Previously on
Star Trek: Discovery...
You get a fresh start
in a new quadrant.
By my count, we're even.
Until next time.
Philippa?
- Are you okay?
- Why would you ever,
ever ask me
a question like that?
Nobody knows if the Burn was
an accident.
But devastation flashed
in an instant
across all known space.
Senna knew the algorithm
we need to find.
- Federation headquarters.
- These coordinates...
Will take you
where you need to go.
You didn't tell her about me.
How are you here?
I don't know.
Captain, we're here.
Mr. Bryce, hail
Federation headquarters
and tell them the USS Discovery
is reporting for duty.
I'm Admiral Charles Vance,
Commander in Chief, Starfleet.
This is my chief security
officer Lieutenant Willa.
Welcome home.
In the past three weeks,
Discovery has evolved
even more
than we could have imagined.
Her battle scars
have been healed.
Internal systems updated.
Programmable matter
has been integrated
with our pre-Burn technology.
Even her nacelles
are now detached,
improving maneuverability
and enabling us to be
more efficient in flight.
Her retrofit
is nearly complete.
It is
quite extraordinary,
the journey we have had.
We are grateful to have assisted
Federation planets
in the deepest regions
of the galaxy,
and equally grateful to be home.
We are now ready
to be of service here,
in any way we can be.
Welcome back to the fleet,
Discovery.
And your crew?
Adapting and retraining
as needed.
Commander Burnham
is overseeing the process.
Thank you, Captain Saru.
Okay. Let's get to it.
Reilling VII
needs additional shields.
They're dealing
with solar flares. Kardashev?
We'll bring them
some shade, sir,
- if they can last a week.
- They can.
Kaijur XII needs replicator
replacement technology.
They've got a severe
food shortage. Captain Rahma?
- That'll be your assignment.
- Aye, sir.
Captain Bandra. Le Guin will
take the supply run to Na'Seth.
We'll see you in two months.
- Yes, Admiral.
- With respect, Admiral,
given severely limited
warp travel,
- if time is of the essence...
- No question.
I could use
ten of you right now.
But as my only rapid responder,
I need you here.
Rapid responder?
- Sir.
- Discovery has an experimental
advanced-drive system
that enables us
to respond instantaneously
anywhere in the galaxy.
Word of this critical asset
will not leave this room
until I say so.
Now, Argeth is on yellow alert.
Our intel says
that the Emerald Chain
might be making another move
in the next 12 hours.
The Andorian/Orion syndicate?
In this part
of the quadrant, yes.
Osyraa and the Chain
have been pushing hard lately.
I don't know what
they're after on Argeth,
but they're damn sure
not gonna get it.
If things heat up, I'm gonna
need you to jump, Captain.
We will be ready, Admiral.
Dismissed.
Are we supposed to be
get new holo-PADDs, too?
You already have them.
Cool.
Okay.
This is my new favorite thing.
Your new badges
also function as tricorders.
And communicators
and personal transporters,
but we'll get to those later.
There are also upgrades
to your consoles.
Check it out.
Doesn't seem that different.
Our team kept
the interface similar
for ease of transition,
but once you engage...
Whoa. What just happened?
That's the retrofitted
programmable matter.
It reads your bio-signs.
Do we really need all of this?
Hell yeah, we do.
It's adaptive.
Learns and adjusts
to your reflexes
- to create an interface style unique to you.
- Wow.
Feels smooth... and cool.
Like glass.
Whoops. Didn't expect to...
This isn't the mess hall.
Uh, bye.
Apparently,
he hasn't adapted yet.
Uh, Lieutenant Nilsson,
we are being hailed by a vessel
outside of the Federation's
distortion field.
No one gets here
unless they know
where they're going.
On screen.
Grudge?
- Hey, Michael.
- I'm recording this message
in case I can't tell you
in person.
I was on my way
to the Bajoran exchange,
when this guy
sitting next to me
started talking
about a black box.
And I think his black box is one
of the ones you're looking for.
It's on Hunhau.
Emerald Chain territory.
I'm going to do
some looking around.
