Ad Astra per Aspera (episode)

Commander Una faces court-martial along with possible imprisonment and dishonorable dismissal from Starfleet, and her defense is in the hands of a lawyer who's also a childhood friend with whom she had a terrible falling out.

Summary[]

Teaser[]

Una thinks back to an injury that occurred during her childhood, her parents worried that her Illyrian genetics would be discovered if they went to a hospital. In the present, she is seated across from Captain Marie Batel, who tells her Starfleet is willing to offer a deal: if Una pleads guilty, she will be granted a dishonorable discharge, with no prison time. Una notes the "dishonorable" part, but Batel assures her that it would not result in her exile; she would be a free citizen of the Federation, and Starfleet would seal her records. She considers it a "good deal" given the evidence, and Una's defender from the Judge Advocate General's office agrees. Una elects to "sidebar" that particular conversation, and Batel gets up to leave and allow Una to speak with her counsel. Una pointedly asks how she can get proper counsel when her defender works for Batel.

Meanwhile, Captain Pike has traveled to a world in the Vaultera Nebula seeking legal aid for Una; the planet's atmosphere is not suitable for Humans, and so he is forced to wear a breathing mask. He seats himself in the office of Counselor Neera Ketoul, whose secretary speaks with her boss about Pike still being there. Afterwards, the secretary turns and tells Pike that the counselor could not see him today, as she was completely booked. Pike replies he can wait. However, his oxygen supply is at two percent, and begins beeping with an alarm; the secretary takes this as evidence that Pike actually can't wait. "Try me," is his response, as the oxygen runs out entirely. The secretary scrambles to get Pike his meeting.

Ketoul adjusts the atmosphere in her office for Pike. He knows that she and her people were Illyrians, and Katoul had thought this fact would grant a measure of privacy. Katoul had known it was only a matter of time before Una was outed, and that Starfleet would never allow an Illyrian to serve openly, but that was not her problem. Pike isn't sure what happened between the two of them, but points out Una is her friend; Ketoul replies that Una is not her friend, and neither is Pike. Pike knows this is because of her opposition to the Federation's policy. He admits that Starfleet (and he himself) was wrong about Illyrians, explaining about the mission to the abandoned Illyrian colony on Hetemit IX, which wasn't so abandoned. There, he discovered what happens to Illyrians trying to reverse their genetic modifications so that the Federation would accept them. Ketoul sarcastically congratulates him for discovering empathy, and asks him to let her know when the rest of the Federation caught up. Pike reminds her that Starfleet wanted to dismiss Una from the service. Ketoul thinks dishonorable discharge was "getting off easy"; given Starfleet's "draconian" race laws, she should be glad she was not being charged with sedition. Pike is surprised, as the proceedings were sealed, but Ketoul has her ways of getting to the truth to save her clients' lives.

As Ketoul again dismisses Pike from her office, the captain tries another tack, asking about her cases against the Federation: ten in all over two years, overturned or dismissed for insufficient evidence. He has done his research on her as well, and believes her cases to be just. He pleads with her to take Una's case, because if she wins, it would be known across half the quadrant, and it would bring her other cases the attention they needed. Ketoul asks if he was trying to bribe her, but Pike replies he was simply trying to convince her, as well as save an old friend. He hands over the case file, saying she would probably not even break a sweat. Ketoul calls him a "piece of work", and he agrees, but points out she hasn't said no.

Ketoul visits Una in her cell, telling her she knew this would happen eventually. Una is a bit put out that the first words her old friend had to say to her in twenty-five years was essentially "I told you so". Ketoul brushes aside any attempts at small talk or justification, and tells her to go over the short version of the case. Una explains that until two months earlier, her record was spotless, because Starfleet didn't know (and therefore didn't care) about her being Illyrian. But someone turned her in, and now Starfleet was wanting to hide any evidence of an Illyrian climbing the ranks; it would be like she never existed at all. Ketoul bluntly suggests that her "playtime" was over, and she should accept her dismissal and go home. Una refuses, believing that she, that they, should not have to hide anymore. She admits she should have stood up sooner, but she was doing so now. Ketoul decides to inform opposing counsel that the plea deal was rejected, but when Una thanks her, she tells her that she was not doing it for Una, but for herself, and those Illyrians who couldn't or wouldn't hide who they were so they could run away to Starfleet.

