15/09/1967    Amok Time

Stardate 3372.7

While on course for Altair VI, Kirk learns from his chief medical officer that Spock's behavior is becoming increasingly irrational. When Kirk questions his first officer, Spock insists that all he needs is rest on his home planet of Vulcan. Kirk tries to accommodate Spock, but when inauguration ceremonies on Altair VI are rescheduled, the trip to Vulcan is cancelled. Spock changes the ship's course to Vulcan, and when Kirk learns what has happened he orders a complete medical examination of his first officer. McCoy soon discovers that Spock must be taken to Vulcan as soon as possible or he will die. Because of ritual ceremonies in childhood, Vulcans are bound to their mates while still young and are drawn to a time of mating when they are an adult. The physiological pressures are too strong to ignore, and if they aren't relieved they will prove fatal. Kirk disobeys direct orders and heads for Vulcan. Once there, Kirk, Spock, and McCoy beam down for the ceremony during which Spock's chosen mate, T'Pring, announces that she does not wish to be Spock's consort and invokes the Vulcan right of challenge. Spock must fight for her, but T'Pring selects Kirk as her champion instead of Stonn, a Vulcan male that T'Pring wants but will not risk by making him her champion. Kirk accepts the challenge, thinking that Spock is too weak to fight a healthy Vulcan, but he is unaware that the fight is to the death! During the fight McCoy is allowed to give Kirk a better chance by injecting him with a tri-ox compound, but Spock is too strong and chokes the captain to death. While McCoy takes the body back to the Enterprise, Spock feels his mating urge has vanished. He surrenders T'Pring to Stonn and returns to the ship. Once aboard he finds that Kirk is not dead after all. Instead of a tri-ox compound, McCoy slipped in a neural neutralizer which simulated death. Pleased at seeing his captain alive, Spock experiences a brief period of jubilation before returning to his normal, logical self.

22/09/1967    Who Mourns for Adonais?

Stardate 3468.1

While entering orbit around Pollux IV, the Enterprise encounters an energy field in the shape of a giant green hand which holds the Enterprise in place. After trying to break free, an image of a head appears on the view screen and invites a landing party, excluding Spock, down to the planet. Once there, Kirk and the others meet a being who identifies himself as the god Apollo and refuses to allow the landing party to leave. He demands worship and plans to settle the crew of the Enterprise on Pollux IV and into a pastoral existence. Meanwhile, the archaeology and anthropology officer, Lt. Palamas, falls in love with Apollo, and Apollo makes plans for her to be his bride. Scott finds this offensive, but Apollo is too powerful and easily disposes of the engineer's attacks. However, after putting Scott in his place, Apollo appears to become tired and fades away. Kirk works up a plan to deliberately anger Apollo in hopes that the landing party can overpower their captor while he is in a weakened condition, but Lt. Palamas intervenes and convinces Apollo to be lenient. Unwilling to see his crew become permanent residents of Pollux IV, Kirk orders Lt. Palamas to reject Apollo for the sake of her fellow humans, which she does. Meanwhile, aboard the Enterprise, Spock locates the source of Apollo's power and is able to punch a hole through the energy field and destroy the power source with phaser fire. With his power gone, Apollo realizes that there is no room for gods anymore and appeals to the other gods to take him away.

29/09/1967    The Changeling

Stardate 3451.9

The Enterprise crew discovers that the Malurian system has been destroyed, and during their investigation the ship is attacked by a small spacecraft of enormous power. When Kirk identifies himself, the attack abruptly ends and communication is established with the unknown vessel which happens to be small enough to be beamed aboard the Enterprise. Kirk learns that the vessel is actually a probe named Nomad and that the attack on the Enterprise was discontinued after Nomad identified Kirk as "the Kirk," its creator. After consulting the ship's computers, Spock finds that the probe's origin is indeed Earth and that its creator, Jackson Roykirk, programmed it to seek out new life. Nomad, however, does not look like the picture in the ship's record banks. Spock uses the Vulcan mind meld technique and discovers that Nomad was damaged in a meteor collision and drifted in space until it met another probe, Tan Ru, which was originally programmed to gather and sterilize soil samples. Now combined into one machine, Nomad believes that its mission is to seek out and destroy imperfect life forms. Unwilling to remain idle, Nomad erases Uhura's memory trying to learn what music is and kills Scott when he tries to interfere. Nomad repairs Scott, but Kirk finds that he has a bigger problem after learning that Nomad is returning to its launch point, Earth, where it will find billions of imperfect life forms and sterilize them. Kirk gambles by telling Nomad that he is not "the Kirk" that created it. Since Nomad made a mistake in identification, Kirk convinces Nomad that it is imperfect and must be destroyed. While analyzing its mistake, Kirk has Nomad beamed out into space where it quickly destroys itself.

