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In “Cease Fire”, Captain Jonathan Archer is called in to mediate a territorial dispute between the Vulcans and the Andorians. “Cease Fire” brings back the Vulcan-Andorian conflict and has Archer serve as the proto-Federation mediator. While the show has been pushing this background story as a precursor to the eventual creation of the Federation, the characterization has been a bit of a let down. The shaky Vulcans and the bland Andorians have yet to combine in a single story that feels interesting and well drawn. The purpose of the humans, however, seems comfortable and natural.
The Wikipedia plot summary for “Cease Fire”:
The Andorians and the Vulcans are locked in battle over a planet situated on the frontier between their two systems. The Andorians call it “Weytahn,” and the Vulcans “Paan Mokar”, and it is claimed by both sides. Andorian Commander Shran, however, has broken the treaty and reoccupied a settlement. With the Vulcans calling for a cease fire, Shran seeks Captain Archer’s help with negotiations. Vulcan Ambassador Soval is reluctant to bring Archer in as mediator, but three Vulcans have been taken hostage, and Shran only trusts Archer (particularly since the events of “The Andorian Incident“).
Archer and Sub-Commander T’Pol head down the planet for a meeting with Shran. His lieutenant, Tarah, is especially wary of T’Pol, but Archer manages to convince Shran to release one of the hostages as a sign of good faith. Soval then agrees to negotiations, but remains skeptical. Meanwhile, Shran has a tense moment with Tarah, who objects to his attempts to negotiate with the Vulcans. She would rather fight to reclaim the planet for the Andorians. As the shuttlepod nears the planet, it is fired on and forced to crash-land. Soval suggests the Andorians are trying to sabotage the peace talks, but Archer doesn’t believe Shran would resort to such tactics. Shran is furious that Archer’s shuttle was downed, but Tarah claims that it was the Vulcans trying to frame the Andorians.
Meanwhile, on Enterprise, Commander Tucker must keep the Vulcan and Andorian vessels from firing on each another. To do so, he maneuvers between the two groups. Down on the surface, Archer, T’Pol, and Soval are attempting to make their way to Shran’s location, when Soval is shot. Archer discovers that renegade Andorians are behind the attack, and captures Tarah. She initially denies involvement, but eventually confesses, and angrily informs Shran that there are others who feel the same way. With the situation under control, and with Archer’s help, the two sides agree to a ceasefire and continued peace talks.
In this episode of the podcast, Wes and Clay discuss “Cease Fire” and the continuing hostilities between the Andorians and the Vulcans. Plus! The guys talk about disagreements between two ill-defined groups, Rick Berman’s inspiration for the character of Tarah, and why Soval is the worst Vulcan of all time.