get to it.
What's the next program?
I'll get somebody down there
as soon as I can, Cleary.
My people are all tied up now.
Captain! Starfleet just signaled
your transfer of command orders.
- Captain.
- I appreciate the welcome.
I wish the circumstances
were less critical.
Epsilon 9 is monitoring the intruder.
Keep a channel open to them.
Aye, sir.
- Where's Captain Decker?
- He's in Engineering, sir.
He-- He doesn't know.
- Mr. Chekov.
- Aye, sir.
Assemble the crew on
the recreation deck at 0400 hours.
I want to show them
what we're facing.
He wanted her back.
He got her.
And Captain Decker?
He's been with this ship
every minute of her refitting.
Ensign, the possibilities of
our returning from this mission...
in one piece
may have just doubled.
Check Cleary on number six.
- Need your cooler status.
- Stand by.
Space matrix restoration coils.
Dilithium crystals.
I knew it. The transporter sensor
was not activated.
Air equalization.
Automatic off.
Faulty module.
Cleary, put a new backup sensor
into the unit.
Aye, sir.
Admiral Kirk! Well,
we're getting a top brass send-off.
Don't worry,
she'll launch on schedule...
if we have to tow her out
with our bare hands, right, Scotty?
Aye. That we will, sir.
- Let's talk.
- Sure.
Let me know
when that backup's ready.
All due respect, I hope this isn't
some kind of Starfleet pep talk.
- I'm really too busy.
- I'm taking over the center seat.
You're what?
I'm replacing you
as captain of the Enterprise.
You'll stay on
as executive officer.
Temporary grade reduction
to commander.
You personally
are assuming command?
Yeah.
- May I ask why?
- My experience.
Five years out there
dealing with unknowns like this.
My familiarity with
the Enterprise and its crew.
Admiral, this is an almost
totally new Enterprise.
You don't know her a tenth
as well as I do.
That's why you're staying aboard.
I'm sorry, Will.
No, Admiral,
I don't think you're sorry.
Not one damn bit.
I remember when you recommended me
for this command.
You told me how envious you were
and how much you hoped...
you'd find a way to get
a starship command again.
Well, sir,
it looks like you found a way.
Report to the bridge,
Commander, immediately.
Aye, sir.
Transporter room!
Come in! Urgent!
Redline on the transporter,
Mr. Scott!
Transporter, do not engage!
-It's too late. They're beaming now.
-Do not--
Do you read me, Starfleet?
Override it! Pull them back!
Unable to retrieve their pattern,
Enterprise.
Give it to me.
Starfleet, boost your matter gain.
We need more signal.
More signal!
- We're losing their pattern!
- Oh, no, they're forming.
Starfleet, do you have them?
Enterprise, what we got back
didn 't live long, fortunately.
Starfleet, Kirk.
Please express my condolences
to their families.
Commander Sonak's can be reached
through the Vulcan embassy.
There was nothing
you could have done, Rand.
It wasn't your fault.
Yeoman, turboshaft 8?
Back that way, sir.
We have to replace
Commander Sonak.
I'd still like a Vulcan there,
if possible.
None available, Captain.
In fact, there's no one
who's fully rated on this design.
You are, Mr. Decker.
I'm afraid you're going to have
to double as science officer.
That's all we know about it...
except that it is now
53.4 hours away from Earth.
Enterprise is the only Federation
starship that stands in its way.
Our orders are to intercept...
investigate and take
whatever action is necessary...
and possible.
Bridge to Captain.
Priority signal from Epsilon 9.
- Put it on viewer.
- On viewer, sir.
Enterprise, the cloud is definitely
a power field of some kind.
Measures-- My God--
over two AU's in diameter.
Must be something incredible
inside there generating it.
We're transmitting lingua code
friendship messages...
on all frequencies.
No response.
have a null reading
at the center of the cloud.
Definitely something inside there,
but scans are being