A Species on the Brink - Star Trek: Starfleet Academy “Vox in Excelso” Preview

Another week, another class at Starfleet Academy...

And this one looks like it’s bringing some serious emotional weight along with it. Episode 104, “Vox in Excelso,” arrives this Thursday, and while the Academy setting is still front and center, the stakes feel bigger than grades, rankings, or campus rivalries.

This time around, the story zooms in on what happens when the future of an entire species hangs in the balance, and when the past you thought you left behind suddenly demands your attention. For one cadet, that means facing unresolved family tensions and a history that refuses to stay buried. For Chancellor Nahla Ake, it’s a race against the clock to prevent a loss that could ripple far beyond the Academy walls.

Here’s the official synopsis for episode 104:

When an existential crisis threatens to wipe out a beloved but infamous Star Trek species, a cadet is forced to confront his past and strained relationship with his family. As he pursues an unexpected method of coping, Nahla races against time to save this species from extinction.

"Vox in Excelso" is written by Gaia Violo & Eric Anthony Glover and directed by Doug Aarniokoski, and it sounds like a perfect blend of classic Star Trek themes and deeply personal character work. Big ideas, big feelings, and consequences that reach well beyond the classroom.

Scroll down to check out 13 new images from “Vox in Excelso,” and then make plans to join us LIVE this Thursday on YouTube, Twitch, and Facebook at 9:30 PM for our full review. And if you’re catching up, be sure to check out our previous episode reviews as well.

Class may be in session, but this week, the lesson might be about who you are when everything is on the line.

"Vox in Excelso" Episode Images:

Gina Yashere as Lura and Holly Hunter as Nahla in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, episode 4, season 1, streaming on Paramount+, 3035. Photo Credit: Brooke Palmer Paramount+

George Hawkins as Darem in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, episode 4, season 1, streaming on Paramount+, 3035. Photo Credit: Brooke Palmer Paramount+

Karim Diane as Jay-Den and Sandro Rosta as Caleb in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, episode 4, season 1, streaming on Paramount+, 3035. Photo Credit: Brooke Palmer Paramount+

Karim Diane as Jay-Den and Sandro Rosta as Caleb in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, episode 4, season 1, streaming on Paramount+, 3035. Photo Credit: Brooke Palmer Paramount+

Holly Hunter as Nahla and Karim Diane as Jay-Den in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, episode 4, season 1, streaming on Paramount+, 3035. Photo Credit: Brooke Palmer Paramount+

Karim Diane as Jay-Den in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, episode 4, season 1, streaming on Paramount+, 3035. Photo Credit: Brooke Palmer Paramount+

Robert Picardo as The Doctor in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, episode 4, season 1, streaming on Paramount+, 3035. Photo Credit: Brooke Palmer Paramount+

Robert Picardo as The Doctor in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, episode 4, season 1, streaming on Paramount+, 3035. Photo Credit: Brooke Palmer Paramount+

Bella Shepard as Genesis, Karim Diane as Jay-Den, Sandro Rosta as Caleb, and Kerrice Brooks as Sam in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, episode 4, season 1, streaming on Paramount+, 3035. Photo Credit: Brooke Palmer Paramount+

Bella Shepard as Genesis in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, episode 4, season 1, streaming on Paramount+, 3035. Photo Credit: Brooke Palmer Paramount+

Kerrice Brooks as Sam in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, episode 4, season 1, streaming on Paramount+, 3035. Photo Credit: Brooke Palmer Paramount+

Karim Diane as Jay-Den in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, episode 4, season 1, streaming on Paramount+, 3035. Photo Credit: Brooke Palmer Paramount+

Bella Shepard as Genesis, Karim Diane as Jay-Den, and Kerrice Brooks as Sam in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, episode 4, season 1, streaming on Paramount+, 3035. Photo Credit: Brooke Palmer Paramount+