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As the Enterprise crew lays a string of communications relay satellites in the ship’s wake to speed up contact with Starfleet Headquarters on Earth, the ship is intercepted by an alien vessel which refuses to answer any hails, and then disappears into warp again. Archer hopes that it’s an isolated incident, concentrating his energy on another mystery - finding a suitable birthday gift for Lt. Reed, which proves more difficult that the captain expects. But when the alien ship returns, it attacks the Enterprise, and two aliens board the ship, killing members of the crew. Archer orders a return course for Earth, so the Enterprise can receive upgraded weaponry from Starfleet before continuing on her course. But the alien ship appears yet again, forcing Reed and Trip to try to make the upgrades in mid-flight - and even in the middle of combat. If they can’t perfect the new weaponry in time to fend off the aliens’ attacks, Reed may not live to see his next birthday.

written by Andrè Bormanis
directed by Winrich Kolbe
music by Velton Ray Bunch

Guest Cast: Jane Carr (Mary Reed), Guy Siner (Stuart Reed), Paula Malcolmson (Madeline Reed), John Rosenfeld (Mark Latrelle), Robert Mammana (Engineer)
Notes: British actor Guy Siner has some cult SF in his past - he played fanatical Kaled General Ravon in the classic 1975 Doctor Who story Genesis Of The Daleks; Jane Carr, who played his wife, has much more recent SF in her resumè, having played one of Londo’s wives in the 1994 Babylon 5 episode Soul Mates.

LogBook entry by Earl Green

In 2265, the Interstellar Alliance discovers a previously unknown race moving near the fringes of its territory. There is no sign of who they are, what they want, or why they are there, save their destruction of a long range vessel flown by the Rangers. The Minbari elders who govern the Rangers enlist the aid of Citizen G’Kar in the investigation. The Narn ambassador gladly volunteers his help…his travels through the galaxy suggest that once again, powerful forces of darkness are on the move.

While on Minbar, G’Kar intercedes in the case of David Martel, a human Ranger who had been in line to command a ship until he violated the Rangers’ central code. With his captain injured and his ship outnumbered and unable to fight, he retreated to save the life of his crew, despite the Ranger vow never to break off in combat. G’Kar’s intercession saves Martel from expulsion, but rather than a top of the line ship, he is given command of the Liandra, a twenty-year-old relic in less then spaceworthy condition, whose previous crew met with disaster. The crew is mostly a collection of Martel’s friends and Rangers who have thus far been outsiders - Minbari second-in-command Dulann, weapons specialist Sarah Cantrell, healer Firell, communications/translation specialist Kitaro Sasaki, intelligence operative Malcolm Bridges, political/first contact expert Tafeek, Narn engineer Na’Feel, and Drazi Tirk. The latter two are the first representatives of their races to serve as crew on a Ranger vessel.

The Liandra’s first assignment seems routine enough - escort a warship carrying Alliance delegates to a security conference on a colony world. It is not long before the routine is broken, as the unknown race makes contact in a decidedly hostile way, perhaps confirming G’Kar’s fears. The warship is destroyed, the delegates barely saved, the Liandra heavily damaged, and its first officer gravely wounded. Martel and his crew’s only hope of returning home is to unravel the mystery of the previous crew’s and somehow defeat their mysterious pursuers…and this time, he can neither retreat nor surrender.

written by J. Michael Straczynski
directed by Mike Vejar
music by Christopher Franke

Cast: Dylan Neal (Captain David Martel), Andreas Katsulas (G’Kar), Alex Zahara (Dulann), Myriam Sirois (Sarah Cantrell), Dean Marshall (Malcolm Bridges), Warren T. Takeuchi (Kitaro Sasaki), Jennie Rebecca Hogan (Na’Feel), Mackenzie Gray (Minister Kafta), David Storch (Tafeek), Enid-Raye Adams (Firell), Gus Lynch (Tirk), Todd Sandomirsky (Tannier), Andrew A. Kavadas (Captain Bart Gregg), Simon Egan (Minbari crewman), Bernard Cuffling (Sindell), Chris Robson (Ranger), Rob Morton (Drazi diplomat), Eric Schneider (Cloaked figure), Mark Antontuk (Wounded Minbari)

LogBook entry by Dave Thomer (click here for review and more details…)

The Enterprise encounters a sublight spacecraft whose occupants are seeking help in fighting a degenerative and most likely lethal disease - one which afflicts not only them, but their entire species as well. Captain Archer pledges his support to them, but soon finds out that his offer of help may be unrealistic. Dr. Phlox is eager to help, but his enthusiasm is tempered by his practical understanding of the disease. A somewhat lesser evolved humanoid species from the same planet seems to be completely immune - and Archer faces the unenviable prospect of telling the dying portion of the population that they may be facing extinction via irreversible natural evolution.

written by Maria Jacquemetton & Andrè Jacquemetton
directed by James Contner
music by David Bell

Guest Cast: Kellie Waymire (Elizabeth Cutler), David A. Kimball (Esaak), Chris Rydell (Alien astronaut), Karl Wiedergott (Larr), Alex Nevil (Menk man)

Notes: Chronologically speaking, this episode is the Star Trek universe’s first mention of the Ferengi; according to Next Generation lore, first contact with the Ferengi didn’t occur until that series’ fourth episode, The Last Outpost (1987), though this Enterprise crew would actually come into contact with them first without realizing it (Acquisition).

LogBook entry by Earl Green

The Enterprise encounters a derelict vessel trapped in the dense atmosphere of a giant gas planet. Reed and T’Pol are assigned to pay the ship a visit, and Hoshi also volunteers. The ship turns out to be an unknown class of Klingon starship, manned by an unknown number of hostile Klingons. Using their familiarity with the ship to their advantage, the Klingons trap the Enterprise boarding party in their wrecked ship and steal their shuttle. The shuttle blasts out of the planet’s atmosphere at top speed, but doesn’t get past the Enterprise’s grappler. With the shuttle back on board, Archer and Trip wait for the Klingons to show themselves and stun them into submission. When she awakens, a female Klingon who appears to be in charge tells Archer that more Klingon ships will be arriving - and that the Enterprise will be no match. But due to the hazardous nature of the environment in which his crew members are trapped, Archer will need the Klingon woman’s help to retrieve them alive before the ship’s hull gives way - and that cooperation will not come easily.

written by Fred Dekker
directed by Les Landau
music by Dennis McCarthy

Guest Cast: Michelle C. Bonilla (Bu’Kah), Stephen Lee (Klingon Captain)

Notes: This episode establishes that the Klingons had photon torpedoes before Starfleet did; this being a prequel, it’s technically the first appearance of that term in the Star Trek chronology. The Klingon ship, a new invention not seen in any of the other Trek series (probably meaning it has been retired by Kirk’s era), is a Raptor-class scout.

LogBook entry by Earl Green