It has been nearly 9 years since a Star Trek film has graced the silver screen. The upcoming Star Trek: Section 31 movie event will stream on Paramount + on Friday, January 24, 2025. While this niche topic has entered both prime and alternative timelines since Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, this upcoming feature has left some fans wondering – what is Section 31?
Back to the Future
Humanity’s history is full of groups of people lead by leaders and governments of every variety. No matter how righteous or corrupt, they all had something in common – the need of a secret service, or a group who quietly protects against the most severe of threats. It could be said that these groups are the most vulnerable to exposure during wartime, when the threat is the highest. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine showed us war in the 24th century for the first time. Consequentially, we learn of Starfleet’s own futuristic secret service – Section 31.
“We, the intelligent lifeforms of the United Federation of Planets, determined to save succeeding generations from the scourge of intergalactic war which has brought untold horror and suffering to our planetary social systems, and to reaffirm faith in the fundamental intelligent lifeform rights, in the dignity and worth of the intelligent lifeform person, to the equal rights of male and female and of planetary social systems large and small, and to establish conditions under which justice and mutual respect for the obligations arising from treaties and other sources of interplanetary law can be maintained, and to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom…” – Preamble from the Charter of the United Federation of Planets. (The starfleet technical manual, by: Franz Joseph)
The Charter of the United Federation of Planets promotes righteousness and dignity. Starfleet, being tasked as the peacekeepers of the galaxy while following a specific set of rules preventing interference with other cultures. What happens though when there is a severe threat to the Federation that cannot be handled adequately within these rules?
Article 14, Section 31 allows for extraordinary measures to be taken in times of extreme threat. This is similar to the present day United States Code 50 USC 1701: Unusual and extraordinary threat; declaration of national emergency; exercise of Presidential authorities. Similar articles exist within the United Nations, and most governing bodies.
In Star Trek’s enlightened future of humanity, why would Section 31 be needed?
Director Sloan
We first learn of Section 31, meeting Director Luther Sloan (William Sadler) – Starfleet’s first-seen man-in-black, in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Not much is known of Mr. Sloan – as it should be with any good secret operative. After forcibly recruiting Dr. Julian Bashir (Alexander Siddig), we discover that Sloan is the department’s director. Who better a director during wartime than someone who stops at nothing to ensure the security of the United Federation of Planets?
With evolved civilizations come evolved ideals – both good and bad. Star Trek‘s future shows us that there will always be groups who pursue power and authority through any means necessary. There will always be the superior versus the inferior and the fight for equality and freedom.
“Every other great power has a unit like Section 31 – the Romulans have the Tal Shiar, the Cardassians had the Obsidian Order…” – Odo (Rene Auberjonois)
Arguably, the Alpha Quadrant’s war with the Dominion is one that couldn’t be won. The odds were not in Starfleet’s favor, compared to the strength of the Dominion-Cardassian fleet. Section 31 interjected, in an act of sheer genocide against the Founders. However immoral, it acted as a weakening force that helped secure Starfleet’s victory.
Faith of the Heart and Beyond
The next time we see Section 31 is in Star Trek: Enterprise, showing just how far back this group of secret operatives originated.
Section 31 also was part of resolving the civil disturbances caused by Terra Prime – an early group opposed to exploration and introducing new species to Earth.
The secretive group was referenced in Star Trek: Lower Deck’s episodes “Envoys,” “Crisis Point 2: Paradoxus,” and “Fissure Quest.” Star Trek: Picard briefly referenced Section 31, and it was believed that Raffi was working for them in “Disengage.”
In an Alternate Universe
Perhaps the largest influence of Section 31 was seen in alternate timelines. In Star Trek: Into Darkness, we see the infamous Khan Noonien Singh (Benedict Cumberbatch) fight back when Admiral Alexander Marcus (Peter Weller) tried using his genetic advancements to Section 31′s cause.
Perhaps the biggest influence of Section 31 is seen in Star Trek: Discovery, which leads us to the coming feature film. Their primary appearance had but one main motive – manipulating the crew of the Discovery to gain access Control, a dangerous artificial intelligence. Philippa Georgiou (Michelle Yeoh) is the main 31 character. In the prime universe, Captain Georgiou was killed leading to Michael Burnam’s (Sonequa Martin-Green) initial fall from command. Empress Georgiou however, came from the alternate timeline – the same one originally discovered by Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) and Mr. Spock (Leonard Nimoy) in Star Trek: The Original Series. In this timeline, humanity reigns over much of the Alpha Quadrant through a ruthless totalitarian regime.
Get Ready to Explore the Dark Side
This rather niche topic has great potential and could lead to a future series. The upcoming Section 31 movie event will stream on Paramount + on Friday, January 24, 2025. Not much is known thus far, except that it is based in the prime universe. Let’s explore Starfleet’s secret like none have ever before!
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