The Outrageous Okona (Billy Campbell) returns in an episode of Star Trek: Prodigy that sees the Protostar crew making a deal at the proverbial crossroads. Season 1 episode 14, “Crossroads,” was written by Lisa Schultz Boyd and directed by Steve In Chang Ahn and Sun Shin.
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In the sick bay of the Dauntless, Ensign Asencia (Jameela Jamil) helps The Diviner (John Noble) with physical therapy. The Diviner laments the loss of his memory, but Asencia offers him encouraging words.
“There’s no obstacle that can stop you,” says Asencia. “No barrier I can’t overcome,” answers The Diviner. “You remember something,” gasps Asencia.
That’s when Vice Admiral Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) arrives to check on The Diviner’s progress. He is apologetic that he has no recovered memories to offer. Janeway shares with him that they have a new lead, a survivor of the attack on CR-721 (in “Asylum”). She assures The Diviner they will find his daughter. This spurs another memory: The Diviner recalls his progeny’s name is Gwyndala.
The Fellowship of the Protostar
Protostar Captain’s Log, Stardate 61302.7. Captain Dal R’el (Brett Gray) explains that while the crew of the Protostar wants to go to Starfleet, the ship contains a weapon (the “living construct”) that will turn Federation ships against themselves. He and Gwyn (Ella Purnell) stand on a snowbank above a hole where the Protostar has been stashed.
Inside the ship, Jankom Pog (Jason Mantzoukas) frowns as he scans the weapon with a tricorder. Rok-Tahk (Rylee Alazraqui) picks up the noisy cocoon containing Murf (Dee Bradley Baker) and stashes him in a carrier.
Soon Dal, Gwyn, Jankom, Rok, Murf, and Zero (Angus Imrie) are standing near the exit of the Protostar and bidding farewell to Hologram Janeway. Janeway tells them that they should just say “until we meet again.” Then she assures Rok that she won’t be lonely, since no matter how long her system is shut down, it will seem like the passing of a nanosecond to her.
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She embraces Rok and tells her to pass her big expectations along to Murf once he hatches. Hologram Janeway suggests they look up the real Janeway if they ever get in a pinch.
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The crew exits the ship. From a safe vantage, Dal uses his phaser to trigger an avalanche. It buries the Protostar under snow. Gwyn assures Rok that Hologram Janeway will be okay. But Jankom says he won’t be. “Tellarite royalty” can’t travel on anything slower than Warp 5.
Rok identifies some dark nimbostratus clouds as a sign of an incoming storm and urges the crew to get a move on. Soon the fellowship of the Protostar is en route by foot to the nearby depot.
The Depot
They arrive at the transportation hub. Gwyn notes that it’s a haven for smugglers and those hoping to disappear. Jankom is unimpressed, saying it’s a junkyard.
That’s when they’re approached by Captain Okona. He calls them a “colorful gang” and asks what they might have to trade in exchange for passage. Dal says they can do better, but Gwyn asks how fast his ship goes. Okona says Warp 4, eliciting the mockery of Jankom.
Nevertheless, Okona agrees to take them where they need to go for a few milliliters of deuterium. Zero says he drives a hard bargain, but notes they are desperate.
“I don’t usually negotiate with mind readers, but fine – “ begins Okona. He’s interrupted by a klaxon. The group is approached by a pair of Xindi security officers who draw phasers and accuse him of smuggling illegal contraband.
Xindi patrol!
They reveal a pile of devices inside a crate, which Okona claims aren’t his. The Xindi guard who isn’t leading Okona away asks the Protostar crew if they’re with Okona. They disavow him and swiftly depart.
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As they head off in further search of a ride, an announcement states that all vehicles are grounded due to the blizzard. Jankom says Rok told them they had time. Rok says meteorology isn’t an exact science.
Dal suggests they split up and search for a ride, but cautions them that they don’t know who they’ll run into.
Frex Hunt
Elsewhere, Barniss Frex (Eric Bauza) is enjoying a drink as he recounts the events of “Asylum.” He further explains that his escape pod was picked up by a “friendly” Orion crew. His communicator is sending an alert, but he’s oblivious.
And in another part of the depot, an away team consisting of Vice Admiral Janeway, Ascencia, Doctor Noum (Jason Alexander), and Commander Tysess (Daveed Diggs) beams in. Tysess asserts that Frex is present, but isn’t answering his communicator. Janeway orders the team to split up and locate Frex, their eyewitness.
Tysess passes Rok. She is asking everyone for a ride. He ignores her. When she asks a masked figure holding one of the devices from Okona’s crate, the stranger flees. Rok assumes it’s because of her appearance.
Tellarite encounter.
Meanwhile, Jankom encounters Noum. He is excited to meet a fellow Tellarite. Jankom recognizes he’s Starfleet, and asserts Tellarites are practically royalty. Noum says that “Pog” is a name they reserve “for runts, short in size and vocabulary.” He excuses himself on official business.
Jankom is left offended. This is exacerbated when a stranger confuses him for a lost child.
Gwyn approaches a Klingon Captain who is working on his ship. The Klingon asks what she has to offer him. He eyes her heirloom. She says it isn’t for trade and he threatens to take it.
Ascencia intervenes. Gwyn recognizes her as Starfleet and introduces herself. Ascencia recognizes the name and tells her that The Diviner is on the Dauntless. Then she tries to get Gwyn to tell her where the Protostar is located.
Gwyn flees, disappearing into the depot crowd.
Generations
Elsewhere, Dal literally bumps into Janeway. He recognizes her immediately. Janeway asks if she can help him. He’s starstruck. He asks if she’s ever wanted something so bad, she was afraid to act because she would mess it up. She tells him, “Often. But fear of failure has killed more dreams than anything else, so I usually go for it.”
