#this happened with shran too

[figachilles]

sorry i just love vulcans so fucking much

[ensignsimp]

Could you do headcanons for Andorian courting/mating practices? Maybe specifically something for Tholos or Shran trying to court a reader who’s completely oblivious to Andorian courting traditions and so is painfully oblivious to his attempts to woo her?

"Miscommunication" ENT Thy'lek Shran x Fem! Reader (1/2)

A/N: I had to do a lot of research for this character because I have not watched Star Trek Enterprise. Thankfully, a friend let me borrow their box set.

A/N+: *Usha-shan is a made-up term for mating display/duel. I also posted a Weird Kinky HC for this as well to help give some context.

TW: Mature Themes

You had strange things been happening to you for weeks. The Andorians would constantly "run into" the Enterprise on more than one occasion. This was becoming more of an issue due to the frequency. However, Archer couldn't pass up an opportunity for diplomacy.

The only problem for you really was Shran. He always seemed insistent on having you join him and the other senior officers for meetings. Other times he would have you come aboard his ship for some long menial chore. At one point he invited you to a late-night briefing only to find a diner for two.

It was getting on your nerves at some points, but like Archer you wanted to be accommodating and diplomatic. You were unsure if Shran was trying to do the same. After your latest run-ins with Shran, you would return to your quarters to find a variety of strange gifts.

The first time it happened Shran presented you with a beautiful Andorian gemstone necklace. The second time you were gifted with a large container of fresh vegetables, fruits, and meat, that you promptly gifted to Cook. Then on the most recent visit, you returned to a room filled with furs and silks.

You would try to talk to him about it on his next visit. It usually didn't take long for him to come back around. However, this visit seemed different. He would try to avoid you as much as possible. He would speak with Captain Archer in whispers. He would try not to look at you in corridors. He would sometimes go in the opposite direction when he saw you. It made you believe that whatever he was trying to do was over. You just hoped you didn't insult him.

Shran felt nervous asking Archer for such a favor but he didn't know who else to trust. He had gained affection for one of his crew so it was only fair he asked him for assistance. He had tried everything to win you over, but it seemed as if you had no idea what he was trying to tell you. This made his blood boil when you ignored him, but it made him want you even more.

He walked into Archer's office, slammed his hands down on his desk, and looked him squarely in the eyes. "I need your help."

Archer looked confused, "Now what?" He sounded a little too sarcastic for his liking.

"I need to impress one of your crewmen. I wish to take them as a mate." Shran loudly whispered, afraid that any passers-by might hear him.

Archer raised his eyebrows shocked that he, Commander Shran of the Imperial Guard, would fall in love with a human being. He had several questions running through his mind, "Who?"

Shran let out a sigh, "It's Ensign (L/N)." He straightened up and put his hands behind his back, "I have tried to win their affection, however, they don't seem to notice."

"I have gifted them rare jewels, and silks, and provided them a vast array of resources yet they elect to ignore me." He said his antenna leaning back. "That is why I must show them that I am worthy of their attention."

He reached into his uniform jacket and pulled out a pad. "This is a detailed record of the *Usha-shan, a display of one's strength and vitality."

"I'm not going to have to try and kill you again am I?" Archer groaned a little taking the pad.

"That is not required." Shran laughed, "Though I think presenting them your head would be as appealing."

After explaining *Usha-shan to Archer, he agreed as long as no one would get killed. Shran was hopeful, he had not been in a duel like this for a while but he was hopeful about his prospects. Archer had no interest in winning you over so if that meant he would have the upper hand. For him, nothing could go wrong.

[indignantlemur]

Hi!

Before I start I just wanted to tell you that I absolutely love your works, 'Emigre' as well as 'The Stars keep watch' and I am really grateful for you giving us all such amazing and detailed views of the andorian culture.

I've read almost all of them, so I'm pretty sure that you didn't answer this question before, but in case you did, just ignore this ask :)

How excactly do andorian names work in your opinion. I get the whole clan thing etc. but is there an aspect that is present in all names e.g. that it starts with certain letters? Or is there a certain way a name is supposed to sound like to be andorian?

After all there is a vast difference between the names "Kevin" and "Vilashral 'Shral' of Clan Hrisvalar".

If there's not an answer to the question, it's fine too. I'm just curious if there's like a rule when you create your names? If you understand what I mean?

Hi there! And my goodness, thank you! I'm always so happy to meet new readers!

So my Andorian name process usually starts by checking over canon names. When naming a new character, I want to follow the hallmarks of canon Andorian names without copying them exactly.

For example, these are a mix of female and male canon names:

Ghee P'trell

Jennifer Sh'reyan

Keval

Krotus

Talah

Talas

Talla

Telev

Thy'lek Shran

Tholos

Thon

Thoris

Tysess

Ryn

Shras Endilev

Shukar

Va'Al Trask

Va'Kel Shon

Val Shon

Umarin

There are more, of course, but even with a small sample we can see a few things. Names beginning with the letter T are very popular, but the given names also tend to be two-to-three syllable long names. Beyond that, there's a mix of different types of vowels (short and long) and most of the consonants tend to be softer ones, though not exclusively.

For my headcanons and naming purposes, I have a couple of considerations to look at from this point. The first headcanon is that Andorians do not generally give non-Andorians their full names, because Andorii is a very sibilant language with a lot of soft sounds and drawn out vowels in rapid succession. Outsiders generally don't get their names right, so it's easier to go by shortened by-name than have to cringe every time your commanding officer calls you a salad by mistake.

The second headcanon builds on the first, in that full given names are broken into fragments. There are the face-name fragments that you give to strangers and off-worlders, and then there's the full name. Some individuals make use of a third fragment, which is a name used by close friends and loved ones, but it's less common. Not everyone abides by these rules, as there are always exceptions to every rule, but it's generally a good rule of thumb - especially with a culture where it's entirely too easy to find yourself in a duel to the death.

Taking all of that into account, I actually find name generators (I like this one, personally) for Andorian names to be a great starting point for creating a new name. A lot of the generated suggestions are meh, but if I can get a starting point, then I can fiddle with it until I have a name that feels right.

So, for example, I just generated ten female names:

Sevo Zh'viahliq Villen Sh'tiveq Ethrivia Zh'shrihres Esilaa Sh'vhiathrarh Aseraa Sh'kitrit Jhalli Sh'okialrarh Ipythosh Zh'rhethit Shryssa Zh'rolrirh Threra Zh'rhikress Vamaa Zh'ataakross

These are all kind of same-samey and a bit... jumbled, to look at. I want a name that a reader can look at without their eyes glazing over. So, what happens now is I take the likeliest lads (ladies in this case) of the lot and workshop them.

Let's say I want to do something with Shryssa Zh'rolrirh, Aseraa Sh'kitrit, and Vamaa Zh'ktaakross.

Shryssa Zh'rolrirh - a good starting foundation, but I already have a character called Shryss and they've reversed the capitalization of the rank and Clan name. In this case, I'll cannibalize one of the other names. The Clan name doesn't quite feel right to me, so I'll grab one of the other pre-generated ones and modify it.

Aseraa Sh'kitrit - I'm generally happy with this name, though I think the Clan name is a little meh, but it feels like I took "Sarah", dropped the H, added a vowel, and called it done. So, let's see if we can't make it sound more properly alien and maybe swap the Clan name for something else.

