Hatchery ( episode ) " Enterprise " finds a derelict Xindi - Insectoid ship carrying a cache of unhatched eggs and Archer takes an increasingly obsessive interest in preserving them . Summary . Teaser . is orbiting an uninhabited planet en route to . They discover a derelict Xindi - Insectoid ship on the surface . Interested in finding out more about their technology , Captain Archer sends down an away team in a . Act One . On the Xindi ship , they discover that all the crew are already dead , and that there is no atmosphere . In EV suits , the " Enterprise " crew members explore the ship . They find no discernible bridge , only access terminals scattered around the ship . This corresponds with what they ' ve already discovered about the decentralized nature of the Insectoid government and hierarchy . Investigating further , they discover an intact Xindi - Insectoid shuttlecraft , which they take back to " Enterprise " . The away team then finds an active power source , and move it to a pressurized room with breathable air . Inside , they find a room filled with egg s – a hatchery . Captain Archer inspects one of the eggs , and one of the tendrils attached to it squirts him with some substance . He is taken back to the ship . Dr . Phlox looks the captain over , and finds that it was only a mild neurotoxin , and that there was no permanent damage . Back on the Xindi ship , the crew discover that the life support systems have only a few days of power left . If they fail , the eggs will all die . On " Enterprise " , Archer calls Commander Tucker and Sub - Commander T ' Pol to his ready room , and tells them to prepare to help power up the derelict ship so the eggs don ' t die . Tucker objects strongly , claiming that the longer they stay near the planet , the more likely that they ' ll be discovered by another Xindi ship . However , Archer is adamant that they should try to preserve the lives of the baby Xindi . Act Two . The " Enterprise " crew have spent the past two days on the derelict ship , trying to power it up , but nothing is working . Archer is getting more and more annoyed by each failure by his crew . Then he has an idea . On " Enterprise " , he orders that enough antimatter be sent down to the planet to re - start the Xindi ship ' s engines . He then goes back down to the planet . T ' Pol is against the idea , and tells Trip to hold back the supplying of the antimatter until she has had a word with the captain . On the derelict ship , T ' Pol confronts Archer about their low antimatter reserves , and how much of a strain giving a third of their antimatter to the damaged ship would put on " Enterprise " . Archer absorbs this information , but still insists that the antimatter is transferred . T ' Pol bluntly refuses , at which point Archer relieves her of her post , and orders Major Hayes to escort her back to " Enterprise " and confine her to her quarters . Act Three . Hayes and Lieutenant Reed discuss Xindi ship tactics , and Hayes discovers a weak spot in the Xindi ship ' s shields where two torpedo es could knock out their engines . Reed , initially skeptical as to Hayes ' investigation methods , is impressed . Learning of T ' Pol ' s insubordination , Tucker visits her in her quarters , after having convinced Corporal Chang ( stationed outside T ' Pol ' s quarters ) into letting him in to see her , claiming he was only there for his regular Vulcan neural pressure session . T ' Pol convinces Tucker that the captain is acting irrationally and is jeopardizing the mission . Tucker is wary about directly confronting the captain over the matter because he could also be relieved of his duties and sent to his quarters as well . On the bridge , Lieutenant Reed is in command when a Xindi - Insectoid scout ship arrives , fires on " Enterprise " , and attempts to escape . Reed decides to put Hayes ' plan into action , and fires at the vulnerable section of the ship . The Xindi ship is destroyed . Archer arrives on the bridge , and is angered because Reed destroyed the ship . He relieves him of his post , and confines him to his quarters too . Captain Archer puts Major Hayes in command of " Enterprise " and posts MACO s all over the ship . He then orders Ensign Sato to send out a distress call , as soon she completes her translation . Then , Archer goes to the shuttlebay and starts loading the antimatter into one of the shuttlepod s . Tucker and Dr . Phlox ( who has been informed of the Captain ' s increasingly obsessive behavior ) enter and gently suggest that the captain go to sickbay for an examination . Phlox reminds Archer of the ship ' s doctor ' s medical authority to relieve the Captain of command if Archer will not submit to be examined , citing , " Starfleet Order 104 Section C " as his authority . Archer still refuses , and forces them to leave under the threat of a MACO . Unbeknownst to Archer , however , Phlox had used his medical scanner secretly to discover if anything was wrong with the captain . In sickbay , Phlox and Tucker find out that there is nothing visibly wrong with the captain , much to Tucker ' s shock . However , Tucker is not convinced , and begins to plan to take over the ship . Back at the derelict ship , the captain and other co - workers witness the eggs growing bigger . Act Four . Getting past T ' Pol ' s guard again , this time by force with help from Reed , they release T ' Pol , and begin their insurrection . First , they take over the armory and retrieve some more phase - pistol s . Then , Tucker and another crewmember transport to the surface to confront the captain . Reed and T ' Pol , with a few loyal crew members , attempt to get to the bridge . On the bridge , Hayes discovers that Chang has been incapacitated and that T ' Pol has escaped . A second later , the mutineers burst onto the bridge , startling everyone . There ' s a standoff between Hayes , Reed , T ' Pol , and another MACO . Travis Mayweather seizes an opportunity and grapples with Hayes on the floor . The situation is quickly resolved , and the MACOs are secured in their quarters . On the derelict ship , Tucker confronts the captain , and discovers him covered in Xindi hatchlings . He doesn ' t appear worried or injured , but Trip has to shoot him to get him to come back to the ship . Back on " Enterprise " , Archer is put through the main scanning chamber in sickbay , and Phlox discovers that the captain had been " reverse - imprinted " with the Xindi eggs by the substance that was squirted onto him . Subconsciously , he had been caring for the Xindi babies to the exclusion of everything else . Phlox is able to reverse the effect , and , after retrieving the antimatter , the " Enterprise " continues on its course to Azati Prime . Memorable quotes . " " I think it ' s safe to assume it ' s dead . " " " " Just being cautious . Certain insects on Earth are known to hibernate . " " " " They may know how to build a weapons system , but these people could learn a thing or two about designing a comfortable chair . " " " " For an Insectoid , maybe they are comfortable . " " " " I ' d be the last to question the captain ' s orders but doesn ' t it seem a little odd that we ' re staying here to save a nest of Xindi ? " " " " The Xindi are trying to destroy Earth because they heard that Humans are ruthless , this is the chance to prove them wrong . " " " " I never imagined Captain Archer would put the welfare of a few Xindi before his own people ! " " " " I don ' t know much about Vulcan ethics but Humans don ' t throw morality out the window when things start getting a little rough . " " Links and references . References . analgesic ; antimatter ; Archer ' s great - grandfather ; armory ; asexual reproduction ; autopsy ; ; battalion ; burial ritual ; chain of command ; confined to quarters ; corporal ; docking arm ; Earth ; egg ; egg sac ; ethics ; Eugenics Wars ; ; hatchery ; iconography ; imprinting ; impulse manifold ; insect ; insubordination ; lifespan ; matrix converter ; megajoule ; microbe ; Monday ; morality ; movie night ; mutiny ; nest ; neurochemical ; neuro - pressure ; neurotoxin ; nitrogen ; North Africa ; oxygen ; particle cannon ; particle weapon ; physical ; plasma torch ; power grid ; ; ; sabotage ; Starfleet ; starlog ; stun grenade ; subspace vortex ; suffocation ; tactical alert ; tactical analysis ; thermosphere ; torpedo launcher ; Vulcan ; West Point ; Xindi - Insectoid ; Xindi - Insectoid hatchling ; Xindi - Insectoid shuttlecraft ; Xindi - Insectoid scout ship ; Xindi - Insectoid starship