r/enterprise

Enterprise S3E19, “Damage”, Archer makes one of the most morally difficult decisions in the series: he orders the theft of a warp coil from an alien ship so that the Enterprise can continue its mission against the Xindi and potentially save Earth.

The problem is that the alien ship was not an enemy. By stealing the coil, Archer basically condemns that crew to drifting for years, even though he provides them with supplies and justifies the action through the existential threat facing humanity.

I’d like to propose a hypothetical exercise:

>How would other Starfleet captains have reacted when faced with the same dilemma?

• Kirk — Would he try to find a third way (Kobayashi Maru), bluff (The Corbomite Maneuver), or improvise some solution before crossing that line?
• Picard — Perhaps the greatest symbol of Federation ethics and principles, would he refuse to sacrifice innocent people, even with Earth at risk?
• Sisko — Would he make a decision similar to Archer’s, accepting the guilt in the name of a greater good?
• Janeway — Considering everything she went through in the Delta Quadrant, would she steal the coil or uphold Starfleet principles?