Now that you officially know that Section 31 is getting it’s very own series, we’re guessing you’re probably hungry for some info on the secretive organisation.
Section 31 has actually been around since the very birth of Starfleet, acting without any accountability and doing whatever it deems necessary to get the job done. Here is a brief history of the organization.
22ND Century (Prime)
The name comes from Article14, Section 31 of the original Starfleet Charter. This specifically allows the ‘bending’ of rules in order to deal with any extraordinary threats.
Starfleet security officer Harris recruited Ensign Malcolm Reed before 2151. He was later re-recruited by Harris, during a time in which Section 31 had made an agreement with Admiral Krell of the Klingon Fleet. The agreement would involve Harris transporting Doctor Phlox to a Klingon colony, to help find a cure for the Klingon augment. This would be in exchange for a mutually beneficial alliance.
Harris was back on the scene in 2155, when Terra Prime, the terrorist group on Earth, tried to disrupt the Coalition of Planets, Harris made an agreement to assist by giving intelligence on the terrorist organization.
23rd Century (Kelvin Timeline)
Section 31, using a black version of the Starfleet Insignia, would brag about their superior resourcefulness in the 2250s.
Admiral Alexander Marcas was in charge of Section 31 in the alternate reality. They had base in London, underneath the Kelvin Memorial Archive.
When Vulcan was destroyed and an attack was made by the Narada against Earth, Section 31 took a more proactive approach in their defense methods, especially when it came to the Klingon Empire. They would explore more unchartered territory of space, eventually leading to the discovery of SS Botany Bay.
24th Century (Prime)
In 2374, Section 31 would reappear, trying to recruit space station Deep Space 9’s chief medical officer, Doctor Julian Bahir. After abducting him and putting him through questionable psychological testing that would deceive him, they deemed him to be loyal. Despite offering him a position, however, he declined, being disgusted of the existence of such an organization with no accountability to anyone. Later, his commanding officer, Captain Benjamin Sisko encouraged Bashir to join, so that he could spy on the organization itself.
Later on, in 2375, Luther Sloan of Section 31 would reappear to recruit Bashir to review the health of Koval (Chairman of Tal Shiar). Finding himself in the middle of a conspiracy, Bashir later found out that Koval was actually an agent of Section 31.
A few months later, Bashir discovered that Constable Odo had been deliberately infected by the morphogenic virus by Section 31. They had also engineered the virus itself. This was to try and prevent any threat from the Founders and the Dominion. Bashir set himself to finding the cure. After being lured to Deep Space 9 by Bashir, Sloan would commit suicide to prevent the cure from being discovered. His priority was to do anything necessary to prevent a the discovery of the virus cure, since it could reach the Changelings and strengthen their power.