Sharks and anomalies overburden "Archer and the Pirate's Cloud-Hidden Cave," yet the excellent display of teamwork that remains makes an average plus episode. However, the too-cute opening bark of a problem-sensing Porthos elevates it to at least good minus. Not only are Archer's beagle and his coffee acting strange, so is Trip's warp core. A diagnostic - "Check those relays!" Yeah, after scraping them clean last week! - generates some lightning and the engine is shut down.

Reed restores emergency power while Trip doesn't have a clue, what with all the quantum variables variating and spatial gradiants graduating. (Don't blame Cochrane, blame phoolish phantasy physics.) Nearby they detect a dead vessel, drifting. Archer and some Sharks dress to explore, finding it full of floating corpses. They return from the derelict as another ship arrives, beaming raiding parties aboard. The pirates use their transporter (there's a thought) to steal food and weapons and antimatter, despite Archer's handrail slide. Trip captures one raider - good thing someone left a wrench atop the core! - and fries the rest with engine-lightning, and they bug out. Trip deserves a medal.

Phlox loses a patient, second week in a row, this time one of ours: Crewman Fuller initializes Archer's body count. (Nice touch that Reed and Tucker elegize him later.) In his new brig Archer demands respect from his Osaarian captive, Faceuglyisbad. Faceuglyisbad sings that they are former merchants turned nasty - Curse the thermobaric cloud that keeps them trapped inside! Ion trails lead to a cloaking field, wherein they find a Cave with a secret door (which looks just like a small gray Mars). Archer packs a shpod to investigate (continuity gaffe of active warp engines as Pod launches?) and blasts the lock. Inside is more weird and doors that need opened with dramatic weld cutting. They find their stolen stuff and beam it all back; meanwhile Phlox recommends Aldebaran mud leeches for Trip's insomnia.

Quantum scans show the Cave to be a thousand years old. Hoshi matches the Xindi language in the Cave's database but needs a secret password for access. Mean lean Archer drags Faceuglyisbad to an airlock demonstration which produces the password. With their treasure threatened the pirates return, but now powered up (with a great rolling NX-01 shot) Archer drains their database of items Xindi, bounces them off the Cave, then returns his captive, his quality of mercy intact. Later, alone in his dark Command Center, Archer feeds on a faceful of lighted Xindi database. The Great Warrior is ready.