Star Trek comics have revealed what happened to the USS Enterprise after Star Trek: Discovery season 2, likely setting up the backstory for upcoming spin-off show Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. Star Trek: Discovery was originally launched as something of a prologue to the original series, ten years before the adventures of Kirk and Spock. It introduced a recast Captain Pike, Kirk's predecessor, played by Anson Mount, along with other key members of that Enterprise crew. Ethan Peck received particular praise for playing a decade-younger Spock.
Star Trek: Discovery season 2 ended with the USS Discovery traveling into the distant future, leaving the early days of the Federation far behind them. But that doesn't mean the franchise is done with that time period, because a new spinoff is in the works in the form of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. This will explore the continuing adventures of Pike, Spock, and the rest of the Enterprise crew in the original time period.
The immediate aftermath of Star Trek: Discovery season 2 is told in an official tie-in miniseries, Star Trek: Discovery - Aftermath, by Kirsten Beyer, Mike Johnson, and Tony Shasteen. Star Trek comics haven't traditionally been seen as part of the series canon, but all that changed in 2016, when CBS began to work more closely with IDW and Simon & Schuster while producing their books and comics. The Star Trek: Picard Countdown miniseries marked a milestone, revealing essential backstory for the series. And that means Star Trek: Discovery - Aftermath tells a crucial story as well. Here's everything that happened to the Enterprise after Discovery left for the future.
Captain Pike Remains In Secret Contact With Chancellor L'Rell
In the Discovery TV series, Chancellor L'Rell had brought an uneasy end to the war between the Klingons and the Federation, and she actually allied with the Discovery and the Enterprise in the battle against Control. This leaves her in a precarious position, aware of conspiracies to overthrow her and yet still in secret communication with Captain Pike. The two hope to establish a real and lasting peace between their peoples, although L'Rell is wary because she fears the potential destruction of the Klingon way of life, as well as the consequences should their friendship be discovered.
The Federation Fails To Strike Peace With The Klingons
The Federation attempt to negotiate a new treaty with the Klingons, inviting Chancellor L'Rell to a summit on the planet Vaset. It is a historic meeting, with the Federation's representatives speaking of mutual benefit while the Klingons remain wary of their culture being destroyed. Sadly, it becomes clear the gulf between the two groups is too great - and then a group of rogue Klingons bring it all down in flames when they stage an uprising against L'Rell. The treaty is unsuccessful, but a Second Klingon War is averted.
Spock Returns To The USS Enterprise
The loss of his adopted sister Michael Burnham shook Spock to the core, and he took a leave of absence from the Federation while he attempted to find a fresh balance between logic and the tumult of his emotions. Pike later persuades him to attend the Vaset summit, however, and Spock saves his captain from death at the hands of the Klingon traitors. This persuades him to return to the Enterprise, and he shaves his beard, coming more in line with the character's original appearance, as played by Leonard Nimoy - though much to Number One's disappointment, because she thought it suited him.
The Klingon Leader Kor Begins To Rise Through The Ranks
Despite the group's failure, one of the Klingon traitors remains undiscovered: the last son of House Kor, who secretly orchestrated the uprising but avoided revealing himself in case it failed. In fact, he actually allows himself to be injured in order to gain Chancellor L'Rell's trust. Kor is a major Klingon villain in both the original live-action Star Trek series and Star Trek: The Animated Series, played by John Colicos and voiced by James Doohan respectively; it's safe to assume he will continue to rise in power and influence under L'Rell. Dialogue from Chancellor L'Rell suggests she still isn't entirely sure Kor is trustworthy, and she may well be playing a dangerous game, deliberately keeping her enemies close by. If so, she's likely to fail in the end, given L'Rell was never mentioned in the Kirk era.
How Star Trek: Discovery - Aftermath Sets Up Strange New Worlds
Little has been revealed about the plot of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, although Anson Mount has indicated it will be driven by Captain Pike's vision of the future. Pike received a vision of his tragic death as a result of all the time travel exploits in Star Trek: Discovery season 2, and according to Mount he's now driven to make a difference in the galaxy like never before. Given Pike has a secret direct line to Chancellor L'Rell, it's reasonable to assume he'll make the most of it and attempt to continue working for lasting peace between the Federation and the Klingons. Unfortunately, although a Second Klingon War will be avoided, relations between the two galactic governments will remain tense for a long time to come.
Kor is destined to play a major role in the conflicts to come, and Star Trek: Discovery - Aftermath places him in the perfect position to quietly undermine L'Rell's attempts at peace. Ruthless and intelligent, he believes the self-styled "Mother" of the Klingons is creating mayhem, and he's using that apparent chaos to his own benefit - and, he surely believes, to the benefit of the Klingon people. It's quite possible this comic book story has deliberately set Kor up to be a recurring villain in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, an enemy who plagues Captain Pike long before he causes problems for Kirk and the Enterprise. Comic book tie-ins for Star Trek: Picard were essential reading to understand the backstory of the series, so it wouldn't be a surprise to see CBS take the same approach here - meaning Star Trek: Discovery - Aftermath is likely vital reading for those who want to understand how Star Trek: Discovery season 2 leads into Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 1.