06/10/1967    Mirror, Mirror

Kirk and a small landing party are trying to negotiate with the Halkans for Federation rights to mine dilithium crystals on their planet, but the ultra-peaceful Halkans are very reluctant to allow a mining treaty. When an ion storm arrives Kirk decides to return to the Enterprise until the storm passes, but just as Scott beams up the landing party the transporter malfunctions, sending Kirk, Scott, McCoy, and Uhura into an alternate universe and aboard the Imperial Starship Enterprise. Fortunately for them, none of the I.S.S. Enterprise crew notice any difference in the returning landing party. However, they soon realizes that in this mirror universe the Federation has been replaced by a Galactic Empire which holds its position through the use of terror and force. Even though the Halkans are just as peaceful in this universe, Kirk has been ordered to annihilate them if they do not comply with the Empire's demands. The crew expects him to decimate the Halkans immediately, but Kirk hesitates and then gives the Halkans 12 hours to comply which arouses the suspicions of Spock-2. After leaving the bridge Kirk is confronted by an ambitious Chekov-2 who attempts to assassinate Kirk for failing to follow imperial procedure, but his attempt is foiled by one of Chekov-2's henchman who decides to switch sides at the last moment. Imperial Starfleet sends Spock-2 secret orders to kill Kirk and proceed against the Halkans, but Spock-2 decides to warn Kirk of his orders and force the captain into killing the Halkans. Meanwhile, aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise, Spock realizes that something is wrong and orders the mirror universe landing party into the brig until he can figure out what has happened. Aboard the Imperial Enterprise, Kirk and Scotty work out a plan to use the ship's power to create conditions necessary to beam back to their own universe. Kirk manages to avoid potential trouble; Marlena-2, an ambitious captain's woman who knows how to use Kirk-2's secret weapon, the Tantalus Field, and Security Officer Sulu-2 who attempts to assassinate Kirk and Spock-2 and become the ship's captain. Spock-2 finally figures out what's happening and after being persuaded to help the U.S.S. Enterprise crew get back to their own universe, he operates the transporter during the beaming process. As he leaves, Kirk tries to convince Spock-2 to replace Kirk-2 as captain of the I.S.S. Enterprise, to spare the Halkans, and to work towards a more logical and less wasteful society in his own universe.

13/10/1967    The Apple

Stardate 3715.3 - 3715.6

Kirk and a landing party beam down to investigate Gamma Trianguli VI and to make contact with its natives. The planet seems like a paradise until they discover plants that shoot deadly needles, exploding rocks, and highly accurate lightning bolts. When they try to beam up, Scott informs them that something on the planet has crippled the Enterprise's power and has made the transporter useless. When they finally meet the natives they discover them to be peacefully naive but immortal humanoids who live in primitive conditions and rely on what vegetation they have for food. Their society is created for them by Vaal, a rock formation looking much like a serpent's head. Upon further investigation, Vaal is found to be a highly sophisticated and powerful underground computer which needs daily food offerings from the natives to survive. Finding the Enterprise people a threat to the stability of the culture it supports, Vaal begins to slowly pull the Enterprise from its orbit. In order to eliminate the landing party it tries to teach the natives to kill but with poor results. With only hours until the Enterprise is destroyed, Kirk rounds up all of the natives and prevents them from feeding Vaal. The machine taps its energy reserve, but Kirk counters by having the Enterprise fire its phasers at Vaal's force field. After Vaal dies the natives wonder how they will survive. Kirk, however, is convinced that the natives are better off without Vaal and are now free to develop a culture of their own.

20/10/1967    The Doomsday Machine

Stardate 4202.9

The Enterprise arrives in system L374 only to find that most of the planets have been destroyed. The two inner planets are still intact, and as the Enterprise draws closer they pick up a ship's distress beacon coming from a crippled U.S.S. Constellation (NCC-1017). Kirk and a landing party beam over to the ship to investigate and find only its commander, Commodore Matt Decker, still aboard. The commodore is weakened and in a state of shock but he is able, with the help of the ship's log, to piece together what happened. A giant robot ship has wandered into the galaxy and is destroying planets in its path, digesting the debris for fuel. The Constellation, in Decker's attempt to stop the robot ship, was rendered a floating hulk. With the ship's systems failing, Decker beamed his crew down to the third planet which has since been destroyed. Kirk and Scott stay on board the Constellation to rig her for tow while the others beam back to the Enterprise. Once there, the doomsday machine returns and attacks the Enterprise, thereby cutting off communications with the Constellation. Decker rejects Spock's plan to retreat in order to warn Starfleet and assumes command of the Enterprise. He then orders the ship to attack the doomsday machine. The attack is unsuccessful, but Decker is unwilling to retreat. Kirk and Scott finally manage to get the Constellation's impulse engines working and help the Enterprise escape from the doomsday machine's tractor beam. When communications is reestablished, Kirk and Spock relieve Decker from command. Beaten but not defeated, Decker steals a shuttlecraft and kills himself while piloting it into the maw of the robot ship. Learning from Decker's idea, Kirk decides to do the same with the Constellation and has Scott rig a delay detonation device. Kirk is transported back to the Enterprise just as the Constellation detonates inside the robot ship and destroys the doomsday machine's power system.

