Previously on Star Trek: Discovery...
They're smart, slippery as hel,
don't give a damn about anyone but themselves.
Meet Moll and L'ak.
-What did they steal? - Something vital to the security
- of the Federation. -You're Moll and L'ak, what's your next move?
Q'mau. Dealer there loves the old stuff.
Captain Burnham, Captain Rayner, set a course
- for Q'mau. - My mission or hers?
Why don't you try working together?
An explosion up there will cause an avalanche
and we can't risk killing all those people down there!
An avalanche is not gonna happen.
Discovery, we have to stop that avalanche.
We did it! Great work, everyone.
I do believe it would be only logical
to codify our commitment in a more official capacity.
Are you asking me to marry you?
Some things are hard to move past. For both of us.
And maybe we haven't wanted to say that out loud.
Are we saying it now?
I think we are.
We've been calling them the Progenitors.
They created life as we know it.
Somehow, Dr. Vellek found their technology.
Whatever it was they used to design life itself.
Now Moll and L'ak know where it is.
Or the diary
is the first piece of the puzzle.
There is a system in the outer sector
of the Beta Quadrant-- Vileen.
One of its worlds-- Lyrek--
has three moons, two of which
move in perfect sync.
It's on Lyrek.
Captain's personal log,
stardate 866274.3.
For millenia, philosophers and scientists
have wrestled with the same big questions.
What is our purpose?
Why are we here?
What does it all mean?
I always thought I knew.
The mission. That's my purpose.
That's why I'm here.
That was always enough.
But, lately, it's not,
and I don't know why.
We're on a search for one of the greatest powers ever known.
The very thing that created us.
I can't help but wonder
once we find it, once I understand it,
is that where I'll find the answers?
Is that how things make sense again?
Come.
Ah.
I have found myself reviewing that same hologram
in my quarters as well.
Not much else to do while we wait to get out of dry dock.
That avalanche really did a number on us.
Ah, yes, the sands of Q'mau continue to reveal
many heretofore unknown radiative properties.
Meanwhile, Moll and L'ak have one hell of a head start.
Only for the time being.
Uh, diligence of our new friend notwithstanding,
I am happy to report that repairs are nearly finished.
We should be ready to jump within the hour.
Good.
Any more delays and I would have started to wonder
if someone was stalling his final day on board.
Just as well. I haven't found anyone to replace you yet.
I am pleased that the schedule has afforded me
one last mission to say goodbye.
Let's get ready for Lyrek.
Uh, there is another matter first.
Uh, an official matter from the president's office.
Did you agree with Captain Rayner's decision to fire--
knowing, as he did, that
the consequences could be catastrophic?
I'm sorry, Madam President, but I'm not sure I see
how the testimony of a matter of opinion is relevant.
The Starfleet Corp of Engineers is presently mired
in a very messy cleanup that has caused
no end of political complications,
which is precisely what we do not need right now.
You were there. Your testimony is relevant.
I would like to respectfully remind the board
that Captain Rayner's actions did not cause the avalanche.
No, but he seems to have inspired Moll and L'ak,
who did.
My mission was to stop them, ma'am.
That's what I was doing.
Did you agree?
Captain Burnham,
no one appreciates the, uh...
unwritten Starfleet code of conduct more than I do.
But you're being asked a direct question by the president
to which we would all appreciate a direct answer.
You had no problem voicing your opinion in the field, Captain.
All right. The answer is no.
I did not agree. I thought it posed
- an unjustifiable risk. - And as I told her then,
we had a Red Directive.
Our priority was a stolen item
that could compromise the safety of the entire Federation.
Your mission is not in question here, Captain.
Your actions are.
My strategy worked.
I blocked their escape. And, yes,
sometimes enemies do inspire one another,
but what I did on Q'mau was no different than
what I've been doing for the last 30 years.
We are in a different time now, Captain.
Things have changed.
We're not at war.
The Breen are in-fighting over a new leader.
The Orions are regrouping.
War is always a possibility, and you're living in
a candy-colored holo-fantasy if you're thinking otherwise.
You are not helping yourself.
Oh, come on.
This is politics,
pure and simple. I already know what she thinks.
I've leveled undue criticism
against the Federation during a delicate time
of diplomacy and rebuilding.
I could be out there right now, finishing this mission,
instead of sitting on our asses...
