04x04 - A Case of Chiaroscuro

[bunniefuu]

Previously on
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds...

SPOCK: Being Vulcan
affected you differently.

You are aggressive,
paranoid, suspicious.

It is part of your core.

CHAPEL: You may be carrying enhanced
warrior genes, but it's not who you are.

If we let the Klingons conquer,
they won't stop.

J'gal changed me.

I'm just a doctor now.
I prefer saving lives to taking them.

NEERA: You grew up in
a Federation colony?

UNA: Yes. We went to
the non-Illyrian city.

We left everyone else behind.

I regret it to this day.

I'm not ready for the promotion,
but I know someone else who is.

To Commander Una Chin-Riley.

UNA: First officer's log.
Stardate 2122.4.

A Federation probe, the Angelo-1,

has overheated and shut down.

Which, unfortunately for this probe,

means it has now drifted
across the demarcation line

and right into Klingon territory.

Starfleet has ordered
Enterprise to recover it.

Only Enterprise itself poses
too great a risk of detection.

And detection could mean
restarting a very cold w*r.

So, Captain Pike has tasked
me with retrieving it.

It's a delicate mission in
an unusual part of space,

and also my first as a
newly promoted commander.

UHURA: Opening the link to Angelo-1

and ready to commence
system reset on your orders.

[controls buzzing]

I think.

I-I'm sorry. I'm just disoriented.

I'm fine, just not used to seeing things

in black and white.

That's due to the
infrared blackbody spectra

from the Mat'Aaran star,

but the radiation only affects
how we perceive color.

The tritanium from the
blast shields may help.

UNA: Raising shields.

Slow and steady, Nyota.

This is an adjustment for all of us.

M'BENGA: I haven't yet
gotten to tell you,

congratulations, Commander.

The next promotion will be to captain.

UNA: I'm not sure I'm
ready for that yet.

All I know is that your moral compass

has never failed you in the past.

But if it does,

you'll just refer to
the Starfleet handbook.

[chuckles]

I do love rules. And lists.

And rules about lists.

Reset is successful.

Angelo propelling towards Enterprise.

We should follow his lead.

What? You don't want to stay and say hi

to some old friends?

- [alert blaring]
- COMPUTER: Warning.

Proximity alert.

We're not alone.

UNA [over comms]: The D7 is
blocking our return path.

An evasive maneuver into
Mat'Aar 12's atmosphere

might be our only option for cover.

PIKE: Affirmative. We have the probe.

You should wait out the D7

until we find a window of
opportunity to bring you back.

Land on Mat'Aar 12 and
stay out of sight.

The Federation cannot be here.

Acknowledged.

[thunder crashing]

UHURA: What was that?

Electromagnetic atmospheric barrier.

A full planetary detection system.

This is more advanced
than they had in the w*r.

- But how did our scanners miss it?
- Technically, there's nothing to scan.

Atmospheric electricity
is always present.

Find us somewhere safe to land, Ensign.

Surveillance spotlight situated
one klick north by northwest.

Recommend decreasing speed.

Nyota, scan for any unoccupied enclave.

UHURA: There aren't many.

Mat'Aar has a populated
urban environment

surrounded by outskirt villages.

Heavy Klingon presence mixed
with a native population.

It's a fully occupied planet.

There will be nowhere to safely hide.

Captain's orders are to stay invisible.

UNA: So far, all's quiet on the ground.

Uhura, did they see us?

Looks like the force field only
triggered a momentary alert.

So, they know someone arrived,
but not who.

- Mm.
- M'BENGA: They'll be looking for us.

We're sitting ducks if we stay here.

UNA: We can hide the shuttle,

but our life signs are still traceable.

We'll synthesize civilian attire,

and we'll try to blend in.

UHURA: What do the people on
Mat'Aar 12 even look like?

[indistinct chatter]

UHURA: If this is a Klingon planet...

...where are the Klingons?

TOWN CRIER: Identification is required.

Failure to provide will
result in search and seizure.

We succeed together.

M'BENGA: Occupation is not subtle.

I suspect that the barrier we breached

is not the only security
measure on this planet.

Local collaborators.

We must walk.

ROMAN: Nevette?

Where the hell have you been, boss?

Two days without contact,
we thought you were dead.

Well...

Clearly, I'm not.

PIKE: Space.

The final frontier.

These are the voyages of
the starship Enterprise.

Its five-year mission:

to explore strange new worlds...

...to seek out new life
and new civilizations...

...to boldly go where
no one has gone before.

ROMAN: You picked a
good time to come back.

We have a situation.

Who are they?

We're new recruits.

Joseph Ruik.

Where's your armband?

We've been undercover.

I wasn't told about
an undercover mission.

It wasn't for you to know.

- Huh.
- COLLABORATOR: Roman.

No trace of it out here.

Copy.

An unidentified shuttle came
through a few minutes ago.

UNA: I know. We came out
here to investigate.

Can confirm, no sign of it.

We should get back to HQ.

There's something else
you need to handle.

[indistinct chatter]

[laughter]

[piano music playing]

FEMALE: I'm so glad you could make it.

Cheers.

[playing jazzy tune]

M'BENGA: Our new friend is proud.

He's exactly the type to
collaborate with Klingons.

He has the armband to prove it.

Exactly how many
Klingon-occupied planets

have you been on?

- Zero.
- Huh.

We found this traitor
skulking around a checkpoint

with an EMF scanner.

Definitely not working alone.

Clearly a member of the resistance.

We need the name of her accomplice

before the commander
comes to arrest her.

You couldn't make her talk,
even after all this?

They got her well-trained.

As expected.

Leave her with me. Alone.

I'll get the information we need.

[scoffs]

UHURA: What is she doing?

If they realize who she is,

- who we are...
- Trust the commander.

This is not her first time

pretending to be someone she's not.

But it's your first time, isn't it?

But she's pretending to
be someone they know.

I mean, what are the odds Una
looks so much like this woman

that no one can tell the difference?

Slim, but possible.

In a universe as vast as ours,

the real mystery is
that we don't stumble

onto our doppelgängers more often.

And that we have found Una's

is a momentary stroke of luck.

Hmm.

Of all the gin joints...

So, Joseph Ruik...

...how many aliases do you have?

- Do I need one?
- If you do,

pick something close to the truth.

Your first name, a loved one's surname.

Easier to remember.

Never forget,

they do not know we are
not supposed to be here.

Do not give them a reason to doubt us.

I feel like I should be
writing all this down.

Take notes with your eyes.

And be aware of other eyes
who are taking note of you.

LA'AN: We went to great lengths
to get this probe back.

I hope the Klingons didn't find it.

Let's make sure we didn't
bring in a Trojan horse.

It's from the Odyssey.

I am familiar with the Greeks,

but this probe has been in Klingon
space less than 160 hours.

Which is long enough for sabotage.

That is an unnecessary leap.

You sound like Christine.

I, um, I've been seeing her once a week

to make sure that my time as a Vulcan

didn't trigger...

...something else.

Something else?

So far, just a little extra aggression,

occasional paranoia. I...

She hasn't found any
physical correlation.

[scanner chirps]

Scan complete.

No foreign substances detected.

Moving on to internal systems.

Internal systems appear sound.

LA'AN: No, wait. Data chip 32-B8.

It-it was dislodged.

Computer, access data recordings.

Perhaps it shifted in transit.

It-It's been compromised.
Look, the-the data's missing.

Or it was hastily replaced after
maintenance, resulting in a faulty chip.

Or someone removed it, wiped it,

and then put it back after Angelo-1

was already on the Enterprise.

PIKE: You think we have a Klingon spy?

Not a spy, but I have reason to
believe that someone may have tampered

with the probe before we were
able to conduct our security scan.

There is a faulty microchip.

Data has been wiped clean.

Doesn't this thing have
a chain of custody?

Indeed. Angelo-1's interactions
are entirely accounted for.

Except for when it was beamed on board.

Are you suggesting someone
tampered with the probe

mid-transport?

Any object can be isolated
whilst in the buffer.

I believe it's a possibility
worth investigating.

Well...

you're the security officer.

If you think something smells funny,
go sniff it out.

[piano music playing]

UNA: Those men...

...what do they think you've done?

I cannot say.

UNA: My men and I, we control this town,

and clearly, you're not one of us.

Please, don't k*ll me.

I don't want to hurt you.

But we know you weren't working alone.

I have a family.

I have secured the reading.

Is that supposed to
mean something to me?

If you tell me what is going on,
I can let you go.

You know I would never.

I have passed your test.

Test? What test?

[high-pitched tones playing]

[heavy door opening]

[distant chatter in Klingon]

[Klingons laugh]

You know him?

Commander Kor.

A direct descendant of
Kahless the Unforgettable.

We never met, but he's known
for being sharp and political.

He must run this outpost.

If they use their machine on me,
it will be over for all of us.

It must be you now.



What? What does that mean?

No.

Order another drink.

None of them are looking,
and you shouldn't either.

This woman should appear as
nothing but a traitor to us.

- Okay.
- I think she used

alkaloid toxin from the Borgia plant.

I've seen its effects before.
Unsurvivable.

Nevette. You have returned.

I gave clear orders that
she must remain alive.

And I conveyed them, sir.

KOR: I expect my lieutenants

to follow command if they
wish to keep their privilege.

I did what I had to do.

I will accept your
judgment in this situation.

Information is valuable,
but brutality more so.

This woman is a traitor to the Empire.

k*lling her was the
honorable thing to do.

- Her cowardice decided her fate.
- KOR: Hmm.

This is why I placed you in charge.

This position is not for those
with weak constitutions.

We have other means of
finding the accomplice.

Annihilate these remains.

Traitors deserve no glory.

You heard him.

There's a job to do.

Your boss is Commander Kor,

a regarded member of
the Imperial family.

- He will not be easy to deceive.
- I know.

This is bad.

I know 600 different words for "bad."

This is worse than all of them.

I've engaged with the Klingons.
A woman is dead because of me.

She took her own life, not you.

Risk factors have changed.

We and Starfleet are safer
if we hide near the shuttle

and wait for a signal from Enterprise.

[speaking Klingon]

[announcement continues in Klingon]

ANNOUNCER: All citizens,

form one line and proceed to...

UNA: Quickly. This is the
way back to the ship.

Checkpoint.

M'BENGA: We might need
to find another way out.

UHURA: Well, I don't
remember this checkpoint

- on the way in.
- [shouting in Klingon]

- We should withdraw.
- Yeah.

[device beeps]

This card is expired.

- [others gasping]
- [phasers charging]

May Mat'Aar never waver!

GUARD: You.

Do not touch him.

Identification.

UHURA: I...

I don't have any.

- Wait.
- Compassion is unacceptable.

We cannot help her if
we all get arrested.

Take her away.

TOWN CRIER: Identification is required.

Failure to provide will
result in search and seizure.

JA'LEM: Pursuing her
would've been a death wish.

As long as they don't know
that she is one of us,

she'll be okay.

Hello, Nevette.

Your disappearing act gave
us a fright this time.

Ja'lem.

I'm sorry we haven't properly met.

M'BENGA: Joseph Ruik.

You are the bartender from the café.

Time is short. We should
not be seen here together.

Meet me at the café.

We will free your friend.

I'm relieved you're safe.

The resistance would be
lost without its leader.

[indistinct P.A. announcements continue]

Did he say "resistance"?

This Nevette seems
like a very busy woman.

Who are you?

My name is Nyota Nakuru.

I am a villager from the outskirts.

My family died when I was very young.

And you found a new family.

With the resistance.

I have told you, I know
nothing about a resistance.

Please...

understand my interest in the matter.

I have great admiration
for your enterprise.

The work you do feigns nobility,
but it is misguided.

You refuse to understand that Mat'Aar 12

belongs to the Klingon Empire.

And serving at the behest of,

that is the noblest honor.

Now, what do the resistance want

from the Neodymium Munitions Facility?

I know nothing about a resistance.

Or a munitions facility.

You are more resilient
than some of your comrades.

Hmm. I delight in what comes next.

I so rarely get to
utilize our mind scanner.

[warbling]

- [indistinct chatter]
- [piano music playing]

[high-pitched tones playing]

[high-pitched tones continue]

Such a strange pitch.

That's a tactic called
"sonic vigilance."

We used something similar on J'Gal.

- [gasps]
- [speaking Klingon]

WOMAN: Please. I'm so sorry.

- I'm so sorry.
- It's an invisible safeguard.

[high-pitched tones continue]

Always in a tone the
Klingons can't detect.

The Klingons may control this city...

[whispers]:...but this
resistance is resourceful.

Yes, but a forgery has become
a greater challenge lately.

Why is there a delay with the ID card?

My new recruit's life is in danger.

The Klingons have enhanced
their security clearances.

That's why you're
stealing Klingon ID cards.

Yes. But your card should
still work, Nevette.

My card... isn't with me.

Keeping it in your
office is no longer wise.

You'll need to have it on you now.

Things are changing, quickly.

How do we know the office is safe?

Trust our surveillance.

We moved the speaker so
you'd hear the music.

The wires extend into your office now.

Apologies for the
unsatisfactory beverage.

Our allakas malt supplier
had a terribly dry season.

When you didn't return,

we assumed you were caught, or worse.

The Neodymium plant
is not easy to breach.

But were you successful?

No.

It was too risky.

But I will.

That's why I need the girl.

She's your inside contact.

Bring me your card.

We will get her out. And you,

you'll need this if you're
going to be seen with her,

so they think you are one of them.

Thank you for your help.

May Mat'Aar never waver.

[transmission blipping]

LA'AN: Cadet, I, uh, need you
to listen to something for me.

I am currently assisting
Lieutenant Spock

with a priority assignment.

Uhura mentioned you have an
especially gifted ear for transmissions.

Logically, I hoped you could decipher

if a standard transmission
signal was altered.

Flattery is a transparent and
antiquated method of coercion.

Fine. I'll find someone more capable.

However, I am momentarily available

while I await rendering data.

[transmission blipping]

Most peculiar. I detect a signal.

There is a definite relay response.

It is not only sending information,

it is receiving intel back.

Of what nature I cannot be certain.

I can, however, trace the
origin if that is of benefit.

Yes. Yes, it is.

[transmission blipping]

LA'AN: I tracked the point
of origin to your quarters.

Start talking.

It's not his fault.
I begged him to help me.

Threatened him. Said I'd feed
him to a targ if he didn't.

Didn't what?

SCOTTY: Well, I don't
know if you've noticed,

Lieutenant, but things around
here aren't quite normal.

What do you see?

LA'AN: Is that the D7 cruiser?

Where did it go?

SCOTTY: This interference
is unpredictable.

The same conditions
that are making us see

in black-and-white are
also causing their ship

to be nearly indecipherable on our maps.

Which makes it harder to
bring our people back.

If we can't see where the Klingons are,
we're flying blind.

So, I, um, well, uh...

I modified one of our
standard transmissions,

transfixing a relay
signal to the D7 cruiser

so that it alerts Erica as it,
uh, circles.

It'll also let us know when it's safe
for the shuttle to return.

LA'AN: A makeshift navigational buoy.

Brilliant.

Well, Captain Pike thought so.

You want to tell her what you
had for lunch today, too?

A Cuban sandwich.

I love mustard.

Look, I kn... I-I know it's unorthodox,

but I'm doing this with
the utmost prudence.

You know, I just wanted to help
my friend. And, uh, my ship.

Just trying to help get our people back.

The sandwich was good. I had it, too.

So, this signal has nothing
to do with the Angelo-1?

The probe? Not at all.

Uh, cross my heart, hope to
get stuck in a pattern buffer.

[both chuckle]

- [PADD beeps]
- Oh, hang on.

What have we got here?

This is odd.

There might be a hidden
signal beneath my relay.

Could be nothing, but it's odd.

KOR: What images do you see here?

The mind scanner can tell
us what you're thinking,

so do not lie.

Tree.

[whirs]

- [buzzing]
- [straining]

[buzzing stops]

When will the resistance
enact their offensive?

I am not resistance.

[scanner beeps]

Tree.

[buzzing]

[straining]

[buzzing stops]

Where were you born?

- A small village.
- [beeps]

What color are the
trees in your village?

- Green.
- [beeps]

I have read of green
forests on other worlds.

I try imagining that.

The color green.

One day, I'd like to experience them.

[device whirs]

[buzzing]

[buzzing stops]

Your resolve is strong.

I will continue to enjoy eroding it.

[device whirs]

- [buzzing]
- [straining]

[speaking Klingon]

- [buzzing stops]
- [continues speaking Klingon]

M'BENGA: Let's keep looking.

The card is in here somewhere.

COMPUTER: Facial recognition confirmed.

What happened here?

This is a fully operational database.

Timelines, collaborator profiles,

all built from Nevette's
work with the Klingons.

If the resistance is a network,
Nevette is the nucleus.

Then why would she leave?

Perhaps she fled.

People she helped escape the occupation.

Families.

Ja'lem has a daughter.

A parent will do anything
to protect their child.

Even start a revolution.

What's on this chip?

Let's find out.

[whirring]

The Neodymium Munitions Facility?

That's the plant Nevette
was supposed to break into.

Those are blueprints.

Is that Mat'Aar 12 before
the Klingon occupation?

I believe so.

"Once acquired, a proximity
detonator will trigger

"an electromagnetic pulse

and overload Klingon security."

The resistance is
planning an EMP attack.

That's why they need a
proximity detonator.

It would certainly be effective.

Give the resistance a fighting chance.

Nevette's identification card.

So, if this is here, then where is she?

[gasps]

Is she...?

Yes.

She's dead.

It was like looking into my own casket.

But it wasn't you.

It was her.

[Una sighs]

The traitor said "34.6 megahertz"

before she died.

I think that's the frequency

the detonator needs to trigger the EMP.

There was no detonator in the office.

Nevette probably died
before she could get it.

Hmm.

You said she was poisoned.

- Do you think...
- She took her own life?

No.

She was surprised.

The cryochamber was a
bid to save herself.

So, then, who k*lled her?

A woman in a position like
that would have many enemies.

And now they're all my enemies.

- [buzzing]
- [straining]

- [buzzing stops]
- [panting]

UHURA: Are there more questions?

Your identification
card has been verified.

[restraints click]

You're free to go.

I trust you will not forget it again.

UHURA: The Klingons are planning a
full military takeover in 24 hours.

How do you know this?

They discussed it while speaking
the T'Gal regional dialect.

It's very rare.

I'm pretty sure they thought
I couldn't understand them.

That D7... it brought tech

to upgrade the atmospheric barrier,

make it impenetrable.

So, instead of an alarm,

any craft that breaches it would be...

Vaporized.

The Klingons have fortified
the central tower.

Soon, it'll have the only
portal allowing traffic

on and off Mat'Aar.

The citizens will be trapped.

But they already control the planet.

"Its proximity

"to their greatest enemy is an advantage

they can't afford to lose."

I believe he said "advantage."

It could have been "convenience."

I couldn't...

M'BENGA: You are here with us now.

And this information
is extremely useful.

You did well.

I knew I couldn't let
them know who I am.

I know it wasn't easy.

It never is.

Did you have to choose an alias?

Nyota Nakuru.

It's not my home in Kenya.

But it's a friend's.

M'BENGA: With Uhura's ID,
all of us can pass the checkpoints.

We should return to
the shuttle and leave.

It's less risky than
remaining here indefinitely.

[device playing high-pitched notes]

- [door opens]
- [Klingons chanting]

[growls]

[music stops]

[shouts]

We can't leave.

Not yet.

Nevette may be dead, but I'm not.

This is not your fight.

Do not confuse yourself

with the person you
are pretending to be.

When the Federation
first came to my colony,

some wanted to fight.

My family did not.

Innocent people suffered.

You do not need to atone
for what your family did.

You chose Starfleet.

We all know Starfleet
is not always right.

And I refuse to let protocol tell me

I can't help innocent people

just because they had the bad luck

to fall on the wrong side
of the demarcation line.

This isn't just impersonating
someone in a café.

I know how to pretend
to be something I'm not.

Scotty thinks this static
might mean someone encrypted

a transmission under his relay.

Here.

Likely, someone on the Enterprise.

[transmission playing]

Perhaps the transmission
indicates the absence of something.

The sound of space.

- You don't believe me, do you?
- I believe

that your instincts are telling
you that there is something.

I do not need a Vulcan to humor me,
thank you very much.

I am merely responding to your query.

You said that you have been
feeling paranoid as of late.

- Perhaps it is that.
- Tell me,

do you think this could be an
encrypted data transmission?

No.

The evidence does not
support your hypothesis.

[La'An sighs]

KOR: Nevette.

Join me.

This is an eve for bloodwine.

We have much to celebrate.

To the Empire.

May she be prosperous.

And expansive.

And to your loyalty.

You are one of my finest subordinates.

As such, I must prepare
you for our next phase.

Oh, I already know.

Passage on and off the
planet will be fully secure.

Vaporization upon entry or exit.

My new recruit filled me in.

So, she is one of yours.

Careless of her to wander
without an identification card.

Tell me, where did she
learn to speak T'Gal?

She speaks many languages.
That's why I hired her.

She's useful.

For our partnership to be successful,

we need clear communication
at all times.

Yet you laid a trap for her. And me.

I needed to test the
depths of your loyalty.

Did I pass?

Your honesty was ideal.

When the airspace closes,

acts against the Empire will be met

with the most extreme penalties.

Native Mat'Aarans will no
longer hold positions of power.

Nor will they be free
to live where they wish.

There will be dissension in your ranks.

I have no doubt you
will handle it swiftly.

Your willingness to use fear

as a means of control is inspired.

Fear is the only effective way to lead.

Mm.

Fate was cruel,
not making you a Klingon.

A disappointing twist of fortune.

Now excuse me.

I must go brief my men.

UHURA [over comms]: Containment Room 6G

should be just ahead on the right.

[device trilling softly]

The proximity detonator
will be in Weapons Cage 12,

Receptacle Three.

- UNA: I have it.
- M'BENGA: Good. Get out of there.

I still need to figure
out how to detonate it.

UHURA: According to Nevette's files,

the detonator will trigger when it
crosses any Klingon checkpoint.

Its location will be revealed instantly.

UNA: The Klingons will
know who's responsible.

It's a suicide mission.

This does not need to be you.

You've done enough for this planet.

- ROMAN: You know...
- [phaser clicks]

...when I first saw you,
I thought you were a ghost.

Then I thought maybe I
just didn't finish the job.

Finally, it hit me.

You're an impostor.

You k*lled her.

And now I get to k*ll her twice.

What did you steal from the armory?

Tell me, and Kor will go easy on you.

He told you to follow me.

And bring you back alive.

But we both know he prefers brutality.

Is that why you k*lled Nevette?

[panting]

She never respected me.

Respected her "resistance," though.

You knew.

Must be annoying to go
through all that trouble,

not get any of the credit.

They'll turn on you next, you know.

Well, I make myself useful.

They'll find a place for me.

[both grunting]

[Roman straining]

[gasps]

The Klingons have honor.

You have none.

Do it. You're dead either way.

[grunting]

I'm gonna give you a chance.

Help the resistance reclaim Mat'Aar.

Nevette would've k*lled me.

I was sure someone had wiped
data from the Angelo-1.

I checked everything.

Delivery logs, transporter logs,
security data,

footage, communication transmissions...

I even suggested

it could have been tampered
with mid-transport.

I feel like I can't trust myself.

Did you check the transporter forensics?

It was you?

Why?

The Angelo-1 had sensitive information.

Well, yes, that is the point
of a surveillance probe.

About Starfleet. Not just Klingons.

Do you know the USS Yang?

Well, yes, it's a
Starfleet medical ship.

The Yang crossed into Klingon
territory earlier this month,

responding to a distress call.

Unsanctioned.

And the Angelo recorded it.

If that data fell into the wrong hands,

even Starfleet hands,
careers would be lost, or worse.

I served with the commanding
officer of the Yang.

So she asked you for a favor.

And now you're asking me for one.

I am asking...

for you to be a friend,
not a security officer.

These are good people.

They don't deserve to
be punished just because

they broke the rules to help.

TOWN CRIER: Identification is required.

Failure to provide will
result in search and seizure.

We succeed together.

Let me through to the tower.

I have valuable information
about the resistance.

- Let me through.
- JA'LEM: You can't stay here.

Roman will have reported you
have the detonator by now.

M'BENGA: He's right.
The Klingons will be coming for us.

It doesn't matter.

But the detonator.

I don't have it.

- Let me through to the tower.
- [speaking Klingon]

Go. [speaks Klingon]

- [alarm sounding]
- Stop.

[device trilling]

[guard speaking Klingon]

No.

No. No, no, no, no, no. Hold-hold on.

Nevette set me up.

- [trilling rapidly]
- No!

[crowd gasping]

The force field is down.

[cheering]

You triggered the surge. But how?

I knew Roman would run straight
to the Klingons to report me.

You planted that detonator on him.

UNA: There's a photo
in Nevette's office.

You have a daughter?

When my wife was k*lled in the w*r,

Nevette became like a
surrogate mother to our Emma.

She made sure Emma was
in the first evacuation.

After, I dedicated
myself to the resistance.

It was easy for me.

But time is not your friend.

The Klingons don't take
lightly to insubordination.

There will be reinforcements.

And punishment will be swift.

- You must not lose momentum.
- JA'LEM: We won't.

Nevette may be gone,
but you are our inspiration now.

This land belongs to Mat'Aar.

But I belong elsewhere.

Our people need a leader.

They have one.

You may not be Nevette,
but you will find your own way.

I know what it's like to lose.

And then to hope.

Use that.

PIKE: Lieutenant.

Ortegas reported the D7
was low enough in orbit

to be affected by an EMP
blast on Mat'Aar 12.

They lost 80% of their systems.

Our team is clear to return home.

We'll meet them outside
of Mat'Aaran space.

- This is good news.
- And you?

Did anything come of your investigation?

Lieutenant?

Actually, yes.

Did you know, uh, Scotty and
Ortegas are friends now?

Uh, but with regards to the probe,

there was no cause for concern.

That is also good news.

All right, file your report.

Lieutenant.

Should a further report
be necessary, uh,

or if you find anything
else troublesome,

you know where to find me.

Sir.

[door whooshes open]

M'BENGA: Ja'lem prepared
the evacuations quickly.

Thanks to you.

But how many?

- And for how long?
- Mm.

Now you understand the healer's anguish.

No matter how many you save,
it's never enough.

Have I ever told you about
my first post with Starfleet?

No.

I was stationed on Ülget.

They had recently overthrown a despot

and joined the Federation.

This leader let Ülget
fall into disease...

desperation.

Yet there was still an
anti-Federation faction

who were loyal to him.

One day, we returned
to find our hospital

surrounded by these loyalists,

our patients trapped inside.

What were your orders?

Our first duty's always to our patients.

My calling was medicine.

Healing people.

It is the great mystery of my life

that some of my strongest skills

lie in opposition to that calling.

When I was done,
not one loyalist was left alive.

[sighs]

Did I do the right thing?

Irony notwithstanding,

few things in life are black and white.

When I joined Starfleet,
I always played by the book.

If you don't take chances,
you don't attract questions.

But I understood Nevette.

Living a hidden life to protect others.

Then you have your answer.

UHURA: Commander,
we're officially leaving Klingon space.

Approaching the edge of the
Mat'Aar system shortly.