27/10/1967    Catspaw

Stardate 3018.2

Only one man from the landing party investigating Pyris VII beams back to the Enterprise, and just after materializing he falls to the floor and dies. But when his mouth opens a voice speaks which warns Kirk to leave Pyris VII. Unwilling to abandon his chief engineer and helmsman, Kirk beams down to the planet with Spock and McCoy and encounter numerous images and objects related to Halloween; three witches, fog, a dark castle, a black cat, and a skeleton equipped dungeon where they find themselves after being captured. Scott and Sulu soon appear but are more zombie-like than human and force their shipmates at phaser-point to meet with Korob, an alien with humanoid appearance who at first requests only that Kirk and his officers enjoy his hospitality. He then tries to bribe them into leaving Pyris VII without Scott and Sulu. When that doesn't work, Korob's partner, Sylvia, appears and begins implementing a more hostile approach to persuade Kirk, including the use of sympathetic magic to overheat the Enterprise. When Korob sees this he becomes concerned and reminds Sylvia of their mission, but Sylvia is overwhelmed by the sensations of her human body and rejects Korob. She then tries to seduce Kirk and secure his help for her desire to conquer other worlds. Kirk goes along with Sylvia, but she soon discovers that he is only using her to save his ship. Korob helps Kirk and the others escape from the prison, but Sylvia becomes a giant cat and kills Korob by pushing the dungeon door on top of him. Kirk uses Korob's wand to destroy the illusions of the castle, the fog, and everything else the aliens had created, including their human shapes. The landing party then see Korob and Sylvia in their true form, tiny, blue, bird-like alien beings. Without the power of the wand to support them, Sylvia quickly falls dead next to the body of Korob. Scott and Sulu return to normal, and the Enterprise is free to leave Pyris VII.

03/11/1967    I, Mudd

Stardate 4513.3

An android named Norman has been masquerading as an Enterprise crewman until he decides to capture the ship and take it to an uncharted planet. There, the landing party finds Harry Mudd with hundreds of androids to serve him. Harry proclaims himself King Mudd the First and begins showing off the beautiful female androids surounding him. He also shows the landing party a android duplicate of his harping wife Stella, an android he had created so that he could turn her off whenever he wishes. Harry explains to Kirk that he accidentally found this planet, an outpost full of adroids created by Andromedan beings centuries ago. They accepted Mudd as their ruler and protected him to the point of not allowing him to leave the planet. He then sent Norman out to find other humans to care for so that they would let him go. The androids, however, have other plans and take control of the starship so that they can spread throughout the universe and take care of all humanity. The Enterprise officers are offered incentives to stay, including immortality to Uhura. Unwilling to stay, the landing party and Mudd devise a plan to escape, but Uhura tells the androids of the plot. Her treachery, though, is only a ploy to trick the androids into thinking that the humans consider escape impossible. But instead of escaping, the humans act totally irrational and manage to overload and short-circuit the androids with their illogic. The landing party beams back to the ship but leaves Harry Mudd in the care and custody of the androids, including 500 newly constructed Stellas, until Harry decides to change his ways.

