Alarmed by recent human incursions, the Xindi Counxil reconsiders a plan. Elsewhere Trip informs T'Pol of the scuttlebutt about their prolonged nocturnal postures. Archer, suffering itchy nightmares (that disturb Porthos!), accepts Phlox's quest to synthesize some trellium-D. A landing party shpods down to a pelagic marketplace where they barter for details of the synthesis as well as for Xindi information to aid their "diplomatic mission."

While interrogating the high-pated pimp of "Concubines-R-Us" Archer makes eye contact with a bound blue-eyed blond - Rajiin. The pimp won't rat out the Xindi so the landing party leaves, but Rajiin breaks free to beg asylum. The Great Warrior clobbers a protesting high-pate (with a purple scarf of all things) - asylum granted, no questions asked from his security chief. Back aboard NX-01 Rajiin promises to serve Archer but he dismisses slavery (unless you're a cogenitor). Trip trades spices for the synthesis plus a free friendly tip about how easily it blows up; indeed, Trip and T'Pol try to prepare some but it explodes. Freaked into logic, T'Pol insists on more touching.

After dinner Rajiin wants to repay Archer with some hands-on. She hypnotizes him with a see-thru skin effect then snap-dazzle dismisses herself to visit the transporter and get cozy with Hoshi in the elevator (why didn't we see that hands-on?). Sidling through T'Pol's locked door - how'd that happen again? - she uses the skin effect to overheat T'Pol into a coma but Trip breaks in, saving her life, only to get clobbered as Rajiin escapes. She heads for the transporter but is captured; in the brig she admits gathering information for a Xindi bioweapon.

Two Xindi ships arrive, knocking Enterprise out of warp. The Sharks replay "A New Hope" as Reman-clad Reptile-Xindis invade instead of stormtroopers, using neat new weapons like Bug Xindi's blaster and the awesome wall-mucus popping to plasma-pincushion. The invaders blow the brig rescuing Rajiin and Archer fails to shoot her when he has the shot. The Xindi ships vanish into "the Vortex" enabling her to deliver her purloined biometrics - and a warning not to underestimate the humans - to the Counxil.

And so the "alien sex slave" extends the story arc with a good if at times uneven adventure. Why the Xindi sent Mata Hari and didn't just kidnap a living human is surprising, but far less than the shocking impotence of the Sharks even to repel boarders (not that Reed's bunch did better). Such pronounced gullibility distributed throughout Archer's command chain is inexcusable, and bodes disaster.