Warning: contains spoilers for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: The Illyrian Enigma #4!Captain Pike, of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, has just had a moral reckoning on par with Deep Space Nine’s Benjamin Sisko. In Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: The Illyrian Enigma #4, Pike must make a difficult moral decision that could have long-term ramifications for both his imprisoned First Officer and the Federation as a whole – and it echoes a similar dilemma Sisko found himself in during one of Deep Space Nine’s most acclaimed episodes.
The issue is written by Kirsten Beyer and Mike Johnson, drawn by Megan Levens, colored by Charlie Kirchoff and lettered by Neil Uyetake. On the former Illyrian home world, Spock has discovered evidence that the species’ reliance on genetic modification was the result of first contact with pre-logic Vulcans. This information could potentially change Federation ideals, swinging them in favor of Augments such as Una, Pike’s Number One. However, Da-KIl, the Illyrian captain working with Pike, decides otherwise, believing that if his people learned they were just “mere playthings” of the Vulcans, it could upend how they view themselves, ultimately leading to the destruction of their society. Later, Pike records a Supplemental Log, outlining his objections to their course of action, but resolving that he and Spock will keep the knowledge secret – for now. Pike then deletes the entire log.
Captain Pike Is Keeping Secrets from the Federation
The Illyrian Enigma picks up where Strange New Worlds’ season finale left off – with Number One, an Illyrian, in Starfleet custody over her Illyrian heritage. The Illryians practice genetic modification, which violates Federation law. Desperate to find a way to clear Number One’s name, Pike heads to what was once the Illyrian homeworld, abandoned for many centuries. There, Spock was kidnaped by the Illryians and genetically modified to withstand the planet’s harsh climate. Spock found evidence that pre-logic Vulcans had made first contact with the Illyrians over a millennia ago – information that could free Number One.
Pike Has a New Similarity to Captain Sisko
Yet Pike chooses to sit on this exculpatory evidence, and his dilemma here is remarkably similar to one when Captain Benjamin Sisko found himself in the classic Deep Space Nine episode “In the Pale Moonlight.” Set during the devastating Dominion War, “In the Pale Moonlight” saw Sisko conspire to bring the Romulans into the conflict. From the outset, Sisko’s ethics were compromised, and by episode’s end, Sisko had employed a dangerous criminal, bribed Quark and was an accessory to murder. Sisko recounted all of these events in a Personal Log entry; part of Sisko’s reason for recording the log was so he could come to terms with what he had done. The episode ended with Sisko deleting the Personal Log and all evidence of his crimes.
Captain Pike Could Have Changed the Galaxy
It is these logs, recorded over a century apart, that connect Pike and Sisko. What Pike, Spock and company learned about the Illyrians could have huge ramifications for the Federation; the Federation has a zero-tolerance policy towards genetic modification, and this could potentially change all of that, as well as clear Number One. Yet Pike decides to keep it quiet to protect the Illyrians themselves. Pike and Sisko both kept secrets from Star Trek‘s Federation because they believed it was for the best, but in doing so, they entered morally dark waters, making solo decisions that influenced the entire galaxy – hopefully, Pike can make peace with this decision more decisively than Sisko ever has.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds: The Illyrian Enigma #4 is on sale now from IDW Publishing!
