Leonard McCoy sat on the observation deck on the Enterprise as they were observing a planet, which was one that was not a Federation planet and had had no connection with it. They had spent three weeks on the planet Monea, the water world, just prior to this mission they were on now. Even Bones had to admit Monea was a beautiful, and peaceful, place. He had spent most of his time there with Andrea Farnsworth. They had not spent quite that much time together since the first time she asked him to dinner, but they had made up for it since he had decided to rekindle their relationship after trying to brush her off. He could not imagine not having her around anymore now. He had tried to avoid that as much as he could because he thought she would get tired of him and move on to someone else, but that had not happened. They had become much closer.

Jim Kirk had definitely enjoyed his time on Monea. He did not think he and Carol had spent so much time together since they were in the West. Everyone had enjoyed exploring that planet, which had living structures that resembled bubbles, but they made their own light. Jim thought they looked a lot like coral, but were much smoother, and were of course, much larger.

Jim still limped a little from his confrontation with Totrak, the Klingon captain who had been pursuing them all over the galaxy. Jim had finally gotten tired of being hunted and set a trap for Totrak, but in the process of capturing him, he had been stabbed in the hip. It felt stiff at times. It was not the first hip injury he had had, so he figured it had something to do with that even though it was on the opposite side, and Bones had told him that as well, but that the ligaments were just tight and would loosen up.

Jim was on his way to the observation deck where the computer had told him Bones was located. The doctor had been very quiet since they returned to the ship. He stopped at the door of the observation deck and saw Bones sitting on the bench. He thought it was odd that Bones would be there staring out at the stars since he claimed he did not like space much.

Bones looked up as Jim walked over to him, and he stood up. "Were you looking for me?" Bones asked.

"Yeah, I was just wondering if you're alright," Jim said.

"I'm fine. Why?"

"Well, you've been very quiet, and I was just wondering if you're having a problem. You're not hiding something again, are you?"

"No, Jim." Bones sat back down. "I'm just worried about something."

"Like what?" Jim sat down beside Bones. "Surely you can tell me."

"Jim, this is personal."

"Oh."

Jim folded his arms. "You guys always butt into my problems when I don't want to talk," he said. "And you always give the excuse that it's because you're my friends, so I'm your friend, and yeah, I'm butting in."

"Fine. I'm worried about this relationship with Andrea," Bones said. "It…scares me."

"Why? I thought you two looked like you were having a lot of fun together on Monea."

"Oh, we were. That's the problem."

Jim scowled at that. "How is that a problem?"

"I think I'm falling in love with her."

"And that's a problem?"

Bones stood up and walked over to the observation window. "Yeah! It's a problem," he said. "I've had my life figured out…I'm the doctor on this ship. I get up every morning and do whatever. I don't worry about anyone but myself, but now…" He looked at Jim. "Now, things are getting complicated. I'm standing at the monitors reading reports, and what am I doing? I'm thinking about Andrea and when we're meeting next. And when we were on Monea, I couldn't go anywhere without wanting her to go with me. You call that not a problem?"

Jim just sat there a moment. "It sounds good to me, because I can't imagine my life without Carol anymore," he said. "What's the problem again?"

"Things don't work out for me, Jim."

"Come on, Bones. You're a cynical, pessimist, and there's someone who looks past all that and likes you for who you are. What are you afraid of?"

"You know what I'm afraid of."

"Then why did you keep seeing her?"

"Because…you should know why."

"Because you're in love with her and can't help yourself."

"That's it in a nutshell."

"Well, you might as well stop fretting over it and enjoy it. You know, if you had a little more optimism, things might work better."

"That hasn't been the case in my experience."

"What does Andrea say? Does she love you?"

Bones frowned. "I haven't told her that…I don't know. She hasn't said that."

"Maybe she's just as afraid as you are, and she's waiting for you."

"What if something happens?"

"I think it's worth the risk."

Bones looked at him then. "I know you're happy as a pig in his mud wallow, but I've gotten used to my life the way it is."

"And you don't want it to change?"

"I don't know!"

Jim could see that Bones was really troubled about this. "I can't tell you what to do," he said. "But I'd hate to see you throw something good away because you're afraid it won't go perfectly."

Just then, Sulu said, "Captain."

