Desert Crossing ( episode ) Archer and Tucker are invited to a desert - like planet by an alien leader after they help fix his ship . After arriving , they discover he has invited them under false pretenses . Summary . Teaser . The is on its way to Risa again , with Captain Archer listing the places he ' d like to visit , when they suddenly pick up a distress call from an alien craft . Act One . The man aboard the craft , Zobral , is very friendly and thankful even if the repairs were minor . Zobral is surprised to hear that responding to distress calls is routine for the crew of " Enterprise " and invites Archer and Tucker for a meal on his homeworld . Archer declines , saying he promised his crew a trip to Risa . However , Zobral says there will be a Geskana match , and that he is easily offended . Tucker wants to stay behind , saying he has too much work , and that he doesn ' t like the idea of the desert . He eventually relents , however , accompanying Archer to an encampment constructed in Cygniai Expanse , a large desert . They are welcomed by Zobral and his men . While eating , Zobral is amazed to hear that Earth is two - thirds water . When discussing " Enterprise " and its mission , Archer refers to a time when he felt he had to back down from an enemy and set a course back to Earth to upgrade the ship ' s weapons . At one point during the meal , Archer points out a tapestry hanging on the wall . Zobral offers it to him , but Archer declines , saying it is too large , so instead Zobral gives him a Suliban artifact . Sounds are heard , indicating the start of a Geskana match . A glowing ball is passed between players with sticks , who attempt to throw the ball into a goal . Tucker and Archer then agree to play . Meanwhile , " Enterprise " is contacted by a Torothan chancellor from a larger city hails " Enterprise " , informing T ' Pol that Zobral is a terrorist . Act Two . Archer is contacted by T ' Pol , who passes on the newly - acquired information about Zobral . Archer makes an excuse and attempts to leave . Zobral informs the captain he is aware of the Torothan message , and convinces him to stay . Upon returning to Zobral ' s house , he informs Archer and Tucker that his people were persecuted by the Torothans . Zobral considers Archer a reasonable and just man , and wants to use " Enterprise " in their war . Zobral also relates the story of Archer liberating a Suliban prison camp , but states that thousands , not dozens , of people were freed . Zobral believes Archer to be a great warrior . In the distance , explosions are heard , which turn out to be Torothan cruiser s , bombing the encampment . Archer and Tucker are made to hide underground in small bunker . Archer considers the Suliban prisoners , saying that they wouldn ' t be in their current situation if they hadn ' t helped them . Tucker says the situations are completely different and that they shouldn ' t be drawn into a war after Zobral deceived them . When a bomb detonates above , part of the bunker collapses and the two decide to leave . The house above them has been completely leveled . Since Zobral advised against using the as it would be easily detected , they take supplies from it , but begin a long walk through the desert . Act Three . Meanwhile , on " Enterprise " , communications with the captain are being jammed and they are warned by the Torothan chancellor that any rescue team will be seen as a hostile act and will be treated as such . On the surface , Archer and Tucker are walking across sand dunes . Archer directs them to an abandoned camp about thirty kilometers away . They hear a ship and bury themselves in the sand to hide from it . Tucker soon succumbs to heat exhaustion , saying he is feeling cold . Tucker refuses to take Archer ' s water , but Archer orders , then threatens him to . Archer says they are heading towards an abandoned camp he saw when landing the shuttle . On " Enterprise " , Zobral ' s shuttle is detected heading towards the ship . Zobral then explains there is a gap in the Torothan detection grid that a shuttle could go through to get to the surface , but that Archer and Tucker are not his responsibility . T ' Pol disagrees and convinces him to help . Archer and Tucker find the abandoned camp , but there is no drinkable water . They sit silently , realizing the bleakness of their situation . Act Four . Archer starts a fire using his phase - pistol and boils the water to make it drinkable . Archer keeps Tucker active by talking about the warp reactor . They then discuss food , Tucker saying he wants prime rib , mashed potatoes with mushroom gravy and pecan pie , among other things . A shuttle is sent with T ' Pol , Reed , and Zobral inside , to find the two on the surface , but they have to fly very low to not be detected , prolonging their search . While Archer and Tucker are talking , a bomb suddenly explodes nearby , shaking the camp , and Archer runs to a window to see another being launched . Shortly after they leave the camp , a bomb destroys it , knocking them to the ground . Luckily , the bombs indicate to the shuttle that the Torothans have detected Archer and Tucker , and they follow the shots to their location . Act Five . Back on " Enterprise " , Zobral is ready to leave as Archer explains that he could never have helped him in his war . T ' Pol and Archer talk , with T ' Pol stating that it is up to governments , not starship captains , to make decisions regarding other species ' affairs . Archer agrees with her but says he believes the cause , in this instance , may have been worth fighting for . Memorable quotes . " " The galaxy could use more people like you . " " " " Desert , sir ? The heat , the dry air ? You know how it sucks the life out of me . " " " " It ' s hotter than Hell out there . 41 degrees ! " " " " It ' s a dry heat . " " " " What are these , uh , little chunks ? " " " " The essence of the male . Chopped and seasoned . " " " " I hope you ' re aware that most likely you ' ll never see your captain or engineer again . " " " " Please , I wouldn ' t be a very good host if I allowed you to get killed ! " " " " To cherry flavored snow cones . What I wouldn ' t give for one right about now . " " " " The warp reactor . Break it down for me . " " " " What ? " " " " What are the eight major components ? " " " " You got to be kidding me ! " " " " Name them . . . that ' s an order ! " " " " Well . . . there ' s the drumsticks . . . thighs . . . wings . . . you got anything to eat around here ? " " " " What you told him was correct . Decisions to get involved in the conflicts of other worlds should be left to governments not starship captains . " " " " I " know " . The irony is I have the feeling his cause is worth fighting for . " " Links and references . References . Amazon River ; arsenal ; Australia ; blood soup ; Bozeman ; broccoli ; cactus ; caste system ; chancellor ; ; coma ; Cygniai Expanse ; distress call ; Draylax ; drumstick ; Earth ; Eastern Basin ; Essence of the male ; fever ; first contact ; fragmentation grenade ; ; geskana ; gravity plating ; heatstroke ; hull ; impulse manifold ; logic ; magnetism ; mashed potatoes ; microfracture ; Milky Way Galaxy ; Montana ; ; motorcycle ; mushroom gravy ; mutiny ; Northern foothills ; pecan pie ; plasma residue ; prime rib ; protest ; pulse cannon ; red carpet ; roast teracaq ; Rhode Island ; Risa ; shore leave ; snow cone ; strafing ; Suliban ; Suliban transport ; Suraya Bay ; survival training ; teracaq ; thigh ; Torothan s ; Torothan cruiser ; Torothan goat ; Torothan homeworld ; United States of America ; Vulcan s ; Vulcan High Command ; warp injector ; warp reactor ; wing ; Xanadu ; Yalasat ; yrott ; Zobral ' s clan ; Zobral ' s ship ; Zobral ' s species