IDW released a first look at Star Trek: Lower Decks #11 with League of Comic Geeks, which will be written by Tim Sheridan and drawn by Philip Murphy. The solicitation for the issue reads as follows:
Sqeak, squaw, sssskkkaaa, eh, eee.
[Translation: Cetacean Ops here! Matt and I have brought the crew of the U.S.S. Cerritos back to the year 1987 for a top-secret mission of great import.]
HHHkkkeeeeee, ska, ska, EeeEEAaa. Squaw, squaw. *Click, cliiiiick*
[Translation: That’s right, Kimolu. We need their help to fix what that blowhole Kirk messed up by bringing the whales George, Gracie, and Ronald to Earth without a way for them to repopulate its oceans. What was Ronald supposed to do, have babies with his mother?]
Skkkesaw. Eehhh, ee, ee, AaaaaAa. AH, AH, EeeEE! Sqqqqaw.
[Translation: But the remaining humpbacks have all heard freaky conspiracy theories about what happened to the last pod who went to Earth. To save the species, the Lower Deckers will have to dissuade them of the rumors and convince them Earth is worth inhabiting. Ah-yikes.]
This issue kicks off the penultimate arc of this season’s run, so be sure to order whale ahead of time!
Star Trek: Lower Decks #11 follows Matt and Kimolu, the two members of Cetacean Ops posted to the Cerritos as they travel through time.
Cetacean Opps Went From an In-Joke to Part of Star Trek Canon
Star Trek: Lower Decks Canonized Cetacean Opps
Cetacean Ops began as a throwaway reference in one of Star Trek: The Next Generation’s best episodes. In season three’s “Yesterday’s Enterprise,” a crewmember was directed to report to “Cetacean Ops.” It was never mentioned on the show again, leaving fans wondering if dolphins really served aboard the Enterprise.
Cetacean Ops were from there mentioned in works whose relationship to canon was questionable. A reference book, comprising blueprints of the Enterprise NCC-1701-D, name-checked Cetacean Ops again. According to the book, Cetacean Ops assisted in navigating starships. It was an undeniably cool concept, but it would have to wait until Star Trek: Lower Decks before it could join canon.
Cetacean Ops Keeps With Star Trek Creator Gene Roddenberry's Vision of the Future
The Cetaceans Are Crucial to a Functioning Starship
The existence of Cetacean Ops also keeps in line with Star Trek’s moral and ethical standards. Starfleet recognizes the value in all life, not just that which walks upright. Dolphins, whales and porpoises are, along with humans, some of the smartest creatures on Earth. Their intelligence allows them to serve vital roles on starships.
Despite Being Canonized, Star Trek's Cetacean Ops Remains a Mystery
Star Trek: Lower Decks Ended Before A Cetacean Ops Episode Could Air
Even though Star Trek: Lower Decks officially canonized Cetacean Ops, much about it remains a mystery, such as how its operatives are trained. How much issue 11 of Lower Decks will reveal remains to be seen, but the entire story is structured around Matt and Kimolu. Lower Decks ended before the pair could receive any further development.
Now, Tim Sheridan and Philip Murphy are teaming to reveal more about one of Starfleet’s most enigmatic branches. Cetacean Ops is a forward-thinking idea that deserves further exploration. Fans waited 30 years to see Cetacean Opps in Star Trek canon, and Lower Decks #11 will do what the show could not.
