Star Trek Discovery
Season 5 – Episode 7
Episode title: Erigah
Release date: May 9, 2024
Plot: With Moll and L’ak in custody, the Federation is pulled into a diplomatic and ethical firestorm when the Breen demand they be handed over. Meanwhile, Book looks for ways to help as Tilly, Adira and Reno work to decipher the latest clue.
* * *
MOLL: Special offer, courier services, limited time only.
[echoing]: Special offer, courier services, limited time only.
Special offer, courier services, limited time only.
Special offer, courier services, limited time only.
Special offer, courier services, limited time only.
NHAN: It was broadcasting from the pod on a loop.
Subspace frequency Epsilon Nineteen.
BURNHAM: That is a courier channel.
“Special offer” is code for S.O.S.
So she was hoping a courier would rescue them.
Luckily we got to them first.
Admiral Vance asked me to bring a team aboard Discovery to assist with security as you transfer them to Fed HQ.
All right.
Glad to have you with us, Commander.
Good to be back.
Moll had this stashed on her when we pulled her out.
Dr. Vellek’s diary. We already have some of it on file, but let’s get started translating the rest.
It’ll tell us everything we need to know about the Progenitors’ tech.
There’s a Romulan on our team.
…secure area. It is off-limits.
Hey, come on. Hands off the jacket.
Book. [sighs] You are…
not supposed to be here.
Yeah, uh, I heard Moll and L’ak are beaming over.
Access is restricted.
No one in or out without the admiral’s okay.
They may know things we don’t about the clue trail
or what we’ll find at the end of it.
I’ve spent more time with Moll than anyone, so maybe
I can get her to talk.
Report said she nearly killed you on the Enterprise.
But she didn’t.
So, lots of trust there.
At least let me try.
NHAN: Last time I saw you–
also a personal situation–
you fired on Discovery with photon torpedoes
and set off an isolytic weapon.
And I’ve been working to make things right ever since.
NHAN: That doesn’t mean
you’re not a security risk.
Look, Commander,
Book has been instrumental
in this mission so far.
[sighs]
If we need help during our debrief, I’ll find you.
He’s a good man,
and I do trust him.
I know what he means to you.
That’s why I went easy on him.
I’ll be right back.
CULBER: We’re almost ready, Captain.
Beaming right into a biobed, not a good sign.
Well, L’ak is in bad shape.
It’s a miracle he’s even still alive.
And Moll?
The Locherer reports she’s
dehydrated, half starved, but still kicking.
Literally. When we tried to separate them,
she went ballistic.
I’m not surprised.
We’re modifying the containment field to hold them together.
Keeping them apart would only put more stress on his system.
Okay.
Let’s do this.
Captain Burnham to the USS Locherer.
Ready for transfer.
MALE [over comms]: Transporting now, Captain.
[grunts, gasps]
What are you doing?
I’m giving him something for the pain,
and then I need to examine him.
We’re gonna help him, Moll.
You did this to him.
Fierce as a sa-te kru.
Keep both eyes open.
You know I will.
[L’ak grunts]
Guards, step back.
[labored breathing]
[grunts]
A word, Captain?
L’ak is fading.
Some kind of vital organ must have been hit, but
we don’t know enough about Breen physiology
to do much besides ease his pain.
We have to do more.
Breen fugitive dying in Federation custody,
this is politically charged, to say the least.
Tell me you have a plan.
I did a deep dive into Dominion War-era medical research.
There is some evidence that the Breen
are capable of somatic cell regeneration
in extreme cold, so we located
a captured Breen refrigeration unit
in an old Fed HQ storage manifest,
and we may be able to use it to convert a biobed
into a low-temperature ICU unit.
It’s a long shot.
Do it.
I’ll alert headquarters to have it ready right now.
BURNHAM: Commander Asha, bring us in for docking.
ASHA: I’m sorry, Captain, they’re asking us to hold.
BURNHAM: Wonder why.
Captain, we’re receiving a hail from Admiral Vance.
He’s requesting to speak with you before we dock.
Put him through.
Apparently, it’s classified.
I’ll meet him in my ready room. Rayner,
you have the conn.
BURNHAM: Admiral.
I’m having the refrigeration unit beamed over.
Moll and L’ak will remain in your custody.
