Plot

Koenig and Maya land on a planet where the alien plant rulers put them through trial by combat after they inadvertently kill some of the local plant life.

Whilst Koenig and Maya are exploring a planet called Luton, which is lush in vegetation, she picks a flower and he helps himself to some fruit. As a result, they are put on trial for murder by three talking trees, the Judges of Luton. The trial is by combat and the pair must face three aliens, one with super-strength, one which can render itself invisible, and one which can teleport.—don @ minifie-1

The moon has neared an Earth-like planet, so Commander Koenig, Maya, and Tony Verdeschi have travelled there to get the first look at it. However, as soon as they had touched down, the Eagle's computer has detected an oxygen leak in the ship's life-support system; four hours until critical level. To be expedient, Commander Koenig orders Tony to return the ship back to the Moonbase and commandeer an alternate Eagle back to the planet. He and Maya will have completed their preliminary analysis of the environment by the time he gets back. In the meantime, Yasko in Command Center will be contacting the Commander every thirty minutes for a safety check.

Koenig and Maya are left on their own, with very little supplies, expecting Tony to return in a matter of hours. Portable sensor analysis proves various plant samples to be safe; Maya picking a flower and the Commander eating some berries. Suddenly, a chorus of prolonged shrieks are heard, followed by a gruff and booming voice ringing out, declaring the two Alphans as murderers for destroying the plant life. The "Judges of Luton" sentence them to a battle to the death with three aliens who are also criminals; the victors will be set free. As the two Alphans learn that something is blocking their contact with Alpha, a lightning strike causes the three adversaries to appear; grotesque and diverse humanoids. The largest of the aliens ripped chunks of rock off of a rocky outcrop with his bare hands, handing chunks to his companions. Commander Koenig fires his laser at "Alien Strong", but it has no effect.

Koenig and Maya hightail it to get some distance between them and their combatants. Maya points out that harming any more vegetation would be unwise and Koenig states that they'd better not get hungry while they're here. The Commander stresses that they'll have to find themselves some weapons. Maya doesn't approve of killing the aliens, but Koenig states that they might not have a choice. The Commander decides to set up a dialog with their adversaries as a sign of good faith, but also deciding they should get to a safe place first. After he and Maya climb up to the peak of a steep hill, they observe Alien Strong rip a trio of long club-shaped rock chunks from a crystal-like formation, handing one to each of his comrades. Koenig shouts down to the aliens, suggesting that combat isn't necessary. He's greeted by large rocks being hurled in he and Maya's direction.

Back at Moonbase Alpha, Tony has just arrived to make the Eagle switch. Yasko is having trouble raising the Commander, receiving no response. Helena then has Yasko bring up the planet on the big screen. Nothing but stars come up. The planet seems to have disappeared.

Koenig and Maya have swam across a sizable river, having noticed that the aliens don't seem to like the water. Koenig yells across the water, again attempting to stress that there's no need for them to kill one another, but their adversaries ignore him, occupied with devising a way to cross. As the Alphans begin traversing the terrain away from the river, Koenig is determined to come up with some type of weapons, thinking a bow and arrow or a spear would help. They walk by the large skeleton of a dinosaur-like beast with vines wrapped around it, Koenig comments that the vines seem to have a stranglehold over it. He states that they haven't come across any live animals, suspecting the plant life has decimated the planet's animal life. Another attempt to contact Alpha on his commlock results in the Judges of Luton emphasizing that instead of wasting time, they should be devoting themselves into saving their lives. The voice informs the Alphans that they have given their adversaries abilities to match theirs, so the "contest" wouldn't be one-sided. Maya wonders what their abilities are, Koenig scoffing that three against two isn't unfair enough. Maya suggests transforming into something sizable, but Koenig worries that they'll tear her apart no matter the form, but suggests her abilities could come in handy to keep tabs on their "friends". Transforming into a falcon, she soars away back toward the river.

Landing in a tree on the opposite side of the water, Maya observes their three adversaries. Suddenly, one of them dematerializes.

Koenig had returned to the river bank, pitching round palm-sized rocks for possible use as a weapon. The missing alien materializes behind him, armed with the large crystal lance. As "Alien Transport" begins his attack, Maya repeatedly swoops down, attacking him. The rock lance does make contact with Koenig's shoulder during the fray before Maya transforms into a lion, leaping at the alien. Alien Transport then falls backward into the water and drowns. Spotting the other two aliens swimming across the river while holding onto a large floating log, the two Alphans half carry, half drag the aliens' rock weapon away from the area.

Flying his replacement Eagle, Tony heads for the area where the planet should be, which still fails to register on any of their sensors, hoping it will show up when he gets there.

Koenig and Maya have trudged up a steep dirt cliff face to use the top of the cliff as a lookout for the two remaining aliens. As Maya tends to Koenig's bleeding shoulder, they observe the aliens far below, slowly tracking them. Struggling in a weakened state, Koenig drags the rock lance as they travel to even higher ground.

When reaching another level resting spot, Koenig suggests to Maya that she should check on their friends. Again becoming a falcon, he warns her not to stay in one place too long. Off she goes. Landing on the valley floor, she notices two moving vines approaching her from opposite directions. When the vines are about to grab her, she flies off just in time.

