Both storylines dovetail beautifully when Beckett reveals that the reason for her reckless behavior is her discomfort with being promoted beyond Ensign, and it's tied to both Nick Locarno and Sito Jaxa. It's revealed that Mariner studied alongside both Nick and Sito at Starfleet Academy, and was close friends with the Bajoran Cadet. The death of Sito Jaxa in Star Trek: The Next Generation's "Lower Decks" left an impact not only on Mariner, but Sito's senior officer Lt. Worf (Michael Dorn) and Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart). The TNG episode "Lower Decks" was actually the second appearance by the character, who had first appeared alongside Wesley Crusher (Wil Wheaton).

Who Was Ensign Sito Jaxa In Star Trek: TNG?

First appearing in the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "The First Duty", Cadet Sito Jaxa was one of Wesley Crusher's classmates. They were both of Nova Squadron, an elite team of Starfleet Academy pilots, led by Star Trek: Lower Decks' season 4 villain Nick Locarno. Following a fatal accident that claimed the life of Joshua Albert, Locarno convinced Sito, Wesley and their fellow Cadet Jean Hajar (Walker Brandt) to participate in a cover-up to protect their Starfleet careers. When Captain Picard discovered the truth about the attempt to pull off an illegal maneuver and the subsequent cover-up, he convinced Wesley Crusher to come clean to the Inquiry.

Following this, Nick Locarno accepted full responsibility for the cover-up to protect the rest of Nova Squadron from being expelled from Starfleet Academy. The banned Kolvoord Starburst maneuver and subsequent cover-up are the "mistakes" that Mariner refers to in Star Trek: Lower Decks. However, it's clear from Sito's testimony during the inquiry in "The First Duty" that she's struggling with her conscience. Captain Picard clearly noticed this, and requested that Sito be assigned to the USS Enterprise-D after the Starfleet Academy Cadet graduated so that she could redeem herself.

Tragically, Sito's desire to prove herself to Picard and to Starfleet eventually cost her her life. Serving under Worf in security, Sito was recommended for a promotion to Lieutenant Junior Grade, like the Lower Deckers in season 4. Due to Worf's faith in Sito, and her Bajoran heritage, she was chosen for a covert mission to return a Federation informer to Cardassian space while masquerading as a terrorist. Once she returned the Cardassian informer to his people, Sito was supposed to escape back to the Enterprise. Tragically, however, the escape pod was destroyed and no trace of Sito Jaxa was ever found.

How Sito & TNG Connect To Star Trek: Lower Decks & Mariner

The death of Sito Jaxa had a huge impact on Mariner, as she relates in Star Trek: Lower Decks season 4, episode 9, "The Inner Fight." Sito was an inspiration to Mariner, due to her determination to move past the Nova Squadron incident and subsequent posting on the Enterprise. When she died on an espionage mission into Cardassian space, Mariner became disillusioned with Starfleet because spy missions weren't what she signed up for. Now that Mariner is a Lieutenant Junior Grade, she's anxious about putting colleagues in life-threatening situations.

On a more meta-level, the tribute to Sito is a nod to how inspirational her final Star Trek: The Next Generation episode has been on Star Trek: Lower Decks. Lt. Bradward Boimler (Jack Quaid) is like a less confident version of TNG's promotion-hungry Ensign Sam Lavelle (Dan Gauthier). It's also easy to draw a line between Sito Jaxa, who isn't afraid to stand up to Worf and Picard with Beckett Mariner, who similarly calls out unfairness among her own senior officers. With Mariner's references to Sito, and the return of Nick Locarno, it looks like Lower Decks' season 4 finale could bring both generations of Lower Deckers together.

Will Star Trek: Lower Decks Resurrect Ensign Sito?

There's an unspoken rule in soap operas and long-running science fiction franchises that a character isn't truly dead unless a body has been found. At the end of Star Trek: The Next Generation's "Lower Decks", only the wreckage of Sito Jaxa's escape capsule was discovered by the Enterprise. The Cardassian Union then sent out a report that stated a Bajoran terrorist - Sito Jaxa - was killed while escaping capture. However, Star Trek's Cardassians are hardly the most trustworthy of species, so it's entirely possible that they actually captured Sito Jaxa. Earlier in "The Inner Fight", a reference was made to Thomas Riker (Jonathan Frakes) who it's revealed is now a civilian after his time in a Cardassian jail.

It's possible then that the Cardassians refused to believe that Sito Jaxa was actually a Starfleet officer and imprisoned her as the terrorist she was pretending to be. This would explain why news of her release alongside the likes of Thomas Riker (Jonathan Frakes) hasn't made it to Mariner. Having been "abandoned" by the Enterprise, she may have fallen back in with Nick Locarno, too. Showunner Michael Piller had hoped to bring Sito back from the dead in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, by revealing she was incarcerated in a Cardassian prison. While the storyline never made it to air, it's entirely possible that Star Trek: Lower Decks' season 4 finale could finally pay off Piller's ambition for the beloved character.

Star Trek: Lower Decks' season 4 finale streams Thursday November 2nd on Paramount+.