10/11/1967    Metamorphosis

Stardate 3219.4 - 3220.3

Assistant Federation Commissioner Nancy Hedford had been assigned to stop a war on Epsilon Canaris III, but after contracting Sakuro's disease, she was being shuttled to the Enterprise for treatment when a powerful energy cloud pulls the shuttlecraft off course to Gamma Canaris N. After a brief investigation of the shuttle and their surroundings, Kirk and the others find a humanoid man on the planet who claims to have been marooned there several years ago. He invites them to his shelter where they eventually learn his identity; Zefram Cochrane, a native of Alpha Centauri who discovered the space warp which helped pioneer faster than light travel. Cochrane, however, was thought to have died over 150 years ago. According to Cochrane, he journeyed out into space so that he could die there, but an entity he calls The Companion found him and rejuvinated his body, keeping him young and healthy. His body does not age; thus, he is immortal. Miss Hedford, however, is becoming increasingly sick and without proper medical treatment aboard the Enterprise she will die. Cochrane tells Kirk that the Companion brought them to the planet so that he would not be alone. But, after a discussion about current galactic exploration, Cochrane feels the urge to leave the planet and he decides to help Kirk in their escape. The plan doesn't work, so Kirk tries diplomacy and uses the universal translator to talk to The Companion. Surprisingly, they learn that The Companion has a female personality and is in love with Cochrane. Kirk tells The Companion that it cannot love Cochrane because it is not human. To better understand love, The Companion enters the dying body of Nancy Hedford, merging the two personalities into a single being. The result is a woman who appeals to Cochrane. Though he is now free to leave, Cochrane decides to stay on Gamma Canaris N with Nancy and live out the remainder of his now mortal life.

17/11/1967    Journey to Babel

Stardate 3842.3 - 3843.4

The Enterprise is transporting a group of ambassadors from various planets across the Federation to the Babel Conference. Among the representatives are Spock's parents, Vulcan Anbassador Sarek and his Terran wife Amanda. Spock and Sarek have not spoken to each other for 18 years, ever since Spock joined Starfleet instead of the Vulcan Science Academy. On Babel, many controversial issues will be discussed, including the admittance of dilithium-rich Coridan into the Federation. During a formal reception, Ambassador Gav, an argumentative Tellarite who opposes the admission of Coridan, quarrels with Sarek. Gav is later found murdered, and the circumstances of his death point to Sarek as being the killer. When Sarek is confronted he suddenly falls in pain from a recently discovered heart condition. McCoy must operate on Sarek soon or he will die. However, there is not enough T-negative blood on board. Spock suggests using an experimental drug which speeds up the producion of blood, but McCoy hesitates. Meanwhile, Kirk is attacked and seriously wounded by the Andorian Thelev. With Kirk unable to command the ship, Spock assumes command and, because of regulations, can no longer be the blood doner for the operation. When Kirk learns of this, he conceals the seriousness of his injury to Spock and reassumes command. McCoy begins the operation just as an unidentified vessel attacks the Enterprise. Kirk learns that the Andorian is actually and Orion sent to disrupt negotiations and keep Coridan from becoming a protected planet under the Federation. It was he who killed Ambassador Gav, not Sarek. Kirk manages to disable the attacking vessel, but it self-destructs and the Orion commits suicide. Sarek recovers and makes peace with his son as both realize a common bond. Kirk reports to sickbay, and McCoy finally gets the last word.

01/12/1967    Friday's Child

Stardate 3497.2 - 3499.1

The Enterprise travels to Capella IV in order to negotiate a mining treaty with the inhabitants, but when a landing party beams down they find that the Klingons have already arrived and have left a representative, named Kras, to secure a mining agreement for the Klingons. Kirk and Kras negotiate with Akaar, the leader of the tribes of Capella. Akaar favors the Federation while Maab, a highly influential Capellan, favors the Klingons. During a factional fight, Akaar is killed and Maab is installed as the new tribal leader. The landing party is imprisoned with Eleen, the pregnant widow of Akaar, and she prepares to be put to death according to custom. Kirk, however, finds a way to escape and brings Eleen with the landing party into the hills. While the Capellans search for the landing party, a Klingon warship attempts to keep the Enterprise from returning to Capella. In a cave McCoy delivers Eleen's son, but Eleen is still willing to give up her life and knocks McCoy unconscious. She returns to the Capellans claiming that the Federation men are dead. Kras, however, demands proof under the threat of a stolen phaser. Kirk shoots Kras in the leg with an arrow and as a result the Klingon threatens to kill anyone who raises a weapon against him. Maab, now seeing the Klingon for what he is, sacrifices himself so that one of his fellow warriors can kill Kras. The baby, named Leonard James Akaar, becomes the new tribal leader, and Eleen, the acting regent, signs the mining treaty.

