Lagrange Point (episode)

After Moll and the Breen capture a mysterious structure that contains the Progenitors' power, Captain Burnham must lead a covert mission to retrieve it before the Breen figure out how to use it.
== Summary ==
=== Teaser ===
Carrying a bouquet of flowers, Saru beams onboard the where he notices a great deal of activity going on before Saru is greeted by T'Rina. Saru presents the flowers as a gift from the planet Elpanah which the residents believe to be good luck for those with impending nuptials. Saru asks T'Rina about the activity and the concern that he detects in her demeanor, and she hands the flowers to her assistant. Walking with Saru, T'Rina explains that as Saru was already in transit from his diplomatic mission, it was deemed best to wait and tell Saru directly. The came into conflict with a Breen ship and sustained damage, but no casualties, much to Saru's relief. However, the situation has become complex and President Laira Rillak has convened an emergency meeting that she requires them both at.
At the meeting, Rillak announces that Primarch Ruhn is dead, having been killed by Moll. The news spread faster than the Federation had anticipated with the remaining five Primarchs finding out within a matter of hours, and they smell blood in the water. Having just returned from planets near the border of Breen space, Saru warns that they are already on edge and the potential ramifications of this development could cause panic. However, Rillak tells Saru that they'll have to deal with that another day as the Federation has more immediate concerns. T'Rina explains that their intelligence indicates that one of the five Primarchs, , intends to take Ruhn's soldiers for herself in order to strengthen her bid for the throne of the Breen Imperium. Tahal has mobilized her fleet to pursue Ruhn's dreadnought which is already on its way to the location of the Progenitors' technology which is also where Discovery will travel once the ship's damage is repaired.
Rillak warns that Discovery must secure the technology and jump away before Tahal arrives. If Tahal learns that they're after the literal power of creation, she wouldn't let that go. Saru points out that Discovery barely escaped one Breen dreadnought, they likely wouldn't survive a confrontation with Tahal's entire fleet. Although Admiral Charles Vance is mobilizing every ship in the sector, most won't make it in time to help. A nearby officer reports that Moll's dreadnought just exited a transwarp conduit which allowed them to pick up time. The dreadnought will be at the coordinates of the Progenitors' technology in 15 minutes. Rillak orders Saru to notify Discovery that they need to get moving immediately.
On Discovery, Captain Michael Burnham has just received the news from her old friend who has faith that she will find a way to succeed. Saru assures Burnham that he and Starfleet will do all that they can to prevent Tahal and her fleet from joining the conflict. Walking through the corridors of the ship where repair work is still ongoing, Burnham assures Saru that she knows that she will and thanks him. Discovery is almost done with repairs, and they will be on their way soon. Saru urges his friend to stay safe, and Burnham quips that she will because she's got a wedding to go to after this is all over.
Burnham approaches Commander Rayner and informs him that they need to go because Moll and the Breen are almost at the coordinates. Rayner is visibly alarmed to learn that Tahal may be coming too due to his past with the Primarch. As the lights in the corridor are fully restored, Rayner reports that basic power and auxiliary systems are back online, the left nacelle is fully functional, and the right nacelle is nearly there, while shields are a work in progress. However, the spore drive is another story.
In engineering, Commander Paul Stamets explains that they can jump, but he just can't guarantee that Discovery will land precisely where they intend it to. Ensign Adira Tal explains that the navigation system was damaged in Ruhn's attack and Cleveland Booker is helping despite the fact that he should be in sickbay. Booker explains that Doctor Hugh Culber had patched him up and he couldn't just sit around doing nothing, eliciting a smile from Burnham. While they have improved the margin of error considerably, Stamets would feel much more confident in their landing accuracy if they could have another hour and a half. However, Burnham and Rayner tell Stamets that they need to jump right now, and Stamets has to do his best.
Burnham and Rayner beam onto the bridge where Lieutenant Commander reports that the coordinates are set and Tilly reports that long-range scans are unclear and all that she can tell is that the coordinates are in an area of gravitational turbulence so Discovery will have to be careful. Burnham orders the crew to their stations, ordering them to prepare to jump and to brace for a hard landing. The Breen may already be on site, so they need to keep an eye out. Commander Lorna Jemison engages Discoverys cloak, and the ship jumps to the coordinates of the Progenitors' technology.
