“The Xindi” is episode one of season three of Star Trek: Enterprise.
Aliens of different species are discussing Enterprise, which entered the Delphic Expanse in the season two finale, “The Expanse”. Some say it is the herald of an invasion fleet whilst others that Enterprise has no wat of knowing where they are and that they launched the probe against Earth. A series of tests for the next weapon is planned and one wants Enterprise monitoring.
Captain Archer, T’Pol and Reed are on Enterprise discussing a freighter captain who said he took a Xindi to a mine, to which the ship is heading. Reed is concerned that the captain isn’t reputable. Archer asks him what the room used to be – storage – and that Starfleet retrofitted it into a new command centre to find the Xindi. It was put in to figure out the pieces of the puzzle. After six weeks, they have nothing. They don’t have the luxury to be safe and cautious any more.
Hoshi joins several people at a table in the mess hall. They’re led by Major Hayes and are military; Military Assault Command or MACOs. She chats with them for a bit.
The captain and Trip are heading somewhere; the captain wonders if there’s a problem with the grav plating. Trip says no. Inside one room lots of containers are part way up a wall. They then slam across the room and hit the opposite bulkhead. The captain asks if there’s anything volatile in the containers. Trip says if there was, he would have known by now. The captain agrees it’s not the grav plating and orders the room sealed. He hopes this anomaly doesn’t last any longer than the others.
T’Pol arrives in sickbay; Phlox wants to show her something. Epithelial from the Xindi corpse in the crashed probe. T’Pol thinks they look almost like scales. The doctor agrees; he wouldn’t be surprised if the Xindi was reptilian. What he really called her there for was Commander Tucker. Trip’s sister was killed in the attack and he’s having problems sleeping. Phlox has been giving him sedatives but thinks he would be a fine candidate for Vulcan neuropressure. Phlox manages to convince a reluctant T’Pol that this is a good idea. There is one other problem; Trip has already refused. Phlox also needs T’Pol to convince Trip.
Captain Archer and Reed head down to the mine in a shuttlepod. The air looks polluted; Phlox says it’s safe for short periods. The captain advises Reed to not breathe. They’re escorted by armed guards wearing breathing masks to the mine’s foreman. He wants to know it would be worth his while; he wants platinum in its liquid state. Archer and Reed think they can get it, but the captain needs to confirm the miner is a Xindi and wants to scan him. Not necessary; the foreman has a severed finger. An unfortunate accident.
Trip jolts awake from a nightmare about his sister’s death.
The captain sees Phlox and asks if the finger is Xindi. Yes and no. It’s nearly identical genetically to the corpse on Earth, closer than humans are to chimpanzees, but not quite. The captain suggests like humans and Neanderthals. A reasonable analogy. The first Xindi was reptilian; the finger is not. Its skin is not unlike that of Phlox or the captain. Trip arrives and updates the captain on the platinum. The captain, as he’s leaving, asks Trip if he’s okay., Yes, he’s fine. He isn’t; afterwards, Trip asks Phlox for stronger sedatives. Phlox tells him to come around later.
Trip and the captain head down to the mine and see the foreman. Trip asks what they’re mining. Trellium D. Used for insulation on interstellar vessels. What do they use and how big is their ship? The captain says they’re there to see the Xindi. Both are escorted and the Xindi is brought in. He says he will only help if they help him escape from the mine. They aren’t workers; they’re slaves. And the foreman wants to capture Enterprise‘s crew as well.
Reed and Major Hayes are clashing a bit, and Enterprise now has a problem on the horizon as the mine foreman doesn’t plan to let Archer and Trip go. And there are heavily armed ships heading in. Phlox, with T’Pol’s help, tricks Trip into having Vulcan neuropressure.