Azati Prime (episode)

The crew discovers the Xindi weapon and plans to launch a suicide mission to destroy it, with Archer insisting that he be at the helm. But, when Archer is captured, he must convince Degra and the other Xindi leaders, that Humanity is no threat to the Xindi. Meanwhile, the Xindi launch a heavy attack on Enterprise that leaves the ship defenseless and almost destroyed.
== Summary ==
=== Teaser ===
 enters the Azati Prime system. Sub-Commander T'Pol detects multiple Xindi starships and Lieutenant Malcolm Reed finds multiple s generating a detection grid. Captain Jonathan Archer orders the Enterprise behind to remain hidden where they detect a convoy led by Degra's ship.
There, Degra toasts the fact that the Xindi weapon will soon be completed, noting that it's odd to toast the destruction of a whole planet, but also that they will ensure the Xindi's survival.
=== Act One ===
The Xindi Council meets Degra on his ship. Jannar and the other councilor congratulate Degra, while Dolim prefers to wait on celebrating. Meanwhile, the senior staff plans their moves on the Enterprise. T'Pol determines the detection grid uses thousands of satellites and is resilient if any one is disabled. Archer suggests using the Xindi-Insectoid assault shuttle, but Ensign Travis Mayweather is concerned they need a lot of time to learn how to pilot it. Archer goes with this option.
 and Mayweather learn the shuttle's controls while Hoshi Sato works out the translation for its language. Mayweather takes the shuttle out and, despite being shaky starting out, he eventually finds his stride and they get through the detection net. Soon, the translation is put to the test when a patrol ship intercepts them, and, fortunately, buys their cover story of a navigational error. They find the weapon under water on Azati Prime, nearing completion. While away, the Enterprise realizes that the moon they are hiding behind has rotated, bringing a station on the surface into scanning range. Archer decides, under protest from T'Pol, to order the base's destruction for fear it will reveal their position when the moon rotates.
After Tucker and Mayweather return with information about the weapon's position, Reed notes the location of its power matrix. They determine that they can use photonic torpedoes to destroy it. Archer realizes it's a suicide mission and, despite multiple volunteers, he decides he will go. He orders piloting lessons from Mayweather in a half hour and leaves.
However, when he goes into the turbolift, he instantly finds himself on another ship. He finds a large viewscreen where a battle is being fought, and . He explains Archer is in the 26th century on the .
=== Act Two ===
Daniels tries to convince Archer to try a diplomatic solution by showing Archer the Battle of Procyon V, in progress. He reveals to Archer that, in the future, the will be responsible for the success in averting a galaxy-wide takeover by the Sphere-Builders. These beings are trans-dimensional and are the culprits manipulating the Xindi to attack Humanity, when in actuality it is Humans who are ultimately responsible for protecting the Xindi. Daniels is desperate to convince Archer not to sacrifice himself, as Archer would ultimately be pivotal in forming the Federation, but Archer finds this all hard to believe. He knows he needs to save his people, and sees his current plan as the way to do that, but Daniels responds that they will continue to build weapons. Archer doesn't accept it and demands to be sent back to his time. Daniels relents, but also manages to convince Archer to take with him a relic from the future, an heirloom from a Starfleet Xindi crewmember.
Back on the Enterprise (NX-01), Archer gives T'Pol the heirloom. She promises to study it, but Archer doesn't need that. He intends to go ahead with his plan, which bothers T'Pol. She uses Daniels' argument, surprising Archer as she doesn't believe in time travel. She says her visit to Detroit affected that belief. She continues to argue, but then flat-out says she doesn't want Archer to die. It gives him pause, but doesn't deter him.
On Degra's ship, an argument starts around logistics. Dolim wants to bring more ships with the weapon to stamp out any residual resistance after the weapon is deployed, but Degra is concerned about the extra effort when generating the vortex. Degra says a ship may be lost, but Dolim demands it. He then gets word of the lunar base being out of contact, and leaves to investigate. This leaves Degra to dwell on the ramifications of what he's about to do. He wonders aloud to Jannar, who is convinced it's better the Humans' planet be destroyed then theirs, and it's best not to think about it. Jannar points out they're doing this for their children, but Degra wonders how their children will really remember them.
After giving his farewell speech to the crew after asking Phlox to look after Porthos. He emphasizes that, when Earth is safe, they need to get back to being explorers, like on their first day. Without much more, he leaves on the Insectoid ship.