Discovery experiences violent shaking upon emerging from the jump and Burnham orders red alert. Stamets reports that he got them as close as he could with the margin of error and the nav system damage. Rayner notices gravity distortions outside of the window and Tilly realizes that the ship has landed in the accretion disk of a black hole. While Asha believes that she should be able to get them out at this distance, Discovery keeps getting pulled in, much to her confusion. Burnham calls for more power from engineering, and Stamets orders Adira to open the plasma injectors and keep them locked at full. Adira suggests overriding the tolerance limiter and directs Booker on where to go. Stamets reports that he's giving the bridge everything that he has unless they pull from the cloak, but Rayner states that they can't risk dropping the cloak. Asha reports that the gravitational pull is still too strong, and Tilly finally figures out why: it's not one black hole, but a binary system of two primordial black holes. Tilly directs Asha to change their heading to 320 mark seven and move closer to the other black hole: Discovery can use its gravity to pull them away which, combined with their engines, should be enough to escape. As Asha follows Tilly's instructions, the ship continues to shake violently, and Zora warns that significant gravitational shearing has been detected. After a tense moment, Discovery flies free of the black hole's gravitational pull.
As everyone celebrates their success, Lieutenant Commander Gen Rhys reports that they have seemingly beaten the dreadnought, but Rayner warns that it can't be by much. Asha reports that the target coordinates are approximately 60,000 kilometers away and Burnham has her set a course. Now that they're more in range, Tilly can tell that the coordinates are in the lagrange point of the two black holes which means that the Progenitors' technology has been in gravitational equilibrium since the black holes were put there as the primordial black holes predate everything else in the Milky Way Galaxy. Filtering out the environmental debris, Jemison discovers a large cylindrical structure in the lagrange point. Tilly reports that spectral analysis shows that it's composed of a duranium alloy that's impenetrable to scans, something that is certainly deliberate. If Discovery was any further away, they wouldn't even know that the structure was there. The structure is about the size of a small shuttle, and it was made approximately 800 years ago. Burnham surmises that the structure was built at the same time that the clue trail was laid by the scientists to hide the Progenitors' technology until the "worthy seeker" arrived and Rhys quips that he thought that the power of creation would be bigger. As the Progenitors' technology must be inside, Burnham declares that they need to get it onboard. However, Ruhn's dreadnought drops out of warp and grabs the structure with a tractor beam and Discovery is unable to stop the Breen from pulling it into their shuttle bay. Determined, Burnham declares that they are going to find a way to get it back.
=== Act One ===
In the captain's ready room, Burnham, Rayner, Adira, Booker, Stamets and Tilly study a scan of the structure. Burnham states that they know that Moll is holding the structure inside of the Breen shuttle bay and she guesses that it won't take Moll long enough to open it. Tilly highlights a small opening or access point on the structure which the map of clues that they had gathered and is now in Moll's possession acts as a keyhole for. Burnham reveals that it's not enough alone to gain access to the Progenitors' technology and while she was in the mindscape, the AI told her that there would be another obstacle inside of it. Burnham has information from the AI on how to beat it which Moll doesn't have which is a phrase: "build the shape of the one between the many." While Burnham doesn't know what it means yet, she trusts that it will make sense when it needs to. Booker points out that they have the advantage of the Breen thinking that they're dead which will buy Discovery some time if they can figure out how to get the structure back.
Burnham asks Stamets for options, but he admits that they're limited. To get the structure, Discovery will need to beam it out, but they can't do that without taking down the dreadnought's shields first and even then, locking onto it will be tricky as the ship will need to be in extremely close proximity. Rayner points out that Discovery would be destroyed before they got anywhere close to the shuttle bay, but Adira suggests using a transport lock which they had used while Adira was in the United Earth Defense Force as Mars had a lot of interference. If they attach the transport lock onto the structure, Discovery can lock on and beam it out instantly once the dreadnought's shields are down. Stamets likes the idea, but Rayner points out that they can't do any of that unless they can get onboard the dreadnought. Burnham declares that that's what they'll have to do and starts outlining their plan. Discoverys scan data from the run-in with the Breen at the Eternal Gallery and Archive shows that there's a gap in the shield coverage right at the ship's exhaust port. They can use that weakness to fly a shuttle in and beam onboard the dreadnought. Alpha Team will go to the bridge and hack in to take down the ship's shields while Bravo Team will go to the shuttle bay where they will find a way to attach the transport lock onto the structure which is currently being studied by the Breen in the dreadnought's shuttle bay. Once the transport lock is attached, Alpha Team will drop the shields and they'll beam both teams and the structure back to Discovery.
