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rewatching "Lower Decks" and knowing the end in advance

After strangling back a plethora of insulting remarks, I will simply say... NO. They were most assuredly not. :mad:

Nova Squadron are SCUM who betrayed the ideal of Star Fleet.

There could have been a Fleet-wide conspiracy to put these people on a shit list, and grind them until they resign, or they could have been on a kill list, that when it came time to stock a duty roster for a suicide mission, these buggers were first up to bat, until they were all gone.

But she was cute, and it was sad.

In my head-canon Jaxa is sharing a cell with Thomas Riker, and they spend all day having platonic push up competitions, sweating buckets though their only set of clothes.
 
so glad to read those.


They were most assuredly not. :mad:

I am not most assured. I am not even assured.

Jean-Luc and co. made sure at every corner to manipulate her into willing accept the suicide mission. They never even mentioned a Plan B. Worf probably was just in it so he could see that she died with honor.

In my head-canon Jaxa is sharing a cell with Thomas Riker, and they spend all day having platonic push up competitions, sweating buckets though their only set of clothes.

This is gold. Better than both slowly dissipating clouds of carbon atoms drifting through Cardassian space.
 
Anyone on the ship, except maybe Data, could have been surgically altered to seem Bajoran, and taken on this very important mission, rather the leaving it on the hands of a novice.

Data, with a new head, after completing the mission, could have faked his death or clevery escaped, or just started Killing Cardassians until there were none left.

That makes far more sense.
 
I'm still going with the episode as written. Interesting hypothesis, maybe a little hard to disprove, but I think the Enterprise crew are better than that.
 
Anyone on the ship, except maybe Data, could have been surgically altered to seem Bajoran, and taken on this very important mission, rather the leaving it on the hands of a novice.

Data, with a new head, after completing the mission, could have faked his death or clevery escaped, or just started Killing Cardassians until there were none left.

That makes far more sense.

The only problem is, to be convincing in the role required, I found Jaxa's involvement for such a crucial mission to be far more convincing than, say, Troi after being hauled off and made to look like a Tal Shiar officer without any backdrop given, save for a guy whose coaching ability is just about impressively poor. Most importantly, Jaxa's role was more strategic than the vain ego-driven potshots made by the crew of "Valiant" (DS9).

At one point, I felt the same way as @Shat Happens - another perception could induce an idea that isn't there that may fit the facts but not be the real reason. TNG has gone out of its way for lots of other characters despite it all and even Picard is more than a haughty caricature. IMHO, the reality is that few individuals could even begin to do convincingly what Jaxa attempted and the script mentions her background to give it some gravitas:

SITO: I'm Bajoran. No one knows better than I do what Cardassians do to their prisoners.​

That's along with other bits of dialogue sprinkled throughout, and a couple rewatches later and I changed my tune. Indeed, nobody on the good ship Enterprise, save for Picard, would begin to succeed at this mission - and this is the one time when they're not going to let Picard beam on down. Perhaps Jaxa had a little bit of ego as part of it all, but she's given the most character depth for the situation she's being asked to do. Not forced, there's zero sign of adverse repercussions (unlike Ro, who'd be the only other candidate I could think of who'd have any chance of succeeding. )

Jaxa was one hell of a hero, IMHO. No stupid risks like the crew of "Valiant" (another episode I love), no contrived winging-the-fish-out-of-water like Troi.
 
It took me forever to understand this thread. I was thinking of Lower Decks S4, and what they have done with nova squadron, now that i "know the ending" to the season. lmfao.
 
Nova Squadron are SCUM who betrayed the ideal of Star Fleet.

There could have been a Fleet-wide conspiracy to put these people on a shit list, and grind them until they resign, or they could have been on a kill list, that when it came time to stock a duty roster for a suicide mission, these buggers were first up to bat, until they were all gone.

But she was cute, and it was sad.

In my head-canon Jaxa is sharing a cell with Thomas Riker, and they spend all day having platonic push up competitions, sweating buckets though their only set of clothes.

Nova Squadren and Red Squad both betrayed Star Fleet. It's interesting they went easy on both groups.
 
Nova Squadren and Red Squad both betrayed Star Fleet. It's interesting they went easy on both groups.

Nova did it for their ego-stroking only. Red was also doing it because of a mortal enemy but with an added bonus... two if they survived and the makeshift captain could stop overdoing the antianxiety meds to compensate.
 
I'm going to say that the entire premise of this thread and any pursuant comments that run with it don't track at all imho.
 
