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"Old Friends, New Planets" is an episode of Star Trek: Lower Decks, 40th in the series and the season finale of LD season 4. It was released on 2 November 2023.

Summary[]

Starfleet Academy, thirteen years ago.

Joshua Albert is worried; the Kolvoord Starburst was banned for a good reason, and they'll be flying way too close to handle. However, Nick Locarno isn't worried – they're Nova Squadron, the best pilots the Academy's seen in years. Pulling it off would make them legends. Sito Jaxa laughs and says he's already a legend. However, he points out that once they graduate, they're nobodies again. He claims that Wesley Crusher knows that feeling, but Crusher rebuffs Locarno before expressing concern about the stunt and asking Josh if he's sure he's ready, and Locarno tries to pressure him by saying that Jean-Luc Picard would be so proud of him. At that moment, a young Beckett Mariner runs up to Sito, geeking out about learning about races like the Preservers and the Xindi. However, Crusher notes that, if they were to pull off their stunt, they would need to put in a potentially unfeasible number of hours in the simulators. Mariner asks what it's about, but Locarno tells her it's just something for commencement. Sito says it's something that'll make him a legend, but he says it's for all of Nova Squadron.

In the present, Mariner asks Locarno if she’s a prisoner, but Locarno says he rescued her from the Klingons and Romulans, which Mariner refutes. Locarno reveals that she was transported onto his ship, Nova One and she's what's needed for Nova Fleet. Dropping out of warp, Mariner sees the various ships that make up the fleet and is horrified while Locarno looks proud.

On the USS Cerritos, Captain Carol Freeman is in video conference with her husband, Admiral Alonzo Freeman, and Admiral Vassery, who affirms that the Cerritos investigations have proven beyond the shadow of a doubt that Nicholas Locarno is behind the attacks on non-Federation ships. Carol adds that one of her officers was abducted by Lorcano and insists they move fast to pick up his warp trail. However, Vassery tells her they can do nothing, as technically, Locarno instigated mutinies on ships from over a dozen non-Federation worlds. Alonzo attempts to argue that the mutineers turned against their homeworlds the second they rebelled against their captains but Vassery refutes that they committed bloodless coups and that the Federation can't be seen taking the first shot. He assures them that Starfleet is meeting with ambassadors from the worlds entangled in this debacle and orders the Freemans to stand down. As Vassery signs off, Carol complains that they're running out of time.

Back at the Nova Fleet station, Locarno takes Mariner on a tour of Nova One, boasting of it being his personal design, bereft of any Starfleet carpeting or wood paneling. He then assumes she is going to join his cause with the intent of embarrassing Starfleet when it becomes known that an admiral's daughter had defected, failing to notice her nervous expression. He takes her to the bridge, where he orders the three Bynar operators to open a quadrant-wide subspace channel.

Locarno's transmission is detected by the Cerritos, so Captain Freeman orders it to be displayed on the viewscreen and jumps from her chair upon seeing Mariner next to Lorcano. Locarno greets the Alpha Quadrant, declaring his message for anyone who feels like an afterthought; Rutherford comments that Locarno looks like Tom Paris, though Boimler doesn't agree. He goes on to claim responsibility for the ship attacks across the quadrant, having added them to what he described as the first independent fleet in the Alpha Quadrant; Boimler remarks that the Maquis would disagree. Locarno's message is seen on Andorian, Tamarian, and many other non-Starfleet ships, including Petra Aberdeen's, calling out to junior officers who resent their captains for not even knowing their names, fear obeying orders of incompetent commanders or being stuck on the lower decks and inviting them to the Detrion system, protected by his indestructible Trynar shield.

Tendi questions Locarno's furious outlook, to which Commander Ransom replies that he was kicked out of Starfleet for getting one of his squad killed with a banned flight maneuver, then trying to cover it up. T'Lyn comments that his emotional behavior conflicts with his culpability. Locarno then reveals his possession of a Ferengi Genesis Device, giving him the ability to wipe out life on any planet he chooses, as a deterrent against unwanted trespassers. He declares that everyone, from the Federation, to the Klingon Empire, to the Romulan Star Empire, will show Nova Fleet respect.

He then turns the floor to Mariner, asking her to tell everyone what life in Starfleet is really like. Instead, Mariner calls him out for his self-serving ways before stealing the Genesis Device and rushing off the bridge. Embarrassed, Lorcano quickly terminates the transmission.

Delighted to see her daughter fighting back, Freeman calls on the entire crew, declaring her intent to disobey Starfleet's direct orders to rescue Mariner. She assures them all that she can't ask them to join her, as they'd likely be court-martialed. However, she'll be damned if she waits for the politicians to decide her daughter's fate. The crew's support is unanimous. Freeman then questions how they will be getting past Locarno's shield. Tendi states she has an idea.

