12 Genius Decisions By Star Trek Captains
2. Archer Decides To Throw The Vulcans Under The Bus
Archer and crew are bored from following the safe, and well-traveled Vulcan star charts. They don’t feel like explorers and they’re itching for some excitement. So, of course, they decide on visiting a Vulcan monastery... so... exciting?
When Archer and crew arrive they find things a bit off. The door looks smashed and the monks are not very communicative. Not that any Vulcan would be accused of being too chatty.
After poking around for a bit the away-team discovers a group of Andorian’s. They've been harassing the monks for several weeks. Having never encountered the Andorians, Archer relies on the Vulcans to fill him in. The Andorians are a suspicious and aggressive species. They've been at war with the Vulcan’s and only recently entered into an uneasy peace.
The Andorians don’t trust the Vulcans or their monastery, though. They’re determined to discover what the Vulcans are really up to. They take Archer and his away-team hostage. While looking for an escape Archer discovers a hidden Vulcan listening post beneath the monastery. As it turns out the Andorians were right, and the Vulcans were spying on them.
Archer orders the listening post scanned and hands the information to the Andorians. This seems like a bonkers decision considering the Vulcans are humanity’s best ally. But, making nice with the Andorians pays dividends in the long run. The aliens come to Archer’s aid years later during the Xindi war.
So, a brash decision, but a brilliant one nonetheless.