“Proving Ground” is episode thirteen of season three of Star Trek: Enterprise.
Commander Shran is summoned to the bridge of his ship where he’s told they have lost the warp trail. Shran thinks it should be easy enough to find again. Lieutenant Talas says they’ve been searching for weeks. Yes, and they will continue until they’ve completed their mission. Talas suggests until they are destroyed and doubts who they after will have survived. They should return to Andoria. Shran says she sounds as if she’s afraid of the Expanse. He’d expect that from a Vulcan, but not a member of the Imperial Guard. And don’t underestimate the pinkskins.
Degra has summoned the Xindi Council. The Reptilians are complaining. Degra is sure the journey is worth their effort. No, the weapon isn’t ready, but the prototype is complete and there will be a test in three days. It can be viewed remotely from this chamber. If it goes as planned, they will deploy the final version in a month, maybe sooner.
In the command centre, Hoshi and T’Pol are telling Captain Archer that they have matched the signature of the kemocite modified in “The Shipment”. They’ve also been working on reconstructing the database that D’Jamat erased in the previous episode, “Chosen Realm”; they’ve got 30% restored from backups. Enough for T’Pol to begin piecing together a map of spatial anomalies, and the signal is beyond a very dense field. Which will take 17 days at warp 5 to go around.
Enterprise starts heading in to the field, but T’Pol’s map is incomplete. They run into an anomaly that has merged, losing main power, but a tractor beam locks onto them and pulls them out. The other ship hails them; it is, of course, Shran.
In the captain’s ready room, Shran tells Archer and T’Pol they are braver than he imagined, using a ship this fragile. Shran had their warp signature and their ships are faster. Which is how, not why, he found them. Shran says the Imperial Guard is offering to help. Given that the Vulcans did not and T’Pol had to resign her commission to come with. A remarkably selfless act. For a Vulcan.
Reed is in the armoury telling the captain how bad things are. The captain says Shran has offered his tactical officer’s help. No, he doesn’t like having Andorians in the armoury either, but they could use their help.
The Andorian shuttle has docked and T’Pol is concerned. The captain doesn’t think the problems between Andorians and Vulcans are theirs. T’Pol says they weren’t always so antagonistic; Andorians are duplicitous and have proven themselves untrustworthy in the past. The captain doesn’t trust them either, but he thinks he can trust Shran.
Reed and Trip are in the mess hall discussing the situation when Talas enters looking for Reed. She thought he would be working, not relaxing, and has been ordered to assist.
Shran is dining with the captain; he has brought some Andorian ale, given how much the captain enjoyed it in “Cease Fire”. Shran volunteered for the assignment. He’s had the most contact with humans and the captain helped his people avoid a war last time. And Shran doesn’t like unpaid debts. Archer says they keep doing each other favours; Shran says that is how alliances are born.
T’Pol gets an update from Trip in engineering; warp will be back in 12 hours, thanks to the Andorians. Talas is trying to help Reed; he is using her to hand him tools. She finds Enterprise‘s systems… nostalgic. And warns him he made a mistake. Reed apologises for his behaviour.
They discover the titular proving ground – which begs the question as to why the Xindi sent a probe to Earth to test it – and want a closer look. Shran’s mission is not one of pure aid, however; something that he doesn’t seem happy about.