In a Mirror , Darkly , Part II ( episode ) In the mirror universe , the destruction of " Enterprise " leaves the crew stranded aboard the USS " Defiant " , a ship from a future parallel universe where a governing body known as the United Federation of Planets reigns , inspiring T ' Pol to speak out against the tyranny of the Terran Empire . ( Part 2 of 2 ) Summary . Teaser . On the bridge of the – having just witnessed the destruction of the by the Tholian s – Commander supervises Chief Engineer , , and Major , as the team desperately try to escape from a Tholian drydock that holds the " Defiant " . Even though they manage to shake the starship free from the facility ' s docking clamp s with the ship ' s deflector shield s , six approach and speedily construct an energy net over the opening of the dock , effectively barring the " Defiant " s escape . Act One . With T ' Pol ' s assistance , Tucker manages to restore power to the " Defiant " s weapon systems from the bridge ' s engineering station . The ship then blasts its way out of the dock , destroying half of the Tholian ships in the process and continues maneuvering away , firing aft photon torpedo es at the Tholian facility while departing . Reed detects escape pod s from " Enterprise " , so Archer orders that they be brought aboard . As the " Defiant " continues on impulse power , Archer confers with his officers , including Doctor and , in the ship ' s briefing room . He demands that Tucker carry out the difficult task of restoring the advanced ship ' s warp drive , and T ' Pol suggests using the expertise of the alien slave workers aboard to do so . Archer implies an agreement with T ' Pol ' s recommendation . Although he plans that the ship will rendezvous with the Terran Empire ' s assault fleet , T ' Pol argues that they are unprepared for battle . Archer insists on his plan and dismisses the other officers , but ensures T ' Pol stays behind . He is furious that she betrayed him while aboard " Enterprise " . Now that Captain Forrest is dead and T ' Pol finds herself threatened by Archer , she pledges allegiance to her new commanding officer , who claims the only reason she is still alive is that he needs her to help run the " Defiant " . Finally , after threatening her with death if he hears so much as a rumor that she ' s working behind his back , he angrily dismisses her . Hoshi Sato later arrives at the captain ' s quarters and is amused to find Archer proudly adorned in a tunic belonging to the " Defiant " s former captain . After discussing the uniform , Archer tells Sato about the parallel universe that the " Defiant " is from , having reviewed the ship ' s databanks . While she pours him a green drink , he says that the other universe has no Terran Empire but that Earth instead is a founding member of the United Federation of Planets . Archer and Sato humiliate one another by showing each other the service record of the other ' s counterpart , Sato finding that Archer ' s duplicate was a highly successful Starfleet officer . Archer finds difficulty with accepting that his own counterpart was so instrumental in the Federation ' s founding . Sato tries to distract Archer with thoughts of his own promising future but , when she mentions that will have to give him a command of his own , Archer declares he already has that – the " Defiant " . At a vertical Jefferies tube , Tucker is irritated by Ensign reporting that a pair of plasma regulator s have recently gone missing from the tube ' s interior . Tucker threatens Kelby to find the regulators , or be made responsible for the " Defiant " s inability to go to warp . After Tucker hurries away , Kelby climbs into an access tunnel above , hearing strange rattling . He finds one of the regulators lying on the floor but is pulled headfirst into a Jefferies tube directly above him . On the bridge , Phlox reports to Archer that evidence regarding Kelby ' s death indicates the killer was a large reptilian . T ' Pol , Reed , and Phlox discuss the reptilian . Tucker arrives and irritably comments that , without the plasma regulators , the ship is stuck at impulse , indicating – as T ' Pol deduces – that the saboteur was well - acquainted with the ship ' s systems . Reed enthusiastically approves with Archer ordering him to bring one of the alien slaves to the briefing room . There , Archer brutally interrogates a blue - skinned alien , who fears the reptilian will kill him and is therefore initially tight - lipped . Archer pressures the slave by pushing a phaser into his neck , threatening to disintegrate him with the weapon . This eventually makes the alien divulge information about the reptilian saboteur – a slave - master named Slar who was