“Fallen Hero” is episode twenty-three of season one of Star Trek: Enterprise.
T’Pol is dining with Trip and Archer and it seems she thinks they are suffering from a lack of sexual activity. Starfleet regulations mean they can’t fraternise with subordinates, unless they are breaking regs. Trip points out said regs don’t apply to T’Pol; has she been suffering? No; Vulcans mate once every seven years. Archer wants to know why T’Pol is so curious. She understands the human mating ritual eases tension; efficiency is down 3%. The captain says it’s normal to be a bit sloppy after 10 months with no break. T’Pol recommends shore leave. There’s a suitable planet, Risa, only 9 days away. Trip checks on her definition of suitable. Tropical, pristine beaches. There’s more in the Vulcan database. And it’s populated by a humanoid culture receptive to easing tension.
Trip enters the bridge wearing a Hawaiian shirt. T’Pol recommends he lose it, if he wants to impress the women on Risa. The captain is going to stay onboard and do some work, but T’Pol agrees with Trip that the captain also needs some rest. Then they receive a communication from Starfleet Command.
The captain takes it in his ready room and Admiral Forrest tells him that the Vulcan ambassador to Mazar, V’Lar, needs to be taken off as soon as possible and the nearest Vulcan ship is at least a week away. The Enterprise is to pick up V’Lar then rendezvous with a Vulcan ship. It’s an emergency, and the Vulcans aren’t talking.
Hoshi has offered up her quarters for V’Lar and she’d like to talk to the ambassador. T’Pol says she will ask, if it’s appropriate. The captain arrives; T’Pol has prepped a list of protocols to be followed with V’Lar, though she doubts there will be much interaction with the ambassador.
The Enterprise arrives at Mazar and are told that not only is there no time to visit the planet, V’Lar’s shuttle is already heading up to the ship. She’s been expelled for abusing her position and criminal misconduct. The ambassador arrives and immediately offers to shake hands; something T’Pol had warned no-one to offer. And wants to talk in English.
Later, V’Lar is dining with Trip, T’Pol and Archer and asks who previously occupied her quarters. Not because of the smell of humans, as T’Pol suggests, but because she wants to thank them. It seems that V’Lar negotiated a treaty with the Andorians, prior to the Vulcans making contact with Earth. Trip states that was 90 years ago and asks how long V’Lar has been a diplomat. V’Lar understood that on his world it is bad manners to ask a lady her age. She’s joking. But, as they are dining with her and T’Pol, they are almost certainly with the two oldest people on the ship. T’Pol is concerned about why V’Lar was expelled, and V’Lar says she has that right. Later, V’Lar says she senses T’Pol’s disappointment with her.
Captain Archer asks T’Pol if there are any problems; she was a bit abrupt. He doesn’t pretend to understand Vulcans but wouldn’t be a very good captain if he didn’t realise that something was bothering his science officer. T’Pol replies that it’s uncommon for a Vulcan to commit a crime. And unheard-of for one in V’Lar’s position. It seems that T’Pol travelled a great distance to see V’Lar talk when she was younger, and it changed her path in life. She tells the captain that Vulcans don’t have heroes, though.
Then Archer is summoned to the bridge. A Mazarite vessel wants to take V’Lar back for additional questioning. The captain wants to contact Starfleet. The Mazarite captain agrees, but they are jamming communications. Then they open fire. The other ship has shields; Enterprise does not. Torpedoes don’t have any effect and Reed says they can’t fire phase cannons at warp. It’s a problem he’s been working on. They drop out of warp and manage to knock out the Mazarite’s engines, then return to warp.
Captain Archer wants to talk to V’Lar. She has no idea who they were but they obviously weren’t sent by the Mazarite High Council. Archer asks who sent them. V’Lar says she has no answers for him. Which is not the same as not knowing. She doesn’t want to tell him any more, because that could endanger his ship. The captain asks how much greater danger they could be in, and will turn back unless V’Lar gives him answers. She doesn’t.
V’Lar obviously knows what’s going on, but is keeping it secret. Other than this issue, she’s a far more pleasant ambassador than most the Enterprise has encountered.