Star Trek: Who Is Ensign Sito Jaxa & What Happened To Her?
Even though actor Shannon Fill's time on "Star Trek: The Next Generation" as Sito Jaxa was brief, the Starfleet ensign left a lasting impression on the franchise. In 1994, the character debuted in "The First Duty," when the Bajoran is still just a cadet at the Academy. While studying to boldly go where no one has gone before, her exceptional skills as a pilot earn her a spot on Nova Squadron, a gifted group of trainees that includes Wesley Crusher (Wil Wheaton) and Nick Locerno (Robert Duncan McNeill), the leader. But everything changes when they attempt to cover up a tragic death that occured while the group tried the Kolvoord Starburst maneuver. Not even Nova Squadron can fly under the radar of Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart), who eventually convinces Wesley to come clean. Locarno takes the fall, but Sito's career will always be weighed down by her illicit actions.
Looking to atone for her past, the character returns in the episode "Lower Decks" assigned to Enterprise-D, thanks to Picard, working in security under the tutelage of Worf (Michael Dorn). But her quest for redemption is cut short when she embarks on a covert mission to aid a Federation informant in reaching Cardassian space while disguised as a terrorist. After the job, Sito was supposed to return, but unfortunately, only the remains of her destroyed escape pod are ever found. In response to the loss, Picard reveres her strength and bravery, saying, "She was the finest example of a Starfleet officer ... Her loss will be deeply felt by all who knew her." The Starfleet captain probably has no idea how right he is when he makes that heartfelt statement.
Sito's legacy and death heavily influenced Beckett Mariner
Even though many characters from "The Next Generation" die throughout the series, something about the death of Sito Jaxa didn't sit well with fans, which people behind the scenes didn't ignore. In the book "Star Trek: The Next Generation 365," one of the program's writers, Rene Echevarria, revealed, "There was a lot of talk about bringing her back, but we never got around to it." "Deep Space Nine" writer Robert Hewitt Wolfe also mentioned that he was developing an episode that would unveil the truth about what happened to Sito, but it ended up getting rewritten. It wasn't until "Star Trek: Lower Decks" that Sito finally beamed back to the franchise.
Fans weren't the only ones affected by the death of Sito. Beckett Mariner (Tawny Newsome), the rebellious ensign from the animated series, looked up to her at the Academy. In Season 4, Episode 9 ("The Inner Fight"), it is revealed that Mariner was devastated when she learned Sito was killed during a spy mission, and her reckless behavior stems from the loss. It also leads Mariner to struggle with her promotion, wanting to stay an ensign so she won't have to one day send her friends to a similar fate, but she eventually comes to terms with losing her. Inspired by Sito's devotion to Starfleet once again, Mariner successfully helps stop Nick Locarno (Robert Duncan McNeil) and the Nova Fleet from causing more problems.
Before that, in the opening moments of the Season 4 finale, the character returns triumphantly in a flashback scene, and some Star Trek fans may have noticed she sounds a bit familiar.
They found the right person to fill the role
The voice actor playing Sito Jaxa in the animated series "Lower Decks" does sound a lot like the live-action character from "The Next Generation," and it isn't a transporter clone; it's actually Shannon Fill. After taking a 35-year break from the world of acting, Fill instantly became a favorite among those involved when she returned to Star Trek in arguably her most notable role. "She was the nicest, sweetest human being," "Lower Decks" creator Mike McMahan said in an interview with StarTrek.com. "She brought her daughter to watch her record. It was such a blast. My producer still texts with her. We love her. ... We need her to come to conventions and see how much the fans love Sito."
Following Fill's long absence from acting, reuniting her with the Bajoran ensign for "Lower Decks" was a rewarding experience for the team. "It was like we're trying to recapture a performance that she gave that makes you feel like there's one more," McMahan said. "I like finding performances that are like, 'Wow, I can't believe this exists.' There's one more little moment for this character to shine. It was really cool to get to do that." It appears things went well bringing Sito and Fill back to the franchise behind the scenes, and fans haven't been shy about expressing how they feel regarding the ensign's comeback on "Lower Decks."
Fans were psyched about Sito's surprise return
Many "Star Trek" fans have not forgotten about the fallen ensign and were more than excited to see Sito Jaxa in the Season 4 finale of "Star Trek: Lower Decks," pleased with the classic casting choice. Redditor u/AeroPilaf posted, "Shannon Fill coming back for a brief time to reprise Sito was a delightful surprise."
Others, while glad to get another glimpse at her days at the academy, were hoping she would still be alive, like u/jjj585, who wrote, "I thought we were going to have a redeemed Locarno team up with Becket[t] to rescue not-dead Sito Jaxa. The episode was great, but I wanted a rescue."
But that wasn't the consensus, because some were glad that any route resembling that outcome wasn't taken, such as u/MaskedMagi1, who posted, "I loved that they found a way to bring Sito back without invalidating the significance of her death."
While many people voiced their opinions, some fans went a bit deeper with their reasoning for why bringing back Sito for "Lower Decks" was a significant moment. Redditor u/Stingra87 put it best in a stirring post, saying, "Ensign Sito was one of the original Lower Deckers of the franchise, and having her still matter, after all these years, is just a love letter to how important those characters are to us." Thanks to the honored legacy of great ensigns like Sito Jaxa, fans will never forget the efforts and sacrifices made by the heart of Starfleet — those who serve on the lower decks.