responsible for gutting the ship and whose species is Gorn . Act Two . On the bridge , Reed shows Archer a schematic of the " Defiant " on the viewscreen and updates him on the search for Slar , who recently escaped from Reed ' s s . Archer sees a hallucination of his counterpart from the Federation universe , who criticizes the lengthy search effort and boasts about how he handled a similar situation . A frustrated Archer directs Reed to form an assault team that Archer himself will lead . From the communications station , Sato detects Slar but cannot pinpoint his location . Archer contacts the Gorn but is unwilling to negotiate the return of the plasma regulators in exchange for allowing Slar to leave in a shuttlecraft . Eventually , Slar abruptly ends the transmission . Archer reminds Reed to form the assault team and explains to T ' Pol , as he heads off the bridge , that he is skeptical of the Gorn ' s sincerity . Inside a turbolift , Archer ' s hallucinatory double reappears , whispering to him that defeating Slar will finally earn Archer the respect he deserves . Archer later leads the assault team – including Reed and four MACOs – through the ship , first heading up a vertical Jefferies tube and into an access tunnel . Reed and two of the MACOs fall victim to a trap , however , and are downed by a remotely triggered explosion . Contacting T ' Pol on the bridge , Archer learns of the Gorn ' s whereabouts and tells her to standby with that deck ' s environmental control s . He and the remaining MACO near the Gorn ' s location silently search a corridor that is strewn both with exposed internals of the ship and with the bodies of several deceased officers . Without noticing Slar , Archer passes directly beneath the Gorn . He gives the MACO an all - clear signal , moments before Slar plummets down on Archer , causing him to drop his phaser . As he and the MACO assault the Gorn , it scratches Archer ' s torso before turning its ferocious attention on the MACO , who Slar picks up and slams into a bulkhead . The Gorn approaches Archer as he quickly contacts T ' Pol , instructing her to increase a certain section of the gravity plating . Her doing so drags the Gorn to the deck . Joined by two MACOs from a nearby turbolift , Archer repeatedly shoots the Gorn 6 times , killing Slar . As the " Defiant " proceeds at warp , T ' Pol and Phlox sit together in the officers ' lounge . Phlox reveals to a curious T ' Pol that Reed could just as likely die as survive and that he himself has been researching classical literature of both universes . With the exception of the consistently grim playwright Shakespeare , Phlox has a lowly opinion of the other universe ' s stories , finding the characters to be weak and compassionate . T ' Pol begins to speak of the Federation ' s equality but Phlox fears the danger that the crew could learn such discoveries . Their conversation is interrupted by a call to battle stations . Meanwhile , the starship rushes out of a debris field , under attack by four rebel vessels in pursuit . The " Avenger " is fighting a losing battle , with Admiral Black assuming command from a dead captain . However , the " Defiant " soon arrives and speedily dispatches three of the rebel ships , despite T ' Pol trying to dissuade Archer from destroying a Vulcan craft . He leaves an Andorian ship to warn the other rebels of the mass destruction and then contacts Admiral Black , who is puzzled by the absence of " Enterprise " . Archer says the situation will take time to explain and invites the admiral aboard the " Defiant " . Returning from a tour of the ship , Archer and an impressed Black later enter the briefing room , accompanied by Sergeant Mayweather , the " Avenger " s Vulcan second - in - command ( ) and a guard of the admiral ' s . As the admiral refuses to grant Archer a battlefield commission to captain of the " Defiant " and Archer is teased by an illusory reappearance of his own duplicate , he insists that he is already a captain and – immediately after Mayweather kicks the admiral ' s guard to the deck – Archer disintegrates Black with a phaser . Act Three . With " Avenger " and the " Defiant " traveling side - by - side , officers from both ships are gathered in " Avenger " s launch bay and watch Archer make a dramatic spiel , gradually moving from a walkway above the bay to a kneeling position atop a . He lengthily criticizes for having allowed the recent annihilation of the assault fleet and rallies the officers to his cause against Starfleet Command , proposing that they utilize the " Defiant " s advanced capabilities . Later , T ' Pol and Soval have a conspiratorial meeting in the latter Vulcan ' s quarters . Soval remarks that