The Savage Within This summary is of a story arc from the newspaper comic strip " Star Trek " . Factions on board a generational starship threatened by a neutron star involve the " Enterprise " crew in their struggles to command the vessel . Summary . The is on a mission to chart Epsilon Anubis , a double star system " in the unexplored region of the galaxy " . Upon arrival , they find a very large , sublight , derelict starship in close orbit around the star Epsilon Anubis A . Life support and low - level power are operational on board the ship , though , as are many lifeform s . Spock ' s survey of the star system shows that Anubis B is a neutron star , which is beginning its closest encounter phase with their present position . When that happens , X - ray and gamma ray levels will be dangerously high . Spock gives it 37 hours until the " encounter phase " begins and , as Kirk says , " everyone aboard the derelict dies . " Scotty rules out a tractor beam as the ship is too fragile and too large . Kirk wonders whether its own drive could be repaired in time to push it out under its own power . Just then Sulu discovers another starship – much smaller – that has attached itself to the larger vessel . Kirk decides to beam over with Spock , McCoy , Umeki ( a security guard ) , and Ensign Hadley ( a young engineer ) . Tricorder readings show the lifeforms to be carbon - based and distributed in clustered groups throughout the ship . The ship ' s interior shows signs of having been the site of a pitched battle , and it is rotting away with age after three hundred years . Hadley scouts ahead , following power lines to find the drive . The balance of the party is suddenly attacked by numerous humanoid s in loincloths and with bladed weapons , and Umeki fires a phaser set to kill . He is brought down by the mob and left for dead . Kirk , Spock , and McCoy explain to the female leader Korm Nal that they are from the " Enterprise " and that the derelict ship is in grave danger . The crew is led away , and Nal speaks to a male named Cha Ton about the men . The secret that their world is a ship has been kept for generations , and she worries about the visitors ' knowledge and predictions of disaster . Ton suggests they kill them as they might be spies for Captain N ' gal , but Nal thinks they have more value alive . Unable to contact the rest of the landing party , Hadley nonetheless sets to work . Montgomery Scott worries that if he reveals the truth to Hadley – that the party is out of contact with everyone – he will panic . As the captives walk along , giant caterpillar - like creatures called the Eloksi appear and begin to take some of the humanoids . Spock curls up into a fetal position due to pain from telepathic overload , but Kirk seizes his chance and reclaims his phaser and communicator during the struggle . Before he can say much , the Eloksi spit some kind of glue on him and scurry away with McCoy and others . For some reason the humanoids no longer consider the Starfleet members to be captives and Kirk finds out about Hadley ' s progress from Scott . He then orders Hadley to stop his work and see to Umeki ' s body . Hadley does so , and discovers that Umeki is still alive , but is captured by forces of Captain N ' gal . Korm Nal reveals then to Kirk the stories that three clans were killed after looking upon the stars , and that the Eloksi have always been their enemy . Spock and Kirk theorize the groups nearest the hull were killed by the radiation in a prior pass too close to the star , and that the Eloksi are the crew from the other starship they found . Korm Nal also tells him that Captain N ' gal is the leader of all the clans , while privately confiding in Cha Ton that they need allies to overthrow N ' gal . During that time , Captain N ' gal fires on the " Enterprise " with simple laser s for failing to respond to hail s , but Scotty does not fire back . Without getting to N ' gal there is no hope of moving the ship or stopping the weapon s fire , so Kirk volunteers to help reach the bridge . Korm Nal turns all planning over to Kirk , and using Vulcan nerve pinch es and a few right crosses , Kirk , Spock , and Korm Nal ' s group seize the bridge . The Eloksi show up and this time Spock is able to communicate with them such that the Eloksi release McCoy . It turns out the Eloksi had come to the ship to help , but inadvertently started a war since every time they tried to communicate telepathically , a humanoid died . They have been trying to reach their ship to leave ever since . The Eloksi were not able to fully communicate with McCoy , but he somehow lived ( " My mind must be stronger " ) . At that point it is reveled to Kirk that Nal intends to be the new Captain , taking away the generations - long rule of N ' gal ' s family . Kirk tries to explain the situation again , and shows Nal out the window what is happening . The prior Captain invokes a ritual to fire the engines ; the " Enterprise " and the Eloksi ship use tractors on the derelict to guide it , and they escape . The story ends with Korm Nal telling Kirk " " I ' m glad you talk too much . " " Memorable quotes . " " A . . . neutron star ? " " " " There are more ways to solve a problem than by killing . . . by releasing the savage within us ! " "