♪
Last season onStar Trek: Discovery...
Pull up Kwejian on the deep space array.
-BURNHAM: What happened? -My ship was hit by something.
BOOK: Kwejian. They're all gone.
Introducing the next-generation spore drive.
We have 94 seconds before they realize it's gone
and figure out I'm the one who took it.
Next part's all you.
Book, no.
What happens with him? With Book?
He violated multiple
Federation statutes.
He launched an isolytic weapon.
BOOK: I got the news about my future.
Federation is sending me to help families
displaced by the DMA.
I'm sorry, Michael.
I have long told myself that balancing duty
and personal relationships was not possible.
I believe now that I was being dishonest with myself.
It is worth the effort for the right individual.
I can understand that an offer to teach at the Academy
is unlikely to fall on willing ears.
But the opening is there.
You want to go back, don't you?
I do.
-Why? -Started wondering
if this is what I really wanted,
or if I just really wanted to be seen.
I think it could be a useful perspective for a teacher.
BURNHAM: Book, I don't know how to say bye.
Say "Kwakoni Yiquan."
It means something like
"We've parted a hundred times.
May we rejoin to part a hundred more."
BURNHAM: Kwakoni Yiquan it is.
♪
[shouts, laughs]
[whoops]
Never a dull moment.
SARU: Captain, are you all right?
Surprisingly, I'm not dead yet. [grunts]
Focus on our team, I'll try to take out their engines,
and we can get back whatever was in that vault.
COMPUTER: Warning.
Warp level stability at 70%.
Oh, come on.
-50%. -That was fast.
Mr. Saru?
SARU: We are on our way to get you, Captain.
[rapid beeping]
COMPUTER: Warning. Warp failure imminent.
This is not what I expected when the night started.
[grunting]
ADIRA: And all this time, I thought it was
a Tellarite term of endearment.
[laughter]
-Tonic 2161? -Oh.
ROSS: It's the official cocktail of the Millennium Celebration.
[all oohing]
Is, uh-- I don't get it.
2161. Founding of the Federation.
It's been a thousand years.
ROSS: Give or take a few decades,
to be specific.
Hard to celebrate during the Burn.
I get the whole millennium part, but what are the little,
-tiny, floaty things? -ROSS: Oh, those are stars.
Like the Federation logo. Blue with stars, see?
And they taste like jumja sticks.
ADIRA: Sold.
-Thanks. -Thank you.
It's good to see the Federation back, isn't it?
And at peace.
-It really is. -Yeah.
STAMETS: I think I'm gonna head back.
-I'm just tired. -CULBER: Paul, no.
You said you wouldn't let it ruin your evening.
He just found out they're shuttering
the spore drive program.
STAMETS: I mean, come on.
"Luminary"?
What am I supposed to do,
walk around, shake hands and pretend I'm happy
-that the pathway drive won out? -Yes.
I mean, it does mean that Discovery
will always be one of a kind.
That's pretty cool, right?
Think I'd rather that my legacy
hadn't been destroyed along with Book's ship.
I would have figured out the navigator problem someday,
and then we could've rolled it out to the whole fleet.
And who knows if I'll ever do anything
that meaningful again.
You will.
BURNHAM: It's a new world, Paul,
and you will find new purpose.
We all will.
-To change. -CULBER: To change.
-Excuse me, Captain. -Mm.
President Rillak is asking if you can come
-meet some of the dignitaries. -Mm-hmm.
Duty calls. [chuckles]
Of course.
I shouldn't have mentioned Book.
It's been months since she's even talked about him. It's...
Locking something away and moving on
are two very different things.
TILLY: I think there's some other stuff, too,
but she's good.
Really.
She's, um...
Um, I-I have to go, but I'll see y'all.
Hmm.
ADIRA: So, are we mingling?
Or are we going back?
"Science Luminary" it is.
♪
[indistinct chatter]
You have news, Saru.
Do you intend to share it with me
or will I be forced to mind-meld?
[laughs softly]
President Rillak would like me to serve
as a Federation ambassador.
I would be assigned to a coalition
of smaller worlds,
ensuring their needs are addressed
as the Federation continues to expand.
She does not wish to repeat the mistakes of the past.
An effort that is most appreciated.
