Una Chin-Riley faces a court-martial for concealing her Illyrian heritage, defended by civil rights lawyer Neera Ketoul.
Pike recruits Neera Ketoul, a civil rights attorney, to defend Number One at her court-martial. Captain Batel prosecutes, arguing that Una broke Starfleet's rules on genetic modification by hiding that she is Illyrian. Ketoul attacks the law as unjust and unevenly enforced, pointing out that Admiral April himself once bent the Prime Directive.
Una testifies about the persecution Illyrians have suffered and why she joined Starfleet. Ketoul then argues that Una had effectively been seeking asylum, and the panel acquits her. The title is a Latin phrase meaning through hardships to the stars. Dana Horgan wrote the episode.