The Admiral’s Log: My Journey Through ‘Star Trek Online’ – Part L

Written by John Edward Betancourt 

A Recap of ‘Beneath the Skin’ and a Thank You

​You know, I have to admit that it took me a long time to get started on this particular entry in The Admiral’s Log, simply because the number entry in said log gave me pause. Because this is Part 50, my nerdy friends, and seeing that number allowed for it to dawn on me that I’ve been writing these little vignettes for roughly a year now and that’s, pretty damn cool to say the least. Because I honestly never expected this series to last as long as it has, I thought I would recap my journey through Star Trek Online and find a nice stopping point and move along to another topic. But as we dove deeper into the various places and stories present in this game, I came to realize that I simply couldn’t walk away from this blog with any ease.
 
That’s because there’s still so much to see and do in this game since the folks who designed it gave us so much to explore and interact with and also because, this journey is now in my blood. That’s thanks in large part to your wonderful response to this blog, dear reader, but also because damnit, it is an outright joy to geek out about being able to traverse the stars that populate my favorite science fiction franchise, and because of that, I’m eager to keep going for as long as you’ll read this. But more importantly, the game also makes it supremely difficult to come to a conclusion because this adventure through the galaxy is always offering up new surprises and new stories and that’s really the point of today’s blog, new adventures.
 
Because Tuesday saw the launch of Awakening, the next chapter in the Discovery crossover. Which will finally bring the battle with J’Ula and her rogue forces to a conclusion and as is always the case when a new chapter in STO launches; I practically ran to my couch the instant it was live to fire it up and boy was that six gigabyte update worth the wait. For another Star Trek: Discovery alum is present in this particular arc since the story uses holographic technology to resurrect Lieutenant Commander Paul Stamets of the U.S.S. Discovery and his arrival in this arc adds some phenomenal depth to ‘Beneath the Skin’ since his experiences in the Mycelial Network are paramount to the story.
 
For we quickly come to learn that J’Ula is working to weaponize said network and use it to destroy the Federation one planet at a time and the reveal of those plans led to some quality storytelling for certain. Because it was a jaw dropping sight to drop out of warp at Andoria and see her forces attacking a Federation world, since that’s something that really never happens outside of wartime. But it speaks to her cunning nature and her ruthlessness since all bets are off with J’Ula, and the fact that we get to venture into the Mycelial Network because of her actions is quite the treat when all is said and done since this is a beautiful but dangerous place, and it was definitely full of surprises.
 
Because I wasn’t expecting the network to take the form of Amna Patel, who passed away in ‘Impossibility of Reason’ a little while back, but it did so, all in the hopes of creating a bridge between the 23rd and 25th centuries and this little twist worked well here. But outside of all of that, there’s one man that steals the show in this opening chapter and that’s actor Anthony Rapp. For his portrayal of a holographically resurrected Paul Stamets is an utter delight. Because he is able to add an unexpected depth to this hybrid character since Stamets is vastly different before getting his memories back and that’s just a lovely touch to throw into the game. Plus, the cinematics here are simply top notch, making the mission feel at times like an episode of the series is playing out right before your eyes.
 
So, when you take those elements, and throw in an epic space battle that involves the Enterprise, you’re left with one wonderful opening chapter to this new story arc and already I’m eager to see where it is headed since this ‘season premiere’ was pretty amazing in its own right and this is a story I’ve been quite excited to see come to its logical conclusion. Which means we will be spending quite some time talking about Awakening in the weeks to come and once again, I cannot thank you all enough for supporting this ultra-nerdy journey through the stars for this long and I am beyond excited to have you along for the ride as the voyages of the U.S.S. Galactica continue. Until next time. 

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