Vamaa Zh'ktaakross - this is the one I want to change the least, actually, but Vamaa still seems more like a face-name than a full name, so we'll adapt it a little.

Therefore, we get:

Shryssa Zh'rolrirh -> Jhalleshryssa "Shryssa" zh'Tiivekh -> Shryssa

Aseraa Sh'kitrit -> Ipseseraa "Seraa" sh'Shras -> Seraa

Vamaa Zh'ktaakross -> Ulavamaal "Vamaa" zh'Kraakross -> Vamaa

It's not a perfect system, and sometimes names just come to me on the spot rather than requiring help from a generator or other sources.

So let's look at Ambassador Thoris. Thoris is his face-name, but his full name is Anlenthoris th'Kor. In official documents, he is referred to by his full name, Clan, and rank, but in his day-to-day working life he is Thoris. In his personal life, his spouses call him Anlen. Under no circumstances would it ever be appropriate for someone like Dagmar or Shral to call him Anlen - the inference of having an intimate relationship with a married man of his rank and position would be considered a duelling offense.

Thanks for the ask! Hopefully I've managed to answer your questions, but I always welcome more if I haven't!

[papercranesong]

V - Which character do you relate to most?

L - Say something genuinely nice about a character who isn’t one of your faves. (Characters you’re neutral about are fair game, as are characters you merely dislike. Characters that you absolutely loathe with the fire of ten thousand suns are exempt, as there is no point in giving yourself an aneurysm over a character that you hate.)

T - Do you have any hard and fast headcanons that you will die defending? 

Great questions thanks @thiefbird

L - Shran

I am a bit neutral about him but he strikes me as being really kind, like underneath it all.

T - yes, Trip lives! These are the voyages never happened!

V - I think it has to be Malcolm Reed 😁

So we are both introverts - that scene in Minefield where he has to have breakfast with the Captain and he’s so nervous walking up to the door, and then the small talk about sport and football which he fails at miserably - it’s just so excruciatingly relatable. 

We are both English and didn’t grow up in England - at least, there’s a hint in Enterprise that Malcolm spent part of his childhood in Malaysia. There’s a lot of assumptions that go with accents, and I love fics which explore how Malcolm might not have had the cultural upbringing that the crew were expecting, and their reactions to that. 

We are both from military families and I totally get the whole “I was taught not to fraternise with senior officers” bit and how difficult he finds it to relate to those in authority over him on a friendship level - like, he’s not got any script or frame of reference for what it looks like to be friends with your commanding officer / teacher / person in authority over you. I grew up on air bases and going to the military schools and being part of a community where everything is structured and hierarchical, where you know your place and what’s expected of you and what to expect of others. I can totally understand why Malcolm freaks out when Archer goes “off script” and deviates from what he expects his commanding officer to be like.  

The food thing - in one episode Trip tells another character in horror that Malcolm once ate the same thing every day for a year - I remember watching that for the first time thinking “oh thank goodness someone else does that too” because I eat the same things every day too. Steve Jobs wore the same black clothes each day so he wouldn’t have to waste brain energy on what to wear, and that’s how I feel about food, it’s just fuel.

Oh yes and he loves reading. When I read Ulysses by James Joyce for the first time people thought I was a bit strange and it felt a bit isolating, but then later when I watched Shuttlepod One and Malcolm told Trip he was reading it, it was the best feeling 😁

thanks for the ask! 🖖

[whovianwatchingstartrek]

A Whovian Watches Star Trek for the First Time: Part 088 - The Ice World of Andoria

Star Trek: Enterprise - Season 4 Episode 14 - The Aenar

So, Enterprise are still tracking down the Drone Ship, and apparently the Pilot needs to be highly telepathic. Additionally, Phlox is able to narrow down the nearest brainwave pattern to Andorians, meaning the cast isn't to far behind our revelation at the end of last episode.

Apparently flying the drone ship is killing the Pilot. But the Andorians manage to identify it as something called an Aenar, a rare, blind, subspecies of Andorians. So, Archer and Shran take a trip down to Andoria to visit the Aenar.

I'm really excited to finally see what Andoria looks like! Shran looks happy to be home too. I love Snow Planets in Fiction, it's easily the most beautiful kind of climate, especially when I don't have to experience the cold myself. Andoria is no exception, I loved this place. The lighting in the cave was especially beautiful. While travelling through the cave, Shran takes a stumble, and ends up with his leg impaled on an Icicle. Unfortunately their two deep in the cave to transport him out, so Shran is stuck with this wound until the mission is complete. Thankfully though, the Aenar are watching the pair, and they make their presence known.

The Crew have also been refitting the sickbay to try and disrupt the Drone's command signal. Trip and T'Pol have a few arguments throughout the process, however the main one happens over testing the equipment. The test subject needs to be telepathic, so that leave T'Pol as the only real option, but Trip is worried about her safety. He claims it's because she's the first officer, but I think it's his feelings for her.

Archer and Shran reach the Aenar's city, and the Aenar seem to have really good medical technology, they patch Shran's leg up more or less instantly. We also get some nice worldbuilding around the Aenar's culture. Also seeing Shran get called a Blueskin after three seasons him throwing around Pinkskin gave me a chuckle.

The Aenar however, being pacifists, refuse to officially help the Enterprise rescue the Aenar Pilot, and simultaneously the Romulans send out two drone ships. One of the Aenar decides to leave their compound against her people's wishes, to help though. Aboard enterprise however, testing the device gives our Aenar friend a seizure, meaning it's too dangerous to try again.

Both of the drones reach enterprise and a firefight ensues. The Aenar volunteers to use the device, and the two aenar make contact, and the drones stop. The Pilot then makes the two drones fire on eachother, destroying them. Sadly the Drone Pilot is killed by the Romulans.

Every now and then throughout the episode, we cut back to the Romulans, and we get some interesting insights into them. The whole "we're born Soldiers" dialogue between the two was really interesting, I want to know why their culture is like this. I really want to know more about them.

I really like this one, I was happy to finally see Shran's home planet, and as a conclusion to this whole Romulan Drone arc, it was great, and the stuff following Trip working through his feelings for T'Pol was good too. The episode ended with Trip requesting a transfer to the NX-02, and I don't know how to feel about that, this has to get resolved soon, I can't see this crew with a different engineer.

[deepspacedukat]

*cracks knuckles*

AHEM! So was de-stressing by thinking of....you will never guess (whispers...Romulans!) and especially the recent string of updated F/M/K you answered the other day. Endlessly entertaining! So it got me thinking...what other versions of F/M/K can we come up with? So I thought how about iterations of meet-cutes, tough choices, naughty bits, and other things....(that I have yet to come up with).

As for the names, I was going to give you tough choices but ahem...gonna give you semi-free reign on these. But you have to pick from this list below and you can only choose one name per topic.

*cackling evilly*

Hope this is as fun for you as it was for me! HUGS!

Your Choices: (Vulcanoid Edition)

S'Talon, Vaebn, Galen, Kollos, Jorik, Vreenak, Letant, Hiren, Sabrun, Shran, Solok, Velal, Rekar, Soval, Neral (young or old), Koval, Talok, Elnor, Jarok, Valdore, Tomalak, Vrax, Tokath, Spock, Taurik, Vorik, Hanaj, Fhir, Mestral.

