Mariner oversees the tearing down of the Rat Overlord statue, freeing the Lizardmen from Rat oppression.

Freeman arrives and instead of praising Mariner, she apologizes for the interference. Mariner gets upset and insubordinate. Freeman orders her to undergo therapy once they return to the ship.

Mariner isn't keen to engage in therapy with Dr. Miglibo who speaks mostly in food metaphors.

On the holodeck, Tendi and Rutherford are skeet shooting with DaVinci while Mariner fumes. Boimler enters and asks for the holodeck to prep for an evaluation interview. He's created a holodeck program using personal logs of all the bridge crew to simulate every crew member.

Mariner decides to recode the program to create her own role-playing therapy program to deal with her issues with Freeman. It plays as a movie called Crisis Point: The Rise of Vindicta.

The movie begins at Kabba Lake Command Retreat where Freeman leads her senior crew on hydroscoots as they celebrate her birthday. Boimler tries to question Freeman but she is recalled to her mission.

On Douglas Station, she is briefed on someone impersonating Starfleet (U.S.S. San Clemente) making second contact with the leaders of Idlocana VI.

Freeman is ordered to take the Cerritos in to find out who the imposters are.

The crew return to the newly upgraded Cerritos, slowing to admire it. Billups breaks down in tears at the sight.

The Cerritos arrives at Idlocana VI and an enemy ship decloaks, revealing Vindicta (played by Mariner) and her three henchmen. Tendi is uncomfortable with her introduction as a thieving Orion pirates. Vindicta goes off on a rant and Freeman realizes that they're watching a recording and that it's a distraction.

Vindicta's boarding pod crushes Lt. Winger and a fan. Rutherford runs off to find Billups. Tendi is uncomfortable with Vindicta's crazed attitude. Ransom is hit and dies before he can tell Boimler what Freeman allergic to.

Rutherford finds Billups and praises him to his face the way he never could in real life.

Vindicta and Tendi run into the crew lounge and Vindicta launches a Borg head grenade at Shaxs. Tendi finally tells Vindicta off for her stereotyping of Orions and parts ways with her, leaving the program.

Vindicta arrives at the bridge and takes out all the security in order to confront Freeman. After a back-and-forth, Vindicta detonates her own ship, damaging the Cerritos and sending it crashing through the planet's atmosphere. It crash lands and the disc detaches and rolls a great distance before becoming lodged on a rocky outcropping.

Freeman regains consciousness and orders all survivors to evacuate the ship. Vindicta calls her out on her loving captain act.

Rutherford and Billups wake up in Engineering. Rutherford reveals he beamed the entire crew to safety.

Vindicta and Freeman fight. Just as Vindicta is about to kill Freeman, Mariner arrives and initiates Freeman's transport to safety before turning to fight Vindicta. Vindicta beats on Mariner while screaming truths at her about her insecurities.

On the planet, Rutherford and Billups have an emotional moment and decide to run off together.

Boimler brings Freeman chocolate chip cookies and gets taken down by Jet because the captain is allergic to chocolate.

Mariner and Vindicta continue their fight, with Mariner admitting to things she likes about the captain and the Cerritos. The self-destruct activates and the program ends.

Mariner, as Vindicta, admits that therapy works.

In the crew lounge, Mariner chats with Rutherford and apologizes to Tendi and then they all go to look at the warp core.

On the way, they run into Freeman and Mariner apologizes which confuses Freeman who goes to Dr. Miglibo who just frustrates her.

Boimler jumps back into the holodeck program and discovers that Freeman is Mariner's mother. The holodeck Freeman states that the secret was so sacred that she'd probably kick out anyone who stumbled upon the knowledge. This freaks out Boimler so much that he flunks his evaluation.

In a holodeck stinger scene, Vindicta arises from a Genesis pod seeking revenge only to be shot dead by DaVinci.

Signature credits