Star Trek Online Art for the newest season of Star Trek Online, "Reflections"
The newest season of Star Trek Online is finally available for PC players. Season 24, entitled “Reflections,” will take players on a journey to save two universes — the Prime Universe and the Mirror Universe. Of course, the return of the Mirror Universe means the return of everyone’s favorite villain — Admiral Leeta.
In an exclusive interview with Heavy, Chase Masterson revealed key details about the season’s plot and dished about her return to Star Trek Online.
An Adversary Becomes an Ally
Star Trek OnlineAdmiral Leeta in Star Trek Online: Reflections
Admiral Leeta has always been an adversary for players, but in “Reflections” she’s switching sides. At least temporarily.
The season’s story begins with Admiral Leeta traveling to the Prime Universe from the Mirror Universe to warn the Federation about a threat that could annihilate both planes of existence. She hasn’t just come with a warning, though. The admiral is also in the Prime Universe to convince the Captains to help her.
What peril is so massive that it could make Admiral Leeta betray the Terran Empire? The Emperor himself, Masterson explained.
“The Emperor is doing something that is going to end the world, it’s going to end the universes, it’s going to destroy everything. So, Leeta departs from the Terran Empire. Where her loyalties lie is always in question, but we do know that she needs the player and the player needs Mirror Leeta.”
Masterson said that the Captains will have to accept Leeta as their ally, even though they have no reason to trust her.
“Obviously, it’s interesting to be able to have to say, ‘Look, I know that you didn’t trust me before. Here are the reasons you can and need to trust me now.’ Every villain is self-serving, and yet Leeta is turning around and becoming a hero in a sense. To go against the Emperor, to risk her life, and to be able to save the universe. How is the player going to react to that? Well, the only way is forward. So, the player gets to be a part of this heroic endeavour. How much is it going to cost the player? We don’t know in the long run. Where do Leeta’s loyalties lie?”
Masterson continued, saying that “Reflections” will explore the good in every villain and the evil in every hero.
“So, is [Leeta] a villain now? Maybe. Is she doing something good? Yes. Sometimes villains do something good. Is she going to remain a villain or become a force for good? It’s the Mirror Universe, who knows… I mean, let’s face facts, none of us are all good or all evil. None of us… ‘Star Trek’ always prompts us to look at our own selves, our own universe, in the face of these stories. I think it’s a really interesting dynamic to see that there’s a lot of different facets to all of us, including Mirror Leeta. And it’s going to be fun finding out.”
So, players will see a completely different side of Leeta this season. Though, it’s unclear whether that side is authentic or a facade necessary to achieve her goal.
Kuumarke is Back… Sort Of
Star Trek OnlineMirror Universe Kuumarke in Star Trek Online: Reflections
“Reflections” will introduce Captains to the Mirror Universe version of another familiar face. Captain Kuumarke’s Mirror Universe counterpart is a Terran Empire special agent on a mission to steal classified intel from a Federation Data Center in the Prime Universe. Once she discovers that Admiral Leeta is betraying the Empire, Mirror Kuumarke will ruthlessly pursue her through the Prime Universe.
“We have another appearance by Kuumaarke, who then tries to murder Mirror Leeta. So, that’s a dynamic switch,” Masterson said.
Captains will have to help Leeta evade Kuumarke, but they’ll also have to ensure that the data she’s stolen doesn’t make it back to the Terran Empire.
Masterson emphasized that the stakes are high in “Reflections,” as are the tensions between the characters.
“There’s all this wonderful mix of power and vengefulness and impending disaster and time-sensitive, timely ‘we’ve got to do this now or it could kill us all.’ And it’s really interesting to see the strategies that Leeta and the player can do together.”
Kuumarke will go to literally any lengths to protect the Terran Empire, so Captains will need to be willing to do the same to save both universes.
New Features in Season 24
Star Trek OnlineBattle with the Terran Empire in Star Trek Online: Reflections
Of course, the new season comes with a full suite of new features including new episodes, new Task Force Operations, new special events and the brand new Captain Elite Training Token.
Here’s the breakdown from the Star Trek Online: Reflections press release:
New Featured Episode: In the update’s newest episode, “Firewall,” players will need to visit a high-security Federation facility to speak with Admiral Leeta. Together they will embark on a mission to protect the Prime Universe from Kuumarke and her Terran forces.
New Task Force Operation: With the release of Reflections, Captains will have access to a brand new 5-player ground Task Force Operation called “Operation Wolf.” Players will participate in a Holodeck program created by Mirror Leeta that trains them to infiltrate Mirror ESD to steal classified information.
Reflections Special Event: Over the next month, Captains can participate in numerous episodes and TFOs associated with Mirror Universe to earn a very special reward, the brand-new T6 Mirror Gagarin-class Miracle Worker Battlecruiser.
New Lower Decks Content: Captains can visit the Lobi Store to check out new weapons and uniforms from the popular animated Star Trekseries, Lower Decks.
Captain Elite Training Token: Players can apply the new Captain Elite Training Token to increase 1 Additional Personal Ground TraitSlot, 1 Additional Personal Space Trait Slot, 1 Additional Kit Module Slot, and 1 Additional Device Slot.
All the details about the brand-new T6 Mirror Gagarin-class Miracle Worker Battlecruiser can be found here.
Watch the Trailer & See Exclusive Screenshots
The trailer for Star Trek Online: Reflections, which includes gorgeous clips from the in-game cut scenes and live gameplay, can be viewed above.
Here are a few more exclusive screenshots of the new content.
Star Trek OnlineStarfleet officer in a Terran Empire ship from Star Trek Online: Reflections
Star Trek OnlineStarfleet ship flying into battle in Star Trek Online: Reflections
Star Trek OnlineA shadowy figure observes a planet from the bridge of a ship in Star Trek Online: Reflections
Star Trek OnlineTerran Empire officers on their ship in Star Trek Online: Reflections
The new season is available on PC today and will release for Xbox One and PlayStation 4 in November. To download and play Star Trek Online today for free, visit www.playstartrekonline.com.
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