Waiting. How he hated waiting, even this type of waiting. Looking around the bridge he knew he was not alone in hating waiting. From how the others were at their stations he knew they were just sitting, waiting. They were physically at their stations and going through the motions but he knew they were waiting. Even Spock, who would deny to his death that he felt any emotions, his usual cat-like alertness was almost palpable.

There had been a strange quietness about the whole ship. The shift changes went more quietly than usual, hardly an unnecessary word spoken. Captain James Kirk knew that the crew had been through more horrific encounters than what they had just survived but nothing that had lasted so long, challenged them all, and was still affecting three of their number. They had encountered many more advanced beings than what they had just encountered yet not one that had been as sadistic and cruel. And now they waited. Waited and remembered

Kirk rested an arm on the armrest of the command chair, rested his head in his hand, closed his eyes, and let himself remember all that had led to this moment. Remembered all those things he should report.

Some unknown force had held them still in space. All attempts at contacting the intelligence behind it had failed. They had been exploring deeper into space along the border with Klingon territory and had been matched by a Klingon bird of prey when whatever it was had stopped them. They had hung all but dead in space beside each other. There had been no contact with the Klingon ship nor what held them. Kirk had seen clear frustration on Uhura's face as she tried repeatedly in all known languages to make contact. He had also seen the near bewildered look on his Science Officer's as he looked from his computer, to his scanner, to the viewer. All that was visible was the Klingon ship.

In horror they watched as the Klingon vessel was slowly and methodically torn apart as though being peeled panel by panel for each newly exposed section to be examined. They had heard the screams of the Klingons as they died.

There had been a flash of light then a booming voice, "Captain James Tiberius Kirk, we will now take the crew of your ship and return them unharmed when we have finished testing the will and knowledge of one of them who is neither a senior officer nor an ensign but a regular officer but one willing to be tested."

When he had looked around to see the reaction of the others on the bridge he realized he was alone. It had taken all of the crew except himself off the ship. Without bothering to check with every department Kirk knew at his core he was alone on the Enterprise. As alone as he had been where the spores on Omicron Ceti III had lured all the crew to the planet. Only this was different. This, this had been like they had all vanished at once. A part of his mind would not accept that but the other part of his brain knew whatever it was out there was far more powerful and advanced than them and as it clearly had the power to stop a starship and a Klingon warbird so suddenly without detection to be able to so easily just peel panels off a ship as it had there was possibly no limit to their abilities.

Just sitting looking at empty space made him uneasy and yet calmed him. He mentally went through all that he should have been able to do and yet knew he could do nothing. There was something out there yet there was nothing but space to see. Life support was on but no power, no weapons, nothing. Even the chronometer had stopped so he had no idea of the passage of time.

A monotone voice, that same voice as before, seemed to fill the bridge as a constantly changing figure floated about the empty space. Slowly Uhura, Sulu, Chekov, and an officer from Engineering came onto the bridge and went to their stations after nodding to him. "The officer of the other ship was not willing to die for his fellow officers, nor his ship. We had selected him as he seemed like one likely to last our test. He yielded so they knew the fear he did before their deaths. He yielded formally which would be expected by those of higher rank. A formal yielding as per their regulations. No reports from them. We learned nothing new from him. Your officer still shows a willingness to continue the test. Your officer shows an unusual ability to endure extreme levels of pain and still think rationally and if not able to give names he at least gives ranks, the location of station, and shifts of his fellow officers. It is very rare to encounter such a being. Your officer seems to have a pattern as he got you and some of your command crew freed first then we insisted on an eighty percentage of your regular crew in proportion to each senior officer and he was able to do so. He was most insistent we not damage any of the crew and we had to show him we were not harming any of the officers. As you can tell from those we are returning they are completely uninjured."

Captain Kirk looked at the senior officers on the bridge who had been returned, "My crew is protective of one another as they are a crew yet they are also individuals."

"True but of the regular crew he was the first one to step forward, even before the conditions of the test were explained. It was clear to us that the others were waiting to know what was expected but he stepped forward before any of the conditions were stated. Of all the ships we have encountered he was the first to challenge us. None before had stepped forward and challenged us as he did, daring us to uphold our word "

At the word "ships" he had felt rather than heard the way the plural had stunned the others. Clearly they and the Klingon ship were not the first to experience this.

"The last two command officers were injured in a vain attempt to take control. We would have disciplined them further but he said doing so would prove us to be inferior beings. You should be honored to have such a one on your ship. He was even then badly injured yet he still challenged us. He shows us new aspects. We seek knowledge. Should he survive the rest of the testing with us there is a final part to the test that you and the crew must attempt to be given sufficient power back to get you to one of your stations.

"The final part of the test has three parts. It is as a result of him having passed our test to this stage that you and your crew is alive. Should he not survive after his tests for the final two officers we will sustain your life till help finds you drifting in space but you will have neither engine power nor weapons. You will not know what that test was should he not survive having saved you. Should he survive and you not even attempt the test for him back on his ship let alone recognize it at all you will remain as you are until help arrives. As he did with the others, he has named and we will be returning your officers to you shortly. The two senior officers will be able to attest that your officer willingly agreed to the continued testing. Should he survive the return to the ship and you recognize the test and attempt it we will return and you will be given dilithium crystals more powerful than what your world knows and the external damage done to your ship repaired. Only if the test is attempted will we be satisfied you at least attempted it. Your success is most unlikely but a serious attempt is required."

Clearly those holding them had language problems but he got the gist of the message. There was going to be a test and they were expected to attempt it even though they may not know what it was and it was unlikely that they would succeed but the fact that they attempted it was enough. .

Almost as soon as the being had left McCoy contacted him from SickBay in a stream of expletives about what had happened. That had been the last communication with whatever it was out there holding them. It had beamed the rest of the crew aboard in groups and had finished by beaming Spock and Scotty aboard. Then the clearly broken and bloodied form of Darren Randell had been lain at his feet like some sort of prized offering. There had been a moment's stillness then a whirlwind of medical staff rushing in, reports from all departments as full power was restored, and gradually a feeling close to normality was restored.

While he had been relieved when McCoy had said that they were all alive he tried to think what it was that was expected of them now. It was still a test.

Doctor McCoy came onto the bridge and he had seen how the others looked at him. For a moment McCoy had hesitated and he saw Uhura start to stand, "Spock and Scotty are both in Recovery. Scotty in an induced coma for another six standard hours and Spock is in a Vulcan healing trance."

With McCoy there had always been a way for him to know what the man was thinking and looking at his friend he could see the tiredness and beneath it the anger, "Officer Darren Randell's condition has not changed and remains critical."

"Bones?"

"Jim, we, we need to talk."

For a moment he just looked at his friend and Chief Medical Officer then, when he looked around the bridge he saw how his crew were sitting at their stations even though there was nothing they could do, just sitting watching him, he knew they would have heard. "Sulu, you have the Con. I'll update you all from Sickbay."

They went to the small briefing room and had McCoy waited for him to sit before looking at him, "Jim, how many crewmen are under your command?"