“Battle at the Binary Stars” is episode two of season one of Star Trek: Discovery.
This episode opens seven years earlier, and Sarek and Michael Burnham transport aboard the U.S.S. Shenzhou, to be greeted by Captain Georgiou. Sarek introduces Burnham as his ward and has to coach her a bit on being diplomatic. She’s apparently the only human to attend to Vulcan Learning Centre and Science Academy and is far more Vulcan in her behaviour than in the present. Enough so that Sarek tells her to behave before leaving. Burnham had expected to join the Vulcan Expeditionary Group; she dismisses Captain Georgiou’s comments as emotional platitudes. Leading the captain to say that Burnham really has been away from humans for a long time.
In the previous episode, “The Vulcan Hello”, Burnham tried displacing the captain when she wouldn’t do the stated hello – shooting at the Klingons first. This failed. Then, Klingon vessels started warping into the system. Twenty-four vessels have arrived. This is the number of houses on the Klingon High Council; Burnham does not think that’s a coincidence. That someone is attempting to unify the empire against them. However, Captain Georgiou relieves Burnham of duty and has her escorted to the brig. Not really that surprising.
On T’Kuvma’s ship, Voq is speaking to the heads of the great houses. One of them is demanding to see T’Kuvma; he seems less than happy with him when he arrives. T’Kuvma has not earned a seat on the council. T’Kuvma says this is his father’s ship, abandoned until he discovered it to restore honour to his house. Using what some call outcasts and vermin. T’Kuvma also has a cloak of invisibility. Some of the council are interested, asking how he proposes to unite the empire. Against the Federation, who are threatened by their purity. One ship may not be a threat, but more have arrived.
The admiral’s ship is still some distance out so Georgiou opens a channel to the Klingons. She tells them they are in Federation territory and they can leave or talk. T’Kuvma, to the heads of the houses, says she will utter their lie – ‘We come in peace.’ T’Kuvma disagrees with that and, from his point of view, he is perhaps right. The Klingons open fire and both sides start taking damage.
Georgiou sends an injured crewman to sickbay, but he arrives at the brig where the computer is refusing to fill Burnham in. He tells Burnham what happened, but seems a bit dazed. Then the ship is hit, there is a hull breach and the man is sucked out into space. Burnham is protected by the brig’s forcefield, but is knocked unconscious for a bit. She has a memory of Sarek mind melding with her as a child. When she comes too, the computer says there has been a major hull breach. No kidding; Burnham’s forcefield is all that’s protecting her from vacuum. That’s a good forcefield generator.
The captain finds out that the brig’s deck is damaged and the computer says that shields are at 15%. Power is diverted from compromised decks to the bridge. The failure of the brig’s forcefield is imminent, and Burnham sees Sarek. More than a mind meld; ever since the bombing of the Learning Centre, where terrorists changed Burnham’s destiny, part of Sarek’s katra has been with her, allowing this unique form of communication. Burnham explains what happened. Sarek hasn’t come to say goodbye; he has come to spur her into doing something about her situation.
The bridge gets breached and a forcefield seals the gap. The Shenzhou is drifting, with no engines and no shields. A Klingon is going to attack, but breaks off, because the ship is drifting into the debris field around the binary stars. However, before the ship hits a rather large chunk of debris, it is tractored away. The Europa, carrying Admiral Anderson, has arrived. Georgiou fills in the admiral, who thinks the Klingons may be ready to talk. They seemingly are, and T’Kuvma says he will accept an offer for a ceasefire. Then the Europa is rammed by a Klingon vessel that used to be invisible, and is being sliced in half before the self-destruct is activated. The Klingons do not want to talk. The Klingons, T’Kuvma, want war, to fight as a unified empire against the Federation.
Burnham is still trapped in the brig and she starts a logical battle against the computer to release her. Because, where she is, she is going to die. The Federation has taken heavy losses in the battle.
This is the second part of what is essentially a two-part pilot. Now, the real story can begin.