Previously on Star Trek: Discovery
Yesterday we dined on the entrails
of his brethren.
And today you seek his favor?
Transport our visitor to guest quarters on deck three.
- Tyler? - Is she alive?
Specialist Burnham has returned safely.
- Can I...? - Focus... on your recovery.
When I look at you now, I see Voq's eyes.
I see him.
There is irony here, of course.
The man you fell in love with was a Klingon.
Do not regret loving someone, Michael.
I need you to tell me.
How did you defeat the Klingon Empire?
The Klingons are like cancer cells:
to root them out,
you must destroy the tumor at its source.
A Klingon attack is imminent.
They are gathering forces to launch a strike
- on this whole system. - We need to take it to them.
At 2100 hours, the USS Discovery will jump
to the Klingon homeworld.
Allow me to introduce you
to the person who will chart
your course to Qo'noS.
Captain Philippa Georgiou.
On the eve of battle, on a cold and windless night,
an old general turned to a young soldier.
"Tomorrow," said the master, "you will know fear."
The young soldier, who had not yet experienced
the agony of war,
looked at the general with quizzical eyes.
"How will I know fear if I do not know what it looks like?"
The general replied, "You will know fear
because it speaks very fast
- and it speaks very loud." - Status.
- Helm? - Bearing 94 mark 21.
12 light-years from
- Klingon homeworld... - Do not show respect by referring
to that green dot
as "homeworld."
Klingons are animals, and they don't have homes.
Call it Qo'noS,
or "the enemy planet." Ops?
Shields holding at 100%.
- Our scans show... - I have little interest
in what we're scanning.
I care what's scanning us.
Communications?
Discovery is running dark, Captain.
My favorite way to run.
If that is how fear acts, recognizing it is easy.
But as the young soldier considered
the general's advice, she asked the question facing us now:
"Once I know fear, how do I defeat it?"
Specialist,
uh, I would appreciate
your help with a glitch
in the optical-data network.
She does not embody Federation ideals,
and we're supposed to follow her orders?
The Federation put her here.
Burnham. I did not give you permission
to leave your station.
What's wrong?
Are you scared, Number One?
Where I'm from,
there's a saying:
"Scared Kelpien makes for tough Kelpien."
Have you gotten tough since we served together on the Shenzhou,
Mr. Saru?
Affirmative, Captain.
Very tough.
So much so that many find me simply unpalatable.
Hmm. I don't know about that.
Where are you from, Captain?
That saying, about Kelpiens,
is so apt,
having experienced it firsthand.
I wonder where it originated.
Don't be silly, Michael.
You know I grew up in Malaysia.
But where, exactly?
I went there with you once, but I can't remember the name.
Pulau Langkawi.
Right.
Those beautiful beaches.
Indeed.
Let's take a walk.
Try to expose me again
and I'll lock you in the brig.
If Starfleet recruited a Terran to lead the mission,
they are desperate.
The Federation had a problem.
I offered them a solution in exchange for my freedom.
And what's so bad
about desperation?
You were desperate when you begged me to reveal
how my empire beat the Klingons.
You instigate
valiantly, then second-guess.
I've now read about your actions on the eve of the war.
You know your problem?
No follow-through.
You should have killed my counterpart in her ready room,
attacked the Klingons, and then been a hero.
Tell me the real plan.
Never do that again.
Your Federation is losing.
The Klingon armada is already headed toward your homeworld.
My knowledge is giving you a fighting chance.
Are you with me or against me?
With you.
Captain.
*STAR TREK: DISCOVERY* Season 01 Episode 15 Title: "Will You Take My Hand?"
You?
How?
Our Lord pierced your heart.
House T'Kuvma feasted on your flesh.
You have the wrong Philippa Georgiou.
Either way, I can tell you require seasoning.
My home.
There are seven chimneys on Qo'noS
which lead into a dormant volcano system.
Of these, which is the best
for a landing party to reach on foot?
I will tell you nothing.
This war ends when we crush you.
United under T'Kuvma's call.
