Dikironium cloud creature

The Dikironium Cloud Creature, also known as the "vampire cloud", was a gaseous entity that fed on red blood cells.

The Starship Farragut was first to encounter the creature in 2257 at planet Tycho IV. The creature attacked the ship, resulting in the loss of over 200 crewmen, including Farragut's Commanding Officer, Captain Steven Garrovick. Lieutenant James T. Kirk was among the survivors.

Eleven years later, Kirk, now Captain of the Starship Enterprise, encountered the creature once again on planet Argus X. After killing several Enterprise crewmen on the planet surface, the creature fled the Argus system with the Enterprise in pursuit. Attempts to destroy the creature utilizing the ships phasers and photon torpedoes proved ineffective.

At one point, the creature suddenly turned and attacked the Enterprise entering through an open Impulse vent. During the attack, several more Enterprise crewmen lost their lives. The creature fled the ship, and moved quickly out of range.

Proceeding on instinct, Kirk returned to Tycho IV, the site where the creature had "fought a Starship once before", believing that world to be the creature's home.

The creature was finally destroyed when Kirk, and Ensign Garrovick (son of the late Captain Garrovick) detonated an antimatter explosion on the surface of Tycho IV.