What the Star Trek: Picard novels add to the story of the show
By Michael East
Raffi Musiker
Raffi becomes the new first officer to Admiral Picard in 2381, as we read about in The Last Best Hope. She is personally chosen by the captain to be his XO and the foremost authority on Romulan Affairs. At this time, she has a husband, Jae Hwang, and a son, Gabe. Both are upset at Raffi for abandoning them, as her attention is increasingly taken up by the time-consuming complexity of the Romulan mission and her dedication to Picard. She is torn throughout the book between the mission and her family, and in the end, it tears them apart. Deciding to move on with their lives, Raffi’s husband Jae eventually files for divorce.
Raffi cannot cope with the loss of her family, the loss of the mission she chose instead of them, and the resignation of Picard, the man she had given up so much for. She spirals into depression and substance abuse. Her drug of choice is snakeleaf, which can cause paranoid delusions.
Seeking answers for how things went so wrong and convinced that the attack on the Utopia Planitia Fleet Yards was intentional, Raffi’s poor mental state, bitterness, and substance abuse lead her to advocate a “conspiracy theory” that the attack on Mars wasn’t an accident and the Tal Shiar were involved.