Sure, bud.

Somehow you think I think "her project was the tractor beam", whatever that means.

She was disabling ship engines via phaser. Antares was tractor beaming to delay, causing warp field deterioration; endangering Burnham, the warp field, and the potential integrity of all three ships. Warp field deteriorates so low due to tractor beam that Antares captain quits his game of chicken.

Cause of warp field deterioration is now over, she could now continue to disable the engine via phaser.

Or she could stay attached to the ship and disable nothing. Starfleet is currently tracking and communicating with her, and thus the vehicle she is attached to, preventing escape, which made the "how will we track" dialogue silly. Just stay on!

Instead, the warp field is fine after the tractor beam is removed, thieves come out of warp to drop distraction warp flares to shake their tail, and reenter warp.

It was sloppy and nonsensical.

Next you'll tell me there's a Federation directive not allowing offers of buying stolen artifacts from thieves, so they must be fought and chased around for a season.

Loved earlier seasons, too bad this season is off to such a bad and predictable start.

It's obvious from the selective distortion of the Romulan scientist's Schrodinger's mayday message, that the threat is NOT having this technology in everyone's hands. They will spend the season trying to stop anyone from getting it, when everyone in fact needs it.

Based on Stamets' desire for a legacy, the Progenitors likely created the mycelium network, and that is what the key will unlock. Not some weapon or danger.

Good day. Enjoy the bad writing.