After Lieutenant Susanna Warren was forcefully shoved into the mass arena by four armed guards, heavy iron gates shut behind her, effectively sealing her in. By her approximate guess, the arena had to be at least fifty meters in diameter; leaving plenty of space for combatants to engage. Her feet crunched against the thin, blood-stained, layer of sand that coated the arena's hard ground, and her eyes fell to the flimsy gown of chainmail and the half-broken spear the Caesar had given her before she entered. She had reservations about the likelihood that either piece of equipment would offer her much protection.
Across from her, the Caesar rested in a dazzling, purple velour throne that sat upon a shaded balcony overlooking the tiers of chattering and shouting citizens. The man was encompassed by four guards who held rifles and on either side of him were two nearly-naked women, preening him. At this point, Susanna doubted that escape was going to be a realistic option.
The Caesar casually lifted up a small metallic box and placed it near his mouth. "Greetings, ladies and gentlemen!" he spoke into the box and his voice boomed across the entire stadium. "Today is a very special day! Yes, a day rare and like none others! We have a new contestant in the ring! An alien from another planet! Yes!" He took a moment of silence to allow the crowd to cheer, wail, and boo. "Today we have a woman unmatched in beauty!" He rose from his chair, pointing a long finger at the Lieutenant. "She is the Emerald Goddess!" he exclaimed, the crowd cheering once more.
At the arena floor below the Caesar, another set of iron gates screeched open and a large, grotesque beast waddled into the blinding sunlight. The creature could be loosely described as being insectoid in nature with its jet-black spherical shell and six crab-like appendages. Although, its eyes were not what Warren imagined a beetle would have; there was something human about them. The Lieutenant was not staring down a wild animal, but an intelligent, thoughtful being.
The Caesar plopped back onto his chair and caressed the face of one of his young handmaids. "And of course," he began, with no fanfare, "We have the hideous monster who has surprised all of us in the battlefield. A bumbling fool of an atrocity whose days are surely numbered; the Black Beetle."
There were no cheers for the poor animal; instead, the crowd heckled it, tossing rotting fruits and meats from the stands above.
Sweating from the deeply dry heat, Captain Kirk's head peeped through the shallow opening in his and Spock's cell. "Spock!" he waved at the Vulcan who was intently examining the cell's barred door. "It's Lieutenant Warren."
Spock moved to the window, peering through it himself. "It appears she is about to engage in combat with the insectoid creature," he observed.
"I can see that, Spock," Kirk replied. "What chance does she stand against a seven-foot-tall beast?"
"The Lieutenant received combat training while in the academy as is necessary for all Starfleet officers," Spock reminded the Captain. "She is also a Vulcan, Captain. The Lieutenant fairs a better chance in winning this battle than you yourself would."
"That makes me feel better, Mr. Spock," Kirk sarcastically retorted. "If only we could get her out of there. We need to find a way out of here."
"Even if we could manage an escape from this cell, there are two armed guards for every unarmed prisoner," Spock informed him. "The probability of a successful escape is exceedingly low, Captain."
The Caesar's voice boomed across the stadium once more, "Let's see a good fight, my children!"
Warren didn't budge as she waited for the hefty creature to approach her. It slowly trod along on its two back legs, using its remaining limbs to hold both a shield and sword.
As it approached her, she pled for a truce, "We don't have to do this. We don't have to fight each other."
"You'll soon learn that there is no choice," its high-pitched voice clicked at her. "We're going to fight; we have to."
Warren hunched forward, pointing her shoddy spear towards the giant creature. This caused the Black Beetle to unnecessarily flinch, clumsily dropping its sword to the ground. The crowd hooted wildly in laughter at its bumbling display.
"Not again," it whined, staring down at the distant object. "I'll never be able to pick it back up."
Bewildered, Warren lowered her spear and reached for his weapon. "Do you need help?" she asked.
"No!" he snapped, pushing forward and smacking her arm away with its shield. "We're here to fight."
Shrugging at the beetle, Warren's eyes darted along the stands of remorseless fools. "I don't understand, you clearly aren't capable of fighting," she said. "These people are animals for doing this to you."
"I'll have you know I've won two battles so far," it boasted. "And you're right, you don't understand at all."
It held its shield tightly against its chest and took a heavy lunge at Warren. The move was laborious, allowing Warren plenty of time to easily dodge it. The beetle let out a roar of frustration as it pivoted back around to face the Lieutenant. It repeated its action of lunging at her, giving her the exact same amount of time to sidestep it again.
"Hold still!" it wept.