This war may rage on, but your war...
Your great dream of Klingon unification...
It's already lost.
You both talk too much.
- No! - Computer, reactivate containment field.
Control to my voice.
Tell me where my party should land.
Where?
You... have already lost.
Enough!
There's another way.
Admiral Cornwell
briefed me on this half-breed.
I can see, from a strategic standpoint,
its value as a weapon.
But as it's Klingon, it has been neutered.
It is benign.
Useless to them,
yet tarnished to the Federation,
so what good is it to either side?
He... has access to the Klingon's memories.
All I can see
is a who-knows-what playing with a string.
This is a bowline.
It doesn't run.
It doesn't slip.
It's the first thing I learned as a kid that made me me.
It ties me to my past. Who I am.
Voq's life, his memories... They're here, too.
Always with me.
I'm willing to share his knowledge.
Not for you.
But for...
Starfleet.
Do you want my help or not?
What do you know about the surface of Qo'noS?
The plan is to use a drone
with rock-penetrating surveillance systems
to map the surface and identify military targets,
in preparation for a future full-scale attack.
Unfortunately, the cave Discovery will hide in
isn't connected to the planet's dormant volcanoes.
In order for the mapping drone to work,
it has to be introduced into one of these.
As you're aware, information regarding Qo'noS
is virtually non-existent.
We're depending on black market surveys acquired
by the Vulcans over a century ago.
This chimney's in the High Council chamber
of the First City.
All high-bred arrogance, that place.
This one's now flooded by the River Skral.
Here. This is your best bet.
The safest access point for the drone.
Centuries ago, when the caldera was active,
these vents were shrines.
Live sacrifices were thrown in to honor Molor.
When Kahless defeated Molor,
those temples were abandoned, built over.
Uh, the ones that remained were shielded
to make them impossible to find
with sensors. You'll have to transport down there
and do the legwork yourself.
What's there now?
The land was given to the Orions,
who built an embassy outpost over the ruins.
In my world, the Orions are delinquents, pirates,
- slave traders. - It's not much different in ours.
Excellent.
He will accompany us and help us sniff out
what we're after.
Will that be a problem?
No.
Captain.
I looked over the crew manifest.
There's somebody else I want with us.
Enter.
I am so pleased to see you, Tilly.
Thank you. I have heard... And read... so much about you.
Michael can attest, I'm always asking
about Captain Georgiou.
Seeing your face reminds me
of the great fun the two of us had.
Subjugating the Betazoids.
Wiping out Mintaka III.
- Oh, she's not... - No.
So she's from...
Mm.
You're the Terran emperor.
Don't do that.
You look so much like her.
Younger, maybe.
But all that killing ages a person.
These are hideous, of course.
I know. What is happening?
She requested you, for the landing party.
Oh.
But just so y-you're clear,
I-I am not the same person I was in your universe.
Don't be so sure, Killy.
You will have the honor of carrying the mapping drone.
Go to quarters.
Dress as lowlifes.
We need items to trade so as to seem legitimate.
Gabriel must have found something interesting
lying around in this universe.
You gonna be okay down there?
You don't need to worry about me.
Ready, Lieutenant Stamets?
First, an alternate universe,
now a Klingon cave
on a hundred-year-old map.
Ready as can be, Mr. Saru.
Black alert.
- To Qo'noS, please. - Aye, Captain.
Black alert. Black alert.
Shields holding.
Stabilizer beams are compensating
for the planet's gravitational pull.
Am I good or what?
We are aboard and steady.
You are clear to transport.
Energize.
Not a lot of humans around here.
Except the dregs from our race.
Exactly.
The Orions here aren't likely to trust us
or give up any information.
Keep walking, Federation. No one wants you here.
Tilly.
Insult her again, and your nose is gonna be able
to sniff the back of your head.
We're here to make a deal.
Show her the stash.
Tell her what she's looking at.
Nausicaan disruptor pistols.
Latest spec.
Paralithium cell with beam and a pulse firing mode.
Polyalloy casings, making it all but invisible
to security scanners.