Here are your choices! Remember...only one name from above for one of the nine options below. GOOD LUCK FRIEND! HUGS!

Scenario 1: How you meet: 

Strangers trapped in a room together 

Time travel shenanigans (in either direction of time) 

Forced to do a mission together, both are reluctant 

Scenario 2: Tough (naughty) choice: 

One night stand, to part in the morning with the chance to see each other again 

Week-long affair, but never see each other again

Star-crossed lovers, pining from affair, perchance to meet someday and if you do it will be fabulous, but it might not happen at all…

Wild Card: The Good Stuff (not connected to Scenarios 1 or 2, just pick who would be the best for each of these…) 

In a turbolift 

In a pool

In a personal flier 

OH MY GOD, ALRIGHT. So. These are all super fantastic choices. And the scenarios are gold! Thank you so much for making something like this for me to answer, friend!!! I really do appreciate it!! 💖 After some serious deliberation, this is where I stand:

Scenario 1: How you meet:

Strangers trapped in a room together - Hanaj - This feels like a very Hanaj thing to have happen. It would, of course, be an accident. He'd be embarrassed but intrigued by the person he was trapped with. He'd be really sweet and friendly even if he was

Time travel shenanigans - Mestral - I could totally see Mestral accidentally traveling through time. After he got himself stuck on Earth and then chose to stay there, I'd say he'd probably adjust well to the oddness of the situation quite well.

Forced to do a mission together, both are reluctant - Vreenak - Honestly, I could've done Solok for this too, but Vreenak really fits. He'd be so reluctant and so would his mission partner. And omfg when they finally started to trust each other, that's when shit would get real.

Scenario 2: Tough (Naughty) choice:

One night stand, to part in the morning with the chance to see each other again - Vorik - It would be a one-night experiment. If the two of you saw each other again, he totally would be open to another night...or two...or seven. He's an eager Vulcan mans, and omfg I'm here for it.

Week-long affair, but never see each other again - Vrax - This is honestly not who I initially thought I'd choose for this category, but I am dying over the thought of having an affair with this man. He'd go all out to woo his mistress and give her the most fabulous, pleasurable time.

Star-crossed lovers, pining from afar, perchance to meet someday and if you do it will be fabulous, but it might not happen at all... - Sabrun - Honestly, this one had me stumped for a while, because so many of the characters above would be good for this one, but he just...he strikes me as a sweet man who would totally pine over someone from afar.

Wild Card: The Good Stuff:

In a turbolift - S'Talon - I...could give you a bunch of coherent reasons...if I had them. All I really have for this, though, is that I wanna get railed by S'Talon in a turbolift. That's all the justification I need. Right? Right!

In a pool - Letant - I want. To see. This man. Dripping wet. He would be so sexy. And oh my god, sex with him against the side... *faints* We all knew he'd be in here, didn't we?

In a personal flier - Velal - I've had this in the back of my mind ever since Koval's flier was mentioned. I've been imagining Velal taking his partner in a flier. So...yeah, this was almost a given in my brain. I mean...those hands...that voice... *feral growling*

Also...most of these are feeling like serious fic inspiration. 👀👀 *fic drafts scratching away at the inside of my brain* I'm so honored that you made this for me!! THANK YOU!!! 💖💖

[weerd1]

ENT Rewatch Starlog, 28 April, 2024: Episode 3.24 “Zero Hour”

The NX-01 races to complete their modifications which will allow them to use their deflector to disable the Sphere they call “Sphere 41” while Archer, Reed, Sato, and MACOs are on Degra’s ship with Jannar the Arboreal, and the Primate council member chasing down the weapon. Dolim the Reptilian has now destroyed the Insectoids escorting him when they questioned him, but Degra’s ship will be no match for the Reptilian cruiser.

Archer has the still reeling Hoshi trying to decrypt Degra’s notes on how to disable the weapon when Daniels appears. He show’s Archer a ceremony seven years in the future, where Archer, Vulcans, Andorians, and Tellarites are about to convene the United Federation of Planets. Daniels warns Archer that he MUST be there for this to happen, so Reed or Sato must destroy the weapon. Archer is not persuaded.

The Sphere Builders begin to accelerate the spatial distortion around Sphere 41, meaning Phlox has to engineer a fix to keep the crew’s brains from unspooling at the neuron level…he will not be able to protect their bodies though, and the fix will only protect their minds for a few minutes. They are ready however, and Mayweather has to use thrusters to get them through, the impulse power being used to power the beam to destroy the sphere.

Archer and company catch up with the weapon and Dolim, who has already destoryed an orbital science station, but are the only ship to try and stop them. They are suddenly joined in battle by an Andorian cruiser; Shran has tracked them despite the orders of his government and begins to engage the Reptilians while the humans transport onto the weapon and start their sabotage. 

On Enterprise, they have started firing, but the space around the sphere is disrupted enough the Sphere Builders can board the ship and try to disrupt the operation. Phlox remembers the physiology of the test subject they found and instructs the MACOs how to set their weapons to affect the Builders. They are pushing their deadline and already suffering severe skin damage when Tucker succeeds in his attack on the sphere; it implodes and begins a chain reaction, causing spheres to collapse across the Delphic Expanse. The spatial distortions cannot be sustained and the Builder are thrown back into their dimension. 

Reed protects Archer and Sato long enough to complete the sabotage. They return to Degra’s ship while Archer stays to do the last step. Dolim transports to the weapon as Shran destroys his vessel. He fights Archer who dispatches him with one last explosive, and the weapon explodes as Archer races toward the extraction point. 

Later, Enterprise rendezvous with Degra’s ship, only to learn that Archer did not make it. T’Pol assumes command, and with the Xindi hopeful for a new chapter in their history, the Aquatics take the NX-01 back to Earth. Entering the system, they are unable to pick up any hails. Mayweather and Tucker take a shuttlepod down to San Francisco, only to be attacked by three WWII era P-51 Mustangs. Meanwhile, in a Nazi field hospital, a badly burned Archer lays on a bunk, approached by a red-eyed alien in full Nazi regalia. 

Overall a very engaging and exciting end to the Xindi storyline…not allowed to really end because of the head-scratching addition of space Nazis. The tension between the two desperate missions to confront the weapon and the sphere is nicely cranked up at a good pace throughout the episode, and nice to see Archer win a fight (even if he needed a bomb to do it). 

Something I really appreciate here is, as much as some crewmembers are almost forgotten through this season, this episode makes sure everyone has a piece: Hoshi with her decryption; Reed defending her on the weapon; Mayweather’s fancy piloting; Phlox knowing how to defeat the Sphere builders (even some bridge time!). Fits nicely with the Big Three’s efforts on their missions.  

Was glad to see the slightly shoe-horned appearance of Shran too. Always happy to see Jeffrey Combs, and nice to see Shran’s ongoing interaction with Archer, but I am at a bit of a loss as to why there were no, well, Earth ships defending Earth?  I know the NX-02 is still under construction—we heard that just two episodes back—but where is the rest of the fleet? Surely Admiral Forrest has SOME of the Intrepid Class or Delta Class ships in system just in case the NX-01 mission to the Expanse fails?  I almost thought that perhaps the timeline sabotage that we will find out makes Space Nazis happen had already taken effect, but that orbital station WAS there for Dolim to destroy, and that’s a point made later that other stations are only missing AFTER the change. Not sure that all makes any sense to me.

