Last Flight of the Protostar, Part II (episode)

Chakotay and the cadets devise a bold but perilous plan to relaunch the Protostar. Before the ship can fly, however, it will first have to sail.

Summary

Act One

On the USS Voyager-A, the crew conducts repairs after the attack by the Loom. Zeph and Grom watch as a severed tentacle from one of the creatures is collected by the crew while Commander Tysess studies information on Wesley Crusher and the young crew on the bridge. The Doctor treats Vice Admiral Kathryn Janeway's injured shoulder before Tysess and Councilor Noum arrive with the news that long-range sensors have found no sign of the USS Protostar's warp signature and there are still no subspace transmissions from Captain Chakotay or their missing crew. Janeway admits that the longer this goes on, the more that she doubts her call to allow the young Protostar crew to go. Janeway allowed the crew to venture into the unknown on the word of Wesley Crusher who they don't know much about.

Noum pulls Janeway aside, revealing that he'd twisted some arms at Starfleet Medical to track down Dr. Beverly Crusher for her, something that's surprisingly hard to do these days. Janeway notes that it's been awhile since the Shinzon incident, and asks how Admiral Jean-Luc Picard is doing. Crusher tells Janeway that it's been awhile, but the last that she heard, Picard is busy with the Romulan evacuation which she's been told is his priority. Crusher has heard that Janeway has recently had an encounter with her son, and asks what happened and how Wesley is. Janeway explains that Wesley had saved their lives, but he had seemed erratic, and Wesley had persuaded some of Janeway's cadets to embark upon a mission that they have yet to return from. However, while Crusher wishes that she could offer some insight, she hasn't seen her son in years. "For a time traveler, I wish he had more time to spend with his mother," laments Crusher. However, Wesley is a good son with a good heart, and she has to believe that he knows what he's doing. Janeway wishes that she had a mother's faith like Crusher's, but all that Janeway has is her crew and she's worried for them. Crusher tells Janeway that she's more like a mother than she realizes and that all that they can do is be there for their children when they find their way home.

On Ysida, the crew works on transforming the Protostar into a sailing ship. Chakotay berates Dal R'El for being too slow, leading Dal to complain about how fast Chakotay has turned from a beach bum into someone giving orders. Gwyn reminds Dal that they've all gotta play their part if they want to turn this ship into a boat and get it off of the planet. Jankom Pog complains that it would be way easier if they had fuel, and it will be impossible without it. Hologram Janeway states that it will be difficult, but not impossible, and she calls the crew together to discuss their plan once more before launch.

Chakotay tells the crew that the warp core might be offline and without fuel, but they still have one last hope thanks to Adreek-Hu who had a backup plan. In order to get the ship's warp drive working, they need matter and antimatter to create a reaction. If they mix the two together, the results are rather explosive and perfect for powering a starship. Adreek already managed to collect some compressed antimatter for them from the planet's lightning storms, but they also need deuterium gas. Hologram Janeway has detected a massive swirling suspension of it in the eye of a storm on the other side of Ysida's dangerous high density vapor ocean. They need to sail the Protostar to the maelstrom in order to collect the gas. As long as they can maintain forward momentum, the ship should maintain buoyancy. Hologram Janeway can guide the crew as they sail across and once they arrive, the crew can use the ship's ramscoops to collect the deuterium. "Then we engage the warp core, and it's a straight shot to the stars."

Protostar sailing
The Protostar sets sail

Over the course of several days, the crew transform their starship into a sailing ship, adding rigging, a large solar collector as a sail and a rudder to steer the ship with. Dal and Chakotay continue to clash over who the ship belongs to as they prepare to launch the ship. On Chakotay's command, Jankom extends the Protostar's third nacelle, causing the ship to move forward before it gets stuck on a rock. Rather irrationally, Dal tries to use the Runaway to pull the rock free despite the vehicle clearly not having the power to do so. Quoting Archimedes, Chakotay uses a lever with the help of Rok-Tahk and Murf to free the rock. "All aboard the HMS Protostar," calls Chakotay and the crew races aboard as the ship slides down the beach and into the ocean, setting sail. Chakotay orders Jankom, Rok and Gwyn to keep the rigging taut, Zero and Murf to handle the rudder and lookout, Maj'el the sail, and Dal the jib, although Chakotay has to point Dal in the right direction.

