Unveiling Star Trek's Enigmatic New Nemesis: 8 Thrilling Possibilities

Summary

A powerful new enemy with the ability to power down starships is introduced in Star Trek: Lower Decks season 4, raising questions about their identity and motives.

The potential culprits behind the unidentified assailant are the Breen, Section 31, Badgey, the Drookmani, and the Pakleds, all possessing their own motives and abilities.

The chance of establishing First Contact with an unfamiliar extraterrestrial menace holds a possibility for the USS Cerritos crew to gain recognition and advancements within Starfleet.

WARNING: Spoilers ahead for Star Trek: Lower Decks season 4, episodes 1 & 2. In the latest season of Star Trek: Lower Decks, a formidable adversary has emerged, possibly an old nemesis armed with advanced technology. The trailer for season 4 hints at Starfleet's investigation into this enigmatic enemy, and the USS Cerritos is finally brought in to assist. With most of the lower-ranking crew members promoted to Lieutenant Junior Grade, their success in defeating this new threat may earn them further recognition within the Federation.

Little information exists regarding the identity of this mysterious assailant. Their unique ability to disable starships and the presence of a lone occupant in each vessel with unidentifiable life signs suggests a fresh antagonist. Nevertheless, the conclusion of Star Trek: Lower Decks season 3 presents several potential culprits who may have acquired new weaponry. As season 4 progresses, the USS Cerritos will confront this imminent danger, making it crucial for them to compile a comprehensive list of suspects and be prepared for the impending confrontation.

8 The Breen

7 Section 31

The Breen's display of immense power in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, wherein they easily disabled several Starfleet vessels and caused the demise of the original USS Defiant, firmly established them as a formidable species. Recently, in the penultimate episode of Star Trek: Lower Decks season 3, the Cerritos away team uncovered their presence on the planet Brekka. Should the Breen continue expanding throughout the Delos system, it is reasonable to assume that their new ship serves as an indicator of their ambitions to extend into Federation territories.

Section 31's return is teased in Star Trek: Lower Decks season 3, as Lieutenant Junior Grade William Boimler is recruited by the covert organization. This implies that Section 31 may be responsible for the attacks in the premiere of Lower Decks season 4. Given their mission to safeguard the Federation at all costs, it is logical for them to test a new weapon against former adversaries like the Klingons and Romulans. If Section 31 is indeed behind the attacks, it sets the stage for a future confrontation between the two Boimlers in the show.

6 Badgey

Like William Boimler, the return of Badgey (Jack McBrayer) was hinted at in the third season of Star Trek: Lower Decks. It is possible that the same ship which rescued Badgey from the wreckage of the Battle of Kalla is now targeting Klingons and Romulans. The deranged hologram still seeks revenge against his "father", Ensign Sam Rutherford (Eugene Cordero), and the appearance of an unidentified attacking vessel would surely capture his attention. It would be a relief if this menacing new adversary solely sought retribution against Rutherford, rather than the annihilation of multiple species.

5 Drookmani

In a previous episode of Star Trek: Lower Decks season 3, the Drookmani discovered the abandoned Peanut Hamper (Kether Donohue) amidst the wreckage of the Battle of Kalla. Being a species of scavengers with a culture centered around claiming salvaged items, it is logical for them to devise a weapon capable of exponentially increasing their supply of starship debris. Considering the close proximity of Badgey and Peanut Hamper's disappearance, it is conceivable that the Drookmani have also managed to capture Rutherford's malevolent holographic offspring. In such a scenario, it is highly probable that the Drookmani's abundant intellect has successfully transformed their salvaged goods into a perilous weapon.

4 Pakleds

3 Peanut Hamper & AGIMUS

: If Star Trek: Lower Decks presents a formidable antagonist, it is undoubtedly the Pakleds. Their recurring disruptions have consistently plagued the crew of the USS Cerritos. In their most recent encounter, they cunningly framed Captain Carol Freeman (Dawnn Lewis) for the obliteration of the Pakled Planet. While some might question the Pakleds' capacity to construct such a devastating weapon, it would be entirely plausible for them to have procured it through theft. Known for their notorious thievery and aggressive tactics, it wouldn't come as a surprise if they were the masterminds behind the latest onslaught. Additionally, the intriguing aspect lies in the resemblance between the two attacks witnessed thus far and the events depicted in the Lower Decks episode "wej Duj." This particular episode directed attention towards various Lower Decks crew members from different corners of the vast Star Trek universe, such as the Vulcan T'Lyn (Gabrielle Ruiz), as they embarked on an investigation of a novel Pakled weapon.

Peanut Hamper, Starfleet's most notorious traitor, was held captive in the highly secure Self-Aware Megalomaniacal Computer Storage facility of the Daystrom Institute. During her imprisonment, she formed a connection with AGIMUS (Jeffrey Combs), who proposed a sinister alliance. With the combined brilliance of two megalomaniacal computers, they could potentially create a formidable weapon capable of confronting both Klingons and Romulans, provided they could find a way to escape undetected from Daystrom. Their biggest challenge would be devising an escape plan without alerting the authorities. However, being surrounded by numerous malevolent computers from the Star Trek universe, they might have been able to pool their resources and execute a daring breakout.

2 Admiral Buenamigo

Although Admiral Les Buenamigo (Carlos Alazraqui) appeared to have been killed off in the season 3 finale, death does not pose a significant obstacle in Star Trek: Lower Decks. Therefore, there is a possibility that Buenamigo could make a comeback. After his plans for the A.I. piloted Texas-class starships failed, it is plausible that Buenamigo has gone rogue and constructed an alternative ship. The attacking vessel's silence suggests that it could potentially be a machine lacking the ability or interest to communicate with organic life. However, there is one hurdle to consider: Buenamigo's ships were previously connected to Starfleet systems. Nonetheless, it is conceivable that he may have discovered a means to weaponize that technology against former Federation adversaries as well.

1 A Brand New Star Trek Villain

The new antagonist in Star Trek: Lower Decks season 4 might very well be a fresh and formidable menace to the Federation and its allies. The vessel's design is unlike anything seen before, although its upper section vaguely reminiscent of a Bajoran orb ark from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Notably, the Klingons fail to identify its life forms, indicating that this adversary is either entirely new to Federation records or has never crossed paths with Klingons or Romulans. This development implies that Lower Decks might be introducing an entirely novel extraterrestrial entity into the Star Trek universe.

The crew of the USS Cerritos would find it satisfying to establish First Contact with a fresh extraterrestrial danger. The season 4 trailers indicate that Starfleet will begin treating the Cerritos with deference, which appears to be connected to the enigmatic peril faced by other alien vessels. Since the Cerritos typically engages in Second Contact missions and provides resources to Federation colonies, a confrontation with a formidable new adversary could serve as a notable advancement for Star Trek: Lower Decks, aligning with the experiences of its main characters.

Catch the streaming of Star Trek: Lower Decks season 4 on Paramount+ every Thursday.