The Enterprise encounters a derelict vessel trapped in the dense atmosphere of a giant gas planet. Reed and T’Pol are assigned to pay the ship a visit, and Hoshi also volunteers. The ship turns out to be an unknown class of Klingon starship, manned by an unknown number of hostile Klingons. Using their familiarity with the ship to their advantage, the Klingons trap the Enterprise boarding party in their wrecked ship and steal their shuttle. The shuttle blasts out of the planet’s atmosphere at top speed, but doesn’t get past the Enterprise’s grappler. With the shuttle back on board, Archer and Trip wait for the Klingons to show themselves and stun them into submission. When she awakens, a female Klingon who appears to be in charge tells Archer that more Klingon ships will be arriving – and that the Enterprise will be no match. But due to the hazardous nature of the environment in which his crew members are trapped, Archer will need the Klingon woman’s help to retrieve them alive before the ship’s hull gives way – and that cooperation will not come easily.
written by Fred Dekker
directed by Les Landau
music by Dennis McCarthyCast: Scott Bakula (Captain Jonathan Archer), Jolene Blalock (Subcommander T’Pol), John Billingsley (Dr. Phlox), Dominic Keating (Lt. Malcolm Reed), Anthony Montgomery (Ensign Travis Mayweather), Linda Park (Ensign Hoshi Sato), Connor Trinneer (Commander Charles “Trip” Tucker III), Michelle C. Bonilla (Bu’Kah), Stephen Lee (Klingon Captain)
Notes: This episode establishes that the Klingons had photon torpedoes before Starfleet did; this being a prequel, it’s technically the first appearance of that term in the Star Trek chronology. The Klingon ship, a new invention not seen in any of the other Trek series (probably meaning it has been retired by Kirk’s era), is a Raptor-class scout.
LogBook entry by Earl Green