Admiral Buenamigo's automated Texas-class ships turn on Starfleet, and Mariner returns with the California-class fleet to save the Cerritos.
Admiral Buenamigo wants to replace every California-class ship with his automated Texas-class vessels and challenges Freeman to a race. Mariner, now working with Petra Aberdeen, discovers that Jean-Luc Picard is funding her, and admits she has been looking for a way back into Starfleet.
The Cerritos loses the race, but Freeman claims victory because her crew stopped to check a lifeless-looking planet that the automated ships skipped. Rutherford realizes the Texas-class ships run on code from his former self and that Buenamigo erased his memories. Buenamigo orders the automated ships to destroy the Cerritos, but their corrupted systems kill him and turn on Starfleet. Mariner arrives with the California-class fleet to defeat them, then rejoins the Cerritos along with new crew member T'Lyn.