08/12/1967    The Deadly Years

Stardate 3478.2 - 3479.4

The Enterprise arrives at Gamma Hydra IV to deliver supplies but finds the colony oddly quiet. When the landing party searches for survivors, Chekov discovers the body of a man who has apparently died of old age. The only colonists who are still alive are an elderly couple who claim to be in their late twenties. When the landing party returns to the Enterprise they all begin to experience the effects of rapid aging, all except Chekov. Kirk decides to remain in orbit until an answer can be found, but Commodore Stocker, a passenger on his way to Starbase 10 to assume his new post, urges Kirk to proceed to the Starbase so that they can receive the best treatment. Because of the rapid aging, Kirk begins to show an increasing inability to command the ship. Stocker feels there is no other choice but to order a compentency hearing, and Kirk is relieved of command. Stocker then orders the Enterprise through the Romulan Neutral Zone in order to arrive at Starbase 10 as quickly as possible. The Romulans, however, are on guard against such a move and immediately attack. Meanwhile, McCoy and Spock discover that the disease is a result of radiation poisoning and that Chekov was not affected because of sudden surge of adrenaline through his body after discovering the dead body on Gamma Hydra IV. Dr. Wallace and Spock hurriedly prepare an adrenaline-based drug which Kirk decides to test on himself. The drug works, and Kirk quickly makes his way to the bridge in time to save the ship. Scott, McCoy and Spock are then treated and brought back to their proper ages.

15/12/1967    Obsession

Stardate 3619.2 - 3620.7

While confirming a rich supply of di-kronium on Argus X, Kirk notices a sickly sweet smell in the air and sends a security team to investigate. Soon after, two of the men are dead from causes that Kirk has seen before. Years ago, when Kirk served aboard the U.S.S. Farragut, a mysterious cloud creature killed half of the crew, including the captain, by draining the blood from their bodies, and now Kirk believes that this is the same creature. He beams down again, but this time with a larger security force led by Ensign Garrovick, the son of Kirk's former commanding officer on the Farragut. The Ensign sees the creature but is caught off guard and delays firing his phaser. Two more men die, and Kirk blames Garrovick for their deaths. Despite orders to deliver medical supplies to Theta VII, Kirk is determined to pursue and destroy the creature. At this point, Spock and McCoy grow concerned about Kirk's obsession with the creature's destruction and then learn that, just like Garrovick, the young Lt. Kirk froze and delayed firing at the cloud creature and blames himself for the deaths aboard the Farragut. When the cloud leaves Argus X the Enterprise follows, but the creature is capable of speeds greater than the ship and Kirk is forced to back off. But suddenly, the cloud turns and attacks and enters the ship through an impulse vent, killing three crewmen until encountering Spock and his bad-tasting green blood. Scotty uses reverse pressure in the vents and manages to force the cloud out of the Enterprise. The cloud heads for Tycho IV, and Spock's analysis indicates that it will reproduce there, possibly creating thousands of creatures like itself. When the Enterprise arrives, Kirk and Garrovick beam down with a bottle of blood plasma and an antimatter bomb. Before they realize it, the cloud takes the blood which forces Kirk and Garrovick to act as bait. When the cloud approaches, Kirk orders the bomb detonated just as they beam back to the ship. Spock employs his transporter skills to save the two men, and the cloud creature is presumed to be destroyed in the blast.

22/12/1967    Wolf in The Fold

Stardate 3614.9 - 3615.4

To further his recovery from a head injury, Scott is escorted down to the planet Argelius II where Kirk and McCoy help him to relax by visiting a cabaret. There, Scott becomes interested in a dancer, Kara, and leaves the club with her. The captain and doctor leave the club as well, but after hearing screams they rush into an alley where they find Kara dead and a dazed Scott holding a blood-stained dagger. Despite the evidence, Scott claims to have no memory of the incident. Because Scott's head injury was caused by a female, McCoy begins to wonder if Scott has developed a subconscious anger towards women. The local authority, Commissioner Hengist from Rigel IV, is convinced of Scott's guilt and wants to end the matter immediately. Kirk tells Jaris, the prefect of Argelius, that the computers on the Enterprise would be able to find the truth and manages to gain permission to beam down a specialist, Lieutenant Tracy, to run a psychotricorder scan on Scott. While running the scan Lt. Tracy is found stabbed to death with Scott holding the same bloody dagger. Jaris calls for his psionic wife, Sybo, in order to solve the mystery, but during the ceremony she too is killed and once again the only suspect is Scott. Kirk convinces Jaris to move the investigation to the Enterprise, and it is there while under the scrutiny of the ship's computers that Scott's claims of amnesia are verified. With further aid from the computers, Spock discovers that the real killer is Jack the Ripper who, in its real form, is actually a noncorporeal entity that feeds on the fear of its victims. The creature has been hiding in the body of Hengist, and after it is discovered it flees into the Enterprise computer banks. Spock counters by giving the computer an impossible math problem to solve, forcing the entity from the computer. To keep the crew from being terrified, McCoy tranquilizes everyone which forces the entity back into Hengist's drugged body. Kirk immediately has Hengist's body transported into space at maximum dispersal where the entity will eventually die of starvation.