That's enough, Rayner.
...wasting precious time
while a technology
of unbelievable power is being
-Captain Rayner. - found, used
or sold to the highest bidder.
I said that's enough.
I think now would be a good time for a break.
You disagree with me about this, too--
that we're wasting time?
I think the world is bigger
than our own corner of it.
Captain Burnham. A word?
Shit.
Thank you for your candor in there.
It's true that it wasn't fair for me to judge him.
Well, he's never quite been able to get out of his own way.
Loves Starfleet, loves the Federation,
we've been together in more firefights than I can count,
- but... - He has things to learn.
Don't we all.
But he's a gifted officer.
Thank you. Thank you for seeing that.
SARU [on comms]: Pardon the interruption, Captain.
All ship repairs are nearly complete.
Discovery will be ready to leave shortly.
I'll be right there.
Dr. Kovich will monitor your progress from here.
I do have to ask--
the addition to your crew manifest...
He'll be fully briefed and squared away before departure.
Good. It's an extra set of eyes--
someone who's focused on Moll and L'ak,
knows their tactics from his own time as a courier--
could be helpful for the mission.
I couldn't agree more.
So, this isn't gonna be an issue.
No, sir.
Not at all.
Good.
'Cause he's already proven himself valuable.
And I believe he'll continue to be.
Just see this as the start of any other mission, my queen.
Who are you?
Lights.
I see Grudge is just as playful as ever.
It's the constant change.
- Hard for her to settle, you know? - Mm.
So, you've made a fan out of Admiral Vance.
Won't be sharing a drink with him anytime soon.
But at least he hasn't thrown me back in the clink.
No, he's impressed with your work with the refugees.
And with your help on the Q'mau mission.
If you can help us get the Progenitors' tech,
I'm sure the higher-ups would be grateful.
I just go where they tell me.
So,
now I'm here.
What do you need?
All right. Well, according to the diary,
Dr. Vellek hid the Progenitors' power--
or a clue as to where it's hidden--
on Lyrek, and that's where we're headed now.
Paul is also analyzing something else that he found.
A schematic on this page may be significant.
So, while he's working on that, I will have you
review Moll and L'ak's interactions
with the dealer, Fred.
See if they said anything or did anything that can help us.
Shouldn't take long. Then what?
Hugh's working up a psych profile.
We may run into our courier friends down on the planet,
if they haven't already gotten there.
Either way, we need to get that clue before they do.
And it's Saru's last mission, by the way.
For a while, that is.
I know. I heard.
Action Saru, chained to a desk.
Never thought I'd see it.
Action Saru?
Yeah. Come on, you know.
Action Saru.
Yeah. Sorry she doesn't like it.
- Cats. - I already knew she wouldn't.
Got it for you.
Mr. Saru. Black Alert.
The clue from the diary, "under the shadow of twin moons,"
points us here. Double solar eclipse
casts a shadow over this area once every seven years,
and scans show a large structure at its center.
So, what else do we know about the planet?
Uh, it's M-class. Uninhabited. At least by anyone alive.
The place is kind of like a burial ground.
Uh, the Promellians used it.
Before they went extinct themselves, of course.
Why would a Romulan scientist choose
an ancient Promellian necropolis as a hiding place?
No idea, sir. The last recorded exploration
was over a century before Dr. Vellek was even born.
Any sign of L'ak and Moll?
No, none. But we don't know the full extent
of their cloaking capabilities yet.
- Mm, so they could be down there. -Down there,
up here, either way, we will keep our eyes peeled.
Which is actually kind of disgusting
if you think about it.
- But I-I'm here as your science specialist,
so they're peeled.
I'm glad that you are back with us for this.
Please thank the cadets for letting us borrow you.
- Uh, Lieutenant, I noticed that our transport coordinates
have us landing quite a distance from our target location.
Yeah, so, unfortunately, the entire center area
seems to be surrounded by a weirdly strong
electromagnetic field. See?
Something you might see from a great technological power?
We will find out soon enough.
The field won't allow us to transport you in,
but we'll get you as close as we can.
And you'll have to walk from there.
Have security on standby.
No one goes down unless they need to be there.
Remind them that this is a sacred space
and we should tread lightly.
And keep those eyes peeled.
- Aye, Captain. - Aye, Captain.
Last dance.