Back at the station, Locarno – still chasing Mariner – angrily tells her that she made him look like a fool, which was her plan. Sliding down a ladder and hopping over some boxes, two Ferengi join the chase. Finding a ship, the Sabrerunner-class USS Passaro, Mariner races in and locks out the Ferengi, making her way to the bridge, where she buckles up the Genesis Device into a seat then uses her mother’s command codes to activate the ship; much to her surprise, they work perfectly. Transferring controls to the command seat, she gets the ship moving and starts her escape. The Romulans want to destroy the ship, but without the Genesis Device, the captains they betrayed would be able to go after them, forcing all of them to chase after Mariner.

On Orion, D'Erika Tendi is upset at the Cerritos crew among them. Freeman tries to explain, but D'Vana takes over, claiming Freeman has no power here. D'Vana tries to explain what's going on, but D'Erika is unmoved; she’s too busy overseeing the merger between two criminal enterprises, so she doesn’t have time to collude with the Federation. Desperate, D'Vana invokes barter by combat.

Back in space, Mariner attempts to go into warp, but as she does, the computer stops her – they’re too close to the Trynar shield. She's able to pull up at the last second, the two shields dragging against each other. Locarno tells Mariner that the shield works both ways – no one gets in or out. Mariner mocks that she forgot because the name was so stupid before realizing it's named because of the three Bynars. Locarno tries to tempt Mariner once again and even offers to let her go, but she refuses as that means giving up the Genesis Device. With her ship's phasers unable to break through the Trynar shield, Mariner pulls away, the other ships giving chase.

References[]

Characters[]

Petra AberdeenJoshua AlbertBarnes (Ensign)B'ethAndy BillupsBrad BoimlerLiam BoothbyWesley CrusherDahaeAlonzo FreemanCarol FreemanGary (USS Cerritos)GoodgeyJean HajarJeefKayshonSteve LevyLivikNicholas LocarnoMalok (Romulan)Beckett MarinerMeredithMerpBig MerpSleepy MerpGabers MigleemoJack RansomRisikSamanthan RutherfordShaxs DrazonSito JaxaT'AnaTaylor (Kzinti)D'Erika TendiD'Vana TendiT'LynVasseryunnamed Bynars
Referenced only
Tom ParisJean-Luc PicardSokel

Starships and vehicles[]

USS Cerritos (California-class support ship) • MonaveenNova OneUSS PassaroRetribution (Orion destroyer)

Locations[]

the galaxy's Alpha QuadrantDetrion system • Detrion 9Locarno

Races and cultures[]

AndorianBajoranCaitianFerengiHaliianhologramHumanKzintiMerp's speciesMigleemo's speciesOrionRomulanTamarianTrillVulcan
Referenced only
KlingonPreserverXindi

States and organizations[]

FederationKlingon EmpireMaquisNova FleetNova SquadronRomulan Star EmpireStarfleet

Other references[]

barter by combatFerengi Rules of AcquisitionGenesis Deviceion stormKolvoord StarburstlatinumscienceTrynar shield

Appendices[]

Connections[]

Star Trek: Lower Decks episodes
season 1 "Second Contact" • "Envoys" • "Temporal Edict" • "Moist Vessel" • "Cupid's Errant Arrow" • "Terminal Provocations" • "Much Ado About Boimler" • "Veritas" • "Crisis Point" • "No Small Parts"
season 2 "Strange Energies" • "Kayshon, His Eyes Open" • "We'll Always Have Tom Paris" • "Mugato, Gumato" • "An Embarrassment Of Dooplers" • "The Spy Humongous" • "Where Pleasant Fountains Lie" • "I, Excretus" • "wej Duj" • "First First Contact"
season 3 "Grounded" • "The Least Dangerous Game" • "Mining the Mind's Mines" • "Room for Growth" • "Reflections" • "Hear All, Trust Nothing" • "A Mathematically Perfect Redemption" • "Crisis Point 2: Paradoxus" • "Trusted Sources" • "The Stars at Night"
season 4 "Twovix" • "I Have No Bones Yet I Must Flee" • "In the Cradle of Vexilon" • "Something Borrowed, Something Green" • "Empathological Fallacies" • "Parth Ferengi's Heart Place" • "A Few Badgeys More" • "Caves" • "The Inner Fight" • "Old Friends, New Planets"

Images[]

Timeline[]

published order
Previous episode:
The Inner Fight
Lower Decks episode produced Next episode:
LDs season 5
Previous episode:
The Inner Fight
Lower Decks episode aired Next episode:
LDs season 5
chronological order
Previous Adventure:
The Inner Fight
Memory Beta Chronology Next Adventure:
LDs season 5
Previous Adventure:
The Inner Fight
Voyages of the
USS Cerritos
Next Adventure:
LDs season 5


External link[]

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