Nero , Number Two " Captured by the Klingons , Nero and the crew of the " Narada " are condemned to work on the prison asteroid of Rura Penthe for the rest of their natural lives . . . " Nero , Number Two is the second of four comics depicting the unseen exploits and adventures of Nero that took place during the time of . It was released in by IDW Publishing . Summary . On Rura Penthe , Nero grapples with a Klingon monster dog as two Klingon guards look on , betting on which of the combatants will win . It appears that Nero is losing the fight when suddenly he punches the beast in the face , ripping one of the fangs from its jaw . Jumping onto the beast ' s hide , Nero launches the sharp tooth into its eye , knocking it dead to the floor . The guards look on , laughing . " " Never bet against a Romulan , " " one says , before dragging Nero back to his " hole " – a type of confinement cell . The Romulan remains determined , for he believes the fights are keeping him strong as the years go by . A few years later , Nero is brought before Koth , the commander of Rura Penthe . He tells Nero that the " Narada " is still in orbit and admits that he admires Nero ' s silence and determination despite years of torturous conditions , but Koth also ominously assures Nero that they will break him soon enough . Nero remains unfazed , maintaining his stoic posture . He knows his ship is there ; he can " feel " her waiting for him . The commander continues speaking , noting how Nero has made fifty - seven escape attempts , killing twenty - two guards , and that he should have been killed already . But for the first time in history , the mines of Rura Penthe have become profitable , and Koth knows credit belongs to the indefatigable " Narada " crew . They are worth more to him alive than dead . In the mines , Nero ' s crew are working under guard . Nero continues to hack away at a piece of rock , but all he can see is Spock ' s face , the one who betrayed the Romulan people , the one who betrayed " him " . The crew ' s internment continues ; the days turn into months , then into years . Ten years go by , then fifteen , then twenty years have passed without change in the crew ' s circumstance . Following this period of unrelenting hardship , Nero is talking to a man named Quocch in a dark passageway . He sells Nero a drug , one that can quiet his mind and allow him to see his love again . He begs her to come with him on the " Narada " , but she doesn ' t want to . " " You ' ll be back soon enough , " " she says . " " Captain . . . ? " " comes Ayel ' s voice , Nero ' s first officer . He says he has found someone who can help them , a Human prisoner named Clavell . The three meet in a secluded corner . Clavell is surprised to meet " " the one who does not speak , " " a moniker ascribed to Nero . Ayel interrupts , saying " he " speaks for his captain . Clavell explains that he is a stellar cartographer who was captured while taking scans of Klingon territory . He says he can help them locate when and where the black hole will open and where Spock will appear , but he surmises Nero is planning something big . . . and he " wants in . " While Ayel later sits in his own cell , Nero realizes something . The drugs he has been taking have done more than ease his mind ; they have opened it . It appears to him that , despite the common belief that Romulans have weaker psychic abilities than their Vulcan cousins , this is no longer the case . Nero discovers he can communicate telepathically to Ayel and tells him to help the Human in any way possible . For the first time in years , Nero believes there is actually a chance for escape : he may yet be able to exact his revenge on Spock . In orbit of Rura Penthe , the " Narada " remains in a quarantine field . Two Klingon engineer s are on board , trying to figure out how the ship ' s systems work , but every time they pull one component out , it grows back , much to their bewilderment and frustration . One of the engineers is fully aware of the importance of their task ; if they can uncover the vessel ' s secrets , they will be sent back to Qo ' noS as heroes . Suddenly , a computer console comes to life . One of the engineers is excited to think that they have managed to energize the craft ' s internal workings , but the other realizes the activation had nothing to do with what they did . Before they can do anything else , a shock rips through the systems and electrocutes both of them . On the surface , Clavell does not believe that Spock has arrived yet , but encounters a problem – despite his earlier claims , he cannot calculate with adequate precision when and where Spock will arrive . In fact , he is not sure that a computer exists " anywhere " that is capable of making that calculation . Despite this , Clavell has given Nero hope , and he predicts that he will determine this information himself . The guards interrupt their scheming , shouting " " Nero ! You ' re coming with us . " " Back in orbit , the " Narada " is continuing to power up . Its weapon systems open fire on the field generators and then on the surface of the asteroid . Nero is taken to a cell where a guard holds the weapon he had used to defend the " Narada " all those years ago . He tells Nero to take a good look , referring to the artifact as the last piece of Romulus he will ever see . Having discovered a way to make him talk , the Klingons intend to question Nero about both the weapon and papers found in his cell , the latter bearing a rendering of Spock ' s face . Five minutes after the questioning begins , Ayel is patiently waiting in his cell when he hears a voice . " " Ayel , " " it says . It is Nero , standing in the doorway . " " The wait is over . " " Nero has freed himself and has begun to attack the Klingon guards . He , Ayel , Clavell , and Quocch fight their way to a docked shuttlecraft , where they head for the ship , and leave Rura Penthe behind . Once aboard the " Narada " , Ayel reports all systems are online but the helm is locked out . There is a course already laid in , and neither he nor Nero can change it . The ship begins to move by itself . Nero gazes out through the viewscreen . " " Where are you taking us ? " " he wonders aloud . " " Have you found Spock ? " " TO BE CONTINUED Memorable quotes . " " I can see his face everywhere . The one who betrayed us . " " " " Here ' s your dose . But price goes up . Getting harder to sneak this in . You pay Quocch what Quocch wants , Quocch gets you what you need . " " " So . Nero . ' The one who does not speak . ' . . . The guards think you ' re a demon straight from Gre ' thor . " " " " You ' d better have a new stash of tri - ox arriving for me , Quochh , or I ' ll throw you in solitary ! " " " " Why you ask me that ? Are you stupid ? Whole " point " of contraband is keep it " quiet " ! " " " " You did it ! It ' s online ! " " " " But I didn ' t touch anything ! It just turned on by its – " " " " Ayel . The wait is over " " " " How do you know that thing ' s not gonna fire on us ? " " " " She won ' t . She ' s waiting for us . " She ' s waiting for me " . " ' " Appendices . References . black hole ; captain ; cargo hold ; PADD ; disruptor ; Federation ; Gre ' thor ; Helm ; Human ; Klingon ; Klingon monster dog ; " mek ' leth " ; mining ; mining vessel ; " Narada " ; neutral zone ; Romulan ; Romulus ; Klingon shuttlecraft ; quarantine field ; Qo ' noS ; Rura Penthe ; Starfleet ; stellar cartographer ; telepathy ; Vulcan ; warp drive