Bones woke up lying in the floor of the ship. He barely remembered being brought onto the ship. His vision was blurred and he thought he could hear his breathing far too well, and his heartbeat. His stomach was not happy either. He sat up just in time to avoid throwing up all over himself. He could not stop once he got started and thought he might just die.

While Bones was trying to keep himself sitting up, he saw a small compartment open up, and Solan was there. Bones swallowed down the panic that was threatening to overwhelm him. "Don't make him shock me again," he said, although he could barely hear himself.

Solan reached under Bones's shirt in the back and felt of the device that controlled the devices on his neck, wrists, and ankles. "Just hold still," he whispered as he took out the tool that Artemus Gordon had come up with at a moment's notice.

Bones was just about crying. "Hurry before he comes back," he said.

Solan was trying to keep his hands from shaking with adrenaline because of the tension. Korax came from the other compartment. Solan touched the tool to the device on Bones' back and the cuffs on his wrists became demagnetized. Next was the task of getting the device off. "Hold still," Solan said.

Bones stayed as still as he could, but he could not keep from groaning as that thing came out, but he tried to groan quietly. He could see toward the front of the ship and see that Jerah was still in the pilot's seat. When the device was detached, they were able to get the bracelets off. Korax grabbed Bones and shoved him into the compartment and closed the door.

Korax glared toward the front of the ship where Jerah was. "You can't just go up there and attack him," Solan said. "Remember, we have to short circuit his powers first."

"I remember," Korax replied.

"Just gotta hit the right place with this thing."

"And just what is that?"

"I don't know. You got any ideas?"

"Since he shot the electricity from his hands, it would seem that that would be the most likely place."

Solan considered that a moment. "Right." He looked down the narrow corridor toward the bridge, and could see that they were definitely at warp. He looked at Korax. "If this doesn't work…"

"We will improvise."

"I don't know how we'll do that, but okay."

Solan got the small blaster ready which would fire the short circuit device at their adversary. It only fired one shot at a time, and if he missed the right spot the first time, he would have to reload, and that took time. His trouble was that they had no information about this being, and did not know what the right spot was.

Solan moved into the narrow passage that went through the center of the ship to the bridge. Now, he was extremely vulnerable because there was nowhere to maneuver if Jerah decided to shoot an electrical pulse at him. Korax had stayed behind in the back area so that he could have a second chance to get Jerah. Bones opened the panel he was behind and came out. "Stay hidden," Korax whispered.

"There's no need for me to stay hidden," Bones replied. "If this doesn't go right, he's gonna know I'm still here."

Korax had to admit that was right, but he did not intend to let Jerah get that far. They turned their attention back to Solan who was creeping down the corridor. He finally stood up with his back against the wall opposite the side that Jerah was on. He aimed the small blaster at Jerah right at his hand.

Just as Solan was about to fire, Jerah turned his yellow eyes toward him. "Do you really believe you can take this ship from me?" he asked with his electronic sounding voice.

Solan did not hesitate but fired the tiny module at Jerah's hand, and it made contact. The reaction was more than what Solan had expected as it looked like an electrical pulse of yellow lightning spread all over Jerah's body. However, he stood up, his eyes glowing like suns now. Solan realized Jerah was not affected by the module like they thought he would have been, but rather, he was drawing power from the relay it had caused.

"Solan, run!" Bones yelled as he could see what Jerah was about to do.

Solan ran down the short corridor and got around the edge just in time as Jerah let go of the power surge that was now built up in his body. The surge was so powerful, it blew out the wall in the side of the corridor. Suddenly, warning lights began flashing, and beeping. As Solan saw the wires and other components fried in the now gaping wall, he knew what had happened to that other ship.

Bones did not know what they could do as he saw Jerah coming further down the corridor, and the ship suddenly shuddered to a stop. Not only were Jerah's eyes glowing, but even his hair seemed to be almost glowing like some fiber optic display, and he was angry. If his appearance was not enough to say so, he let out a yell of rage, his teeth glowing with the electrical charge as well.

