[S] Enterprise - Marauders

[Takara_Soong 4]

MARAUDERS

 

When Enterprise is in need of fuel, Archer discovers a desolate mining colony that is being controlled by Klingon marauders who are bullying the colonists and hoarding their fuel. After Archer discovers the problem, the crew trains the colonists to defend themselves and prepare for a final showdown against their Klingon oppressors.

 

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With Enterprise's deuterium reserves running low, Archer and the crew visit a small mining colony in hopes of replenishing their supply. The alien colonists, however, claim that they can't spare any deuterium, and ask Archer to return at the end of the season. Archer manages to negotiate, and eventually reaches an agreement with the colony's leader, Tessic — the deuterium in exchange for medical supplies, power cells and assistance in repairing the colony's extraction pumps. In a puzzling move, Tessic also insists that the pump be repaired within two days.

 

As the Enterprise crew is helping with repairs, a Klingon ship enters orbit. Tessic panics, insisting that Archer and his people hide. As Archer watches, a small group of Klingons beams to the surface, greeting Tessic in what appears to be a friendly manner. The leader of the Klingons, Korok, is significantly less friendly when he learns that Tessic does not have the deuterium he has requested. Tessic asks for more time to produce it, but Korok becomes enraged, and orders Tessic to have the deuterium ready in four days. Finally, the reason for the colonists' strange behavior becomes clear — these Klingon marauders have been preying on them for five seasons, taking all the first-yield deuterium they can produce. When Tessic and the others tried to rebel, it resulted in the deaths of eight colonists. Defeated, Tessic tells Archer to just take the deuterium he needs and leave.

 

Archer, however, is angered by the situation, and believes that the crew of Enterprise may be able to aid the colonists. He convinces Tessic to allow them to try, and reveals a plan: the colonists will surreptitiously move their village and rigs so that when the Klingons arrive for their next visit, they will be lured into a combustible fuel field. To protect them in battle, T'Pol offers some rudimentary self-defense training, while Reed and Hoshi lead the colonists in target practice.

 

When the Klingons do arrive, Archer's scheme is a success — the colonists defend themselves against the marauders, and the Klingons are tricked into entering an area that appears to be barren desert. This "desert," however, is the deuterium field, and flaming deuterium explodes from the wellheads surrounding them. As the Klingons are surrounded by a ring of fire, Tessic approaches, warning the Klingons to leave and never return. Rattled, Korok and his crew beam back to their ship.

 

As Archer and his crew prepare to leave, a grateful Tessic gifts them with 2,000 liters of deuterium — significantly more than the initially agreed upon amount.

 

 

 

[MoulinRouge 0]

I hated this episode. It ranks at the absolute bottom for season two, even below ANIS, which was redeemed a bit by humorous Phlox, Hoshi and the bat. There was no point to "Marauders." The Klingons should have just beamed back down behind the colonists and killed them. It makes zero sense that they would back off in that situation. Plus, it gave me Olivia Newton John "Physical" flashbacks. Factor in T'Pol's bunny suit and Marauders earns the distinction of being the only ENT episode to date to which I award an "F" grade. Not a worthy follow up to the first four episodes of season two.

[ARMS 0]

The only thing i enjoyed was, that part were T'Pol beat up that Klingon.

[Admiral Kirk 1]

I think Marauders was a so so episode. The klingons were a bit out of character and it seems they keep finding ways to show off T'Pol's nice figure. But it is in no way worse than A Night In Sickbay in my opinion.

[A l t e r E g o 9]

I loved Marauders! The way I saw it was these Klingons were taken by surprise by these upstart newbies (Humans) in the Quadrant, they were not used to dealing with resistance, thus the shocked look on their faces and the indecision they expressed about what to do or not to do was perfectly logical to me, and since then the arc has progressed with near perfection all the way up to Bounty.

[TrekkieMage 0]

I thought how they tricked the Klingons was a neat idea...some fresh, on their feet thinking by the crew

[Stelfan 0]

Marauders was okey, nothing more.. It does seem a bit strange that Klingons would give up so easily..

[Riaan 0]

There was no point to "Marauders."  The Klingons should have just beamed back down behind the colonists and killed them.  It makes zero sense that they would back off in that situation.  ... Not a worthy follow up to the first four episodes of season two.  :lol:

I agree MoulinRouge.

 

They made the Klingons too stupid and too easy to outwit.