Headscratchers / Star Trek: Prodigy

• Why not just destroy the Protostar? (Asked pre-season finale)
  • For Starfleet, most likely, the protostar-drive on board is a one of a kind and would be impossible or nearly so to replace. For the kids, it's the only real home they've ever had, so they wouldn't be onboard with the idea. Following the season finale, we also learn that the collateral damage from destroying thr protostar-drive would be catastrophic if done wrong.
• Are Vulcans still members of the Federation? Because one of their ships come to the rescue and is including among the "allies" and as not having the same communication systems than Starfleet.
  • It's likely to be a civilian ship, which would be fitted with a different communication system.
  • It could belong to the Vulcan Science Academy.
  • Starfleet isn't a sole military force. We've seen often enough in various Trek series that Federation members, Vulcans especially, reserve the right to operate their own space navies in tandem with Starfleet. Presumably since Startfleet's primary mission is not military focused, these are homeworld security forces in the style of a genuine military.
• In a similar venue, at what point did Gorn and Ferengi became Federation allies?
  • Given the existential threat to the entire Quadrant that the Borg and the Dominion provided, it's likely that many races that were previously belligerent are now at peace, or at least have non-aggression treaties, so as to avoid assimilation and warfare of that scale again.
  • Also, is non-canonical but in the Expanded Universe during the Dominion War there's a coup attempt among the Gorn and later a civil war between pro-Federation and pro-Dominion factions with the former winning, similarly non-canonical but still during Grand Nagus Rom's tenure (which by timeline would by during Prodigy's run) relationships with the Federation were at its peak. But even during DS9 is kind of shown that the Ferengi are no longer really enemies of the Federation and were imply to be supporting (if not military at least diplomatically and economically) the war effort against the Dominion.
  • Lower Decks showed the Ferengi joined the Federation in 2381. Nothing yet for the Gorn.
  • Lower Decks showed the Ferengi starting the admissions process in 2381 what's said to be a long journey, they didn't join per se, though definitely a sign of an budding alliance.
• Zero created their first containment suit using what ever they seemed to be able to salvage at Tars Lamora. Fair enough. However it had a number of issues, including poor dexterity. After they repaired and escaped in the Protostar why didn't they just make a new containment suit using the replicator. They were able to make a full copy to trick the Diviner, yet they didn't seem to make any attempt at making an improved version until the season final.
  • It's likely they didn't consider it to be worth the effort, as they lacked the experience and resources to create a containment suit that was sufficently improved compared to the existing one.
• Why did Drednok and The Diviner bother keeping Murf around back on Tars Lamora?
  • Possibly because he can store and dispose of hazardous materials with no harm to himself or his surroundings, which were likely not uncommon in a mining colony.
• Why didn't Janeway just use the prefix code to shut down the Protostar when they found it? Or even be shown trying? Granted, kids show, but its been a known part of Starfleet starships from TOS to TNG and beyond. Even showing her trying and the codes not working (the bad guys had removed it when the ship was in their control or something like that) would have been fine. But the lack of it being used when its put on all Starfleet starships for exactly this reason (and unlike a ships official crew, the kids wouldn't have the command codes to override it) is pretty silly.
  • The command codes require a connection with the other ship, which the show has established that the Protostar crew is going out of their way to prevent from happening. In all likelihood, the Living Construct would take control of the Dauntless before Janeway had a chance to send the codes.
    • Perhaps so, but that is knowledge WE have, not knowledge JANEWAY has. The point is that there was no reason for her to not attempt this as soon as the Dauntless found the Protostar.
    • Beyond the fact that, as mentioned already, she never had the opportunity do so, because the Protostar crew was refusing to open a connection in the first place.