Proving Ground ( episode ) An Andorian ship commanded by Shran unexpectedly appears in the Expanse to help the " Enterprise " locate the Xindi primary weapon . Summary . Teaser . On the " Kumari " , Commander Thy ' lek Shran is under orders to find a ship in the Delphic Expanse . His Lieutenant , Talas , informs him they ' ve lost the warp trail , and is pessimistic that the ship survived , given it ' s been week s . Shran is confident the ship survived , telling her not to underestimate the " pink skin s . " Act One . During an impromptu meeting of the Xindi Council , Degra , frustrated , waits for the full council . After a bit of arguing , he reveals prematurely that while the primary weapon is not ready , he is testing the second prototype in the Calindra system in three days and will broadcast the test back to the Council . Meanwhile , the is hot on the trail of the Xindi primary weapon ( thanks to Gralik ' s sabotage ) . Ensign Hoshi Sato and Sub - commander T ' Pol have been able to reconstruct 30 percent of their database which was deleted by D ' Jamat . The weapon is inside an exceptionally intense anomaly field , which they can ' t go around . Captain Archer orders the ship forward , with T ' Pol guiding , however , she doesn ' t have enough data and soon the anomalies become too erratic . The ship is nearly destroyed , however , at the last moment , an unidentified ship locks on with a tractor beam and pulls " Enterprise " to safety . When Archer contacts the ship to express his gratitude , he is speechless to see Commander Shran looking back at him on the viewscreen . Shran comes aboard the ship and explains that he came to the Expanse as an ally to help stop the Xindi from destroying Earth . Shran phrases his speech so that it seems that the Andorian s are using the occasion to show moral superiority to the Vulcan s , who have not assisted their allies on Earth despite possessing the resources to do so . He does commend T ' Pol ' s resignation of her commission to help Archer , however . After a moment of hesitation , Archer accepts Shran ' s offer of assistance , even if out of necessity . Archer meets Lieutenant Malcolm Reed in the armory to inform him of Shran ' s tactical officer coming to help . He ' s hesitant of allowing them access to critical systems , but Archer says they need help . T ' Pol soon finds Archer to inform him the Andorian ship has docked , and to suggest posting security team s with each repair crew . Archer feels that will decrease efficiency , and , after more information about the Vulcans ' bad experiences with Andorians , admits he doesn ' t trust them , but feels he can trust Shran . Andorian engineer s and maintenance crews come aboard . Reed and , taking a break in the mess hall , meet Talas when she enters the room loudly asking the whole crew in the room who Reed is . She makes it clear she doesn ' t want to be there , and takes jabs at both of them as she reports for ordered duty . Tucker leaves the two to get acquainted . Tucker , back in engineering , eventually finds T ' Pol arriving for an an update , having only seen her for their Vulcan neuro - pressure sessions . He says the " blue guys " really know their stuff and that they should be operational in 12 hours . He also remarks T ' Pol may be avoiding him , but she assures him she ' s busy . Meanwhile , Shran joins Archer for dinner , seemingly excited to work with him . He brought Archer some bottles of Andorian ale and , opening one , toast s to a quick victory . Through talking , Shran informs Archer he volunteered for the assignment , through his experience and also due to his unpaid debt to Archer for helping with the Vulcan conflict . He also alludes to future cooperation between Humans and Andorians . In the armory , Reed is aligning some relays with Talas only watching . Reed is dismissive toward her , clearly not wanting her help , despite that she brought equipment that can help . Sarcastically , she offers to get him coffee , and he accepts , which prompts her to take her leave . She notes as she goes that she ' s not there to steal secrets , and also that the weapons are inferior to what she knows anyway . Reed takes offense and goes back to working , however , when she notes that he forgot a step in the process , he pauses and apologizes . He ' ll get her some coffee and they ' ll work together . With the " Enterprise " in shape , and Shran on their bridge , they head for their target . They arrive just outside the Calindra system and , with the Andorians ' more advanced sensor s that won ' t give away their position , they find four ships , all Xindi . Act Two . It appears the uninhabited moon s are heavily scarred . Archer concludes that this is a proving ground , not unlike Bikini Atoll , which means they don ' t have much time . Shran notes the defenses are too much for a full assault , and he ' s not ready to risk his ship when they don ' t know if the weapon is there . Archer agrees , and wants more information . Shran goes back to his ship , and is approached by Tucker for one of their advanced antimatter injector s . Shran is hesitant , as that is sensitive information and it remains to be seen to what extent they are allies . Shran tells Tucker he knows about the death of his sister , and relates through his losing of a brother in border disputes with the Vulcan s . Tucker says he doesn ' t yet want revenge , just wants to prevent the