In Prodigy, Nova Squadron has been revived by the mid-2380s.
This feels like a very terrible idea for a multitude of reasons. Besides the initial incident, I would think Starfleet would hesitate against elite cadet groups even further after both the attempted Red Squad coup and the USS Valiant incident.
Also, I have two takeaways from the LD Nova Fleet incident. One, Locarno feeling the need to āreviveā Nova Squadron suggests that it didnāt still exist in 2381, meaning the revival must have been relatively close to 2384. Second, I feel like the coming back of a former āeliteā cadet to bite them would further make Starfleet wary of establishing an elite cadet group again.
Overall, it just seems every time the Academy does this, they just produce a group of arrogant cadets very susceptible to manipulation and/or recklessness. Even 2384 squadron seems this way - we see their elitist attitude towards the former Protostar crew matching that of Red Squad and such.
So why did they do it again?
Perhaps Nova Squadron is a long-held academy tradition, and despite the initial fallout of the 2368 incident, thatās overshadowed by its long history of outstanding cadets, a legacy the academy didnāt want to suddenly erase.
Still, I feel like they could have turned Nova Squadron into an honors society that recognizes students without the special treatment rather than resurrect what seems to be the original format.
Honestly, I hope (big emphasis on hope) the new SFA show elaborates on this and overall fleshes out the Academy as an institution, at least before, as I predict will happen, our ācadetsā will be starship officers in all but name by the end of the season and will barely get a proper academy experience.
I kind of wish we had an academy show either early 24th century (lost era Monster Maroon) or a chill (post-PIC) 25th or 26th century setting that just followed a normal group of cadets without weird stuff like an early commissioning.
Itās also possible that āNova Squadronā is just one of many (as Value Subtracted mentions herein) and that there are many other Nova Squadrons without any issues in the intermittent years between the incidents. Itās possible that, like most things in the Star Trek universe, we only see the times when something interesting/dramatic occurs, not the boring day-to-day.
Said another way, just because you periodically have a rowdy graduating class from primary/secondary education, doesnāt mean you stop having graduating students.
I donāt know much about military training, but I do know that grouping students into āsquadronsā is done today - I donāt know that the grouping is based on anything, but it makes a certain kind of sense that Starfleet would embrace a kind of āmeritocracyā approach to it, even if it also comes off as elitist.
Perhaps Nova Squadron is a long-held academy tradition, and despite the initial fallout of the 2368 incident, thatās overshadowed by its long history of outstanding cadets, a legacy the academy didnāt want to suddenly erase.
I think this is likely. Scandals come and go, but they often donāt overpower institutional inertia.