Booker calls the plan insane which Burnham acknowledges, but it could work nonetheless, and it is their only other option. Rayner agrees, and Burnham reveals that Booker is going to be the team's pilot. Tilly points out that even if they can get in, Breen programming code is base-duodeca which is incredibly complex to hack. Speaking up, Adira insists that they can handle the hacking as Adira had analyzed the code behind the Breen shield-tunneling technology and they know their way around it already. Burnham asks if the ensign is asking to go on the mission which Adira confirms. Stamets objects, stating that he can do the hacking, but Stamets is forced to admit that he wouldn't be as fast as Adira and speed will be crucial on the heist. Tilly supports Adira and Burnham places them on Alpha Team with Rhys for security backup. Burnham and Booker will make up Bravo Team while Rayner will have command of Discovery and Tilly accepts Rayner's request to serve as his acting first officer. Burnham has the team don Breen refrigeration suits replicated from scans of Breen soldiers on the Archive and with universal translator technology added in so that they can move around in plain sight. Breen culture is rigidly hierarchical so as long as they look the part and don't draw attention to themselves, they shouldn't be challenged. Booker still calls the plan insane, and Burnham states that they will leave in ten minutes.
On the dreadnought, Moll has the quarantine field around the structure dropped and asks Lieutenant Arisar if there's any way of knowing what's inside. However, the Breen scientists report that the metallic composition makes internal scans impossible. Moll decides that they'll just have to open it and gives Arisar the assembled map which he instructs one of the other Breen to insert into the keyhole, Moll promising that the Scion will reward the soldier for their service. Once the map is inserted, the rings around the keyhole flash several times and the structure opens up, revealing a bright light within. The soldier approaches the light and is suddenly sucked inside. A Breen scientist, switching to Federation Standard on Moll's demand, reveals that the soldier no longer registers on scans. The structure appears to be an extra-dimensional gateway, but where it leads to is still unknown. Moll guesses that the Progenitors' technology must be on the other side, and Arisar suggests that she return to the bridge until the Breen scientists can determine if it's safe for her to enter it. However, Moll has something to do first because learning how to use the technology could take time once they find it. Promising that she will bring him back, Moll beams L'ak's body into a portable pattern buffer which will preserve the corpse until he can be resurrected and she attached the device to the sleeve of her left arm.
A nervous Adira walks through Discoverys hallways with Stamets and Culber, having never gone on an away mission before, let alone one this important. Culber fondly recalls how not long ago he was the one going into the unknown on Species 10-C homeworld and Adira was the one who was wishing him luck. Adira guesses that it's their turn now and Stamets tells Adira that he's proud of them, but he's also very nervous. Adira promises that they're going to be fine and they will see Stamets and Culber on the other side. Zora calls Adira to shuttle bay, and they beam out. Stamets and Culber embrace each other as their adopted child takes off on a dangerous mission.
On the bridge, Linus reports that the away team is prepared for launch and the bridge crew prepares themselves. Tilly comments to Lieutenant that Rayner never sits in the captain's chair which Christopher confirms, noting that everyone has noticed that Rayner avoids it like the plague. The cloaked shuttle launches and approaches the entry point, alarming Adira when they realize that they are going into the exhaust port while it's still firing as it will be at least 3,000 degrees Kelvin in there. Burnham explains that the heat will camouflage their transporter signals so that they team can beam in undetected, although the shields will only hold for about 60 seconds at that temperature after which the shuttle will burn to a crisp. Adira reports that they're entering the exhaust field and Booker starts the timer. The exhaust fields prove to be a bit more than Booker expected, although Booker concedes that the last time, he did something like this was on his ship. At about 40 seconds, Booker declares that they're ready to beam, but Adira starts to explain how their transportation radius is being limited and there are two Breen lifesigns right where they have to beam in, and they can't beam anywhere else. The computer announces an imminent hull breach in ten seconds, less time than Burnham had predicted. With no other choice than to figure it out onboard the ship, Burnham orders the team to don their helmets and they beam out just before the shuttle explodes.
The team beams into a corridor on the dreadnought just as two guards round the corner in either direction. After a moment, the suits start translating the Breen language in real time and one of the guards demands that they justify themselves. Telling the others to let her handle it, Burnham yells, calling them a pathetic achworm and demanding to know who set the transporter as this is the wrong sector. Burnham dresses down the guards for watching, calling them pathetic and dishonorable which would disgust their Scion. Burnham orders the guards to conduct their patrol and, chastised, they depart. Rhys is impressed with Burnham's deception and Burnham quips that "no one likes a disgusted Scion." Alpha and Bravo teams separate to carry their out their missions onboard the Breen ship.