Particularly given the location of some of those worlds.
If they were to fall into the influence
of the Tholian Republic or the Breen Imperium...
Indeed, it is imperative that we remain unified.
Yet, you are uncertain about her offer.
I would need to resign my Starfleet commission.
However, I would be based here at Federation Headquarters,
and since your duties often bring you here as well...
I should not factor into your decision, Saru.
I mean to say that while we may love one other deeply,
the logical choice is to remove our relationship
from consideration so you may clearly evaluate
which is more meaningful: this new position,
or your current role in Starfleet.
Yes. O-Of course.
-Admiral. -Captain.
What does this mean?
You're done shaking hands.
Apologies for intruding on what I'm sure
was an invigorating evening.
I'll need that back.
-Secure location? -We call it the Infinity Room.
A bit theatrical for my taste,
but some like that sort of thing.
Admiral?
An 800-year-old science vessel
was just found at the edge of the Beta Quadrant.
Dr. Kovich needs Discovery to jump there immediately
-and secure it. -What's on board?
Something vital to the security of the Federation.
That doesn't answer my question.
I'm aware.
Sir,
-I cannot... -KOVICH: Captain.
This is a Red Directive.
I'll get my crew.
FEMALE VOICE [over comm]: All personnel report to stations.
Repeat: All personnel report to stations.
Prepare for immediate departure.
-Status report. -Dedicated comms line
into Federation Headquarters is set.
Channel is secure.
The spore drive system is on standby.
DOTs are in the loading bay if needed.
Target location scans are complete.
I've got another Starfleet vessel in the sector.
Hasn't arrived yet.
All sensors are calibrated and function is nominal.
Weapons locked and loaded, standing by for black alert.
DETMER: Loading bays are closed,
all personnel are back on board.
Coordinates are set.
We're ready for anything.
Excellent work, all of you.
Captain.
Thank you, everyone, for gathering so quickly.
We will be taking Dr. Kovich on a classified mission.
And be advised, this is a Red Directive.
We will be jumping to an uninhabited planet.
Its gravitational well has turned it a graveyard of sorts
for debris of all kinds.
Our target is a Romulan science vessel,
last seen 800 years ago.
A Starfleet probe just found it.
There's an item on board that we cannot allow
to fall into the wrong hands.
Scavengers in the area monitor comms and probe signals.
They will most certainly be drawn to this.
Most are armed and some are very dangerous.
Admiral Vance already has a ship en route.
We will arrive first.
Black alert.
♪
[exhales]
Breathable atmosphere, my ass.
It smells like a tomb in here.
[exhales]
It's better than wearing a helmet.
The USS Antaresagain?
Yeah, and they got a second ship coming.
Whatever's here must be extra shiny.
How long do you think we have?
-Eight minutes? -Yeah.
That's it. This is where all the backup power is going.
Whatever Starfleet doesn't want us to have, it's in there.
[device beeping]
How'd that ship get here so fast?
Doesn't matter.
Moll, wait. We've yanked everything
we need from this heap.
What do you say?
Early to bed, holodeck for two?
L'ak.
Do you want the pebbles or the mountain?
Okay. Let's do this.
BURNHAM: Bring the Romulan vessel up on viewscreen.
OWOSEKUN: Captain, scans had detected
two life signs on board, but they just disappeared.
Perhaps they left.
Or cloaked themselves.
Rhys, Owosekun, with me.
We'll keep phasers on stun.
KOVICH: That might not
be sufficient.
Sir, lethal force is only authorized...
Captain, I don't care who's over there
or what happens to them.
Secure that ship by any means necessary.
And make sure this mission succeeds.
♪
[original Star Trektheme plays]
♪
-[whispers]: Clear. -OWOSESKUN: Clear.
RHYS: Clear.
Commander Rhys?
Can't have left long ago.
I'm picking up aerosolized water droplets.
Track their path.
And let's keep phasers set to stun.
RHYS: This way. Their trail leads around the corner.
Go.
We've got something over here.
Clear.
800 years, waiting to be found.
RHYS: Someone destroyed the cloaking device on this vault.
How long since the life signs disappeared?
4.6 minutes.
Empty.
Even with modern technology,
Romulan encryption takes longer to break than that.
RHYS: Which means they're still here.
