STAR TREK: LOWER DECKS
SEASON 4, EPISODE 9
SEASON 4, EPISODE 9
The Inner Fight
Series: Star Trek: Lower Decks - (2020 - 2024)Season: 4
Episode #: 9
Original Airdate: October 26th, 2023
Writer(s): Mike McMahan
Director(s): Brandon Williams
Special Guest Stars
Robert Duncan McNeill as Nick Locarno
Guest Stars
Eric Bauza as Captain Gem
Eric Bauza as The Broker
Jon Curry as Captain Ma'ah
Gabrielle Ruiz as Ltjg. T'Lyn
Paul Scheer as Lt. Commander Andy Billups
Paul Scheer as the Addix Species Bouncer
Lauren Tom as an Orion Female
Paul F. Tompkins as Sub-Commander Vrek
Kari Wahlgren as Captain Cosmia
Kari Wahlgren as Key'lor
Stardate: Unknown
Synopsis
Mariner, Boimler, and T’Lyn are on a mission to upgrade the energy barrier for a group of Federation outpost scientists on Persioff IX who study “tremble lizards,” adorable birdlike balls of deadly poison. When one of the barriers goes down, the scientists panic while Mariner jumps into action. She heroically avoids the eye-exploding poison attacks, fixes the fence, and makes it back inside, barely giving the scientists time to scream. Unfortunately, she didn’t notice one lizard on her back, which proceeded to attack a scientist. Boimler is understandably annoyed at Mariner's actions.
Back on the Cerritos, T’Lyn agrees Beckett’s behavior has grown “increasingly dangerous” and the lower deckers (sans Mariner) are called in for a conference by the Captain, who is also annoyed that her daughter is being so reckless. She is especially worried as the Cerritos has been tasked with assisting Starfleet’s efforts to counter the mystery ship, which has gone from taking out alien ships to targeting former Starfleet officers. The specific civilian they have been assigned to locate before they are abducted is Nicholas Locarno, and Freeman orders the Lieutenant JGs to distract Mariner so she won’t end up in a danger zone spiral with the infamous former cadet who was drummed out of the Academy for his own dangerous exploits. Tendi has the perfect idea: A space buoy has stopped responding, so they can investigate, leaving the Cerritos to find Locarno before he is abducted. The plan is to trick Mariner into thinking the buoy mission is “super dangerous.”
As they shuttle away, Mariner asks too many questions, so quick-thinking T’Lyn assures her the mission will be “2.7 times more perilous” if they withhold the details. The plan starts to fall apart upon arrival at Sherbal V. Fixing an orbital weather satellite is as boring as it sounds, even though Tendi thinks someone might have tampered with it. Soon after Mariner bemoans the mission, a Klingon Bird of Prey decloaks and aims weapons, so she pushes an annoyed Boimler out of the pilot seat to perform evasive maneuvers. A Type 6 shuttle is no match for the Klingon ship, and they only survive the inevitable explosion thanks to Tendi beaming them to the planet moments before.
Lost in a stormy alien forest, Mariner sticks with her “bring it!” defiance while the gang focuses on figuring out why they were attacked and why this uninhabited planet is full of random aliens like a Ferengi and Romulan facing off at spear-point. As it turns out they were actually working together to trap a third mysterious figure, and true to form, Mariner jumps in to join the fight, trash-talking the Romulan who quickly gets the upper hand. The other lieutenants drag her off and after another attack (from a Cardassian) is thwarted (by a T’Lyn neck pinch), they find shelter in a tall tree. Tendi spots the satellite monitoring station they can use to send for help, and the plan is to avoid the various nearby aliens, but Mariner counters they should just fight their way through. Her friends finally admit they are under orders to keep her out of danger because everyone is worried about how weird she has been lately. She doesn't take the news well. As the group sleeps, she sneaks off on her own and soon enough finds just the kind of action she has been looking for: that apex predator from before who turns out to be a Klingon. Completely forgetting what just happened with that Romulan, she starts insulting the formidable warrior… in Klingon. Even with some impressive moves, Ma’ah gets the better of her in combat… before it starts raining shards of glass.
