Desert Crossing

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Star Trek: Enterprise episode
"Desert Crossing"
Trip & Archer take an unexpected detour
Episode no.	23
Prod. code	124
Airdate	May 8, 2002
Writer(s)	Rick Berman Brannon Braga Andre Bormanis Teleplay by: Andre Bormanis
Director	David Straiton
Guest star(s)	Clancy Brown Charles Dennis Brandon Karrer
Year	2152
Stardate	unknown
Episode chronology
Previous	"Fallen Hero"
Next	"Two Days and Two Nights"

Desert Crossing is the 23rd episode (production #124) of the television series Star Trek: Enterprise.

1 Synopsis
2 Plot
3 External links

[edit] Synopsis

Archer and Trip are invited to a desert planet by Zobral to discover that he is a terrorist with ulterior motives.

[edit] Plot

[edit] Teaser

Archer is packing his bag in his cabin.

"Captain's personal log, February 12th, 2152. After a brief detour, we're back on course for Risa. Everyone is looking forward to some much-needed shore leave. I've got my eye on a place called Suraya Bay. Villas built right in to the cliffs. Perfect spot to enjoy a few good books. Might even do a little diving when I..."

At that moment, T'Pol hails Archer to say that they are picking up a distress call from a vessel two light years to port. Archer orders that they alter course to intercept.

[edit] Act One

Later, Archer and Zobral walk through the corridors of the Enterprise. Archer says that the problem was plasma residue in Zobral's ship's engines. Zobral invites Archer and Trip to his planet to watch a Geskana match and enjoy a meal in their honour.

In Engineering, Trip isn't enthusiastic about the idea of visiting a desert planet, as it reminds him of Starfleet survival training in the Australian Outback. Trip grudgingly accepts, as long as he doesn't have to eat snake meat.

Zobral meets the shuttlepod as it arrives at his village. Over dinner, each tells the others about their respective planets. Zobral offers Archer a gift and hands him an artefact made by a Suliban. They then play in the Geskana match, which is similar to lacrosse. The Enterprise is hailed from the surface of the planet. Chancellor Trellit informs T'Pol that they will probably never see Archer and Trip again.

[edit] Act Two

T'Pol hails Archer and informs him of the situation. Archer makes an excuse to leave and Zobral stops him, saying that he will tell Archer the real reason why he has been invited to the planet. The planet's society used to be run on a caste system. It was abolished and the Torothan government signed the accord but didn't honour it. Ten years of peaceful protest has seen no improvement for the once-lower caste members like Zobral, so he and hundreds of others like him have taken to using violence to enforce their beliefs. Zobral requests the use of Enterprise's resources or Archer's tactical knowledge, saying that he helped the Suliban prisoners recently, so why not help Zobral?

At that moment, the Torothan bombardment of Zobral's village begins and his soldiers arm themselves. Archer and Trip are told that their shuttlepod's thrusters would draw the fire of the Torothan ships and so it is better that they hide in Zobral's house for the duration.

On board the Enterprise, Reed detects weapons fire on the surface. Hoshi can't hail Archer as the region is being jammed by the Torothans. In the hiding place, Trip is against the idea of helping Zobral and Archer is in two minds. A large explosion rocks the village and Archer and Trip escape back to the shuttlepod amid the burning ruins. They grab survival packs and escape in to the night.

[edit] Act Three

Trellit tells T'Pol that the Enterprise can't launch another shuttlepod to look for Archer and Trip as it will be seen as an enemy vessel and fired upon. An orbital dispersion field is then activated to prevent the Enterprise from scanning below 100 kilometres.

Archer and Trip walk east across the desert towards another encampment that Archer noticed on their approach the previous day. They hear a Torothan ship approach and hide from it.

On board the Enterprise, T'Pol tells Reed that destroying the satellites generating the dispersion field is not an option, so he should look for alternatives in order to scan for Archer and Trip. Hoshi asks how Vulcans make first contact and avoid taking sides in a war. T'Pol replies that Captain Archer is going to have to create some directives to assist in such situations, as the Vulcans did.

Zobral rendezvous with the Enterprise and is met by T'Pol and Reed. Reed tells Zobral the truth about the Tandaran detention camp, then asks how Zobral left the surface undetected. Zobral tells them of a gap that occurs in the Torothan detection grid once every 46 minutes and T'Pol uses his honour to persuade Zobral to assist in the search for Archer and Trip.

Archer and Trip make it to the encampment, which is in ruins. The water supply is stagnant, so they sit in the shade, exhausted.

[edit] Act Four

Archer boils off the impurities in the water and offers it to Trip, who is suffering from heatstroke, talking to him to keep Trip from falling in to a coma. Above the desert, T'Pol, Reed and Zobral search for their bio-signs in shuttlepod two.

As Archer and Trip talk, the building they are in is bombarded by the Torothans. In the shuttlepod, T'Pol orders that a course be set as she believes that the Torothans have located Archer and Trip. They land and collect the pair after shooting the Torothan mortar.

[edit] Act Five

Zobral prepares to leave the Enterprise and Archer tells him that assisting in planetary conflicts is not the reason why Starfleet is exploring the galaxy. As they walk away, T'Pol tells Archer that he said the correct thing but Archer replies that he has a feeling that Zobral's is a cause worth fighting.