[grunts]
RHYS: Captain, I can't move.
OWOSEKUN: Neither can I.
BURNHAM: Be right back.
BURNHAM: You have nowhere to go.
My ship is out there and another is coming.
Let's talk.
MOLL: Fine.
You want to talk?
We'll talk.
Let us go and no one gets scuttered.
Hand that over first.
This doesn't have to end badly for you.
It won't.
[device beeping]
[beeping rapidly]
[grunts] Saru, the hull is breached.
Owo and Rhys are trapped and losing life support.
Ooh. That didn't feel good.
We are extracting them now, Captain.
Give us a moment to lock onto you.
Wait. No, Saru.
I've got it. I see them.
Activate suit magnetization.
SARU: Captain.
Wow! [laughs]
Never a dull moment.
Captain, are you all right?
Surprisingly, I'm not dead yet. [grunts]
Focus on our team, I'll try to take out their engines
so you can come pick me up and we can get back
whatever was in that vault.
This is not what I expected when the night started.
[grunts]
Whoever you are up there, identify yourself.
RAYNER: This is Captain Rayner of the USSAntares.
I see you started without me.
[laughs] Well, we needed some excitement.
-Thank you for the assist. -RAYNER: How close are you
to taking out their engine?
I just need a few minutes.
RAYNER: Well, we're not letting them go,
so you do what you need to do.
COMPUTER: Warning: warp bubble stability at 70%.
Come on, come on.
-50%. -That was fast.
The warp bubble's collapsing, Captain.
Their ship could be torn apart.
You have to release your tractor beam.
RAYNER: I'm not letting them go, Captain.
Then reverse engines and pull them out of warp.
RAYNER: If I had a pathway drive,
maybe, but we're still making do
with Burn tech out here.
The ship can't take much more.
And I would rather not die out here.
I've got a saxophone lesson to get to.
RAYNER: My engineering team's on it. We'll figure it out in time.
Glad one of us is confident.
[metal creaking]
COMPUTER: Warp bubble stability at 32%.
Whoa. Rayner, come on.
Just let them go.
RAYNER: I've dealt with these two before.
If they get away, we won't track them down anytime soon.
Mr. Saru?
SARU: We are on our way to get you, Captain.
Commanders Owosekun and Rhys are being examined in sickbay.
Commander Detmer, take us in as close as you can.
-Aye, Mr. Saru. -Lieutenant Gallo,
prepare to beam the captain to safety the moment
she is free of the warp bubble.
-Aye, Mr. Saru. -Hang on.
SARU: Lieutenant Naya, report?
NAYA: Structural integrity is holding, Mr. Saru.
SARU: Uh, Dr. Kovich,
perhaps you would be more comfortable
in the ready room?
I'll be perfectly comfortable
when you've completed your mission.
[explosion]
As you wish.
Captain Rayner,
if this ship gets ripped apart when the warp bubble collapses,
then the Antares will be destroyed, too.
RAYNER: That's why they're pushing this.
They're counting on me backing off.
COMPUTER: Warning. Warp failure imminent.
Damn it. Come on.
RAYNER: Get out, get safe. I've got this.
No, no, you don't. You made this personal.
RAYNER: Every mission's personal.
It's called doing my job.
And don't preach at me.
I've heard plenty of stories about you.
SARU: Captain, you must exit
the bubble for us to get a lock on you.
Come on, let them go, Rayner.
We can track their warp signature.
Let them go before you and your crew are out of options.
Come on.
RAYNER: Ugh. Damn it.
Releasing tractor beam.
Mr. Saru!
SARU: We are locking onto you now, Captain.
[panting]
-You lost them. -We'll find them.
I have Captain Rayner for you.
Put him through.
That cherry that they just dropped on our shit sundae
left us with 20 warp signatures all charting different courses.
Mr. Saru?
Uh, unfortunately, it will likely take several days
to determine which signature belonged to their vessel.
By which time they'll be long gone.
This is the part where you tell me
you have a brilliant idea.
I know someone who can find them.
[indistinct announcement over comms]
Permission to come aboard, Captain?
The warp signature trick.
Same kind we used on the Scaptar job.
You think they used to be couriers.
Federation's expanding, most of the old networks are closed.
Not how I'd choose to make a living, but...
