The Sehlat Who Ate Its Tail

A massive scavenger vessel attacks the USS Farragut, wounding many of its crew, including Captain V'Rel. The Enterprise comes to help, and Spock, Chapel, Scotty and Uhura join acting captain James T. Kirk as his temporary command crew. The scavengers then capture the Enterprise, draining its power and cutting communications, so Pike's crew must rely on old-fashioned wired phones and manual controls. Pike and La'An fight to break free of the scavenger ship and deal with boarders, while the Farragut gives chase. Kirk feels the strain of command but leans on his new team, and together they trick the scavengers into briefly disabling their own ship. As the Enterprise escapes, the Farragut destroys the scavenger vessel. Both crews are shocked to learn that the scavengers were human, descendants of 21st-century scientists who left Earth after World War III. Deeply affected by his decisions, Kirk turns to Pike for guidance.