A new contract takes the Earwig out to the Psi Parada system, in the Charybdis Outzone, the very edge of explored space.

Falling into normal space, the crew finds they are not the first to discover their objective, the Shengli, which itself is heavily damaged and falling into the atmosphere of a gas giant. Another scout-sized ship of a design unfamiliar to most of the crew orbits safely high above the falling destroyer; NCC1701 recognizes it as a Missec vessel. The Missec’s shuttle has docked in the Shengli’s bay.

Scans of the Missec ship reveal that it’s packed to the gills with life forms: missec, animal, and plant in abundance.

Scanning the Shengli revealed that its damage couldn’t have possibly been dealt by the missec ship: rather, the damage looks consistent with Crysolis weapons. Emergency power was engaged, so any areas not open to space should have had life support. Bio scans detected a handful of missec onboard. The destroyer’s shuttlebay contained a single slagged shuttle and the missec shuttle, with no room for another shuttle to dock. NCC1701 realized that his scans might not be penetrating the ship’s deepest redundant bulkheads, and that he could spend an hour reconfiguring the scanners to do so, but the Shengli’s deteriorating orbit convinced the crew to move quickly.

The Earwig hailed the missec vessel, and after letting the Rosetta chips adjust to the unfamiliar language, they established communication with its captain, Spaller.

NCC1701’s recollection of the missecs’ reputation was that of a proud, stately race unwilling to negotiate with the Combine. The viewscreen showed a different story: a crowded bridge, a dirty captain, strange animals flying across the screen and defecating freely.

Negotiation revealed that the missec homeworld had been invaded and razed by the Crysolis three months ago; the scout ship was part of a ragtag fleet of the remaining missec people: Spaller would not reveal the fleet’s location, though Vedeg requested it in order to inform the Combine of the need for humanitarian aid.

Spaller requested supplies, parts, and food from the Earwig, his requests becoming gradually more unreasonable. Eventually cutting off communication, the crew attempted to move in close to the Shengli, but the missec scout intercepted the move.

In a brilliant display of electronic warfare, Deadbeef took control of the missec shuttle onboard the Shengli and propelled it out into space as the crew took the Earwig’s shuttle in for a quick-and-dirty docking procedure.