If things don't go well,
I'll set the ship
to bring Grudge to you
if I'm not back on board
in 24 hours.
Now, despite her glacial
emotional process,
her initial reluctance
towards you is melting away.
I'll come find you two.
Okay? I won't be long.
This was three weeks ago.
What would the black box
tell us about the Burn?
Since it has a record
of any ship's last moments,
every vessel destroyed
by the Burn
should have stopped recording
at the same microsecond,
but the two that I found
in my year here didn't.
If Book found
a third one out there,
and it shows the same variance,
that means the Burn
didn't happen all at once.
- Suggesting what?
- Suggesting the Burn
had a point of origin,
and we can triangulate the data
from the boxes to locate it.
We have got to get to Hunhau.
I'm so sorry, Michael,
but at the moment, we cannot.
- Why?
- Well, the admiral
has ordered Discovery
to be ready
to jump to Argeth
within the next 12 hours.
Ah. It won't take me
nearly that long.
Commander.
To be clear, the situation there
could heat up any time
in the next 12 hours.
Captain, the Federation
cannot stabilize
while the cause of the Burn
remains a question.
And there's a man's life
at stake.
There are many lives.
Today, I saw how vulnerable
the Federation has become.
The admiral would not be
convinced by a cat in a ship.
I understand this will be
difficult, but please
resume your duties
and prepare the crew
for a possible jump to Argeth.
Yes, sir.
I can't do nothing.
You're the only person
on this ship who'd say yes
to going on
an unsanctioned mission.
If I'm right about this box,
then I'll be bringing back proof
about what caused the Burn.
You're far too smart
not to realize
you're dropping Saru
in the fire.
He's trying to prove
his legitimacy,
and his Number One is running
all around the galaxy,
disobeying direct orders.
Which has a very familiar ring.
I'd rather regret something
I did than something I didn't.
Now we're getting somewhere.
Are you in or out?
Georgiou?
You had me
at "unsanctioned mission."
Hunhau is an M-class planet.
Sparsely populated. Looks like
they mainly salvage ships.
Just so I'm clear,
what is our primary objective?
The black box.
And Book.
So, what does this
cat-loving friend have
that made you fall for him
like a two-year-old
- on the edge of a well?
- Excuse me?
The Tyler thing
ended in disaster...
Surprise, surprise...
So I get why
you wouldn't want
to have feelings
for the blob whisperer.
I don't have feelings
for the blob whisperer.
And trance worms aren't blobs.
I was referring to the cat.
And you seem to know
this ship pretty intimately.
I spent a lot of time here.
I didn't love here or anything.
I had my own ship.
What?
- You said "love here."
- I said "live here."
- "Love here."
- You're not qualified to judge these things.
Your emotional spectrum
runs from cranky to homicidal.
And why are you
bringing up Tyler anyway?
San!
San!
It's still raising
my heart rate.
I don't even need
this caffeine right now.
Espresso.
Do you want an espresso?
No.
Philippa?
What is going on?
I know something's
happening with you.
Looks like a w*r zone.
It was caused by the Burn.
I've seen these ship graveyars
all over.
The only populated area
is heavily shielded.
I can't get a lock
on Book's life sign.
We're being hailed.
This planet's a private
salvage yard.
Why don't you get our gear?
What are you doing here?
I must be here to buy
some salvage, meat sack.
All buyers go
to the local Bajoran exchange.
I'm not interested in getting
ripped off by an avatar.
You insult me.
My servant and I
are transporting down.
Do that, and my auto-defense
systems will take you out.
I decide who's authorized
to land, and when.
You don't look smart enough
to run this dump.
How soon before
your boss finds out
I have real dilithium on board
I am willing to part with,
and you're making me hover
like a peasant?
Hang on.
Real dilithium?
What did I just say?
Imbecile. You want
to let this prize go?
You don't think your boss is
watching you watching me?
I am losing my patience.
- Well...
- Form a sentence!
All right...
you're cleared to land.
But I've got my eyes on you.
I don't care about your eyes,
unless they were dangling
from my belt.
Really?
He is a bully.
