A death on the chase sparks a Breen declaration of war, and the next clue points to the Badlands.
L'ak, injured during the clash at the Enterprise, is held at Federation headquarters, where Culber struggles to treat an unfamiliar Breen body. Primarch Ruhn arrives to claim him, revealing that L'ak is his nephew and a descendant of a former Breen emperor whom he wants to use to strengthen his claim to the throne.
Rayner reveals that his family was killed in a Breen occupation, and Burnham uses Breen politics to stall Ruhn. During a failed attempt to escape with Moll, L'ak overdoses and dies despite Breen medical help, and Ruhn declares war. Moll tells Ruhn about the Progenitor technology, hoping it can bring L'ak back, and he takes her with him. The crew learns the next clue lies at the Eternal Gallery and Archive in the Badlands. M. Raven Metzner wrote the episode.