I thought we were transferring them to you?
Change of plans.
Once you receive it,
I need you to jump immediately.
Get them as far away as you can.
Sir, what’s happening?
We received this. [electronic garble]
Breen.
We ran it through translation.
RUHN: Your Federation has captured two fugitives
who have incurred an Erigah.
Be ready to hand them over upon our imminent arrival.
Scans show a Breen dreadnaught
heading this way at maximum warp.
President Rillak is at
a diplomatic summit on Tellar Prime.
For her security, she’ll remain there.
All nonessential personnel will shelter in quarters.
How did the Breen even know we have them?
They must have intercepted
our communication with the Locherer.
Goes without saying that handing them over is not an option.
Can’t allow the Breen to become aware
of the Progenitors’ technology.
So we jump away with Moll and L’ak, and then what?
You just deny the Federation has them?
By all means, Captain, speak freely.
Apologies, Admiral.
To your point, the Breen are too smart for games,
but having Moll and L’ak elsewhere
will at least limit the immediate risk
and force them to consider how far
they’re willing to push us
in order to fulfill this Erigah.
Well, with all due respect, sir,
we can’t keep moving indefinitely.
They will figure it out eventually.
They’ll start tracking our jump signature.
They’ll leave who knows what kind of carnage
in their wake as they follow us and keep following us.
Do you have an alternative proposal?
Yeah, let Discovery stay.
Force them to deal with us right now
and find a solution.
It’ll come to that eventually, anyway.
Fair enough.
All right, Discovery stays,
but Moll and L’ak will remain on board, just in case.
Let’s hope this works.
♪
♪
♪
[original Star Trek theme plays]
T’RINA: Admiral, Captain, Commander,
thank you for coming so quickly.
President Rillak has delegated me to lead negotiations
in her stead. In preparation, I have reviewed
all records of past
diplomatic relations with the Breen.
Anything that can help us?
T’RINA: There has been
no official contact since before the Burn,
so recent intelligence is limited.
We do know they have experienced unrest
since the death of their emperor.
Six primarchs are currently at war
for control of the Imperium.
Do we know which one is coming?
We do not.
RAYNER: Doesn’t matter.
All the Breen are the same.
The word “diplomacy”
is not even in their vocabulary.
Then we shall teach it to them.
That’s more a pipe dream than a tactic.
T’RINA: Do not equate a desire for understanding
with lack of nerve.
This faction seeks power.
There must be something we can offer
that they will perceive as beneficial enough
to negate an Erigah.
An Erigah is a blood bounty.
If they need to start a war to fulfill it, they will.
Let’s not forget what happened the last time
Breen entered Federation space.
Starfleet was caught flat-footed.
That’s not gonna happen this time.
I’ve called back some of our ships as a deterrent,
we’ll mount a defense, if need be.
We just need to keep things calm
until backup arrives.
Something doesn’t add up here.
They don’t need to come into Federation territory
to make this demand.
It’s a risk for them, too.
Would they really do it just to fulfill an Erigah?
You believe there is another reason they want Moll and L’ak?
I think there could be.
As you’ve said before,
the most powerful weapon in diplomacy is information.
We need more.
Captain Saru is currently on a diplomatic mission
not far from Breen space.
In a recent report,
he noted that their factional wars
stem from a succession dispute.
Competing claims from disparate branches of the royal bloodline.
A primarch of the royal line
wouldn’t need L’ak for succession,
so what purpose would he and Moll serve, then?
It doesn’t matter. None of it will matter
if they think they can take us.
My suggestion: We install
thoron emitters on the hull. Used with duranium shadows,
it’ll give the impression that we’re armed to the gills.
At least give them pause.
Or incite them to attack.
[scoffs, chuckles] So, what–
we should just stick our necks out on the chopping block?
Commander Rayner, we’re on the same team here.
Yeah?
Am I the only one familiar with the Romulan saying,
“Never turn your back on a Breen”?
There is nothing to be gained from xenophobic comments.
I’m not the xenophobic one, Madam President.
To the Breen, genocide is a necessity.
Their version of a Prime Directive.
Commander, wait for me outside.
[scoffs]
[sighs]
Madam President, Admiral,
if Moll and L’ak have information
that might be helpful, we have to get it out of them
sooner rather than later.