I shall follow your lead.
It's oddly serene
for a species that was constantly at war.
Indeed.
I don't believe I've ever heard such...
quiet.
Wow.
Okay. Still no life signs?
I have compensated for the cloaking system
Moll and L'ak had used against us previously, and...
- Mm. - ...registering none in the vicinity.
Here. This large pyramid--
that's where the shadow would fall.
Power of creation, here we come.
Hey.
Book.
I heard you were on board.
Welcome back.
How are you doing?
Yeah. Um, I've been helping resettle DMA refugees...
That is what you were doing.
I want to know how are you doing?
Just trying to make sense of it all.
Figure out what's next,
- you know? - Mm-hmm.
So, what have we got on Moll and L'ak so far?
Well, let's just say I know more about the spirits
- my abuela used to pray to than I do about these two. - Hmm.
They use hybridized tech from a variety of different species,
they don't shy away from physical confrontation,
though they're not violent just for the sake of it.
Moll is human, L'ak is a mystery.
That's about it.
We don't even know where they're from
or if those are even their real names.
Dr. Culber, I have the footage
of Moll and L'ak you asked for.
Oh, from when they got away.
What is it?
They've got two starships on their tail--
one has them on a leash-- and they pull this stunt
like they're going for style points.
Okay. Why?
'Cause they're free.
Having fun together.
In love.
Means a lot to be together, I would imagine.
We're here for them, Doc, not me.
And, you see, that's not just fun.
That's cliff's-edge kind of stuff.
Okay, so they're thrill-seekers.
- That's helpful. - Yeah.
What say we give them a cliff?
See if they're willing to jump.
Did you know you have a nickname? Action Saru.
Ah, yes.
Huh. You've heard it before?
Yeah, I find it quite humorous.
He didn't tell me he came up with that.
I mean, it's-it's not that he needed to, it's just that
we were together for a long time.
I mean, not long by, uh, by some standards but
- long for me. - Are you speaking of Mr. Booker?
Uh, yeah, didn't he give you that nickname?
Uh, no, it was Commander Reno,
shortly after we arrived in this future.
She heard about my encounter with Zareh and, apparently,
my ferocity-- the use of my quills--
well, struck a rather strong chord with her.
Right. Right.
I'm really happy for you, Saru.
You know, I-I remember the day you came aboard Discovery.
A mutineer, a prisoner.
You seemed exactly the wrong choice.
And yet you made the most of the opportunity.
I-I remain deeply impressed
and inspired by all that you have accomplished.
Oh, Saru, you have always seen something in me.
Even when others didn't. Even when I didn't.
And I look at you now, who you've become.
Probably the bravest soul I've ever known.
Thank you, Michael.
How the hell am I gonna find another you?
You do not need another me.
You need a new Number One.
Right. Well, Tilly wants to go back to the academy after this.
I've got candidates on Discovery and across Starfleet.
- I... - If I may offer a piece of advice.
Sure.
You are a force, Michael.
I believe you would be aided by one who is as well.
Someone like Mr. Booker, now that I think of it.
- You're not suggesting I make Book my Number... - I simply mean to say
that he stands his ground,
even in difficult moments.
- If you were to... - Saru.
Bodies wouldn't be unburied here.
What do you think-- grave robbers?
I would venture to say they have been here
for quite some time.
But not courtesy of Moll and L'ak.
Which begs the question: what killed them?
If only the stones could speak.
Let's keep our eyes open.
Hate to miss your wedding because I'm dead.
That would be a grave disappointment.
Did you just make a pun?
Oh, unintentional.
Unless, of course, you found it amusing.
What?
Nothing. I'm...
very happy that you're back.
Mm.
Even if it is just temporary.
Thanks. Mm, um, me, too.
Although I-I do really feel like I found my place there.
Like, I love teaching.
Yeah, you're really good at it.
Well...
my cadets haven't really been
rising to the challenge in the field.
They can task,
but then they never seem to fully grasp
the meaning of the mission itself.
Tasks are concrete.
And meaning is...
Hmm.
Well, hopefully some
time away will give me time and space to clear my head
and offer a fresh perspective to help them.
Fresh perspectives are good.
Hmm?
Uh, Gray.
I love him a lot.
And this is the first time that it's just been me.
And I...
I don't know, I kind of like it.
