Ask Not

Our third Short Trek of this season features a Cadet front and center as they face what seems to be a precursor to the infamous Kobayashi Maru test – the no win scenario. The episode asks us how far would we go to protect those we love, how many rules would we break to get vengeance on those that hurt us?

Fortunately for Cadet Sidhu she chose wisely and decided that the morals of Starfleet should be held above all else – including family. Looking back on this now, released at a time between Discovery’s second season finale and Picard’s opening season… I think there’s a subtle nod to the ideals of the Federation and how, at the time, they were critical doctrines to maintain, uphold and protect. Over time, however, that clearly has eroded into the Federation we see in the 24th century, rife with corruption and deceit with secret intelligence officers running around.