Ko'Zeine

A month after the Miyazaki disaster, the Academy closes for a holiday. Ake wrestles with guilt, SAM keeps glitching, and Caleb cannot bring himself to contact Tarima as she recovers on Betazed. When Darem is pulled through a portal, Jay-Den follows him to Khionia and learns it is a pre-wedding ritual: Darem was promised as a child to his friend Kaira, and her royal parents plan to step down, bringing the wedding forward. Jay-Den becomes Darem's ko'zeine, or best man, and urges him not to give up Starfleet. On campus, Genesis persuades Caleb to help her reach the Athena's bridge so she can cover up something she falsified to get into the Academy. Reno catches them. Ake withdraws her Pre-Command Track recommendation but lets Genesis stay, and both cadets are given manual labour. On Khionia, Kaira sees that Darem has changed and tells him to abdicate so the marriage can be undone, freeing him to return. Caleb finally messages Tarima.