Picard said something about stringing up her corpse on the front of the ship as a warning to all cadets that dumb shit won't fly in Starfleet. He also made Nick Locarno change his name and exiled him to the Delta Quadrant, and forced Wesley to turn into an angel.
 
The only problem is, to be convincing in the role required, I found Jaxa's involvement for such a crucial mission to be far more convincing than, say, Troi after being hauled off and made to look like a Tal Shiar officer without any backdrop given, save for a guy whose coaching ability is just about impressively poor. Most importantly, Jaxa's role was more strategic than the vain ego-driven potshots made by the crew of "Valiant" (DS9).

At one point, I felt the same way as @Shat Happens - another perception could induce an idea that isn't there that may fit the facts but not be the real reason. TNG has gone out of its way for lots of other characters despite it all and even Picard is more than a haughty caricature. IMHO, the reality is that few individuals could even begin to do convincingly what Jaxa attempted and the script mentions her background to give it some gravitas:

SITO: I'm Bajoran. No one knows better than I do what Cardassians do to their prisoners.​

That's along with other bits of dialogue sprinkled throughout, and a couple rewatches later and I changed my tune. Indeed, nobody on the good ship Enterprise, save for Picard, would begin to succeed at this mission - and this is the one time when they're not going to let Picard beam on down. Perhaps Jaxa had a little bit of ego as part of it all, but she's given the most character depth for the situation she's being asked to do. Not forced, there's zero sign of adverse repercussions (unlike Ro, who'd be the only other candidate I could think of who'd have any chance of succeeding. )

Jaxa was one hell of a hero, IMHO. No stupid risks like the crew of "Valiant" (another episode I love), no contrived winging-the-fish-out-of-water like Troi.

This seems like what you'd always need a Bajoran Starfleet Officer for, to send them behind enemy lines as a slave, to be abused and murdered. Same thing almost happened to Ro, almost, but how many Bajoran officers are going to be sent behind enemy lines to be abused and murdered, until the number of Bajoran Officers sent behind enemy lines to be abused and murdered seems a bit high, or maybe even all of them?

Imagine the last Bajoran in Stafleet, of the hundreds of Bajoran that had Joined Starfleet, being ordered to go behind enemy lines as a slave to abused and murdered, asking "Where are all my friends and family that went on this exact same mission?"

Talk about disposable people.
 
Picard: "To all Starfleet personnel: this is the captain.
Today, I address you with a grim truth: Ensign Sito Jaxa has paid the price for disobedience. Her demise serves as a clear warning—defiance will not be tolerated.

Let this be etched in your minds: in this universe, obedience is not just a virtue; it is an absolute necessity. Those who challenge my authority will face consequences as severe as Ensign Jaxa.

As we move forward, remember her fate. Loyalty and submission to my will are non-negotiable. Disobedience will be met with unforgiving justice."

Troi: Captain, you cannot post that

Picard: Very well counselor, how about "this is the captain. It is my sad duty to inform you that a member of the crew, Ensign Sito Jaxa has been lost in the line of duty. She was the finest example of a Starfleet officer and a young woman of remarkable courage and strength of character. Her loss will be deeply felt by all who knew her. Picard out."

edit: chatGPT wrote that above
 
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After 7 years, literally the only eulogy I ever heard announced ship-wide like that. Either he had a special interest in that girl, or a particular disinterest in all the other corpses he'd commanded, OR... He felt especially guilty about this one
 
Picard: "To all Starfleet personnel: this is the captain.
Today, I address you with a grim truth: Ensign Sito Jaxa has paid the price for disobedience. Her demise serves as a clear warning—defiance will not be tolerated.

Let this be etched in your minds: in this universe, obedience is not just a virtue; it is an absolute necessity. Those who challenge my authority will face consequences as severe as Ensign Jaxa.

As we move forward, remember her fate. Loyalty and submission to my will are non-negotiable. Disobedience will be met with unforgiving justice."

Troi: Captain, you cannot post that

Picard: Very well counselor, how about "this is the captain. It is my sad duty to inform you that a member of the crew, Ensign Sito Jaxa has been lost in the line of duty. She was the finest example of a Starfleet officer and a young woman of remarkable courage and strength of character. Her loss will be deeply felt by all who knew her. Picard out."

I could have seen that first version as the Mirror Universe speech, though. (If it weren't for the small detail that DS9 establishes in the Mirror Universe Earth has been defeated).
 
I could have seen that first version as the Mirror Universe speech, though. (If it weren't for the small detail that DS9 establishes in the Mirror Universe Earth has been defeated).
yeh that was chat gpt when I told it Picard is evil
 
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