Jim pressed the intercom button on the wall. "Yes, Mister Sulu."

"There's a ship approaching, Sir."

"What kind of ship?"

"I don't know. It's unfamiliar."

"I'll be there in a minute."

Jim looked at Bones as he ended that transmission. "I'll talk to you later," he said.

Bones followed him out the door. "I'd just as soon see this ship," he said. "Probably some power mad, deranged dictator, who wants to kill us all and take our ship."

Jim shook his head as they entered the turbo lift. "Let's try to keep a little optimism," he said. "Maybe it's just a ship that happened along here."

"Yeah, out here in the middle of far out space."

"There are inhabited planets out here, you know, and don't forget that we're out here in the middle of far out space."

The turbo lift doors opened and they stepped out onto the Bridge. "The ship should reach us in about four minutes, Captain," Sulu said. "It's a massive ship."

"Massive?" Jim asked.

"Huge. I've never seen anything like it. Three minutes."

Jim looked at the scanners. "Yellow alert," he said. "Let's be ready for anything. Shields up."

They had been orbiting a planet for observation which was why they were not moving at the moment. Jim stood there waiting to see what would appear as Bones and Spock came up on each side of him. "What do you think it is?" Bones asked.

"I don't know," Jim replied. "It's nothing that's listed in the Starfleet databanks."

"It is a very large vessel, Captain," Spock said. "I have heard of a pirate vessel which wanders the galaxy confiscating ships and taking the crew from them, but those beings are never heard from again. And reports have been made of a massive ship."

Jim looked at Spock. "Are you telling me that this could be it?" he asked. "How do they get the ships? Don't they fight back?"

"I do not know but it resembles the descriptions."

"The ship is coming in, Captain," Sulu said. "Should be appearing…now."

Jim's mouth dropped open as they saw the monstrosity before them which looked like some sort of cross between a box and a planet. It was a cube shaped ship, but right in the middle, it was round…and it was about four times the size of the Enterprise.

"Heavy shields, Captain," Sulu said. "Looks like they have several layers."

"Are they hailing us?" Jim asked.

"Not yet."

"Is everyone back on the ship?"

"Yes, Captain."

"Maybe it's time we break orbit and get out of here. Uhura, hail them."

Uhura did that. "They're not responding."

Just then, the ship shudders so violently that Jim, Spock, and Bones were thrown off their feet. "What just happened?!" Jim asked as he was getting up.

"A tractor beam!" John McCoy said. "It's draining the power from our shields!"

"Can we break it?"

"I don't think so!"

"Shields are down to fifty percent, Sir!" Sulu exclaimed.

"Red alert!" Jim yelled.

The alarm began blaring throughout the ship. Jim was trying to figure out what they should do. "Is there any way to break that tractor beam?" he asked.

Spock was analyzing the tractor beam as much as possible. "I do not see a way, Captain," he said. "It is very powerful."

"If they get us inside that ship…"

"What do you suggest?"

"Get the crew down to the planet," Jim said. "Even if they have to take escape pods. We can't let them get us all. If we find our way out, we can pick up the crew."

Spock stood up. "Captain, if we are to abandon ship, it must be now," he said. "Once we are inside the ship, escape will most likely be impossible."

Jim remembered the last time he had ordered everyone to abandon ship. He had watched the former Enterprise crash to Altamid. "Abandon ship. Sound the alarm. We'll stay and fight for the ship," he said. He looked at Spock. "Get Carol and the baby onto a transport."

"Yes, Captain."

Jim looked out the view screen. "Jim, are we gonna let them get us into that thing?" Bones asked.

Jim's communicator whistled at him. "Yeah," he answered.

"Jim, get in this transport!" Carol said.

Jim could hear the worry in her voice. "I can't right now."

"Why?"

"Carol, get in that transport."

"Jim…"

"I don't have time to argue with you about this. We have to make a plan. Please, just go. I love you."

"I love you too."

Jim hated that he could not go with her, but he would have to try and save the ship if he could. Spock returned to the ship after what seemed like a long time. "Carol is onboard a transport, Captain," he said. "It is launching as we speak. Everyone else is launching as well, except the ones who will be staying."

"How much do you know about this ship, Spock?"

"Nothing, Jim."