T ' Pol ' s use of a Vulcan salute , upon her arrival , is socially hazardous . She confirms that he read about the Federation , from the " Defiant " s historical database . Fearing that Archer will decimate the Vulcan species and their homeworld , T ' Pol appeals for Soval to help her betray Archer , suggesting that she acquire the " Defiant " s schematics before giving them to the rebels . Soval at first argues against her and is alarmed by her announcing that she will destroy the " Defiant " but he eventually acquiesces to her intentions . Meanwhile , Archer and then Sato – the captain ' s woman – sit up from the bed of the captain ' s quarters , which are now darkened . Archer worries that his senior officer s , particularly T ' Pol , doubt that he can succeed . Attempting to reassure him , Sato suggests disposing of T ' Pol , now that the " Defiant " is operational . Archer suddenly reveals he is intending to transfer all the non - Human s off the ship but Sato reminds him that Phlox is one of those aliens . As the couple begin to passionately caress each other , Archer accepts that Phlox can remain aboard , as his species are not rebels , and Sato wonders what will be required in the role of the Emperor ' s consort , to which Archer says she seems to have mastered the basics . On the bridge , T ' Pol secretly downloads " Defiant " s schematics from the science station . After arriving on the bridge with Mayweather and , however , Archer not only orders that he be put in contact with Fleet Admiral , but also directs the MACO to escort T ' Pol to transporter room two . Just before she leaves , Archer makes it clear to T ' Pol that she is no longer needed nor wanted aboard the ship . Gardner appears on the viewscreen and is furiously astounded that Archer has had the gall to demand Starfleet ' s " unconditional surrender . " Explaining that Admiral Black is currently unavailable , Archer exchanges threats with Gardner over the consequences of whether the " Defiant " is permitted access to Earth , though the Fleet Admiral is far more serious in his demeanor . He warns Archer that the " Defiant " will be fired upon if it continues to approach Earth , then cuts the channel . While walking through a corridor of the " Defiant " , Phlox is signaled by an intercom with a request for his immediate presence aboard the " Avenger " , apparently due to an unspecified medical emergency . Soon after arriving there , however , he finds that neither T ' Pol nor Soval are injured . On the walkway above " Avenger " s launch bay , the Vulcans attempt to convince Phlox to join their mutinous crusade . The doctor is initially astonished that they want him to sabotage the " Defiant " . Although he continues to dispute their ideas , Phlox starts to become convinced to join them , after the Vulcans tempt him by imagining what the Emperor might grant him in return for saving his life from Archer , such as an unlimited number of concubines . Ultimately , Phlox justifies the Vulcans ' plan to himself . Act Four . T ' Pol later hurries through a corridor aboard " Avenger " but is confronted by Hoshi Sato and , who have phase weapon s poised at the ready . Sato demands to know where the downloaded schematics are , but T ' Pol feigns mere confusion . Despite Sato trying to take T ' Pol back into custody , the Vulcan repeatedly attacks the MACO and a fight ensues between T ' Pol and Sato , the women exchanging catty insults . T ' Pol eventually knocks Sato to the deck , but her attempted escape is thwarted by the MACO , who stuns T ' Pol with his own particle rifle . Standing back up , Sato orders the MACO to bring T ' Pol with them . Meanwhile , Phlox sneaks into a Jefferies tube aboard the " Defiant " and Soval oversees the securing of the " Avenger " s bridge , an Andorian male and an Orion female manning the helm and tactical station s , respectively . Having learned of T ' Pol ' s most recent mutiny against him , Archer talks with her in the briefing room , having obtained her copy of downloaded " Defiant " schematics , while Sato sits nearby . An uncooperative T ' Pol contends that an alliance like the Federation is inevitable in their own universe and that Humanity will eventually pay for its arrogance . Phlox begins to sabotage the " Defiant " from inside an access tunnel and is , at first , assisted with vocal commands from Soval , who remains on " Avenger " s bridge . Aboard the " Defiant " , the sabotage results in a power drain developing , which Tucker decides to personally investigate . Aided by the gradual loss of the " Defiant " s total power , " Avenger " launches an incessant offensive against the " Defiant " , aboard which Tucker finds and battles Phlox . After