Batel is furious as she confronts Pike with Una's rejection, having had to call in all of her favors to get the deal. Pike is emphatic that Una's place is on his bridge doing her job, not in prison. Batel points out they were charged with upholding the law, and Una broke it. "And what if the law is wrong?" Pike angrily asks. Batel assures him she did not ask for this case, and believes she is doing everything she can to help Una, but now the Judge Advocate General is looking into the case.

Una and Ketoul are waiting in Admiral Javas' office for the prosecution to arrive. A moment later, Batel enters, accompanied by Vice Admiral Pasalk. Batel informs Javas that the charges are being amended: in addition to falsifying her records and violating Starfleet's code against genetic modification, Una was now being charged with two counts of sedition, with the recommended penalty being dishonorable dismissal and twenty years imprisonment in a Federation penal colony.

Act One[]

Una is incredulous at the idea of twenty years' imprisonment for lying on an application, but Ketoul pointed out that this was Starfleet's reaction to her rejecting the plea deal. The prosecution's first witness is Admiral April, Una's sponsor at Starfleet Academy. Una thinks this might be good for the case, but Ketoul isn't so sure, thinking Pasalk would not call a friendly witness without some kind of strategy. Una thinks Ketoul should call her to the stand, allowing her to show an Illyrian being a successful Starfleet officer, but Ketoul points out that the prosecution would tear her down, and insists that they should do this her way.

Aboard the USS Enterprise, La'an brings Ketoul to Una's quarters, where she could stay for the duration of the case. Ketoul asks for a copy of the Starfleet Uniform Code of Justice and Una's service record. La'an stays put for a moment, volunteering to help with the case, pointing out the precedent of Starfleet v. Wyck. Ketoul, an experienced civil rights lawyer, knows this involved "fruit of the poisonous tree", a dismissal of a case on a technicality due to illegally obtained evidence. Ketoul wonders if La'an knows something about that. It seems evident she does, but she asks to cover all the bases first.

In the crew lounge, Pike is going over the case notes when he is approached by Batel. Both are aware that his name is not on the witness list for the defense. Pike knows she would think it a terrible idea, but points out he has known Una the longest out of the entire crew. They had met while she was in the Academy, where he gave a speech (leading Batel to joke about how he disliked "inspiring speeches") about a test mission he had flown. Una had come up to him afterward and pointed out a mistake he had made during re-entry. April had told him that every good captain needed a first officer to tell him when he's wrong. Batel recalls he had told her the same thing, before getting into "professional mode", asking as a prosecutor to a witness when Pike found out Una was an Illyrian. She is making clear that Pike on the witness stand would result in his possibly being charged with conspiracy, and it would jeopardize not only his career, but his entire crew. "No inspiring speeches today," she warns, telling him to let others do the talking if he truly wanted to help Una.

Ortegas and Dr. M'Benga are seated at a nearby table watching Spock speaking with Admiral Pasalk, Ortegas sarcastically playing out a conversation between the two as if they were typical emotionless Vulcans. M'Benga, who has studied on Vulcan, sees the underlying tension: Spock and Pasalk hate each other. A moment later, Spock abruptly rises and approaches, apologizing for his "outburst", and admitting that of his father Sarek's former colleagues, Pasalk brought out "the worst" in him. After Spock leaves, Ortegas and M'Benga struggle not to break down laughing.

On the bridge, La'an approaches Uhura, asking for any communications referencing Una over the past six months... including all ship-wide personal logs. Uhura is aware that personal logs are sealed per regulations unless ordered to be opened by Starfleet Command. La'an tries to make it an order, but Uhura refuses. She recognizes that La'an is trying to help Una, who had been her mentor just like La'an was for Uhura, but points out that following an illegal order could get La'an into trouble, which is not what Una would want.

Act Two[]

As the crew watches aboard the Enterprise, Admiral Javas brings the proceedings to order, with the Tellarite Space Command Representative Zus Tlaggul and the Vulcan Starfleet Commander Chiv as her fellow judges in the tribunal. She asks Una if she consents to Batel as prosecuting officer, which she does. The charges are read, formally charging Una with violating Starfleet's code on permanent DNA modification, submitting false information to Starfleet, and two counts of sedition. Una pleads not guilty.

