Desert Crossing (episode)

Archer and Tucker are invited to a desert-like planet by an alien leader after they help fix his ship. After arriving, they discover he has invited them under false pretenses.

Teaser
The Enterprise is on its way to Risa again, with Captain Archer listing the places he'd like to visit, when they suddenly pick up a distress call from an alien craft.

Act One
The man aboard the craft, Zobral, is very friendly and thankful even if the repairs were minor. Zobral is surprised to hear that responding to distress calls is routine for the crew of Enterprise and invites Archer and Tucker for a meal on his homeworld. Archer declines, saying he promised his crew a trip to Risa. However, Zobral says there will be a Geskana match, and that he is easily offended.

Tucker wants to stay behind, saying he has too much work, and that he doesn't like the idea of the desert. He eventually relents, however, accompanying Archer to an encampment constructed in Cygniai Expanse, a large desert. They are welcomed by Zobral and his men.



While eating, Zobral is amazed to hear that Earth is two-thirds water. When discussing Enterprise and its mission, Archer refers to a time when he felt he had to back down from an enemy and set a course back to Earth to upgrade the ship's weapons. At one point during the meal, Archer points out a tapestry hanging on the wall. Zobral offers it to him, but Archer declines, saying it is too large, so instead Zobral gives him a Suliban artifact.

Sounds are heard, indicating the start of the Geskana match, a game similar to Lacrosse. A glowing ball is passed between players with sticks, who attempt to throw the ball into a goal. Tucker and Archer then agree to play.

Meanwhile, Enterprise is contacted by a Torothan chancellor from a larger city hails Enterprise, informing T'Pol that Zobral is a terrorist.

Act Two
Archer is contacted by T'Pol who informs him that Zobral is a terrorist. Archer makes an excuse and attempts to leave. Zobral informs the captain he is aware of the Torothan message, and convinces him to stay. Upon returning to Zobral's house, he informs Archer and Tucker that his people were persecuted by the Torothans. Zobral considers Archer a reasonable and just man, and wants to use Enterprise in their war. Zobral also relates the story of Archer liberating a Suliban prison camp, but states that thousands, not dozens, of people were freed. Zobral believes Archer to be a great warrior.

In the distance, explosions are heard, which turn out to be Torothan cruisers, bombing the encampment. Archer and Tucker are made to hide underground in small bunker.

Archer considers the Suliban prisoners, saying that they wouldn't be in their current situation if they hadn't helped them. Tucker says the situations are completely different and that they shouldn't be drawn into a war after Zobral deceived them. When a bomb detonates above, part of the bunker collapses and the two decide to leave. The house above them has been completely leveled.

Since Zobral advised against using the shuttlepod as it would be easily detected, they take supplies from it, but begin a long walk through the desert.

Act Three
Meanwhile, on Enterprise, communications with the captain are being jammed and they are warned by the Torothan Chancellor that any rescue team will be seen as a hostile act and will be treated as such.

On the surface, Archer and Tucker are seen walking across sand dunes. Archer is directing them to an abandoned camp about thirty kilometers away. They soon hear a ship and bury themselves in the sand to hide from it. Tucker soon succumbs to heat exhaustion, saying he is feeling cold. Tucker refuses to take Archer's water, but Archer orders, then threatens him to. Archer says they are heading towards an abandoned camp he saw when landing the shuttle.

On Enterprise, Zobral's shuttle is detected heading towards the ship. Zobral then explains there is a gap in the Torothan detection grid that a shuttle could go through to get to the surface, but that Archer and Tucker are not his responsibility. T'Pol disagrees and convinces him to help.

Archer and Tucker find the abandoned camp, but there is no drinkable water. They sit silently, realizing the bleakness of their situation.

Act Four
Archer starts a fire using his phase pistol and boils the water to make it drinkable. Archer keeps Tucker active by talking about the warp reactor. They then discuss food, Tucker saying he wants prime rib,mashed potatoes with mushroom gravy and pecan pie, amongst other things.

A shuttle is sent with T'Pol, Reed, and Zobral inside, to find the two on the surface, but they have to fly very low to not be detected, prolonging their search.

While Archer and Tucker are talking, a bomb suddenly explodes nearby, shaking the camp, and Archer runs to a window to see another being launched. Shortly after they leave the camp, a bomb destroys it, knocking them to the ground. Luckily, the bombs indicate to the shuttle that the Torothans have detected Archer and Tucker, and they follow the shots to their location.