2,000 darseks.
Let's see what else you got.
All this arms dealing
has my appetite up.
Anyone else hungry?
Anyone? Michael?
- Greetings. - Two, please.
- What is that? - I have no idea.
I'm not actually hungry... I wanted
- to talk to you. - I intuited.
Do you have any idea what she might be up to?
No.
All we can do is watch her like a hawk,
and make sure she stays on mission.
I've, um...
I realize how hard this must be for you.
But I got your back.
Thank you.
What is that?
Delicious.
- It's a space whale. - Gormagander?
Enough distractions. We're not here
for bread and circuses.
On second thought,
the circus is where we'll start.
♪♪
- So, what should we, um... - Shh!
I knew your whole universe
couldn't be boring.
Use this.
We'll be more effective if we split up, buy information.
Whatever gets us to that shrine.
Hmm.
How much for a little me time?
Over there.
Bring your friend.
No, no, that, uh, t... very generous.
I think I'll... I'm just gonna stay out here.
She's not for you.
Guard the drone.
Maybe these guys can lead us to the shrine.
If they'll talk to us.
The game is called t'Sang.
Translates to "obliterate them."
- You know how to play? - I think I do.
And I think I'm good at it.
I mean, Voq was good at it.
He was a decent gambler... He felt the numbers
always fell his way, as if the universe
was making up for his bad luck with everything else.
Like what?
He was born with a rare mutation
that made his skin translucent white.
The others considered him a freak of nature.
Join me?
Oh, thank you.
Smoke?
Oh, that, uh, that's so sweet. No, thank you.
I have, um, I have a very narrow esophagus.
It's, uh, strange but true, so that's bad
for that... I'm not-I'm not trying to be rude...
- Get her out. - You know what?
I-I would love some.
Just a little bit.
Inhale.
Mmm.
Do you think, um...
do you think I got...
I got nothing.
None of them know about an ancient shrine.
You won everyone over quickly.
A human speaking Klingon is amusing to them.
Might as well be a dog on waterskis.
Is that an old Klingon saying?
No, I... I just made it up.
I... I like to waterski.
Yeah, you have a boat. I remember.
You raced out of there pretty quick.
You all right?
I never told you about my parents.
What happened to them.
No.
I mean, I... I've heard things.
I never wanted to push.
They were stationed at a human-Vulcan science outpost
at Doctari Alpha.
My mom and dad had planned a family vacation to Mars.
But...
I begged them to stay
for three more days
so I could witness a nearby star go supernova.
Then the Klingons attacked.
My dad tried to barricade
the kitchen door
while my mom hid me in a cabinet.
And I couldn't see, but I could hear everything.
They killed my dad first.
That was quick.
They took longer with my mom.
And when it was over,
they sat down.
At our table.
Ate dinner. Our dinner.
And they were talking and laughing.
And just now, all that laughter...
How could you not hate them?
And me, for what I've become?
It would be so much simpler if I could.
I look around here and I just...
I see people living their lives.
Maybe it's not normal to us,
but in their own way, ordinary.
The emperor was wrong. This is a home.
And if we give the Federation targets to attack,
it won't ever be the same.
I can see both sides.
Literally.
The side I've chosen is where you stand,
where it's possible to feel compassion
and sympathy for your enemy.
But I can guarantee no-no Klingon
ever felt that way toward you.
You did.
You see that?
Pouring an extra drink.
Setting it on fire.
That's a step specific to the followers of Molor.
There's a decent chance they know about that shrine.
Mm.
Did you enjoy yourself?
Did you?
I learned so many new things.
- We shouldn't charge you. - But we have to charge you.
Perhaps if you teach me something new,
it will be fair trade.
Where is the shrine of Molor?
Hey, stop!
Hey, stop. Shame on you.
You were asleep.
I'm Orion.
What did, uh, we inhale, it...
my mouth tastes like...
sulfur and-and ash.
Volcanic vapor, straight from the source.
Yeah, but not really, right?
'Cause all the volcanoes here are extinct.
Oh, no.