Act Two

As they sail across the ocean, Dal's lack of attention to his job causes the Protostar to sail right towards a deadly reef which Murf notices and calls out a warning about. The crew frantically adjusts to avoid a collision with the rocks. With Dal struggling with the jib, Gwyn and Chakotay take over, barely avoiding a disaster, although the ship's starboard nacelle still collides with a rock as they sail past it. Chakotay furiously tells Dal off for his inattentiveness and places Gwyn on the jib from now on, instructing Dal to coil the ropes instead. Chakotay predicts that it should be smooth sailing going forward.

Rok finds it kind of crazy to be traveling without replicators or warp engines, but Jankom points out that the ship is the only thing keeping them from sinking to the bottomless abyss. Frightened, Rok decides to go below deck. Zero offers their help to Maj'el, but she refuses, wanting to do her job on her own. Chakotay approaches the dejected Dal, offering to listen to his troubles. Dal eventually admits that all he's ever wanted to be is a captain, but he's been haunted by the glimpse of the future that Dal got in Wesley's machine. As bad as Dal wants it, he doesn't think that he'll ever be captain. Dal reveals that despite the brave face that he puts on, he's actually deeply insecure and worried about what good he'll be to his friends if he can't lead. Sympathetic, Chakotay tells Dal that he was lost too when he was Dal's age. Chakotay lost his father, his heritage and his purpose and Chakotay thought that he'd find it by rebelling with the Maquis. However, Chakotay never truly belonged until he became Janeway's first officer on the original USS Voyager. "I wasn't a captain, but we shared something greater, a cause I believed in. Point is, maybe you'll be captain, maybe not, but whenever you're feeling lost, it's best to find where you're needed most. And right now... that's rope duty."

Suddenly, Murf draws everyone's attention as both he and Hologram Janeway see that the ship is approaching their destination: a massive storm in the middle of the ocean. The Protostar approaches the maelstrom, and Chakotay orders the crew to maintain this heading as the deuterium is at the eye of the storm. Below decks, Jankom and Rok are trying to keep the ship together in the rough waters. Hologram Janeway reports that the hull integrity is at 40 percent and Zero gets seasick. Ysidan eels, spooked by the maelstrom, swim around the ship as Hologram Janeway directs the crew on what direction to take the Protostar, sailing it into the maelstrom. However, the high winds and a lightning strike rips the sail off and Chakotay orders everyone below deck.

The crew takes their positions on the bridge as the ship circles the maelstrom before another lightning strike damages the rudder and causes the Protostar to flip upside-down. In addition, with their solar collector gone, the ship's losing what power it has left and it's just circling the deuterium eye. Gwyn suggests that if they go back outside and manually angle the rudder, the crew can guide the ship just enough to collect the gas that they came for. Hologram Janeway confirms that Gwyn's right and she can use the rest of her reserves to charge the Bussard collectors to give the crew a fighting chance. With Chakotay's agreement, Hologram Janeway deactivates herself and all of the automated systems. Chakotay orders Jankom and Zero to open the deuterium tanks while the rest go outside. Rok is uneasy about going back outside, but Dal tells her that they could use Rok's strength with their task.

Act Three

The crew finds debris jamming the rudder and they manage to pry it loose and straighten out the rudder. Having reached the eye, Chakotay has the ramscoops activated and the ship begins gathering deuterium through one of its nacelles. The ship only needs to be in the riptide long enough to gather the gas that it needs and then the engines will come back online. In Engineering, Jankom reports on the progress of the gas collection. However, a rope suddenly breaks and Chakotay falls into the ocean. Tying a rope to himself, Dal leaps in after Chakotay while the others grab onto the rope.

In the ocean, Dal finds Chakotay unconscious but still alive, but Dal is forced to untie himself in order to reach the man and he can't find the rope again afterwards. A solemn Zero tells Jankom that they can no longer sense Dal or Chakotay. Seeing the eels swim by, Dal grabs onto one and it pulls him and Chakotay to the surface, ending up near the Protostar. Dal grabs the rope, and his friends pull Dal and Chakotay back onboard. The crew gathers around Chakotay as he recovers from his near death experience.

