a natural phenomenon in the galaxy in which we live. It's when random sections of space experience fluctuations in the laws of physics. But in Star Trek: Voyager , chaotic space led to the crew flying in a circle rather than in a straight line in their attempt to escape the Delta Quadrant. Meanwhile, gravity distortions damaged the Voyager's hull, giving them no way to escape the anomaly.

During the episode entitled "The Fight," Chakotay starts experiencing hallucinations while in a chaotic space. Eventually, the crew figured out the hallucinations were caused by aliens native to the chaotic space who were trying to help the crew by communicating with Chakotay. The crew eventually escaped thanks to the help from the aliens and a dormant gene in Chakotay that made him predisposed to hallucinations.

MORE: Star Trek: Unluckiest Characters

Delta Quadrant

Space, the final frontier. Vast, mysterious, full of surprises and adventures! 

After sensing his imminent demise, the Caretaker started looking for someone special to pick up the torch and continue looking after the Ocampa in the Delta Quadrant. He expanded his search and abducted dozens of starships from all across the Milky Way Galaxy, using his array to experiment with the ships' crews to determine whether they were compatible. Among the ships he abducted were a Maquis raider and USS Voyager.

The Delta Quadrant is a sprawling, unknown space ready for all Commanders to explore. It’s filled with new systems, missions, new - and old - enemies, and undiscovered Formation Armadas (Species 8472) that will test your strategic and coordination skills! 

This is just the beginning, as throughout the Voyager Arc, we will explore together the Delta Quadrant and face all its perils–and who knows, we may even meet some familiar friendly faces out there.

Location, location, location

The Delta Quadrant can be found at the top of the Galaxy map. During May, Commanders will be able to start exploring from two different entry points.

Border of the Alpha Quadrant  (Entry Level: 26+ ) 

Here, the Commanders and forces of the Alpha Quadrant have begun to delve further into Deep Space and have discovered the Delta Quadrant. It contains planetary missions, Formation Armadas (Species 8472), Lost (grabbed by the Caretaker from the Alpha Quadrant) and Hirogen Hostiles.

Depths of the Delta Quadrant (Entry Level: 34+)  

Commander will rendezvous with USS Voyager as it continues its journey home to the Alpha Quadrant. Core missions take place here, it also contains Lost (grabbed by the Caretaker from the Alpha Quadrant) and Hirogen Hostiles.

"You know as well as I do that fear only exists for one purpose... to be conquered."

The Delta Quadrant holds many secrets and dangers. As such, navigating successfully requires a certain level of expertise and experience. It is locked to ensure that only the most capable and daring explorers can enter this uncharted territory. However, with perseverance and skill, the secrets of the Delta Quadrant can be unlocked, and the mysteries of this fascinating region can be revealed. So prepare yourself for the challenges ahead and embark on a journey of discovery in the Delta Quadrant during the Voyager Arc!

Exploring the Delta Quadrant

As the Voyager arc progresses, Commanders will have the chance to explore new sections of the Delta Quadrant, opening up exciting possibilities for discovery and adventure. One of the most integral parts of the exploration is locating and completing missions. A crucial one is the “Commiseration” in the Eviloy system. This is the key to exploring the Delta Quadrant during the Voyager Arc. 

This region of space is home to many strange and wondrous alien species and dangerous threats. But there is still so much we need to learn about this area. So come aboard and join us on this journey of exploration and discovery in the Delta Quadrant!

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Star Trek: Discovery “Face the Strange” Review: Embarking on a Temporal Odyssey

Star Trek: Discovery “Jinaal” Review: One step forward, two steps back

Star Trek: Picard — Firewall Review: The Renaissance of Seven of Nine

From TNG to Enterprise, Star Trek VFX Maestro, Adam Howard, shares stories from his career

Strange New Worlds director Jordan Canning talks “Charades,” the versatility of the series & Star Trek fandom

‘Star Trek Online’ lead designer talks the game’s longevity, honoring the franchise, and seeing his work come to life in ‘Picard’

Gates McFadden talks Star Trek: Picard, reuniting with her TNG castmates, InvestiGates, and the Human Condition

Connor Trinneer and Dominic Keating talk ‘Enterprise’, their relationship with Star Trek in 2023 and their first live ‘Shuttlepod Show’

57-Year Mission set to beam 160+ Star Trek guests down to Las Vegas

John Billingsley discusses what he’d want in a fifth season of Enterprise, playing Phlox and this weekend’s Trek Talks 2 event

Veteran Star Trek director David Livingston looks back on his legendary career ahead of Trek Talks 2 event

ReedPop’s Star Trek: Mission Seattle convention has been cancelled

56-Year Mission Preview: More than 130 Star Trek guests set to beam down to Las Vegas convention

New photos + video preview from Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 Episode 5 “Mirrors”

2023: A banner year for Star Trek — here’s why [Op-Ed]

‘Making It So’ Review: Patrick Stewart’s journey from stage to starship

54-Disc Picard Legacy Collection, Star Trek: Picard Season 3, Complete Series Blu-ray box sets announced

Star Trek: Picard series finale “The Last Generation” Review: A perfect sendoff to an unforgettable crew

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds arrives on Blu-ray, 4K UHD and DVD this December

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds “Hegemony” Review: An underwhelming end to the series’ sophomore season

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2 finale “Hegemony” preview + new photos

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds 209 “Subspace Rhapsody” Review: All systems stable… but why are we singing?

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds “Subspace Rhapsody” preview + new photos

Star Trek Day 2021 to Celebrate 55th Anniversary of the Franchise on September 8 with Live Panels and Reveals

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[REVIEW] STAR TREK: SHORT TREKS “Children of Mars”: All Hands… Battle Stations

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Star Trek: Lower Decks “The Inner Fight” Review: Lost stars and hidden battles

New photos from this week’s episode of Star Trek: Lower Decks

Star Trek: Prodigy begins streaming December 25th on Netflix

Star Trek: Prodigy lands at Netflix, season 2 coming in 2024

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Star Trek: The Original Series “Harm’s Way” Book Review

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Review: Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 Episode 5 “Mirrors”

Star Trek: Discovery picks up immediately where “ Face the Strange ” left off, as our protagonists track their quarry’s ship to a hidden, interdimensional pocket of space that holds a few surprises for them and the audience.

Thanks to some sciencing from Paul Stamets ( Anthony Rapp ) and Sylvia Tilly ( Mary Wiseman ), Captain Michael Burnham ( Sonequa Martin-Green ) has a way to find where Moll ( Eve Harlow ) and L’ak ( Elias Toufexis ) are. Apparently, there’s a wormhole hiding in plain sight near where Discovery lost track of the criminals’ warp signature.

This wormhole is too small for a Crossfield- class ship to fit through, so Burnham and Cleveland Booker ( David Ajala ) – the latter of whom is on a mission to rehabilitate Moll, if possible – take a shuttle and see what’s on the other side of the wormhole’s aperture. Find a surprise, they do indeed, as the I.S.S. Enterprise , the evil version of the heroic Starfleet ship, is nestled in the wormhole – albeit without its crew, which apparently evacuated the vessel at some point. It’s beaten to hell and serves as a refuge for Moll and L’ak, whose own ship was destroyed by the interdimensional pocket of space’s destructive environment.

Discovery writers sure can be sneaky! They’ve been foreshadowing the appearance of a Constitution­ -class for the last two episodes; remember when Gen Rhys ( Patrick Kwok-Choon ) and Commander Rayner ( Callum Keith Rennie ) both remarked the Connie was their favorite ship? As we’ll see, this isn’t the last bit of foreshadowing that comes true in this episode.