I have walked away from this episode with a New-Trek headcanon though: Surely the potential alliance now with the post-Expanse Xindi means some access to their technology, in particular their “vortex” they use to travel FTL.  Note how much similarity in the picture above there is between that and the way warp effects look in both the Kelvin Timeline and shows like Discovery or Strange New Worlds.

Perhaps THIS is one of the fluid changes to the timeline SNW has canonized as the differences between TOS and the modern shows’ 23rd Century. “Warp Drive” for the SNW 1701 includes Xindi vortex physics, just as I believe the warp drive the Enterprise uses in the ’09 film is enhanced by the telemetry the Kelvin survivors captured of the Narada’s transwarp technology from the late 24th Century. 

We KNOW all these time travel shenanigans have had lasting effects on the prime timeline (like the shifting of the Eugenics Wars from the 1990s to the 2040s); I’m going to say this was one of them.

I do wish the writers (looking at you Berman and Braga) had given a little more space for the denouement of the Xindi saga before plunging us right into this new time travel story…I know it’s tenuously connected, but I’d like to have seen the Earth aftermath now instead of having to wait two more episodes making extensive use of the Paramount back lot. I guess to really complete this rewatch, I have to take those on as well, so as much as I thought this would be my last Enterprise write up, stay tuned for…

NEXT VOYAGE:  The crew of Enterprise show us all Nazis, even Space Nazis, should be punched in “Storm Front Part 1.”  

(Images taken from the main website for @trekcore; I am happy to remove the images if asked.)

[somebirdortheother]

Tag Game - Fandom Edition

I was tagged by @myfavouritelunatic, @iamstartraveller776 and @youwearfinethingswellwriter ! Thank you, beauties!

Your Name: My nicknames are numerous - JD, Mojo/Evil Mojo Jojo (Haha... don't ask, but sufficient number of people call me that in real life), JJ, Birdy. For my actual name, DM me and introduce yourselves!

Your First Fandom: Star Trek, Star Trek, Star Trek! Though I'd never shipped before ST ENT (Everyone who's read my Breaking The Ice will know that it's partially an ode to *THE* ship.)

Your Current Fandom: I'm writing in The Rings of Power fandom, currently, which happens to be the first fandom that I'd decided to try my hand at writing in for strange, roundabout reasons.

How did you first get into fandom?: I've never identified myself as a fan, despite my deep love for everything Trek, and I hadn't realised that I'd got into fandom until one thing led to another and I was reading ungodly amounts of Trip/T'Pol fics. I'm still in denial...

How long have you been engaging in fandom spaces?: I'm *still* in denial :D I'll always be in denial.

How often do you read fanfic?: Currently, as I'm writing, I'm afraid it's very little. I love all of you, dear fellow ROP writers, and if I've not read your works it's not a slight, it's more that my brain is too small to read and write simultaneously, most of the time.

Top three characters from your current fandom?: Halbrand (Sauron), Bronwyn + Arondir (yes, @iamstartraveller776 I'm stealing your answer, you can't have one and not the other), Elrond

Have you ever written a fic for a fandom and if so, shout it out!: Since I've only ever written in The Rings of Power fandom, all my self-shout-outs are going to be there, but so far I sit at 23 fics. Some examples:

To Smith Or Not To Smith - My uber-nerdy Sauron redemption through being Eregion's good little Maia smith. He's lucky to have Brimby and Galadriel handle him.

Welcome To Mordor City - Haladriel Steampunk AU series

Breaking The Ice/ All Aboard USS Numenor series - Haladriel/Saurondriel Star Trek AU

Barbarus (Part of Time And Time Again series with @coraleethroughthelookingglass) - Haladriel Archaeology AU

The Souvenir - Haladriel Numenor adventures

Have you ever drawn fan art for a fandom?: If drawing a map of Mordor City counts, then I have.

Ta-da

Share a personal headcanon that you feel strongly about:

From ST: ENT - The events in the last episode were not real, and the "history record" had been intentionally tampered with. Trip obviously hadn't died.

From TROP - Galadriel is Sauron; she found a poor dumb idiot who had a crush on her to do her bidding. Oh sorry, did we say *feel strongly about*?

You’re trying to convince a friend to get into your current fandom(s) with you. what episode, clip, or scene are you showing them?:

TROP - I don't feel super strongly about my friends getting into it, as I'm not a perfect fan of it despite all the writing, but I have shared my fanfics on occasion. Result: people learn about AO3 and then tell me all about strange niche things they discover in other fandoms. It's a joy.

Star Trek ENT - "The Andorian Mining Consortium runs from no one!" (any scene with Shran), that episode where Trip gets pregnant, SIMILITUDE

And finally, what does fandom mean to you?: Having fun, writing, messing around, and occasionally meeting wonderful people that I end up being COMPLETELY ENAMOURED WITH. YEAH YOU ALL KNOW WHO YOU ARE. On a serious note, I am grateful to have met a few folks over the years that I'm honoured to call friends.

Taggy-tag time: @niennawept @helenvader @coraleethroughthelookingglass @ichabodjane @yletylyf @pursuitseternal @jhalya @jurassiclexie @trinuviel @hazelmaines @clumsycopy and everyone else who'd like to participate :)

[reasonmustbemytruenorth]

Shran/Soval fic: Tanked [wip]

Summary: Shran wants to do something nice for Soval. Everyone goes on high alert, especially Soval.

The subspace communication relay had barely connected them before the words were already tumbling out of Shran’s mouth.

“Archer, I need a favor.”

“Another one?” Archer asked. “And hello to you, too.” 

“You’d miss me if I stopped calling with opportunities for you to flex your diplomatic prowess.” Shran’s antennae flicked back and forth in humor. 

Archer gave a long-suffering sigh that was so over-exaggerated that Shran knew it was fake. Archer liked taking his calls, and he especially liked Shran owing him. “What do you need, Shran?”

“Information. About Soval.”

“Soval?” Archer repeated. His eyes narrowed. “Why?”

“Don’t be so suspicious,” Shran chastised, one antennae wagging like a scolding finger. “It just so happens that I want to do something…nice for him.”

“Something nice,” Archer repeated dubiously. 

“Is there a problem with your subspace comms relay?” Shran asked. “There’s this annoying echo…”

“I’m hearing you fine. Believing you is another matter.”

“You wound me, Captain.” Shran touched his chest.

Read more on ao3

[jonfucius]

Great Star Trek Rewatch - Enterprise S2

Originally posted on Twitter 6 September 2019 - 14 September 2019

Enterprise Season 2 is up next in my Great Star Trek Rewatch. As in Season 1, mini-reviews will document my progress.

