“In a Mirror, Darkly” is episode eighteen of season four of Star Trek: Enterprise.
The episode opens in Bozeman, Montana, 2063, as the Vulcan starship lands in the scene from First Contact. Except that instead of Zefram Cochrane shaking the Vulcan’s hand, he pulls out a shotgun, shoots him and then the ship is stormed.
The opening credits have a different theme and emphasise war, including the space scenes. And have the symbol from the Terran Empire from the TOS episode “Mirror, Mirror”. Yes, this is a Mirror Universe episode.
Forrest is captain of the ISS Enterprise and they’re heading to rendezvous with the assault fleet. Major Reed and Dr Phlox have asked for a few minutes to demonstrate their latest project. Forrest, with Commander Archer, watches as Phlox and Reed demonstrate their agony booth on a Tellarite. Unlike traditional forms of punishment, the occupant’s brain never numbs and is always in pain.
Archer wants Forrest to take Enterprise into Tholian space, to follow up data from an anonymous source. According to Forrest, they have a rebellion to put down. Archer thinks they would get such a technical advantage from this that the war would be ended tomorrow. Forrest says that Archer wants to bring home the ship a hero. Get a medal from the Emperor and the command he’s always wanted. Archer tells Forrest that he’s making a mistake. Forrest gives him the option of returning to the bridge or taking the place of the Tellarite.
Hoshi, dressed provocatively, is in Forrest’s quarters with him. She’s heard talk that the war may be over soon, following the victory at Tau Ceti, and they will have plenty of time together. Forrest tells her the Tau Ceti battle went badly. They lost twelve ships.
Archer clearly isn’t happy with Forrest’s decision, and stages a coup. He wants Forrest taken to the brig. And Archer wants him alive, so no accidents along the way, as Reed suggests. Archer heads to the bridge with two MACO-equivalents, one Travis, and tells T’Pol he’s taking command. He announces to the ship that Forrest has been relieved of duty, following Starfleet’s orders, and the ship is going into Tholian space. T’Pol points out afterwards that they have had no such orders from Starfleet Command. Archer orders a change of direction and tells T’Pol to go to the cargo bay where there’s a Suliban cloaking device. He wants her to install it with Trip.
Archer has shown T’Pol the orders he claimed he had; she says they appear authentic. Archer is admiring Cochrane’s shotgun; the gun used to shoot the first human to step onto Terran soil. He wonders how history would have played out if Cochrane hadn’t turned the tables on the Vulcan invasion force. Humans might be Vulcans’ slaves, not the other way around. He asks how long until they cross into Tholian space. T’Pol says they are probably already in it; the Tholians have a habit of annexing systems. Archer promotes T’Pol to first officer. Yes, Reed is next in line but he has trouble following orders and ambitions of his own. Archer guesses they owe the Vulcans thanks; without Vulcan tech, the Empire wouldn’t be where it is today. He wants her to look for a warp signature.
Archer appoints Travis as his personal guard, then dismisses him when Hoshi arrives. She knows that Archer didn’t communicate with Starfleet and didn’t think he had mutiny in him. She asks where Forrest is. Safe. He shows Forrest in the brig. Archer needs Hoshi and her expertise, so he tells her not to cause trouble. It seems they had a prior relationship, but Hoshi dumped him for Forrest in order to advance her career. Hoshi says Archer should have been captain when they left spacedock. And that tradition is that whatever belonged to the previous captain is now Archer’s. Meaning her. She does try to stab Archer, though. T’Pol contacts Archer from the bridge; the warp signature he asked to look for has been detected.
The warp signature is from a Tholian ship. The pilot is beamed off into decon before it is destroyed and asked where the Tholians are holding the Terran ship they captured. The Tholian is tortured until they talk.
The Mirror Universe is different from the normal timeline, naturally. Going by Trip’s appearance, Health & Safety concerns have taken a back seat. Almost all the characters have different, nastier, personalities. Except Phlox. Who has pretty much the same bubbly enthusiasm for his work as the regular Phlox, only his work involves torture and inflicting pain. Which is kind of disturbing.
The story continues in “In a Mirror, Darkly, Part II”.