managing to floor the saboteur , Tucker re - energizes the " Defiant " , restoring the craft ' s shields and weapon systems . The " Defiant " retaliates against " Avenger " , which Archer purposefully destroys . Later lying down on their bunk while drenched in sweat , Archer tells Sato to delete the historical database on the following morning . As Sato hands him a glass from the floor and takes one for herself , Archer fears that anyone else might become inspired by the Federation . The couple toast their drinks to his plan before Sato changes the subject of discussion , wondering if he thinks Starfleet ' s commanders will support him . Archer believes they are consistently loyal to whomever holds the title of Emperor and , upon considering the start of his own reign , he pours a celebratory drink into his throat while holding his glass in the air . He continues to plot his reign but his words become thready and he collapses to the floor , clutching his chest in agony . After rushing to the room ' s door , Sato opens it for Mayweather , who she passionately kisses while a pained Archer watches , realizing she has betrayed him before he loses consciousness . The " Defiant " orbits Earth as Sato enters the bridge , accompanied by Mayweather and a MACO . At her instruction , Fleet Admiral Gardner appears on the viewscreen . Sato threatens the admiral that the " Defiant " will attack Earth if Starfleet does not immediately surrender . She identifies herself , to a perplexed Gardner , as " Empress Sato " and advises him to await her commands . Memorable quotes . " " It may take centuries , but one day Humanity will pay for its arrogance . " " " " These people had some strange ideas about uniforms . " " " " They ' re never going to give you this ship . You know that . They ' ll tear it apart , try to learn its secrets . If you ' re lucky , you ' ll end up commanding a moon shuttle . Don ' t you see what the Admiral ' s planning ? He ' s going to present this ship to the Emperor himself . He ' ll take all the credit , and you ' ll end up a historical footnote . " " " " Perhaps it was a pet , owned by the original crew . " " " " Unless one of them owned a velociraptor , I find it extremely unlikely . " " " " We cannot put down this rebellion so long as our forces are commanded by dishonorable men . Before we can defeat the rebels , we must defeat them . That ship out there is the key to our victory . With the " Defiant " on our side , there will be nothing to stop us . " " " " This is the starship " Defiant " . If you don ' t surrender immediately , we ' ll begin targeting your cities . Please respond . " " " " Where ' s Archer ? ! And who the hell are " you " ? ! ! " " " " You are speaking with " Empress " Sato . Prepare to receive instructions . " " " " Great men are not ' peacemakers ' . Great men are conquerors ! " " " " I can ' t find a mention of it anywhere . " " " " A mention of what ? " " " " The Empire . As far as I can tell , it doesn ' t exist in the other universe . " " " " No Empire ? " " " " A lot of the names are the same , but their history has been rewritten . Instead of building an empire , Earth became part of an interspecies alliance . " " " " The United Federation of Planets ? " " " " More like a Federation of fools . " " " " You ' re confusing our universe with someone else ' s ! " " Links and references . References . " all hands " ; Andorian ; Andorian battle cruiser ; ; ; battle stations ; concubine ; ; councilman ; coupler ; ; ; ; docking clamp s ; empress ; footnote ; gesture ; Gorn ; honorary ; kiss ; ; master systems display ; microfracture ; Orion ; photon torpedo ; phaser ; plasma regulator ; primary EPS relay ; ; reaction chamber ; saliva ; Sato ' s siblings ; ; ; slave ; slavemaster ; Tellarite ; Tellarite cruiser ; Tholian ; thruster ; velociraptor ; Vulcan ; Historical Archive : Starfleet references . Alpha Centauri ; " " ; Battle of Cheron ; Beta III ; ; C - 111 system ; ; Constitution of the United Federation of Planets ; Earth - Romulan War ; Eminiar VII ; ; Federation Council ; Ficus sector ; Iowa ; ; Klingon Empire ; Paris ; ; President of the United Federation of Planets ; ; Romulan Star Empire ; Royal Academy ; San Francisco ; Sherman ' s Planet ; Starfleet Charter ; ; ; World War III Jonathan Archer bio references . 61 Ursae Majoris ; Andoria ; Andorian Imperial Guard ; Archer IV ; ; ; Archer ' s Planet ; Chief of Staff ; councilman ; Federation Citation of Honor ; Gamma Trianguli sector ; ; ; Medal of Valor ; New York ; North America ; Preantares Ribbon of Commendation ; Star Cross ; Warp five engine Hoshi Sato bio references . Delphic Expanse ; Japan ; Klaang ; Kyoto ; Qo ' noS ; Sato ' s siblings ; Suliban