The War College’s Tragic Toll In Starfleet Academy Season 1

Warning: SPOILERS For Star Trek: Starfleet Academy Season 1Star Trek: Starfleet Academy‘s rival college suffered far more than the school run by Chancellor Nahla Ake (Holly Hunter). Star Trek: Starfleet Academy introduced the War College, a sister institution run by its Chancellor, Commander Zeeren Kelrec (Raoul Bhaneja). Living up to its mandate, the War College paid the ultimate price to spare Starfleet Academy.

The War College was created as a result of The Burn that wiped out warp travel in the galaxy 120 years before Star Trek: Starfleet Academy. With the United Federation of Planets broken apart and no longer exploring strange new worlds, the War College was instituted to train Starfleet Officers to fight and defend the Federation from myriad enemies.

Star Trek: Starfleet Academy season 1 often played the War College as comic relief rivals to Starfleet Academy. The War College trounced Starfleet Academy in Calica, but the black-clad cadets were ultimately outsmarted in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy episode 3‘s prank war. As the season progressed, however, heartbreaking calamity visited the War College more than once.

Star Trek’s War College Suffered More Than Starfleet Academy

The War College shielded Starfleet Academy from suffering great tragedy in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy season 1. The only two major deaths of the season happened to the War College in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy season 1, when an instructor and a cadet were lost at the hands of the cannibalistic Furies.

The War College’s Lieutenant Commander Tomov (Jeff Teravainen) was murdered when he was shoved out of an airlock by the Furies in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy episode 6. Tomov was the instructor accompanying the combined Starfleet Academy and War College cadets on a training exercise aboard the USS Miyazaki. Tomov heroically died while protecting the cadets.

B’Avi (Alexander Eiling) was also murdered by the Furies’ phaser fire in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy episode 6. The War College’s star Vulcan cadet, B’Avi was fatally shot with a phaser blast by the Furies breaking into the USS Miyazaki’s bridge. Even though they were far from friends, B’Avi died protecting Caleb Mir (Sandro Rosta).

In Star Trek: Starfleet Academy episode 8, Tarima Sadal (Zoë Steiner) was transferred from the War College to Starfleet Academy. Although Tarima chose the War College, the trauma she suffered from using her Betazoid psychic powers to save her friends on the USS Miyazaki led to her being sent to Starfleet Academy, which could better address her mental health.

The War College wasn’t as prominent in the last four episodes of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy season 1. Focusing on the healing of Captain Ake’s cadets was understandable, since they are the main characters, but this also did the War College a disservice. Chancellor Kelrec’s school and students suffered much more than Starfleet Academy, but they licked their wounds and refocused on their duties with quiet dignity.

What’s Next For The War College In Star Trek: Starfleet Academy Season 2

Along with Chancellor Kelrec, the War College introduced three main cadets. Besides B’Avi, Dzolo (Cecilia Lee) was a fiery Romulan cadet, while affable Kyle Djokovic (Dale Whibley) became Jay-Den Kraag’s (Karim Diané) boyfriend. Kelrec and Kyle are confirmed to return in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy season 2, and hopefully, Dzolo will also be back in school.

Appearing on Virtual Trek Con’s The Main Viewer, Raoul Bhaneja said that “Kelrec continues to be a presence, and he finds himself in a different situation than in season one.” Bhaneja said that it was “fun” for him “to build more on this character and find some more shapes and sizes to him.”

Speaking to ScreenRant, Star Trek: Starfleet Academy co-showrunner Noga Landau confirmed that the War College “is not going anywhere.” Commander Kelrec’s value to Star Trek: Starfleet Academy season 2 was also confirmed by series creator Gaia Violo: “We love the actor who plays Kelrec, Raoul Bhaneja, too much. He’s too wonderful a human being and an actor.”

The War College’s greater function in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy season 2 remains to be seen, but if it’s anything like season 1, then Chancellor Kelrec’s warrior cadets will continue to butt heads with Starfleet Academy while nobly risking and laying down their lives to defend Starfleet’s future.