Dakala

Dakala
Class:	Rogue
Native Species:	Eska
Location:	Beta Quadrant
Affiliation:	Unknown

Dakala is a small rogue planet, thought to be broken out of its orbit and coursing through interstellar space. Due to this, the planet existed in a state of perpetual night.

When the NX class starship Enterprise visited Dakala in 2151, the Starfleet crew detected a diverse animal population, native to the planet. Although Captain Jonathan Archer, Enterprise's commanding officer, expected the planet's surface to be frozen solid, his crew found that hot gases were venting from Dakala's interior. Most of Dakala's lifeforms were concentrated in the areas where these vents could be found. Subcommander T'Pol, the starship's science officer, detected no evidence of humanoid life on Dakala.

Strangely, a power signature near the planet's equator indicated the presence of a vessel. When Enterprise attempted to contact the detected ship, there was no response. Shortly thereafter, a landing party from Enterprise traveled to Dakala in a shuttlepod. The group experienced difficulty using infrared to scan the ship, as the heat generated by the planet's thermal vents was too intense. As the shuttlepod arrived high above its destination, T'Pol attempted to scan for a hole in the canopy which surrounded the planet. Ultimately, it turned out that the planet hosted an Eska hunting party. The Eska had been using Dakala as a hunting reserve for nine generations. They were allowed to hunt there only four days a year.