PETALING JAYA (THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) - In her role as Captain Philippa Georgiou, actress Michelle Yeoh will boldly go where no Malaysian has gone before.

Local fans will be delighted to know that Yeoh is featured front and centre in the newly released trailer and photos of Star Trek: Discovery on CBS All Access.

In one still, she is shown in a deserted sandscape with Sonequa Martin-Green of The Walking Dead fame, who plays lead character First Officer Michael Burnham.

The trailer provides a deeper look at their dynamic as they trek through the desert, with Martin-Green's character being told about the opportunity to command her own ship after serving Georgiou on The Discovery for seven years.

Discovery is only the second series that will not feature a starship captain as the lead.

The trailer also tantalises with scenes of tense face-offs, a mystery on the edge of Federation space, menacing Klingons, talk of Vulcans and the introduction of a new alien species in the Star Trek universe that was designed to sense the coming of death.

The new series is set 10 years before the events seen in the 1960s TV series.

Set to debut in fall, reports indicate that the first season has also been expanded to 15 episodes from its original 13-hour order.