29/12/1967    The Trouble With Tribbles

Stardate 4523.3 - 4525.6

The Enterprise receives a Priority One distress signal from Space Station K-7 and hurries to the area prepared for battle. Kirk, however, is irritated to learn that it was Nilz Baris, the Federation Undersecretary for Agriculture, who issued the alarm only to have the quadrotriticale grain in the station's storage compartments protected. The grain is needed for the Sherman's Planet project, a system inside the neutral zone claimed by both the Federation and the Klingon Empire. Under the terms of the Organian Peace Treaty, rights to each planet are awarded to whichever side can most efficiently develop the planet to the benefit of its social systems. Soon after the Enterprise arives a Klingon ship enters the area. The station manager, Mr. Lurry, must observe the terms of the treaty and allow the Klingons to take shore leave there, but Kirk allows only twelve Klingons at a time on the station. Predictably, a fight breaks out between the Enterprise personel and several Klingon warriors which forces Kirk to cancel shore leave for everyone. Meanwhile, Cyrano Jones, a small-time merchant trader, introduces tribbles to the station. The tribbles, small purring balls of fur, seem harmless enough, but because all they do is eat and multilpy they soon overpopulate the station and the Enterprise. When they discover the tribbles in the ship's food preparation facilities, Spock points out that the tribbles may also be in the grain compartments on K-7 and immediately beams over with Kirk to investigate. The grain compartments, of course, are now filled with gorged tribbles, some of which are dead. McCoy finds that the grain has been poisoned, and with the help of tribbles that don't like Klingons, Baris' assistant is discovered to be a Klingon agent who confesses to poisoning the grain. The Klingons leave the station, and Jones is given the task of picking up every tribble on K-7. Scotty, meanwhile, rids the Enterprise of every tribble by beaming them into the engine room of the departing Klingon ship where, as Scotty puts it, "they'll be no tribble at all."

05/01/1968    The Gamesters of Triskelion

Stardate 3211.7 - 3212.2

Just before an inspection of automated installations on uninhabited Gamma II, Kirk, Chekov, and Uhura are beamed off of the bridge of the Enterprise. They find themselves on a strange planet in an entirely different solar system where they are immediately confronted by various aliens and forced to surrender. Confused and annoyed by their situation, Kirk demands an explanation but is informed only that they are on the planet Triskelion and that they are to spend the rest of their lives as gladiator thralls. Meanwhile, Spock discovers a particle trail that leads away from Gamma II and concludes that the landing party must be at the end of this trail. McCoy and Scotty object, but Spock is convinced and directs the Enterprise to follow the trail. On Triskelion, the landing party attempt an escape, but Galt, the Master Thrall, quickly subdues them by inflicting tremendous pain from the collars around their necks. Kirk then tries a diplomatic strategy and learns from his training instructor, a humanoid female named Shahna, that the Providers are responsible for their capture and that gambling on thrall combat is their primary occupation. Eventually, the Enterprise arrives at Triskelion, but the Providers plan to use its crew as thralls. Kirk manages to gain permission to see the Providers and then challenges them to the ultimate wager. Kirk will fight three thralls, and if he wins the thralls go free and will be educated by the Providers. However, if he loses the Enterprise crew will become thralls and give the Providers untold years of amusement. Shahna and the thralls fight fiercely, but Kirk wins the duel. In defeat, the Providers keep to their word and free the Enterprise and the thralls. They also agree to train the thralls and help them develop into a self-governing civilization.

12/01/1968    A Piece of the Action

Stardate 4598.0

Over 100 years ago, before the Federation directive of non-interference, the U.S.S. Horizon visited the planet Iotia and reported its inhabitants as being extremely bright and imitative humanoids. Unfortunately, the Horizon accidentally left some materials behind, and the Enterprise has been ordered to investigate Iotia and learn what effect these items have had on the culture. Kirk, Spock and McCoy beam down to visit Bela Oxmyx, one of the planet's leaders, and discover a culture resembling America in the early 20th Century. They are escorted to Bela's office and further learn that the contamination comes from a book titled "Chicago Mobs of the Twenties." Bela tries to cut a deal with Kirk, offering a percentage of the profits he'll get from taking over the planet in exchange for the use of modern Federation weapons. Kirk refuses to cooperate and is detained until he decides to help Oxmyx. When the landing party escapes, Kirk orders Spock and McCoy back to the ship while he tries to clean up the mess made by the Federation. Unfortunately, Kirk is captured by a rival faction led by Jojo Krako who offers Kirk the same deal Oxmyx offered. But once again, Kirk refuses and is "put on ice" until he cooperates. While Kirk works on escape, Spock and McCoy are lured down to the planet again by Oxmyx. Kirk manages to get back to Oxmyx's office and decides on a different course of action. In order to unite the planet, he becomes a slang-talking "boss" himself to convince the Iotians that his "outfit," the Federation, is tougher than they are, and to prove it they're taking over the planet themselves. Kirk forces Oxmyx to call all the other bosses and has Scotty beam them, one by one, to Bela's office. When the Iotians doubt the power of the Federation, Kirk has Scotty stun everyone involved in a shootout on the street below. In the end, Kirk manages to convince the Iotians to work together for the good of everyone. A planetwide government is established in terms that the Iotians can understand. When they return to the ship, Spock wonders how Kirk will explain to Starfleet that a ship will be sent each year to Iotia to collect the Federation's "cut," and McCoy is worried about the implications of leaving his communicator behind with the copycat Iotians.