“How did it end up in interdimensional space?” “I don’t know. Must be one hell of a story.” – Book and Burnham upon seeing the I.S.S. Enterprise

Astute viewers will recognize an often-used cost-saving measure in the annals of Star Trek history: the reuse of sets from another concurrent show. (Seriously, rewatch TNG , DS9 , and Voyager and you’ll be surprised how often props and sets are reused between those shows.) As Burnham and Book explore various halls and rooms, including the bridge and sickbay, the familiar surroundings seen in Strange New Worlds are subtly transformed by Mirror Universe iconography. While nods to the iconic starship Enterprise are always appreciated, our initial reaction to this surprise location—admittedly tinged with pessimism—is that it’s of course it’s the Enterprise . A practical move, perhaps, to keep expenses in check. By Grabthar’s hammer… what a savings.

Finding the ship deserted sure is strange, and Burnham and Book ascertain Moll and L’ak are in sickbay, presumably with the next clue in the Progenitor puzzle. But first, the pair check out the transporter room, which holds some strange items, such as blankets, children’s toys, and a locket that holds a picture of two people, which Burnham inexplicably decides to take with her. Moreover, the dedication plaque of the I.S.S Enterprise tells the story of the ship and its crew: the Terran Universe emperor seemingly tried to make changes to the way things were done in that evil universe, and the Enterprise escaped and picked up refugees who were trying to flee the Terran Universe and enter the Prime Universe.

One of the leaders among those on the Enterprise was a Kelpien, who Burnham deduces must have been the Mirror Universe version of Saru, and that the crew must have fled the Enterprise once it got stuck in the interdimensional pocket of space. Is it just us, or does this sound like a potential episode of Strange New Worlds ?

Burnham, Book, Moll, and L’ak face off in sickbay, where Burnham makes a startling connection between L’ak and a particular dilemma he is facing. The criminal pair hope to use the Progenitor treasure to clear L’ak’s Breen blood bounty. Yes, L’ak is Breen, that enigmatic and masked species from Deep Space Nine . Neato!

The rest of the episode bounces between what’s happening on the Enterprise , and flashing back to how Moll and L’ak first met and became romantically involved. Moll, the courier, would do business on the Breen space station on which L’ak, a member of a royal Breen family, was posted. The two connected over L’ak’s recent demotion and efforts to fight the embarrassment that came with it.

Over some time, the two became nearly inseparable, and L’ak even took the bold step with Moll by showing her his face – a big deal in Breen culture, as keeping their masks on allows them to retain their true, semi-transparent form, and not the solidified appearance we’ve seen on L’ak. Their relationship is tested when L’ak’s superior (and uncle), Primarch Ruhn ( Tony Nappo ) decides to interrupt their courtship. L’ak doesn’t take kindly to being asked to kill Moll, so the Breen turns on his own people, earns a Breen blood bounty, and flees with Moll. The pair now share a goal: earn enough latinum to retire on an (unnamed) fabled planet somewhere in the Gamma Quadrant, free from the trials and hardships of the courier life.

Suffice it to say, “Mirrors” is most memorable because it casts a welcome light on the shadowed backstory of this season’s main villains. Moll and L’ak are now a relatable pair, star-crossed lovers who are hell-bent on earning themselves a happy ending. As much as we don’t want to see the Progenitors’ tech get into the wrong hands, who now doesn’t want to see everything work out for Moll and L’ak?

Anyway, the quartet still need to get off the Enterprise , but the shuttle on which Burnham and Book arrived is destroyed by the turbulent pocket of space. With mere minutes to spare before the Enterprise is destroyed by the wormhole’s tiny aperture, Book and Moll share some last-minute words about their shared relationship with the late Cleveland Booker, and how Book hopes Moll makes the right choices regarding her quest for the Progenitor tech. Burnham, meanwhile, engages in a melee with L’ak, and the Breen ends up injured and inadvertently relinquishes control to Burnham of the next map piece in the Progenitor puzzle. The courier and disgraced Breen end up escaping the ship in a convenient Terran warp pod, leaving the chase between our heroes and enemies for another day.

“If we hit it precisely with a sequential hexagonal pattern, it should stay open for approximately sixty seconds. But once it collapses, it’s gone for good.” “Why hexagonal?” “Doesn’t matter… it’ll work.” – Adira ( Blu del Barrio ), Rayner, and Stamets as the crew finds a way to get the wormhole aperture bigger. We think this line from Stamets is reflective of the evolving working relationship between the results-orientated Rayner and the crew, and how this relationship is getting better the longer Rayner is first officer.

Burnham devises a novel way to signal her first officer for help in getting the Enterprise through the aperture: a pulsing tractor beam emitting from the Enterprise , shot through the wormhole’s opening, in a numerical sequence featured in a famous play from Kellerun culture. Rayner is then able to lead his crew to devise a way to pull the Enterprise into normal space.

The sequence where Rayner is faced with command of a ship tasked with the near-impossible rescue of his captain is the best of the episode. It’s no secret Rayner was knocked down a few pegs after his demotion and reassignment to Discovery , but that lack of confidence and inner angst is demolished thanks to Rayner listening and working with his bridge crew to save the Enterprise . Plenty of lesser-known bridge officers get a say in how Discovery could help the Mirror ship, and lightning-fast decision-making shows Rayner back on his game.

The last element to note about this episode is some emotional trouble Doctor Hugh Culber ( Wilson Cruz ) is having. Tilly provides an outlet for this angst. Culber explains the experiences he’s had in the last few years – namely dying, coming back to life, and being a Trill host – really put into perspective the intellectual journey he is on in the face of the Progenitor’s quest. Tilly helps him realize he isn’t only experiencing an intellectual quest, but a spiritual one. This conversation is just another instance of Discovery setting up some wild expectations for what the crew might ultimately discover at the end of the season – something beyond the bounds of science, perhaps?

Even though their prey gets away again, Burnham and her crew have the next clue in the Progenitor puzzle, and it is hiding in the I.S.S. Enterprise ’s sickbay. Hidden in the map piece Burnham grabbed from L’ak is a vial, which Stamets will analyze soon. Burnham learns the crew who escaped from the I.S.S. Enterprise ended up in the Prime Universe and were able to start new lives. A Terran scientist aboard the Enterprise , Dr. Cho, ended up being a branch admiral, and we’re meant to assume she was one of the scientists on Dr. Vellek’s team hundreds of years ago as they studied the Progenitor tech. Dr. Cho then hid her piece of the Progenitor puzzle aboard her old ship as a symbolic gesture of her ability to find freedom in a new universe.

Discovery continues its final season with another thumbs-up episode that serves an important lore-building role in the franchise. Seeing the Breen again is a joy, especially since we were staring at one the whole time and never knew it. And how striking was that Breen space station where L’ak was based? Another important note for Star Trek historians is that now the Mirror Universe Enterprise is in the 32 nd century, and stationed near Earth thanks to Joann Owosekun and Keyla Detmer piloting the ship back to Federation space. Will we see that ship again this season?

As the Progenitor puzzle deepens, so do the emotional stakes for our crew, exemplified by Culber’s introspective journey, the subtle reignition of Book and Burnham’s relationship, and Rayner’s triumphant return to leadership. We’re now at the halfway point in this season, so there’s still plenty of time for surprises, emotional consequences, and expectation-setting for this eagerly awaited treasure.  

Stray Thoughts:

• Hopefully, you’re watching this episode with subtitles on, because goodness is it hard to hear what masked Breen says.
• The Mirror Universe version of the U.S.S. Enterprise was last seen in the Original Series episode “Mirror, Mirror,” albeit this wasn’t the Strange New Worlds version of the ship. Likewise, the Terran version of Spock, whom Booker asks if Burnham ever met, was in that same episode.
• How did Adira conclude they were the one who brought the time bug aboard Discovery ?
• Why didn’t Burnham and Book try talking down Moll and L’ak before diving into the room with the holo-projected doubles?

