First 'Rogue Planet' Plot Details

See Also: 'Shuttlepod One' Episode Guide

Captain Archer will encounter a mysterious shape-shifting alien woman in an upcoming Enterprise episode likely to air sometime during February sweeps.

Based on an early draft of the script, sources were able to provide the following plot details for the episode 'Rogue Planet'. Please note that this synopsis only covers the first two-thirds of the episode, as no information on the resolution is currently available.

In the episode, Archer, T'Pol, Trip and Reed arrive at an alien planet and encounter a people known as the Eska. The Eska possess advanced camouflage technology, and are able to sneak up on the Enterprise crew at night without showing up on their sensors.

Sharing a meal with the away team, an alien known as Damrus explains that hunting animals is an integral part of the Eskan culture. Their camouflage equipment makes the wearer blend in seamlessly with their surroundings, perfect for hunting game. They also possess imaging goggles which can detect the infrared spectrum.

One unique animal species hunted by the Eska is the Dakalan Elk. In order to prevent the Elk's extinction, the Eska are only allowed to hunt them for four days every year. One of the Eskan hunters explains to the away team that many people wait for decades for the chance to hunt them. Eager to use the sophisticated camouflage equipment, Reed joins the hunting party tracking down the Elk.

While Reed is off with the hunters, T'Pol, Trip and Archer explore an area filled with volcanic steam vents. While Trip is scanning one of the hot mineral springs at night, Archer catches sight of a what appears to be a human woman in the starlight. When Archer looks back at Trip, the woman darts off. Absorbed in his work, Trip doesn't notice her, but Archer dives into the jungle to satisfy his curiosity.

Archer isn't able to track the woman down, but when he feels all is lost, she suddenly appears only a few metres away from him. The woman calls him "Jonathan," which mystifies the captain. When Archer tries to question her, she appears confused, prompting him to think that his universal translator isn't working. Through her cryptic speech pattern the woman reveals that she is speaking English. However, a member of Reed's hunting party, attempting to trace a strange signature, fires into the foliage, scaring the woman. She vanishes, and Trip and T'Pol appear, discovering Archer alone in the jungle.

Later in the episode, Archer returns to the spring in order to try and contact the woman again, fearing that she was nothing more than an hallucination. Just like before, she appears as if out of nowhere, touching Archer's hand and smiling at him. The woman tells him that she is not human, but rather a species that can take on many different forms such as trees, animals and even water.

Asking why he perceives her as a beautiful woman, she replies that her appearance is exactly what he wants to see - causing Archer to realise that the woman is telepathic. The captain feels a strange attraction towards the woman, but he can't identify why. Their conversation takes a sinister turn when the woman reveals that her species are being hunted by the Eska - for they are what the Eska prize the most.

Please note that our sources were only able to provide information based on an early version of the script, so plot elements could change before the episode goes to air. Paramount has yet to release any official information on 'Rogue Planet', so this should be treated as you would any rumour.

Further information can be found here in the Trek Nation episode guide.

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