protostar
From Trekipedia
A protostar was a large, hot spherical cloud of condensing gas on its way to becoming a star; a protostar was not yet hot enough to generate energy through nuclear fusion.[1] The U.S.S. Protostar NX-76884 was not only named for the formation, but kept a miniature protostar to power its experimental proto-warp drive.[2]