New episodes of Star Trek: Discovery stream Thursdays on Paramount+ , this season stars Sonequa Martin-Green (Captain Michael Burnham), Doug Jones (Saru), Anthony Rapp (Paul Stamets), Mary Wiseman (Sylvia Tilly), Wilson Cruz (Dr. Hugh Culber), David Ajala (Cleveland “Book” Booker), Blu del Barrio (Adira) and Callum Keith Rennie (Rayner). Season five also features recurring guest stars Elias Toufexis (L’ak) and Eve Harlow (Moll).

Stay tuned to TrekNews.net for all the latest news on Star Trek: Discovery , Star Trek: Prodigy , Star Trek: Strange New Worlds , Star Trek: Lower Decks , and more.

You can follow us on X , Facebook , and Instagram .

Kyle Hadyniak has been a lifelong Star Trek fan, and isn't ashamed to admit that Star Trek V: The Final Frontier and Star Trek: Nemesis are his favorite Star Trek movies. You can follow Kyle on Twitter @khady93 .

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• View history

The Voth were an ancient Saurian species located in the Delta Quadrant . They were originally native to Earth , with the dinosaur genus hadrosaurs fingered as a likely ancestor. A significantly advanced species, the Voth were cold-blooded creatures , had a superior sense of smell, and skin pigmentation which altered according to moods. ( VOY : " Distant Origin ")

• 2 Physiology
• 3 Society and philosophy
• 4 Technology
• 6.1 See also
• 6.2 Appearances
• 6.3 Background information
• 6.4 Apocrypha
• 6.5 External link

History [ ]

A possible extrapolated descendant of the hadrosaur

Although this was not corroborated with archeological evidence, genetic evidence strongly suggested that the Voth originated on Earth – a concept later referred to as " Distant Origin Theory ". It was speculated by The Doctor that they evolved from the hadrosaur genus , which might have survived the mass extinction at the end of the Cretaceous 65 million years ago . The surviving dinosaurs continued to develop, likely on a secluded, or a destroyed landmass and became an interstellar species, possibly the first in the galaxy , when they left Earth. According to Human Commander Chakotay , because " Earth has been devastated by countless natural disasters over the course of its history : asteroids , volcanoes , earthquakes . All evidence of your race could be at the bottom of the ocean or under kilometers of rock . "

The species ultimately ended up in the Delta Quadrant , where they claimed a domain, laid the foundation of what became the great Voth culture, and forgot their origins. The recorded history and identity of the Voth began about 20 million years ago , at which point they already considered themselves a race indigenous to the Delta Quadrant. ( VOY : " Friendship One ") By the 24th century , they had in fact believed for millions of years to be the first intelligent race to evolve in their region of space. By this period, Earth and Humanity were beyond their known space.

Throughout a significant portion of Voth history, technological and cultural progression has been stunted, and even stagnant at times. The Ancient Doctrine, which forms the basis of Voth societal structure, predicted that such advanced technologies as transwarp would cause terrible disasters if it were even attempted, resulting in their civilization to be held back for millennia. However, eventually someone took a chance and Voth society entered a new chapter of exploration, with Doctrine being altered accordingly to better suit the new cultural paradigm in their society.

During the 24th century , the Distant Origin Theory started gaining traction among the Circles of Science and Philosophy , as well as among common Voth citizens in noticeable amounts. However, the Ministry of Elders viewed the theory as a threat to established Doctrine, and by extension the authority granted to them by it. Forra Gegen found conclusive evidence in 2373 , causing the Ministry of Elders to raise charges against him for Heresy Against Doctrine, as well as impound the Voyager starship with all its crew aboard, who were meant to serve as Gegen's most significant evidence in favor of his theory. Scientists were brought in, sometimes under significant political pressure, to offer the alternative analysis that although Gegen's data was generally sound, his conclusions were wrong. Odala , as a representative of the Elders, was reluctant to punish Gegen as such, but were more concerned about getting him to retract his claims.

Odala went as far as to declare that if she accepted this theory, she would be admitting her race had fled in terror from Earth, scratching and clawing their way to the part of space where the Voth now lived on a city ship , that her race had no birthright, no legacy – the concept appalled and disgusted her. Chakotay attempted to persuade her that surviving among some of the fiercest creatures in Earth's history, creating a culture, language and technology, leaving Earth when it faced peril and going into space, and journeying to the Delta Quadrant to start a new life was the definition of the Voth ancestors, the struggle that made the race who they were – was their heritage, and to dismiss the sacrifice their ancestors made to save themselves and future generations would be to dishonor them.

It was not enough; the Ministry of Elders convicted Gegen of heresy , and threatened to imprison him and the crew of the Voyager on a prison colony . Unwilling to allow such a sentence to weigh on his conscience, Gegen chose to retract his claims and absolved the crew of any involvement in his theory. ( VOY : " Distant Origin ")

Physiology [ ]

Adult Voth were slightly taller than adult Humans and had three clawed, manipulatory digits on each hand. Their eyes were protected by heavy, bony brow ridges, which had a central crest rising to a conical protrusion on the back of the skull . Their coloration varied from green to brown to a brownish orange, even between close relatives. Infatuation might be indicated by a change in the tint of the scales. Their language appeared click-like.

Cranial capacity of a Human was twenty-two percent smaller than that of a Voth. A long tongue allowed the feeding on airborne insects .

Most importantly, they had forty-seven genetic markers that were identical to Humans and many Terran creatures throughout Earth's history .

The Voth were capable of entering into hibernative states to protect themselves from harm. Their superior sense of smell was achieved through the dilitus lobe , and allowed them to enjoy the sulfur lagoons of Hokath . The Voth were also able to fire spikes from an area on the lower arm, which had a paralytic effect. ( VOY : " Distant Origin ")

Society and philosophy [ ]

Voth script

The Voth were governed by a Ministry of Elders . They lived in family structures, which might be bound to always mate with another family by tradition. Scientists and philosophers were organized in academic circles , which were entered into in a process which involved the giving out of honors. They had very poor relations with non-saurian races, and mammals , in particular, were considered to be lower life forms.

At the heart of their society lay their Doctrine , their guiding principles. Despite intuition and passion being valued, doctrine loomed heavily. They specified that the Voth had been the first intelligent beings to evolve in their region of space, and had an "ancient and rightful claim" over it. In addition, it declared that non-indigenous beings had no rights. Interrogation surgeons might be employed against them. Heresy against Doctrine was an arrestable and serious offense. Detention colonies were also employed by the Voth government.

An expression in their language talked about someone's "true scales" being shown.

Technology [ ]

As a society many millions of years old, the Voth were technologically advanced, possessed transwarp capabilities, as well as an even more advanced space travel technology called spatial displacement , which functionally doubled as a highly advanced cloaking device as it moved their starships or even individuals slightly out of phase with the space-time continuum. Their personal spatial displacement system could be disrupted by altering a phaser to a dispersion frequency of approximately 1.85 GHz .

They were able to scan from a distance of over ninety light years with significant accuracy, even down to the individual lifeform readings. The Voth were also able to take command of a ship's computer , shut the majority of systems down, and take primary power offline. What appeared to be a dampening field was capable of rendering tricorders , communicators , and phasers useless.

The Voth city ship was massive and extremely powerful in comparison with Starfleet spacecraft . They could beam a mass as big as 700,000 metric tons into a large internal chamber big enough for many starships. A ship might be transported in this way even if their shields were raised. ( VOY : " Distant Origin ")

• Frola Gegen
• Forra Gegen
• Unnamed Voth

Appendices [ ]

See also [ ], appearances [ ].

• VOY : " Distant Origin "

Background information [ ]

The Voth resemble, both conceptually and visually, the Silurian race from Doctor Who , in which the Silurians, like the Voth, are an advanced reptile species who have evolved on Earth before Humanity and have subsequently disappeared. In addition, both Doctor Who and the Silurians and "Distant Origin" use a small, hand-held globe of prehistoric Earth as a plot point. There is also a strong physical resemblance between the costumes and make-up used for the two alien races.

