The Ocampa, who introduced herself as Kes, lay placidly on an examining table as McCoy grumbled and fussed over her. After declaring he could hardly treat a member of species he'd never seen before, and that without knowing more about her physiology he was just as likely to kill her as cure her, McCoy had, almost grudgingly, admitted that her injuries were largely superficial.

Torn between amusement and dismay by his friend's performance, Kirk watched McCoy run a dermal regenerator over one of Kes's many bruises. While readily healed by McCoy's instruments, her wounds were not what Kirk would call "superficial": bruises, lacerations, punctures, and cracked ribs, all from the claws and teeth of Black Claw. He suspected McCoy was trying to be soothing, and it seemed to be working, at least on Kes and Trance. Kes was almost relaxed—after the Magog encampment, the Enterprise sickbay must seem like a paradise—and Trance hovered at McCoy's elbow, apparently more curious of the doctor's technique than concerned by her lover's injuries.

The others in Sickbay were a different story. Rev Bem stood with his hands tucked into the sleeves of his robe and an uncomfortable expression on his grotesque face, no doubt expecting Kirk to ask him hard questions about his people and his own past. Kirk had every intention of asking those questions at the first opportunity, but for now he would let Rev Bem wait. Khan leaned against an empty biobed, despite efforts from his hovering security detail to herd him into a more defensible corner. His posture was relaxed but his body was tense, though his habitually unreadable expression softened whenever he looked at Kes. Kirk didn't blame him: she had a simple, innocent beauty that drew the eye of every man in the room. Only Spock appeared immune, and Kirk had his doubts about what lay beneath that impassive facade. For his own part, Trance's deception had left Kirk wary of trusting his judgment when it came to attractive females.

Spock had left Sulu in charge of the Bridge and joined the rest of the away team in Sickbay, which was rapidly turning into an impromptu meeting room. Sulu had obviously briefed him what had happened, because he radiated a stiff anger that probably looked like emotionless indifference to everyone else in the room except Kirk and, maybe, McCoy.

"If you had told us what you planned," Spock said to Trance with pointed calm, "we might have anticipated your irrational behavior."

Trance spared Spock a baffled glance. "Irrational?" she echoed. "We got out of there, didn't we?"

Kes gently pushed McCoy aside and sat up, swinging her legs over the side of the biobed. "Excuse me," she said softly, and all the men in the room immediately turned toward her—including Spock, Kirk noticed. He caught himself leaning forward when McCoy cocked an ironic eyebrow at him, and forced himself to take a step back. "Please don't blame Trance and Rev Bem," Kes continued. "I shouldn't have gone to the surface. I'm too curious. I'm told it's my worse failing."

"Don't say that," Trance protested. "Curiosity is never a bad thing."

"Jim, this is a Sickbay, not a conference room," McCoy interjected. "My patient needs rest."

"Sorry, Bones," Kirk said. "But I need to talk to Kes, if she's up to it."

"I feel much better—"

"Doctor McCoy," Rev Bem interjected, "did you perform an intensive scan of Kes's abdomen?"

Everyone in the room stared at him. "I did," McCoy said slowly.

"And it showed nothing unusual?"

"Nothing. Why?"

"You don't think—" Trance said, and stopped suddenly.

Reluctantly, Rev Bem said, "Magog—my species—reproduces by laying larvae inside a living humanoid host."

A horrified silence filled the Sickbay. "What happens to the host when they mature?" McCoy demanded, aghast.

"The larvae kill and consume him."

Kirk pressed his hand against his mouth to hide his expression. McCoy, not so controlled, said, "Good God, man," and pressed Kes back onto the biobed, his medical tricorder already back in his hand. Only Spock and Khan seemed unaffected; even Trance, who had to have known about this facet of Magog biology, looked distressed.

"Perhaps," Kirk said, "Now would be a good time for you two to explain what the hell happened down there."

"You already know we came to this system to spread Wayism," Rev Bem said, sounding weary. "The Magog here are more… civilized that those we have heard of anywhere else. We hoped this meant they would be more receptive to our message, but… that does not seem to be the case."

If Black Claw and his followers were civilized, Kirk didn't want to know what the rest of the species was like.

"When they first visited the surface, Trance found me in… she found me," Kes said, turning to look at Kirk with her vivid blue eyes. "She gave me water when the Magog weren't looking. She promised she would find a way to get me out, but I was afraid… Captain, there were other people there. I didn't see them much, the Magog kept me separate, but I'm afraid for them. Is there anything you can do?"

