Spoilers Star Trek: Discovery 1x14 - "The War Without, The War Within"

[picardjean-luc]

Section 31 exists, we know that.

It stands to reason that with the Federation on the brink of losing the war they would seek to have some sort of involvement.

Agreed. Since S31's core mission is to save and protect the Federation by any means necessary, I think it is now high time for its agents to implement a rescue plan to save the Federation from losing against the Klingons. While most, if not all, Discovery crew members are not S31's operatives, they might inadvertently be coerced to follow its agenda by someone who is an operative.

That's why I smell S31's involvement in Discovery's ongoing mission to Kronos. We'll see in the finale whether my theory is correct or not.

 

[Nerys Myk]

ENT had a 'section 31' before the Federation

That's because it's Section 31 of the Earth Starfleet Charter not the Federation Charter.

 

[picardjean-luc]

Section 13 in the mirror universe is a secret organization that goes good things for you when you least expect it. They dress in rainbow wigs and little else. This is about as inconspicuous as Sec 31 uniform choice.

Looks like they're a group of circus clowns to me .

 

[PixelMagic]

Just to get this straight, the plan is for Discovery to survey targets on the ground of Qo'nos, and then transmit that data up to a Federation attack fleet, right? Surely Discovery cannot take all military targets out planet wide on its own. I assume that's why Admiral Cromwell was briefing those other admirals via hologram?

I'm wondering if we'll be treated to a massive fleet battle.

 

[137th Gebirg]

The Mandela Effect ?

I know what that is but am unsure how it applies.

 

[Turtletrekker]

I'd imagine mirror S31 would be like the Tal Shiar.

I think that Prime S31 is like the Tal Shiar.

 

[gblews]

Damn, there's 39 pages of this thread now and I can't be bothered reading every post. Did anyone gripe about how aparently stupid the brigdge crew are to just accept Capt Georgiou?

We don't quite know what the crew's reaction will be since Georgiou wasn't introduced to the bridge crew until the very end of the episode. I suspect we'll know more about that and other things in the things in the upcoming episode.

The folks who gripe have pretty much griped about nearly everything as usual, so I'm sure this has been covered.

 

[Ridcully]

The gripe wine is strong.....Maybe it is just boredom??
Well we will see soon how the season will end!
Pretty sure that it will not be very boring!

 

[Tuskin38]

I think that Prime S31 is like the Tal Shiar.

I meant in the way that more people know that they exist.

Prime Section 31 is more secret then the Tal Shiar.

 

[eltel99uk]

I know there's a lot of speculation on here (naturally) and a certain amount of heated discussion based on very little to go on. However as relative newbie would just like to say that compared to some self-described "serious" blogs on finance/economics/politics/tech I've been a member of I find the bitching to be a lot less. I've had regulars I've disagreed with - sometimes quite forcefully - but the "kiss and make up factor" beats them hands down.

Don't wanna sound too much like a suck-up and I never felt "engaged enough" to subscribe to previous ST incarnations to join/comment on those. However, I'd just like to thank regulars who haven't made me feel like an idiot and moderators who seem well able to defuse the worst of the "angry discussions". Had some absolutely fine "agree to disagree" moments recently with no hard feelings and I guess just wanted to say that this forum is LOT better behaved/moderated than some that claim to be "high-brow blah blah blah".

Am hoping the standards I've seen continue - yes there are some tangents that seem to dominate pages of threads - but ultimately I'm enjoying the back-and-forth here. Hope others feel that way too. I laughed at the comment that without the random speculation this may as well be a load of kitten pics, but encyclopedic knowledge from others and consideration of wider issues many of us missed, it does, I hope provide *some* sources the writers might look at for S2. (We know most of S1 was done and dusted before we ever got going on speculation and criticism). Hoping this contributes to future improvements to future seasons.

 

[Mike Farley]

Can the Federation punish her for acts she committed in her own universe? That seems like it would SERIOUSLY break the prime directive. I don't feel like you can hold people from other realities accountable to your morals until they are commiting those crimes in your universe.

Were her actions even crimes in the MU?

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

I'd imagine mirror S31 would be like the Tal Shiar.

Surely the Terran Empire wouldn't even need its own Section 31.

There's nothing it could do that Terran Imperial Intelligence couldn't. I imagine that Terran Intelligence is absolutely ruthless and operates under no restraints whatsoever. Even worse than the Tal Shiar or Obsidian Order.

 

[137th Gebirg]

The one on her prisoner garb? It was dark gray. The "black" badges were much darker and had a very distinct obsidianish luster to them.

Kind of looks dark enough to be black under most kinds of lighting but I could see where some might think it's dark gray. But yes, Michael's was definitely more of a subdued matte finish vs the high-gloss of the security detail. Not entirely sure why she had an insignia at all during her incarceration, to be honest.

 

[Pindar]

Not entirely sure why she had an insignia at all during her incarceration, to be honest.

It must have been some kind of marker to show she's not general population.

Can't think of a reason wht they would mark out Starfleet personel to the civvie prisoners though.

 

[XCV330]

It must have been some kind of marker to show she's not general population.

Can't think of a reason wht they would mark out Starfleet personel to the civvie prisoners though.

Burnham is so hardcore Starfleet she made it herself out of a prison moon mine rock with a fereingi tooth sharpener.

 

[Tim Thomason]

Prisoners in Leavenworth wear dog tags. I imagine Starfleet prisoners as a rule are required to wear the insignia. Like Chelsea Manning, I figure her dishonorable discharge doesn't kick in officially until she has finished her sentence and she is still entitled to all the privileges and responsibilities of a Starfleet member, albeit one stripped of rank and sent to the stockade.

 

[TheMadCloner]

I'd imagine mirror S31 would be like the Tal Shiar.

Mirror S31 is tasked with finding diplomatic and peaceful solutions to the most pressing issues.

 

[Mad Jack Wolfe]

Mirror S31 is tasked with finding diplomatic and peaceful solutions to the most pressing issues.

And they run the bowling alleys on the larger starships.

 

[eschaton]

Mirror S31 is tasked with finding diplomatic and peaceful solutions to the most pressing issues.

It would make sense that in the MU the Terran Empire would have to keep their diplomatic corps under wraps. Imagine the scandal if it was widely known that government agents actually...negotiate...with alien governments!

 

[TheMadCloner]

And they run the bowling alleys on the larger starships.

"And the most heinous offenders of the Emperor's wishes will be remanded not to the agony booth, but to the custody of Section 31, whereupon they will be forced to watch retired Terran Lords bowl and talk about how things were better in the good old days."