The Wraiths were a race of telepathic shapeshifters native to the rogue planet Dakala. They were regularly hunted by the Eska, who regarded them as mere animals.
History and specifics[]
Physiology[]
In its true form, a Wraith resembled a human-sized slug, but it could assume other forms including a tree, a rock, an animal or even a humanoid. When assuming another form, 22nd century sensors were unable to distinguish them from whatever they are pretending to be. Any Wraith cells that became separated from the rest of the organism entered a state of chromosomal flux, as if they were trying to change into something but couldn't decide on what. Wraiths were capable of reading the minds of potential predators and then using their shapeshifting powers to trick them. (ENT episode: "Rogue Planet")
History[]
In the past, hunting Wraiths was very dangerous for the Eska, as the Wraiths could read their minds and ambush them, leaving few survivors. This changed when the Eska discovered that a panicked Wraith would release a chemical that can be tracked by sensors, making their shapeshifting nearly useless.
In the year 2151, the Earth starship Enterprise (NX-01) explored Dakala while the planet was visited by an Eska hunting party. During the night Captain Jonathan Archer was visited by a mysterious human woman who was actually a Wraith. She told Archer that the Eska were hunting her kind. According to the Eska, the Wraith were not sentient beings, but merely acted on instinct. Archer knew better and provided the Wraiths with a masking agent to conceal their fear response, allowing the Wraiths to evade their hunters once again. (ENT episode: "Rogue Planet")