Mind-Blowing Revelations Unveiled in Star Trek Strange New Worlds Season 2 Episode 2 Finale!

Commander Una Chin-Riley's persecution comes to a close in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2, episode 2, "Ad Astra per Aspera," as her court-martial hearing takes place. In the season 1 finale, Una was arrested for hiding her Illyrian heritage from Starfleet, and now her trial unveils new insights into her character as well as the potential consequences for Captain Christopher Pike's career. The episode also reveals Captain Pike's journey to the Illyrian settlement in the Vaultera Nebula, where he seeks the help of Una's childhood friend and prominent Illyrian civil rights lawyer, Neera Ketoul, in defending Number One in court. Through this case, Neera aims to advocate for the rights of Illyrians and other banned Augments within the United Federation of Planets.

How Number One Wins Her Trial & Why Starfleet Offers Una Asylum

Neera successfully argues Una's case, highlighting a pivotal moment that brings about a shift in attitudes towards Illyrians. She strategically decides to put Una on the witness stand, providing her with a platform to recount the persecution and hardships faced by her and her fellow Illyrians during their childhood. Una vividly describes the struggles they endured, including the need to practice their traditions in secret and conceal life-threatening injuries from hospitals. She also shares how they had to rely on finding "friendly" doctors to assist with the delivery of newborn Illyrians. Additionally, Una recounts a disturbing incident from her past, where a local boy faced relentless bullying from classmates after they learned about Augments in school.

Through Una's powerful testimony, the court is presented with a clear depiction of racial persecution and the life-threatening abuse suffered by Illyrians at the hands of others. This revelation significantly impacts the mood in the courtroom, visibly affecting Captain Batel, who appears deeply moved by the haunting tales of Una's childhood. Neera seizes this opportunity to reference the Starfleet Charter, which allows individuals who face persecution based on cultural or religious grounds and fear for their lives to seek asylum within the Federation. Neera argues that Una's dreams of joining Starfleet and her traumatic experiences are compelling enough to convince the court that Una had falsified her background initially to protect herself, only later applying for asylum aboard the Enterprise under Captain Pike.

The court acknowledges this and grants Una asylum within the Federation, in accordance with the Starfleet Charter, likely due to her exceptional service record. The Judge Advocate General notes that while there may be a time in the future when the Federation reevaluates its prohibition on genetic enhancements, cases similar to Una's will continue to be handled on an individual basis. Neera optimistically remarks that this ruling, along with the fact that the crew of the USS Enterprise proudly serves under an Illyrian Commander, marks a positive "beginning" towards changing Starfleet's prejudice against Augments.

Why Number One Turned Herself Into Starfleet

Following her recent reinstatement on the USS Enterprise, Lieutenant La'an Noonien-Singh (portrayed by Christina Chong) assumes the role of Security Chief and is assigned the task of uncovering the individual responsible for betraying Una. Concerned that her emotionally charged personal log, which she recorded upon learning about Una's Illyrian heritage, may have been intercepted, La'an soon discovers that the truth is far more intricate. Neera, harboring suspicions of her own, becomes convinced of the reality after La'an's relentless yet futile investigations, leading her to confront Una during a courtroom trial. With relentless questioning, Neera demands to know why Una would jeopardize her prestigious Starfleet career by divulging the truth.

Una explains that she had grown tired of concealing her heritage and desired her crew to perceive her true identity. This poignant moment effectively highlights the harshness of the Federation's sweeping prohibition on Augments. For Una and the Illyrians, genetic enhancement is an integral part of their culture, a practice ingrained before birth and long before they possess the autonomy to make decisions about augmentations. By surrendering herself and sharing her narrative on the witness stand, Una demonstrates heroic defiance, compellingly confronting Starfleet with the ban's lack of discernment when it comes to genetically modified species.

Captain Pike & Enterprise Crew Were Almost Accused Of Conspiracy

Unmoved by Una's emotional testimony, Vice Admiral Pasalk (Graeme Somerville) interrogates her on the stand regarding Captain Pike's knowledge of her Illyrian heritage. Although Una had previously confided in Pike about her true background, he chose not to disclose it to Starfleet or request her removal from the Enterprise. Pike and Una share a fiercely loyal bond, and he even endangered his own life in the harsh atmosphere of the Illyrian settlement to recruit Neera for their cause. Pike's decision to withhold Una's Illyrian heritage ultimately worked in her favor, as the Starfleet Charter grants Captains the discretion to handle such sensitive information during asylum applications.

