Fallen Hero (Enterprise episode)

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Star Trek: Enterprise episode
"Fallen Hero"
The Mazarites board the Enterprise, Fallen Hero
Episode no.	23
Prod. code	123
Airdate	May 8, 2002
Writer(s)	Rick Berman Brannon Braga Chris Black Teleplay by: Alan Cross
Director	Patrick Norris
Guest star(s)	Vaughn Armstrong Fionnula Flanagan John Rubinstein J. Michael Flynn Dennis Howard
Year	2152
Stardate	unknown
Episode chronology
Previous	"Vox Sola"
Next	"Desert Crossing"

Fallen Hero is the 23^rd episode (production #123) of the television series Star Trek: Enterprise.

[edit] Synopsis

Archer is ordered to transport Vulcan Ambassador V'Lar from a planet where her integrity has been called into question.

[edit] Plot

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

Teaser
In the Captain's Mess, T'Pol asks Archer and Trip if they have had successful sexual relations in the last ten months. They are incredulous at the question and T'Pol goes on to say that she understands that human sexual relations are good at easing tension. Crew efficiency is down 3%, so T'Pol recommends shore leave at Risa. T'Pol comments that the population is "receptive to easing tension".

Act One
Trip enters the Bridge in an Hawaiian shirt and T'Pol says that the Risian women will not be impressed. Archer tells Trip that he plans to stay onboard and read astrometric surveys. T'Pol disagrees and tells Archer that the safety of the ship relies on the Captain being at his most efficient. Just then, Admiral Hayes hails from Starfleet Command.

In his Ready Room, Archer is briefed by Hayes on V'Lar, the Vulcan ambassador to Mazar. She is to be removed from the planet and the Enterprise is the nearest ship. Archer will rendezvous the Sh'Ran in three days in order for V'Lar to return to Vulcan. Hayes doesn't know why V'Lar has to be removed.

Later, Hoshi clears her quarters in order to make room for V'Lar. The Enterprise is hailed by the Mazarite High Council as soon as they enter orbit. The Councillor tells Archer that V'Lar has been expelled from the planet for abusing her position and for criminal misconduct.

Over dinner in the Captain's Mess, V'Lar relates how she negotiated the first territorial accords between Vulcan and Andoria. T'Pol asks what defence V'Lar will use against the Mazarite charges and V'Lar says that there is no defence. T'Pol escorts V'Lar back to her quarters. V'Lar senses T'Pol's disappointment in her.

In the corridor, T'Pol walks with Archer and tells him that it is unheard of for Vulcan Ambassadors to commit crimes. She tells of her first meeting with V'Lar, just after V'Lar had negotiated the treaty of Ka'Tann. T'Pol continues, saying that V'Lar was an inspiration in her choosing a direction in life. Reed then hails to summon Archer to the Bridge.

A Mazarite ship follows the Enterprise. Its Captain tells Archer that V'Lar is wanted for additional questioning on Mazar and requests permission to dock with Enterprise. Archer demurs and hails Starfleet Command for clarification only to discover that the ship is jamming the com frequencies. Just then, the Mazarite ship opens fire.

Act Two
The Enterprise takes damage and its torpedoes have no effect on the Mazarite ship. In a stunning admission of ignorance, Archer learns that the phase cannon cannot be used while the ship is at warp speed, so he orders the ship to drop to impulse in order to use it on the Mazarite ship. The cannon is effective in knocking out the Mazarite's engines.

In V'Lar's quarters, she tells Archer and T'Pol that the diplomatic incident concerns the Vulcan High Command only, so Archer hails Mayweather and instructs that a course be laid in for a return to Mazar. In his Ready Room, Archer complains to Admiral Hayes about the Vulcans' lack of trust in Starfleet and his compromised position.

T'Pol finds V'Lar in the Mess Hall with Hoshi, whom she thanks for the use of her quarters. Hoshi leaves, and T'Pol states that Archer must be told the truth about the situation in order to earn his trust. V'Lar says that she remembers meeting T'Pol and that she has something to say to her.

Later, T'Pol finds Archer in his quarters and tells him that V'Lar knows that the Mazarite charges were fabricated to force her off of the planet in order to prevent her real mission, which is still classified. She persuades Archer not to return to Mazar.

Act Three
The Enterprise is chased by three Mazarite ships and Archer decides to attempt to outrun them. They are now two hours from the Sh'Raan at warp 4.9 but still can't get a message through due to the Mazarite jamming frequencies. V'Lar enters and asks if they will reach the Sh'Raan without additional damage. She requests to speak with Archer when he can't say yes.

In the Ready Room, V'Lar tells Archer that she hasn't confided her secret mission in him due to lack of trust. She goes on to say that the Mazarites chasing the Enteprise are criminals who have infiltrated all levels of the planet's government. They will kill anyone who seeks to loosen their grip on the planet. V'Lar was collecting evidence against the criminal group at the request of the Mazarite government. Her testimony was due in three months' time and it was decided that she was safest on Vulcan rather than Mazar. Her cover story of criminal charges was concocted to sully her reputation and compromise her status as a witness in an attempt to deter reprisals.

Back on the Bridge, Archer tells the Mazarite Captain that he plans to deliver V'Lar to the Vulcans, as ordered and the Mazarites had better slow down before their engines explode. With that, Archer orders the Enterprise to warp 5. As the ship shakes, Reed reports that the Mazarites are still gaining ground.

Act Four
T'Pol calculates that if the Sh'Raan were to travel towards the Enterprise at warp 7 then they would rendezvous in 12 minutes' time. Hoshi can't cut through the jamming signal to hail the Vulcans, so V'Lar uses a Vulcan diplomatic channel on a lower subspace freqency that the Mazarites are not aware of. Hoshi can't be sure that the message was received and understood. At that moment, the port injectors fuse in Engineering and Trip insists that they slow down before the ship is destroyed. The Mazarites fire, hitting the starboard nacelle and dropping the Enterprise to impulse.

Archer orders V'Lar to Sickbay as part of an attempt to buy time for the Sh'Raan to arrive. The Mazarite Captain hails and Archer stalls for time to allow Reed to redirect the jamming signal towards the Mazarite sensors. The Mazarite Captain boards the Enterprise with two crewmen. At the airlock, Archer and T'Pol tell how the last Mazarite blast damaged the section of the ship that V'Lar was in, leaving her almost dead. The Mazarite Captain demands to see her. In Sickbay, Phlox says that V'Lar is in the imaging chamber undergoing treatment and it would be fatal for the process to be interrupted. The Mazarites phaser the chamber in their attempts to kill the ambassador.

At that moment, The Sh'Raan appears and disables the Mazarite ships. The Captain hails and orders the Mazarites to hand their weapons over or risk their ships being destroyed. As they leave Sickbay, V'Lar stands on the opposite side of the door. She tells the Mazarite Captain that she looks forward to adding this incident to her testimony at the trial.

Act Five

"Captain's starlog, February 9th, 2152. The Vulcans have allowed the Mazarites to leave. Ambassador V'Lar says there is a good reason for doing so, though she's certainly not sharing it with me."

As she boards the Sh'Raan, V'Lar tells Archer and T'Pol that she senses a bond of trust and friendship between the pair and that it bodes well for future human-Vulcan relations.