As Nige walked into the brig he noticed that MacLeod was on duty.
"You're relieved Ensign," Nige said as he walked in. As MacLeod exited the Brig, Nige walked over to the Kelvan's cell. The Kelvan sat up and looked at Nige. It looked exactly like Lieutenant Lee Carter.
"What do you want?" it asked.
"Technical schematics of your planet and its moons."
"You will never get anything out of me."
"Oh no, I could easily kill you."
"I have superior physical strength to you."
"And I have your belt device. I could turn you into one of those little cubes you turn people into and crush you just like that."
"Your Starfleet regulations would not allow you to do this."
"That's one advantage of your people throwing us all the way out here. No one in Starfleet need ever know," Tyran bluffed.
"Your Captain would."
"I could say that you willingly committed suicide so as not to tell us anything. I am willing to bet that you don't want to die. I believe that you like it in your human form; experiencing emotions for the first time, pleasure, physical attraction and tasting food."
"How do you know this."
"Because about one hundred years ago a Starfleet Captain named James Kirk encountered the Kelvans and just like you, they discovered emotions. They preferred their human form better and wished to stay that way. If you go back to the Kelvans they'll make you change back won't they?"
"Yes."
"Commodore Pike can grant you asylum if you wish. He could take you to New Kelva, where the descendants of the original Kelvans that came to this galaxy are living in human form."
"What must I do? What are your conditions?"
"He will do it if you give us information about the planet and its defenses and if you agree to wait in the brig for the rest of the journey."
"What if I don't agree?"
"Then you will most likely be destroyed along with the rest of us when we encounter your people again."
"Very well. I'll tell you what my people are capable of and the weaponry on the planet, but I am not willing to tell you how to destroy them."
"I'll have to discuss it with Commodore Pike."
Lieutenant Tyran left the brig and ordered MacLeod who patiently waited outside to go back in and watch the Kelvan. In the Commodore's ready room he and the Commodore discussed the Kelvan's proposition. It was decided that being able to survive against the planet was as good a start as any and that the Kelvan would be granted asylum as long as she cooperated. Nige headed back to the brig.
"I have discussed it with Commodore Pike and he has agreed to grant you asylum after you give us this information."
"The energy beam that sent you here is the only weapon on the planet itself but is capable of destroying entire planets. The moons do the rest of the work. They can all be linked together to form powerful bursts of energy. This energy can be used as a weapon or just about anything else such as your transwarp conduit. The moons have heavy defense. They have shields which are impassable by solid objects."
"But we got through in a shuttle."
"We let you through. We hoped to boost your confidence and to replace your crew member with me. There are gun emplacements all over the moons. Your ship wouldn't stand a chance of getting close. Each weapon is about one hundred times as strong as one of your phaser beams. Each moon is equipped with forty short range fighters, with another two-hundred-thousand on the planet. Each fighter has weapons similar to those on the moons, and a similar shielding system, although it is considerably weaker. The moons are generally uninhabited, but five hundred thousand Kelvans are posted on the planet. Even if you could get past the moons and onto the planet a ground assault would definitely fail. The atmosphere of the planet is only 5% oxygen. No one on board your crew could breathe down there unless in environmental suits. The indigenous life forms are carnivorous, and even the smallest could easily kill you."
"So it is not likely that the whole of Starfleet could stop this planet."
"I am afraid not."
"If we found some way to get the shields down?"
"You may stand a chance."
"Things just seem to get worse and worse on this ship. I'd better inform the Commodore." Nige exited the brig and made his way back to the bridge. When he arrived, he saw the Commodore talking to Captain Neil. "Commodore," said Nige.
"What is it Lieutenant?"
"Bad news sir."
"Step into my ready room." The two stepped in and Nige explained everything he had learned. "At least we have some information of this planet's capabilities now."
"Well done Lieutenant. Dismissed." Nige got up and walked towards the door.
"Commodore," Nige said as he turned around. "Do you honestly believe that we can stop the Kelvans. Surely this is the end of the Federation. I mean, we're the only ship that knows they're coming and the only ship that has any information on them and we're stuck way out here, thousands of light years from Federation space."
"Lieutenant, you'd be surprised what Starfleet can do when it comes to survival."