19/01/1968    The Immunity Syndrome

Stardate 4307.1 - 4309.4

After a long and tiring patrol the Enterprise crew are due for shore leave, but a priority message from Starfleet ends all of that with orders to assist in a rescue operation. All contact has been lost with solar system Gamma 7A, and the Enterprise is ordered to investigate. As the ship heads toward that region of space, Spock suffers a severe mind jolt and insists that the starship Intrepid (NCC-1631), manned exclusively by Vulcans, has been destroyed. The Enterprise moves closer and discovers only a zone of darkness in an area once populated by an entire star system. Kirk decides to enter the zone to investigate. While inside, Scotty reports a power drain from engineering, and McCoy informs the captain that the entire crew is suffering from a unexplained life-draining phenomenon. Without the power to leave the zone of darkness, the ship continues to advance and soon discovers a giant spacegoing amoeba that uses planetary systems as sources of food and energy. Spock takes a shuttlecraft closer to the amoeba in order to investigate and attempt to find the amoeba's weak spot. He discovers that the amoeba is ready to reproduce, and everyone realizes the danger that this emplies. Kirk orders the ship closer in an effort to plant an anti-matter bomb at its nucleus. After planting the bomb, the Enterprise tries to move away. Spock's shuttlecraft is detected, and Kirk orders a tractor beam locked onto the small vessel. Energy levels, though, are falling too fast, and the ship runs out of power just as the bomb detonates. Luckily, the Enterprise and Spock's shuttlecraft escape just in time.

02/02/1968    A Private Little War

Stardate 4211.4 - 4211.8

Spock and McCoy beam down to a planet that Kirk surveyed 13 years ago. At that time the natives were primitive but peaceful. On this visit, however, he is shocked to learn that the village natives have developed flintlock firearms and are engaged in a war against the hill people. When the landing party is discovered, Spock is wounded and hurriedly beamed back to the Enterprise. Kirk returns to the planet with McCoy in an effort to contact the captain's old friend, Tyree, who is now the leader of the hill people. But just after their arrival, Kirk is attacked and bitten by a Mugato. McCoy finds the hill people and has Kirk taken to their camp. Nona, a Kahn-ut-tu witch doctor and Tyree's wife, is able to save Kirk's life during a healing ceremony. After a quick look inside the village, Kirk and McCoy discover that the Klingons are giving the villagers the flintlocks so that they can kill the hill people more effectively. Nona, seeing that the Enterprise officers have the means to give the hill people superior weapons, becomes angry when Kirk refuses to help in that manner. Instead, the captain believes that stability can be achieved if they arm the hill people with the same type of weapons that the Klingons give the villagers. His reasoning is that a balance of power is the only way to preserve both sides. Nona's ambition causes her to steal a phaser and give it to the villagers. The villagers, however, distrust her motives and kill her. Though she was greedy and lusting for power, Tyree loved her, and her death finally motivates him to fight. When Kirk contacts the ship McCoy learns that Spock survived the surgery and is healthy, much to the doctor's surprise. Tired and ready to leave, they both beam back to the ship.

09/02/1968    Return to Tomorrow

Stardate 4768.3 - 4770.3

When the Enterprise visits a long dead planet, a voice calls out to Kirk from deep under the planet's surface asking for assistance. The senior officers are skeptical of Sargon's intentions, but Kirk decides to help and beams down to investigate. The landing party finds three living, highly intelligent, but disembodied entities living inside globes. They are Sargon, his wife Thalassa, and his former enemy Henoch. The remainder of their race has died, and Sargon no longer sees his differences with Henoch to be of any importance. Sargon wants to build android bodies that will contain their intelligence so that they can travel the galaxy and help others avoid the problems that led to their demise. But, in order to perform this task, they need the dexterity of human bodies to build the androids, and Sargon manages to convince Kirk to allow them to use the bodies of the captain, Spock, and Dr. Mulhall for short periods of time. After centuries of being disembodied, the aliens enjoy their brief experiences with human sensations. Henoch, however, decides that he wants to keep Spock's body and poisons Kirk/Sargon so that he will not interfere. But Sargon escapes, using powers that Henoch is unaware of, and Kirk's body is kept alive in sickbay until his mind can be returned to it from the globe. Sargon then destroys the globes and tricks Henoch into leaving Spock's body. Henoch dies, and Spock's consciousness, safely stored inside Nurse Chapel, returns to his own body. Now realizing the temptations of occupying human bodies and the unappealing nature of living inside an android, Sargon and Thalassa willingly abandon their work and accept oblivion and whatever awaits them.