Kirk passed his hand over his face, feeling stubble under his palm. It was something that had been troubling him, too. Spock said quickly, "Captain, any intervention in this system would be clear violation of the Prime Directive—"

"Thank you, Mr. Spock," Kirk said, and Spock fell silent. "I'm sorry, Kes, but we can't get involved. I want to help those people, but it's not our fight."

The words felt like chewing glass. He wanted nothing more than to go back down to the planet surface and mount a rescue mission to free all those people. But he couldn't. It might feel like a cop-out, but the Prime Directive existed for a reason.

Telling himself that didn't make him feel any better.

Trance looked troubled, but Kes nodded somberly. "I understand. We—I'm very grateful for everything you've done."

Kirk slanted a wry look at Trance and Rev Bem. "It would have been nice to know what we were walking into before we walked into it."

They had the grace to look embarrassed. "Forgive us," Rev Bem said. "But although we wanted to trust you, we could not be sure of your goodwill. This seemed the safest course."

"Easier to ask for forgiveness than permission, eh?" McCoy said. He patted Kes's shoulder gently. "The scan shows no sign of foreign cells. There's nothing wrong with you a little bed rest won't cure."

Kes sat up again and Trance moved to take her hands. "We really are sorry we didn't tell you truth," the purple-skinned woman said. "We'd like to help you find your people, if we can."

Kirk's pulse quickened. Maybe their detour to the planet surface hadn't been a total loss. "Would you be willing to take us underground to look for them?"

Kes looked pained. "I'm sorry, but Black Claw was right. There's no way down. The tunnel I came through has been sealed."

He almost laughed with relief. Such a small obstacle, after they had come so far. "We don't need a tunnel," he explained. "We have the ability to transport there directly."

Uncomprehending, Kes looked to Trance, who said, "The same way we got here from the surface."

"Oh!" Kes exclaimed softly. "I thought I was imagining things. Everything happened so quickly…."

"Captain," Spock said, "our sensors have detected no indication of an underground civilization. The subterranean barrier Black Claw described may be responsible. It may block our transporters as well."

Always the killjoy, Kirk thought wryly. The only good thing was that he usually thought up a solution to whatever problems he found. But before Spock could say anything more, Kes offered, "There are gaps in the security barrier where it's begun to decay. That's how I got out."

Kirk nodded to Spock. "Have the transporter room begin scanning for any breaches we might be able to beam through."

Spock nodded in return and turned to leave. In the doorway he hesitated, his eyes lingering on Khan. He glanced at McCoy and something seemed to pass between them, because he left without saying anything.

Kirk frowned at McCoy, but the other man only offered him a bland look that told him nothing. With a sigh, Kirk excused himself from their guests and ordered Hendorff to escort Khan back to the brig.

Khan stirred and began, "Captain—"

"I don't want to hear it," Kirk cut across him. "You gave me your word, remember? You would return to the brig, regardless of what happened."

He waited, wondering what Khan's next move would be. The augment narrowed his eyes; Kirk had the distinct impression he didn't like taking orders. Then Khan said, "Are you going to leave those people on the surface?"

Kirk stared at him, caught off-guard. "What do you care?" he demanded.

"The Magog will kill them if you do nothing. Surely you can see that."

He could see that all too clearly. "What am I supposed to do, storm the Magog settlement and rescue them?" he said. "Then what? How are they supposed to get back to their homeworlds? How are they supposed to defend themselves when the Magog try to recapture them? What if their escape leads to reprisals against their people from the Magog?"

Khan curled his lip in scorn. "In other words, you're afraid."

"I'm not afraid," Kirk snapped. "I'm—" not reacting without thinking through the consequences of my actions. "—doing the right thing."

This answer didn't seem to satisfy Khan. "Our technology is far superior than theirs. We could easily destroy the Magog and free their captives. You cannot claim doing nothing is the right thing to do!"

His vehemence surprised Kirk. "'With great power there is great responsibility,' is that what you're saying?"

"Precisely."

"Or maybe you mean 'might is right.'"

Khan hesitated, but only for a moment. "That wasn't the stance you took on Nibiru."

Nibiru seemed like a lifetime ago. "Maybe I've changed since Nibiru." And how the hell did he know about that?

"But have you changed for the better?"

Kirk turned away, not wanting Khan to see his uncertainty. "I guess we'll find out."