Jim looked at him. Bones was looking out the viewport. "I think we're about to know a whole lot," he said.

Solan arrived on the Bridge next, along with Scotty. "What a monstrosity," Scotty said. "They call that a ship? Looks like something that was put together with spare parts."

"Who knows if it was?" Jim asked.

"If we are to make a plan, I believe now is the time," Spock said.

"Let's go. Everyone! Let's get to the Jeffrey's tubes."

Scotty wanted to complain about that, but this was not the time. Jim, Spock, Bones, Scotty, Solan, Sulu, John McCoy, and Artemus Gordon the Sixth crawled into the access tube that led away from the Bridge. Jim crawled quickly through the tube, and he thought he could already tell why Scotty did not like crawling through these. Jim hardly ever had a reason to go into the access tubes.

"Oh, my favorite place," Solan said sarcastically. "Crawling through the access tubes."

Jim stopped when they came to a computer terminal. He accessed the computer controls. "Computer, execute Captain's plan, Alpha six, one, one, four, three. Authorization James Tiberius Kirk, four, two, nine, nine."

"Authorization recognized," the computer replied. "Voice print recognized. Captain's plan Alpha six, one, one, four, three in progress."

Jim and the others listened while all the systems in the ship shut down, and they were in the dark. Jim grabbed a light from one of the panels in the access tube. "They won't be able to move this ship," he whispered. "Nothing but the life support systems are working now."

"What are we going to do?" Sulu asked.

"Well, they want to take over our ship…we're gonna let them know we don't like that. We'll take theirs."

"What if we find that task impossible, Captain?" Spock asked.

"We'll find a way like we always do, and if we can't take it, we'll just get the Enterprise out of there. Got it?"

"Yes, sir," they all said at the same time.

Jim thought sometimes they just did that to annoy him but he did not have time to make any remarks.

They followed Jim down the access tube and out at the cargo bay, where they acquired blaster rifles. "Jim, if they can take the Enterprise like this, don't you think it's likely that they can keep it…and us?" Bones asked.

"He is right, Captain," Spock agreed. "With technology so superior, it is logical to believe that they will disarm us in any way possible."

"Are you saying we shouldn't even try?" Jim asked.

"No. I am simply saying that going in with guns blazing is not the way."

Jim scowled as he had a moment of déjà vu. "I didn't say we were doing that," he said. "We're gonna get out of the ship when they get us in there and we're gonna spread out and cause a little havoc."

"We do not know the layout of this ship we are about to be on."

"We'll learn. What do you suggest?"

"I am not certain what our course of action should be. Until we know what their purpose is of capturing our ship, we may not know what action to take."

"What do we do? Go up and ask them? Oh, excuse me, what are you planning to do with our ship?"

"That is not quite what I had in mind. I suggest we observe them for a time."

"We may not have time to do that. They're likely going to scan this ship and know whether there's anyone here or not. Any ship that has the capabilities that this one has already shown must have powerful scanners."

"He's right," Scotty agreed. "But they must have something like access tubes on that thing."

Suddenly, the Enterprise shuddered so badly that they all were knocked off their feet. "What are they doing to this ship?!" Scotty exclaimed. "I'm gonna give them a piece of me mind!"

"Just relax," Jim said as he was getting up. "Let's get out the access hatch here if we can."

John McCoy activated the outside cameras to see who was coming up out there. They all looked and could see several beings coming toward the ship. Jim's mouth dropped open.

"Jim…" Bones began.

"I see them. I see them," Jim said. "Let's move!"

They hurried over to the other side of the cargo bay to a cargo hold which would lead outside the ship if they got the chance of getting out. Jim locked the door of the cargo hold with a code that only he knew and they all stayed silent.

"Captain, if we are captured by the…" Spock began.

"I know," Jim interrupted.

"How can they get the boarding ramp down?" Sulu whispered.

"I'm sure they must have an idea. They wouldn't capture ships without some sort of plan. They're pirates!"

"Jim, when they find out that this ship's systems are locked up, they're gonna be after us," Bones said. "They're gonna be after you."

"You don't have to remind me of that," Jim replied.

The ship shuddered slightly and they heard air release. "I think they just got the door open," Scotty whispered.

"When we get out of here, we need to break off into twos," Jim whispered.