Bones did not think he had ever been as scared, not even when they were in the hands of Klingons. Jerah came to the end of the corridor, and immediately looked to his right where Korax and Solan now were. Korax managed to avoid a blast from Jerah's palm. There was not much room to maneuver in the small space, but Solan also managed to avoid the blast.

Bones was trying to figure out a way to stop Jerah. They did not know what gave him his power, so it was hard to know what would stop it. He suddenly thought that even Jerah had to have air, and he thought if he could open the boarding ramp, Jerah would be sucked out…however, he, Solan, or Korax, or all three would be sucked out too. Whatever they were going to do, they had to do it fast, because Jerah was furious.

Bones made a decision and ran for the back of the ship. Solan and Korax realized with horror what Bones was about to do. "NO!" Solan yelled. But it was too late. He ran for the other side of the area and jumped into the compartment where he and Korax had hidden. Korax grabbed hold of a seatbelt strap, but he was watching Doctor McCoy.

Bones' hand shook slightly but he pressed the button anyway after he had done what he could to secure his own self. He had to override the safety to get the ship to lower the boarding ramp. When it lowered, there was a howl of soundless wind that almost felt like a giant hand grabbing him, and the temperature inside the ship dropped drastically.

Bones could hear nothing and he had frost on his hair before he saw Jerah fly out the back of the ship. Bones reached for the button to close the boarding ramp. He could see it but he could not seem to feel his hand or any other part of his body. He wondered if that was what euphoria was like because he did not seem to have any worries…but then he remembered his friends who were in that ship. He stretched to touch the button and finally reached it.

The boarding ramp closed and everything that had started floating in the ship fell to the floor. Bones was pelted by several pieces of equipment, and as the ship managed to recreate atmosphere in the ship, he could hear again. He also gasped for air for a moment.

Solan and Korax got over to Bones. "That was stupid!" Solan declared.

"I must agree," Korax said.

"It was the only way to get him out of here," Bones replied. He closed his eyes and let himself go into unconsciousness.

"Let's get him up," Solan said.

They untangled Bones from the tethers he had used to keep from being sucked out of the ship, and then got him up to a seat and strapped him in. Solan ran to the front of the ship, but everything was dead. "We're dead in space," he said. "We're just lucky the life support is still working." He rerouted all the power to the life support systems. He paused a moment to try and get his nerves to stop shaking.

Korax came up there and sat in the co-pilot's seat. "Are we certain that Jerah is dead?" he asked.

"No," Solan replied. "But at least he's not on this ship. Let's try to get in touch with the Enterprise."

Solan opened a channel. "Enterprise!" he said. "Come in, Enterprise."

A reply full of static came through, but they could tell it was Captain Kirk. "Solan," he said.

"Captain, we've taken over the ship, but we're dead in space!"

"Where's Jerah?"

"Uh, well, he has vacated the ship."

"Is he dead?"

"We assume he is. He was sucked out into space."

"We have to make sure."

"We can't do anything, Captain."

"We'll be there soon, Solan. Kirk out."

Solan looked at Korax. "We should look out there and see if he's floating anywhere," Solan said.

"I will look," Korax replied.

Korax left the Bridge and walked back to the other area of the ship so he could see out the viewports. He did not see Jerah floating out there anywhere, but he was sure he could not have floated away so far that they would not be able to see him. He looked out the other side and still did not see Jerah. How could anyone survive being sucked out into space? Then again, they knew nothing about this being, except what he had heard about the situation on Nervala IV. Korax figured that had been where Jerah was going. It had been eight years, and this would be the only time he could enter that planet. That was why he wanted a small ship.

Korax went back to the Bridge. "I do not see anything out there," he said. "This being wanted this ship because I believe he was going back to Nervala Four to seek revenge."

"Maybe. But could he survive being sucked into space?"

"There must have been a reason he was marooned on that planet."

"He looks like a human."

"That does not mean that he is."

"You think he's alive out there waiting for the Enterprise?"

Korax considered that. "I believe we must expect anything," he said. "With his ability to manipulate electricity, he may perhaps be able to keep from freezing."