=== Act Two ===
At Federation Headquarters, Rillak sends a message to Tahal, trying to get her to open communications. The comms officer reports that while the message was received just like the previous messages that were sent by Rillak, Tahal isn't responding which T'Rina surmises is because the Primarch is choosing to ignore them. T'Rina suggests sending the using its pathway drive to intercept Tahal's fleet, but Rillak refuses as the sudden appearance of a Federation starship could be perceived as an act of aggression, risking escalating this situation further. Saru suggests sending a relativly harmless shuttle instead that was outfitted with the pathway drive for testing purposes at the start of the program. While a shuttle wouldn't be remotely capable of engaging Tahal's entire fleet, it could force the face-to-face dialogue needed to slow her down or alter her course. Rillak worries that the gesture could be misunderstood, turning it into a suicide mission, but Saru points out that if they want to help Discovery, it is their best option. Attaché Mia Greer warns Rillak that if the effort were to fail, the Federation would need her here to negotiate with the Breen. Rillak decides to send a delegate to speak on her behalf and T'Rina offers to draw up a list of suitable candidates. Saru interjects to volunteer to go himself, citing his experience with both tactical and diplomatic missions as well as the fact that it's his former ship at risk. Rillak agrees, ordering Saru to begin preparations to leave immediately while the president goes to inform Vance. Without a word, T'Rina leaves as well.
On the dreadnought, Burnham and Booker's disguise continues to hold up, but they encounter a Breen soldier who asks if they're joining the sarkaress, a word that's not in the translator database. However, Burnham recognizes it as a Breen feast day, and she responds that of course they will join as there's much to celebrate. The guard departs and the impressed Booker thanks Burnham's experience with xenoanthropology. Booker recognizes that something is up with Burnham, and she pulls him aside to talk. Burnham explains that while she was in the mindscape, she had to look at some things about herself and their relationship and why she let them drift apart. Burnham admits that she felt like she had failed, and it was just easier to turn away. Burnham apologizes and Booker admits that he did the same thing for the same reason, and he apologizes too. Spotting a large group of Breen soldiers approaching for a shift change, the two hide and then continue on once they're gone.
On the bridge, Arisar reports to Moll that their scientists have been unable to determine what's inside of the gateway. The Breen scientists believe that the only way to get reliable data is to send someone inside with the proper equipment and Moll instructs Arisar to send in his most trusted soldier. Having reached the bridge, Rhys reports in who orders Rhys and Adira to find a console and get to work. Rhys identifies the lowest ranking soldier by the symbol on his arm, causing Adira to comment in sympathy how everyone picks on the ensign. Rhys harshly orders the soldier to vacate his station while they fix a malfunction at it with Adira awkwardly chiming in that it's an order. Once the soldier is gone, Adira begins hacking the shield systems with Rhys' encouragement after nervously glancing at the nearby Moll. Pleased with their success, Burnham reports that she and Booker should be at the shuttle bay in about five minutes. Rayner confirms that Discovery is all set to beam everyone and the structure out once the shields drop and Stamets is standing by to jump.
Pacing around the bridge, Rayner checks in with the various stations which report that the cloak remains at 100 percent, shields are nominal, and there's still no sign of any scans from the dreadnought which doesn't seem to know that Discovery is here while all tactical systems are armed and ready. Tilly reports that according to Saru, Tahal and her fleet are less than two hours away and they'll hopefully be long gone with the Progenitors' technology by then. As Rayner's constant pacing is making everybody nervous, Tilly attempts to convince him to take the captain's chair, stating that the crew trusts Rayner to lead them even though it's been a bit of a road to get there. Rayner tells Tilly that he asked her to serve as his Number One today because she's smart as hell, a good leader, and if they were stuck in a foxhole together, he wouldn't kill her, "that is, unless you gave me more of that warm and fuzzy encouragement that I don't." For once, Tilly is rather effectively shut up.
Burnham and Booker reach the door to the shuttle bay which has two Breen soldiers guarding it. The two watch a Breen scientist using a scan of their visor to get through the door and Booker tries to do the same thing, but it sets off an alarm instead. The guards tell Booker that he's not cleared for entry and order him to leave. Booker lies that they were ordered to report here, but the guards are unmoved. Improvising, Burnham yells at Booker for not completing his clearance forms yet again and the two devolve into an argument that brings them right between the two guards. Burnham and Booker attack the guards, quickly incapacitating them. Grabbing one, they use him to bypass the scan on the shuttle bay door before hiding the bodies and entering the shuttle bay.