Batel opens the case by citing the precedent for the Federation's ban on genetic engineering: the Eugenics Wars on Earth, which had caused the deaths of tens of millions. Genetic engineering was "nothing short of playing God", and endangers the essence of natural evolution. Ketoul then rises to speak for the defense, pointing out that while it was true that genetic engineering was illegal under Federation law, there were a number of practices that had been legal at one point or another: slavery, apartheid, discrimination against people for their religious beliefs, how they loved, their gender identity, or even the color of their skin. She points out that having a law does not make it just, though she concedes that the Federation may not mean to do harm, and that their experience with genetic modification was indeed horrific. The Federation had built a utopia in the wake of that experience, but in the process, allowed a centuries-old fear to blind them. She pointed out that Una was only on trial here because she had been forced to hide something that made other people uncomfortable, afraid. "If a law is not just, then I ask: how are we to trust those who created that law to serve justice?"

The prosecution calls April to the stand, detailing how Una had served under his command when he was captain of the Enterprise, and how he had been her sponsor at the Academy. Batel asks if that would mean April has an investment in her career, and he agrees it would. She asks if he had known that she had been genetically modified, and he replies he did not. Batel then asks if he would have sponsored Una at the Academy if he had known. April deflects at first, saying Una was the most gifted applicant he had ever met, but when Batel presses, he regretfully admits he wouldn't have.

In her cross-examination, Ketoul asks why April would not have approved Una's application, and April specifically cites Regulation 17, Article 12, barring genetically modified people like Illyrians from serving in Starfleet. Ketoul points out his rank and decorated service, knowing he wouldn't want to risk that for one individual applicant. April stresses it was not personal, and Ketoul agrees – it was the law. She then asks April to define what General Order One is, earning an objection from the prosecution for relevance. Tlaggul overrules, curious about it himself. April explains that General Order One, the Prime Directive, prohibited Starfleet from interfering in the development of other cultures. Ketoul then points out April's violations of the Prime Directive: in 2246, warning the Perricans, a pre-warp civilization, of an apocalyptic meteor shower about to impact their planet; in 2248, sending his science officer to share Federation technology to halt an extinction-level drought on the planet Na'rel, another pre-warp society; and beaming down to the planet Man-us II without his security officer and revealing his starship to the pre-warp Ohawk civilization. Batel continues to object, and this time Javas sustains, reminding Ketoul the witness was not on trial. Ketoul points out that the rules of Starfleet seemed to only apply when a captain deemed that they do. She is relentless in pointing out that April violated Starfleet's very first order on numerous occasions and is hailed as a hero, and yet Una is charged with breaking a law when she had no say in the matter of her own genetic modifications, which were done before she was even born. When she dismisses Starfleet's rules as "flimsy and subjective at best", a visibly angered April rises to his feet, saying that Starfleet captains made judgment calls that saved lives every day, and that the rules Una had violated were there to save lives and prevent genocide; he again emphasizes he would have denied her application if he had known of her genetic modifications. Ketoul thinks that it was fear and prejudice rather than law that motivated his decisions. Chiv reminds Ketoul that it was Una, not April, on trial, and the fact that she could not defend her client did not give her the right to attack the Federation or its officers; he orders the admiral's testimony be stricken.

Aboard the Enterprise, Uhura asks if Ketoul just tried to indict April, and Spock concurs it seemed so. Chapel concedes that was one strategy, and Ortegas adds it was one that didn't make April look good. La'an wonders how this helps Una. Pike seems to be having buyer's remorse about approaching Ketoul, and quietly leaves. He meets with April in his quarters, admitting that reaching out to Ketoul had been his idea. April thinks very highly of Una, promoting her faster than anyone on the ship, and recommending her for the Starfleet Medal of Gallantry after the Marcel incident in 2248. It was a shame, he adds with a pointed look, that the court never got to hear that.

In her cell, Una confronts Ketoul about her performance in the courtroom. Ketoul's response leads Una to realize that she didn't accept the case to help an old friend, but as a platform to overturn the genetic modification law, and as a soapbox to broadcast her hatred of the Federation. She again tries to ask about their past disagreement, but Ketoul does not engage, saying that she promised she would try to help, and that's what she was doing, before leaving to return to work.

