Fortunate Son

Enterprise answers a distress call from the ECS Fortunate, an Earth cargo ship attacked by Nausicaan pirates. Its captain is badly injured, and first officer Matthew Ryan resents Starfleet's arrival. Mayweather, raised aboard such freighters as a so-called space boomer, understands the crew's fierce independence. T'Pol detects a Nausicaan aboard, and Archer discovers that Ryan is holding one of the pirates prisoner and mistreating him to get information. When Archer insists the captive be released, Ryan casts off the away team in a cargo container and sets off to strike at the Nausicaans. Enterprise follows him to the pirates' asteroid base, where Archer arranges a truce. Mayweather persuades Ryan that his vendetta endangers every other freighter crew, and Ryan gives up the prisoner. Afterwards, the Fortunate's recovering captain demotes Ryan, while Archer reflects on the boomers' self-reliance.