His ears ringing slightly from the small explosion, Captain James T. Kirk got to his feet with a grunt and peered through the dissipating smoke. He grinned in savage triumph as he saw his Gorn opponent lying groaning in agony on the rocky ground, felled by the shot from his crude - but effective - makeshift cannon. With a laugh, Kirk scrambled over the stones and stood over his wounded reptilian foe. Snatching up the alien's obsidian dagger, he moved in close and snarled "This is what happens to fools who insult the Terran Empire, lizard!", before plunging the jagged point of the weapon into the Gorn's chest, creating a fountain of cold reptile blood. The creature gave a final, agonized hiss...and stiffened in death.
Kirk's triumph was interrupted by the sudden appearance a few feet away of a figure. Kirk started in surprise, not having expected this: A tall, slender youth with light golden hair, wearing only a silver toga that glittered brightly in the sunlight. He looked calmly down at Kirk. "What the hell is this?" Kirk demanded.
The boy responded in a voice as soft as his features. "I represent the Metron Consortium."
Hearing this, Kirk gave a derise laugh. "You're a Metron?" It was hard to believe this figure, who looked like a pleasure slave in an Imperial brothel, was one of the powerful beings that had halted the ISS Enterprise and the Gorn vessel it pursued dead in space, and then transported himself and the Gorn leader to this asteroid to battle in their 'arena.'
The expression on the Metron's face did not change. "Your reaction to my appearance is of no import," he said. "What matters is that you are the victor in this contest."
"That's right, Metron," Kirk told him. "And you promised to return me to my ship if I won, and destroy the Gorn vessel! I demand you keep your word...or do I have to force the issue?"
As Kirk looked up at him, he thought he detected a faint trace of distaste briefly cross the Metron's face. "Your threats are also of no interest, Captain," he told Kirk. "We have power far in advance of anything possessed by your Empire. The Gorn ship, and all on board, will be destroyed...but bring violence into our territory again, and you will share their fate. Now, begone."
In the blink of an eye, Kirk's surroundings changed to something much more familiar and welcome: The bridge of the Enterprise. Spock immediately vacated the captain's chair and saluted Kirk, as did the rest of the bridge crew. "Captain, my congratulations on your victory," Spock said. "The Metrons allowed us to observe the fight. You were most ingenious."
"Never mind that now," Kirk responded as he sank gratefully into his chair. "Mister Sulu! What is our status?"
"All ship systems seem normal, Captain," Sulu reported from his station at the helm as he checked his instruments, but then he turned round with an expression of bewilderment on his scarred face. "Only...I can't explain it, sir, but...we've moved five hundred parsecs across space! We're right back in the Cestus system!"
"What!" Kirk exclaimed incredulously. Then it fell into place. "The Metrons...they must have done it!"
Stood beside him, Spock was nodding thoughtfully. "It would appear so. They are clearly an incredibly advanced civilization. We must be careful in any future dealings we may have with them."
"For now, yes," Kirk agreed. "But I'm not in the habit of simply allowing others to meddle in my affairs - or the Empire's! A time will come when we'll show them just how powerful we are. And we won't forget the rest of the Gorn anytime soon either!"