Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

Previously on Star Trek: Strange New Worlds...

We're going to find a way to win because it's what's right.

There's the Boy Scout in you again.

I've done everything in my power to help Una.

But if you take that stand, your whole crew could be at risk.

The war is over, Joseph.

Yes, but how could it ever be?

The enemy doesn't care about my feelings,

so I don't waste my time having any.

Know how you used to brag you were going to be the best pilot

ever to graduate the academy?

Time to prove it, Lieutenant.

No press.

Open emotion is dangerous.

It's good to get mad sometimes.

Captain's personal log, star date 1630.1.

Enterprise is currently assisting the USS Cayuga

in a joint mission, charting a new binary system.

Captain Bates and I are taking advantage

by attempting a perilous maneuver of our own:

stealing a little personal time.

Come in.

Mmm.

Mmm. Is that your mother's sauce?

Anything else would be a crime against tomatoes.

- Bridge to captain Pike. - The latest duty reports

-have been finalized. -Number One,

unless it's a red alert, I'm incommunicado

for the next half hour.

-Understood, Captain. -Now,

where were we?

Didn't realize we were doing gifts.

Well, you made dinner, so I thought...

Bridge to Captain Bates, theCayuga's hailing you, sir,

-Is it the Admiral calling? -Negative.

They are asking you to confirm a course correction.

-It can wait. -Acknowledge. I will relay.

-It's rude to arrive empty-handed. -Well...

Where did you...

Found it on Galt.

An Opelian Mariner's Keystone.

Ancient Opelian Captains wore them

to guide lost sailors home.

Yeah. It's amazing.

Thank you.

Bridge to Captain Batel.

Incoming transmission from Admiral Eldon.

-Sorry, I have to... -Yeah, no, go, go.

I've got sauce.

Route transmission to Captain Pike's

personal station, please.

I understand.

It's just one of those things.

Yes. I'm fine, thank you.

Everything okay?

Yeah, let's just have dinner.

Cayuga expects me back in ten.

William Geary was promoted to commodore?

-It's just not my time. -That promotion was yours.

Well, apparently there are concerns.

What, do they mean us or...

This is Judge Advocate Pasalk. He's punishing me.

For Una's trial.

Yeah, so it is about us.

Okay, Chris, can we just eat?

I'm worried.

This is difficult.

Difficult is not the same as impossible.

-30 minutes here, 10 minutes there, who are we kidding? -Even if it's just

a moment together, I'll take what I can get.

Now I'm hurting your career.

That sounds like an excuse.

I'm just...

I'm saying...

May-Maybe we should pull it back a little.

Your timing is perfect.

I should get back to my ship.

See you when I see you, Captain.

Bridge to captain Pike.

Apologies for the interruption, but we received

a sensitive communication from Command.

It's about Rigel VII.

Copy, Number One.

Pike out.

Rigel VII.

We were there five years ago as a routine exploration

of a remote M-Class planet.

Then we discovered the Kalar.

Bronze Age society organized in a caste system.

A formidable warrior class and a secretive ruling class.

That's it.

We didn't have much time to do a proper survey.

The entire mission was only

four hours with an emergency evacuation?

It was short. Yes.

We had just arrived when the landing party...

ran into some complications.

We were ambushed. We lost three people.

Had to get to Vega colony

before Spock's injuries made it four.

So, why go back now?

Scans can't penetrate Rigel VII's atmosphere.

Part of why we went in under prepared last time.

It's documented using long-range photography

scheduled for observation every couple of years.

We're here to take photos?

No, a recent flyby already sent images

to Starfleet a week ago.

The data was analyzed this morning.

They're using our Delta.

We must have left something behind.

Any level of cultural contamination needs to be

surveyed and corrected if possible.

So you need a doctor for a Prime Directive mission?

I need you.

The initial landing party will be a small strike team

to assess how bad the cultural contamination is.

Last time we went down there, we were in uniform.

I am not making that mistake twice.

This is an undercover recon operation.

Once we have our intel, we can devise a plan

-to retrieve any Starfleet tech we can find. -Let's get to it.

I noticed the Cayuga left in a bit of a rush.

She had lots of pressing issues to manage,

much like Enterprise.

We decided to take some time apart.

Oh.

-You did that thing you do. -What thing?

That thing when someone gets too close.

It's tough, so you panic, find reasons to push 'em away.

I don't do that.

Do I?

You do that.

Hmm.

I like her, Chris.

I like her, too.

I like her for you.

So do I.

Then why torpedo it?

It's just... it's complicated.

You know how it is as a command officer.

We're responsible for other people's lives.

That doesn't leave a whole lot of time for our own.

Everyone deserves joy in their life.

Even a captain.

Well, it's not like I have the luxury

of working it out now.

Rigel VII.

I still think about it.

What could I have done differently?

-It wasn't your fault, Chris. -I led the mission.

Whatever we find down there, it's on me.

If it really bothers you, I'm sure Command

would understand if we rescued ourselves.

Command offered us this assignment as a courtesy.

Their way of saying what we already know.

Enterprise needs to clean up its own mess.

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.

- Pilots personal log. - Stardate 1630.3.

I'm Lieutenant Erica Ortegas.

Most of the time, I fly the ship,

which is cool but can get boring.

Today is different.

Rigel VII atmosphere is a hot mess

of wind shear, exotic radiation

and heavy particles that jam the sensors on our shuttles.

Piloting down takes incredible skill,

which I have, but the best part:

I'm with the landing party,

something I almost never get to do.

Nice.

You're actually wearing the hat?

Are you kidding? The hat is supreme.

We're Kalarans now. Recon 101.

The Stecora Debris Field we observed previously

is descending. By my calculations,

it will intersect multiple points

along these ship's intended orbital plane.

-Debris from what? -Likely an impact

between two large celestial bodies

that orbited Rigel VII several centuries ago.

Can't you just say "two moons"?

I could, but that would be leaping to a conclusion.

Analysis is underway,

but I would merely characterize the fragments as volatile.

We get it, Spock.

All right, well, on we go.

Let's get to that shuttle bay and have ourselves a landing...

party.

Maintaining stability will require

piloting Enterprise by hand.

Between the fragments and the gravity shifts,

I'll have to make manual adjustments