The idea of a humanoid evolving from a dinosaur has occasionally been discussed in scientific circles from the seventies onward, most famously with Dale Russell's dinosauroid. Carl Sagan also speculated on the possibility. See the external links below for more info.

Of interest is whether the Voth are cold-blooded due to evolutionary changes after leaving Earth or if their being cold-blooded is merely an error in the scripting research as dinosaurs, while reptile-like, were not cold-blooded.

Apocrypha [ ]

The Voth made a brief appearance in the short story "Brief Candle" in the Distant Shores anthology. They are also mentioned in the Star Trek: Strange New Worlds novels as a possible candidate to combat the Borg by the Q .

A similar storyline was found in the First Frontier novel, which has a race known as Clan Ru, who are evolved from Troodons.

The Voth appear in two novels of the Star Trek: Voyager relaunch series by Pocket Books : Protectors and Acts of Contrition . In those stories, they ally themselves with the Devore , Turei , and Vaadwaur . They are opposed to the Confederacy of the Worlds of the First Quadrant, a Delta Quadrant counterpart to the Federation .

The Voth appear in the Star Trek Online video game as an antagonistic faction, fighting for control of a Dyson sphere located in the Delta Quadrant, and against the allied forces of the Federation, Klingon Empire , and Romulan Republic. The Voth are attempting to obtain Omega particles , which the sphere produces, as a weapon against the Borg, whom they are battling in their home space. The allied forces, who entered the sphere via an Iconian gateway near Jouret IV , are attempting to enforce the Omega Directive and prevent the Voth from making off with Omega and potentially threatening spacefaring civilizations in the Delta Quadrant and beyond. The Voth who appear in the game are part of an aggressive, militaristic circle of Voth society, and use city ships in their combat fleets. Mechanized combat exosuits and bio-engineered dinosaurs also make up part of their ground forces. In STO 's 2014 Delta Rising expansion, the Voth are allies of the Turei and fight to defend them against a Vaadwaur invasion in the mission "Revelations", allying with the player in a ground battle. Additionally, in the space patrol "Tempting Targets", the player allies with Voth ships, escorting Turei, Hazari and Talaxian ships inbound to a trade station, defending them against Vaaduaur, Malon and Hirogen ships, with the hostiles chosen at random. However, they remain aloof from subsequently joining the Delta Alliance.

External link [ ]

• Voth at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
• Speculations of anthropomorphic sapient dinosaurs at Wikipedia
• a short overview of the history of hypothetical humanoid dinosaurs in science
• 3 ISS Enterprise (NCC-1701)

• More to Explore
• Series & Movies

Published Apr 26, 2024

RECAP | Star Trek: Discovery 505 - 'Mirrors'

No matter how bad things get, the one thing you always have is a choice.

SPOILER WARNING: This article contains story details and plot points for Star Trek: Discovery.

StarTrek.com

Previously, in " Face the Strange ," Moll and L'ak unleash a time bug aboard the U.S.S. Discovery, designed to paralyze them and keep them stuck as they're randomly cycled through time. Once they're ahead of Discovery and on to the next clue, they can escape the bounty on their heads and finally be free.

In one time loop, Zora informs Burnham and Rayner one of the outcomes they feared had come to pass — the Breen gained control of the Progenitors' tech and destroyed everything, leading the Kellerun to believe the Breen must be the ex-courier's highest bidder. Thankfully for the crew, they're back in the mix and only lost six hours. Plus, they discovered a warp signature matching Moll and L'ak.

In Episode 5 of Star Trek: Discovery , " Mirrors ," Captain Burnham and Book journey into extra-dimensional space in search of the next clue to the location of the Progenitors' power. Meanwhile, Rayner navigates his first mission in command of the U.S.S. Discovery , and Culber opens up to Tilly.

• Cleveland "Book" Booker
• Michael Burnham
• Paul Stamets
• Sylvia Tilly
• William Christopher
• Dr. Hugh Culber
• Moll (Malinne Ravel)
• Breen Primarch

• U.S.S. Discovery -A
• Discovery shuttle
• I.S.S. Enterprise
• Breen warship

In his quarters aboard the U.S.S. Discovery -A, Cleveland "Book" Booker contemplates advice given to him by his mentor and namesake, "No matter how bad things get, the one thing you always have is a choice." Book gazes at a holo of Moll — real name Malinne Ravel, the daughter of his predecessor — certain that she is capable of turning things around just as he had. Aware that Cleveland Booker IV saved his life, Book believes he owes it to him to do the same for his daughter.

With Discovery at Moll and La'k’s last known coordinates, Book makes his way to the Bridge, where Captain Michael Burnham gives the stage to Commander Paul Stamets and Lieutenant Sylvia Tilly. Though it appeared as if the couriers' ship left a warp trail which disappeared into empty space, adjusting the viewscreen to compensate for the Lorentzian coefficient in high-energy spectra reveals the presence of a fluctuating wormhole. Stamets states that it leads to a pocket of interdimensional space and is collapsing and expanding due to matter-antimatter chain reactions, likely caused by the Burn.

Captain Burnham surmises that the next clue resides within the wormhole, and Tilly notes that Moll and L'ak are probably in there, as well. Lieutenant Gallo, Commander Rayner, and Lieutenant Christopher brief the captain — sensors can’t penetrate the aperture, the opening isn’t large enough to fit Discovery’s saucer, and there’s no guarantee that they’ll be able to maintain comms contact. Burnham nods, ordering Lieutenant Linus to prepare a shuttle with boosted comms and fortified shields before requesting that Lt. Commander Gen Rhys place a security team on standby.

"Mirrors"

The captain's declaration that she will accompany Book on the away team draws Rayner's interest, and the two senior officers convene in the Ready Room. The Kellerun first officer expresses his view that he should be the one risking his life to lead the mission. She assures Rayner that she needs him on the ship and refuses to bring additional security with her, citing that the implied threat of armed guards would undermine Book's personal connection to Moll. Recalling the devastating future they had witnessed during the time bug ordeal, Rayner observes that it was only one possible outcome.

Captain Burnham senses there is more to Rayner’s unease and quotes the Ballad of Krul , " Serve it without a grum of osikod ." Though impressed by his captain's reference to Kellerun culture, Rayner still holds back. Burnham theorizes that his concern is related to taking the conn while she's away, and he begrudgingly admits it has been some time since he took the chair from another captain. The first officer makes eye contact, confessing that he doesn’t want his tenuous rapport with the crew to jeopardize the mission. Burnham reassures Rayner that she believes in him, leaving the demoted captain to swallow his protest.

Book joins Burnham to embark on their journey and pilots their shuttle away from Discovery . Relaxation floods the former courier's expression as he notes the craft is "purring like Grudge when she’s killed something." Hoping to emphasize his connection to Moll's father in the event they locate her, Book playfully shifts the conversation to the captain's temporal escapades when the time bug overtook the ship. Burnham makes a "my lips are sealed" gesture, only willing to disclose that she encountered some surprises.

The shuttle approaches the aperture, and Book plans to charge the impulse capacitance cells and release them into the drive coils to give the vessel a boost. Book offers a saying from his own culture, Never return from a hunt without enough bait for the Carrion Reaver . Burnham laughs off the "catchy" phrase, and the shuttle launches toward the wormhole's pulsating light. Turbulence causes the ship to tremble, and a bright flash overwhelms the two occupants.

Commander Rayner observes from the Bridge and is initially greeted by static. Burnham's voice cuts through the interference, informing the first officer that they made it through. Rayner’s relief is short-lived, as Discovery loses the shuttle's comm signal. He orders Stamets to the Science Lab in a bid to boost comms and conveys confidence as he takes the ship to Yellow Alert.