Burnham and Booker observe as the Breen send a soldier attached to a cable into the portal who disappears with a scream. Burnham guesses that the portal leads to the Progenitors' technology as the Breen raise the quarantine field around the structure once again which they are going to have to lower to beam it out. Booker spots the box that the field draws power from and if they cut the power, the field will go down. Burnham alters her suit to reflect that she's a member of the Breen science division and orders Booker to be the distraction. While Burnham uses a small device to shut down the power source, Booker awkwardly flirts with a Breen soldier as a distraction, much to Burnham's amusement.
On the bridge, Adira successfully hacks the dreadnought's shields, ready to drop them on Burnham's command. Moll is furious that the Breen soldier that was sent in couldn't be pulled back out despite the cable being bonded to the floor. Arisar starts to explain that the force of it was too great before being interrupted by a report that guards are missing from their posts outside of the shuttle bay. Realizing that something's wrong, Moll orders the shuttle bay placed into full lockdown with all credentials checked. Rhys warns of Burnham of this development as alarms sound throughout the shuttle bay and Breen soldiers position themselves near the structure.
=== Act Three ===
In his quarters, Saru studies some intelligence files on Tahal before T'Rina enters with the news that his shuttle is ready. T'Rina explains that she ordered that all relevant intelligence files on Tahal be transferred to Saru, some of which she hopes will prove useful. Having just finished reviewing them, Saru states that they already have. T'Rina is sorry that having only just returned, Saru must depart again. Saru knows that she didn't want this and that T'Rina had offered to draw up the list at the meeting in an effort to protect him, but T'Rina claims that the intent of the list was to protect the mission and while she does worry for his safety, the mission is of critical importance. T'Rina had feared that Saru would hesitate to take the necessary risks as the couple is so close to their wedding. Saru tells his fiancé that surely she knows that he wouldn't let personal considerations interfere with his professional responsibilities, pointing out that Vulcans aren't the only species capable of choosing logic and duty over emotion, which T'Rina concedes. Saru acknowledges that they have both chosen lives of service and to balance that with their love for one another will never be easy, but they can at least face that struggle together. In a rare display of emotion, T'Rina asks Saru to try to return and the two share a hug before Saru promises to see her when he returns before departing.
Observing the increasing number of Breen soldiers near the structure, Booker warns Burnham that the Breen are going to find them any second now. However, Burnham still needs a few more minutes to get the quarantine field down. Rayner offers a risky idea, but Burnham tells him to just do it as she trusts him. Stating that nothing grabs the attention like an unwelcome guest, particularly one that is believed to be dead, Rayner has Christopher hail the dreadnought. As Moll starts to head down to the shuttle bay to see the crew personally, the dreadnought receives Discoverys hail, much to her shock. Arisar confirms that it's really Discovery who had survived and Moll orders the ship placed on alert with their weapons armed.
Moll answers Rayner's hail and he lies that Burnham was killed in the previous attack. The Breen soldiers in the shuttle bay disperse as Moll defends that whatever happened wasn't her or the crew, but rather Ruhn who is dead now too while Moll has the Progenitors' technology. Moll believes that they have nothing more to talk about, but Rayner states that she needs their help because Primarch Tahal is on her way to take the dreadnought and every soldier on it for herself. Arisar orders long-range scans checked, and Rayner warns that the Sixth Flight can run, but he knows from personal experience that Tahal will track them and keep tracking them. Tahal won't give up, but if Moll turns herself in and gives them the technology, the Federation will protect her. Moll declares that she doesn't need Discovery or the Federation and cuts the comms, much to Rayner's disappointment. Burnham reports that she's almost done while Adira tells Rayner that Moll's leaving which he knows means nothing good and Burnham is running out of time.
Burnham successfully disables the quarantine field and she and Booker attach the transport lock to the structure. However, before they can beam out, Moll arrives with several Breen soldiers and captures them. Removing the transport lock, Moll orders the pair to lose their helmets and quips that Burnham is not so dead after all upon seeing her face.