Solan hailed the Enterprise again. "Captain, you should be careful when you get here," Solan said. "We don't know if Jerah is dead or not."

"We'll be watching," Jim replied. "We'll be at your location in approximately ten minutes."

"Yes sir."

Solan ended that transmission and then looked out the viewports himself. "Maybe he's just floating somewhere out of our sight," he said.

"Perhaps," Korax replied. He went over to Bones who was still sleeping. "Our friend will need medical care when we get back to the ship."

Solan nodded. "He was shocked too many times." He touched Bones' forehead. "Feels like he has fever now."

Bones opened his eyes but he did not move. "Where are we?" he asked.

"We're still in the same place. The Enterprise will be here in a few minutes."

"I'm glad."

"You know, that was a pretty brave thing you did, but it was stupid."

"It got him off the ship, didn't it?"

"Yeah, and almost killed you."

Bones thought of the fact that he almost did not reach that button in time. "It was the only thing I could think of to do," he said. "He would have killed all of us."

"I do not believe he would have killed us," Korax said. "He would have been stranded here."

"He had to be alive," Solan declared. "He ate while we were in that cave."

"Yes, but his manipulation of electricity is not normal."

"Definitely not, but there must be some part of him that's normal if he eats."

"His eating could have been merely a show. I believe he absorbed power from the storm that passed over."

"Maybe we should go back to that planet and explore that cave more, find out what he had in there."

"That would be up to the captain, I presume."

"Yeah, but I think he might be a little curious himself."

After a few more minutes, the Enterprise arrived. They did not pick up any readings on anything out there in space. However, there would be no life signs from Jerah if he was out there dead. Jim could not help but remember how they had not picked up life signs from him the entire time they were on that planet either.

They brought the ship back onboard the Enterprise with a tractor beam since it was not damaged except for where Jerah had damaged it on the inside. Solan and Korax brought Bones off the ship. Jim was waiting for them at the end of the boarding ramp. "Bones, are you alright?" he asked.

Bones shook his head. "I guess I'll live," he said.

"Get him to the medical bay."

As they took Bones out of there, Jim and Spock looked at the ship they had back aboard but they did not see anything unusual on it. "Captain, do you believe Jerah has the ability to survive in the vacuum of space?" Spock asked.

"I think it's odd that we didn't see him floating out there anywhere," Jim replied.

"If he is aboard the Enterprise, we would not detect him since we were unable to detect him on the planet until he wanted to be detected."

"I want security in this…" Jim paused as he thought of something. "Spock, the suits we used to defeat the Nausicaan weapon…"

Spock considered that only a moment. "That is a good idea, Captain."

"How fast can you and Carol make more of those?"

"Not long since we already know the right formula."

"We need those for everyone in security."

"We will work fast."

Jim just stood there as Spock left the shuttle bay. What would they do if Jerah was on that ship? He could destroy the whole thing and make it inoperable. However, they could not let him take the ship, nor any other ship that was aboard it.

Jerah was, indeed, onboard the Enterprise. He stood watching Captain Kirk as he left the shuttle bay. He only had one more week to get to Nervala IV and do what he intended to do and then get back out. Its window of access only lasted for a month, and his time had been steadily running out before the Enterprise showed up. He would be on his way there now if not for Kirk's interference. They had proven to be more formidable than he had anticipated, but it was no matter. He would hold them hostage in their own ship.

Jim went to the Bridge. "Mister Sulu, are you picking up anything unusual aboard the ship?" he asked.

Sulu had been monitoring the scanners diligently. "No, Sir," he replied. "Nothing inside the ship…except where Solan said Jerah destroyed something inside that ship. It's like an energy reading."

Jim looked at what Sulu was talking about. "Residue?"

"That's what I would call it."

"Maybe we should analyze that. Maybe it would help us know more about our adversary. Watch closely, Mister Sulu, and if you see anything, let me know right away."

"Yes sir."

Jim looked at Scotty. "You have the Bridge, Mister Scott," he said.