Protostar flies again
The Protostar flies again

The Protostar continues to circle the maelstrom, gathering deuterium as the crew watches in anticipation. The Protostar's impulse engines ignite and the starship flies into space as everyone celebrates. "Would you look at that. Adreek was right. She can still fly," exclaims Chakotay in awe looking at space through the windows of the fully powered bridge. Jankom excitedly reports that they have both impulse engines and warp drive and Hologram Janeway comes back online as well, congratulating the crew on their accomplishment. Rok admits that things could've gone really bad, but someone showed them the ropes. Chakotay states that Dal knows his own ship, but Dal calls it our ship for the first time and, echoing Chakotay's earlier advice to him, tells the others that they just went where they were needed the most.

While communications are spotty, Hologram Janeway detects Voyager's position 3,000 light years away. At warp speed, such a journey would take years and Maj'el points out that they don't have the the miniature star of exotic matter needed to power the ship's protostar drive. "I'm not worried. We just rebuilt a starship. So, let's go build a star," declares Dal. The Protostar jumps to warp, finally leaving Ysida behind to return home.

Log entries

"Vice Admiral's log, stardate 61898.2. Voyager is on the mend after an attack by interdimensional creatures known as the Loom. We survived thanks to the bold actions of one Wesley Crusher, ex-Starfleet turned cosmic traveler. In battle, Mr. Crusher convinced a few of my young crew to leap through a rift he created on a dire mission to find the Protostar, save Chakotay, and fix our timeline. To save the future, they must do it alone. Now, all we can do is pray for their safe return."

Memorable quotes

"I thought physical therapy was supposed to be therapeutic."
"Well... Do you like having a shoulder, hm?"
"Sorry to interrupt."
"It's alright, I could use a break from the punishment."

- Vice Admiral Kathryn Janeway, The Doctor, and Commander Tysess as Janeway undergoes treatment


"Any news?"
"Long-range sensors found no sign of the Protostar's warp signature, and still no subspace transmissions from Chakotay or our missing crew."
"The longer this goes on, the more I doubt if I made the right call."
"But what choice did you have?"
"I allowed them to venture into the unknown on nothing but the word of a Starfleet expat. But how much do we really know about Mr. Crusher?"

- Janeway, Tysess and Noum discuss the situation


"For a time traveler, I wish he had more time to spend with his mother. But he's a good son, with a good heart. I have to believe he knows what he's doing."
"I wish I had a mother's faith like yours. But all I have is my crew, and I admit, I'm worried for them."
"You're more like a mother than you realize. All we can do is be there for them when they find their way home."

- Beverly and Janeway


"Dal, hurry up and drop the lumber over there and get started on the rigging. For a guy who likes to go fast, you sure take your time."
"Hah, good one captain!"

- Chakotay and Dal clash


"Quite a turnaround for this guy. Yesterday he's a beach bum, today he's bossing us around."
"We've all gotta play our part if we want to turn this ship into a boat and get it off planet."
"Whatever our parts may be."

- Dal, Gwyn, and Maj'el discuss their work


"Perhaps we should review the plan once more before launch."
"Good idea. We've got an ocean of troubles ahead of us. And I don't want to leave anything to chance."

- Hologram Janeway and Chakotay decide to go over their plan


"The warp core may be offline and without fuel, but thanks to Adreek, we still have one last hope. Adreek had a backup plan. To get our warp drive working, we need matter and antimatter to create a reaction."
"If we mix them together, the results are rather explosive and perfect for powering a starship."
"Adreek already managed to collect some compressed antimatter for us from the planet's lightning storms."
"So... what's the matter?"
"Deuterium gas."

- Chakotay, Hologram Janeway and Dal, but Dal's pun goes unnoticed


"So, we're headed to a big gas cloud?"
"You're telling Jankom that our ship is gonna float on that swirly mess?"
"As long as we've got forward momentum, we should maintain buoyancy."
"Janeway can guide us there as we sail across. Once we reach the deuterium, we'll gather all the gas we need with the ship's ramscoops. Then we engage the warp core, and it's a straight shot to the stars."

- Rok, Jankom, Hologram Janeway and Chakotay discuss the most important part of their plan


"Well, I'd say my starship makes a pretty good ship-ship."
"[scoffs] Your ship. It was mine first. Now we just have to get her off the beach and onto the vapor ocean."

- Dal and Chakotay clash over who the Protostar belongs to


"Sounds like somebody never studied their Archimedes. "Give me a lever and a place to stand, and I can move the world!""

