Understanding Sito: Unraveling the Tragic Story of Star Trek: TNG's Bajoran Ensign

WARNING: Contains SPOILERS for Star Trek: Lower Decks, season 4, episode 9, "The Inner Fight."

Summary

Lieutenant Mariner's recklessness is attributed to her unease with being promoted from Ensign.

Sito Jaxa, a former member of Nova Squadron, engaged in a cover-up to safeguard their Starfleet careers. Tragically, Jaxa lost her life while involved in an espionage mission.

The possibility arises in the season 4 finale of Star Trek: Lower Decks that Sito Jaxa might not be deceased and could have been taken captive by the Cardassians. Lieutenant Beckett Mariner pays a heartfelt tribute to the late Sito Jaxa, a tragic Bajoran Ensign from Star Trek: The Next Generation. In the penultimate episode of Lower Decks season 4, Captain Carol Freeman leads Lt. Sam Rutherford on a mission to locate Starfleet Academy Cadet Nick Locarno, who has fallen from grace. Simultaneously, the remaining Lower Deckers are entrusted with the task of keeping Mariner, who is growing increasingly reckless, out of trouble while the Cerritos searches for Locarno.

Both storylines intersect beautifully when Beckett discloses that her reckless behavior stems from her discomfort with being promoted beyond Ensign, a sentiment that is linked to both Nick Locarno and Sito Jaxa. It is revealed that Mariner was classmates with Nick and Sito at Starfleet Academy and shared a close friendship with the Bajoran Cadet. The passing of Sito Jaxa in "Lower Decks," an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation, had a profound impact not only on Mariner but also on Sito's superior officer Lt. Worf (Michael Dorn) and Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart). Interestingly, "Lower Decks" marked the character's second appearance, following an earlier appearance alongside Wesley Crusher (Wil Wheaton).

Who Was Ensign Sito Jaxa In Star Trek: TNG?

First introduced in the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "The First Duty," Cadet Sito Jaxa was a classmate of Wesley Crusher. Both of them belonged to Nova Squadron, a prestigious group of Starfleet Academy pilots under the leadership of Nick Locarno, the antagonist from season 4 of Star Trek: Lower Decks. After a tragic accident resulted in the death of Joshua Albert, Locarno persuaded Sito, Wesley, and their fellow cadet Jean Hajar (played by Walker Brandt) to participate in a cover-up to safeguard their futures in Starfleet. However, when Captain Picard unraveled the truth about their illicit maneuver and subsequent concealment, he urged Wesley Crusher to reveal everything during the Inquiry.

Nick Locarno took full responsibility for the cover-up in order to protect the other members of Nova Squadron from being expelled from Starfleet Academy. This cover-up involved the prohibited Kolvoord Starburst maneuver, which is referenced in Star Trek: Lower Decks as one of the "mistakes" mentioned by Mariner. Despite this, Sito's testimony during the inquiry in "The First Duty" showed her struggling with her conscience. Captain Picard noticed this and requested that Sito be assigned to the USS Enterprise-D after her graduation from the academy, giving her an opportunity for redemption.

Sadly, Sito's determination to prove herself to Picard and Starfleet ultimately led to her death. Serving under Worf in the security department, Sito's exceptional performance warranted a promotion to Lieutenant Junior Grade, similar to the Lower Deckers in season 4. Due to Worf's trust in her and her Bajoran heritage, she was chosen for a covert mission. This mission involved returning a Federation informer to Cardassian territory while posing as a terrorist. After successfully delivering the informer, Sito was supposed to escape back to the Enterprise. Tragically, the escape pod was destroyed, and no trace of Sito Jaxa was ever found.

How Sito & TNG Connect To Star Trek: Lower Decks & Mariner

In Star Trek: Lower Decks season 4, episode 9, "The Inner Fight," the death of Sito Jaxa had a profound impact on Mariner. Sito's determination to move forward from the Nova Squadron incident and her subsequent assignment on the Enterprise served as an inspiration to Mariner. However, when Sito died during an espionage mission in Cardassian space, Mariner became disillusioned with Starfleet, as spy missions were not what she had signed up for. Now a Lieutenant Junior Grade, Mariner worries about the safety of her colleagues and the dangerous situations they may face.

On a different level, the tribute to Sito in Star Trek: Lower Decks is a tribute to the influence of her final episode in Star Trek: The Next Generation. Lt. Bradward Boimler can be seen as a less confident version of TNG's Ensign Sam Lavelle, who was eager for promotions. There are similarities between Sito Jaxa, who fearlessly challenged Worf and Picard, and Beckett Mariner, who also speaks out against injustice among her senior officers. Mariner's references to Sito and the return of Nick Locarno suggest that the season 4 finale of Lower Decks could bring together both generations of Lower Deckers.

Will Star Trek: Lower Decks Resurrect Ensign Sito?

In soap operas and long-running science fiction franchises, there is an unwritten rule that a character is not truly considered dead unless a body has been found. In the episode "Lower Decks" of Star Trek: The Next Generation, only the wreckage of Sito Jaxa's escape capsule was discovered by the Enterprise. The Cardassian Union later issued a report claiming that Sito Jaxa, a Bajoran terrorist, was killed while trying to escape capture. However, the Cardassians in Star Trek are not known for their trustworthiness, so it is possible that they actually captured Sito Jaxa. In a previous episode, "The Inner Fight," it was mentioned that Thomas Riker (Jonathan Frakes) is now a civilian after being held in a Cardassian jail.

Therefore, it is possible that the Cardassians refused to believe that Sito Jaxa was a Starfleet officer and instead imprisoned her as the terrorist she was pretending to be. This would explain why Mariner has not heard about her release, along with Thomas Riker. If she was "abandoned" by the Enterprise, she may have aligned herself with Nick Locarno as well. Showrunner Michael Piller had intended to bring Sito back from the dead in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine by revealing that she was held in a Cardassian prison. Although this storyline was never aired, it is possible that the season 4 finale of Star Trek: Lower Decks could finally fulfill Piller's aspirations for the beloved character.

Star Trek: Lower Decks' season 4 finale streams Thursday November 2nd on Paramount+.