=== Act Three ===
Archer easily arrives at the construction site on Azati Prime, but he discovers the weapon has been moved. He is soon captured by Commander Dolim and his security forces, and interrogated. Archer refuses his questions with his usual wit, revealing the fact that reptilians used to rule Earth 65 million years ago. Eventually, Archer agrees to answer, but only in Degra's presence. He tells Dolim to tell Degra a personal detail about his child. Dolim is very skeptical that Archer knows who he is, but Archer invites him to prove it with the personal detail.
Meanwhile, the Enterprise waits for Archer. T'Pol is distraught, having trouble locking her emotions up, so she heads to the ready room to let it out. She stays there for awhile, prompting Tucker to come to talk to her, reminding her she's the captain now and needs to be present. She dismisses him and ponders the situation. Later, it's determined it's been too long since they expected the explosion, so Archer must have been caught. T'Pol goes to listen to Reed's and Tucker's plan to rush in and destroy the weapon themselves, but T'Pol thinks it is impossible. She prefers traveling herself in a to talk to them directly for a diplomatic solution, but the crew is equally skeptical of that.
Once alone with Degra, Archer tells him more about the personal details he knows of him. Degra is stunned that Archer knows anything about him, let alone these personal details. He wants to know how Archer knows, but Archer says it's not important. He gives Degra the full story, and shows him the relic he obtained from Daniels: an initiation medal of a Xindi who has joined the Federation. He insists that Degra understand that destroying the Humans means destroying his own people, as well.
=== Act Four ===
Degra goes and verifies that the relic is from the future, then talks to Jannar and other Xindi-Primate councilor. It's very late to be rethinking their course, but Degra has doubts, now. The councilor is adamant about continuing the mission, but Degra now wonders if they have it right. Archer also told him that the Reptilians went 100 years in the past to develop the bioweapon, which he described in great detail. The three then go to see Archer. The councilor says he's unconvinced, and asks for more evidence. Archer has none, but restates his case. He pleads to make his case to the Council as well, pointing out that, if they did not have doubts, they wouldn't be talking to him now.
Soon Dolim returns, having grown impatient, to take Archer away for further interrogation. Degra objects, saying they're not finished, but Dolim threatens them and uses his men to take them back to their ship. He also reveals his ships have engaged Archer, after having agreed to hold off. Degra objects again, but Dolim doesn't care, now, and has them taken away.
Meanwhile, four Xindi vessels descend on Enterprise and open fire after investigating the destruction of the aforementioned lunar base. Hull plating quickly goes off-line, as does the intercom system. As the Xindi inflict major internal and external damage to the ship, coolant leaks in engineering force Tucker's crew to evacuate. As the Xindi continue their onslaught, a major hull breach in the primary hull blows several crewmembers out into space. Facing imminent destruction, and seemingly certain death, all the crew can do is prepare for the worst as Enterprise drifts defenselessly in space still under heavy fire…
== Memorable quotes ==
"Patience is for the dead!"
:- Commander Dolim
"I think I found reverse."
"Great, but unless we plan to fly in ass-first, we'd better figure out how to make it go forward."
:- Mayweather and Tucker, while learning to fly the Xindi-Insectoid assault shuttle
"Their flight path is somewhat erratic."
:- T'Pol, to Archer, describing the path of the Xindi shuttle with Mayweather and Tucker at the controls
"I thought you were the skeptical one when it came to time travel."
"Our recent visit to Detroit has tempered my skepticism."
:- Archer and T'Pol, discussing Daniels' advice regarding the Xindi
"Good. You're starting to think like an Insectoid."
"I'll take that as a compliment."
:- Mayweather and Archer, as the captain learns to fly the Xindi shuttle
"I'm going to ask all of you to think back to the day when this ship was first launched. We were explorers then. When all this is over, when Earth is safe, I want you to get back to that job. There are four hundred billion stars in our galaxy – we've only explored a tiny fraction. You have a lot of work to do. Of all the captains who will sit in this chair, I can't imagine any of them being more proud than I am right now."
:- Captain Archer, in a farewell speech to his command staff
"No matter what happens to the Xindi weapon, the captain isn't coming back."
:- Tucker, to T'Pol
"Dismissed."
"Dismissed?"
"Get out!"
:- T'Pol and Tucker, as she orders him to leave her ready room, distraught over the captain's impending sacrifice.
"I'll bet you didn't know this, but at one time most of my world was ruled by reptiles."
"I wasn't aware of that."
