PIC: Who is Raffi Musika?

September 7, 2021
September 7, 2021 Poison Toocool

PIC: Who is Raffi Musika?

Actor: Michelle Hurd
First Appearance: PIC “Maps & Legends” S01E02 (2020)
Species: Human

We first met Raffi in the second episode of the series ‘Star Trek: Picard’. Quickly learning that she is fond of Saurian brandy and Chateau Picard, in particular the ’86 vintage, and that she also had a habit of inhaling snakeleaf, which often caused paranoia as a side effect. So, on the surface, Raffi seems like an erratic and embittered drunk clinging to the addictive Snakeleaf. However, the substance abuse is merely a bandage against all her mental wounds, which include those that formed when Jean-Luc’s own personal demons blinded him to what Raffi was dealing with and, eventually, lost contact with her for fourteen years.

When Raffi greeted Admiral Jean-Luc Picard with disdain at her trailer out in the desert, their exchange illustrated how her life was turned upside down after Picard’s resignation from Starfleet. As she put it, “my whole life for the last 14 years has been one long slide into humiliation and rage.” 

Prior to Picard’s resignation from Starfleet in 2385, her star had been soaring as Starfleet’s leading analyst specializing in the affairs of the Romulan Star Empire.  As a lieutenant commander and Picard’s First Officer aboard the USS Verity she helped Picard formulate a new plan to evacuate Romulans from the Romulan supernova after the 2385 Attack on Mars had destroyed the Romulan rescue armada. She gathered information for a proposal to use mothballed ships and reserve duty personnel to carry out the operation instead. However, Starfleet rejected the proposal and accepted Picard’s protest resignation. Musiker was distraught, as she believed she would be dismissed from Starfleet as well. She also suspected Tal Shiar involvement in these events, but admitted that she could not discern a plausible motive. 

After Admiral Picard’s resignation, Raffi began a long decline, eventually losing her security clearance and position in Starfleet as a punitive measure for her loyalty to Picard. By 2399, she was estranged from her husband and son, and living in a small home at Vasquez Rocks. 

After Picard’s encounter with Dahj Asha that same year, Picard reached out to Musiker to enlist her support for a mission to seek out Bruce Maddox. She was reluctant to speak to Picard until he revealed that Romulan assassins were operating secretly on Earth. She supported his search, hiring old contact Cristóbal Rios and his ship La Sirena. She is still serving as part of Picard’s crew aboard La Sirena.

Our ‘Star Trek’ Day ‘Who is’ Series 2021 is authored by Commander Bodan Landar

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