Act Three[]

Ketoul calls La'an, Spock, and M'Benga as character witnesses for the defense. La'an and Spock relate their first meetings with Una – her rescue from a Gorn breeding planet, and his first day aboard the Enterprise. Batel points out La'an's descent from Khan Noonien Singh, and asks if La'an ever knew Una was Illyrian. La'an replies that she did not. Batel asks if she ever suspected she was hiding something, and again La'an replies in the negative. M'Benga's only impressions of her were her discretion and empathy, and that she handled matters with great care. Spock admits that he did have a sense Una was hiding something – her affinity for Gilbert and Sullivan musicals. La'an goes on to say that Una had ensured she was taken care of, as she had no family left, and sponsored her application to Starfleet. Ketoul asks if that meant she would not be in Starfleet if not for Una, and La'an is emphatic that she would not even be alive. Moreover, the lives she had saved in her service were also attributable to Una's sponsorship. Batel asks Spock if it would not be logical to apply punishment for the breaking of a law, and Spock agrees it would be, but he considers it illogical for Starfleet to punish itself: He considers Una an extraordinary officer, and her loss would be a blow to the service. M'Benga points out she puts the lives of the crew above her own, Spock calls her a friend, and La'an calls her family.

Aboard the Enterprise, La'an brings Ketoul a copy of the Uniform Code of Justice. As she goes to leave, Ketoul asks about her inquiry into how the prosecution found out about Una. La'an stammers that she hadn't yet, leading Ketoul to guess that La'an suspects she may have let it slip herself. La'an recalls that when she found out Una was Illyrian, she was angry because Una was her friend and had lied to her; she recorded a personal log, and thinks someone got a hold of it. Ketoul suspects there is more to it than that, and La'an admits she is afraid of her own genetic heritage as a descendant of Khan, and fears that she may become dangerous because of it. Ketoul assures La'an that there was nothing wrong with her, no "hidden monster" inside; that was how others made them feel, looking down on them for so long that they began to look down on themselves. La'an's fears of her genetics were not her own, but drilled into her by others. She stresses La'an was not born a monster, but born with a capacity for actions, good or ill – just like everyone else. Thinking on her suspicion, Ketoul knows that it takes six months and a "boatload of admirals" to subpoena a personal log, and they haven't had nearly that long. Therefore, La'an could not be the source. Ketoul points out that La'an is chief of security, and Una speaks highly of her (something she doesn't do for many people), before asking who she thinks did it. La'an admits she doesn't know, but thinks it was someone who would gain from exposing the truth. Ketoul agrees, and thanks her for her help. La'an wonders why she feels like she's been "hit by a shuttle", which Ketoul takes as a compliment.

As the proceedings resume, Ketoul surprises Una, the court, and the crew by calling Una herself to the stand. She asks how long Una has been in Starfleet, and she replies she has been in service for 25 years, adding that it was all she ever wanted. Ketoul points out she knew she was Illyrian, therefore genetically modified, asking if she did not think she would find herself in this position. Una replies she had been warned, her glance at Ketoul making clear who warned her. When asked why she joined anyway, she replies with the Latin phrase "ad astra per aspera": "to the stars through hardship". It was the motto of Starfleet before the Federation, something she learned in history classes. She was drawn to that motto because, while she knew it meant they had to endure hardship to reach the stars, she believed it also meant that the stars could deliver one from anything – that while it also satisfied their curiosity and need for exploration, it also promised salvation. Ketoul asks why she would seek salvation, asking about her childhood. Batel, taken in by Una's passionate statement, has her attention returned by Pasalk, objecting to the relevance of Una's childhood history. Ketoul replies she is simply establishing context: If Una was being tried for being Illyrian, then the court had to understand what it meant to be Illyrian. Javas elects to allow it.

Ketoul goes over the basics: Una hailed from an Illyrian colony in the Vaultera Nebula, given provisional Federation membership the year before Una was born, on the condition they cease genetic modifications. As Una admits, some did indeed cease, but for others, like her family, it was their heritage. Living under the Federation, they had to perform their rituals in secret, and when new children were born, they had to seek out friendly doctors to deliver them. Anyone found to be genetically augmented would be arrested. Ketoul asks if it had ever happened to anyone she knew. Una replies it did: A boy named Ivan Ketoul, her best friend's cousin. Some Illyrians had immune systems that caused them to glow, and someone must have seen him. He came home to find the word "Augment" on his door; they had just learned of Augments in school, and opinions on them were "clear". Ketoul asks if anyone defended him, including his family. Una replies that there were some who did, but not enough. Ivan, only ten years old, was arrested, along with his parents.