Shockwave, Part 2: Most Star Trek cliffhangers have weak resolutions, but I think Shockwave is better than most. It’s a little gross to have Hoshi lose her shirt in front of Reed. The floating head gag is pretty great. And it’s fun to see the crew take their ship back. 8/10

Carbon Creek: One of ENT’s finest entries. No critiques here, just a perfect hour of Star Trek. 10/10

Minefield: Romulans! Mines! Body horror! The visuals still hold up after 17 years. Not showing the Romulans’ faces elevates the tension. 8/10

Dead Stop: If it seems too good to be true, it usually is. Luckily our heroes cotton to the sinister repair station’s motives quickly. The ending is appropriately eerie; I’d love to see DSC or PIC reference the station. 7/10

A Night in Sickbay: Season 2’s first dud. I love dogs but Archer’s obsession is almost out of character for him. I also don’t buy Phlox’s ignorance of human-pet bonds, since he claims to have learned a lot about humans. 2/10

Marauders: ENT’s heroes do The Magnificent Seven by way of The Road Warrior. Action-y but not necessarily memorable. 6/10

The Seventh: A spy mission! Involving T’Pol’s past! Guest starring Bruce Davison! Should be awesome and memorable, right? Unfortunately, no, it’s the opposite. There’s a reason it’s 87 out of 97 at TrekRanks. 5/10

The Communicator: Another pre-Prime Directive episode done blandly. It’s hard to put a new spin on a sublime TOS episode like “A Piece of the Action.” Trip’s cloaked hand gag is great. 5/10

Singularity: What starts off as light and farcical becomes sinister. Not particularly memorable except for “Reed Alert,” and “CARROTS!” 5/10

Vanishing Point: Hoshi has a bad transporter experience. Shades of “Realm of Fear,” but that episode was more entertaining. Strong concept, middling effort in execution. 4/10

Precious Cargo: A glorified sex slave was icky in 1991, and the same role (the same alien race too) in 2002 is twice as icky. This attempt at The African Queen/Temple of Doom homage is just a misfire on all cylinders. Trip and Kaitaama have zero chemistry. 0/10

The Catwalk: The neutronic wave front was a clever concept from VOY, and it was fun to see it again in ENT. Instead of Irish villages, we have militaristic aliens trying to steal the NX-01. A decent effort. 6/10

Dawn: I liked this one better when it was a TNG episode called “The Enemy.” 2/10

Stigma: An AIDS parable that is still relevant, unfortunately. The fact that T’Pol suffered consequences from Tolaris’s assault while he got off scot-free still stings, but it shines a light on the bigotry still facing LGBTQ+ people today. 7/10

Cease Fire: While I enjoy episodes featuring the Vulcan-Andorian conflict, especially those involving Shran, I don’t get much out of this one. Suzie Plakson as Shran’s lieutenant is pitch-perfect casting. The plot line moves forward but otherwise it’s a dull outing. 6/10

Future Tense: An intergalactic, inter temporal mystery! Plus, Tholians, Suliban, and Daniels' temporal database. And the mysterious timeship is…smaller on the outside ;) 7/10

Canamar: You've seen one prison break episode, you've seen them all. I kept waiting for Zoumas to be revealed as some master criminal, but it never came. Kuroda was well acted, but it's just another forgettable prison break episode. 5/10

The Crossing: Possession by non-corporeal beings has been done many, many times by Star Trek, but this episode belongs near the bottom of the list. No randy candle ghosts = no redeeming qualities. 5/10

Judgment: Klingon judicial intrigue a la The Undiscovered Country, with a side of "Rules of Engagement." Kolos is a great character. Not much happens though; Archer and Kolos are on Rura Penthe for all of five minutes before an off-screen rescue. Glad to see Hertzler again. 7/10

Horizon: Finally, a Mayweather episode! Finally, more boomer action! Why so dull? It's not Mayweather's fault. It's just a paint-by-numbers family drama. Not bad, not great, just cromulent. 6/10

The Breach: A twist on "Jetrel" where Phlox is Jetrel and the guest star is Neelix. Unfortunately, it hits all the same notes as the superior VOY episode. The B-plot of Denobulan scientists is also a letdown. 4/10

Cogenitor: A gut-wrenching ending elevates a worthy reinterpretation of "The Outcast." Archer and Trip's final scene in the ready room is a masterclass in directing, acting, and editing. 10/10

Regeneration: It tries too hard to keep our heroes from identifying the Borg, but damn if it isn't entertaining. The opening scenes give the Borg the creepiness factor they've been lacking since First Contact, and the effects are top-notch. Just a rip-roaring ride. 8/10

First Flight: Top-notch guest casting, powerful back story for Archer and Tucker, and a thrilling conclusion. Here's to you, A.G. 8/10

Bounty: Ugh. This episode. Ugh. Archer's scenes with Skalaar are fine. T'Pol's decon scene with Phlox, and her early-onset pon farr, is just an excuse to get Jolene Blalock into her skivvies and drags the score way down. 3/10

The Expanse: This episode floors it from the jump and doesn't let up until the NX-01 clears the thermobaric clouds. This is one of my all-time favorite season finales, and my favorite episode from Season 2. 10/10

And with that, Season 2 of ENT comes to an end in my Great Star Trek Rewatch. Final score: 5.92/10. Highest score(s): "Carbon Creek," "Cogenitor," "The Expanse." Lowest score(s): “Precious Cargo"

[star-trek-dumb-comics]

I was curious - who are your top ten favourite characters through all of the Star Trek series and why? I really enjoy your art, great job! It's always exciting when your stuff comes up on the dash because it's just *that good* and another thrilling installment!

First of all, thanks a lot !! It always makes me super happy when I hear people are excited about my art :D

And uh.. Oh that’s a tough one. I could easily tell you my fave character for each show, but an overall top 10? Let me think…

1 - Doctor McCoy and Spock

Theses two have been my fave TOS characters since I first watched the show back in 2015. And TOS may not be my favorite Trek anymore, but it will always have this special place in my heart ‘cause I’ve been obsessing over it for so much longer than the other shows (I started watching them back in like September 2020). So yeah Bones and Spock come first. And they’re both number 1 bc I was never able to choose between them and I probably never will

2 - Doctor Bashir 

Hhhh Julian I love him I was part of the Elite Intellectuals who liked him even in the first DS9 season when he was annoying (maybe because him making the worst first impression on his future friends is something I find extremely relatable ? hum). I love his evolution too even if I’m not a fan of the Augment thing. He’s also very cute and hot I want to peg him

3 - Kira Nerys

Kira is hand down the best female character in all of star trek. Episodes focused on her were always interesting, and idk I’ve always loved characters that are very religious (without being zealots) ? Idk why, I’m a strong atheist so it’s super unrelatable to me but it makes me more interested and invested in them for some reason. Anyway she is also super pretty and hot and I love her smile and her voice and I’d let her step on me any day

4 - Tuvok

He’s just really cool and I love Vulcans. And also I think his actor is the only one beside Nimoy (and maybe the second actress who played Saavik) to really perfectly grasp how to play a Vulcan, and that makes him really compelling

5 - Will Riker

I really love this jazz himbo and I absolutely don’t know why ! By all accounts he shouldn’t be my favorite TNG character but for some reason he is

6 - Data

Ahh what could be said about everyone’s favourite android that hasn’t been said. He makes me very emotional for some reason, sometimes he’s so adorable I want to cry and every time something bad happened to him i’m just :’’’(

