There were many things that the away team discovered about the Yentylian peace talks, but the one rule they hated the most was that once you're on the planet, you are not permitted to leave. All transportation ships are docked until it ends, beam-outs are not permitted unless it's an emergency, and all ships in orbit must stay in orbit. Communications are still in tact, but nothing could even be beamed down. That was a relief to both the away team and the Enterprise, because no one liked the idea of being trapped on any planet without contact with each other.

Another thing that seemed to get on everyone's nerves was that, because the Yentylians saw the crew of the Enterprise as a family (Kirk promised he'd stop telling aliens that after last time), the away team had to share a room to sleep in. And someone (Jim) snores. But because Jim used to crash in his dorm, McCoy was the only one that seemed to be immune to it. That leaves the rest of them to struggle for any sleep.

The main problem is something that no one realizes until it's too late.

Now, Spock prides himself on many things (except of course he doesn't have pride since it's a human emotion), and one of those was that he never overslept. But, when Chekov woke him and the others up while frantically yelling about having thirty minutes before the meetings started, he realized what happened immediately and started his famous mental checklists to make sure everyone had everything. After everyone got dressed and fixed their hair, Spock saw the others head for the door to leave. He looked over to one of the tables and grabbed their peace necklaces and stopped them.

"Wait. We cannot go without our peace necklaces since it is against custom. Here," he handed everyone a necklace, but he didn't pay attention to whose was whose. That was an innocent enough fact that they would come to regret later.


Unlike the day before, only Jim and Lieutenant Hals had to go to the peace talks. Leonard was being shown the medical center, Spock was going to the labs, and Pavel was going to look at the Main Generator. But since Je'tal was the only other security officer, two of them to go alone. And since Spock could easily take care of himself, it boiled down to either McCoy or Chekov. But there was no way that Bones would allow the kid to go alone on his first away mission.

"Go with the kid, I'll be fine on my own." Bones tried to wave off both the lieutenant and the ensign.

"But sir-" They both started in unison, but McCoy gave them the look.

"I want to get outta the cold. Now you can freeze your asses off out here arguing, but I'm gonna get going." He turned and headed off with the dignitaries assigned to show him their version of a hospital. "Hopefully they'll have some sort of coffee there. I've never seen a hospital without some." He half-heartedly muttered to himself. As he looked back and saw Lieutenant Je'tal cross his arms angrily and Chekov went to talk to his delegates, he wondered how they're going to get through the day without making fools out of themselves.

After a short walk through the colorful, yet crowded streets of Yentyl, he arrived at the hospital with multiple leis and flower crowns as welcome gifts. The people of Yentyl (who were naked most often then not) love to give gifts to outsiders, and McCoy just so happens to be an outsider. Much to his chagrin, he wasn't permitted to take them off since that would be considered rood. So Bones just had to look at their technology and even some of their patients all the while trying to keep flower crowns and poofy leis at bay. He even tried to strategically knock the biggest flower crown off his head, only to have a nurse pick it up enthusiastically and place it on his head again.

But he did manage to get quite a bit of work done. "So, you're telling me that your brain is in your abdomen, and your heart is in your head?" He was used to alien biology, but this was a first. He added it to his notes on his pad. He didn't even know or care what time it was until growling stomach pulled him out of his work. The Yenylian doctors were surprised. They asked him all the questions they could about "the mysterious growling" before McCoy could get any word in.

"That just means I'm hungry!" The doctors stopped asking questions and stared at him for a few seconds. It was getting awkward. "So, could we get some food in town?" They seemed to be snapped out of their trance, and all looked at each other with a look Bones could only describe as worry. The head doctor spoke up first.

"I am sorry, Doctor McCoy, but no one is permitted to be out at this time."

McCoy's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Why?"

A series of screams and small explosions from outside answered his question for him.


Chekov never hated anyone. His papa taught him not to. But, he really really 'disliked' Lieutenant Je'Tal. He was arrogant, misinformed, and always making fun of Chakov for his accent and his speech disorder (his 'w's and 'v's).

And now they were stuck with each other on the planet, and the only reason they were teamed up with each other is because Dr. McCoy thinks of him as a kid.

And the entire way to the Generator on the other side of town, Je'Tal snickered whenever Chekov had to repeat himself because the Yentylian delegates didn't understand something. Plus, it was probably because Pavel was talking so fast, since he wanted to know as much as he can about the Generator before they got there. But it still made him feel a little self-conscious.

The Generator, he found out, was basically a huge warp engine that, instead of creating a warp field that moves a ship, creates enough energy to power an entire planet. The Yentylians told him how Zedk designed this with the best scientists at the time. When Chekov asked where the other scientists were, the Yentylians quickly told them that they died of old age. That was weird, since Zedk was the oldest of the group at the time, and it put Chekov on edge a little. Even Je'tal stood a little straighter when he heard their response. But the engineers ushered them on to the next part of the tour before either could ask any questions. They looked at each other and for the first time, it wasn't with hatred, but with concern.

The rest of the tour went fine, and the Yentylians even seemed to be getting used to the way Chekov speaks. When lunch rolled around, Je'tal asked if they could go have a bite in the city, but the Yentylians quickly shut that idea down. "I am sorry, but no one is allowed out at this time."

"Why's that?" Je'tal put a hand on his phaser holster out of habit. The Yentylians looked at each other nervously.

"The government demands so." The head engineer, Mefd, said. Her tone of voice just screamed that she was lying.

"No, you're lying. Vy can't ve leawe?" Chekov took a step back and stood next to Je'tal.

Mefd sighed in defeat. "Well, you see-" The rest of her statement was cut off with a nearby explosion shaking the building. Red alerts sounded and the little group of engineers broke off to do their assigned duties. But Mefd stayed with them. "Come! We must go to a safe place!" She yelled over the loud sirens. Chekov thought otherwise.

"No, ve must help zose people! Zey could be hurt!" He stared at her angrily, and she gave up. As Mefd ran to her sation, Chekov and Je'tal ran outside.

The usually cold air was hot from the fires around them. Some of the buildings around the Generator were rubble, and two others were on fire. Bleeding Yentylians covered in dust were running everywhere and it was only then did the two notice all the ships above the city. Unlike Yentyl spacecraft which were a pale silver, these were pure black and shooting at the city.

Je'tal and Chekov went to the nearest Yentylian, but before they could ask any questions, she started screaming at them "Take them off! Take them off, that iss how they track you! You must-" Her sentence was cut off by a muffled yell as another screaming Yentylian grabbed her and they both transported away. Chekov looked at Je'tal.

"Vat vas she talking about?" He asked. For once, Je'tal didn't poke fun at his thickening accent.

"I don't know," He said as he pulled his phaser out. "But these people need help. We-" Instead of finishing his sentence, he grabbed Chekov and threw him to the ground before firing a few shot from his phaser. The dirty snow got in Chekov's mouth and all he could taste was soot and alien blood. Dizzily, he looked up to see Je'tal be taken down by three masked aliens. He stood up to help him, but another masked alien came and knocked him to the floor. One of them put a knife to his throat to keep him down, and the big one, who Pavel assumed was the leader of the small group, walked over to Chekov. Since Pavel was disoriented from the fall, it didn't take much for two aliens to hold his arms back. The leader stood in front of him and picked up the peace necklace that fell off. He Placed it around Chekov's neck, then sqeezed it so the two balls become one. Chekov felt the familiar feeling of being transported, but not before he heard the leader say to a communicator.

"We got him."