Azati Prime (ENT episode)
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"Azati Prime" is the title of an episode from the third season of the television series Star Trek: Enterprise. It was the seventieth episode of the series and the eighteenth episode of the third season. "Azati Prime" first aired on 3 March 2004.
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Plot summary
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This is a summary of the beginning portion of the episode. Please note that the events described in this summary are not necessarily in the same chronological order in which they occur on screen.
Enterprise approaches the location where the Xindi are constructing a large weapon of mass destruction. After deliberating with his senior officers, Archer decides to use a small Xindi vessel they captured earlier to subversively obtain information about the weapon, and its construction, by getting physically close to it. Archer carries out the plan; he commissions Mayweather to operate the vessel's navigational controls, and Trip to collect the information. To prepare for possible confrontation with Xindi during the mission, Hoshi familiarizes herself with the language of the Insectoid Xindi.
Despite taking time beforehand specifically to prepare for the mission by training himself in the operation of the vessel's navigational controls, it is obvious that Mayweather's handling of the vessel is, as T'Pol put it, "erratic". (There was an allusion later in the episode to the idea that the controls were not designed for an operator with anatomy and/or physiology similar to that of a human.) After a final dismissal by Archer, they depart for their mission. They pass through a Xindi defensive grid made up of satellites. Immediately thereafter, they are hailed by the Xindi and asked about their intended course of action. To appease the Xindi, Trip masquerades as a Xindi and lies by saying he was tipped slightly off course due to a navigational error, and that it is corrected now. The shuttle then arrives at the planet on which the Xindi weapon is being constructed. Soon, the two realize that an ocean-like body of water lies between them and the weapon, and they will need to penetrate it. After assuring themselves that their vessel is capable of the structural integrity needed to withstand travel in so dense a medium, they head in. Soon, they are amazed as they find themselves before what appears to be an underwater city. After a short pause, Trip proceeds to collect the data for which he came.
During this time, Enterprise discoveres a small Xindi facility on the moon the ship had been orbiting. Enterprise was not aware of the facility because the moon's rotation placed it opposite the ship until it came into range of Enterprise. The ship is scanned by the facility, which is found to contain three Xindi. Enterprise also concludes that with the moon's rotation, the facility will be able to contact other Xindi in four hours. Despite T'Pol's voiced reservations, Archer orders the facility destroyed, and this order is carried out by the crew.
The audience is not really allowed to know the outcome of Trip's encounter with the Xindi; he and Mayweather are next seen back on Enterprise meeting with the rest of the senior officers and planning their next actions. After it is determined that the next task before them is to destroy the weapon, it becomes clear that doing so would require the death of the person who would actually complete the mission. Without pause, Trip and Mayweather launch into an argument over who should be the one to take on the unfortunate job, each one in fact vying for the position. Archer makes it clear, however, that it will be none other than he, himself.
A sequence takes place in which Archer prepares to give up command of Enterprise, destroy the Xindi weapon, and die. This sequence is comprised of four primary scenes, containing the following events.
- T'Pol practically pleads with Archer to not follow through with his suicidal plan.
- Archer takes one last look at Porthos' face and hands him over to the care of Phlox.
- Mayweather attempts to teach Archer how to fly the Xindi vessel. (During this scene, Mayweather asks Archer why he decided to select himself as the operative of this lethal mission, being that he is the most "indispensable" crewmember aboard Enterprise. Archer responds by pointing out the series of deaths he had ordained during Enterprise's current extended mission in the Delphic Expanse; this decision to sacrifice himself was a way of ending that pattern.)
- In a formal address on the command bridge, Archer bids farewell to the entire crew. In it, he puts forth the idea that no captain who would ever sit in the command chair of Enterprise NX-01 could ever be as proud of the Enterprise crew as he.
The story is interrupted by Archer unexpectedly visiting Crewman Daniels on board Enterprise J (presumably NCC-1701-J) 400 years in the future. During the visit, Daniels finally informs Archer what the "Federation", referring to the United Federation of Planets, is; he tells him that it is a political alliance of a number of species, including humans, Vulcans, Klingons, Andorians, and others. (The Federation was yet to be founded during Archer's "native time".) He also informs Archer that, in his opinion, it is imperative that Archer convince the Xindi that not only are the humans not a threat to them, but that in the future, they will be their only hope of survival. Archer is unequivocally opposed to the idea. However, in case he would change his mind, Daniels gives Archer an artifact that belonged to a Xindi serving (as a Starfleet officer, presumably) aboard the Enterprise in which they are now standing. Supposedly, this artifact could be useful when Archer attempts to make his case to Xindi.
Finally (back in the original timeframe of the episode), Archer departs for his mission to destroy the Xindi weapon. Later, as he approaches the "underwater city", he is captured. A succeeding scene indicates he has been made a prisoner of war: he is in shackles, with a bloody face, and he is being interrogated by a Reptilian Xindi. The Xindi obviously wishes to obtain information from Archer related to their war, but nonetheless, Archer manages to hold a conversation with him regarding differences and similarities of reptiles to primates and other mammals, and similar other trivial matters. Archer asks to speak with Degra, a primate Xindi with whom he is familiar, and uses his knowledge of this primate's personal life to get his attention.
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Meanwhile, T'Pol, now in command of Enterprise, has experienced an emotional breakdown (the reason for which would be explained in the next episode, "Damage"). At one point she decides to go on a suicidal mission to rescue Archer, and reacts with anger when Trip tries to stop her but an attack on Enterprise by Reptilian forces preempts this. As the episode concludes, Enterprise is pounded by the enemy craft.
This storyline continues in the next episode, "Damage".
Notes
- This episode was designed to be a mid-season cliffhanger, since it was originally followed by nearly two months of reruns and preemptions by UPN.
- T'Pol's behavior at the end of the episode proved controversial with fans, who said she deserved the blame for the deaths of many Enterprise crewmembers, since the next episode, Damage, revealed her emotionality to be the result of Trellium-D addiction. Also, her behavior here (isolating herself, experiencing mood swings) is nearly identical to what T'Pol is heard describing to Phlox re: Archer in "Shockwave, Part I".
See also
References
- Episode information from STARTREK.COM (http://www.startrek.com/startrek/view/series/ENT/episode/4186.html)
- Star Trek: Enterprise episode 070: "Azati Prime"