Chakotay takes some inspiration from Archimedes


"All aboard the HMS Protostar."

- Chakotay, as the Protostar sets sail


"Wrecking before we barely leave shore? That's gotta be a record!"

- Jankom, when the ship is on a collision course with a rocky reef


"I don't know what that was, but let's not do that again, okay?"

- Chakotay, referring to Dal steering the ship in the wrong direction and needing others to step in to save them


"Kind of crazy travelling like this. No replicators, no warp engines."
"And all that's between us and sinking to the bottomless abyss is this rickety raft. Ha!"
"Uh, I'm gonna go below deck and not think about that anymore."
"[laughs] Good luck. You may be down there, but you're still on this raft."

- Rok and Jankom

"Dal, it may be none of my business, but if something's wrong, I'm here to listen."
"Right, 'cause that's what a good captain does."
"Sorry if you have a problem with command, but if you wanna be in Starfleet, better get used to it."
"All I wanted was a chance."
"A chance for what?"
"I saw a glimpse of my future, something I wasn't supposed to see. As bad as I want it, I don't think I'll ever be captain. I know, big shocker. I know how to put on a brave face, usually just long enough to get by, but if I'm not good enough to lead, what good am I to them?"
"When I was your age, I was lost too. Lost my father, my heritage, my purpose. I thought I'd find it rebelling with a group called the Maquis. I never truly belonged until I became Janeway's number one. I wasn't a captain, but we shared something greater, a cause I believed in. Point is, maybe you'll be captain, maybe not, but whenever you're feeling lost, it's best to find where you're needed most. And right now... that's rope duty."

- Chakotay, counseling Dal


"Oh dear, my insides feel like they don't want to be inside anymore."

- Zero, experiencing a bit of seasickness during a storm


"Deuterium tanks at 1%! Ah, 2%! Ha, ha! Jankom's never been so happy to have gas!"

- Jankom as the ship begins to refuel


"What happened down there?"
"I took the long way around."

- Rok and Dal after Dal performs a heroic rescue


"Would you look at that. Adreek was right. She can still fly!"
"We've got impulse and warp."
"And Janeway."
"Glad to see my faith was well-placed. Great work everyone."

- Chakotay, Jankom, Rok, and Hologram Janeway, after the Protostar launches


"Clearly, I missed some action."
"Things could've gone really bad. But someone showed us the ropes."
"Let's just say, they know how to run their own ship."
"Our ship. And we just went where we were needed most."

- Hologram Janeway, Rok, Chakotay, and Dal


"Communications are spotty, but I've detected Voyager's position three thousand light years away."
"That'll take forever."
"The proto-drive is powered by a miniature star of exotic matter, which we do not have."
"I'm not worried. We just rebuilt a starship. So, let's go build a star."

- Hologram Janeway, Rok, Maj'el, and Dal, discussing the crew's next seemingly impossible task

Background information

Title

Story and script

Preproduction

Production

Postproduction

Cast and characters

Soundtrack

Special effects

Continuity

Subtitles

  • The name "Maquis" is misspelled as "Makee" in the Netflix subtitles.
  • In the Netflix subtitles, the planet's name is spelled "Icila", despite the name "Ysida" having been used in the previous episode. "Ysida" was confirmed to be correct by Aaron Waltke. [1]

Apocrypha

Reception

Awards

Releases

  • Like the rest of the second season, it was first released on france.tv (a French public television's streaming service) as well as on AppleTV+ France on 22 March 2024, well in advance of the Netflix release in the United States.

Cast

And

References

Adreek-Hu; antimatter; Archimedes; Aurelian; backup plan; beach; buoyancy; Bussard collectors; collision course; communications; Crusher, Wesley; debris; deuterium; deuterium tank; exotic matter; eye of a storm; fuel; hull integrity; impulse engine; jib; lever; lightning storm; Loom; long-range sensor; Maquis; physical therapy; Picard, Jean-Luc; proto-core; Protostar, USS; protostar drive; reef; rigging; rock; Romulan; rope; rudder; Runaway; sailing; Shinzon; Starfleet Medical; subspace communication; vapor ocean; Voyager, USS; Voyager-A, USS; warp core; warp drive; warp signature; Ysida; Ysidan eel

Meta references

HMS Protostar

Unreferenced materials

External links

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