Meanwhile, in the wormhole, exotic matter has rendered the shuttle's sensors and holopadds inoperative. Book and Burnham narrowly dodge debris — "debris is not a good sign" — and spot the smoldering wreckage of Moll and L'ak's ship, or at least half of it. The nebulous environment clouds their vision, and Book wonders if the couriers survived. Burnham stands as she spots another vessel through the murkiness, its I.S.S. markings indicating it originated in the Mirror Universe. Shock envelops the captain's face as she reads its full designation — I.S.S. Enterprise* — and postulates that how the vessel arrived in interdimensional space must be "one heck of a story."

Book sees the Constitution -class starship's battered hull as evidence that it became trapped during a battle, and Burnham declares that it must have been ages ago — crossing from the Mirror Universe has been impossible for centuries. A shipwreck in a hidden wormhole sounds like a secure place to hide the next clue, though the captain is only acquainted with her brother Spock's U.S.S. Enterprise . They glimpse the other half of Moll and L'ak's broken vessel and assume that, if the couriers are alive, they must be on the Terran ship.

Back on Discovery , Tilly tracks an EPS conduit to a panel in Sickbay — after having followed it across three decks, including through the quarters of a new ensign who keeps a Cardassian vole as a pet. Sensing that Dr. Hugh Culber feels troubled, Tilly lets him know that she's always available to talk — at least until Stamets chimes in over the comm system to check on the status of her work. Culber maintains that he is fine and promises to find Tilly later, though his demeanor leaves her unconvinced.

In the Science Lab, Stamets notices that Ensign Adira Tal is undergoing some uncertainty of their own while working on their graviton pulse idea. The ensign rechecks their calculations for a third time, prompting the astromycologist to tell them that the time bug was not their fault. Rayner strolls in with confidence and requests an update on attempts to boost the comm signal. Stamets begins to explain, but the commander interrupts and states that he does not need to know how the cake is boiled. Adira is taken aback by the Kellerun culinary insight — Rayner assures them not to knock it until they try it — but Stamets presses forward with a proposal to hold the interdimensional aperture open. Unfortunately, there's a 43.7% chance that a graviton pulse would cause the aperture to close with the captain and Book still inside. Visibly frustrated, the first officer urges them to get the comm signal back.

Phasers drawn, Captain Burnham and Book enter the I.S.S. Enterprise 's bridge, which is adorned with Terran insignia and dimly illuminated by flickering lights and control panels. Intent on using the ship's sensors to track quantum signatures from the Prime Universe in order to locate Moll, L'ak, and the clue, Burnham pauses when she realizes that Book is standing at the science station — her brother's station, at least on the U.S.S. Enterprise . Though she had never met Spock's Mirror counterpart, she assumes he was just as ruthless as the Terrans.

Using a hack Book had previously applied on an Andorian transport ship, the captain successfully accesses the Enterprise 's sensors, and — after the former courier elicits words of praise from her — they detect that the intermix chamber has been ejected from the warp drive, all shuttles and escape pods are gone, the captain's log was erased, and the crew had apparently abandoned ship. Evacuation is a last resort in Terran culture, but the starship's damage was not terminal. The situation leaves them puzzled, but they turn their attention to the three Prime quantum signatures located in Sickbay — Moll, L'ak, and the clue.

En route to their quarry, Burnham and Book spy bedding, blankets, clothes, and other objects one wouldn't expect to find on a warship strewn about in the transporter room. Book gets a glimpse of the I.S.S. Enterprise 's dedication plaque, which itself bears an unorthodox phrase for Terrans, " Light of hope shines through even the darkest of nights. " The inscription describes the starship’s story, and Book relays that the new Terran High Chancellor had been killed while trying to make reforms. The crew mutinied, escaped, and attempted to shuttle refugees from the Mirror Universe into the Prime Universe, and a Kelpien slave-turned-rebel leader helped them. As she listens to the tale, Burnham picks up a locket and places a piece of her uniform inside of it. The mention of the Kelpien — likely Mirror Saru — catches her attention, and she supposes the crew fled when the ship got stuck within the aperture.

The pair continue on and move through the Terran ship's sparking corridors, only to be confronted by a batch of Moll and L'ak holo-doubles whose phasers are pointed toward Sickbay's entrance. Unable to determine which Moll and L'ak figures are real or target the room's holo emitter from their location, Book and Burnham rush their opponents and dodge a storm of phaser fire. They take out several holographic doubles before striking Sickbay's emitter, and the two couriers' true forms are revealed. Everyone heads for cover, but Burnham's diplomatic appeals don’t sway Moll or L'ak.

Book steps out from his concealed position. The captain follows with her phaser up, but Book tries to relate to Moll via their shared connection with her father. Moll grimaces with pain and anger as she states that Cleveland Booker IV was garbage, and L'ak holds up their bargaining chip — a device containing the next clue. Moll pitches a compromise; if she and L'ak are given a ride out of interdimensional space, they’ll let Starfleet replicate the clue. Burnham counters, bluntly replying that the couriers don’t have the clue. Referring to the decoy stanzas on Lyrek, the captain displays the locket she had procured and notes it has a Prime quantum signature.

The standoff remains steadfast, and Book draws Moll's ire when he guesses the couriers would not risk each other's lives over latinum. The exchange intensifies, and Moll contests that not even the Federation could lift an Erigah . Burnham recognizes the term, stunned to learn that the mysterious L'ak is actually Breen. An Erigah is a Breen blood bounty, and Moll and L'ak clearly hope to exchange whatever is at the end of the clue trail for their freedom. Book questions Moll about what they did to receive such a sentence, and the courier reflects…

…back to one of her regular visits to a busy Breen space station some years ago, where two helmeted Breen investigated one of her deliveries. Moll is unafraid when a third Breen approaches, introducing herself by quipping that she enjoys latinum and long walks on the beach. The Breen responds through his helmet's metallic speech processor, but rather than using the Breen sounds deemed unintelligible by most species, he speaks to Moll in her own language and accuses her of cutting her dilithium shipments with impurities. The human denies the accusation levied by "Green Eye," and the two square off in hand-to-hand combat.

Moll's lighthearted conversation persists even as they fight, and she points out that the Breen's belt insignia indicates he is royalty. Rumors have swirled that the Primarch's nephew — an independent thinker named L'ak — has been demoted to shuttlebay duty. Moll suggests that she can help L'ak get payback and admits she does cut the dilithium, leading the Breen to place her in handcuffs. Moll never relents, pitching that having a partner on the inside would make her operation go smoother. She senses L'ak is intrigued and faces him — she knows what it's like to be on the outside and alone — before slipping out of the cuffs. L'ak ponders why Moll would make a deal with someone she didn't know anything about, and Moll resolves to change that unfamiliarity.

Back in the present, Moll refuses to disclose what she and L'ak did to receive their bounty. Captain Burnham cautions them to not let love lead them down the wrong road, but Moll and L'ak opt to open fire once again. An errant phaser blast strikes a control panel, raising a containment field that traps Burnham and L'ak in Sickbay while preventing Book and Moll from re-entering the room. Book intends to resolve the dilemma with the Bridge's security controls and requests Moll's assistance. She agrees to the temporary truce, but threatens to dust Book if he makes one wrong move. They depart, but L'ak and Burnham stay put and keep their weapons drawn.