So that's why you asked for me, then?
See if I could sniff out which is the real warp signature?
You have experience, expertise and insight.
That was a lot of very professional words, Michael.
I'm sorry.
It's okay.
It has been a while.
Yeah.
It has.
I hear you're doing really good work, Book.
Helping the refugees, rebuilding after the DMA.
I go where the Federation tells me.
Today they said here.
Whatever it takes to make things right.
After you.
RAYNER: These two are quite a pair.
They're smart, slippery as hell,
don't give a damn about anyone but themselves.
Meet Moll and L'ak.
Showed up in the sector approximately two years ago.
No idea where they were before that.
BOOK: What did they steal?
BURNHAM: A tan zhekran.
A traditional Romulan puzzle box.
It was secured in a cloaked vault.
The scientist it belonged to was long dead.
Any idea what was inside?
No.
Dr. Kovich, any context would only help our mission.
I'm not at liberty to share details.
I'm sorry, Admiral.
Mr. Booker, I'm told
you might be able to point us in the right direction
with all of these warp trails.
Well, my mind-reading skill's a little rusty,
but if I were still in the game
and scored something that everyone in Starfleet was after,
definitely wouldn't take it anywhere
in Federation territory.
And 24th century,
only a few fences would even look at haul
from that far back.
Q'mau.
Dealer there loves the old stuff.
Goes by the name of Fred.
Fred...
Just Fred.
Mm.
Ah.
Captain Burnham, Captain Rayner,
set a course for Q'mau.
Uh, take Mr. Booker with you since he's familiar
with your contact there.
Get in, get out, no noise.
Aye.
My mission or hers?
Why don't you try working together?
[exhales]
Should take an hour at warp.
I'll meet you there.
Don't start without me.
Good luck, Captain.
Mm.
Mr. Saru?
[sighs]
We've been on our share of clandestine missions,
but this...
Even Admiral Vance is out of the loop?
Ah, I noticed that as well.
A tan zhekrancould contain anything, right?
A weapon, a pathogen, but the databases
won't tell me as much as the Romulan's name.
Well, perhaps someone with access
to different databases may be able to assist?
Someone no longer within Discovery'schain of command?
[laughs]: Oh.
I'll miss you, if you take that diplomatic post.
President Rillak spoke with you?
She'd be lucky to have you.
There is much to consider.
But for now... Fred.
Fred.
You have the conn.
Yeah, but that's the whole point of Simulation Week,
doing the rotations so cadets get the experience
of actually being on a ship.
Why would she not leave your lab?
I don't know, she didn't say. Maybe she's shy?
[sighs] They can't all be shy.
Being a part of a crew, being where you need to be
when you need to be, that-that's Starfleet.
And we have so many new missions coming up.
It's a conundrum, yeah.
I mean, what that could mean for the missions.
Exactly. That's exactly it.
It's like what it means to be a crew.
I can't crash all these kids onto an ice moon
in order to teach them that.
Right? Could I? No.
It's not, it's not feasible. Is it?
Uh, pretty sure it's not, no.
Cool. No.
Yeah, no, no, no, no.
[laughs] Shut up, champagne.
Why did they wait till all the after-parties
to give that to us?
They should've been passing that out to the delegates
-before they left, you know? -Yeah.
A little diplomacy? [chuckles]
Is it warm in here?
I don't know. Is it?
Is it warm in here?
Oh.
Okay, um, yeah--
Well, m-- actually, maybe I have a fever.
You should go before you catch it.
-Oh. Yeah? Okay. -Yeah. Yeah.
Um, plus, I have, I have tests to grade.
-So, um, yeah. -Okay. Sure.
But thank you for walking me back.
And yeah, if you ever wanted to do it again,
-like walk-- walk or talk or... -Yeah?
-Oh, well, I-I love... -Yeah.
-...walking and talking, so... -Do you?
-Yes. -Good. Great.
-Very much. Okay. -Okay, well, cool.
Bye.
Goodbye.
Computer? Coffee.
Strong. Large.
Now.
-[exhales] -BURNHAM: Tilly, it's me.
-You got a minute? -Michael!
Where-- How are you?
Where are you? [grunts]
It's warm in here, isn't it?
You're not here. But it is warm.