They crumble like a cookie
when they meet a bigger one.
- What is that?
- Cat collar.
To find Grudge,
if she ever got lost.
That cat can't get lost.
It's got its own
gravitational pull.
No, Book never went anywhere
without the receiver.
So I reverse-engineered it.
What he used to find her
will now find him.
The things we do for love.
Let's just go find
what we're here to find
before I strangle you.
Grudge. Hello.
On my bed?
Hey there, partner.
Pick you up.
Um, just, full disclosure,
I'm not a cat person.
So you're gonna have to
go back in the box, bud.
Computer, locate Burnham.
Commander Burnham
is not on board.
Did you eat her?
Computer, scan shuttle bay
for Cleveland Booker's ship.
Unable to locate.
Come here, kitty.
Come...
No, no, no, no, no, no.
No-no-no-no, there's...
You got to come here, bud.
You got to go back in the box.
I don't like you.
Book said he already found
a black box,
but if you see any others whie
we're down there, grab them.
Out from under
the idiot's nose?
Child's play.
No merchandise
until I get your dilithium.
And you don't get your weapons
back until you leave.
If I wanted to k*ll you,
I wouldn't need a w*apon.
And from the looks
of this place,
they'd name a holiday after me.
So who put you in charge?
I'm Osyraa's nephew.
This is her territory.
- What makes you think...
- What makes you think?
Oh, don't tell me
you have actual brain matter,
or whatever nephews have.
Where do you get your help from?
All these people.
Beta VI?
Marin-Jira?
They owe Osyraa.
They work for us forever.
It's pretty simple.
I'd love to meet this Osyraa.
She sounds like
my kind of girl.
We're going over there.
She's looking for
self-sealing stem bolts
from the late 24th century.
Down there.
Hang a right at the entrance.
Next to the plasma coils.
You should be able to find
what you're looking for.
I'm particularly interested
in any
pre-2400 items.
These ships are old as dirt.
There's plenty
of good scrap in 'em.
Here.
Please. Half of those parts
didn't even exist in that era.
Now, this has all
its original parts.
930 years old,
and it still works.
Don't touch.
Move it.
Captain, there's more
over there.
Let's go.
Attention, Sector Six
arriving workers.
Report immediately
to Melting Forge Three
for mandatory security
protocols and implantation.
I'm sorry, I have to do this.
Try to relax,
it'll only hurt for a minute.
Get off me, traitor.
Ah.
Hey, come on, watch
that elbow, Lai.
I'm good.
Not since that regulator tried
to separate you from it.
I got this, okay?
Hey, Lai,
I found some Tala bark.
I thought it might help
with your elbow.
Anything from you is
nothing I need.
Ryn, let him go.
They think I want to be
this guy.
They know Osyraa will k*ll you
slow if you say no.
Just try and not
take it personal.
We're all just trying to...
Who is that?
Um... friend.
Just keep your eyes down.
Hey!
Drop it!
What?
Show me.
Hey, come on, take it easy.
You! Shut up.
Are you stealing from me?
It's just a water ration.
Just a water ration.
We work hard to bring you
all the water you need.
I guess that's not enough.
Tolor, please...
Open the door.
We haven't tested
the new system updates
on the perimeter pylons.
Maybe you'll go free,
or you might not.
There's only one way
to find out.
Three...
Please don't.
Two...
One!
Faster.
Faster!
I guess it does work.
Get back to work.
I don't get it.
Why are you shutting yourself
away in this goldfish bowl?
I'm working.
There's a basketball court
out there, and bocce.
- And fencing.
- Enticing.
Adira, we're on this amazing
moving world,
and I've only seen
where you sleep, work and eat.
And these are all
vital functions.
Could we make a new memory,
please?
Who moved the intermix pods?
Ergonomics don't make any sense.
That's way above
my pay grade.
Talk to the admiral.
Yes, well, the admiral
expects us to jump
to Argeth at any time.
This place is in chaos.
Nothing's where it's
supposed to be.
Oh, these crazy kids
and their chaos.
Linus, don't do that.
Sorry. New badge. Hmm?
