Kirk materializes on the transporter pad, his face grim. Behind him, the rest of the away team looks equally haunted by what they've witnessed on Zeta Epsilon II. In the end, they had no choice but to intervene, to use their superior technology to stop the creature that threatened to destroy the alien civilization.

But the price of that intervention weighs heavily on their souls.

In the transporter room, Dr. McCoy confronts Kirk, his eyes blazing with anger and pain. “Dammit, Jim, we had no right! Those people, their culture… we've contaminated it beyond repair.”

Kirk meets his gaze unflinchingly. “We did what we had to do, Bones. That thing down there… it wasn't natural. It was evil incarnate.”

“And who are we to make that judgment? To play God with the lives of others?”

Spock, ever the voice of logic, intercedes. “Doctor, while I share your concerns about the Prime Directive, I must point out that our actions likely saved countless lives. The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.”

McCoy rounds on him. “Don't you quote Vulcan philosophy to me, you green-blooded…”

“Enough!” Kirk's voice cracks like a whip. “What's done is done. We can't change the past, only learn from it.”

He turns to the intercom. “Bridge, set a course for Starbase 11. I need to report this incident to Starfleet Command.”

As the Enterprise warps away from Zeta Epsilon II, Kirk can't shake the feeling that their actions will have consequences far beyond what they can imagine. The creature they faced was unlike anything he'd ever encountered before. And something tells him it won't be the last.

The question is, will they be ready when it returns?

Proceed to Episode 5