Lieutenant Warren could see the despair in its human-like eyes. "Just stop all of this," she pled.
Clearly, the beast cared not for her words as it thrust itself at her once more. This time, Warren threw her body to the ground and rolled towards its spindly back legs. The beetle stumbled over her, twisting as it fell to the ground and landing directly on its shelled back.
"No, no, no, no, no!" it whimpered, rocking back and forth in an attempt to regain its footing. "If you're going to do this to me, just make sure you kill me!"
The beetle continued to writhe on its back, unable to turn itself upright. The crowd's uproars became a combination of boos and laughs as they tossed more rotted food at the dueling pair.
Tossing her spear to the ground, Warren moved closer to the Caesar's balcony. "It's over," she scowled.
Furious, the Caesar sprang from his throne and left with his four armed guards in tow. It was only a matter of seconds before the large iron gates creaked open in front of Warren.
"Grab her." The Caesar jutted a finger at Warren. "And grab all of her friends, too," he commanded, to which one of his guards immediately scurried away.
The shore party of the Starship Enterprise was gathered by the Caesar and his men in a spacious dining hall. The Caesar instructed each officer to take their place at the ornate twenty-foot long table that sat in the room's center. As before, two guards were assigned to each officer, closely standing behind them.
"Please, help yourselves," the Caesar happily chimed as he gestured at the exotic assortment of meats and fruits that decorated the marble table. "I know it has been stressful and hard on the lot of you; being here, that is."
Kirk carefully stood up from his seat. "Let my men go and let us contact our starship," he calmly asked the Caesar.
Kirk's guards quickly pulled him back into his chair and held the Captain in place.
"Obviously, that isn't going to happen." The Caesar twirled behind his seat at the head of the table, splashing his sandaled feet in a trench of flowing water that encircled the room. "No one has ever escaped, and you're not special. Your little group, Captain, is no different than all of those before you. You all refuse, you all fight, but in the end, you will all collapse."
Spitting at the Caesar, Bones erupted from his own seat, "We're not some animals in a zoo! Monkeys in a cage!" But he too was held steadfast by the Caesar's guards.
Remaining silent, Spock simply lifted a curious brow at the doctor's outburst.
"We've already discussed this." The Caesar clasped the back of his chair and smiled at Lieutenant Warren. "You've all witnessed Susanna's remarkable display in the battlefield just now. But I am afraid to say that it simply wasn't good enough. You've already broken one of or most important and significant rules. You failed to end the life of your opponent."
Warren glanced over to Spock and the Captain. "I'm not a murderer," she answered.
"She's right," the Captain spoke. "None of us are."
Chuckling to himself, the Caesar sauntered behind Ensign Dale's chair. "But you are now," he said, bending his arm to his thigh and unsheathing a silver knife. "I want you to understand the punishment of your impudence. I do not take disobedience lightly and I never will." Without warning, the Caesar plunged the dagger into Ensign Dale's chest.
Bones, Warren, and Kirk shot up from their chairs and began grappling with their captors. Bones and Kirk were both swiftly shoved back into their seats and received a hard butt to the head by the guard's rifles. Both men slumped forward in their seats, unconscious. However, Warren was not dispatched as easily. She flung both guards from her shoulders, causing them to stumble to the ground. One of Spock's guards responded by thrusting the tip of his rifle into her stomach. She briefly folded, but reoriented herself and stiffly punched the man in the jaw.
"That is enough!" the Caesar howled at her, "I will simply have another one of your friends killed!"
Panting and seething in anger, Warren paused.
"Now sit down!" the Caesar barked at her.
Warren slammed herself into the chair, smacking the table as she did so. "You're not going to get away with that."
The grief Lieutenant Warren telegraphed was an overwhelming weight on Mr. Spock's psyche, producing an uncontrolled wince in the Vulcan's features. "Lieutenant," Spock began, trying to reclaim his undisturbed mind, "May I suggest a more diplomatic approach from you for the time being? It is clear that shouting and violence will only create further tensions."
"Mr. Spock?" Warren leaned closer to him. "Are you okay?"
"I am alright, Lieutenant." He felt relief as her anger subsided. "But this is not the time nor place for emotional outbursts."
The Caesar clapped, his rotten expression regaining its joyful disposition. "Such a man of logic. Wonderful, understanding. You will go far in this place, my strange child," the Caesar spoke as he patted the side of Lieutenant Adebayo's face, "I hope my display here has made it clear to all of you what my expectations are."
"Crystal," Warren exhaled.
"Perfectly clear," Spock reaffirmed.