Jim went into the turbo lift, and felt a slight twinge in his knee. He thought it was not completely like pain, but more like…he was not sure what to call it. But it felt weird. He did not have time to think about that right now, however. He had to get someone into that shuttle, and he thought he knew just the person who should be there. He took out his communicator. "Mister Gordon," he said.

"Gordon here," Artemus replied, feeling rather surprised that the captain was calling him.

"I want you to meet me at the shuttle bay."

"Yes sir."

When Jim arrived at the shuttle bay, Gordon was just entering, carrying a case with him. He stood up straight when he met up with Jim. "Captain," he said.

"At ease, Mister Gordon," Jim replied. "Follow me."

Gordon followed Jim into the space arrow. They had no trouble finding the area where Jerah had blasted the wall out of the corridor. "Mister Sulu says there is residue here," Jim said as he looked at the damage. "I want you to analyze it and find out why, and what it is."

"Yes sir," Gordon replied. He set his kit down and got to work. "You think we will learn more about him?"

"I'm hoping, Mister Gordon."

Jim looked out the back of the ship. He had security posted in the shuttle bay, but it did not keep him from being apprehensive. Jerah was a formidable foe to say the least. Not only did he have strange powers, but he was angry. All that together made him even worse.

Gordon got samples from the parts of the ship which had what looked like a glowing substance on it. Out of curiosity, he touched some of it, and got a small shock. He jerked his hand back.

"What happened?" Jim asked.

"It's still a live charge, Captain," Gordon replied in amazement.

Jim looked at the substance that looked like it still had electricity flowing through its tiny strands. "How can that be?" he asked.

"I don't know. I've never seen anything like it."

Gordon put some of the substance into his analyzer and waited a few seconds until the results popped up. "Well?" Jim asked.

"Captain, it has traces of…DNA. It's almost like it's alive."

"You lost me. You mean the substance is alive?"

"I don't know, but I think Doctor McCoy should have a look at this."

"Good idea. Just take another sample and make sure we know more about it."

"Yes sir."

They left that ship and Jim went to see how Spock and the others were doing at getting the suits ready. "We will have enough for five security officers within the hour, Captain," Spock said.

"You should wear yours now, Jim," Carol said. "If he begins his attack on this ship, he will be after you."

"I realize…"

"Captain!" Sulu said over the intercom. "I'm…"

Just then, there was static, and then they heard another voice…"Hello, Captain Kirk," Jerah said. "You're very clever, but you will not win this battle."

"We won't help you!" Jim declared.

"You do not have to."

"Red Alert!" Jim yelled, and the ship became dark and the alarm began blaring through the ship. "Intruder on board! Do not approach this intruder! If you see him, stay away! Contact me or Mister Spock at once!"

Jim looked at Spock. "Captain, I believe it would be wise to shut down the ship's systems," Spock said. "Until we can find this individual."

"Is there really a way to find him if he doesn't want to be found?"

"Our Mister Gordon would be one to question about that."

Jim grabbed his communicator. "Mister Gordon!"

"Yes Captain," Gordon answered.

"I need you in the science lab, now!"

"I'm on my way, Sir!"

Carol gave Jim his suit. "Jim, get into this," she said.

"Fine."

Jim went into the next room and got into the suit that would protect him from electrical surges. He came back out, and Carol smiled at him. "I feel much better now," she said.

"You sure this will work?" Jim asked.

"Why wouldn't it?"

Artie arrived at the science lab. "Sorry it took me so long, Sir," he said. "I was delivering those samples to Doctor McCoy."

"That's alright," Jim replied. "Do you think you can rig us a way to detect him when he doesn't want us to?"

Artie considered that. "Well, I don't know. I haven't done much research yet."

"I want you to get busy on that right now."

"Can John McCoy help me?"

"Absolutely. Anyone you need. Just find us a way if there is one."

"Yes sir! We will work fast."

Artie hurried from the room. He was careful as he was hurrying down the corridors. He certainly did not want to run up on that Jerah. He could see that an image of Jerah was on display now so that everyone would know what he looked like. He grabbed his communicator. "John," he said.

"Yeah," John answered.