The spore drive's new
and improved.
I redesigned it so you won't
have to use those shunts.
Well, it's a lot
more comfortable.
A little gooey.
Nanogel.
It acts as a quantum transducer.
Slips right off.
No residue.
Thank you.
His death was efficient.
- Thank you.
- And now you know what happens
when you break the rules.
So I saw.
A little messy,
but I assume that's the point.
I want to buy the tech
for that fencing system.
Proprietary.
Owned by Osyraa.
- Not for sale.
- How disappointing.
How do you control
the perimeter fence?
- From your office?
- I can't say.
The controls are in your pocket.
I know because
you keep touching them.
Servant, we're shopping.
Uh, I want
those magnetic interlocks
and two plasma conduits.
Ma'am, you also wanted
warp coils
- to melt down for cortenum.
- Mm-hmm.
- Buy me some time.
- Okay, go.
What kind of rubbish
do you have down here?
Well, we've got some
tritanium power coils...
Bring me more.
At the back shelves.
45 minutes to shift change.
You weren't supposed to come.
The hell I wasn't. God.
And you sent
a passive-aggressive holo, so...
What? I sent
a passive-passive holo,
which said, "I'm coming here."
It didn't say, "Come here, too."
Oh, I didn't need to.
That was the aggressive part.
I got to get you out of here.
You can't.
I'll get myself out.
If I cross that perimeter,
what happened to that guy
who ran happens to me.
I know.
I got the black box.
Okay?
It's in the wall of my quarters.
You just need to get it and go.
I'm not leaving you.
You see that clock?
43 minutes
until the shift change.
Then I'm in one of those ships
up top for a week.
There's no time.
43 minutes is plenty of time.
Osyraa breaks people.
Understand?
Ryn, the Andorian, he was born
into the Emerald Chain.
He tried to rally
the people against them.
People were beginning
to listen.
So she hacked off his antennae
and made him the guy
that plants this thing.
Now he's a pariah.
We are gonna get you
and everybody out.
And I have an idea.
Remember Iso VII?
What's taking them so long?
I pay her to be thorough.
Found what we were looking for.
They were buried pretty deep.
Uh, I'll need 40 minutes to
properly clean and inspect them.
40 minutes? Huh.
That's a lifetime.
What the hell?!
Get a drone to stay on them.
What do you idiots think
you're doing?
Let's do a pre-check
on oxygen and nitrogen levels
- in main bay.
- Uh, what about the...
New stabilization system?
Just about to get to that.
So, if it overloads
when Commander Stamets engages,
just lock it down
and reroute to containment.
- Got it?
- Okay.
- Ensign Tilly.
- Ah... Sir.
Uh, sorry. I was just
re-running some tests
with the new
spore drive interface,
in case we need to jump quickly.
I appreciate your diligence.
Might I speak with you
privately?
It's about Michael, right?
I was hoping against all logic
you could explain her absence.
Sorry, no. Uh...
Came into my room
and Grudge was there, and...
Sure she has a reason
for keeping us both in the dark.
Commander Burnham left
to pursue a mission of her own
against my direct orders.
Oh, sh*t. Sh... sh*t, sh*t.
Sorry.
My sentiments exactly.
I will be honest, Ensign.
I have not felt
this mistrusting of her
since we served on the Shenzhou.
I assumed, after all
we have endured together,
that this feeling
would never return.
Sir, you know Michael
is one of the people that I love
m-most in this world,
but she made a choice,
and now because of that,
you don't have one.
You have to tell the admiral.
I expected you
to try talking me out of it.
I know. Me, too, but...
Discovery still has
a lot to prove,
and if Admiral Vance finds out
and you're not the one
who told him?
The entire crew will get
painted with the same brush.
That is astute, Ensign.
I might've done the same thing
in her shoes.
Just for the record.
For the record,
I do not believe you would have.
I think I see tritanium
over there.
Good. Maybe I'll keep
you around, servant.
How long before they notice?
Get back to work.
You know what to do?
How many weapons
can you build from this?
We'll have time for one.
There we go.
One blast, then we'll have
the perimeter controls.