The two remaining aliens have come across a blood-stained piece of the Commander's uniform with a trail scaling uphill. One of the aliens starts up the hill; himself as well as his crystal lance vanishing, although continuing to leave footprints as he climbs upward.

When Maya returns, she finds that the Commander has constructed a bolo to use the rocks he was testing earlier as weapons. She reports only having seen one of them down below. Koenig wonders what the other one is up to. Taking a Time Out, they engage in a discussion about their past lives. Maya recounts how the entire population of her planet had evacuated when Psychon began to boil. She and her father remained alone; Mentor planning to restore the planet with his biological computer, she really believing he could achieve it. She asks Koenig about his family, and he explains about losing his wife in the World War of 1987; a war waged not over territories but against races, classes and religions, which ended before the human race destroyed itself; the survivors uniting in a prejudice-free world.

The two Alphans suddenly hear something down the hill. "Alien Invisible" had accidentally dislodged a rock in his path, which seems to have glitched his ability; remaining unseen, but his crystal lance now being visible for all to see. The Alphans identify the third ability given to the aliens. Noticing that the wind is blowing uphill, Koenig formulates a plan. They move away from the ledge, Koenig informing Maya that she'll be able to pick up his scent. Knowing the Commander was implying she transform into a dog, she also realizes she may have to engage in combat, so she becomes a Rottweiler.

Sniffing around the perimeter of the ledge, Maya is startled when a large boulder suddenly lifts off the ground, rising above her, ready to come down on her. Now knowing the alien's position, the growling Rottweiler leaps at him. As the boulder drops harmlessly to the ground, the alien's cry is followed by his reappearance, lying dead at the bottom of the steep hill.

Tony has arrived at the precise location where the planet had registered when they'd first arrived. Sensors fail to record anything, and he sees only distant stars. Tony refuses to leave the area, instructing Helena to send another Eagle to refuel his own.

A while later, Koenig has fallen into a feverish state; his untreated shoulder wound getting the better of him. Deciding that the Commander needs his wound cleaned, Maya transforms into a falcon to soak a piece of clothing in water. As she arrives at a riverbank, Alien Strong uses a wire mesh - that had formerly been wrapped around his torso as part of his uniform - to mold into a cage. Approaching the occupied falcon, he snatches her up and traps her in the cage.

Woken to the sound of frantic bird cries, Commander Koenig staggers to the ledge to witness Alien Strong down below letting out a triumphant laugh as he raises the cage into the air for Koenig to see.

In desperation, Koenig uses his commlock to plead with the Judges of Luton to free Maya, then he'll go down and battle the alien. The Judges refuse to interfere. The Commander stresses that Maya can only hold that form for an hour, then she'll be crushed inside the cage. The Judges continue their refusal to interfere, causing Koenig to throw the commlock at the ground below him in frustration.

A second Eagle has arrived to assist Tony, equipped with a refueling "arm" to place a fresh nuclear fuel cell into the fuel housing of Tony's Eagle. Tony refuses a relief pilot, determined to remain here in the hope that the planet reappears to them.

With no choice, Koenig loads his bolo, packs it away, then struggles to carry the crystal lance off the ledge. Losing his footing carrying the heavy weapon, Koenig rolls part-way down the hill as the alien laughs further. When reaching the ground below, Koenig attempts a dialog with his adversary, stating that they're fools if they fight. Alien Strong claims that he doesn't want to kill him, but he must. Surprised that the alien understands him, his adversary explains that it pleases the Judges of Luton for them to communicate at the moment of combat, indicating this isn't his first battle on this planet. Koenig pleads with him to let Maya go, but the alien insists he must kill them both so he may live.

As Alien Strong steps forward and raises his stone lance, Koenig runs up and flings his crystal lance at him. The alien quickly steps back, avoiding the weapon. As Alien Strong advances toward him, the Commander swings his bolo around in circles above his head, then lets it fly. It wraps around the aliens' legs in mid-run, causing him to trip, slamming his head onto a rock. He's down for the count. Koenig quickly makes his way to the cage, spreading it open just as Maya involuntarily reverts back to her Psychon form, pushing the wire mesh away from her in the process.

After the two Alphans express relief, Koenig picks up his stone lance and approaches the still-conscious alien lying on the ground. He then poises the stone weapon right above the alien's neck. Looking back at Maya, she shakes her head for the Commander to let the alien be. However, the booming voice of the Judges repeatedly orders Koenig to kill him. Koenig refuses and backs away. They insist Koenig kill the murderer. Koenig yells back, declaring them as the murderers, as they could've prevented the vegetation from being killed, but failed to stop he and Maya. Not wanting Koenig to voice himself any further, the Judges allow them all to go free. However, as Alien Strong runs off, Koenig continues his rebuttal, accusing the Judges of wanting everything here to die to satisfy their lust for death. As the Judges finally show themselves - a row of small pine trees alone on a hill, the entire population of plant-life begins a furious chorus of infuriated screeches.

Out of nowhere, Tony's Eagle is about to plunge into hills on the planet's landsacape. Evasive maneuvers avoid a collision, then he reports to Alpha that he's found the planet. Finally, Koenig and Maya receive the voice of Yasko on their commlocks. Koenig remarks that the Judges must be eager to get rid of them before they start an uprising.

When Tony's reunited with Koenig and Maya, they inform him that due to the planet already being inhabited, it's not for them. They then return to Alpha.