And you don't know how to feel about that?
Huh, that's odd.
Uh, that's, uh...
there's a spike in the electromagnetic field.
Getting close. 500 meters from the target.
Still no sign of Moll and L'ak.
TILLY [on comms]: Captain, we've been looking at the spikes
in the electromagnetic field.
Are you seeing anything weird down there?
No.
Nothing weird.
Changed my mind.
Looks like we know what killed the grave robbers.
Incredible that, although fallen and shattered centuries ago,
the technology of this security system has endured.
I'm sure I'll appreciate that at some point.
Discovery, with transporters out, if we run,
these drones'll cut us to pieces.
We're recalibrating the transporter system
to get around the electromagnetic field.
I-I can't-- I can't get it.
Captain, can you make it back to the drop zone
- where we beamed you in? - Not a chance.
Can you take them out from orbit?
No, Captain, you're too close.
Uh, what if we send in the security team?
I do not believe we will survive that long, Ensign.
That drone just detonated.
Great. Lose one drone, another comes.
Tilly, we're losing our foot.
What... Oh, my God, who lost a foot?
No, not our actual feet. The foot we're hiding under.
But we'll lose our actual heads if we can't find
- the power source and shut this thing down. -On it.
We remain in your capable hands, Lieutenant.
- Capable and speedy. -Okay.
Power sources-- let's run through them.
- Ion reactor? - Not that I can see. Uh, uh, deuterium?
No, no spectral traces. What... Uh, it's got to be run
on some sort of battery of some kind, right?
Well, what about cloaked antimatter?
Excuse me, Lieutenant, you're receiving
an urgent transmission from Federation headquarters.
I'm sorry, that's gonna have to wait.
I hate waiting, and sounds like you could use my help.
Captain Rayner?
I've been monitoring secure comms.
But how...?
30 years at Starfleet, that's how.
This is your first Red Directive?
I've been on seven, served point on four.
- Now, about that help... - Okay, this is a science problem, Captain.
No, this is a people problem, as you might say. It always is.
Do you really think the Promellians were using
cloaked antimatter batteries 2,000 years ago?
To beat the system they built, you've got to think like them,
not 32nd century scientists.
Okay, Zora, using Federation databases, uh,
what energy source did the Promellians use on their ships?
Lang-cycle fusion was most common.
Okay, any evidence of that on the surface when we arrived?
Um...
- Hmm, none. -Tilly, do we have a solve yet?
Uh, working on it.
Don't look at me. Keep going.
Who were they? How did they think?
They built a graveyard,
they wanted to protect it for centuries,
so they needed power.
What technology did they have available to them?
What could they bring there? Better yet,
what was already there?
Zora-- or whoever you are--
how'd they power their cities?
What else did they use for their ships?
Data shows they harnessed gravity waves,
gamma-ray bursts, electromagnetic waves...
Electromagnetic waves.
The electromagnetic field!
- You're welcome. -Hurry, Tilly.
All the drones are gonna detonate!
Go, go, go!
Tilly, we're running out of body parts down here.
Good news: we figured out whats powering the security system.
Okay. Sounds like bad news is coming,
but we'll take the good news. What do we got?
The electromagnetic field-- it spiked before
the security system kicked in. That's what's powering it.
Well, I fail to see how that is good news.
We cannot shut down a planet.
No, but if you can locate
the statue's internal control mechanism,
you could shut that down and stop the drones.
The head. When the drones came out of the eyes.
That's where this all started. We can demolish that.
Whoa. That could cause a chain reaction throughout the system,
destroying what we came here to find
and killing us in the process.
Well, it's a risk, but it's our only option. Discovery
can't get a lock. If we do nothing, we're dead for sure.
What if we disconnect the system
from its power source first?
We'll have to scan the internal mechanism and then
have Tilly analyze how it connects to the E.M. field.
But the drones are back.
And right now we don't have that kind of time.
Um, or...
we could use an electromagnetic pulse.
It disrupts present-day technology,
it should do the same with a thousand-year-old system.
Well, Captain...
Tilly, what do you think?
Yeah, well, it is the safer option, Captain.
If you can use the power packs from your phasers
and set them to emergency discharge and then get that
as close as you can to the internal control mechanism,
that... that could work.
All right.
- I'll go draw their fire. - Captain.
My reflexes and speed are superior to any human's.
