Joann Owosekun

Species:	Human
Affiliation:	Federation Starfleet
Rank:	Lieutenant junior grade
Occupation:	Operations officer USS Discovery
Status:	Active (3189)
Played by:	Oyin Oladejo

For the mirror universe counterpart, please see Joann Owosekun (mirror).

Lieutenant junior grade Joann Owosekun, nicknamed "Owo", was a female Human Starfleet officer who served during the mid-23rd century and the late 32nd century.

Early life

Owosekun was raised in a Luddite collective on Earth. Her family held no religious beliefs. (DIS: "New Eden") They lived near the Ogbunike Caves in Africa, where they practiced freediving for abalone as a traditional activity. As a result, she acquired the ability to hold her breath for extended periods of time. (DIS: "That Hope Is You, Part 2") She felt that she scared her parents when she decided to choose her own path, but hoped that they would forgive her one day. (DIS: "Such Sweet Sorrow")

Starfleet career

The Federation-Klingon War

By 2256, Owosekun served on the bridge of the USS Discovery as operations officer, with the rank of lieutenant junior grade. (DIS: "The Butcher's Knife Cares Not for the Lamb's Cry")

When Harry Mudd attempted to take over the Discovery in 2256 using a time loop, she was present on the bridge at the operations officer post. (DIS: "Magic to Make the Sanest Man Go Mad")

In 2257, in recognition for her role in ending the Federation-Klingon War, Owosekun was awarded the Starfleet Medal of Honor. (DIS: "Will You Take My Hand?")

Post-war

Owosekun was present when Captain Christopher Pike took command of the Discovery to investigate strange signals. Later, she assisted with the rescue of the USS Hiawatha. (DIS: "Brother")

Because of her experience living in a community without technology, Owosekun was recommended by Michael Burnham to accompany her and Captain Christopher Pike as part of the landing party sent to the New Eden town on Terralysium, a primitive human settlement. When the team were attacked by Jacob, she was able to free them from captivity by using a magnet to release a slide bolt on a trap door. (DIS: "New Eden")

Owosekun was friends with Sylvia Tilly, Airiam, and Keyla Detmer, and often shared a meal with them. Later, she attended Airiam's funeral. (DIS: "Project Daedalus", "The Red Angel")

When Burnham decided to take the Discovery forward in time to the 32nd century to elude Control, with no chance to return, Owosekun was among the officers who volunteered to accompany her, leaving behind her former life. (DIS: "Such Sweet Sorrow")

Afterwards, Owosekun, along with the rest of the volunteering Discovery crew, was presumed dead by Starfleet, based on the testimonies of the USS Enterprise senior officers. (DIS: "Such Sweet Sorrow, Part 2")

32nd century

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Owosekun was one of the Starfleet officers who were held as hostages aboard Discovery by Osyraa and the Emerald Chain. With the other bridge officers, she broke out of captivity and went to retake the ship. (DIS: "There Is A Tide...")

When the Emerald Chain forces terminated life support to the lower decks, and the other crew members were being incapacitated by oxygen deprivation, Owosekun's ability to hold her breath made it possible for her to carry out the mission to force the ship out of warp by using a bomb to deactivate the superconductor connections between the ship and its nacelles. She accepted to continue despite knowing that it was a suicide mission. However, after delivering the payload, she was rescued at the last minute by a DOT-23 drone and survived. After the Discovery was retaken and returned to Federation Headquarters, Owosekun returned to duty. (DIS: "That Hope Is You, Part 2").

Appendices

Appearances

• DIS:
  • "Context Is for Kings" (First appearance) (Season 1)
  • "The Butcher's Knife Cares Not for the Lamb's Cry"
  • "Choose Your Pain"
  • "Lethe"
  • "Magic to Make the Sanest Man Go Mad"
  • "Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum"
  • "Into the Forest I Go"
  • "Despite Yourself"
  • "What's Past Is Prologue"
  • "The War Without, The War Within"
  • "Will You Take My Hand?"
  • "Brother" (Season 2)
  • "New Eden"
  • "Point of Light"
  • "An Obol for Charon"
  • "Saints of Imperfection"
  • "The Sound of Thunder"
  • "Light and Shadows"
  • "If Memory Serves"
  • "Project Daedalus"
  • "The Red Angel"
  • "Perpetual Infinity"
  • "Through the Valley of Shadows"
  • "Such Sweet Sorrow"
  • "Such Sweet Sorrow, Part 2"
  • "Far From Home" (Season 3)
  • "People of Earth"
  • "Forget Me Not"
  • "Die Trying"
  • "Scavengers"
  • "Unification III"
  • "The Sanctuary"
  • "Terra Firma, Part 1"
  • "Terra Firma, Part 2"
  • "Su'Kal"
  • "There Is A Tide..."
  • "That Hope Is You, Part 2"

Background information

Joann Owosekun is portrayed by Oyin Oladejo.

Her name was mentioned only in the credits of "Context Is for Kings" and she can only be seen briefly in the episode. She appeared more prominently with a speaking role in the following episode, "The Butcher's Knife Cares Not for the Lamb's Cry", and her last name was first spoken on screen in "Choose Your Pain", while her first name was first mentioned in "Brother".

Her surname has been pronounced in several different ways in canon. Saru emphasizes the third syllable in "Choose Your Pain" although it is usually pronounced with emphasis on the second syllable.

External links

• Joann Owosekun at Memory Beta, the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
• Joann Owosekun at StarTrek.com, the official Star Trek website