Act Five
Back on Enterprise, Zobral is ready to leave as Archer explains that he could never have helped him in his war. T'Pol and Archer talk, with T'Pol stating that it is up to governments, not starship captains, to make decisions regarding other species' affairs. Archer agrees with her but says he believes the cause, in this instance, would have been worth fighting for.

Log entries

 * "Captain's personal log, February 12, 2152. After a brief detour, we're back on course for Risa. Everyone's looking forward to some much needed shore leave. I've got my eye on a place called Suraya Bay – villas built right into the cliffs. A perfect spot to enjoy a few good books. Might even do a little diving when I..."

Memorable quotes
"What are these, uh, little chunks?"

"The essence of the male. Chopped and seasoned."
 * - Trip Tucker and Zobral

"To cherry flavored snow cones. What I wouldn't give for one right about now."
 * - Tucker, while stranded in the desert

"The warp reactor. Break it down for me."

"What?"

"What are the eight major components?"  "You got to be kidding me!"

"Name them... that's an order!"  "Well... there's the drumsticks... thighs... wings... you got anything to eat around here?"
 * -  Archer and a heat-stroked Trip

Background Information

 * The dialogue in the scene wherein Archer and Trip play Geography was transferred, almost verbatim, from a deleted scene that had initially intended to be included in . In the earlier version of the scene, Archer and Mayweather play the game using much of the same locations cited here and arguing over the validity of Xanadu, just as Trip and Archer do in this episode.
 * Three visiting sailors from the USS Enterprise (CVN-65) (namely, Robert S. Pickering, Sara Elizabeth Pizzo and Timothy J. Whittington) made cameos in this episode, as engineering officers aboard the starship Enterprise. (Star Trek: Communicator issue 138, p. 84)
 * John Billingsley (Phlox) does not appear in this episode.
 * The chair that Trelit sits in was reused from the briefing room of Star Trek: Voyager's resident starship, the USS Voyager.
 * This episode's production period included, which was the date on which the sailors from the Navy vessel Enterprise visited the set. During a break from filming on that day, the three visitors presented a plaque to executive producers Rick Berman and Brannon Braga, to thank them for their support and for having invited the ship's best to act as extras. The trio of guests also posed for photographs with regular cast members Scott Bakula and Connor Trinneer. (Star Trek: Communicator issue 138, p. 84)
 * This episode makes references to, , and.
 * Hoshi Sato and T'Pol have a conversation that foreshadows the Prime Directive.
 * Although Trip claims that Xanadu is not a real place while playing Geography, on Titan (a moon of Saturn), an Australia-sized area – notable for being highly reflective – is actually named Xanadu. This site may have been renamed by the 22nd century. It is also possible that Trip was not aware of its existence.
 * Several props and costumes from this episode were sold off on the It's A Wrap! sale and auction on eBay, including a clan members costume, an alien rifle,  a prop handgun,  and a prop fragmentation grenade.   The items that were sold at the auction also included a script from this episode.

Video and DVD releases

 * UK VHS release (two-episode tapes, Paramount Home Entertainment): Volume 1.12,.
 * As part of the ENT Season 1 DVD collection.
 * As part of the ENT Season 1 Blu-ray collection.

Starring

 * Scott Bakula as Captain Jonathan Archer
 * Jolene Blalock as Subcommander T'Pol
 * Dominic Keating as Lieutenant Malcolm Reed
 * Anthony Montgomery as Ensign Travis Mayweather
 * Linda Park as Ensign Hoshi Sato
 * Connor Trinneer as Commander Charles "Trip" Tucker III

Guest star

 * Charles Dennis as Trelit

Special guest star

 * Clancy Brown as Zobral

Co-star

 * Brandon Karrer as an alien man

Uncredited co-stars

 * Mark Correy as Alex
 * Tarik Ergin as a Geskana player
 * Stacy Fouche as an operations division crewman
 * Hilde Garcia as Rossi
 * Lindly Gardner as an operations division crewman
 * Cheri Isabella as an operations division crewman
 * Martin Ko as a command division ensign
 * Monica Parrett as a command division crewman
 * Robert S. Pickering as an operations division crewman
 * Sara Elizabeth Pizzo as an operations division crewman
 * Prada as Porthos
 * Thelma Tyrell as an operations division crewman
 * Timothy J. Whittington as an operations division crewman
 * Unknown actors as Zobral clan members