7 - Shran

This guy probably appear in like 6 episodes total (and I’ve only seen 3 of them so far) but he just carries Enterprise so much. He just makes the show 10 times better every time he walks on screen.he’s also played by Jeffrey Combs which gives him a bonus

8 - Q

Also a guys who steals the show every time he shows up. Less than shran tho but just because TNG is really much more solid than Ent. He’s just so damn fun

9 - Dukat

Ohh boy this is gonna piss off some people. But listen this guy is by far the best Trek villain. He’s ridiculously charismatic and makes every scene he’s in super entertaining no matter how wonky the writting is. It’s hilarious watching him getting in the most ridiculous situations but he can still be threatening when needed. He’s definitely an interesting character, he’s a gigantic asshole but as a character I just can’t hate him. Also, as many of you are aware, i’m a lizardfucker... so there’s that

10 - Worf

That’s it that’s just worf what else is there to say. I love this dude i’m so happy he got to be on both TNG and DS9

Honorable mentions who almost made it to the list : The EMH, Quark, Seven of Nine, Malcom Reed, Jadzia Dax, Captain Picard

Anyway that’s all I have sorry for the long post lol, I realise that my reasons for liking theses characters are always something like “I just love them and also i’m horny” but hey. When I love something I don’t always have a good explanation as to why okey

[captainpikeswoman]

Hi :) can I request a series of unfortunate events with ENT Shran?

Hope you like it!

A Series of Unfortunate Events with Shran would include:

-the first time it happens you’re fast asleep, you don’t even realise that you’ve been miraculously delivered into Shran’s bed. All you notice is that suddenly you’re very chilly in your barely there pyjamas, so you start to burrow under the blankets some more…which is when you encounter a limb. As soon as your skin grazes his the two of you leap out of bed yelling! You’re so confused and feel terribly exposed as you look around at the surroundings. But when Shran realises that it’s you he can’t help but admire the view, he also won’t accept your proclamations that you don’t know how you ended up in bed with him…he thinks that you did it of your own volition because you find him very attractive. (He’s not wrong but you don’t want him to know that!)

-kindly, Shran calls the Enterprise and they send a shuttle with Captain Archer inside it to take you home. Captain Archer does actually believe you, but he’s utterly perplexed.

-you get taken to Sickbay where Dr Phlox gives you a thorough once over, but nothing shows up. But just to be on the safe side he puts you into de-con for a short time. As you’re rubbing the de-con gel over your torso you feel a slight gust of wind brush against you and then seconds later you find yourself sprawled on the floor under a heavy mass. It’s Shran.

-confused and embarrassed he quickly gets up and helps you to do the same. Only now does he believe you about what happened earlier. And this time you can’t keep your eyes off him, he had evidently just finished having a wash. He was wearing nothing but a towel that was slung low over his hips. He was more than happy to let you look, but it was starting to get too warm for him to feel comfortable.

-as soon as Dr Phlox realised Shran had appeared he conducted some more tests, but again nothing showed up.

-later on as you were about to take a seat at your station on the bridge you once again found yourself somewhere else. In the milliseconds between your posterior landing on the seat fully you were transported, so that rather than landing on your chair you actually landed firmly on Shran’s lap, startling the poor Andorian. Fortunately he didn’t drop you! It sort of took a minute for it to click in your head that you were sat on his lap, but when eventually your mind caught up with you you leapt up and started to apologise. He just found it curiously amusing.

-as there was an obvious theme running, that you and Shran should be near one another, Captain Archer suggested that you should stay with him. You agreed that it made sense. And it’s true, you didn’t keep disappearing once you stayed near each other. But even more odd things began to happen.

-as the two of you walked along the corridor you tripped, and he caught you. Once it could’ve just been clumsiness, but it started to happen every three or four steps and it was utterly infuriating! In the end you found that if Shran had a hand on you somewhere it didn’t happen. So essentially you two had to hold hands now!

-Shran found it funny because for the most part these unusual instances were only happening to you. But as if the universe knew of his amusement it suddenly changed tactics. Everytime Shran went to sit down on a chair, or a desk or anything the item of furniture would magically move a foot to the left, leaving him sprawled on the floor. It really didn’t take very long for him to become frustrated and storm off.

-but by the time he’d gotten to the other side of the bridge it felt like an elastic band was stretched between the two of you. You shared an alarmed look before suddenly you found yourself running at him, and the two of you crashed together in a tangle of limbs on the ground, both of you feeling incredibly winded.

-and it carried on just like that for two days! You had to move onto his ship, into his quarters. Admittedly you did enjoy it some of the time, but you also definitely missed your own ship and friends.

[writingsfromstarfleet]

Thy’lek Shran - The Lift

♫ - Two Birds - Regina Spektor

For a lovely Anon, enjoy!

The Enterprise was no stranger to technical difficulty. Nearly every day something had to go wrong. Though, it hadn't happened in a while, and you imagined Trip must have been working some sort of miracle down in the engineering rooms. Most of the time, it seemed as though the ship was programmed to function as defectively as possible.

The NX-01 had a visitor today, a few to be exact. The Andorians were boarding once again, to discuss something with the captain. You hadn't paid too much attention to the reasons, excitement at seeing Shran once more was clouding your brain.

You got along well with the Andorian, and he liked you a lot. Each time he had visited, Shran made sure to spend some time with you, learning about you and discussing almost anything with you. He thought you were interesting, and would admit he thought you were very nice to look at, even for a human. You shared a mutual feeling, and when he came aboard you were simply happy he was around.

In the shuttle bay, you were accompanied by an ensign as you awaited the arrival of the Andorians. They stepped out of the shuttle, and Shran's eyes immediately fell on you, a smile gracing his face, as small as it may have been. You nodded to them, extending a greeting their way.

"Welcome back, gentlemen, Commander, it's a pleasure to have you aboard once more."

"Pleasure to be here," Shran responded, not taking his eyes off you.

"I assume you'll all want to b shown to your quarters," the ensign spoke, motioning for them to follow him. Shran was the only one who didn't follow.

"I would like to speak with Captain Archer first."

"I'll take you to his ready room," you said, and Shran simply nodded and followed you to the lift.

Once in there, the quiet surrounded you almost awkwardly. You'd spoken before, but something about the enclosed space made you feel nervous. The lift shuddered and came to a halt and you groaned.

"Why, why now?"

"Who are you talking to?" Shran mused, and you slid down the wall.

"Better make yourself comfortable. These things take ages to fix."

Shran huffed a little, clearly not amused, but nonetheless he sat down too, his back on the same wall as yours. He wasn't too far away, but was far away enough that it wasn't weird. Little snippets of chat between you had gone on, mainly just small questions, 'how have you been?' and 'how are things on your ship?'.

The quiet overtook the lift once more, and you couldn't take it. You weren't sure what to talk to him about, but anything at this point was better than the silence. You glanced at him occasionally, and still you admitted he was very handsome. That much hadn't faltered in the time you hadn't seen him. In the light of the lift, his skin was the prettiest colour. As he rested his head against the wall and closed his eyes, Shran felt your stare, and smirked just a little to himself.

"Is there something you need?" He enquired, and your eyes widened, and you stuttered.

"I- uh, I- no.. no."

Chuckling to himself, he sat upright properly and looked over at you.

"Of course."