I was with them on the ISS.
I got a sense of how they operate.
I think I have a shot.
Then you better take it.
Thank you.
Captain.
Make sure to keep your Number One in line.
Can’t afford any missteps when the Breen get here.
Understood. Madam President.
If Vance thinks a defensive position
is anything short of an invitation to be decimated…
Well, the admiral is doing the best he can with what he has.
And he’s as concerned as I am
about your ability to handle this today.
Neither of you understand what you’re up against here.
But I suspect you do.
This seems personal, Rayner.
But if you have valuable intel, you need to share it.
I already said what I had to say.
I apologize for the tone, Captain.
[indistinct announcement over P.A.]
Dismissed.
Lieutenant Gallo, place us on Yellow Alert.
All hands prepare for the imminent arrival of the Breen.
STAMETS: Hey, Tilly.
Huh?
Wait, Tilly.
I-I was looking for you at the science lab
and they said you were taking a-a shuttle
to Fed HQ?
Yeah, if the Breen are gonna attack,
my cadets are gonna need me.
We need you here.
Look, um,
this was attached to the clue we retrieved
from the fifth tower on Halem’no.
It’s a Betazed logo,
and the text translates to “the labyrinths of the mind.”
So, if you and Adira could focus on the meaning of that phrase,
then I can figure out the properties of the metal.
Paul, why are we talking about the clue right now?
The last time the Breen paid a visit to the Federation,
they destroyed an entire city.
Which is exactly why we need to keep focusing on this.
Look, the Mitchell is out there,
and their orders
are to stand by in case…
Well, in case they receive an encrypted message from us.
You mean, in case we can’t compete the mission
because we’re all dead.
This clue
is the most important thing in the Federation right now.
We have to get the Progenitors’ power and keep it safe.
If the Breen or-or someone else gets it…
And, honestly, Fed HQ is the safest place
your cadets could be right now.
So…
can I let Adira know you’re on your way to help?
Yes.
Of course.
Dr. Culber, how’s he doing?
Improving, slowly.
The blend of sub-zero gasses promotes
a strong immune response unique to the Breen.
Can I talk to him?
You can try.
The Breen are on their way.
They demand that we hand you both over.
You must have foreseen
the possibility they would intercept your SOS.
What was your plan?
Always been partial to winging it.
On the ISS,
you said you were trying to buy your way out
of the Erigah with the Progenitors’ power.
Is there anything else they would accept as payment?
If there was,
we would have paid it.
A dreadnaught-the most powerful warship class
in the entire Breen Imperium–
is coming all the way to Federation Headquarters
for your Erigah.
This primarch really wants you. Why?
We could have let you die out there.
Instead, we’re risking our lives to help you.
If you want to help us, let us out of here.
Take our chances on our own.
With him in his condition? You would have no chance.
Some things are worse than death.
What’s worse than death?
This conversation, for starters.
Primarch doesn’t actually plan to kill you, does he?
Who are you?
His child?
Sibling? Cousin?
What does he really want with you?
Fine, I’ll tell you what he wants. The throne.
I’m guessing, somehow, you can get it for him,
if he can have you under his thumb again.
And for someone who fought for their freedom
that would be worse than death, wouldn’t it?
Oh, it’s you, isn’t it?
You are the bloodline, not the primarch.
He can’t succeed without you.
Yeah.
Lucky me.
Direct descendent of the emperor.
The scion of the Breen Imperium.
Makes me sick to even say it.
So do me a favor.
When my uncle gets here…
…spit in his face for me.
ZORA: I’ve found a match
for the phrase inscribed upon the metal card.
Labyrinths of the Mind is the title of a Betazoid manuscript,
written in 2371 by a Dr. Marina Derex.
That’s one of the scientists who helped hide
the Progenitors’ tech. Uh, any chance
you can source us a copy?
Only a few thousand were published in its time.
I don’t see that any remain available.
I’m sorry, there has to be one somewhere.
Looking more closely, I don’t believe a copy will be helpful.
The punctuation of the Betazed symbols
point to this being the root text.
That is, the original handwritten manuscript.
TILLY: The original manuscript?
Well, any chance that still exists?
If it does,
I have no record of it.
Fantastic.
