“The Andorian Incident” is episode seven of season one of Star Trek: Enterprise.
The episode opens with armed Andorians breaking down the door of a Vulcan monastery.
Trip is telling Captain Archer that the thinks the Vulcan star charts take all the fun out of it. They are supposed to be explorers, so what’s the point of going to places people have already been? Archer points out that they haven’t been to them. Plus, a protostar they ran across isn’t on the star charts. They are not all that accurate.
T’Pol arrives. Archer says there’s a planet a few lightyears off their current heading with a remote outpost. Yes, P’Jem. The outpost is under Vulcan jurisdiction. T’Pol states that it’s a spiritual retreat, a remote sanctuary for practicing kolinahr and peaceful meditation. Archer wants to visit. T’Pol isn’t certain they will be welcome. However, it’s not every day they see an ancient Vulcan monastery and the captain really wants to go.
Later, Dr Phlox talks to T’Pol in the mess hall. He’s enthusiastic. T’Pol will be able to introduce her own people to her new crew. T’Pol does not look enthusiastic, even for a Vulcan. Phlox believes he sees the problem. Being seen with a human crew could create a certain awkwardness. He feels awkward himself sometimes. There’s a Vulcan saying, about infinite diversity in infinite combinations. What’s the ship’s mission again? To make contact with those humans consider to be new life and new civilisations. Or, according to Phlox, seek infinite diversity. A cultural exchange will further their mission.
T’Pol briefs Archer and Trip on the way to the shuttlepod. She hasn’t been able to contact the monastery, but it won’t be a problem if they follow the proper protocols. Which she details.
On the planet, the monastery’s door is broken. T’Pol states that after nearly three thousand years, it can’t be expected to be pristine. Inside, there is a single monk. T’Pol speaks to him; the monks are not to be disturbed. She requests a stone she mentioned to Archer. T’Pol looks around; there are things broken and out of place. Archer inquires what troubles her. There should be more than one monk and the elder seems oddly agitated, plus the broken items.
The monk returns with the stone and Archer starts wandering around talking about a Tibetan monastery. He sees a reflection of an armed Andorian and gestures to Trip. Both knock down the Andorian, but more appear.
They are taken captive and herded to where the rest of the monks are. The Andorians want to know why the monks didn’t tell them a Vulcan was onboard the Enterprise. It’s an Earth vessel; they didn’t know. What’s Earth? Archer explains. The leader of the Andorians, Shran (Jeffrey Combs in another Star Trek role) believes the Enterprise is bringing supplies. Surveillance equipment. He doesn’t like Archer asking him what the Andorians are doing there. Because this place is far more than a sanctuary.
Afterwards, T’Pol tells the other two about the Andorians. They have a suspicious and volatile nature. Their species live in neighbouring systems and have been in conflict for many years. Andorians resent Vulcans’ superior reasoning and technology and believe that Vulcans intend an invasion of their homeworld. Despite a treaty, some Andorians still think the Vulcans plan conquest. The monks say the Andorians believe the monastery hides a sensor array. They have been twice before and left within a day. However, the Enterprise‘s arrival has made them more suspicious.
On the Enterprise, Reed is saying to Hoshi that it should be standard procedure to scan for alien ships; they’ve detected the Andorian vessel, though they only know it isn’t Vulcan. Reed also wants to know why they haven’t heard from the landing party. He’d like them to check in every 10 minutes. Hoshi thinks Reed may be overreacting.
He isn’t. Shran is questioning Archer by hitting him. Why does he have a Vulcan science officer? Not archer’s first choice; she was assigned by the Vulcan High Command. No, they don’t work for the Vulcans. Archer is also looking around the room. Then his communicator chirps. Shran answers it and threatens to kill the hostages. Then breaks the communicator, followed by the other two when Hoshi tries them. Reed wants to know about the Andorians.
Shran doesn’t believe that Archer is telling the truth. Which is always a problem when trying to get the truth. Archer knows that, unless they can contact Reed, he will come down there with an armed party, threats to kill hostages or no. That gives them a limited amount of time.