Paramount+’s Star Trek saga keeps growing, with two flagship series unfolding centuries apart yet sharing a surprising link. Star Trek: Starfleet Academy takes place in 3191, continuing from Discovery’s latest arc, while Strange New Worlds mainly tracks events around 2261.
Set against a backdrop spanning a thousand years of Starfleet history, the cadets in Starfleet Academy study a heritage that includes the voyages of the original Enterprise. Yet a common thread runs through both shows: a living connection to Lanthanites.
A captain who is half-Lanthanite
The captain of Starfleet Academy, Nahla Ake, is described as half-Lanthanite and about 420 years old. This lineage links her to Pelia, the Enterprise chief engineer in Strange New Worlds, who is revealed to be a Lanthanite with millennia behind her. TrekCulture’s coverage confirms Ake’s age and heritage in its interview.
As Pelia’s backstory unfolds in Strange New Worlds, she’s shown to be about 5,000 years old and to have spent long stretches on Earth. Her longevity raises the possibility that the two Lanthanites could intersect in a future Starfleet tale, should the timeline permit a crossover.
Studio chatter hints that Pelia might appear in Starfleet Academy, though there are no confirmed plans for a guest turn by Carol Kane. If she does cross into the 32nd century, Pelia’s age would push toward six millennia, a bridge between the two shows’ eras.
Lanthanites are a newly minted piece of Star Trek lore introduced with Pelia’s character. Nahla Ake’s presence in Starfleet Academy invites a potential meeting between these two long-lived figures, a dream for fans hoping to see Hunter and Kane onscreen together.
The crossover appeal would be a splashy moment for the franchise, but for now, Starfleet Academy and Strange New Worlds remain distinct chapters that fans can savor as they await the next leap in the 32nd century.
Source: Original article