You should take my word for that.
BURNHAM: You had the Andorian champagne.
I did.
But now I have coffee.
And you have Serious Voice. What's up?
BURNHAM: I could use some help,
but you should feel free to say no.
I will not say no.
Whatever it is, I'm in.
♪
[indistinct chatter]
[laughs]
Feels like old times.
You, me, a courier backwater.
All that's missing is Grudge.
How is she, by the way?
You know, I haven't heard from you, so...
Yeah, queen's great. She says hi.
Yeah. Um...
But I'm pretty sure the silence was on you.
Actually, I'm pretty sure it wasn't.
I love the feeling of interrupting something.
You two need a moment?
Not at all. We're good.
You sure? 'Cause we got a job to do.
-I said we're good. -Can't keep your eyes
-on the job, then... -We're good.
[laughs]
Okay.
[laughter]
[indistinct chatter]
♪
[doors close]
FRED: Welcome.
How effervescent to meet new clients.
Pardon my friends here as they remove
any weaponry from your possession.
They are quite protective of my being.
Fair enough.
BODYGUARD: They're clear.
Good, good.
I am Fred.
Moll.
This is L'ak.
And you are togetherness, yes?
Both of your names with their low vowel sounds.
Simpatico.
An ever-fixed mark.
But the bilabial nasal of M-oll
contrasted with the voiceless
velar plosive of L'ak-k...
Interesting.
[whispers]: Spicy.
How can we make an excellent deal today, Moll and L'ak?
Well, we came across
some choice vintage tech.
Heard it was your kind of thing.
Indeed, you have voyaged to the correct locale.
L'AK: We've got...
isolinear coprocessors,
vintage padds and tricorders-- still functional--
self-sealing stem bolts and, um...
...this thing.
Intriguing.
I have not encountered one of these
for 622.7 years.
Do you think you can open it?
[clicks]
♪
It is in surprisingly good condition.
No evidence of dry rot,
book lice-- order Psocoptera-- or beetles--
countless variations of family, genus and species.
Of course, I could count them,
but we do not have the entirety of this day, now, do we?
Therefore, I will take these.
The lot of it, if you like. Three bars of latinum.
Pleasure doing business with you both.
-[laughs] -I was not aware
I had expressed a humorous sentiment.
You didn't.
It's just that, uh,
it's been a while since we've seen a synth...
...anxious.
MOLL: Offer's too low.
We'll find another place to hawk it.
These items will not be returned.
You may now exit this premises.
No.
That's not how we do business.
[grunting]
[weapon whirring]
-[Moll shouts] -Moll!
Don't... you... ever...
hurt... her.
L'ak! L'ak. [panting]
I'm fine.
-I'm fine. -Are you sure?
Nothing some hypospray won't fix.
-Are you sure? -Yeah.
I hope it was painful.
[indistinct chatter]
BOOK: This isn't the kind of place you leave the door open.
You thinking what I'm thinking?
-Yeah, Rigel Five. -Vintar Four.
RAYNER: I'm thinking "Let's go."
Can we go?
Still warm.
Can't be far.
You know, we should stick together.
Book knows this place.
It'll give us a tactical advantage.
We'll cover more ground splitting up.
Can't say he's indecisive.
There's that.
Mr. Saru, they killed the dealer,
but he may know something that could help us,
so can you beam him up and have a team scan his memory?
And find out if he has family here?
We should notify them.
SARU: Right away, Captain.
Okay. You're Moll and L'ak. What's your next move?
Get to my ship, fast as I can.
Okay, but they wouldn't have landed in space dock.
That's too visible.
-So it's probably cloaked. -Mm-hmm.
Waiting outside the settlement.
BOTH: The sand runners.
STAMETS: So, this is Fred.
He's a surprisingly old model.
Dozens of generations before the kind of tech
used for Gray's body.
Incredible.
Imagine the engineering, the circuitry...
To have functioned for so long.
All right, Fred,
what can you tell us about yourself?
Here's the internal memory drive.
Serial number AS-0572Y.
A.S.
-Altan Soong. -Hmm?
Well, he was based on Dr. Soong's design,
so whoever built Fred honored the doctor
by putting his initials in the serial number.
Centuries later and we still speak his name.
What a legacy.