I love me.
Let's go.
Freeze!
Hands in the air!
Hands in the air!
I told as many of the others
as I could.
I don't know if
they believed me, but I tried.
You did good, Ryn.
Here.
I got it. The black box.
Who are these friends of yours?
Very handy, excellent friends.
Okay.
Five minutes
till sh*t gets real.
What if I can't do this?
You got those
for standing up to the Chain.
You got this.
All you got to do is, uh, run,
and you and I, my friend,
are getting out of here.
All of us, on a transport ship.
There is no doubt
Commander Burnham made
a serious error in judgment.
But you can be assured that
the absence of our Number One
will not impact
our ability to respond
to any potential conflict
on Argeth.
- The Cuyahoga's back.
- Well, make sure
they clear the ship
before doing the baryon sweep.
I'm glad to hear you can cope
without your Number One,
Captain,
because we are having trouble
keeping our head above water
with old-fashioned diplomacy.
Emerald Chain
has pulled out of talks.
Stand by to jump on my orders.
We will begin preparations,
Admiral.
Dismissed.
You think you're two steps
ahead of us, but you're not.
I don't know why
you're even bothering.
I keep telling you,
you're too stupid.
You didn't come here
for salvage.
At this point, I'm
almost proud it occurred to you.
Sir, I found what you're
looking for.
30 units of pure dilithium.
Not as smart as you thought.
Now who's the meat sack?
That would be a bad idea,
to fire that w*apon.
If Osyraa sniffed out
what we had on our ship
and wanted to know our story,
she would k*ll you
for k*lling us.
Attention, Sector Five worker,
report for shift change.
Let's go!
- Stay with me! Let's go!
- Get to the ship!
Unauthorized perimeter door
accessed.
Go! Go!
The perimeter fence is still on.
They'll come through.
San!
Get the controller!
Get the controller!
We can't stay here.
Got it.
You got to be kidding me.
I was just starting
to enjoy myself.
Let's go.
- Let's go, go, go! The perimeter's down!
- Come on! This way!
- On me. Let's move!
- We can make it.
Come on!
- Get on the transport ship!
- Come on!
- Go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go!
- Go on! Go on!
- Come on!
- Come on!
- Come on!
- Bring him down!
- Book!
- Come on. To the ship.
Oh, no, no, no, no.
I got you. I got you.
Hey, stay with me.
Hey. Hey, hey.
I got you. I got you.
Stay with me. Okay?
Ryn, Ryn.
Hey, hey. Hey.
- Hey, look at me.
- Get out of here.
Come on, come on. Stay with me.
Come on.
Michael!
Michael!
I got you.
Stay with me. Okay?
Stay with me.
Salvage this,
you son of a bitch.
I've alerted sickbay
on Discovery.
The black box I promised.
I hope it helps you find
what you're looking for.
Thank you.
So...
we are going to talk about
what happened back there.
You could have gotten us k*lled.
Don't you think I know that?
Then tell me what's going on.
You don't know, do you?
Philippa, how long
has this been happening?
A couple of weeks.
And it's getting more severe.
You could have come to me.
I could have helped.
Until I understand
what's going on,
there's nothing to ask for.
That's not true. Discovery
is filled with people...
You will tell no one.
This isn't the Terran universe.
A vulnerability
is not a death sentence.
You're not alone.
We'll get through this.
Trust me.
I remember
another Michael Burnham
telling me to trust her.
She looked
just as sincere as you do now.
And we know how that ended.
You're talking to yourself.
I don't think you're crazy,
for what it's worth.
But I'm... curious.
You won't believe me.
You have no idea
what goes on around here.
Okay.
Let me just say there's
no head injuries.
Okay.
I was talking to my boyfriend.
He's Trill.
I got my symbiont from him.
When he d*ed.
Um...
my understanding
of Trill is that...
you're supposed to be carrying
his memories, not...
His soul?
Yeah, I-I don't know how it
happened this way, either.
Maybe because we were so close.
Well, I'm, um...
filling in the blanks a bit,
but it sounds like
you're holding
onto someone you love.