For a second there, I thought we had a gimmie.
Uh, Zora, could you do a scan of Starfleet personnel files
to see if there’s anyone with expertise
on ancient manuscripts?
Oh, that’s a good idea.
Of course, Ensign. One moment.
[chuckles]: What?
Nothing, just…
Remember how scared you were to
be on the bridge when we went to Halem’no? You did a great job.
I don’t know about that. [chuckles]
No, you did.
And you’re doing a great job with this.
You’re just… helping us find the clue.
Just seems like, in general,
you’re really finding your way, and you shouldn’t be afraid
to take on more, you know?
You have it in you.
Well, thanks, Teach.
[computer chimes]
I have found someone
with relevant experience.
Her curriculum vitae lists prior employment
as a rare and antiquarian bookseller.
Uh, who?
Commander Reno.
TILLY: Uh, Commander Reno, uh,
we could use your help.
If you can talk while I work.
This targeting matrix is screwy.
Got to have accurate weapons
if we start shooting it out with the Breen.
Everyone seems to think that’s inevitable.
It’s the whole faceless-helmet vibe.
Truncheons. Jackboots. Where’s the nuance?
Yeah, so we’re working on the latest clue. Uh,
it points to a rare manuscript.
We were thinking since you used to work with those, um…
Uh… I may have padded my résumé with that one.
Truth is, I used to move
hard-to-find folios for a shady antiquarian archivist.
Try saying that one five times fast.
Uh, sorry, you were a smuggler?
I smuggled.
Had a lot of odd jobs
before I committed to Starfleet.
VIP shuttle pilot,
deep mercury welder, bartender
at a cozy little dive
on Ashalon Four.
I’m actually supposed to pick up a guest shift tonight
at Red’s Lounge. You haven’t lived
until you’ve tried my Seven of Limes.
Wow, you really got around.
Uh, not… I’m sor… Not like that.
Oh, yeah, like that.
All right, well, story for another time. Um…
we are looking for a very specific manuscript.
It is a handwritten Betazoid text
called Labyrinths of the Mind.
RENO: Never heard of it.
There’s a lot of places
something like that could end up.
Private collections, museums,
in a landfill.
We can’t hit a dead end here.
Once we figure this out, it’ll take us to the final clue.
No, no, we’ll figure it out. Walk with me.
I’ve got shield emitters to overhaul before the Breen…
CHRISTOPHER [on P.A.]: Attention all personnel.
We are code one-alpha. Code one-alpha.
Shit, they’re here.
[booming]
FEMALE [over P.A.]: Attention all personnel.
We are now at Yellow Alert.
Repeat: we are at Yellow Alert.
Madam President. Admiral.
That Breen ship-that’s the same ship that we saw
on the time-bug cycle.
The one that destroyed Federation Headquarters.
VANCE: What are the scans telling us?
Scans can’t penetrate their shields, Admiral.
Hail them.
I do hope some actionable intelligence
came from your visit with L’ak?
BURNHAM: Yes.
Without him, this primarch has no claim to the throne.
We just need time to figure out how to use
that information to get them to leave, peacefully.
TEEMO: They’ve answered our hail, sir.
[electronic garbling]
Translating.
I am Primarch Ruhn.
I demand you transfer the fugitives to my ship.
President T’Rina of Ni’Var.
I’ve been empowered by Federation President Rillak
to greet you and lead this negotiation.
There will be no negotiation.
The fugitives. Immediately.
L’ak and Moll are currently receiving medical treatment,
and any extradition orders
would need to be drafted and approved.
Four hours should suffice.
RUHN: One hour.
Failure to comply will be considered an act of war.
Extradition orders?
It seemed preferable to claims of a tribble infestation.
You said you needed time
to figure out how to use what you learned
from L’ak and Moll in order to resolve this peacefully.
You have one hour.
Thank you.
I do have an idea.
Okay, Zora, um, eliminate star systems
that aren’t rich in ionized beryllium
or gadolinium-154.
Actually, no, um,
try removing all systems
that contain alloys,
minerals or compounds
that are not detected in the Betazoid card.
ZORA: Here you are, Commander.
So much for my shortcut.
Hey. There you are.
I was looking for you earlier.
They said that you were with Tilly, but to check back.
