How Star Trek’s Section 31 Fits Into The Franchise’s Timeline – Looper

“Deep Space Nine” was essentially the first time viewers had ever heard about Section 31. Neither the original series, “The Next Generation,” nor “Voyager” had mentioned it. Created by “DS9” showrunner Ira Steven Behr, it was a deliberate attempt on his part to complicate the utopian aspirations of the United Federation of Planets. But after “DS9,” Section 31 was essentially retconned back through Federation history. The intelligence organization shows up in “Star Trek: Enterprise,” which, as fans will know, takes place about a century before the events of the original series, before the Federation is founded but when its embryonic forms are coming together. This essentially establishes that Section 31 has been part of the Federation since its inception.

Indeed, Section 31 claims to have been sanctioned through the Federation’s charter, which allows for extreme measures to be taken on behalf of the Federation in times of crisis. It also plays a vital role in the most significant event in “Star Trek: Discovery.” It is Section 31 who, fearing the Klingons are developing time travel, start to develop their own methods through the Daedalus Project. The initiative includes Gabrielle Burnham (Sonja Sohn), mother of Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green), whom the latter had thought dead. Gabrielle and her time-traveling Red Angel suit were integral to sending the Discovery 900 years into the future. They’ve also been revealed to play a role in the third season of “Star Trek: Picard,” essentially hoarding the bodies of deceased Starfleet captains to have access to their DNA. Pretty gross.