Anyhow, uh...
a memory drive this old will have a lot of delicate wiring,
so i-it's gonna take time before we can get in there,
uh, let alone download any data.
Well, we haven't used wires since way before the upgrade.
We're gonna need more replicators.
Oh, no, we're good.
You married a pack rat. I...
saved a few things.
I'll be right back.
CULBER: Oh, Fred.
Hmm.
They're on sand runners, bearing 28 degrees north
of our landing site.
BOOK: We rented three of them. Let's go.
How the hell did you get here so quick?
Shortcut through the spice market.
One of those strategic advantages.
Well, good of you to keep up.
Oh, I haven't disliked someone this much in 930 years.
Beat him there, save the day. That'll take the edge off.
256 Q-bit shifting fractal encryption,
prepare to kiss my caffeinated ass.
Lieutenant Sylvia Tilly, step away from the console.
What? You m-- This console, or...?
You're attempting to break into a secure Federation database
in violation of Security Protocol Six Alpha.
I'll take it from here, Officers.
You heard me. You can leave.
Yes, sir.
Sir, I can explain...
Captain Burnham asked you to do this, didn't she?
No, no, no. She didn't ask me
to hack into the Federation database.
That was all me.
But I do think that she deserves to know
what's so important about an 800-year-old Romulan ship
that they're all risking their lives for it.
I agree.
You do?
Even for a Red Directive, this has been unusual.
Looks like you were close to unlocking the file
that could give us some insight.
Seconds away, sir, I j-- I just need
to execute the algorithm and...
Oh.
Shame we didn't get to stop you in time.
[laughs softly]
VELLEK: This is Dr. Vellek.
I am... [sound distorts]
...and critical systems are offline.
In the event that I am lost,
the knowledge I possess must not be.
...an ancient technology beyond all comprehension,
of which I have hidden...
...in the shadow of twin moons...
The full scope of my knowledge is recorded here.
This power cannot fall into the wrong hands,
or we may all be doomed.
BOOK: I've got Moll and L'ak on the scope.
There's an occlusion under the sand two kilometers away.
Has to be their ship.
We need to get to them before they get there!
Back me up! I got this.
Did he just take off again?
Yeah. Kind of reminds me of someone.
I'm trying to put my finger on who.
I'm holding a phaser. You know that, right?
Right.
RAYNER: They got to their ship.
-BURNHAM: Stay on them. -BOOK: Working on it.
They're heading into the mountains, not into space.
-Why? -The tunnels.
No idea what you're talking about.
If they go up, Discovery and Antarescan intercept.
But there's a network of tunnels in those mountains.
They could lose us inside and come out far away, undetected.
And you're just telling me this now?
Come on. More driving, less talking.
Owosekun, can you get me scans of the tunnel system?
That will take a minute, but I've got a pretty good idea
which one they're planning to go into.
-How? -There's an explosive charge
at the entrance.
It's armed.
Ah, so they planned ahead in case
we followed them. Clever.
Ha! If I didn't hate these guys, I might like them.
An explosion up there would cause an avalanche.
-Mr. Saru? -Uh, Zora estimates
the probability at 30%.
It would decimate the settlement.
Can you beam me to the cave?
I need to disarm the device.
They'll vaporize you before you pull up your holopadd.
Better idea is to blow it from here.
Block the entrance, we take away their escape route.
No. No, we can't risk killing all those people down there.
You're letting stats get in the way of strategy.
An avalanche is not gonna happen.
Even if they end up in the tunnels,
they have to come out eventually.
We will grid-scan the atmosphere.
When they go off-world,
we've got a good shot at catching them.
A good shot? Come on.
Booker, you were a courier, you know how this goes.
Back me up here.
The further I am from this, the better.
They're almost there.
Antares,lock target.
No, we are on a non-Federation planet,
on a classified mission.
Our mission is to get back whatever they stole.
Antares,
-fire! -No, don't!
Mr. Saru?
Scans confirm that the mountainside
remains stable.
70% for the win.
[whoops]
Not for long.
They just armed a photon torpedo.
-What? -You gave them an idea.
BURNHAM: Avalanche!
RAYNER: Turn around!
ZORA: Captain, Mr. Saru, the avalanche is reaching speeds
of 200 kilometers an hour
with an impact pressure of 50 tons per square meter.
