When the show begins, annoying Nausicaan* pirates are attacking an Earth freighter. Soon, Enterprise is ordered to change course to investigate. However, the reaction of the freighter crew is strange and they seem like they don't want any help--even though their ship has obviously been damaged. It's obvious that they are hiding something--and when their secret is revealed, the ship takes off. What is it they are hiding and how will Archer handle it?
This episode brings up an interesting idea with space travel--who will police space? So, if there are space pirates, who is to stop them and how will they punish them? The Captain Ahab-like approach of the acting commander of the freighter is certainly one way! Overall, a rather interesting but not particularly outstanding episode.
*The Nausicaans was a name that was familiar but I didn't at first realize which episodes involved them. My wife looked it up--these were the nasty brutes who nearly killed Jean-Luc Picard when he was a stupid and headstrong Starfleet cadet--which is revealed in one of the final shows of "Star Trek: The Next Generation".