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[ Screencap Index ]
Unaware of the events on Sherbal, the Cerritos arrives at New Axton, which Shaxs assures is “twice as lawless” as old Axton but “without any of the charm.” It’s a classic wretched hive of scum and villainy, albeit with some very snooty folks in charge who are no fans of the Federation. Freeman is ordered to park her ship far away, next to a moon, while they let obvious nefarious types fly straight down. As a frustrated Freeman, Shaxs, and Rutherford arrive via the local moon shuttle, the captain knows they will have to “think like criminals.” However, the “Hoodlums and Racketeers” seminar she took doesn’t seem to be working as the bouncer at Locarno’s last known location will only put the Starfleeters (in full uniform) on a waiting list, helplessly watching as the scary bounty hunter and other unsavory types waltz straight into the seedy bar. When they eventually do get in, they find a familiar-looking information broker who is also not a Federation fan—and that’s before Freeman assaults the little alien, accusing him of being a puppet. The broker is now motivated to sell Locarno’s location to that scary bounty hunter as the officers are booted from the bar amid boos and jeers from the patrons.
Mariner and Ma’ah pause their battle to hide in a cave until the storm ends. She learns he was abandoned on the planet by his crew from the same Bird of Prey that attacked her shuttle. The Klingon captain is impressed she is a warrior, but she rejects the notion, so he accuses her of waging war with herself. The warrior’s keen insight cuts to her core and Mariner decides to turn this into her moment of truth. She has been acting out because she doesn’t want the responsibility that comes with that promotion. She loves Starfleet, especially the exploration at its core. Her cycle of promotion and demotion goes all the way back to her time at the Academy. She and her friend (and hero) Sito dreamed of being captains one day, but after graduation, Sito was killed by a Cardassian on a covert mission, and Mariner just hasn’t been the same since. The Dominion War didn’t help matters, either. Literally throwing her new pip away, Mariner rejects the possibility of having to send friends to die. Ma’ah quickly diagnoses the problem: Sito was a warrior and Mariner is not honoring her memory. She died so Mariner and others in Starfleet could do what they love best, and she would certainly not approve of all this moping. Beckett agrees, she is acting like a biHnuch (idiot). The Klingon returns her pip and she puts it back on. With the storm now over, he is ready to return to their battle, but Mariner pulls a surprise move on him. “Klingons do not hug!” he protests. She has decided they are allies, trapped on this weird planet...together.
As various aliens tussle over glowing fruit at the relay station, Ma’ah suggests taking on the Orions and the others will scatter. Acknowledging what she is doing is harder than attacking, Mariner jumps in to try to stop the fighting amongst the gathered aliens from the abducted alien ships: Orions, Bynars, Cardassians, Ferengi, and Romulans. Thinking it’s a Starfleet trick, they aren’t ready for a time out until Ma’ah jumps in, and since they are all scared of him, they briefly agree to her “time out.” She digs into her Starfleet training to find that common ground; they are all stranded and hungry, so they should work together and focus on whoever is behind all of this. The Orion captain still can’t handle listening to a Starfleet officer and lunges for Mariner, only to be stopped in her tracks by the Mistress of the Winter Constellations. Tendi’s timely arrival (with Boimler and T’Lyn) has Captain Cosmia take a knee, giving Mariner a chance at a unifying speech about how all their species “chose to go into space and all the danger that comes with it.” If they work together then “nothing can stop us.”
The alien adversaries put aside their differences and start working on an escape plan, but then Mariner is suddenly beamed away. Another Starfleet trick! Ma’ah again vouches for her honor—she was taken against her will and they should continue getting that distress call ready as he has a cunning plan. As the Bird of Prey sweeps in close to take out the station, Ma’ah has positioned his makeshift squad on the surrounding cliffs and they leap onto the ship, soon making their way to the bridge. The bridge crew is quickly subdued but Ma’ah has other plans for the petaQ who took his command, lunging at the traitor and literally tearing him apart as his new allies try not to look too horrified at his (purple) bloodlust. This ship is his again, but Mariner is nowhere to be found…
On New Axton, Rutherford is dejected their mission failed, but the captain declares it a success as the scary-helmet bounty hunter arrives and it’s Billups! She knew how the locals would react to Starfleet and used that against them, so now they have Locarno’s location. Maybe her seminar really worked. They arrive at a hangar hoping to get Locarno into protective custody, but the pilot-for-hire is nowhere to be found. What they do find changes everything: schematics for the mystery ship behind all the alien attacks (and abductions.) Locarno appears to be behind it all.
Elsewhere, Mariner wakes up in a room on the mystery ship. When the door opens she is ready for a fight, but instead is greeted by a smiling Nick, who she recognizes. He is happy to see her declaring they are “going to cause some trouble together.”
To be continued...-TrekMovie
Trailer
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