Star Trek: Discovery Combines Starfleet Tech And Force Powers to Save A Planet

The rivalry between Star Trek and Star Wars has been well-documented, but when the two franchises blur the lines on their ideas, it can be oh so much fun. Case in point: the latest episode of Star Trek: Discovery season 3 saw the crew of USS Discovery having to head to Kwejian, the home planet of Michael Burnham’s (Sonequa Martin-Green) new love interest Cleveland Booker (David Ajala). Discovery risks war with one fo the future’s most ruthless syndicates to save Booker’s world, but when it comes down to it, that salvation comes from a combination of Discovery’s Starfleet tech, and the Force-like powers of Booker and the Kewjians.

Warning: Star Trek Discovery Season 3 SPOILERS Follow!

In “Sanctuary”, Kwejian is threatened by Osyraa (Janet Kidder), the Orion leader of the Emerald Chain. Osyraa is not happy that her nephew Tolor let Brunham and Booker disrupt the Chain’s salvage operation on Hunhau (in the previous “Scavengers” episode). Since Booker left with an important asset Osyraa had been keeping enslaved (Ryn), Osyraa holds a gun to Kwejian head (metaphorically-speaking) to get Booker’s attention.

As it turns out, Booker’s sworn brother Kyheem had struck up a deal tracking and capturing deadly Trance Worms for Emerald Chain (the same beast that hypnotizes and violently devours poor Tolor). That deal kept Kwejian from starving, as Emerald Chain supplied key chemical repellent that kept the planet’s sea locusts from venturing too far inland and consuming the crops. With Osyraa withholding the needed repellent, Kwejian is left starving.

In true Star Trek fashion, Discovery finds a way to stop the threat of Osyraa, without sparking a full-scale war between Emerald Chain and The Federation. However, that victory doesn’t stop Osyraa from leaving Kwejian to starve without the needed repellent, and so a different way must be found. There is one hope: Booker and Kyheem are both “Empaths,” able to commune with nature, using abilities that are all-too-similar to Force-sensitivity in Star Wars Jedi and other characters.

The two sworn brothers attempt to use their empathic powers to “ask” the sea locusts to vacate the inland region; unfortunately, even two Empaths are not strong enough for the job. However, USS Discovery has the necessary science/tech stuff to boost the Empath signal so that the entire swarm of sea locusts moves on. Planet saved.

As stated, it can be a lot of fun when Star Trek and Star Wars borrow elements of the other franchise. Star Trek: Discovery season 3 continues to satisfy fans when new episodes are posted every Thursday on CBS All Access.