Ketoul asks how it affected her community. Some families were forced to move to planets outside the Federation, and those who stayed, like Una's family, were persecuted. The anti-augmentation laws, in Una's view, seemed to give people the right to act on their worst impulses – first with insults and denial of service at stores, then attacks. Una recalls stepping in to protect a boy accused of being an Illyrian, and suffered a broken leg. It was a simple fix with modern medicine, but her parents feared taking her to the hospital. The injury grew infected despite her modifications, and she would have died had they not found an Illyrian doctor willing to see them in the middle of the night. Civil unrest became so extreme that the government divided them into two cities, Illyrian and non-Illyrian. Una and her family stayed in the non-Illyrian city, because they could blend in better, but they had to leave their family and friends behind, something she regretted to this day. And yet, Ketoul points out, Una still decided to join Starfleet, even after all that. But given how long she had kept that a secret, she asks, how did Starfleet find out? Though Javas warns Ketoul against badgering her own witness, Ketoul insistently asks: Who turned Una in to Starfleet? Una finally admits that she did so herself. She had grown so sick of living a lie, pretending to be someone she wasn't; she wanted her crew to see her for who she really was, thinking if they did, she would be safe, and Starfleet would finally understand Illyrians better. She remembers a Starfleet crew visited when she was a child, seeing how they were all so different, from so many different planets. She thought that if all those people from different worlds could work side-by-side, she could, too; she could be part of something greater than herself. "Starfleet is not a perfect organization, but it strives to be," she concludes. "And I believe it could be." She turned herself in because she believed in Starfleet.

As Batel rises to cross-examine, Pasalk stops her and steps in himself, a look of disdain on his face. He concludes that while it was an emotional story, emotions were irrelevant, and facts were not. He asks at what point Pike was aware of her genetically modified status, earning an objection from Katoul, who points out that Una, not her captain, was on trial. Pasalk is undeterred, saying that the incident was evidence of a breakdown of the chain of command aboard the Enterprise, starting with the captain. If Pike was aware of her "fraud" before her arrest and did not notify Starfleet, it was therefore not fraud, but conspiracy. Given that Batel did not elicit testimony from the parties involved, he asks Una again when Pike became aware, reminding her that she was under oath. Una admits that it was on stardate 1224.3 – which meant that for four months, Pike hid her Illyrian heritage from Starfleet.

Act Four[]

Pasalk dismisses the defense's case as appealing to emotion, when it was the law that was important. Una was an Illyrian and lied about it, and her actions will also lead to Pike, one of Starfleet's most decorated officers, facing court martial. He considers Una to be "toxic" in both action and inaction, and therefore it was only logical to find her guilty.

Hefting her copy of the Uniform Code of Justice, Ketoul asks Batel if she is familiar with Starfleet Code 8514. Batel replies she is, and Ketoul has her read it for the court. It is Starfleet's code authorizing asylum for those fleeing persecution and fearing for their safety due to their political and religious beliefs... or their biology. Starfleet captains had discretion in authorizing asylum, which was confirmed by a tribunal or designated authority. Ketoul points out Starfleet's tradition of performing rescue missions, of aiding distressed peoples. Una knew this, and chose to seek safety in Starfleet from the hardships she faced just for being born an Illyrian. Through her hardship, she sought the stars, joining Starfleet because she believed it was the only thing that could save her life. Una fulfilled the third requirement by revealing herself to Pike, who exercised his judgment as a Starfleet captain to grant her asylum. All that was needed now was for the tribunal to confirm it, and absolve them both. Ketoul admits she loves the law because a law was not a mirror to society, but an ideal, a beacon to remind people to be their better selves. She agrees with Pasalk's statement that it was about the law, but adds that by his own argument, Code 8514 is also law. She urges the tribunal to look to their better selves to apply the law that favors her with the same dispassion as the law that excludes her. "Years ago, the ideals of Starfleet called a young girl from the far side of the galaxy to service," she concludes. "Find those ideals inside yourself." She urges them to grant Una asylum.

Speaking for the court, Javas begins by saying they could all agree the issue of genetic engineering was a nuanced one, that the laws prohibiting it exist for good reasons, and that regulations must persist to prevent another crisis like the Eugenics Wars. However, the court also believes those reasons cannot treat each individual Augment, Illyrian, or other person with modified DNA the same. "Lines must be drawn, but they must also shift when necessary," she continues, adding that one day Starfleet and the Federation would change its views. For the present, they could only consider the defense's motion, to judge the defendant's specific case. The tribunal elects to grant Una's request for asylum, and she is acquitted of the charges against her.

