10 Best Pike Moments In Star Trek Discovery
6. Standing Up To The Ba'ul
Introduced in the Short Trek episode The Brightest Star, Saru's homeworld of Kaminar returns here and with it comes the threat of the Ba'ul, aliens that would not look out of place in the next Sinister movie.
They dominate the Kelpian people through fear and destruction, ensuring that Saru's people are kept in line. Their discovery that Saru has escaped the planet leads to a stand-off with Discovery.
With Pike on the bridge, he is certain of the next course of action. He will never surrender a crewman at the demands of an enemy aggressor. Despite seemingly clearly superior force on the part of the Ba'ul, Pike prepares for battle.
They demand he hand over Saru, claiming that he is not one of Pike's people. Pike very much disagrees with this statement, not simply due to the fact that Saru is a political asylum seeker, but also that Saru is valued member of the crew.
As a crewman however, he is under Pike's authority, and Pike is not afraid to order Saru off the bridge for his own protection, as his emotional outbursts to the Ba'ul's threats against his people threaten to undermine Pike's attempts to stand up to the Ba'ul.
It comes seemingly to naught though when, after rushing from the bridge, Saru beams himself to the Ba'ul's ship. Pike threatens the full might of the Federation will retaliate against the Ba'ul if they continue with their course of action, though this is spared by the timely arrival of the Red Angel.