"The captain wants you to help me with something. Meet me at the electronics lab."

"I'm on my way."

John gave the navigation control over to someone else, and then hurried off the Bridge. He was rather nervous as he realized he was now in danger of running up on the intruder. He went to a weapons locker and got a phaser to take with him as he moved through the corridors, which were rather dark now with red lights streaming through them. He realized he had never actually done anything like this by himself, and he was not sure he liked it either. He aimed his phaser around each corner before he entered another corridor as he went. As he was about to go down the corridor where the medical bay was, he looked around the corner and Korax was standing there. John thought he might have jumped two feet.

"Relax, young one," Korax said. "Where are you going?"

"I'm going to the electronics lab," John replied. "But I was considering visiting my brother first. I haven't had a chance to see him."

"I will accompany you."

"Thanks."

John thought maybe he felt a little less nervous with Korax going with him. They went into the medical bay where Leonard McCoy was lying on a medical bed. "Leo," John said as he walked over to him.

Bones looked at him. "I'll be alright," he said.

"I was scared, Leo."

"I think I was scared enough for both of us." Bones held out his hand and John grasped it. "Don't worry."

"I have to get to the electronics lab to help Artie."

"Go then. Don't worry about me."

John nodded. He looked at Korax. "Well, let's go," he said. They hurried back out into the corridor, and they made it all the way to the electronics lab where Artemus Gordon was already waiting. "What are we doing?" John asked.

"We're trying to make a device that can track down that…whatever it is," Artie replied. "I got some samples from the ship, and I'm thinking maybe we can manipulate the scanners to find that signature."

John looked at the readings that Artie had. "Wow," he said. "DNA?"

"Yeah. Weird, right?"

"To say the least."

Just as they were about to start working, all the lights in the ship went out. "Uh oh," Artie said.

Korax turned a wrist light on. "Is that all you can say?" he asked.

"Well, it's all I can think of right now."

Suddenly, Jerah's voice came over the intercom again. "Until you surrender a ship to me, your systems will be shut down one by one, Captain," he said. "And your crew will disappear one by one."

Jim was standing in a corridor hearing that threat, and Spock was with him. So far, only the lights had been shut off. "Captain, if he begins shutting down life support, the crew will be in grave danger," Spock said.

Jim went into an access tube and found a computer terminal. "Computer, execute Captain's plan: Alpha six, one, one, four, three. Authorization James Tiberius Kirk, four, two, nine, nine," he said.

All the systems in the ship began shutting down, and would be locked down until he activated them again, except for the com system. Even Jerah could not undo that authorization, and it would keep him from shutting down anything else. "Computer, route all systems through the emergency system."

Jerah's voice came over the intercom again. "Captain, do you really think I have to use your computers to shut down your systems?" he asked.

"That guy's really starting to get creepy," Jim said to Spock.

"If that means his behavior is quite disturbing, I must agree," Spock replied.

"What can we do to stop him?"

"Perhaps the scientists on Nervala Four would have some insight. If he came from there, they should know what happened. We should attempt to contact them now as their window of access will be closing."

"Right."

Jim took his communicator out. "Uhura."

"Yes, Captain," Uhura answered.

"I need you to send a message to Nervala Four. Ask them about this Jerah person. Find out everything they know about him."

"Yes sir."

"Do it fast."

Uhura attempted to send a message, but she could not get through. "Captain, I can't get a message out," she said.

"Well, so much for that idea," Jim said. "We're just gonna have to hunt him down."

Jim and Spock crawled out of the access tube and went to the Bridge. "Alright, everyone," Jim said. "If he wants to declare war on us, we'll give him just what he wants. We're gonna split into teams, and we're gonna find him. Pick up everyone you meet, give them a phaser, and I want everyone to report to the science lab for a suit like this one. Sulu, take two from here, and make your way to the science lab. Spock, take Uhura with you, and do the same thing. I'm going to the medical bay. Good luck, everyone…and be careful, this guy is very dangerous."

Jim watched them all leave the Bridge with determination on their faces. He hoped they would all return, but there was certainly not a guarantee…