That simple sentence made you nervous, and you weren't sure why. This was a man you had spoken to many a time, but the situation of an enclosed space was wreaking havoc on your senses.

"You know," you started, before your brain could process anything you were going to say. "I had a pet when I was a kid, a hamster."

Despite your overt nervousness and stuttering, Shran made no attempt to stop you and he listened intently as you continued. The smile on your face grew the more you spoke.

"He was called Rocket, tiniest little thing. He uh, he had the softest fur and he was adorable. He'd cuddle with me sometimes and hide in my clothes Sometimes, he'd eat with me, I'd replicate him some vegetables and he would cuddle up and eat alongside me. His favourite thing was, uh, to run, on his wheel; he'd do it for hours..."

You chuckled at the memories of him, before you realised you were rambling on.

"I-I'm sorry!" you blurted out. "I talk when I'm nervous and I uh, I didn't know what to talk about, and-"

Shran smiled at you and waved your apology off with a hand. He stared in amusement as you blinked at him.

"It's quite alright, in fact, I would love to hear more of those stories you have there. You're a fascinating person, Y/N."

A blush crept its way to your face and you tried to hide it as best you could. Shran saw it and smirked, unseen to you, of course. Over the course of the next twenty minutes or so, you rambled on about Rocket, and stories about other happenings in your life, Shran asking questions and speaking where needed, and it was then that you realised, you really do go on at times.

The lift jolted and started to move, Shran getting to his feet and extending a hand to help you up. Taking it, you felt him brush his thumb across the back of your hand, and looked to see him smiling at you.

"That was rather enjoyable," he stated, having not let go of your hand. "I would love to hear more of your stories before I go. Perhaps, over dinner?"

"Oh, uh- certainly," you answered, caught off guard by his offer. "I'd like that."

Chuckling to himself, Shran placed a kiss on your knuckles before the lift stopped at the floor he needed.

"Until then, Y/N."

[whovianwatchingstartrek]

A Whovian Watches Star Trek for the First Time: Part 086 - The Andorians and the Tellarites

Star Trek: Enterprise - Season 4 Episode 12 - Babel One

We open with Shran in a bit of a pickle, His ship is in a bad state. Apparently the Tellarites have attacked him, and the ship needs to be abandoned.

After the intro we see Hoshi arguing with Archer about her room. At first I thought something was wrong because they're all just really childish complaints, but turns out they're just RPing to prepare Archer to talk to the Tellarite Ambassador. Apparently, Tellarite culture is all about arguing, so these kinds of insults are considered good form. This is a good old we need to help negotiate to prevent a war situation.

I can tell I'm going to have fun with these guys, their style of negotiations are so counter to what you expect, it's just a good ground for comedy! This episode got a some good laughs out of me.

While Enterprise is transporting the Tellarite ambassadors, they pick up Shran's Distress call, and bring the Andorian Crew aboard, apparently there are only 19 survivors.

Shrans ship genuinely was attacked by Tellarites, and it appears to be a more advanced ship than the Tellarites, meaning the Tellarites have been preparing new weapons while talking about negotiations.

Suddenly on the way back to drop the survors of Shrans crew on Andoria, Enterprise is attacked by an Andorian ship, and one that doesn't stand down after finding out there are Andorians aboard. According the Shran, several andorians ships have gone missing over the years, and the shielding was set up different from the Andorian standard. It would appear someone is out to kill both sets of ambassadors and provoke a war. The data from both the ship that attacked enterprise and the ship that attacked Shran's ship are identical

Trying to negotiate around two hostile species while the true enemy is unknown is a great plotline, it's a fun mystery to unravel. After a bit of discussion we cut to the ship in question, and we see it's owned by dudes in the same clothes as the guy that V'Las was working for earlier in the season. Also the ship is piloted by this Daft-Punk looking guy.

I just love this ships interior design, and how it's wires and machinery are just raw and exposed. And the pilot's helmet is just beautiful, It kinda reminds me of the Renegade Dalek Battle Computer Helmet from Remembrance of the Daleks. At the end of the episode, we gind out this ship is entirely remotely piloted, and this control room is on some planet, but I still loved the design.

Enterprise reaches the ship, and tries to hail them, but they get no response, so Reed and Trip transport a team aboard to investigate. The Ship opens fire on Enterprise, so everyone needs to be extracted one at a time. The Transporter goes offline however, so Trip and Reed are stuck there, and Enterprise needs to retreat. The ship decided that Enterprise has seen too much, and starts hunting for them.

Apparently, the ship uses similar technology to the Romulan minefield back in Season 2, which is a bit of a big reveal. Is this one of their ships? I remember back in that episode, T'Pol recognised the name "Romulan" but refused to elaborate, and if these are the same guys V'Las was working with to reunite with Vulcans, there's got to be some shared history here. And why would they be trying to stir up a war between the Andorians and the Tellarites?

Crack Theory time:

Way back in Shockwave, Daniels mentioned the future fedaration was formed in response to the "Romulan Star Empire". From various other meetings with Daniels, we also know that the Andorians and the Tellarites will be critical members for founding this federation, and that can't exactly happen if they're on speaking terms. We also know that at least one faction in the Temporal Cold War was trying. Perhaps the Temporal Cold war isn't as finished as the season opener led us to believe and one of the factions is trying to stir up that War between the Tellarites and the Andorians, and puppeteering the Romulans in the same way other factions were puppeteering the Suliban than the Xindi?

That's my theory on where this plot thread is going, anyway.

We also get a lot of Trip and Malcolm exploring the ship, trying to find any semblance of a breathable atmosphere. The Romulan Ship's pilots find out about Trip and Malcom's presence. Meanwhile, Shran attemps to take over Enterprises security, because he still suspects the Tellarites are responsible. He launches an attack on the Tellarite Ambassadors, and Enterprise's crew find out that the ship is capable of perfectly mimicing other ships, confirming that ship is responsible for both attacks. Archer however does convince Shran to stand down.

I loved this episode, I'm excited to where this arc is going, the Mimic Ship is such a good idea, and I can't wait to find out how all of this ties together! Also it's always great to see Shran!

[deepspacedukat]

For the new FMK, I present the following:

Damar, Shran, and Jorik. Do what you will with that 🤣

Ngl Jeffery looks so good in his B5 appearance I’m obsessed. I’m having so many thots about it.

-Horta-in-Charge

OOOOOHHHH THESE BOIS ARE PRIME BOIS FOR THIS GAME

Slow Burn: Shran - He would be the most romantic mans. If he's trying to woo a person he was interested in, he would make it the most affectionate, respectful, unique experience. It would be an exploration of both cultures, both individuals, and of what it means to be in love.

Fake Date: Jorik - He would claim it was only logical for whatever mission required it, but by the time he'd be severely in love. He is a good boi, a smitten little kitten, a silly man. He'd be a mess. He'd still be claiming that it was logical, btw. By the end of the assignment, he'd be declaring koon-ut-so'lik.

Enemies to Lovers: Damar - He's Just Some Guy, y'know? He's a good, loyal Cardassian, so I could totally imagine some tension arising between him and a person from the Federation. It starts as posturing, becomes a rivalry, then something close to enemies. And then...one day, all that tension snaps. An argument happens, but instead of them beating the shit out of each other, they end up in Damar's bed. They're both stunned, but not upset with how things turned out. They each still make jokes about the other being an asshole, but now those insults are followed by smooches.