-SARU: Can we evacuate? -ZORA: I'm sorry to report
there's not enough time.
BURNHAM: Saru, we need to do something!
SARU: I have teams already working on it, Captain.
We don't have much time.
SARU: We are acutely aware.
[engine revving]
Michael!
BOOK: Michael!
Hey, you okay?
Yeah. Could be worse.
-Could be jumping off a cliff. -[Book chuckles]
The day's not done yet.
Discovery,we have to stop that avalanche.
What's your status?
SARU: Commander Stamets, have you found a solution?
STAMETS: One more minute.
Can we create a force field
-around the settlement? -Uh, not enough time,
not enough power.
Uh, what if we fired at the ground,
-superheated the silica? -Yeah, the resulting fulgurites
wouldn't be nearly strong enough to stop it.
Wait, uh, what if we, uh, set a different kind of break
in the avalanche's path?
Using what, the boulders?
I was maybe thinking a... starship?
STAMETS: Even with all available power
going to shields, Discovery couldn't do it alone.
Uh, what about with the Antares?
STAMETS: Well, both ships
would need to arrive simultaneously,
but that could work.
I think?
I hope. Let's go with "hope."
Well, it's the only plan we've got, so let's do it.
[engine revs]
Lieutenant Christopher, contact the Antares
and have them follow our lead.
-Aye, Mr. Saru. -Commander Detmer,
-get ready. -Aye, Mr. Saru.
Can Commander Owosekun track
the scavengers' ship at the same time?
We will return to the pursuit as soon as we are able, Doctor.
Mr. Saru, the Antaressaid that Captain Rayner
ordered them to stay the course.
As soon as both of our ships leave orbit,
we'll lose Moll and L'ak again.
And if you don't order your crew to help us, thousands will die.
They are the mission right now.
RAYNER: Shit.
Antares,change of plans.
Captain Burnham, you're up.
Antares, Discovery, this is Captain Burnham.
We've got one shot at this.
Let's work together and make it count.
♪
BURNHAM: Saru, where are you?
SARU:Discovery is almost there, Captain.
-[indistinct chatter] -[panicked screaming]
Commander Detmer, take us in at a 26-degree inclination.
-Aye, Mr. Saru. -SARU: Commander Owosekun,
maximize power to deflectors and prepare to initiate
-shield fusion with the Antares. -Aye, Mr. Saru.
RHYS: Mr. Saru, I've got two life signs out there.
Captain, there are two civilians in the path of the avalanche.
[engine whirring]
I see them.
[engine revs]
Owosekun, can you get a lock?
The sand cloud is causing too much interference.
The avalanche will overwhelm them in the next ten seconds.
I'll give you their exact coordinates. On my mark.
[screams]
Now!
-SARU: We got them. -[grunts] Nice work.
DETMER: I'm taking us in. Brace.
♪
[cheering]
[exhales]
Saru, how is everyone?
All crew members of both vessels are safe, Captain.
Only a few minor injuries, that is all.
We did it. Great work, everyone.
Rayner...
thank you.
[engine whooshes]
RAYNER: And there go Moll and L'ak.
[exhales]
Damn it.
RAYNER: Well, Captain,
wish I could say it's been a pleasure, but...
Ah.
Well, this is it, I guess.
I'm glad we got another mission together.
Yeah, me, too.
Although we both know
we should've done Vintar Four back there.
Ah, I really should've called.
We both should have called.
It's weird.
What?
I'm not sure how to be around you anymore.
[sighs]
Some things are hard to move past.
For both of us.
Yeah, maybe we haven't wanted to say that out loud.
Are we saying it now?
I think we are.
TILLY: Captain, do you have a minute?
Yeah, Tilly, what's up?
Oh, you know, just following up on the thing.
Is this a bad time?
Uh, um...
No, not at all.
Good, because I've got some answers for you,
and they are wild.
-Saru. -I appreciate you stepping away
to speak with me.
There are rumors of an incident.
Discoveryand another Starfleet vessel.
Is everything all right?
It is, now.
There were several moments, however... Uh...
A-- a settlement was endangered.
Its inhabitants... [sighs]
Well, there was little they could have done
if we had not come to their aid.