Aboard the Enterprise, Pike, Batel, Ketoul, and the senior staff are waiting in the transporter room as Una beams aboard. Una half-jokingly accuses Ketoul of setting her up, having found out about her admission, all of it. Ketoul replies that she didn't figure out all of it. Una thanks her for saving her life, and apologizes for not doing more for Illyrians; this was a technicality. But Ketoul thinks it was a start, as she bids farewell in friendship. The crew begins to applaud Ketoul as she steps onto the transporter pad. She points out she was not the biggest fan of Starfleet, but sees a crew proud to serve under an Illyrian commander – and like she said, it was a start.

As Ketoul beams away, La'an welcomes Una back, saying it wasn't the same without her. Una sees everyone gathered, and wonders who's flying the ship with them all there. Ortegas jokes that the ship practically flew itself, before Una orders them back to stations. As the transporter room empties, Pike hugs his first officer, relieved to have her back.

Memorable quotes[]

"Should have returned my calls."
"And you should learn to take a hint. Or do they not teach reading the room at the Academy?"
"Been a while since I was at the Academy, so I don't recall. Una needs your help."

- Pike and Ketoul

"Until two months ago, my record with Starfleet was spotless. When they didn't know, they didn't care. The only thing that's changed is that they know the truth."
"And that you lied about it."

- Chin-Riley and Ketoul

"Don't be a child, Chris. I know you think I betrayed you."
"Una should be on my bridge right now, doing her job. Not sitting in some jail cell."

- Batel and Pike

"We're seeking dishonorable dismissal and twenty years in a Federation penal colony."

- Batel, laying down Una's possible sentence

"Put me on the stand. Let them see that being an Illyrian doesn't change who I am as an officer."
"Are you being funny? You were never funny."

- Chin-Riley and Neera

"You don't see the tension there?"
"What tension? They're all like, buddy-buddy. Vulcan bros."
"Vulcans may not give much but you can read their body language. And those two... hate each other."
"Are you messing with me right now?"

- M'Benga and Ortegas, observing Spock and Pasalk stiffly having a conversation

"Of all of my father's former colleagues, Pasalk truly brings out the worst in me."

- Spock

"As you all know, I am not the biggest fan of Starfleet. But I am looking at a starship crew that proudly serves under an Illyrian commander. So, like I said, it's a start. Energize."

- Ketoul, before leaving the Enterprise

"Good to have you back, Number One."
"Good to be back, captain."

- Pike, welcoming Una back to the Enterprise crew

Log entries[]

• Captain's personal log, USS Enterprise (NCC-1701)

Background information[]

Title[]

• 26 May 2023: A preview of this episode was revealed on MCM London Comic Con.
• 15 June 2023: Title publicly revealed by Wil Wheaton on TRR: "The Broken Circle"
• This is one of seventeen Star Trek episodes with titles derived from Latin. In this case, "ad astra per aspera" means "to the stars through hardship".

Cast[]

• Alex Kapp is credited as the "USS Enterprise Computer", however, the computer role was actually performed by the computer in the Judge Advocate General's Office.

Continuity[]

• Admiral Zus Tlaggul is introduced as the Starfleet tribunal's "space command representative," a position first mentioned in TOS: "Court Martial", while Commodore Chiv is introduced as "Starfleet Commander", a position first mentioned in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock.
• The relief in the courtroom depicts members of various 23rd century Federation members, including the founding members: an Andorian, a Human, a Tellarite and a Vulcan, as well as other species such as a Tiburonian from TOS: "The Way to Eden", Betelgeusian, a Rhaandarite, a Saurian, a Zaranite from Star Trek: The Motion Picture, a Caitian and an Edosian (from Star Trek: The Animated Series), and an Osnullus from Star Trek: Discovery.
• While on the stand, Spock mentions meeting Una Chin-Riley for the first time and discovering her love of Gilbert and Sullivan, as depicted in ST: "Q&A".
• It is revealed that four months passed between the events of "Ghosts of Illyria" and "A Quality of Mercy" and two months have passed since the events of "A Quality of Mercy".

