Warning: SPOILERS for Star Trek: Discovery Season 5, Episode 7 – “Erigah”
Commander D. Nhan (Rachael Ancheril) returned to the USS Discovery in Star Trek: Discovery season 5. In Star Trek: Discovery season 2, Nhan joined Discovery’s crew after she transferred from the USS Enterprise. When Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount) took temporary command of Discovery, Nhan was one of the officers who accompanied him. Although she had served as an engineer on the Enterprise, Nhan eventually became Discovery’s Chief of Security. Nhan briefly returned to her home planet of Barzan II in the 32nd century but later accepted a position with Federation Security.
In Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 7, “Erigah,” written by M. Raven Metzner and directed by Jon Dudkowski, Captain Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) and the USS Discovery’s crew continue their pursuit of the Progenitors’ technology. As they work to decipher the final clue, Admiral Charles Vance (Oded Fehr) notifies Burnham that Moll (Eve Harlow) and L’ak (Elias Toufexis) have been apprehended. Discovery heads to Federation Headquarters, where Moll and a very injured L’ak are transferred to Discovery from the USS Locherer, accompanied by a security team led by Commander Nhan. Before long, the Breen arrive demanding the return of L’ak, who is actually the last living descendant of the late Breen emperor’s bloodline.
In Star Trek: Discovery season 3, the titular starship encountered the USS Tikhov, a seed vault ship commanded by a crew of Barzans. Having been away from her people since joining Starfleet, Nhan volunteered to take the Tikhov to her homeworld, which had become a member of the Federation by the 32nd century. Once reaching Barzan, however, Nhan didn’t remain there long before she joined Federation Security. She led teams to apprehend any remaining members of the Emerald Chain before Nhan was sent back to Discovery by Admiral Vance to oversee the pursuit of wanted fugitives Cleveland Booker (David Ajala) and Dr. Ruon Tarka (Shawn Doyle).
After the conclusion of the USS Discovery’s mission to make First Contact with the Dark Matter Anomaly’s creators, Species 10-C, Nhan continued working in Federation Security. In Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 7, Nhan returned to Discovery again as the lead security officer in charge of Moll and L’ak, and she briefs Captain Burnham about how they found the former couriers, refusing to let Book join the debriefing. When L’ak helps Moll escape their containment field, she takes on Nhan and the security guards, eventually escaping into the ship with Nhan in pursuit. Book eventually helps Nhan catch up to Moll, marking an important step in his redemption arc, as Nhan reluctantly admits she may have misjudged him.
The Barzans were first introduced in Star Trek: The Next Generation season 3, episode 8, “The Price,” when they discover a supposedly stable wormhole and wish to sell the rights to it. The Barzans did not have access to many natural resources and depended on others for their survival. The Barzans hoped that this wormhole would usher in a new era of prosperity, but the other end of the wormhole was not fixed, rendering it basically useless. They only had moderately advanced technology, and Nhan was one of the only Barzans who served in Starfleet as of the 23rd century.
Due to the toxic atmosphere on Barzan, members of the species required a special breathing apparatus when visiting other worlds. The Barzans joined the United Federation of Planets in the 25th century and remained members by the 32nd century. Barzans placed a high value on duty, which made them exemplary Starfleet security officers. Nhan’s no-nonsense attitude and ability to remain calm in a crisis combined with her Barzan view of duty made her a particularly good candidate for Federation Security. Rachael Ancheril’s Nhan has always been a welcome presence on Star Trek: Discovery, and it was great to see her again before the series comes to an end.
New episodes of Star Trek: Discovery stream Thursdays on Paramount+.