Countdown , Number One Nero , the captain of a Romulan mining vessel , must assist Ambassador Spock in preventing an unnatural supernova which threatens the Romulan Empire . Summary . In the Hobus system , the " Narada " , a Romulan mining ship under the command of Captain Nero , is in orbit of a barren planet . Aboard the ship , Nero and his crew are preparing to extract minerals from the planet . His second - in - command , Ayel , informs him that they have achieved depth and that the extraction team is prepared to launch at Nero ' s command . Upon hearing that core samples from the planet contains large deposits of decalithium , a rare isotope which holds great value in the Romulan Star Empire , Nero gives the order to begin extraction . Before they can begin extraction , however , " Narada " s sensor s detect extreme fluctuations coming from the Hobus system ' s star . Nero orders the extraction crew to disengage and return to the " Narada " , after which a massive solar flare erupts and heads towards them . With interference from the star preventing transporter use , Nero sends an evac shuttle to retrieve the extraction team . Nero orders the helm to lay in a course for Romulus and to engage as soon as the shuttle returns . Ayel tells Nero that they cannot leave without retracting the drill , to which Nero replies that they have no choice . With all crew members safely aboard , the " Narada " warp s out of the star system as the solar flare envelops the planet . On Romulus , Federation Ambassador Spock is preparing to address the Romulan Senate . Spock presents his case to the Senate : the Hobus star is dying , and will soon go supernova , and the Romulan Empire is in danger because of it . He reveals that the star ' s eruption days earlier not only obliterated the planet but converted the planet ' s mass into energy , increasing the star ' s power . More eruptions have occurred since then and the star ' s power is increasing in intensity . It is Spock ' s belief that , once the star goes supernova , it will devour not only nearby systems , but the Romulan Empire , as well . His proposed solution is to use decalithium to create highly volatile " red matter , " which can be used to create an artificial black hole that can devour the Hobus supernova before it spreads . However , the technology used to process decalithium into red matter can only be found on planet . Spock ' s solution creates a stir in the Senate , and one senator accuses Spock of being involved in a Vulcan plot against Romulus . The Praetor calls order amongst the senate and apologizes for his colleagues . However , the Praetor is unconvinced that the Hobus star is a threat to the Empire , as Romulan scientists studying the star did not come to the same conclusions . He also assured Spock that the Romulans would not simply hand over a rare and valuable material such as decalithium to the Vulcans , despite Spock ' s good intentions . At this point , Nero , who is representing the Mining Guild , calls for a point of order . Upon being recognized , Nero tells the Senate how he and his crew witnessed the star ' s first eruption and how they barely escaped with their lives . He defends Spock , stating his belief that the ambassador ' s conclusions are not far - fetched and that the Empire is running out of time . The Praetor dismisses Nero , however , referring to Spock ' s conclusions as hasty , drastic , and in need of further investigation . The Praetor then pronounces the proceedings to be closed . That night , Nero is at home with his wife , Mandana , who is pregnant . Nero tells Mandana that he would never betray the Empire , but he must do something about the star even if it means disobeying the Senate . Mandana replies that he has a loyalty to himself as well as the Empire , and that he will never fail as long as he does what his heart tells him . Later , Nero meets with Spock and offers his services and those of his ship and crew to mine the decalithium Spock needs . Spock reminds Nero that he would be disobeying the Senate and if he is caught , he would spend the rest of his life in prison , never to see his family again . Nero replies that if he does nothing , he would lose his family anyway , and he would do anything to save his wife and the Empire . After looking through Spock ' s telescope and seeing how massive the supernova has become , Nero tells the ambassador they must leave now . As Nero leaves to round up his crew , Spock thanks him for his help and his trust . Nero convinces his crew to take part in the mission , despite their reservations . As he is about to depart , Nero says goodbye to Mandana , promising to be back before their child is born . Mandana then reveals that their child is a son , and proclaims that he will be a miner like his father . Nero and his crew then depart with Spock . Aboard the " Narada " , Nero tells Spock that his decision to help him was rash and wonders if he can really trust him . To this , Spock offers to mind meld with Nero , to show that he is telling the truth . Nero agrees , but breaks off the meld after seeing images of Mandana . In the Kimben System , the " Narada " begins mining a planet for decalithium . Suddenly , three Reman warbird s warp into the system . Before Nero can raise shields , several Remans transport onto the bridge and take over the ship . Nero ' s female crewmember manages to grab one of the Remans ' disruptor s and aims it at the leader of the intruders , demanding that they drop their weapon s . Just then , the " Narada " is rocked by an explosion outside the ship : a Federation starship has begun attacking the Reman vessels . The commanding officer of the Federation ship hail s the Remans : TO BE CONTINUED . . . Memorable quotes . " " Friends , Romulans , countrymen . . . we share the same ears . " "