Links and references[]

Starring[]

• Anson Mount as Christopher Pike
• Ethan Peck as Spock
• Jess Bush as Christine Chapel
• Christina Chong as La'an Noonien-Singh
• Celia Rose Gooding as Nyota Uhura
• Melissa Navia as Erica Ortegas
• Babs Olusanmokun as Joseph M'Benga

And

• Rebecca Romijn as Una Chin-Riley

Guest starring[]

• Yetide Badaki as Neera Ketoul
• Adrian Holmes as Robert April
• Melanie Scrofano as Marie Batel

Co-starring[]

• Jim Annan as Una's Father
• Anna Claire Beitel as Young Girl/Young Una
• Catherine Black as Una's Mother
• Eugene Clark as Vulcan Judge
• Nicky Guadagni as Admiral Javas
• Beth Hornby as Guard
• Alex Kapp as USS Enterprise Computer
• Graeme Somerville as Vice Admiral Pasalk
• Iain Stewart as Jag Defender
• David Benjamin Tomlinson as Tellarite Judge
• Kimberly-Ann Truong as Illyrian Assistant

Uncredited co-stars[]

• Sky Sorensen as Bolian sciences officer
• Unknown performers as
  • Human crew in Enterprise's rec room
  • JAG clerk
  • Vulcan in Enterprise's rec room

References[]

2234; 2246; 2248; 2258; 2259; Andorian; apartheid; application; apron; arraignment; arrest; Astronomy; asylum; augment (aka "moddie"); Betelgeusian; bioengineering; body language; Bolian; boy; breathing mask; breeding planet; bribe; Caitian; captain; captain's personal log; carrot; case file; conspiracy; charges; chief medical officer; chief science officer; citizen; civil rights; colony; commander; conspiracy; Constitution-class; court martial; counsel (aka counselor, defender, lawyer); cousin; custom; danger; data square; deposition; dishonorable dismissal (aka dismiss); DNA; doctor; door; Draconian law; Edosian; earpiece; Earth; empathy; ensign; Enterprise, USS (schooner); Enterprise, USS (starship); Eugenics Wars; exile; family; father; Federation; Federation law; fighting schoolboys; first officer; freak; friend (aka best friend); General Order 1 (aka Prime Directive); genetic engineering (aka genetic modification); Gilbert and Sullivan; Golden Gate Bridge; Gorn; hate; hospital; hybrid; Illyrian; Illyrian colonists; Illyrian doctor; Ivan's parents; inmate; inspiring speech; jail; judge; Judge Advocate General; Judge Advocate General's Office; kal-toh; Ketoul, Ivan; knife; last name; Latin language; law; leg; lie; lieutenant; Man-us II; Marcel disaster; Medal of Commendation; Medal of Gallantry; mentor; Milky Way Galaxy; mister; modern medicine; months; musicals; Na'rel; Number One; nurse; Ohawk; order; Osnullus; outburst; oxygen; oxygen mask; penal colony; Perrican (planet); Perricans (species); personal log; petition; plea bargain (aka plea deal); Point Bonita; prosecution; quadrant; race; race law; relief; research mission; reunion; sailing ship; Rhaandarite; salvation; San Francisco; San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge; Sarek; Saurian; school; schooner; security officer; sedition; service record; sidebar; Singh, Khan Noonien; slavery; space; Space Command Representative; Stamets-type shuttle (unnamed); stardate; Starfleet; Starfleet Academy; Starfleet Command; Starfleet Commander; Starfleet uniform; Starfleet Uniform Code of Justice; Starfleet v. Wyck; stars; Tellarite; tension; Tiburonian; truth; utopia; Vaultera Nebula; Vulcan; weekend; witness stand; Zaranite

Personnel file references[]

2250; 23rd century; advanced astral navigation; advanced tactics; advanced weapons; Aryabhatta, USS; Award of Valor; brother; Carrington Award; Chatelet, USS; command pilot; Communications; Earth History; Federation Citation of Honor; hand-to-hand combat; Illyria; Interspecies Protocol; Legate's Crest of Valor; Legion of Honor; Medal of Commendation; Medal of Excellence; Proficient Service Medallion; Order of Tactics; S.C.C. Charter; Scientific Legion of Honor; Silver Palm with Cluster; Starfleet Award of Valor; Starfleet database; Starfleet Citation for Conspicuous Gallantry; Starfleet Headquarters; Starfleet Medal of Gallantry; Survival Strategies; Tactical Analysis; Una's brother

Court Clerks Screen references[]

Amin, Jamila; District of San Francisco; records officer; Starfleet Commissions on Courts Martial

External links[]

• "Ad Astra Per Aspera" at Memory Beta, the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
• "Ad Astra per Aspera" at the Internet Movie Database
• ""Discovering Ad Astra per Aspera"" at MissionLogPodcast.com

Previous episode: "The Broken Circle"

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2

Next episode: "Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow"