Corporal Askwith was a Starfleet non-commissioned officer assigned as a security officer to the United Earth Embassy on Vulcan in 2154.
In that year, Askwith was seriously injured in an explosion at the embassy, the result of a bomb placed by conspirators attempting to frame the Syrrannite dissident movement. Askwith subsequently fell into a coma as a result of his substantial cranial injuries, and was put under the care of Doctor Phlox, chief medical officer of Enterprise NX-01. Phlox did not expect Askwith to recover.
During the subsequent investigation by the Enterprise crew, it was realized that Askwith was on duty at the time the conspirator gained access to the embassy, and had recognized the individual in question. Since Askwith's condition precluded an interrogation, Commander Tucker was forced to rely on information gained from Askwith's memory via a mind meld performed by Vulcan ambassador Soval. The mind meld revealed that the bomber was, in fact, Chief Investigator Stel of the Security Directorate. (ENT: "The Forge")
Background information[]
Askwith was played by background actor Rafael Boza who received no credit for this part.
He was named after Mark Askwith, a moderator at spacecast.com and friend of the Star Trek: Enterprise writers.
He is the only Starfleet member to be shown with the military rank of corporal and the second Starfleet member to be shown with a non-naval rank (the first being Colonel West in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country).
A plausible fate for Askwith, from the Star Trek Encyclopedia, 4th ed., vol. 1, p. 47, was that he died after the mind meld.