Stardate 2344.2

Captain Batel reports the Cayuga is in orbit above the colony of Parnassus Beta. Starfleet is helping the colonists stabilize their agricultural crop and providing vaccinations.

Chapel is working with the Cayuga’s crew in exchange for a ride to join Dr. Korby’s fellowship. She beams back to the ship after completing the colonists’ inoculation administration.

Pike subspace calls Batel to say hi. Their call gets cut off suddenly.

Batel checks with her crew. They’re unable to contact the ship. A shuttle careens into the atmosphere and crash lands just ahead of a Gorn hunter ship.

Uhura receives an encrypted message from Batel to all Federation ships, calling for help with evacuation as they are under attack by the Gorn. Pike orders Ortegas to get them to Parnassus Beta ASAP. He tells Uhura to get him Admiral April on a secure line.

April tells Pike the Gorn’s attack on Parnassus Beta is technically outside of Federation jurisdiction. April warns Pike not to exacerbate the situation.

When the Enterprise arrives, they find a debris field where the Cayuga was attacked and the remains of the ship drifting.

The Gorn have set up an interference field on the planet, inhibiting transporters, communications, and scanners.

The Gorn hunter ship comes into sight. Uhura receives a message from Starfleet that they’ve had communication from the Gorn – a single image showing that the colony is outside of the Federation’s jurisdiction. Starfleet’s order is to stay in Federation space.

In his ready room, Pike declares his intention to rescue their people on Parnassus Beta. He doesn’t order anyone to join but they all volunteer.

Sam Kirk comes in to volunteer as well, citing his interest in studying the Gorn up close.

La’an warns them phasers may not be enough. Pike orders Crate 32 transported to his ready room. It’s an arsenal of anti-Gorn armaments.

They decide to take a shuttle to the planet and avoid detection by disguising the shuttle as debris from the Cayuga, flying through the field.

The shuttle makes it past the Gorn ship’s sensors and enters the atmosphere. Ortegas pilots it through freefall until out of scanner range and then pulls it out at the last minute, freaking Pike out.

Spock continues to scan for life signs on the Cayuga. Una checks in with him. He expresses a desire to apologize to Chapel for how they left things.

On the planet, the landing party sees the source of the interference field as they search the colony for survivors.

They take out one Gorn youngling with the new phasers, but hole up in a store front when a swarm of them arrive.

On the ship, Uhura tries to get Pelia to help her with the communication block while the engineer’s recalibrating the deflector shields power conduits.

On the planet, Kirk reports a human signal from down the street. They investigate and find the emitter that lured them in just as they are boxed in by a barrier. Lieutenant (junior grade) Montgomery Scott emerges from hiding, wondering why they aren’t Gorn.

He was with the Star Diver, a solar research vessel. He explains how he was able to escape when the Gorn overwhelmed his ship a system over. He takes them to where the survivors are hiding. Batel greets Pike but then scolds him.

Scotty explains that the red giant the Star Diver was studying had a huge series of violent solar flares that seemed to attract the Gorn.

Sam theorizes the behavior is like locusts that are triggered to consumer by a specific series of environmental factors.

Scotty tells them his escape depended on making his shuttle look like a Gorn vessel to the Gorn scanners. He doesn’t have the materials to build another transponder.

Ortegas notices M’Benga treating the wounded and goes over to help him. They discuss Chapel’s chances of surviving.

On the Enterprise, Spock announces the approach of two more Gorn ships. Uhura and Pelia approach Una and Spock with a proposal.

They’ve triangulated where the source of the interference field is located on the planet. They propose causing the largest piece of the Cayuga’s debris, the remains of the saucer, to fall out of orbit and crash into the device.

It’ll require placing retro rockets on the saucer section to guide the descent to the right target. Spock volunteers for the task.

Pike tries to sneak out while Batel’s sleeping. She catches him and he explains his plan is to find Scotty’s shuttle. She insists she’s coming. Scotty wakes up and says they’ll need him to get the device.

On the Cayuga, Chapel wakes up to the ship’s computer warning the oxygen levels are nearing critical.

She sees the Enterprise through a porthole and tries to signal them, but her flashlight beam is too weak. When Spock comes across to place the retro rockets, she sees him and gets an EV suit so she can catch him at the bridge.

At the crash site of Scotty’s shuttle, Pike, Batel, and Scotty run into another Gorn youngling.

Chapel runs across a Gorn on her way to the bridge. She is momentarily frozen.

At the shuttle, Batel gets in between Pike and the youngling and it retreats. Pike wants to know what happened. Batel brushes it off.

As Spock places the last rocket, a Gorn confronts him. Chapel arrives. The two of them manage to incapacitate it.

Pike confronts Batel about the Gorn running away. She tries to deflect but he insists she be honest and she shows him her arm. She’s been infected with eggs which will mature within the day.

Spock and Chapel escape the falling saucer section.

Batel intends to sacrifice herself to save the others and prevent the Gorn eggs from maturing and hatching. Pike refuses to believe she can’t be saved.

Just then, the Cayuga’s saucer hits the field emitter. Spock immediately contacts the Enterprise to beam him and Chapel over. Pike orders Una to lock onto the colonists and beam them aboard. He also wants him, Scotty, and Batel beamed directly to sick bay.

La’an, Ortegas, and M’Benga are beamed up with the colonists.

Pike is overwhelmed to see Chapel in sickbay. He tells her about Batel. Chapel is determined to save her.

Pelia knows Scotty, of course. He tells her his device can help them hide from the Gorn if they can fix it.

Pike arrives on the bridge to learn a Gorn destroyer has arrived. He wants Uhura to get Starfleet on a channel so he can tell them about the solar flare trigger.

Spock informs him the transporter is not detecting any of the away team or the colonists.

On a further scan, he discovers a residual transporter signature which indicates the away team and the colonists were beamed up by the Gorn.

The Gorn attack the Enterprise. A message comes in from April, ordering an immediate withdrawal. The crew await Pike’s orders.

TO BE CONTINUED…