Yeah, w-we’re dividing and conquering with the clue.
Uh, I’m working on where the card came from
and Tilly and Adira are figuring out the phrase.
Uh, what do you need?
I want to help.
Put me to work.
Really?
Yeah.
You could ask Hugh-I’m shite at sitting around.
So, until someone needs me to pick up a phaser
and take on some Breen, I’m all yours.
Okay, great. Well, n-not the “taking on Breen” part.
Hopefully, it won’t come to that, but, um,
you can help find anything that will point us
toward where in space
this was made.
Okay, so I take it these are our
possible origin points?
Yeah, well, um, there used to be more of them.
A needle in a haystack, then.
Try a needle in a hundred million haystacks.
Okay. Let’s start looking.
Commander.
I was strategizing.
We’re running out of time.
What do you know about Breen leadership?
Succession, specifically.
Not much. Why?
We know that the primarch needs L’ak to claim the throne.
I think we can use that. I’m just not sure how.
We’re dealing with a culture that we know
nearly nothing about.
Rayner, you do.
You had a strong reaction earlier,
and I… I didn’t fully understand it,
but then I did a little digging and learned
that Kellerun was used as a Breen outpost
for a number of years.
Your home.
That was a long time ago.
I don’t…
It’s not something I like to talk about.
Can you at least tell me if you had any run-ins
with a Primarch Ruhn?
No.
Another primarch controlled our planet.
Tahal.
Showed up.
No warning.
Ships filled the sky like a swarm of Golor beetles.
Chose it as a forward base.
Used it as a munitions resupply hub.
Tahal clear-cut our forests, poisoned our seas,
blackened our skies.
I don’t even know how many died.
Collateral damage in whatever war she was fighting.
We put up a hell of a fight.
But I’m the only one of my family that made it.
I’m sorry.
Yeah.
Breen cannot be negotiated with.
Not when they want something.
BURNHAM: We just need to get Ruhn to believe
we can offer him something he wants more
than Moll and L’ak.
And I think you just gave us a way.
Thank you for talking.
[sighs]
RENO: I used to have
tons of contacts in the book trade.
800 years ago, anyway.
They’re all pushing up daisies now.
Got anything else that might help narrow things down?
Uh, manuscript’s one of a kind.
Any copies would have been lost a long time ago
and the original might be all that we have left,
like, anywhere.
Are you sure it’s a one of a kind?
Uh, as far as we know. Why?
RENO: Dr. Derex
would have wanted to protect it if it leads to the next clue.
Try the Eternal Gallery and Archive.
A mouthful, I know.
We just called it the archive.
It’s like a bank but it protects knowledge.
Neutral, all worlds welcome,
that sort of thing.
Lots of rarities go there
for safekeeping.
Yeah, we’ll check it out. Where is it?
In space. Somewhere.
Stays safe by always being on the move.
Did you say the title was engraved on a piece of metal?
Yeah. Does that mean something?
Well, might be the library card.
That’s how they granted access.
Sounds like something out of a holodeck adventure
for the littles, right?
The archive.
We’re on it. Thank you.
Good luck.
Back at you.
Good news: You’re not out of the woods,
but you are stable.
Well, your captain thinks she can play Ruhn,
but it’s a mistake to assume
Breen think like humans do.
We’re nothing like you.
Not even close.
Well, I believe, however different we are,
there’s always common ground.
You found that with Moll.
L’AK: Moll loves me
because of our differences,
not despite them.
I didn’t even think that was possible.
You’re straining yourself.
Are you done prodding him? He needs to rest.
We cannot let your uncle get us, not before
we have the Progenitors’ tech to bargain with.
The Federation will never give us up.
Stuck in a brig is just another kind of stuck.
You need to make a run for it.
I’m not leaving you.
I’ll get the docs to lower the containment field.
You go steal a shuttle,
beam me on board, we’ll fly the hell away from here.
Just like that?
You have a better idea?
What’s your plan for the field?
[sighs]
Let’s just say…
you’re not gonna like it.
I love you.
I love you, too, green eye.
♪
Are we ready?
As we planned, then.
Hail the Breen ship.
Tell them we’re prepared to hand over the fugitives.
Hailing now, Admiral.
Welcome aboard, Primarch.