Janeway asks him if he wants to join Starfleet, and he says “yes, but.” Janeway tells him that in Starfleet there’s “no buts. You make it so.” Dal asks, “What if it’s a big ‘but’?” However, they are interrupted by Tysess. He’s located Frex.
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Seeing Frex, Dal hides beneath his jacket hood so he won’t be recognized and slinks away. Janeway asks Dal to excuse them, oblivious to Dal’s plight. Dal collides with Noum before hiding behind a crate and dropping eaves.
Frex tells Janeway, Tysess, and Noum that a team of six ruthless savages dressed like Starfleet destroyed CR-721. Janeway asks how a science vessel destroyed a station. Frex says they had some kind of tech that turned the systems against themselves.
“Maybe they had good intentions,” calls Dal from behind the crate. Janeway says she doubts any good intentions had been at play in Chakotay’s disappearance. She asks Frex to describe the “savages” and he does so.
His description of Dal makes Janeway realize she had just been talking to him. “They’re here,” she states just as Ascencia returns.
Janeway’s away team spots the Protostar crew as they flee. She chides Frex for neglecting to mention that they were kids. Frex shrugs. Janeway contacts security and asks for all exits to be sealed.
Flight & Fight
Gwyn says Zero told her that The Diviner was no longer a threat. Zero states that he shouldn’t have been. He was imprisoned on Tars Lamora without a means of escape (in “A Moral Star Part 2”). Dal informs them that they believe they destroyed CR-721 and kidnapped Chakotay, a close personal friend of the Vice Admiral.
Rok is incredulous that they all spoke with Starfleet but no one mentioned the weapon.
The Protostar crew is spotted by the Xindi. They can’t risk the Protostar being located by Starfleet or the living construct would destroy them. The crew hops in a hover vehicle and flees from the guards, vowing to lose their pursuers before reaching the Protostar.
Burning ions.
“Let’s burn ions,” says Dal.
While they manage to escape the depot structure, they are pursued by a trio of Xindi hovercraft. Meanwhile, Murf’s about to hatch. Rok hurls a crate at one of the hovercraft, which hits a rock surface and explodes.
When Zero pulls a crate to throw, Okona is revealed to have stowed away on the same craft.
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Phaser fire from the two remaining Xindi craft causes an avalanche. Okona says he hasn’t seen the Xindi this “spicy” since his last “dash to the Neutral Zone.” Okona opens a crate to reveal some chlorine trifluoride propulsion. He notes it’s illegal in most of the galaxy, but will give them “one heck of an exothermic kick.” Jankom says, “this guy gets it.”
A giggling Jankom inserts the rocket fuel. The ensuing burst of speed gets them ahead of the avalanche and away from the Xindi.
Home, Home Again
The crew (and Okona) arrive back at the Protostar. Hologram Janeway warmly greets them but the kids don’t have good news.
Outside, the Xindi have tracked the hovercraft but can’t find the kids. Janeway and her away team have arrived as well. The ice below the Xindi breaks and sends them scattering. The Protostar emerges and heads away from the planet. Vice Admiral Janeway contacts the Dauntless and orders them to beam them up.
On the bridge of the Protostar, Rok is excited about Murf’s cocoon. Before the Protostar can activate its protodrive, the Dauntless looms large in the viewscreen. Hologram Janeway asks what they did while she was sleeping. Okona says they’re in more trouble than him.
Run, Protostar, Run!
The Protostar flees, and the Dauntless follows.
Ship vs. Ship
The Protostar is traveling at Warp 9.97, but the Dauntless is keeping pace. Jankom tells Okona to hold on to his butt.
Dauntless attempts to open communication. However, to answer would cause the Protostar’s weapon to corrupt the Dauntless computers, causing it to destroy itself. Dal asks Jankom how the protojump is coming along. Jankom says to shut up while he’s trying to work.
On the Dauntless, The Diviner recognizes the Protostar. Gwyn notes that failing to answer will make them appear hostile. Dal says that answering will cause the weapon to make them much more hostile.
The Vice Admiral at work.
Okona comments on a hostile odor. Rok realizes that Murf’s cocoon hatched. Everyone begins searching the bridge for Murf. Jankom locates him. He’s completed his metamorphosis. Instead of a slug, he now has arms, legs, and a head topped with a little dongle. He approaches Rok and she lifts him, calling him a cutie.
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Murf jumps on a console and launches a torpedo at the Dauntless. Janeway says to stand by to return fire. The Diviner protests but Janeway explains she’s targeting the Protostar’s third nacelle. “Cripple them,” she orders.
Murf’s new form!
A Heart Full of Neutrality
Before the Protostar can make the protojump, the Dauntless hits the third nacelle. The Protostar falls out of warp. Okona asks how far to the Neutral Zone. Hologram Janeway says a Federation ship can’t go to the Neutral Zone. It’s the only buffer between the Federation and the Romulan Empire.
Okona suggests re-modulating their shields in order to hide from Romulan sensors. Plus, the Dauntless can’t follow them into the Neutral Zone.
“What is it that makes a man turn Neutral?”
Nevertheless, Vice Admiral Janeway orders the Dauntless to pursue them. Tysess protests that this could start a war. Janeway counters the Romulans can’t get Protostar’s technology. Tysess says she’s being guided by her emotions for Chakotay. He declines to fulfill Janeway’s orders to enter the Neutral Zone.
The Dauntless is hailed. Three Romulan D’deridex-class warbirds de-cloak. A Romulan Commander warns Janeway that to enter the Neutral Zone would be an act of war.
RELATED: Read all of our recaps of Star Trek: Prodigy!
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