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Star Trek: Prodigy's season 2 finale, "Ouroboros, Part II", revealed the true extent of the Mars Attack of 2385 was even more devastating to the Federation than Star Trek: Picard indicated. In Picard season 1, it was said that over 92,000 souls lost their lives on Mars. Star Trek: Prodigy makes the tragedy even more dire for the Federation by confirming 20,000 starships under construction at Utopia Planitia Fleet Yards were destroyed. Originally built for Admiral Picard's Romulan rescue mission, this new fleet was equipped with the latest technology that was now lost to Starfleet.
Admiral Edward Jellico said Starfleet was in such dire straits that they lack enough communicator badges to equip the remaining fleet. With a severely weakened and diminished Starfleet, the Federation pulled back into its own existing borders and ceased all exploration missions. Prepping for war against a possible unseen enemy and fearing its own androids, the Federation became insular, abandoning its directive to seek out new life forms and new civilizations. As a response, however, Admiral Kathryn Janeway assigned the new Protostar Class USS Prodigy to newly promoted Ensigns Dal R'El, Gwyndala, and their friends. The USS Prodigy's mission is to explore and be a beacon of light as the Federation recedes into a darker era.
Star Trek: Picard season 1 eventually revealed the true culprit behind the Mars Attack of First Contact Day 2385 was Commodore Oh, who was actually a Romulan deep cover agent named General Nedar. A member of the fanatical Tal Shiar sect called the Zhat Vash, Nedar and her followers held an existentital fear of synthetic beings from another galaxy invading and wiping out all organic life. This dread manifested in the Romulans' hatred of androids and Synthetics. Nedar infiltrated Starfleet posing as a Vulcan named Oh and gradually rose to the rank of Commodore, becoming Starfleet's Head of Security.
Commodore Oh masterminded Mars' synthetic worker drones going rogue and massacring the Utopia Plantia Fleet Yards. Oh's plan worked, and the Federation banned all synthetic lifeforms for nearly 15 years. Oh and her Tal Shiar agents Narissa and Narek then targeted Dahj and Soji Asha to find Coppelius, where Dr. Bruce Maddox and Dr. Altan Inigo Soong created a new race of Soong synthetics. Commodore Oh and her Zhat Vash were eventually uncovered and defeated in Star Trek: Picard season 1, but Star Trek: Prodigy season 2's ending sets up a darker Federation era still about 15 years away from these events.