Drastic Measures is a Star Trek written by Una McCormack. It is the fourth volume in the series of Star Trek Expanded Universe novels set in the Star Trek: Discovery novel continuity. It is the backstory of Ensign Sylvia Tilly prior to her service on the U.S.S Discovery.
Despite being an inexperienced Starfleet cadet, Sylvia Tilly became essential to the USS Discovery finding its way back home from the Mirror Universe. But how did she find that courage? From where did she get that steel? Who nurtured that spark of brilliance? The Way to the Stars recounts for fans everywhere the untold story of Tilly's past.
It's not easy being sixteen, especially when everyone expects great things from Tilly. It's even harder when her mother and father are Federation luminaries, not to mention pressing her to attend one of the best schools that the Federation has to offer. Tilly wants to achieve great things – even though she hasn't quite worked out how to do that or what it is she wants to do. But this year, everything will change for Tilly, as she is about to embark upon the adventure of a lifetime – an adventure that will take her ever closer to the stars…
The book was released in January 2019.
This book contains the following tropes:
- Abusive Parents: A Downplayed Trope example. Tilly's mother Siobhan is incredibly controlling, does not listen to her daughter, and has her entire life planned out. She also ignores the increasing signs of her depression due to the above actions.
- The Beautiful Elite: Tilly is sent to a school populated by girls from this. She does not fit in due to her quirky science-focused personality.
- Blue Blood: What Tilly amounts to due to being the daughter of a Federation diplomat.
- Chekhov's Skill:
- Tilly knowing a language based on quadratic equations. It helps her speak to natives that can't understand or be understood by the Universal Translator
- Tilly's interest in astromycology.
- Coming of Age Story: This book follows Tilly as she learns to stand up to her mother and assert herself.
- Daddy's Girl: Tilly has a much less contentious relationship with her father than her mother. She also believes he left her mother because of her.
- First Contact: The U.S.S Dorothy Garrod encounters an alien race on a planet they assumed to be uninhabited. Tilly proves invaluable in saving the crew.
- Framing Device: Tilly tells Michael Burnham her backstory and how she got interested in Starfleet.
- Gadgeteer Genius: Tilly is one of these even before she begins studying it as a possible profession.
- Jerkass Realization: Tilly realizes just how much hell she put her roommate through only after she undergoes some Character Development.
- Horrible Judge of Character: Played with. Siobhan is a brilliant diplomat, but completely misreads her own daughter in every possible way, and doesn't realize Tilly is completely insuitable to be a diplomat.
- It's All About Me: Siobhan is incapable of seeing Tilly as wanting any life other than one utterly identical to Siobhan's own.
- Parents as People: Both Siobhan and Iain are flawed in their own way, Siobhan being more obviously so than the latter.
- The Runaway: Tilly becomes this in order to escape her mother. She becomes Little Stowaway on a starship and then works briefly as a mechanic on an outer colony.
- Surprisingly Realistic Outcome:
- Tilly Took a Level in Jerkass and it ruined her friendships. She does not get any of them back after she has a Heel Realization.
- Tilly gets expelled from the posh school that she was attending due to her running away and getting the Federation involved.
- Took a Level in Jerkass: Tilly becomes increasingly irritable and mean after quitting the engineering club, taking it out on her roommate who breaks off their friendship as a result.
- What Happened to the Mouse?: We never find out how any of the people Tilly contacts responds to her letters of apology and thanks.