In another memory from their time on the Breen space station, L'ak receives payment from Moll and declares that her dilithium is clean. She quietly asks if he’d like to inspect her ship again to make sure she didn’t smuggle any tribbles on board, but L'ak's needs to shine his boots in anticipation of his uncle's upcoming inspection. The Breen clarifies that this isn't a euphemism, as the Primarch really likes their boots to be shiny. Moll thinks his uncle sounds like an asshole and brings up the promise that "Green Eye" had made during her last visit. L'ak delays, but Moll is adamant that he show her what he looks like. Though she has seen his face, she wishes to view his other face. L'ak seems self-conscious, and Moll maintains that both faces are a part of him. L'ak concedes, holding his breath and retracting his helmet to reveal his translucent green features. Moll greets him with warmth…

...however, aboard the Enterprise , Moll's demeanor is icy. She walks defiantly through the ship's corridors and rejects Book's appeals about her father. Aware that Cleveland Booker IV left Moll and her mother, Book shares that his mentor made the difficult choice to stay away from them in order to keep them safe. Moll emits a strained laugh, believing that Book must have his own "daddy issues" to have believed her father's story. Even though her father had promised to get his family off of Callor V and take them to a safe-haven colony in the Gamma Quadrant, he eventually just stopped coming home. Her mother was forced to get a job in the rubindium mines, ultimately falling victim to the harsh conditions when Moll was 14. Left alone, Moll tearfully emphasizes that L'ak is now the only person who matters to her.

Down in Sickbay, L'ak and Burnham retain their suspicious stares. Seated, yet still aiming their phasers at each other, they discuss the "power beyond all comprehension" that the Romulan scientist's diary and the subsequent clues would guide them toward. The captain warns L'ak what could happen if they Breen acquired that technology, and her observation that the Federation is all about second chances seems to resonate with him. Though Burnham promises she'd advocate for Moll and L'ak to serve their time together, L'ak is emphatic — he'd rather die than be separated from Moll.

On the Enterprise 's Bridge, the security system's firewall prevents Moll and Book from accessing the containment field. Moll pounds the console in frustration, but Book takes the opportunity to compare Moll and L'ak’s bond with the one he had shared with Burnham. With the exception of Grudge, who bites him when he doesn't feed her, Michael was the first friend Book made after Cleveland Booker IV died. He apologizes for what Moll endured because of her father and explains his troubled relationship with his own father, though Moll's thoughts continue to drift to L'ak…

…and to their time on the Breen space station. Concealed by a force field among the cargo containers, Moll and L'ak kiss. The human pauses, hesitant to mention that she received a new contract in Emerald Chain territory. L'ak calls Osyraa a butcher, but Moll responds that the Breen Imperium's faction wars don't make this region much safer. Her pursuit of higher paydays is a byproduct of her desire to discover the peace and freedom of the Gamma Quadrant paradise that her father had described. L'ak confesses that he only stays in Breen space because he has nowhere else to go, prompting Moll to propose he leave with her. The sound of footsteps interrupts the tender moment, and the Breen Primarch marches in with two Breen soldiers by his side. He disables the privacy field, his visored face locking eyes with the human.

With the memory of that confrontation fresh in her mind, Moll comes to attention on the Enterprise 's Bridge and knocks open a panel underneath the con. She creates a power surge to burn through the security system and short out the containment field, but her actions cause violent explosions to rock the ship. The Sickbay force field drops, though Burnham’s attempt to block L'ak's exit results in another round of fisticuffs that shatters glass and takes its toll. Book reports that impulse engines are overloaded and nav systems are fried — they have no control over the ship. Discovery 's shuttle becomes dislodged, tumbling away from the Terran ship and leaving the Enterprise eight minutes from impacting the aperture.

Book tries to develop a plan, but Moll aims her phaser at him. Nevertheless, Book is still determined to not let anything happen to Burnham or Moll. As a Kwejian, he lost his planet — everything that he cared about is gone. Though Cleveland was a "shit dad" to Moll, he was a great mentor to Book. In a heartbreaking tone, Book informs Moll that she is the only family he has left. He carefully picks up his phaser but chooses to hand it to her. She reacts with suspicion and directs both weapons toward him. Moll wrestles with indecision but opts not to kill him, a choice which elicits a sigh of relief from Book.

Burnham and L'ak's physical confrontation rages in Sickbay, but the Breen's reliance on a bladed weapon proves to be a tactical error. The Starfleet officer subdues him and retrieves the clue — the locket was a decoy. However, L'ak was inadvertently stabbed with his own blade during the attack. Moll runs in at this unfortunate moment, filled with concern for her partner and rejecting Burnham's plea to get L'ak to Discovery for treatment. Now a mere five minutes from colliding with the aperture, Book and Burnham speed off to the Bridge, leaving Moll to assist L'ak in Sickbay…

…and remember the moment when the Breen Primarch caught them together. As a guard holds L'ak, a second Breen strikes Moll. The Primarch prevents his nephew from intervening, then airs his grievance — L'ak carries the genetic code of the Yod-Thot, they who rule . While the Primarch campaigns for the throne of the Imperium, L'ak has been consorting with "lesser beings." His uncle describes L'ak's use of his more humanoid face as an insult to his heritage. The Primarch retracts his own helmet, gesturing to his translucent visage and proclaiming, " This is Breen." L'ak argues that their ability to change is a sign that both faces are a part of them, but his uncle claims they have evolved past a need for that form — holding it makes L'ak unfocused, inflexible, and weak.

The Primarch reseals his helmet and hands L'ak a weapon. His nephew must kill Moll to gain redemption. Resigned to her death, Moll tells "Green Eye" that their relationship was fun while it lasted, but L'ak elects to shoot the Breen guards instead of her. His uncle allows L'ak to place the phaser at his chest. Swayed by the fact that the Primarch raised him, L'ak only wounds his uncle. Alarms blare through the cargo area, and L'ak urges Moll to flee so that he will know she's safe. The blood bounty that L'ak just earned does not dissuade Moll from wanting him to join her. Holding onto his face, she says they can be happy together. L'ak voices his love for Moll…

…which snaps her back to the present, where L'ak reiterates his love for Moll in the Enterprise 's chaotic Sickbay. However, she is unwilling to give up and vows to get them out of this predicament. Meanwhile, Burnham and Book burst onto the Bridge and intend to activate a tractor beam. Book brightens the Terran light panels — "can’t save the day if we can’t see" — and winks at the captain as he takes the helm.

On Discovery 's Bridge, Commander Rayner asks Christopher for an update on comms. Naya interjects, reporting that something is happening at the aperture. A tractor beam can be seen emanating from within the wormhole, and it is oscillating with a repeating pattern: 3-4-1-4. Rayner grins in understanding and calls Stamets, Adira, and Tilly to the Bridge. The first officer doesn’t just need them to hold the aperture open, he also wants them to make it bigger — large enough for a starship. Discovery isn't going in, but their captain is coming out.

Stamets and the senior staff are perplexed by Rayner's announcement, and the Kellerun's reference to the Ballad of Krul doesn't give them any additional insight. Returning to the task at hand, Tilly affirms that such a procedure would require more energy than the entire ship can safely produce. Rayner pushes them for ideas, promising a cask of Kellerun citrus mash for whoever lands this solution. The Bridge is abuzz with chatter — inverting the deflector array would take too long, discharging the spore reserve would leave them unable to make an emergency jump, and pulling power from gravitational systems would cause everyone to float around… but replacing the photon torpedo payloads with antimatter would add fuel to the reactions already present in the aperture! Adira confirms that hitting it precisely with a sequential hexagonal pattern should keep it open for approximately sixty seconds. Rayner questions why it must be hexagonal, but Stamets points to him in a mischievous manner and notes, "It doesn’t matter. It’ll work." Satisfied, the commander awards the citrus mash to the entire Bridge crew and trusts that they'll make their only chance to succeed count.

As Captain Burnham sits in the I.S.S. Enterprise 's center seat, the ship's computer pronounces that only 60 seconds remain until impact with the aperture. Driven by the perilous countdown, she confesses to Book that he was one of the surprises she encountered while ensnared in the time bug's grip. She reflects on how nice it felt and how happy they seemed. Book offers an appreciative nod, but the pull of the aperture shakes the Enterprise .

