Just as Kirk had finished arranging the night watch protocols and everyone in the camp was preparing to take advantage of the rare lull in the eye of the storm to rest, his communicator suddenly emitted a strong static interference noise.
Following this was Uhura's urgent and tense voice, not from the bridge, but from an emergency communication line: "Captain! Emergency! The Enterprise has been ambushed by klingon cruisers!
Two 'Raptor' class ships, they used the thunderstorm and planetary energy fields to jam our long-range sensors and suddenly appeared at extremely close range to attack!
Our shields were already damaged from the previous landing and orbital standby; the port side was hit, and some systems are offline!"
Kirk's heart sank, and he abruptly stood up: "Where are Sulu? Where is Scott? Report the situation!"
"Sulu tried to maneuver to evade, but their firepower is too strong! Scott is trying his best to maintain the engines and shields! They… they used high-intensity transporter interference, and then… then klingon combat teams beamed onto our bridge and critical engineering sections! We've lost control of the bridge!"
The voice in the communicator was mixed with phase rifle fire and the rough war cries of Klingons; it was clear a fierce boarding action was taking place inside the Enterprise.
Just as Kirk's mind raced, trying to comprehend the rapidly deteriorating situation, a harsh and aggressive voice forcibly cut into the communication channel, speaking in stiff but clear Universal Translator: "James T. Kirk! This is the klingon Empire, K'Rotar's son, Commander K'Rotar."
Along with the voice, a blurry, shaking image was even forcibly projected onto the micro-display inside Kirk's helmet.
The image showed the chaotic state of the Enterprise bridge, where Sulu, Chekov, and other crew members were being held at disruptor-point by Klingon Soldiers, forced away from their control panels, while on the main viewscreen, the menacing bow of another klingon cruiser was clearly visible.
"Your ship now belongs to the klingon Empire," K'Rotar's voice carried the mockery of a victor, "I know you are on that cursed planet, Kirk. I also know you captured the team I sent down, and… that 'thing' you found."
He paused deliberately, allowing the full weight of the threat to sink in.
"My demands are simple: immediately release all my warriors, and transmit all technical data for the 'genesis project'—that weapon capable of creating planets—through your secure lines to my designated recipient. Otherwise," his voice suddenly turned cold, "I will execute your crew one by one, then dismantle this dilapidated Federation starship into pieces and throw it into the furnace of this nascent star! You have ten standard minutes to consider. Do not test the patience of Klingons!"
The communication was unilaterally cut off, leaving only suffocating static noise.
The camp was in dead silence, with only Genesis' thunderstorm roaring tirelessly.
Everyone had heard the ultimatum; Maine's team members instinctively tightened their grip on their weapons, looking at the bound klingon prisoners, then at Kirk.
Saavik's expression was extremely grim.
Carol's face was pale; she knew the severe consequences of the 'genesis project' technology being leaked.
Osiris' crimson optical lens turned towards Kirk, his synthetic voice calmly analyzing the situation: "The situation is highly unfavorable. The enemy controls orbit, holds hostages, and demands high-value technology. The probability of conventional rescue or negotiation is extremely low."
Kirk stood rooted to the spot, his face ashen.
He had lost his ship, his crew were hostages, and the enemy was extorting him right on his doorstep.
A cold rage burned in his chest, but years of command experience forced him to suppress the impulse.
He glanced at the Young Spock, who was still sleeping, and then at the companions around him who trusted him.
Ten minutes, they only had ten minutes.
Kirk's mind raced under pressure, and a bold and risky plan quickly formed.
He turned to Osiris, speaking quickly and clearly: "Magos Osiris, do you still have any of those stasis grenades you used before?"
"Yes," Osiris' response was concise and direct.
"Good." Kirk's gaze sharpened, "We can pretend to agree to their demands, propose an in-person exchange of prisoners and technical data, and request their Commander K'Rotar to come down to the surface himself.
When they relax their guard, believing we've capitulated, we'll use stasis grenades to incapacitate him and his guards.
Then, we'll use their Commander as a hostage to force the Klingons in orbit to surrender and release the Enterprise."
This plan was characteristic of Kirk—using informational asymmetry and psychological warfare to find an opportunity to turn the tables from a disadvantageous position.
The risk was extremely high, but if successful, it could resolve the crisis with minimal cost.
However, Osiris' crimson optical lens merely gazed calmly at Kirk, his synthetic voice without the slightest fluctuation, yet he proposed a simpler, more direct, and more impactful solution: "Captain Kirk, your plan is based on deception and hostage-taking, involves too many steps, and presents significant time delays and uncertainties. Based on my assessment, it is inefficient."
He paused briefly, allowing this judgment to be fully understood, then continued in his characteristic, fact-based analytical tone: "If your sole requirement is to clear the klingon occupation forces from the Enterprise, and you can ensure our team is transported to designated areas on the ship, then Maine's team and his team are sufficient to complete the cleanup.
Their equipment, tactical experience, and specialization in close-quarters boarding combat would be more efficient against klingon combat teams. No complex negotiations or hostage-taking are needed; physical elimination is the most direct solution."
This proposal had already shocked Kirk and those who heard it.
Directly deploying a ruthless mercenary team from another world into the occupied Enterprise for a bloody purge?
But Osiris wasn't finished.
His head tilted slightly, as if gazing through the rock formations and violent atmosphere at the two klingon cruisers in orbit.
"As for the orbital threat source—those two klingon warships," his synthetic voice remained steady, but the content was like a bombshell dropped into a calm lake, "If you can provide satisfactory, equivalent technological blueprints or rare materials as compensation, I can ensure they will no longer pose any interference to this mission. Destroying them is not difficult."
The scene fell into a dead silence, with only the thunder of Genesis roaring.
Kirk was completely stunned, looking at the massive, cold, metallic mechanical construct before him.
Osiris proposed not tactics, but two levels of "solutions": one was an efficient and ruthless physical elimination within the ship, and the other was to discuss the possibility of wiping two klingon cruisers from the stars in an almost cold, businesslike tone.
This was far more brutal, and more… absolute, than his own hostage plan, which required careful planning and luck.
Kirk quickly weighed his options. Although Osiris' plan sounded shocking, it indeed went straight to the core of the problem, and its success rate seemed higher.
Especially the point about clearing enemy forces within the ship; he had personally witnessed Maine's team's capabilities.
"The matter of compensation… can be discussed later." Kirk took a deep breath, made his decision, and his gaze became firm again, "The primary task is to retake the Enterprise.
Magos Osiris, we'll do as you say!
We need to immediately contact our people inside the Enterprise and establish a small, undetected transporter window. Maine's team, prepare for shipboard assault!"
Osiris' mechanical body emitted a low hum, seemingly of approval: "A wise choice. I will assist in stabilizing the transporter coordinates. Maine, you have five minutes for final equipment checks."