Cat and Mouse

Story: Rubicon

Written By: Alan McElroy

Series: Star Trek: Discovery

Year: 2022

Book and Tarka have the weapon and are on the search for the controller of the DMA.  Discovery is after them, hoping to somehow appeal to Book's reason.  Nhan, who is now working in Starfleet Security, is brought on to keep an eye on Michael due to her personal connection with Book, and to offer up the last resort, which would destroy Book's ship and everything on it.  Initially the plan is to send a shuttle but without Book's knowledge Tarka added an extra layer of security that nearly destroys the shuttle with Saru, Culber, and a couple others on board.  

It then becomes a cat and mouse game of jumping and blocking, until finally Michael is able to convince Book to stand down for at least a week until they can make first contact. If that plan should go to hell, Starfleet fully supports blowing up the DMA with Tarka's weapon.  Book is visibly relieved but Tarka cannot wait and wants desperately to get to his fictional happy universe he has just invented...he blows it up.  And it is an utter disaster for everyone.  Book is now stuck as an accomplice to a crime he agreed not to commit.  The DMA's destruction can severely hurt the Federations hopes for a diplomatic resolution, and Tarka's whole scheme is for nil.  The controller is on the other side of the wormhole. He can't get it. And then a brand spanking new DMA arrives anyhow. Nothing is solved. 

It's a good episode. It has tension, and it is building up to what seems like a peaceful solution only for a wildcard idiot genius to screw it up for everyone.  Smarmy dope isn't as smart as he thinks.  

NEXT TIME: Now What?