I’m Admiral Vance. You’ve already met
President T’Rina.
[electronic garbling]
The primarch demands:
Where are his prisoners?
As the hour given is not yet finished,
we would like to use what little time remains
as an opportunity for conversation.
[speaking Breen]
The primarch declares: He has no need for conversation.
He wants what is his.
No, what he said was he has “no need to speak
with spineless, insignificant achworms.”
A more accurate translation, yes?
Hear our offer.
45 metric tons of raw dilithium
in trade for lifting the Erigah.
I will speak in your tongue
so there can be no misunderstanding.
The only payment for a blood bounty is blood.
How much is spilled today will be up to you.
We would prefer to avoid conflict.
Therefore, we will offer you one final chance
to consider our request.
You?
Offer me?
It is an insult.
We tried to engage in diplomatic negotiations
and have been refused, rebuffed
and now ridiculed.
So we must make a difficult decision.
Instead of delivering the prisoners to you,
we will accept an offer we have received from Primarch Tahal.
Tahal?
Captain Burnham and Commander Rayner have been the leads
on negotiations with her.
She has also taken interest in L’ak.
Having him by her side would greatly bolster
her claim to the throne.
Which is also the hope for you.
This was never about an Erigah.
It’s about power.
[whirring]
You lie.
Tahal would rather gnaw her own flesh
than strike a deal with the Federation.
She was fierce in her negotiations
but fair in her terms.
This bluff wouldn’t fool a hatchling.
I know Tahal well.
I know she named her flagship the Tau Ceti,
after a lethal viper with a slow-acting venom.
Her favored way of killing
her enemies, when she wants to watch them die by degree.
That’s how she took my kinfolk on Kellerun
when they rose against her at the Twin Gates.
Would have killed me, too, but…
she said she liked the way I fought.
Ferocious, relentless,
“almost like a Breen”
is how she put it.
Do you still think we’re bluffing, Primarch?
Bring me L’ak.
Or I will blast this station into atoms.
You would not, in fact, take such action
for fear it might harm him.
A risk we know you cannot afford.
♪
Hey, Starfleet.
I need to talk to Captain Burnham.
GUARD: Commander Nhan
will return momentarily.
MOLL: Not her.
Burnham.
Okay. What’s the problem here?
MOLL: I already told him-I want to talk to Captain Burnham.
[screaming]
Lower the field.
[L’ak groaning]
That’s an entire day’s dose.
You did this to yourself?
Moll, go. Go!
[groaning]
[hissing]
[alarm beeping]
[grunts]
[groans]
[grunts]
Let her go.
I’m trying to help you both.
[whirring]
[grunting]
[groans]
[grunting]
[groans]
Damn it, Moll, stop!
[grunting]
[groaning]
[cracking]
[grunting]
[groans]
MOLL: I’ll be back as soon as I can.
Drop your weapon!
[grunting]
[grunts]
[panting]
[L’ak panting, groaning]
[grunts]
[shouts]
[speaking Breen]
Whatever the terms of your agreement with Tahal,
we will exceed it.
L’ak must come to me.
We have no desire to engage in a bidding war
between your factions.
There is a third option.
We reject Tahal’s offer.
You leave here in peace.
We keep the prisoners.
And why would I accept that?
Because we have a spore drive.
And if you attack us, we can be gone
with L’ak to Tahal in seconds.
But if we keep him, the Scion is off the table
and the status quo is maintained.
You can settle your dispute with Tahal the way you always have,
in battle.
Unless you fear you cannot defeat her.
♪
If any harm befalls the Scion at the hands of the Federation,
war will be unavoidable.
It is my sworn duty.
We give you our word that he will not be harmed
while in our custody.
NHAN [over comms]: Captain Burnham.
It’s Nhan.
♪
Nhan?
Moll got out.
I’m going after her.
BURNHAM: Zora,
can you locate her? ZORA: There is no sign
of her biometric data, Captain.
Hang in there, L’ak. Stay with me.
How is that possible? We took all her gear from her
when we captured her.
ZORA: She may have some implanted form
of biometric cloaking technology.
Damn it. Initiate lockdown protocol
and see what you can do to help me find her.
Respectfully, Captain,
my detail, my prisoner.
Go.
Hugh?
[sighs] We’re losing him.
Not an option.
We don’t know enough about his physiology.
[L’ak groaning]
We need a Breen medic.
I’ll get you one.
How?
The primarch.
[chime]
ZORA: Attention, crew,
all decks have been sealed under lockdown protocol.
Repeat: We are on lockdown protocol.
Zora, what’s happening?
ZORA: One of the fugitives escaped sickbay.
Commander Nhan’s team is conducting a search.
It’s Moll. Damn it.
Wait, Book, we already have a mission.
Have any terminals been used to access ship schematics?
ZORA: There was a log-in 30 seconds ago.
Where? ZORA: Terminal C-7
on Deck 5.
I need to go.
No, no, no, no, no, no, no. No.
No, Nhan’s after her.
Nhan doesn’t know Moll.
We have to solve this.
I can help.
Book, the mission has to be the priority.
We need that final clue.
Okay.
The scientist was Betazoid, but the clue has
no trace elements from Betazed.
What about from one of their colonies?
They didn’t have any 800 years ago.
We must be missing something.
It feels like we should be further along.
Yeah. Yeah.
You would think so.
What did you just say?
Oh, um…
we must be missing something.
No, you said
something about-about feeling.
That’s it.
[stammers] Betazoids are telepaths.
So what if Dr. Derex created a transitive link
between this card and the place it came from? And…
and she would have left traces of her thoughts
and emotions behind.
And you’re an empath.
So maybe you could read them.
[sighs]
Anything?
Not with you talking, there won’t be.
♪
You were right.
I see something.
Empty space.
Somewhere remote.
Any cosmological details?
Um, planets?
Suns? Nebulae?
A dust cloud.
Huge.
A storm.
Not a dust storm.
Plasma.
Plasma storm. All right.
And there’s a noise,
like an explosion.
Plasma blast.
Maybe a few.
Huge, remote plasma storm.
Possible explosive plasma bursts,
which would create ionic discharge.
That’s good. That’s-that’s helpful.
Okay.
Uh, any-anything else?
Uh…
Yeah. Another feeling.
[stammers]
Eternity.
Eternal.
Don’t know what it means. I have to go.
[rapid beeping]
O2 saturation levels are still dropping.
Try boosting through…
I got your Breen medic.
He’ll be beaming in any minute.
The primarch will be joining us.
It was the only way he would agree.
MALE: Captain, they’re beaming in now.
Step away from him.
[beeping continues]
Where’s the second prisoner?
She’s being held elsewhere on the ship.
If my nephew dies here,
the Federation will pay.
[L’ak groaning softly]
Go around back.
Copy.
[whirring]
Thank you for alerting me.
I may have misjudged you.
Making things right is a process.
And L’ak?
Did he get out, too?
He pulled a risky move and…
Moll, lower your weapon!
Ship’s locked down! There’s nowhere to go!
ENGINEER: She’s got a map
to shuttle bay!
Shut up!
What you did back in sickbay to get out
backfired.
L’ak misjudged the dose.
He may not make it.
MOLL: Yeah, nice try.
Sell me a goat farm on Bopak III while you’re at it.
Let me try.
[exhales]
Moll?
Hey, it’s Book.
Look, I’m coming out.
[whirring]
Not another step.
She isn’t lying.
L’ak is your world.
I know that.
I also know what it’s like to lose one.
Don’t miss your chance to be there with him.
For him.
♪
[monitor beeping steadily]
♪
I’m here.
L’AK: Moll.
I’m sorry.
I guess I used too much.
[shudders] Don’t go.
I need you with me.
L’AK: It’s okay.
You’ll be okay.
I promise.
No.
This isn’t how our story ends.
This isn’t how our story ends.
[monitor flatlining]
[crying]
RUHN: You killed the Scion.
BURNHAM: No, no, he did this to himself.
CULBER: He hacked a biobed and injected himself
with a massive dose of tricordrazine.
RUHN: Intention is nothing. Outcome is everything.
Prepare for battle.
T’RINA: L’ak is dead.
Ruhn has ordered the troops back to their ship,
and all torpedo systems to be armed.
Everybody, just take it easy.
[speaks Breen]
Red alert. Shields up.
If anyone’s gonna make a move,
I strongly suggest we be the first.
What we do here, Admiral, will make waves
that may strike many worlds.
You want to survive long enough to see that happen?
Because at this rate…
Commander!
TEEMO: Admiral.
Four warp signatures are arriving. They’re Starfleet.
Not a moment too soon.
BURNHAM: The Federation brought him here to save him.
We would have no reason to wish him any harm.
He overdosed on a stimulant. Part of a plan to escape.
Those lies will be your last words.
Wait.
It’s true.
He did it for us, so we could be free.
Your words are not proof.
You think a war to avenge him will unite the Breen behind you?
If I cannot use the Scion in life,
I will use him in death.
Yeah, well, I go where L’ak goes.
Even in death.
This is the privilege of our joining.
An abomination.
No, a marriage.
Which means you are obligated to take me with you.
Moll, what are you doing?
I’m not talking to you.
You will never be welcome among us.
MOLL: Maybe this will help.
The Federation’s hiding something from you.
A power so great
you won’t need L’ak to claim the throne.
No one will stand in your way.
And I can get it for you if you take me with you.
If you wish to avoid war, she is my price.
She is under our protection.
I will allow you five minutes to transport her to my ship.
BOOK: She’s not thinking straight.
BURNHAM: Or she is, and she has a plan.
T’RINA: Her motives are irrelevant at this moment.
I have a decision to make on behalf of the Federation.
That is where our attention should be.
[distorted voices echoing]
Okay, risk analysis.
Does Moll know any details about the Progenitors’
technology that she hasn’t yet told the Breen?
Nhan’s team translated the rest of the diary.
Nothing of substance, but there is a passage that may be pertinent.
Dr. Vellek believed that since the technology could be used to create life, it might also be used to revive the dead.
Bit of a stretch.
BURNHAM: Doesn’t matter.
What matters is that she thinks it’ll bring L’ak back.
That’s why she’s doing this.
RAYNER: Why would she go with the Breen?
They have an Erigah on her head.
Moll told us they’d use the technology to pay for it.
So by helping the Breen,
she gets L’ak and their freedom at the same time.
Ruhn will kill her the second he has this technology.
Maybe she has a plan for that, too.
Are there further considerations
from a strategic perspective?
She doesn’t have the clue from Halem’no. We do.
Once it’s decoded, we can jump immediately.
They can track our signature, but speed is on our side.
You can’t actually be considering this.
We can’t give her to them.
VANCE: We are now in a race with the Breen,
whether they hold her in their custody or not.
Well, shouldn’t she be tried for what happened on Q’Mau?
She also committed crimes in Breen space
and will be held accountable or not according to their laws.
Unfortunately, it seems there is little to be lost
by allowing this,
and much to be lost by keeping her.
This is wrong, Michael.
STAMETS: We figured it out.
The next clue is in a place called The Eternal Gallery and Archive.
It changes location about every 50 years.
We found records for 18 different locations over the past 900 years or so.
And each of those records mentioned a metal “library card,” which is used to gain access to a specific item stored in there, so…
So where’s the Archive now?
STAMETS: Well, thanks to Book, we know that it’s in a region that has a lot of ionic discharge in close proximity.
Every second counts. We don’t have time to search all that.
ADIRA: We don’t have to.
Zora, can you please show us all the archive’s known previous locations?
And can you overlay the datasets?
ZORA: Of course, Ensign.
TILLY: The Archive has been on a path moving through space over centuries, so tracing the prior locations, we land on a match here.
This is where it is now.
The Badlands.
Been there.
It’s as fun as it sounds.
Then we won’t stay long.
We’ll get in quick, and get out even quicker.
Really good work, team. Thank you. Prepare to jump.
Let’s go get our last clue.
BURNHAM: Commander.
Today must have been really difficult.
Hell, I mutinied rather than giving an inch back to the Klingons.
A lot of good that did you.
Yeah.
You did really well today.
What they did to my planet, though… never gonna happen again.
We’ll make sure of it.
Status report.
Comms channels are open, Captain.
Spore-drive system is in jump configuration.
Shields and scanning systems are nominal.
Science is standing by for location analysis.
Commander Asha, there’s gonna be some turbulence.
I hope you like a challenge.
Love a challenge, Captain.
All right, then. Black alert.
[alert sounding]