I was reminded of
something Lieutenant Tilly once said,
that life is just a blink.
This experience is causing you
to reflect upon your own mortality.
Not-not quite, no. Um...
[exhales]
In my youth,
I struggled often with... love.
How to embrace those who were destined
to be taken from me in the cullings.
Until I met you, I did not understand the degree
to which that fear had constrained me.
Today, I...
I could not help but imagine myself
in that settlement.
If I were to face such horrors...
...I would only think of you.
So, you see,
it is impossible for me to not consider our relationship
as I consider my future.
Discoveryis my home and my family...
You...
are also my home.
My family.
And somehow, so much more.
I am going to accept President Rillak's offer.
I want to be with you, always.
I had dared to hope that you would make such a decision.
If I may,
I do believe it would be only logical,
given this development, for us to codify
our mutual commitment in a more official capacity.
Oh.
T'Rina...
Are you asking me to marry you?
I believe that is the language some cultures use for it.
[exhales]
Oh.
[doors whoosh open]
CULBER: Captain, are you all right?
Oh, I'm-I'm fine. I was just talking to Tilly.
I haven't had a chance to change.
What did we find out?
Well, something, uh, pretty fascinating, really.
We were able to download the last 15 teraquads
of data from his ocular processing unit,
and he got a pretty good look at the diary.
BURNHAM: Zora, can you slow that down?
ZORA: Of course, Captain.
Freeze on that last image.
Can you zoom in on that?
Twin moons.
It's in the Vileen system.
I need to talk to Kovich.
[thunder rumbling]
Dr. Kovich.
You're looking for a planet with twin moons.
This is the wrong planet.
I know about the distress call, Dr. Kovich.
I've seen the Romulan's diary.
Isn't that enough to convince you
to tell me what it all means?
Your tenacity is admirable, Captain,
but that information remains classified.
How many more lives are you willing to risk
to keep it that way?
Respectfully, sir,
I can't keep doing my mission in the dark.
Then you'll be relieved to know it's no longer your mission.
This Red Directive is bigger than me.
It's been classified for centuries.
It's more important than you can imagine.
I need to send a team.
You already have one.
So you can keep searching holos
of every two-moon system in the Federation databases,
and it might take you a few hundred years,
or you can read me in.
What's it gonna be?
Reaching out to Lieutenant Tilly was smart.
Perhaps it's best Admiral Vance couldn't stop her in time.
Computer, deactivate hologram.
The Romulan's name was Dr. Vellek.
One of the greatest scientists of his day.
He was present
when a Starfleet captain, Jean-Luc Picard,
found a message left by a race of ancient beings.
We've been calling them the Progenitors.
They created life as we know it.
Life as in...
You.
Me. Saru.
Every humanoid species in the galaxy.
A few thousand years ago, we'd have called them gods.
Somehow, Dr. Vellek found their technology.
Whatever it was they used to design life itself.
When he disappeared 800 years ago,
its location was lost with him.
Now, Moll and L'ak know where it is
or the diary is the first piece of the puzzle.
Either way, we have to find it before they do.
In the wrong hands, I-I can only imagine
how a technology this powerful might be used.
There is a system in the outer sector
of the Beta Quadrant, Vileen.
It doesn't have a planet with two moons,
but one of its worlds, Lyrek, has three moons,
two of which move in perfect sync.
Twin moons? It's on Lyrek.
Yes, sir.
Well, Captain,
the greatest treasure in the known galaxy is out there.
What are you waiting for?
Let's fly.
BURNHAM: We're on a search for one of the greatest powers ever known.
STAMETS: The technology, it could have
incredible applications.
CULBER: Protecting it...
-[roaring] -What was that?
...nothing's more important.
Power of creation, here we come.
We are gonna find the Progenitors' tech.
-Could have just said hello. -You could have just left us the hell alone.
It could be a suicide mission.
BURNHAM: I'm afraid a lot.
Change can be hard.
We're on this quest to find the thing that created us.
It's kind of beautiful, in a twisted sort of way.
We're only gonna get one shot at this. Make it count.
-This is insane. -Here we go.
One last mission to say goodbye.
BOOK: What do you think happens when we finally
put this thing together?
BURNHAM: I don't know.
But I can't wait to find out.