I will draw fire while you place our weapons.
- No, let me do it. Okay? - No, no,
- Captain, no. - No, this is your last mission.
We are running out of time.
- T'Rina would be heartbroken. - She would want me to
perform my duties as I always have.
Michael, please.
On your mark.
We did it! Captain Rayner...
Saru?!
Saru, where are you?!
- Here, Captain! Here.
Here. I... I'm all right. I'm all right.
Ooh.
Oh. Oh, you're hit?
It's... I'm fine. It's nothing serious.
Action Saru. Damn!
Your idea worked. Thank you.
I believe it is now clear why Dr. Vellek
would choose a Promellian necropolis
- as a hiding place. - Yes.
It is exceedingly...
well-defended.
Let's just hope what we're looking for is still here
and that Moll and L'ak haven't beaten us to it.
You ready?
Yes.
Okay.
Let's go.
Commander, I've completed my search on the symbol
found in the Romulan scientist's diary.
There are 2,453,972
possible pattern matches in Federation databases.
Great, so we're narrowing it down.
Let me try you this way.
I'm not sure about this, Book. Maybe if we knew
- more about Moll and L'ak... - I know all I need for this.
- What's going on? - He wants to access
a special subspace comms channel.
I had to get this piece of equipment
from my pack. Which station can I use?
- Um... - Thank you.
What's that for?
- Dark comms. - Dark comms?
Yeah, to reach L'ak and Moll.
From the way they fly, my guess is they're Sui--
couriers that take the most dangerous jobs
because they love the action. And the latinum.
Sui are the ones you call
when you have a really dangerous score.
They're running from Starfleet. Why would they talk to you?
Because they need to unload that diary while they can.
Something that hot, bound to be offers once word gets out.
So I'm gonna send them a message.
He thinks he can talk them down before they reach the planet,
- assuming they're not here yet. - And if you can't?
At the very least, we'll know more about them.
Listen, wherever they are right now,
the last thing we need's another dance with them.
We have to try this.
Okay.
I need all nonessential personnel
to clear Engineering.
Everybody out! Come on, go, go!
Thank you.
All right, uh,
you're all set. Discovery's hidden.
They won't know where you're calling from.
They'll do the same on their ship.
See if you can trace them anyway.
Strivers, this is code for them that's out-fleeting Starfleet.
If you're itching to sell...
I got a boon for you.
Hit back.
- Did it go through? -Mm-hmm.
Doesn't appear to be working.
It will.
Here we go.
You wanted our attention, you got it.
You have two minutes.
This is it.
We're dead center of our target area.
There are no life signs or energy signatures,
- which is fortunate. -Okay, what are we looking for?
Perhaps we are meant to enter the structure itself.
No. Wait a minute. Over there.
Damn it. Phaser burns.
They beat us.
But why would Moll and L'ak do this
if the Progenitors' tech was here?
I do not see readings that would indicate there was once
anything of great power here at all.
- Never? - Never.
So, maybe the inscription on the stone is a clue.
It's the next step to the Progenitors' tech,
so that's why Moll and L'ak destroyed it.
We've got to figure out what it said.
TILLY [on comms]: Uh, Captain, less-than-great news:
the-the field is powering up again.
How much time do we have, Lieutenant?
Three, four minutes maybe.
We'll take it. There's got to be something here.
Oh.
If you lower your tricorder.
What is it?
There are hints of iridescent bacteria
within the scorched areas of stone.
The bacteria would have settled into the grooves
where the words were inscribed.
- Hmm. - Their iridescence must be
a reaction to the radiation from the phaser blast.
I'll recalibrate for the UV spectrum.
Yes, you're right.
Okay.
"Jolan tru, zarbalgon."
That's "Hello, wanderer.
Many worlds have you traveled."
- This is a Romulan revlav. - Yes, uh, yes.
"Opaline waters call to you."
"Thoughts are shared."
Which seems to point to Betazed.
- Mm. - But there are only four verses.
-Uh, Captain? - Yes, yes,
we, uh, we know. Uh, right.
A revlav has five verses. So, where's the missing verse?
- No, we have to get you out. - We need a few minutes.
No, you have, at most, two minutes.
- The field is coming up fast. - Okay, well, the fifth verse
has to be here somewhere, and we can't leave without it.
I won't ask again.