I'm gonna be real honest with you, friend, I still need to see B5. I just looked up Jeff's character from that show and–

HOW DARE HE BE SO PRETTY??? WTF. I'M NOW HAVING THOTS TOO AND I HAVE NO ACTUAL INFORMATION ABOUT HIS CHARACTER.

HORTA WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO ME??

[nzvalley]

Rewatching some Star Trek: Enterprise

It’s been a long time since I have done one of these posts. What I kind of expected to happen did happen: once I hit season 3 and saw the network meddling, Trip/T’Pol, and the radical shift in tone of the series, it was hard to keep going. But I’m hoping to power through this season, and get to the much improved fourth season.

Just to remind anyone who is here for the first time. I’m doing a rewatch/analysis around the Archer/T’Pol friendship/partnership/relationship, based on my favorite episodes. I will be focusing on them, because that’s the aspect of the show in which I’m more interested.

Catch up on my previous rewatch posts here!

There will also be spoilers, not just for this episode but for the whole show.

Twilight (3x08)

Even though this is easily the shippiest episode for Archer/T’Pol, this isn’t one I automatically turn on when I’m doing a rewatch.

In part, it’s just too sad to rewatch frequently. Partly because it gets total forgotten with no impact on canon. It’s also just an annoying reminder of when the show and these characters were in a much better place.

However, it’s a really great episode overall and for Archer/T’Pol. It reminds the audience of how devoted T’Pol is to Archer specifically, calling back to T’Pol’s speech to Archer before following him into the Expanse. It feels out of place to the rest of the season, like it could have been written before the network mandates.

Just next episode (“Similitude”) we get a T/T’P plot that is equally a standout episode, but which is fully in everybody’s memories and has lasting impacts on the season. This contrast illustrates the suddenly differing priorities of this season.

Up until now, it’s worth reminding, the backbone of the show was how the relationship between Archer and T’Pol (and Shran!) shaped the formation of the Federation. But even in the worst of times, there seems to be a contingent in the writers room who still felt as strongly about Archer/T’Pol as they did in the first two seasons.

The start hooks you in immediately, with Archer’s confusion mirroring our own. Archer stumbles (shirtless!) into Captain T’Pol’s bridge. Seeing T’Pol commanding in her own right is so cool.

After the frantic and engaging teaser, we get a massive time jump. A gray-haired Archer wakes and makes his way through a home he doesn’t remember. He finds a devoted… caretaker… whose effort he can’t fully appreciate yet.

The altered dynamic immediately apparent between Archer and T’Pol, and the obvious changes in her look and demeanor, set the tone for the rest of the episode. Jolene Blalock is amazing as usual. She can play any version of T’Pol. There are great performances throughout, especially by Jolene and Scott.

Pretty much everything in this episode, barring the initial crisis itself and T’Pol’s accident, aren’t canon. As far as I can tell, not even the main two remember the alternate timeline, except maybe on an unconscious level. It’s one of those stories that gets completely stricken from the record, which is why it’s hard to fully appreciate.

Archer saving T’Pol at his own expense reminds the audience of how much he cares. Although it gets erased T’Pol repays that sacrifice in turn, devoting her life to his care.

Phlox’s dedication to finding a cure for Archer, and his overall concern, is another aspect of this episode that’s awesome. For me, the trio of Arhcer/T’Pol/Phlox was always the most interesting.

This episode shows one nearly concrete future where the Xindi win, showing how fragile the mission remains. The slow reveal of how complete the Xindi victory was, and the fragility of their settlement, is nice. This storyline was ahead of its time. Just a few years later BSG told a similar story, though much better and in a much-expanded manner.

Jolene does a good job, but has to explain so much story in so little time. This story seems like it should have been given more time to breathe, like it should’ve played out over 3 or 4 episodes. At least one more!’

T’Pol and Soval always have great scenes.

T’Pol: I won’t leave them. Soval: Them? Or Him?

T’Pol reiterates her choice of Archer and the humans over her own species, much as she did when initially choosing to join the mission to the Expanse.

T’Pol reveals she knows Archer’s deepest secrets now, even the proposal that was rejected because Margaret Mullen didn’t want to become a Starfleet widow. Has T’Pol made herself into a kind of Starfleet widow?

“Our relationship has… evolved over the years.”

Future Phlox is looking sharp. T’Pol’s hope about the treatment shines through.

Captain Tucker! Malcolm’s goatee!

Given the seeming romantic bias of the writer, it’s not all that surprising Trip/T’Pol sours pretty quickly in this timeline. Not only did T’pol and Trip’s dalliance fall apart, but they have seemingly stayed apart for years. T’Pol and her concern continues to follow Archer.

I may have missed similar instances before, but T’Pol’s casual, intimate, comforting touch in private is so cute. And a great visual indicator of how much T’Pol has grown. Archer seems on the verge of broaching the topic of the intimacy when he starts, “If this works…”

T’Pol once again turns down a chance to leave Archer’s side, even after he has seemingly healed.

Phlox: I understand I may have a passenger on my voyage home T’Pol: I’m remaining at the settlement for the time being. He may need my help during his recovery. Phlox: Have you told the Captain how you feel about him? It’s obvious you’ve become quite attached.

The blitz of exposition from Phlox and T’Pol to Trip about changing the past… there’s just so much going on in this episode. This story needed at least one more episode… Or maybe this could have been the plot to an Enterprise movie. Which still could work, given that the narrative necessitates the actors be older for most of it.

General Shran!

The bridge is gone. There are so many intense and devastating moments here… and then it all gets totally erased! Ugh.

Archer remains self-sacrificing to the end, deciding to just blow himself up if that’ll destroy the parasites. Ultimately saving the timeline through the same impulse that set it astray in the first place. He tries to get Phlox and T’Pol to save themselves, but they remain as steadfastly loyal as they have ever been. I love these three so much!

All three die carrying through the mission to the end. Phlox, then T’Pol, then Archer. Archer and T’Pol fall together and are laying together when this timeline comes to and end. The closest the ship ever came to being canon… and poof it’s gone.

There’s a tag at the end that’s real, with T’Pol admonishing Archer that he should have left her in the hallway accident that initially debilitated him. This calls back to her similar claim after her experiences on the Selaya. Archer, who has been isolating himself and becoming more ruthless, reverts back to his old self when it comes to T’Pol.

T’Pol: You could have been seriously injured. I told you to leave me behind. Archer: Fortunately, I don’t take orders from you. T’Pol: I believe you wanted to see this? Archer: Rosemary’s Baby? T’Pol: You were obviously looking forward to it. And since you’re not going to be able to attend tonight… Archer: Thanks.

T’Pol is always there for her Captain, whatever the situation! But the second half of the scene kind of ruins the sentiment. For as good as the rest of the episode is, this end scene is muddled in terms of what tone the writer was going for. I don’t think the actors quite got it either. It seems like Archer repays T’Pol’s kindness by being a brat. And when he drops a ‘nurse’ line… do they remember on some level? Or was that just for the audience? Either way, it’s a weirdly comedic end to a heart-wrenching and emotional episode.