While the new series does not demand extensive knowledge of Star Trek lore from its audience, it remains firmly anchored in the franchise’s established canon. The 32nd Century and the new Starfleet Academy backdrop provide a clean slate for Earth and its cast, yet the entire premise is built upon the intricate timeline of Star Trek: Discovery and the broader legacy of Starfleet. This connection is showcased in the third episode of Starfleet Academy, “Vitus Reflux,” through the introduction of bizarre alien monsters that are deep pulls from Trek history.
The episode “Vitus Reflux” covers several plot points. It reveals a rivalry between Starfleet Academy and the War College, which plays out through a series of pranks and a physical sport known as Calica. Although Calica is a new addition, it can be thought of as Star Trek’s version of Quidditch mixed with laser tag. A team’s scoring can be prevented by a goalkeeper, a role filled by the team’s mascot, who wears an elaborate costume. It is with these Calica mascots that Starfleet Academy embraces its eccentric side.
The War College’s mascot will be recognizable to certain fans. The Mugato, a horned white ape monster, made its first appearance in the episode “A Private Little War,” where it bit Captain Kirk (William Shatner), and it later resurfaced. In “Vitus Reflux”, Caleb (Sandro Rosta) impersonates the War College’s Mugato mascot, marking what is likely the first time a character in Star Trek has worn a costume of a franchise monster.
However, the more bizarre and obscure reference is the Starfleet Academy mascot, Lappy the Lapling. Ocam Sadal (Romeo Carere) ends up becoming the mascot for the Starfleet Calica team by the episode’s conclusion, requiring him to wear a peculiar insectoid outfit. Earlier, Jett Reno (Tig Notaro)—a character brought over from Discovery who hails from the 23rd Century—describes the Lapling as follows: “Way back, Starfleet’s [mascot] was a Lapling, fuzzy mean like a Koala, cute like a Targ.”
A Targ is an aggressive Klingon pet that looks like a warthog, and a koala is common knowledge. But what exactly is a Lapling?
The Lapling, Explained
The Lapling is a small, bug-like being that was first introduced—and, until now, only seen—in the 1990 Next Generation episode “The Most Toys.” In that story, was kidnapped by the immoral collector Kivas Fajo (Saul Rubinek), who amasses rare galactic artifacts, including a specimen of the nearly extinct Lapling.
In reality, the Lapling was a small puppet. But within the 24th Century setting of the show, the creature was exceedingly rare. Interestingly, according to Jett Reno’s 23rd Century perspective, the Lapling was familiar enough to serve as a Starfleet mascot. Therefore, chronologically speaking, both alien mascots featured in this episode originate from the era of The Original Series, which proved to be a particularly unfortunate century for the creature.
Given that 2026 marks the 60th anniversary of the Star Trek franchise, audiences can anticipate numerous deep-cut references in both Starfleet Academy and Strange New Worlds Season 4. Yet, as Easter eggs are concerned, the creature mascots in Starfleet Academy are arguably the most peculiar and surprising.