They're alive.
Then how's the drone gonna get down there?
The heat will destroy it.
Give me that.
Oh, shit, that is not a drone.
Tilly to Burnham.
Go ahead, Tilly.
First of all, um, so, I'm very high,
uh, but you need to listen to me.
There are active volcanoes right beneath us right now
and the drone, also, that's not a drone.
It's a, it's a... like a hydro bomb.
We keep them on the Discovery
- so we can reco... - What did you say
about a hydro bomb?
Tilly?
Cadet, respond.
I know where to find the shrine.
What's wrong?
It's Tilly.
A hydro bomb? What kind of damage can it do?
Detonate it into an active volcanic system, it's just...
apocalyptic.
A phreatic eruption:
water flashes into steam and triggers a massive explosion.
Landmasses directly over
the reaction center will be vaporized.
- Oh... - Ash will fill the atmosphere.
Within weeks, Qo'noS will be uninhabitable.
This was the plan all along.
Burnham to Discovery.
Go ahead, Burnham.
Georgiou is about to instigate a catastrophic
natural disaster on Qo'noS.
She may already be in the shrine.
- Can you get a transporter lock on her? - Affirmative.
However, beaming her out is not an option.
The shrine's shields make it unsafe for biological transport.
What about the bomb? Can you get the bomb?
We are too late.
The signal is fading.
We must contact Starfleet.
Saru, I think she's following Starfleet's orders.
I need to talk to Admiral Cornwell.
Is this how Starfleet wins the war?
Genocide?
You want to do this here? Fine.
Terms of atrocity
are convenient after the fact.
The Klingons are on the verge of wiping out the Federation.
Yes.
But ask yourself:
why did you put this mission
in the hands of a Terran and why the secrecy?
It's because you know it's not who we are.
It very soon will be. We do not
have the luxury of principles.
That is all we have, Admiral.
A year ago...
I stood alone.
I believed that our survival
was more important than our principles.
I was wrong.
Do we need a mutiny today
to prove who we are?
We are Starfleet.
What is it you're suggesting?
Change of plans.
Really?
Says who?
Deactivate the detonator, Philippa.
Your freedom is still granted, here's the proof.
You talked them out of it, didn't you?
Of planetary slaughter? Yes.
Oh, don't be so dramatic.
When I did this in my universe,
it didn't wipe out the Klingons.
A decent number should be able to save themselves.
Plus, they'll have an advantage.
No Terran ships firing on them as they try to escape.
Turn it off.
Has it ever occurred to you
that I was doing this for you?
By ending the war,
I'd set you free
from the guilt and pain you carry because of it.
Not buying it.
Worth a try.
You really are nothing like my Georgiou, are you?
No. And I never have been.
She's dead, Michael.
There are no second chances.
No, I suppose not.
I do like you.
Why not join me?
The bomb is in position.
We have the detonator.
Starfleet and Klingon alike will be at our mercy.
I had much the same thought.
Give it to me.
Take your freedom
in exchange for the detonator.
Or try to escape my ship and its crew
and be hunted by the Federation for the rest of your days.
You think your Federation scares me?
Not particularly.
But the only way you're gonna get past me is... to kill me.
So you'll have to watch me die... again.
And did I mention being hunted for the rest of your days?
Ugh.
The detonator is coded to my bioprint.
Would you like it recoded to yours?
Not to mine, no.
All clear.
What is this?
This is the place the Federation crushed the Klingons.
We planted a bomb
in the heart of your homeworld.
Qo'noS will be destroyed.
You bring me here to gloat?
No.
To offer you an alternative.
Klingons respond to strength.
Use the fate of Qo'noS to bend them to your will.
Preserve your civilization
rather than watch it be destroyed.
But I am no one.
You once told Voq
that you didn't want the mantle of leadership.
It's time for you to leave the shadows.
I'll leave you to it, then.
Be good, Philippa.
Or you'll come for me?
Make sure I don't have to.
Isik for your thoughts.
I always wanted to find out what one was.
I never did.