Who are you?
A former courier, like yourselves.
Well, former courier,
I'm sorry to disappoint.
Diary's not for sale.
Now that we know what it leads to.
You were curious enough to answer my message.
Yeah, well,
as she said, we're after bigger shine now.
But I'm guessing that he knows that.
Don't you?
You make a mess and get Starfleet on your ass,
folks start talking.
Try again. What is your angle?
I got things that I want, too.
And if I stop you, I might just get them.
Now, I don't know if you're running from something
or to something, but you're running.
All you've got is each other, and you're in
way over your head.
You need to walk away before it's too late.
You can't win in a race with Starfleet.
Wrong. We're already ahead.
And it's them who should walk away.
Diary's Romulan. Federation's got no claim to it.
We saw it first, finders keepers and all that.
That diary leads to something more dangerous than you know.
The Federation can handle it, keep it safe. You can't.
Keep going like this, you'll end up dead or in the brig.
Or is that the kind of shine you're looking for?
You know, with all the Federation kav'kar
coming out of your mouth, I'm having a hard time
believing you were ever a courier.
Who are you, really?
No lies here.
I worked in the Beta Quadrant, mostly sector six.
Name's Cleveland Booker.
You heard of me.
You're right about one thing.
All we have is each other.
And that's more than enough.
Did we get the trace?
No, they routed their comms signal through
an unstable wormhole. Smart
but completely untraceable.
Book? You all right?
Yeah.
So, Dr. Vellek left this clue.
Let's put ourselves in his shoes.
What do we know about 24th century Romulans?
They were obsessed with secrecy.
Yes, and so the diary, this place,
uh, the message in a poem...
Maybe it's not just secrecy. It's security.
Both of which went hand in hand during the time of the empire.
Uh, eminent Romulan thinkers, including scientists,
often traveled with...
armed guards.
-60 seconds. -Huh.
Their homes also frequently had a shaiqouin,
a false front door designed to mislead enemies.
Right, and the entrance for family and friends
and trusted allies was in the back.
So, behind the stone.
Or, uh, beneath it?
40 seconds.
Can you muster up that famous Kelpien strength?
Well... we shall see.
Okay.
- I see something!
Keep going.
Keep going. Keep going!
Got it. Moll and L'ak don't have
this part of the clue, so they're on their way to Betazed.
Well, they will realize their error soon enough
and return here.
What is this?
Huh.
Oh...
Now, we can't let them find this.
I do not wish to destroy the stone, but...
- Ten seconds! - Okay, well, let's just cover it up and then leave it be.
This is a sacred space and we've disturbed it enough.
We'll find another way to get ahead of Moll and L'ak.
Hurry, hurry.
Five, four...
Captain!
Hurry, hurry, hurry, Saru.
Tilly, now!
Exciting last day.
- Yeah, indeed.
Yeah, thank you both very much for your help.
Oh, you should really be thanking Captain Rayner.
I mean, we-we... we would never have figured out
- how that security system worked without him. -Rayner?
- Commander Stamets, can you join us in the science lab? -On my way.
Any sign of Moll and L'ak's ship?
None.
Tilly, have Linus prep a team of DOTs.
There's a stone monument down there desecrated by phaser fire.
Let's have them repair it as best as they can.
And let's get sensors into orbit.
When Moll and L'ak come back,
- I want to know about it.
- Aye, Cap. - Aye, Captain.
-Oh.
Mr. Saru, I happen to know a doctor.
Yes, I will see him shortly, thank you.
Uh, but first-- Captain?
Okay, check this out.
Looks similar to the diary symbol you've been working on,
no?
Yeah, it h-- it has the same
style and visual language.
Zora, can you bring up the diary symbol?
Yes, Commander.
Zora, can you create a programmable-matter
version of that?
Of course, Captain.
Yes, Stamets. Yes.
No wonder we couldn't find a pattern match.
It was incomplete.
But what is it?
I think this is a map of some kind,
broken into five pieces.
And the poem tells us where to go next.
So we just need to find four more pieces
to complete the map.
So, on-once we have all five pieces, then we find
what created us?
The Progenitors' actual technology?
Seems so.
No biggie, then.
Uh, where are we going next?
Uh, the first set of verses
seem to suggest Betazed,
which is where Moll and L'ak must be heading.