On Discovery , Rayner orders a volley of torpedoes to be launched at the wormhole, and their detonations cause the opening to expand and generate even more light. The Enterprise 's tractor beam rattles the ship as it makes contact with Discovery . Book awaits Burnham's order to act and asks if he should "hit it." Captain Christopher Pike's signature phrase draws a quizzical and bemused look from Burnham, who replies, "Feels weird. Let’s just fly." The Terran ship's saucer section begins to emerge from the aperture, and its secondary hull clears it just before it collapses and releases a radiant surge of energy.

A relief-filled Captain Burnham communicates her thanks to Rayner over the comm channel, but she and Book then notify Discovery about a Terran warp pod being fired by the Enterprise . Scans detect two lifesigns and sickbay equipment aboard — Moll and L'ak. The pod launches and jumps to warp before it can be captured, though Rayner hopes to follow their warp signature and put out an alert throughout the fleet.

As the I.S.S. Enterprise and U.S.S. Discovery station themselves opposite one another in deep space, Rayner accompanies Burnham on a stroll through Discovery 's halls and compliments her on her "3-4-1-4" signal. The captain's message had referred to Section 4, Verse 7 of the Ballad of Krul , in which Krul calls to his war brothers for rescue with a repeating drumbeat of three taps, followed by four, one, and four. Although impressed, Rayner has doubts about how the mission played out. Burnham encourages him to take the win and relays that she is ordering Commanders Owosekun and Detmer to head a team and fly the Enterprise back to Federation HQ storage.

Discovery 's crew takes some much-needed downtime in Red's, where Culber follows through on his promise to confide in Tilly. The doctor leans beside her at the bar, and Tilly remarks that the day has left her feeling as if she has been through a gormagander's digestive tract. Highlighting the unique experiences he's had — dying, being resurrected, and staying present in his own body while Jinaal Bix inhabited it during the zhian'tara — Culber can only classify these events as "weird." Coupled with their current quest to find the technology that created life, Culber has found these questions to be both impossible to grasp and exhilarating. Since Stamets hates the unknown, Culber isn't sure how to talk to his partner about these emotions. Tilly advises him that the intellectual and the spiritual are not that far apart in the sense that they each bring understanding and can take you to new places. Initially taken aback by Tilly's use of the word spiritual, the doctor lets his friend's words sink in.

Captain Burnham welcomes Book into her Ready Room as she finishes reading a file on the Progenitors. There's no news about Moll and L'ak's whereabouts, but every ship in the sector is on high alert. She extracts a vial of liquid from the device containing the clue and shares that Stamets is preparing to do a full chemical analysis on it. Burnham secures the third object alongside the other two clues, which Book observes always seem to be presented hand-in-hand with a lesson. The ordeal with the itronok on Trill demonstrated that they valued lifeforms different from their own and the necropolis planet evoked the importance of cultural context, so why did a scientist leave the third clue on a Terran warship? 

The query draws a smile from Burnham, who discloses that the scientist had been a Terran named Dr. Cho — the junior science officer aboard the I.S.S. Enterprise . The captain had Zora search for the names from the vessel's manifest, and most of them had turned up in various Federation databases. The crew did make it to the Prime Universe and started new lives, and Cho herself became a branch admiral in Starfleet. The Terrans had hope, found freedom, and overcame the odds. Burnham supposes that those qualities were the reasons Cho returned to the aperture and concealed the clue on the Enterprise . Perhaps the lesson is that they can shape their future in the same way the Terran refugees had.

Book catches sight of the Enterprise getting underway outside of the Ready Room's viewport, prompting the captain to turn and gaze at the vessel. She brings up the time bug secret she had shared with Book when death appeared imminent, but he grins and acknowledges that they had been happy. Stamets' voice rings out over the comm system to let the captain know he is ready for the vial. Burnham grabs the container and makes her way to the door, but Book wonders what happens when they finally put these clues together. Captain Burnham concedes that she doesn't know, but she can't wait to find out.

* " Mirror, Mirror " — The I.S.S. Enterprise was last seen in this Original Series classic when a transporter malfunction sends the U.S.S. Enterprise crew into a mirror universe.

• Written by Johanna Lee & Carlos Cisco
• Directed by Jen McGowan

"Mirrors" features a dedication:

In loving memory of our friend, Allan "Red" Marceta

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Jay Stobie (he/him) is a freelance writer, author, and consultant who has contributed articles to StarTrek.com, Star Trek Explorer, and Star Trek Magazine, as well as to Star Wars Insider and StarWars.com. Learn more about Jay by visiting JayStobie.com or finding him on Twitter, Instagram, and other social media platforms at @StobiesGalaxy.

Star Trek: Discovery Seasons 1-4 are streaming exclusively on Paramount+ in the U.S., the UK, Canada, Switzerland, South Korea, Latin America, Germany, France, Italy, Australia and Austria. Seasons 2 and 3 also are available on the Pluto TV “Star Trek” channel in Switzerland, Germany and Austria. The series streams on Super Drama in Japan, TVNZ in New Zealand, and SkyShowtime in Spain, Portugal, Poland, The Nordics, The Netherlands, and Central and Eastern Europe and also airs on Cosmote TV in Greece. The series is distributed by Paramount Global Content Distribution.

1 hr 11 min

The One with David Mack Mission Log: A Roddenberry Star Trek Podcast

Author David Mack joins us before we warp back to the Delta Quadrant! We discuss David's story contributions to DS9 and he reveals fascinating details about a Voyager script that never made it to production! Finally, we explore more of Seven of Nine's story with his latest novel, Star Trek: Picard "Firewall." Sponsored by Sponsored by - three for the price of two on Star Trek: Voyager ships!

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• ©2012 Roddenberry Entertainment

Screen Rant

10 ways uss voyager changed in star trek’s delta quadrant.

In Star Trek: Voyager, multiple technological upgrades, most courtesy Seven of Nine and the Borg, helped the USS Voyager navigate the Delta Quadrant.

• The crew of the USS Voyager had to find creative solutions to survive in the Delta Quadrant, making unorthodox modifications to the ship and its equipment.
• Captain Janeway made concessions, like giving up her private dining room for a kitchen and removing replicators, to ensure the crew was fed during their journey.
• Voyager made significant upgrades, such as the Delta Flyer and astrometrics lab, that improved its capabilities and made it unlike any other Starfleet ship at the time.

Star Trek: Voyager 's eponymous starship, the USS Voyager, changed in several ways during its time in the Delta Quadrant. While Voyager' s problematic reset button storytelling prevented most types of ongoing character development, the modifications that the crew made to the ship and its equipment carried over into following episodes. This was especially effective when the upgrades made Voyager a more formidable starship as it encountered more hostile species like the Borg, Hirogen, and Species 8472 during its long journey back to the Alpha Quadrant.

The first changes reflected the uncertainty felt by Captain Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) that characterized early seasons of Star Trek: Voyager, when the crew hadn't yet gotten their bearings or made many allies in the Delta Quadrant. Because the crew of the USS Voyager had to make do with what they had, Starfleet and Maquis personnel had to find ways to work together to develop unorthodox but creative jury-rigged solutions that ensured the crew's survival in unfamiliar space, sometimes by reconfiguring existing spaces to fulfill unexpected needs. In later Voyager seasons, Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan) upgraded Voyager's systems for greater efficiency by integrating Borg technology with existing defense and navigational systems.

10 Neelix's Kitchen

Everyone had to make some concessions to ensure their survival on the long trip back home. While Captain Janeway was reluctant to give up her beloved coffee, she did relinquish the captain's private dining room to make space for a proper kitchen. Two of the four mess hall replicators were also removed, so Neelix (Ethan Phillips) could cook meals for Voyager's 150-member crew complement. His Delta Quadrant specialties and enthusiastic attempts at recreating Alpha Quadrant favorites received mixed reviews, at best, but his cooking kept the crew fed when power was at a premium.