L'Rell has arranged for a transport to a Mókai ship.
They're in for a surprise.
It's not the human way to make a message heard,
but it's the Klingon way.
I'm going with her.
It's true, what the emperor said.
I'm no good for either side. I...
But maybe I can be good for both.
I've never been great at good-byes.
Neither am I.
I've had too many of them.
Michael.
In spite of everything that happened to you,
your capacity to love
literally saved my life.
I'm gonna miss looking at you.
I see you, Ash.
In your eyes.
Only you.
Thank-thank you.
Burnham to Discovery.
One to transport.
Earth, Andor,
Tellar, Vulcan.
Every planet of the Federation
has made the odyssey out of darkness into light.
So too have the Klingons.
The war is over.
There were triumphs.
Victories of spirit.
Courage beyond reason.
But make no mistake.
These were bleak times.
Times we cannot repeat.
Times we cannot forget.
Isik for your thoughts.
What's an isik, anyway?
Oh, I don't know.
It's something my mother
used to say to me.
Thank you for coming.
I'm glad to see you.
Is everything okay?
When I was growing up, you told me
not to forget my humanity.
I didn't know what that meant.
I didn't how to do it,
I didn't know why I would even want to.
I get it now.
So thank you.
For not giving up on me.
That's what mothers do.
Michael.
Father.
What the Federation chose to do
on Qo'noS was unprincipled,
and I had a part in it.
The Klingons made it clear they would fight us to extinction.
You were desperate to save us.
I know the feeling all too well.
And yet,
you were able to find another way.
I am not alone
in finding your commitment to Starfleet's ideals commendable.
I asked if I may give it to you.
Your record has been expunged,
your pardon by the president of the Federation
is official.
Commander Burnham.
The Federation is as grateful to you
as I am to my daughter.
Your mother will stay in Paris for a few days.
I will travel with Discovery to Vulcan.
You are picking up your new captain there.
I'm glad we'll be making that journey together.
We are no longer on the eve of battle.
Even so, I come to ask myself the same question
that young soldier asked the general
all those years ago: "How do I defeat fear?"
The general's answer:
the only way to defeat fear is to tell it "no."
No. We will not take shortcuts
on the path to righteousness.
No. We will not break the rules
that protect us from our basest instincts.
No. We will not allow
desperation to destroy
moral authority.
I am guilty of all these things.
Some say that in life,
there are no second chances.
Experience tells me that this is true.
But we can only look forward.
We have to be torchbearers,
casting the light so we may see our path
to lasting peace.
We will continue exploring,
discovering new worlds, new civilizations.
Yes.
That is the United Federation of Planets.
Today, we honor
Ensign Sylvia Tilly.
Accepted into Starfleet Command Training Program.
Yes. That is Starfleet.
Lieutenant Commander Paul Stamets.
Medical Officer Hugh Culber.
Yes.
That is who we are.
Commander Saru.
First Kelpien to receive the Medal of Honor.
And who we will always be.
Bravo!
Never been to Vulcan before.
Well, if there's time, I'll show you around.
It's strange that we're not jumping to Vulcan.
Well, Starfleet has committed to finding a non-human interface.
Until that happens...
I'm happy to go the old-fashioned way.
Captain on the bridge.
Acting captain.
Please take your stations. You may consult
with Science Officer Burnham later.
Thank you, Mr. Saru, for permitting me
this small indulgence.
I never tire of seeing home.
Of course.
Lieutenant Detmer,
have we cleared the Sol system?
- Yes, Captain. - Set course for Vulcan,
And engage at maximum warp.
Aye, sir.
Realign communications array...
Incoming transmission.
From whom?
I'm having trouble identifying it.
But it's a priority-one distress call.
Identify the source, please.
I'm getting a Federation ID code.
I-It's choppy.
Trying to clean it up, sir.
Helm, slow us down.
Dropping us out of warp now, sir.
This is Captain Saru
of the Federation Starship Discovery.
Please identify yourselves.
Hail's from Captain Pike, sir.
It's the USS Enterprise.