But this final verse reads,
"A world like no other,
"where two souls entwine,
joined as one."
Well, when considered with the other details--
uh, opaline waters, shared thoughts...
- ...uh, I suppose... -Trill.
We're going to Trill.
All we have is each other.
And that's more than enough.
Freeze.
Zora, can you zoom in on Moll?
Certainly, Mr. Booker.
Can you take this image and age Moll down to...
seven years, three months?
Come in.
- Hey. - Hey.
You okay?
The way you left, it looked like you saw a ghost.
Do you believe in fate?
Depends, I suppose. Why?
Turns out I know her.
Who?
Moll.
Moll?
Her birthmark. I've only ever seen it on one person.
Here.
A child.
I'd never actually met her before.
Until today.
I've only ever seen a holo image.
Her name is...
...Malinne.
She's the daughter of my mentor Cleveland Booker IV.
Which, I suppose...
...makes her the closest thing to family I've got left.
I believe I may be ready.
You can still change your mind. Okay?
I told Detmer to pull in real slow.
I passed through
Vahar'ai,
from a life of fear
to a life of hope,
right here in this room.
What I remember most about that day
is that you were here with me.
You held my hand.
And I was not afraid.
Thank you, Michael.
It was an honor, Saru.
Everything with you has been.
But it's not forever, right?
A few months, hopefully.
Well, while I'm gone, I do hope that
my replacement will serve you well.
There's no replacing you, but...
whoever comes, I'm sure they'll be great.
Any last words of advice?
Well, I must say, I...
I feel a great deal of power in this moment.
I will simply encourage you
to continue forward as you have.
One cannot predict what is to come.
But I find that when I give myself over
to the journey--
trust in the process,
one might say--
there is always
great meaning in that.
Wherever I may eventually arrive.
I will also advise you
to not touch the swamp kelp while it is in bloom.
Yes, Tilly warned me.
- We'll take good care of them.
And this will always be here for you.
I know it will.
Thank you, Saru.
For what?
For giving me a second chance.
Brushing up on your geometry?
Well...
I actually am.
I... I can't help Charlie
if I don't know what she's doing.
Right.
So, I, uh, I read your report.
Good work today.
Thank you, sir.
If I may,
I've been wondering about the inquiry.
I asked Rayner to take an early retirement,
effective immediately.
Can't have been easy.
We've been friends for 30 years.
Hopefully still will be once the dust settles.
I will say...
...on Q'mau...
he did what he thought was right for the Federation.
He always has.
But the shame is, he's a damn good captain.
But the world has changed.
I tried to talk to him and...
help him see it, but...
he won't hear me.
You mind?
Free galaxy. Most of it, anyway.
I got to say...
she's a beautiful ship.
They don't make 'em like that anymore.
You find the Progenitors' tech?
No, but we found a clue to where it's hidden.
Next stop: somewhere on Trill.
The quest continues.
Ah.
Thank you for your help today.
Well, I was on break from getting grilled.
It gave me something to do.
Well, you've done a lot over the years.
Citations for distinguished service,
the Grankite Order of Tactics,
- awards of valor. - Trinkets.
It's what you do in the chair--
every day, every mission--
that's what matters.
You could have told the board what they wanted to hear.
I know what I stand for, I know what I believe in.
I'm not gonna apologize for that.
Anything else, Captain, or can I go back
to enjoying the view in peace?
So you think you deserved it?
The retirement?
I always tell my crew:
get out of your head,
think like your enemies.
I should have seen it coming.
What Moll and L'ak did on Q'mau.
We've tangled enough. I should have known. I...
I should have known.
If that town had been hit.
All those lives lost.
Why didn't you say any of that during the inquiry?
I already dug my own grave in there.
It wouldn't have mattered.
Doesn't mean you have to get in it.
I want you to be my Number One.
You get knocked in the head with one of those statues?
You didn't have to help us today, but you did
because the mission matters to you.
Starfleet and the Federation
matter to you.
And I see how you're looking out at the stars--
we both know you're not ready to hang it up.
It's an interesting offer.
But Vance wouldn't let me back on a ship
unless it was a garbage scow.
I already spoke to Vance. He backs my choice.
I got a second chance once.
This is yours.
We leave for Trill at 0800. The offer stands till then.
Burnham.
I'm not a yes man.
I'm counting on that.
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