Xindi from finishing what they started . Shran promises the injector before he goes . Degra , ready for the test , contacts the anxious Xindi Council again . Degra orders final calibrations and the weapon is launched . However , a proximity alarm sounds and Degra cancels the test , unable to identify the ship ( not aware of the Andorians ) . He answers a hail from Shran , who is pretending to be with the " Andorian Mining Consortium " and searching for a valuable mineral called " Archerite . " Degra is not amused and orders the " Kumari " to stop scanning the weapon and leave the system or else be fired upon . Shran , in character , concedes and ends the communication . Archer and T ' Pol , who have hidden on the " Kumari " s bridge , observed the whole thing . With detailed scans in hand , the " Kumari " returns to " Enterprise " . T ' Pol deduces that this test weapon is similar to the one that attacked Earth , but not large enough to destroy an entire planet . Shran notes that this is not the final weapon , so it ' s not absolutely critical they destroy it , rather , they could measure the results of the weapon themselves . Archer intends to steal it , so Starfleet can better find a defense . The crew focuses on repairs to the ship . Talas and Reed work together , though when it comes to a point that they need the weapons frequencies , Reed politely keeps that to himself by completing it on his own . They talk a bit about their similar family histories , being military families , and Talas notes his father , while earlier probably disappointed in Reed ' s choice , would be proud now that he is fighting for the survival of their race . Reed goes to complete the rest of the work , leaving Talas who decides to examine the device they fixed on her own . The crew of " Enterprise " is able to watch the Xindi test via a relay from the " Kumari " s more advanced sensors . The crew members are horrified to see the moon split in half by the weapon . Act Three . The Xindi Council is disappointed at the results , as the moon was supposed to be more decimated , and wants answers . Degra was forced to shut the weapon down prematurely , and insists he needs time to analyze the data to decide how to proceed . Dolim , furious with Degra for this setback , exclaims that every failure puts them at further risk . On the " Enterprise " , T ' Pol also determines that the weapon test was a failure . Archer , chuckling , is gratified that Gralik has kept his promise to sabotage their weapon . Right now , the weapon is too hazardous to approach . Archer wants to take it into the ship ' s launch bay , but T ' Pol does not believe the weapon can be brought aboard due to lethal radiation it is emitting . At this point , Shran offers to steal the weapon and store it in the " Kumari " s ( better shielded ) cargo bay until it is safe to transfer it to " Enterprise " . Archer is immediately suspicious of Shran ' s motivations for this uncharacteristically altruistic offer , which leads to a confrontation . Archer accepts Shran ' s offer , but only on the condition that he be allowed to command the " Kumari " during the retrieval . Shran grudgingly agrees . Meanwhile , Talas and Reed have come to an understanding and are working together quite nicely , even getting phase cannon efficiency up to 94 % . Reed mentions that Talas ' talents would be appreciated in Starfleet , and Talas retorts that Reed should consider joining the Imperial Guard if he ever tires of exploring . Later , Reed catches Talas working on the sensor array without reason , but pretends to believe her flimsy excuse . Shran , back on his ship , has an ominous conversation with an Andorian general , during which he questions his mission and asks if it is worth making enemies of the Humans . The general dismisses it , noting a fondness for the " pink skins " in Shran ' s argument . The two ships make their move . " Enterprise " enters the system first , drawing out two Xindi - Reptilian ships and successfully damaging their engines . While those ships are distracted , the " Kumari " enters the system from the opposite side and tractors the prototype into its cargo bay . Degra falls for the tactic , finding out too late that the ships are working together . After the surprisingly successful raid , Archer orders the " Kumari " to rendezvous with " Enterprise " . Talas looks to Shran , who then ends his cooperation , ordering a course for Andoria . Their real intention apparently was to steal the Xindi test weapon for themselves . Act Four . Archer is furious , but Shran tries to defend his actions . First , Shran emphasizes that his loyalty is with the Imperial Guard , and not with the " pink skin s . " Shran reveals that the Imperial Guard wants to keep the Xindi weapon for themselves , as a weapon to potentially be used against the Vulcan s . Archer states that " Enterprise " will fight for the weapon , but Shran counters that Talas has secretly sabotaged their sensor array and that " Enterprise " would not be able to find them . Furious that the Andorians would endanger Earth over a border dispute with the Vulcans , Archer punches Shran in the jaw , drawing blue blood from his lip . Shran orders Archer dropped off in an Andorian escape pod equipped with a navigation beacon so " Enterprise " will know where to find him . The Andorians begin making detailed scans of the weapon . When Shran informs his superiors of the mission ' s success , he is visibly upset and refuses a commendation . When " Enterprise " arrives to pick up Archer , it is revealed that Lt . Reed had been closely watching Talas and her sabotage attempt was unsuccessful . When " Enterprise " catches up with the " Kumari " at an anomaly field , Archer hails Shran and reveals that T ' Pol has decrypted the weapon ' s arming protocols ; Archer threatens to detonate the weapon while it is in Shran ' s cargo bay , but Shran believes he is bluffing . Shran asks Archer why he would do this , and Archer counters that he can not take the risk that the Andorians would use the weapon against the Vulcans . Shran questions Archer ' s loyalty to the Vulcans , and Archer senses that there is no compromise to be had . With no other options , Archer orders the weapon armed , and it begins to overload while still on board . Shran orders the weapon jettisoned , and it explodes in space . " Enterprise " is far enough away to avoid damage , but the " Kumari " is heavily damaged . Archer offers help , but Shran graciously refuses . When the ships part ways , the Andorian vessel is limping away on auxiliary power . Just before it leaves sensor range , someone aboard " Kumari " sends a covert transmission to " Enterprise " , consisting of the detailed scans of the Xindi weapon . Archer orders the scans sent to Starfleet , and offers to share some Andorian ale with Tucker and T ' Pol . Memorable quotes . " " Captain Archer . Look at the trouble you ' ve gotten your pink skin into this time ! " " " " Your world is in jeopardy , and where are your friends , the Vulcans ? Where is their mighty fleet ? They couldn ' t even spare one officer ! She was forced to abandon her career to remain on your ship – a remarkably selfless act . . . for a Vulcan . But we ' ve come to your aid . We ' ve come into the Expanse when they refused . We ' re here to help you . " " " " Well , I ' ll let you two get acquainted . " " " " So . . . how did you get picked for this assignment ? " " " " I volunteered . It made sense . I ' ve had the greatest amount of contact with pink . . . with Humans , and the last time we met you helped my people avert a war . I don ' t like unpaid debts . " " " " We keep doing each other favors . " " " " Isn ' t that how alliances are born ? " " " " How long until we have warp ? " " " " I would say at least two days , but , uh , the blue guys really know their stuff ! " " " " Is there anything else I can get you . . . some coffee , perhaps ? " " " " Oh , that ' ll be lovely ! " " " " The last time I saw weapons like these was during my early tactical training . " " " " I ' m sorry I wasted your time on our primitive systems . " " " " Not at all . . . I found it nostalgic . " " " " Lieutenant Talas . . . I apologize if I ' ve been rude . Why don ' t I get us both a cup of coffee and we can align these relays . . . together . " " " " The Andorian Mining Consortium runs from no one . " " " " You don ' t trust me . " " " " No offense , but when it comes to our weapons frequencies , I wouldn ' t trust my own mother . " " " " Is your mother considered a security risk ? " " " " That ' s just an expression . " " " " An odd one . . . my mother ' s security clearance is higher than mine ! " " " " I ' d take this ship into combat myself . " " " " Even with our primitive weapons ? " " " " It ' s not the weapon , it ' s the soldier who wields it . " " " " This was a " failure ? ! " " " A spectacular one – but , yes . " " " " Gralik . . . looks like he kept his word . " " " " For two hundred years , all that ' s kept them from invading Andoria is the threat of massive retaliation . With a weapon of this magnitude at our disposal , they wouldn ' t dare attack us . " " " " You ' re putting Earth at risk because of a border dispute with the Vulcans ? ! " " " " We disrupted the Xindi test , took their weapon . We may have helped save your world ! " " " " I guess I ' m not familiar with the Andorian concept of help ! " " " " You like to talk about repaying debts . I ' ve owed you that for a long time . " " " " Open a channel to Shran . Ask him if he requires our assistance . " " Links and references . References . Andoria ; Andorian s ; Andorian ale ; Andorian Imperial Guard ; Andorian Mining Consortium ; Andorian battle cruiser ; Andorian escape pod ; Andorian shuttle ; antimatter injector ; archerite ; auxiliary power ; bathroom ; Bikini Atoll ; " brace for impact " ; caffeine ; Calindra planet ; Calindra system ; cargo bay ; coffee ; colorful metaphor ; crumpet ; cycle ; Degra ' s ship ; Delphic Expanse ; drink dispenser ; Earth ; emergency power ; EPS synchronizer ; evasive maneuvers ; eyebrow ; first contact ; force field ; general ; gesture ; ; G - type star ; Imperial Infantry Unit ; isotopic signature ; kemocite ; kilometer ; " Kumari " ; lieutenant ; memory core ; microspanner ; navigation beacon ; neuro - pressure ; nuclear weapon ; omni - directional sensors ; phase coupler ; phase regulator ; photonic torpedo ; pink skin ; polarity ; potato chip ; prototype ; ; ; Royal Navy ; security clearance ; Shran ' s brother ; Starfleet Command ; tactical alert ; Talas ' mother ; tea ; toast ; tractor beam ; ; variable compression nozzle ; Vulcan s ; Vulcan ( planet ) ; Vulcan High Command ; Xindi ; Xindi - Arboreal ; Xindi - Aquatic ; Xindi cargo vessel ; Xindi - Insectoid ; Xindi - Primate ; Xindi - Reptilian ; Xindi - Reptilian warship ; Xindi Council