Vice Admiral Pasalk's relentless interrogation of Una serves a purpose beyond simple curiosity - he seeks to uncover a hidden plot that stretches throughout the entire chain of command on the Enterprise. The motives behind the Vulcan's desire to strip the Federation flagship of its crew remain unclear. However, previous encounters with Vulcans in Star Trek: Enterprise have shown that they hold stringent standards for Starfleet officers, suggesting that Pasalk may doubt Pike's capabilities. It is possible that Pasalk's aggressive actions stem from his personal animosity towards Spock, whom he views as a rival. In fact, Spock himself has admitted that Pasalk is the only colleague of his father's who manages to bother him. The presence of Dr. Joseph M'Benga, who observes that the two Vulcans "hate each other," further supports the notion that Pasalk might be exploiting the Illyrian scandal to exact revenge on Spock and the entire Enterprise crew.

La'an Admits She Is An Augment Like Khan

Neera offers words of guidance to La'an, who grapples with the burden of being a descendant of Khan Noonien-Singh. La'an confides in Neera about inheriting Khan's augmentations and fears that it may make her a threat like him. In a heartfelt response, Neera assures La'an that she possesses the same potential for both good and bad actions, just like anyone else.

In "Ad Astra per Aspera," it is significant to acknowledge La'an's family history in light of the ban on genetic enhancements caused by Khan. When questioned about Khan during her testimony, La'an's emotional revelation to Neera demonstrates how the Federation's prejudice against Augments affects even those who are completely honest about their origins. It will be intriguing to witness the extent to which Star Trek: Strange New Worlds explores La'an's connection to Khan in future episodes, considering the legendary tyrant won't awaken for another 8 years.

What Strange New Worlds Revealed About Number One & Neera

In Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, it is revealed that Civil rights lawyer Neera and Una, childhood friends, had a falling out due to a series of events driven by anti-Illyrian prejudice. One significant event that led to their division was the discovery of Ivan, Neera's cousin, being Illyrian. When Ivan's parents were arrested when he was 10 years old, civil unrest ensued as the colonists tried to remove the Illyrians from the planet. In order to restore peace, the colony was divided into two communities - one consisting of Illyrians and the other of non-enhanced colonists. Una's family, who could pass as non-enhanced, chose to abandon their Illyrian counterparts for a more comfortable life. This initial incident played a pivotal role in severing the bond between Una and Neera as children. During Number One's court-martial, Una emotionally expresses her remorse for leaving behind her family and friends every day, leading to an unspoken acceptance of Una's apology by Neera.

Neera's disdain for Starfleet led her to dedicate her life to improving the conditions of Illyrians, while Una, on the other hand, chose to align herself with an institution that had a history of persecuting them. This fundamental difference in career paths likely deepened the rift between them, especially after their families were torn apart. However, as "Ad Astra per Aspera" concludes, Una and Neera manage to reconcile. Neera begins to recognize the positive impact of having an Illyrian serving in a prominent position aboard the Federation's flagship.

Why Number One's Trial Didn't (& Couldn't) Solve The Federation's Ban On Augments

Sadly, the efforts of Una and Neera to achieve a more significant triumph for Augments against the Federation were hindered by the established Star Trek canon. In a renowned episode of Star Trek: DS9 featuring Doctor Julian Bashir, it was disclosed that he, too, possessed genetic enhancements. Similar to Una, Julian had concealed his genetic enhancements, which were administered during his childhood. The series Star Trek: Prodigy later confirmed that the prohibition on genetic enhancements remained in place well into the late 24th century. Consequently, while Una was destined to win her case, it could not lead to a broader legal victory within the vast Star Trek universe.

The belief of the Judge Advocate General that significant change may occur in the future is encouraging, although it has yet to be realized within the Star Trek canon. The current approach of handling each case individually, which led to Una's triumph in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, remains in effect. Dr. Julian Bashir (Alexander Siddig) was permitted to continue serving in Starfleet, but only on the condition that his father be imprisoned. Similarly, Dal R'El (Brett Gray) in Star Trek: Prodigy is unable to join Starfleet Academy but finds guidance from Admiral Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew). At present, Una's victory represents a positive initial step in a lengthy journey for both Augments and the Federation.

Catch Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2 streaming on Paramount+ every Thursday.