=== Act Four ===
Rayner informs Rhys and Adira that Bravo Team has been captured and Rhys confirms that their position is secure so far. Discovery needs to beam everyone out and they'll have to find another way to get the structure. Burnham's comms are still live and she'll give them a sign when she's ready. Moll gives the team respect where it's due and asks how they got onboard. Booker just states that a good courier never reveals their secrets, causing Moll to derisively ask if had taught him that. Moll rejects Burnham's overtures and orders that they be thrown into the brig and the ship be taken to warp before Tahal gets here. As Rayner prepares to have everyone beamed out, Burnham looks at the containment field over the shuttle bay and gets an idea. Burnham stops Moll, stating that she hasn't had the chance to get her grum of osikod yet which Rayner realizes means that Burnham is trying to send him a message. Burnham recalls when she and Moll first met when she was first hanging off the side of Moll and L'ak's ship. Neither were willing to stop, but the difference is that when Burnham was flying all alone out there in space, she always knew that her crew would come for her just like Discovery will come for them now no matter what Moll does. Unmoved, Moll orders her soldiers to throw Burnham and Booker in the brig, promising to drop them off somewhere once they're in the clear.
Rayner quickly realizes what Burnham wants the crew to do, much to Tilly's confusion, and orders Adira to prepare to lower shields on his mark as they're going to need access to the shuttle bay. Rayner gives Stamets two minutes to figure out how to rip through the shuttle bay containment field without destroying themselves in the process. A worried Tilly points out that doing so will blast the contents of the shuttle bay out into space, including Burnham and Booker, but Rayner reveals that that's Burnham's plan: blast the contents of the shuttle bay out into space where Discovery will beam the team onboard and recover the structure. Rayner takes Discovery to red alert and orders the crew to decloak and set course for the Breen shuttle bay and start firing with everything that they've got. A worried Culber joins his husband in engineering where Stamets tells Culber he thinks that he's got a solution so long as the shields hold.
Discovery decloaks and opens fire on the dreadnought with phasers and photon torpedos and the Breen ship returns fire, its shields protecting it from the enemy fire. The Breen shuttle bay shakes under the onslaught, giving Burnham and Booker the chance to overpower their guards and escape. As Discovery is rocked by the Breen weapons, Gallo reports that they just lost torpedo bay seven and Rayner orders her to keep firing and not let up. Jemison tells Rayner that they're okay for now, but the ship can't take many more direct hits. Stamets tells Rayner that if they fly at full impulse power tilted down at 35.2 degrees with modulating shields concentrated on the deflector dish, Discovery can pierce the containment field and still maintain structural integrity. Although Culber is worried about the plan, Stamets reassures his husband that math doesn't lie and they're going to get everyone out.
Burnham and Booker hide behind a cargo container as Asha reports that Discovery is 90 seconds to impact and Burnham states that they'll try to hold on that long. Rayner orders Jemison to grab the structure with a tractor beam as soon as it gets blown out into space. On Rayner's command, Adira drops the dreadnought's shields, setting off alarms and drawing the bridge crew's attention to Adira and Rhys. Rhys attacks the Breen soldiers with Adira briefly jumping in to try to help, holding them off long enough for Discovery to beam Alpha Team out, confusing the Breen soldiers.
In the shuttle bay, Moll and Arisar watch as Discovery flies directly at them, now blasting the containment shield. The two quickly realize that Discovery is ramming them so that they can send the structure out into space. Moll decides to enter the structure, telling Arisar that she might as well be dead if she can't bring L'ak back. Seeing what Moll's doing, Burnham rushes to stop her, ordering Booker to provide covering fire. Booker shoots Arisar, killing him, and clearing the way for Burnham who arrives too late to stop Moll from entering the portal. Sharing one final look with Booker, Burnham jumps through the portal after Moll.
Discovery rams through the containment field and opens fire on the defenseless shuttle bay. The shuttle bay is destroyed in a series of massive explosions, severely damaging Ruhn's dreadnought. As Booker is beamed out, the structure tumbles into space towards the black holes, exploding and releasing the portal contained within it. Booker tells Rayner that Burnham had entered the portal, but Jemison is unable to lock onto it with the tractor beam as it's moving too fast and there's too much debris. Rayner orders Asha to move the ship close and has Tilly scan the portal, but Tilly can't find any sign of the captain. However, Booker is sure that Burnham is still alive. Rayner declares to the crew that their captain and the Progenitors' technology is inside of the portal, they're getting them both back, and Failure is not an option. Rayner takes the captain's chair for the very first time, ready to lead Discovery in rescuing their captain and getting the Progenitors' technology at last.
== Memorable quotes ==
"Good luck, Michael. And, please, stay safe."
"Damn right I will. I got a wedding to go to when this is all over."
:- Saru and Burnham
"Hey. Drinks on me tonight."
"It's tonight somewhere. Do we have to wait?"
:- Jemison and Asha, after Asha flies the ship away from a black hole
"Power of creation. Thought it'd be... bigger."
:- Rhys is slightly disappointed
"In the mindscape, I was told that there would be another obstacle inside of it, and I got information on how to beat it. Moll doesn't have that."
"What information, exactly?"
"A phrase: "build the shape of the one between the many.""
"That's... cryptic."
"I trust it'll make sense when it needs to."
:- Burnham, Rayner, and Tilly
"50 seconds!"
"OK, you're stressing me out here!"
"Yeah, well, I thought you might want to know how long before we're deep-fried. 45 seconds!"
:- Burnham and Booker, just before their shuttle burns up in the Breen ship's exhaust port
"Is it just me, or does he never sit in the captain's chair?"
"Avoids it like the plague. We've all noticed."
:- Tilly and Christopher, observing Rayner
"You pathetic achworm! Who set the transporter? This is the wrong sector. And you... You pause to watch? You dishonor yourself. Your Scion would be disgusted. Go! Conduct your patrol!"
:- Burnham, dressing down the Breen while in disguise
"Nobody likes a disgusted Scion. Well, we all know what we're here to do. Let's get to it."
"Aye, Captain."
:- Burnham, Adira, Booker, and Rhys
"Thank you, xenoanthropology."
"The gift that keeps on giving."
:- Booker is impressed with Burnham's old specialty coming in handy
"There's something I need to tell you. Now is not an ideal time, but... In the mindscape, I had to look at some things about myself. About us. Why I let us drift apart."
"Okay."
"I felt like I'd failed. And it was just easier to turn away. I've been meaning to say that I'm sorry. You deserved better."
"I did the same thing. Same reason. I'm sorry too."
:- Burnham and Booker reconcile
"Everyone always picks on the ensign."
:- Adira, having a bit of sympathy for a Breen bridge officer
"Excuse me, sir, um, respectfully, the pacing, you're making everybody nervous. You can sit in the captain's chair, you know."
"If I felt like it, I would."
"Captain Burnham, she trusts you to lead us. We all do, and it's a bit of a road to get there, but we really, um, we really do."
"You know why I asked you to serve as my Number One today, lieutenant?"
"No, sir. Actually, I don't."
"It's because you're smart as hell, you're a good leader, and if we were stuck in a foxhole together, I wouldn't kill you. That is, unless you gave me more of that warm and fuzzy encouragement that I don't need."
:- Tilly and Rayner
"Uh... Hello."
"Hello?"
"You excited for the sarkaress?"
"After our Scion is reborn, we'll have the greatest sarkaress yet."
"Oh, yeah. No question. Hey, so, um... Do you know who you're going with? Because I was thinking, maybe we could, uh..."
"Wow. Flirting. Bold move."
"You wish to be one of my sarkmates?"
"Sure. Why not?"
"Very well. I shall prepare a space for you in the oil bath."
:- Booker, awkwardly flirting with a Breen soldier as a distraction, to Burnham's amusement
"Hurry up, Michael. This is getting weird."
"Are you sure you don't want me to slow down? Try to get you that oil bath?"
:- Booker, being teased by Burnham
"We have both chosen lives of service. To balance that with our love for one another will never be easy. But at least... we can face that struggle together."
"It would be illogical to ask that you promise to return. So, instead, I will only ask that you will try."
"I shall see you when I return."
:- Saru and T'Rina say goodbye
"I haven't gotten the chance to get my grum of osikod, as the saying goes."
"Osikod. It's a message. She's... sending me a message."
"Remember when we first met? When I was hanging off the side of your ship."
"What about it?"
"Well, I knew you wouldn't stop, but neither would I. And the difference is, when I thought I was gone -- your shields were fried, I was flying out there all alone, out in space -- I always knew my crew would come for me. Just like they'll come for us now, whatever you do."
"Good talk. Throw them in the brig. We'll drop you off somewhere once we're in the clear."
:- Burnham sends Rayner a message in the guise of talking to Moll
"I know what she wants us to do."
"I definitely don't."
"Ensign Tal, stand by to lower shields on my mark. We're gonna need access to that shuttle bay."
"What?"
"Commander Stamets, you have two minutes to figure out how to rip through the shuttle bay containment field without destroying ourselves in the process."
