Starfleet officers sometimes undergo surgical alterations to pass as aliens on undercover missions in Star Trek. Characters like Captain Kirk, Deanna Troi, and Christopher Pike have transformed into Romulans and Kileans for important missions. An expert understanding of alien cultures and surgical disguises are crucial in maintaining secrecy and completing successful missions in the Star Trek universe.

Sometimes, the best way to complete a Starfleet mission in Star Trek is by taking on an alien alter ego to blend in with the population and avoid arousing suspicion. In Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 9, "Lagrange Point", written by Sean Cochran & Ari Friedman, and directed by Jonathan Frakes, Captain Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) leads an undercover mission to a Breen dreadnought. The Breen keep their true faces hidden behind helmets, so it's relatively easy for Burnham's team to disguise themselves as Breen, hoping to recover the Progenitors' technology that was taken by...