In the gripping episode titled "Ad Astra Per Aspera," Number One finds herself ensnared in a legal quagmire, facing severe repercussions for concealing her Illyrian heritage. The episode's opening, a poignant childhood flashback, underscores that she is no stranger to precarious situations. All her life, she has concealed her true identity, enduring pain and suffering to spare herself and those around her from dire consequences. Yet, this predicament may mark the culmination of her clandestine existence.
Batel, tasked with prosecuting the first officer, presents a deal she believes serves both Number One and the Federation's best interests: Number One would accept dishonorable discharge in exchange for immunity from further punishment, while the Federation would expunge her records, thereby burying an embarrassing scandal. Even Number One's own counsel views this as a favorable agreement, albeit his advocacy lacks the necessary forcefulness. For Number One to extricate herself from this tight corner, she requires someone more inclined to bend the rules in pursuit of justice.
Enter Pike, the natural choice for such a pivotal moment. While the second season premiere of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds leaned heavily into the franchise's action-packed traditions, this sequel episode showcases its dialogue-driven side, which is no less intense. The Enterprise crew, sans Pike, adeptly navigated the dual peril posed by Klingons and pirates, but negotiating a legal triumph sans Pike's prowess seems unimaginable.
However, Pike cannot accomplish this feat single-handedly. He ventures into the Volterra Nebula to a planet where Illyrians have adapted to an atmosphere lethal to him without an oxygen mask. Nearly succumbing to asphyxiation when he refuses to vacate the office of Counselor Neera Ketoul (Yetide Badaki), an Illyrian lawyer acquainted with Number One, albeit reluctantly. Neera is initially unenthusiastic about defending Number One against what she deems an inevitable exposure. Yet, Pike's persuasive argument—that defending Number One offers an opportunity to scrutinize other contentious Federation cases—wins her over.
With Neera on her side, Number One's defense takes flight, including Pike's stern rebuke of his occasional lover, Batel, who warns of the Federation's severe retaliation should Number One reject the plea deal. Number One defiantly does so, prompting the Federation to honor its promise by deploying Vice Admiral Pasalk (Graeme Somerville), an intimidating bald Vulcan intent on ensuring Number One faces a punishment far more severe than dishonorable discharge.
Among the two legal advocates locking horns against Number One, Batel emerges as the more empathetic figure. Yet, she steadfastly refuses to allow any sentimental inclinations towards Pike or his team to cloud her judicial duties. When Pike attempts to charm the court with a hypothetical testimony as a defense witness, Batel retorts with a relentless line of probing questions, forcing him to confront his own vulnerabilities. Pike's charm alone seems insufficient to extricate him from this predicament.
As for Pasalk, he exudes a reserved, almost Vulcan-like jerkiness. While Ortegas remains oblivious, M’Benga astutely perceives the friction between Spock and Pasalk. complicates matters further. When Pasalk appears in court later, his unappealing demeanor becomes even more evident.
As the trial commences, Batel constructs a compelling argument against genetic engineering, invoking Earth's history and the Eugenics War that resulted in "tens of millions of deaths." However, Neera counters that this is an unfair comparison, as not all genetic modifications are equivalent (nor do they culminate in genocide). Isn't this merely bigotry under a different guise?
This fundamental conflict defines the trial: one side advocates that rules are inviolable, while the other contends that some rules are outdated and flawed. Indeed, Admiral April would never have permitted Number One to enlist had he known of her past, but wouldn't Starfleet have suffered a great loss? Furthermore, hasn't April himself violated the Prime Directive numerous times? Is this situation truly any different? Regardless of the rationale, Neera's assault on April ruffles many feathers. Pike finds himself uncertain about Neera's intentions, while April is rightfully incensed.
Could Neera be grandstanding, utilizing the trial as a soapbox to air grievances against the Federation at large? Number One suspects as much, but as the trial resumes, the focus shifts to her exceptional qualities. M’Benga and Singh admire her deeply, while Spock holds her in such high esteem that he even cracks a joke about her fondness for Gilbert and Sullivan musicals while testifying.
Nonetheless, the prosecution's case stands robustly. Number One undeniably lied. Yet, could there be a chink in their armor? This is Singh's faint hope as she approaches Neera, hinting that the evidence against Number One might have been procured illegally, thereby potentially nullifying the case. What remains unspoken is Singh's private suspicion that she herself might be the perpetrator, her frustrations with Number One discreetly noted in her personal log. This lead, however, proves to be a cul-de-sac, yet it sparks a train of thought in Neera: Who stands to gain from Number One's exposure, and how might she exploit this?
Neera doesn't immediately seize upon this line of inquiry, or so it seems. Instead, she summons Number One to the witness stand to narrate her life's tale. Number One recounts her upbringing in the Volterra Nebula, shortly after her Illyrian Colony was granted conditional membership in the Federation, provided they abstained from genetic modifications. Yet, not all adhered, including Number One's parents. This necessitated concealing their customs and her enhancements, lest they face persecution, as did one of her schoolmates. It meant residing in a society where animosity towards the augmented was openly endorsed, living in constant dread that even a minor injury could prove fatal, and deciding whether to remain concealed when the colony was bifurcated into Illyrian and non-Illyrian cities — a decision Number One's family made, unlike Neera's (thus, the underlying tension between them).
Number One meticulously covers all this in her testimony, even offering Neera an apology. Prompted by Neera, she then drops a bombshell: Number One surrendered herself, unable to continue "living a lie" and hoping it might prompt Starfleet to reconsider its stance. Why wouldn't she aspire for that? It was Starfleet's very diversity and tolerance that initially drew her to serve. Her confession takes the form of a passionate and compelling plea.
Subsequently, Number One must confront the formidable Pasalk, who has remained mostly silent until now, occasionally nudging Batel to object when needed. Pasalk then turns his attention to Pike, insisting that if Pike knew (as he indeed did) about Number One's deception, it transforms into a conspiracy. When directly questioned about when Pike knew, Number One is compelled to reveal the truth. Pasalk, with a smug satisfaction, declares he has no further inquiries, paving the way for closing arguments. Pasalk's summation is concise.
Neera masterfully invokes Starfleet Code to bolster her argument, painting Number One's plight as a heart-wrenching tale of escaping persecution and seeking refuge within the ranks of Starfleet—a modern-day asylum seeker in the cosmos. Her fervent defense of Starfleet's principles, despite her indifference towards the Federation, stands as a bold challenge, compelling the institution to uphold the very ideals it champions. (This ingenious legal maneuver is nothing short of brilliant.) With these words, victory is secured, rekindling the friendship between Number One and Neera, and restoring the Enterprise's first officer to her rightful place. The episode concludes on a heartwarming note, with Pike and Number One sharing an unexpected embrace, much to her astonishment.
In many respects, "Ad Astra Per Aspera" serves as a tranquil interlude following the frenetic pace of the season premiere, a welcome deviation akin to the trials that have featured prominently in numerous Trek episodes. It further underscores Strange New Worlds' commitment to weaving contemporary issues into its 23rd-century narrative. Number One's journey, though not a one-to-one reflection of any single real-world struggle, resonates with multiple historical parallels—from Jews concealing their identities to evade persecution to LGBTQ+ individuals unable to live openly. And while Number One's ordeal concludes with a just resolution, the episode acknowledges that the larger issue remains unresolved, emphasizing Starfleet's ongoing work towards progress. (Provided, of course, that the impending war with the Gorn does not intervene—a concern for another day.)