And I did that
with Hugh while he was gone.
Before he d*ed,
I thought of life and death
as this linear thing
with a distinct
beginning and end.
And now I know
life will always surprise me.
So... if you tell me
that he's still with you...
What's his name?
- Gray.
- Gray.
I believe you.
He...
says I need to make friends.
But I don't know.
Well, he realizes
you have a lot to give.
What, you think I have
something to give?
Are you kidding?
You can accomplish things
none of us can even imagine.
Including me, and I've
imagined more than most.
You're kind of, like,
the b*mb, huh?
I was until you showed up.
I like this guy.
He, um... he says he likes you.
Well, he's clearly a genius.
I think I can help you
with this.
How's he doing?
Any news?
Dr. Pollard said it would
take some time, but, uh...
he's gonna make it.
I'm glad.
And you?
Yeah, I mean,
device is gone for good.
Neck's a little stiff,
but she said the swelling
should go down in a few days,
I hope.
Time to face
the f*ring squad, huh?
Yeah.
We'll see.
Look, uh...
I'm sorry I put you
in this position.
You didn't.
I hope you don't regret it.
How could I?
Thank you.
Thank you for saving my life.
I'm glad I found you.
We always find each other.
Oh.
This is not the science lab.
We have these new badges.
So we have Adira
to thank for this?
God, I hated those things.
I hated them more.
It's amazing.
And she's only 16.
She trusted me today.
And that's bad, why?
Because I've never had time
to be a tween's confidante.
Paul.
She's not gonna invite you
to her slumber party.
Why do you think
you reached out to her today?
Because she's brilliant and...
seemed to have
a hard time with people
or doing anything besides work.
Remind you of anyone?
And...
because she loves someone
who d*ed.
But isn't gone.
I never...
ever thought I'd meet anyone
who knew what that was like.
And...
I guess I'm grateful to her.
And I want to help her somehow.
And she has no idea.
So tell her.
Your job is
to follow orders, Captain.
But I need to rely
on your judgment.
Commander Burnham's mission
was 100% rogue
but also an unexpected
opportunity.
If asked, I may have deemed
the intel worth the risk.
Noted, sir.
Commander Burnham, why don't
you tell me
what I'm about to say?
The source of the Burn
is not an issue
- that you have the luxury of pursuing.
- Correct.
Because every day you have
a hundred fires you have
- to put out.
- Correct.
And I disobeyed a direct order
and undermined
my captain's authority.
And yours.
Correct.
For a hot second there,
it looked like Discovery
may have had
to engage with the Emerald Chain
without her Number One.
Did you think about the position
you put your captain in?
You put Starfleet in?
As far as I'm concerned,
when you jumped
through that wormhole,
you were doing your job.
You're here now.
And every mission,
you start from zero.
The only reason
you're not in the brig
is because you saved lives.
Am I being clear,
Commander Burnham?
Very clear, sir.
Permission to speak?
It had better be
the best thing I've ever heard.
For the last year,
I have spent every single day
searching for the source
of the Burn.
Until we solve the mystery
of how it happened and why,
I believe the Federation
will never be...
can never be...
brought back together again.
Well, we'll see what
your intel brings, Commander.
I will leave it
up to you, Captain,
to determine the consequences
of her insubordination.
Thank you, Admiral.
I am sorry.
The admiral made
some excellent points.
And I will continue to reflect
on the way I have
handled all this.
We both made mistakes.
I was particularly disappointed.
- That was...
- While I agree
with your intentions,
the decision
I am now forced to make
comes down to one thing
and one thing only, Commander.
It's not about your skill.
It's not about your ability.
It is about trust.
In your defense,
you were clear
in your ambivalence
when I asked you
to be my Number One.
In my desire to...
return to a sense of...
things as they were.
But as we keep learning...
...things are not as they were.
No, they're not.
I take no pleasure in this.
But...
as of now,
you are relieved of your duty
as my Number One.
You will restrict yourself
to chief science officer
duties only.
Saru?
You're doing the right thing.
One day...
we will find the answers
we are all looking for, Michael.