9 Airponics Bay

Early in their journey back home, Captain Janeway instated the practice of assigning replicator rations to the crew in an effort to conserve energy. Neelix acquired most of the ingredients for his culinary adventures through foraging or trade, which depended on external factors to be successful. To balance that, Kes (Jennifer Lien) spearheaded the creation of an airponics garden in one of the cargo bays, which provided the crew with sustainable, organically grown food on a reliable basis.

8 Home Sweet Cargo Bay

Because Seven of Nine didn't need to sleep the same way that fully organic crew members did, she also didn't need standard crew quarters. Instead, Seven chose to make her home in cargo bay 2, where several Borg components had been installed, including a regeneration alcove that provided her with the required six-hour regeneration cycle she needed to function. When Voyager picked up ex-Borg children in Voyager season 6, episode 16, "Collective", they too stayed with Seven in the cargo bay, since they also required regeneration instead of conventional sleep.

7 The Doctor's Programming

The Emergency Medical Hologram AKA The Doctor (Robert Picardo) was initially designed to be used as a supplement to Voyager's organic medical staff, so he was only supposed to run for about 1500 hours, in total. The death of the original chief medical officer meant he had to be online almost constantly, so modifications were made to extend the life of his program. Eventually, he developed his own subroutines to add personality elements, hobbies, social skills, and even command training, in case there was ever a need for an Emergency Command Hologram.

6 Borg Upgrades

During Captain Janeway's alliance with the Borg in Star Trek: Voyager season 3, episode 26 "Scorpion, Part 1", the Borg agreed to safely escort Voyager through their space. In order to uphold their end of the agreement, they modified Voyager's hull with adaptive shielding and armed them with nanoprobe torpedoes specifically designed to target the natives of fluidic space that the Borg designated Species 8472 , who were a threat to the Borg due to being immune to assimilation.

5 The Delta Flyer

The pride and joy of Lt. Tom Paris (Robert Duncan McNeill), the Delta Flyer was designed to be better than a standard shuttlecraft. It was larger, faster, and more maneuverable, with enhanced shields, tactile controls, and of course, a sleek design. Paris worked on its design in the background of several episodes, in a rare case of an ongoing subplot on Star Trek: Voyager , culminating in its construction in Voyager season 5, episode 3, "Extreme Risk". The Flyer's construction proved that Voyager's resources weren't that limited , and it was instrumental in several missions after its debut, particularly when speed or maneuverability were paramount.

4 Astrometrics Lab

Introduced in Star Trek: Voyager season 4, episode 8, "Year of Hell, Part 1", the astrometrics lab was a joint effort between Ensign Harry Kim (Garrett Wang) and Seven of Nine, who made the lab her primary workstation. The combination of Borg and Starfleet technology allowed for navigational methods that were ten times more accurate than standard sensors, so Voyager could avoid more obstacles and use more shortcuts on its way home. According to Seven of Nine, the updated course plotted using the astrometrics lab would take five years of Voyager's return trip.

3 Transwarp Drive

The USS Voyager's engines were modified in order to use the transwarp coil that they harvested from a Borg cube in Star Trek: Voyager season 5, episodes 15 and 16, "Dark Frontier". The coil allowed them to generate transwarp conduits, which could be used to travel greater distances than standard warp drive at faster speeds. Use of transwarp allowed Voyager to shave much more time off of their journey, but in doing so, the ship suffered from erratic power fluctuations that discouraged further use of the coil.

2 Transphasic Torpeodes & Ablative Shielding

In Star Trek: Voyager's series finale, "Endgame", Admiral Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) traveled from the future to help the current Voyager build an ablative shield generator and convert their standard photon torpedoes to transphasic torpedoes. This advanced armor and weaponry was designed by Janeway in the future specifically to combat the Borg. Bringing it back in time would therefore ensure a quicker return with fewer casualties, and best of all, destroy the Borg Queen directly far earlier than in Admiral Janeway's timeline.

1 Quantum Slipstream Drive

The USS Voyager was outfitted with a quantum slipstream drive when they encountered the USS Dauntless, which purported to be a Starfleet vessel with the advanced technology that would help them get home. The drive allowed Voyager to enter a quantum slipstream by focusing a quantum field through the main deflector. While the Dauntless proved to be a ruse, the theory was sound, and Voyager built its own version of the quantum slipstream drive. It required constant recalculation of the quantum phase variance, so its use was risky, but it still aided Voyager's return to the Alpha Quadrant significantly.

By the time the USS Voyager made it back to the Alpha Quadrant in the series finale of Star Trek: Voyager , "Endgame," its extensive modifications made it very different from the ship it was when it left. With all the updates it acquired in the Delta Quadrant, particularly the changes made with Borg technology, it was unlike any other Starfleet ship at the time. Future ships were outfitted with technology crafted from the upgrades made to Voyager, like Janeway's ship in Star Trek: Prodigy , a new version of the USS Dauntless.

"No Drone Ever Forgets": Star Trek Confirms Dark Secret Technology All Borg Drones Can Build (Even After Being Freed)

• Assimilation by the Borg means losing your identity and soul, making it a fate worse than death.
• Former drones, like Hugh, remember Borg functions even after being freed, leaving lasting trauma.
• In Star Trek: Defiant #14, Hugh saves the crew by using Borg knowledge to defeat a takeover.

Warning: contains spoilers for Star Trek: Defiant #14!

In the Star Trek universe, the chances of coming back from assimilation by the Borg are slim, and even when people are freed, they still retain terrible knowledge of their times as drones. The ex-drone, Hugh, has joined Worf’s crew in Star Trek: Defiant, and in issue 14, with the team’s back against the wall, Hugh saves the day using Borg knowledge that he somehow retained.

Star Trek: Defiant #14 is written by Christopher Cantwell and drawn by Angel Unzueta. B’Elanna Torres has been taken over by one of the parasites from “Conspiracy.” Spock attempts a mind-meld to free her, but it fails. Running out of options, Hugh suggests he “assimilate” B’Elanna. The parasites cannot infect the Borg, making it B’Elanna’s only salvation. When asked how he plans to do this, he tells Worf and company he can jury-rig an assimilation chamber from various parts.

He tells Worf that it is something all drones remember –even after they have been liberated.

The Borg Not Only Takes Your Technology--They Take Your Soul As Well

Assimilation is a fate worse than death.

The Borg are one of the most powerful, and scariest, alien species in the Star Trek franchise. Residing in the distant Delta Quadrant, the Borg travel the galaxy (and some even speculate the entire universe), assimilating other lifeforms into their collective. The Borg gain the knowledge of those they assimilate. As seen in the epic Star Trek: The Next Generation two-part episode “The Best of Both Worlds,” this makes them extremely difficult to defeat. When assimilated, a person loses their identity and their essence, making it a kind of “living death.”

Assimilation was not initially a part of the Borg, but was added later for dramatic effect.

In the Star Trek franchise, very few individuals have come back from being assimilated. Captain Picard, Hugh and Seven of Nine were all Borg at one point, and all of them were freed from the Collective. Yet as seen in other episodes and other media, pulling a person out of the Collective can have lethal effects on them, making it a delicate procedure. After being freed, the person must then come to terms with the trauma they have experienced. Picard, Seven and Hugh carry the scars for the rest of their lives.

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Borg drones carry more than just their guilt, it seems there is no escape from the borg.

And now, Hugh has revealed that not only do former drones carry the guilt of what they did, but also, horrifyingly enough, can still perform Borg functions. Previous issues of Star Trek: Defiant revealed that when Hugh was severed from the Collective, he lost all memory of who he was prior to assimilation. This, when coupled with drones retaining their knowledge of Borg procedures and technology, paints a truly terrifying picture of the horrors of assimilation. Being assimilated into the Borg can last a lifetime, and even being freed from them is no guarantee of happiness.

Star Trek: Defiant #14 is on sale now from IDW Publishing!