"On it, Commander."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. If you do that, you're gonna blast everything in there out into space, including Michael and Book."
"Exactly, and then we beam them and the structure on board the Discovery. That's her plan."
"Oh, holy schnoodle."
"Red alert. Decloak, set course for the Breen shuttle bay. And start firing with everything we've got."
:- Rayner lays out Burnham's plan for Tilly and Stamets
"Listen up. Our captain is in there. The Progenitors' tech is in there. We're getting them both back. Failure... not an option. All right. Let's do this."
:- Rayner, taking the captain's chair
== Background information ==
=== Title ===
* By , this episode's title had been revealed by the Writers Guild of America West. 
* The title was officially confirmed on . 
=== Story and script ===
=== Production ===
=== Reception ===
== Links and references ==
=== Starring ===
* Sonequa Martin-Green as Michael Burnham
* Doug Jones as Saru
* Anthony Rapp as Paul Stamets
* Mary Wiseman as Sylvia Tilly
* Wilson Cruz as Hugh Culber
* Blu del Barrio as Adira Tal
* Callum Keith Rennie as Rayner
;and
* David Ajala as Cleveland Booker
=== Guest starring ===
* Chelah Horsdal as Laira Rillak
* Annabelle Wallis as Zora 
* Tara Rosling as T'Rina
* Eve Harlow as Moll
=== Co-starring ===
* Patrick Kwok-Choon as Lt. Cmdr. Gen Rhys
* Orville Cummings as Lt. 
* David Benjamin Tomlinson as Lieutenant Linus
* Christina Dixon as Lt. Cmdr. 
* Victoria Sawal as Lt. Naya
* Natalie Liconti as Lt. Gallo
* Zahra Bentham as Cmdr. Lorna Jemison
* Dorian Grey as Breen Lt. Arisar
* Tony Ofori as FHQ Comms Officer
* Makenzie Heaven Smith as Breen scientist
* Perrie Voss as Attaché Mia Greer
* Jordan Collalto as Breen soldier
* Jordan Francis as Breen soldier
* Jordan L'Abbé as Breen soldier
* Eli Martyr as Breen soldier
* Dayton Sinkia as Breen soldier
=== Uncredited co-stars ===
* Avaah Blackwell as Lt. Arav
* Pamela Mars as Discovery operations crewmember
* Lizz Porter as Ckaptir officer
=== References ===
achworm; acting first officer; acting captain; black hole; Battle at the Binary Black Holes; Breen; Breen Civil War; Breen dreadnought; Breen Imperium; Breen language; Breen space; DSC-21; cloak; containment field; Elpanah; Eternal Gallery and Archive; ; Federation Headquarters; Lagrange point; Mars; Milky Way Galaxy; Mindscape; ; oil bath; pathway drive; portable pattern buffer; primarch; Progenitor; ramming; refrigeration suit; robbery; Ruhn; Ruhn's dreadnought; Sarkaress; Sixth Flight; Species 10-C homeworld; ; Third Flight; transport lock; transwarp conduit; wedding; xenoanthropology; United Earth Defense Force (EDF); United Federation of Planets; universal translator
==== Star Chart references ====
Achernar; Akaali; Altair; Andoria; Aneto; Arcturus; Argelius; Argus; Bajor; Balancar; Barradas; Belak; Benzar; Pollux; Bolarus; Calder; Capella; Celes; Clarus; Cor Caroli; Deep Space 9; Delta; Denobula; Dessica; Devron; Dopteria; Drayken; Draylax; Earth; Eden; Ferenginar; Gasko; Gideon; Hyralan; Kaitos; Kaleb; Kelfour; Klaestron; Kobliad; Kressari; Lappa; Mab-Bu; Maluria; Memory Alpha; Miri; Miridian; Mizar; Nausicaa; Nelvana; Ophiucus; Orellius; Orion; Peliar Zel; Priors World; Proxima; Pyrithia; Qualor; Rator; Regulus; Rigel; road; Sauria; Starbase 1; Starbase 4; Starbase 9; Starbase 10; Starbase 19; Starbase 23; Starbase 39; Starbase 157; Starbase 375; Starbase 621; Tagus; Tarahong; Tau Ceti; Tellar; Tellun; Teneebia; Terix; Thalos; Toroth; Tranome Sar; ; Tzenketh; Unroth; Veda; Vega; Vendor; Wolf 359; Yadalla; Zetar
=== External link ===
* 
Category:DIS episodes
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