Stratagem (Star Trek: Enterprise)

"Stratagem" is the twenty-first episode of the third season of the American science fiction television series Star Trek: Enterprise. It first aired on April 21, 2004, on UPN.

Synopsis:

The Enterprise continues its pursuit of Degra and the Xindi weapon prototype. Acting on information received from Degra during the previous episode, Captain Archer devises a plan – a stratagem – to infiltrate a Xindi-Reptilian vessel disguised as a Xindi-Aquatic ship. The crew, led by Commander T'Pol and Lieutenant Reed, successfully boards the vessel and attempts to locate the sphere coordinates needed to pinpoint the location of the Xindi superweapon.

The mission is fraught with danger, forcing the boarding party to engage in covert operations to avoid detection. They face the challenge of navigating the unfamiliar technology and customs of the Xindi-Reptilians. As they progress, they discover that the Reptilians are more brutal and calculating than previously understood.

The episode culminates in a tense confrontation where T'Pol and Reed must make difficult choices to secure the information and escape the Xindi vessel before their true identities are revealed and the mission is compromised. The success of the stratagem is crucial to the Enterprise's ongoing mission to stop the Xindi weapon from reaching Earth. The information gained, while incomplete, provides a valuable lead in the search.