"A comet hit around 65 million years ago – caused a mass extinction. Most of the reptiles died out. Mammals became the dominant species."
"How unfortunate."
"Still, the reptiles might've come out on top if it hadn't been for a slight disadvantage."
"And what was that?"
"They had brains the size of a walnut. That's very small. Apparently, it is a constant in the universe."
:- Archer and Commander Dolim
"You don't want to know my specialty."
"Let me guess, stinkin' up the room!"
:- Dolim and Archer
"You want me to kill you."
"Just making conversation."
:- Dolim and Archer
"Listen to me, you son of a bitch! It wasn't any easier for me to swallow this than it is for you, but you better understand something: if you destroy Earth you won't just be eliminating my species, you'll be eliminating your own."
:- Archer, to Degra
"Let me speak to this council of yours – present my case."
"Some members of the council would sooner execute you than listen."
"Then help me change their minds."
"You haven't changed ours."
"I made an impression, or you wouldn't still be here."
:- Captain Archer, Degra, and the Xindi-Primate Councilor
"Everybody out!"
:- Tucker, to his engineering staff, as he gives the order to evacuate
== Background information ==
* The final draft script of this episode was issued on .
* Three crewmen are shown being blown into space through a hull breach; they are later mentioned among those missing in the following episode.
* The damage inflicted to Enterprise in this episode is not fully repaired until the fourth season episode .
* This episode relies to a large extent on information obtained by Archer in .
* The eleventh starship to be called Enterprise with the registry NCC-1701 is depicted in this episode, although the ship's class is not mentioned. Ships named Enterprise that do not have this registry and are not counted include the OV-101, XCV 330, and the NX-01.
* Many of the ships in the Battle of Procyon V are reused studio models from throughout the various series. Among those that can be clearly identified are , , and starships, as well as the Vissian starship and Devore warship standing in for the Sphere-Builders.
* Some of the damage done to appears to be reused from previous episodes, including hull damage from and as well as the significantly damaged port hull from .
* The drinking glasses, used by Degra in this episode, were sold off on the It's A Wrap! sale and auction on eBay. They were previously used in several episodes of in Quark's and are from Victoria and Richard MacKenzie-Childs LTD. 
=== Video and DVD release ===
* As part of the ENT Season 3 DVD collection
== Links and references ==
=== Guest stars ===
* Matt Winston as 
* Randy Oglesby as Degra
* Scott MacDonald as Dolim
* Tucker Smallwood as Xindi-Primate Councilor
* Rick Worthy as Jannar
=== Co-star ===
* Christopher Goodman as Thalen
=== Uncredited co-stars ===
* Geneviere Anderson as operations ensign
* Steve Blalock
* Breezy or Windy as Porthos
* Jacob Chambers
* Vince Deadrick, Jr. as engineer on fire
* Henry Farnam as command crewman
* Glen Hambly
* Scott L. Treger as Xindi-Reptilian
=== References ===
2080s; 26th century; actuator; alligator; Anaprolean Fever; Andorians; artificial satellite (satellite array); attenuation; autoconfig; aux mode; axis coil; ; Azati Prime moon; Azati Prime system; calibration; cheese; cold-blooded; communication range; config; cycle; Delphic Expanse sphere; Detroit; dinosaur; dozen; Earth; Enarchis; evolution; explosive matrix; file; gas giant; Great Diaspora; hemisphere; initiation medal; Ithenite; Klingon; lead ship; mass extinction; meter; millions of years ago; Milky Way Galaxy; monitoring station; one-way trip; penance; perimeter scan; photonic torpedo; pregnancy; quantum dating; refugee; regiment; San Francisco; scanning range; security zone; senior officer; SIF; Sim; snake; Sphere-Builder; squadron; submersible infrastructure; subspace vortex; Temporal Cold War; test subject; time traveler; toast; trans-dimensional being; trans-dimensional realm; translation matrix; Trenia; turtle; turtle soup; United Federation of Planets; Vulcan; walnut; warp signature; Xindi biosigns; Xindi bio-weapon; Xindi-Insectoid language; Xindi-Primate; Xindi-Reptilian; Xindi-Reptilian pilot
==== Starship references ====
carrier ship; asteroid-runner; (unnamed); Degra's ship; ; (unnamed); (unnamed); Sphere-Builder vessels; ; (unnamed); Xindi-Insectoid assault shuttle; Xindi-Insectoid starship; Xindi-Insectoid patrol ship; Xindi-Reptilian warship
=== External links ===
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