"We're separating?" Bones asked, not liking the sound of that.

"If we're all caught together, they'll use us against each other. As big as this ship is, we should be able to separate, but we'll stay in touch."

"They may detect our communication signals," Spock said.

"We have to risk it," Jim replied. "Scotty, you and Artie go together, and I want you to cause as much sabotage as you can."

"Got it, Captain," Scotty said.

"Bones, you take John with you, and find out as much as you can. Spock and Sulu will try to find the controls of the ship. Solan and I will…well, we'll cause them as much trouble as possible to keep their eyes off you guys."

"This is gonna be great," Solan said.

"Let's just hope they don't find us in here."

"Jim, how did the Nausicaans acquire a ship of this size and technology?" Spock asked.

"Probably got part of it from the sphere builders," Jim said. "Ever read about them?"

"I have. It is possible since the center of this ship is a sphere."

"They're definitely those pirates you talked about. They take the ships and use the crew to keep their own ship going, and sell them for slaves too."

Bones shook his head. "Always something like this," he said. "I can just see us mining in some dark, cavern somewhere in the galaxy that no one's ever heard of."

"Relax, Bones."

Jim activated the camera view to see what was going on outside the ship. "I don't see anyone out there," he said. "They must be inside the ship. We better get moving."

Jim opened the small hatch that would allow them to get out of the ship. He stuck his head out and looked up the side of the ship as they were on the side of the cargo bay which was one of the lowest areas of the ship in the back. He saw no one on that side of the ship so he made sure his blaster was strapped on and lowered himself out and dropped to the floor. It was not a short drop but it was not too far.

The others dropped out one at a time while they kept watch. They squatted beside the Enterprise which was now sitting on the deck of the ship they were in. Jim looked around them and saw an opening to their left. "Let's go that way," he whispered.

They hurried up toward the front of the Enterprise and turned down what turned out to be a corridor. They did not go far before they met opposition. "Intruders in the main corridor!" one of the Nausicaans yelled.

Jim and the others fired at the ones who came that way, as they were still moving. They finally came to a fork in the corridor. "Scatter!" Jim yelled, and he and Solan kept going straight. Spock and Sulu went to the left, and Scotty and Artie went to the right. Bones and his brother just stayed with Jim and Solan for the time being.

Suddenly, the ship began blaring an alarm and the lights turned red. "I think they know we're here!" Bones said.

"I'm sure they do," Jim replied as they came up to another corner in the corridor. He looked around the corridor and there were four Nausicaans coming from the left but none coming from the right. "Go!" he yelled as he started firing at the ones in the corridor.

Bones and John went to the right while Jim and Solan kept the Nausicaans in the corridor occupied. Once Bones and John went around the next corner, Jim and Solan got across that corridor and continued in the direction they were going.

"Jim, are you sure it's a good idea for all of us to be separated like this?" Solan asked.

"We can cause them more trouble this way," Jim replied. "And maybe they won't get us all."

Solan hoped that was right, but Jim's plans usually worked…not always exactly like he planned, but in some way or another.

Two Nausicaans were behind them, but they were not firing at them. Jim knew that meant they wanted to capture them rather than kill them. He and Solan ran faster but as they were about to round another corner, there were four more Nausicaans. Jim could not stop and plowed right into them. He tried to get up and run, but one of them grabbed his ankle, and he almost fell on his face. He kicked the Nausicaan with his other foot and got away from him.

Solan helped Jim up and they started running again. Suddenly, Jim was hit with a stun bolt, and he fell hard to the floor. "Run! That's an order!" he managed to say but he could not get up.

Solan did not want to leave Jim, but he ran because Jim told him to. He got around another corner before they could hit him with a stun bolt. He did not know where to go, and he was soon faced with more Nausicaans. He was trapped between them, so he just stopped and put his hands up. He knew he could not get away from them. He had heard of these space pirates, and they were cruel and ruthless.

They grabbed Solan and slammed him into the wall and disarmed him. Then they put stun cuffs on him. He hated stun cuffs. If he moved the wrong way, they would stun him just about as bad as a stun bolt, and they kept him feeling like he did not know what he was doing half the time too.

Jim was also fitted with stun cuffs, and they were taken out of that corridor…Solan only hoped the others were having more luck.