The pilot episode of Star Trek: Enterprise, "Broken Bow," depicted First Contact between Humankind and the Klingon Empire, and also contained an Easter egg that honored the writer of Star Trek's best Klingon stories. Enterprise bridged the gap between Star Trek: First Contact and Star Trek: The Original Series by depicting the early days of Starfleet and the eventual foundation of the United Federation of Planets. The opening episode depicted the historic first meeting between Starfleet and the Klingon Empire, when the crew of the Enterprise NX-01 was tasked with taking a wounded Klingon warrior back home to Qo'noS.
Klaang (Tommy 'Tiny' Lister Jr.) was a Klingon courier who held information about attempts by a Suliban terrorist organization, the Cabal to destabilize the Klingon Empire. Captain Jonathan Archer (Scott Bakula), driven by Human resentment for Vulcans post-First Contact, was determined to complete his mission when Klaang was recaptured by the Suliban. In doing so, Archer proved to the Vulcans that Humanity was ready to travel the stars. Archer's determination paid off, and in returning Klaang to Qo'noS, he became the first Star Trek captain to set foot on the Klingon home world. Earlier in the episode, co-writer Brannon Braga included a nod to another important figure in the history of Star Trek's Klingon Empire.