16/02/1968    Patterns of Force

Stardate 2534.0

The Enterprise arrives at the planet Ekos for a routine check and to report on the progress of famous historian John Gill who is stationed there as a cultural observer. Suddenly, the Enterprise is fired on with a nuclear missile, demonstrating technology that the Ekosians should not posses. Kirk and Spock beam down to investigate and find a society based on 20th Century Nazi Germany, complete with military uniforms, a fuhrer, and an ememy: the peaceful neighboring planet of Zeon. Kirk and Spock try to infiltrate the Nazi hierarchy but are captured in the attempt. With the help of the Zeon underground, the two manage to escape and learn that John Gill has violated the Prime Directive by becoming the Ekosian fuhrer. With the help of the underground, Kirk and Spock manage to get into Nazi headquarters to see John Gill but call on McCoy to help determine the historian's condition. McCoy discovers that Gill has been drugged and reluctantly gives him a stimulant so that Kirk can get some answers. Gill admits that he introduced Ekos to the order and discipline of Nazism in order to accelerate the development of their planet, but he had not counted on Melakon, the deputy fuhrer, seizing control and ordering the aggression against Zeon. With the help of more stimulants, Gill denounces Melakon and orders the cessation of hostilities but is immediately killed by Melakon who is then killed by a member of the Zeon underground. The Enterprise officers leave Ekos in the hands of those who plan to establish peaceful relations between the two planets and to reform Ekosian society.

23/02/1968    By Any Other Name

Stardate 4657.5 - 4658.9

Responding to a distress call from an Earth-like planet, a landing party from the Enterprise beams down to investigate. Soon, Kirk and the others learn that those responsible for the faked message are actually aliens from the Andromeda Galaxy sent out to scout for other galaxies to conquer. They managed to penetrate the energy barrier, but their ship was destroyed in the attempt. Now they need the Enterprise in their return trip to Andromeda, a voyage which will take 300 years and many generations of Kelvans to complete. The Kelvans are ruthless in their methods, planning to eventually return to this galaxy from Andromeda and conquer all other civilizations in their path. Kirk is unable to fight the paralysis field the Kelvans employ against them, and he seems willing to accept their fate. But once out of the galaxy, Kirk, Spock, McCoy, and Scotty, the only Enterprise crewmembers not reduced to crystalline form, discover a weakness in the Kelvan's plans. Because they were forced to take human form, the Kelvan's seem to show confusion over their newly acquired human senses and emotions. In order to save the ship, Kirk and the others work on giving the Kelvan's an overload to their senses. Scotty gets one of the Kelvans drunk while Kirk makes advances towards the Kelvan female, Kelinda, which makes the Kelvan leader, Rojan, extremely jealous. McCoy injects one of the other Kelvans with an irritant, claiming it to be vitamins, which causes him to be quarrelsome. A fight breaks out between Rojan and Kirk over Kelinda, and Kirk manages to convince Rojan that because of they're exposure to humans the Kelvan descendants that finally reach Andromeda will be so alien to other Kelvans that they will be considered invaders. Rojan accepts Kirk's offer of help from the Federation, and McCoy suggests that the planet they took refuge on would make a perfect place to begin their own colony.

01/03/1968    The Omega Glory

Upon approaching planet Omega IV, the Enterprise finds the missing starship Exeter (NCC-1672) in orbit but is unable to communicate with her. Kirk beams over with a landing party and finds all of the crew dead from a mysterious disease. After reviewing the chief surgeon's final log report which warns boarders not to carry the virus back to their ship, Kirk and the others hurriedly beam down to the planet. On Omega IV the landing party finds Captain Ron Tracey, commander of the Exeter, who has been living with a group of villagers called the Kohms since being stranded on the planet. But soon, Spock discovers that Tracey has also been violating the Prime Directive by killing hundreds of barbarian Yang raiders! Tracey takes the landing party captive and explains to Kirk that he believes Omega IV holds the secret to immortality and offers proof in the form of 1000 year old Kohn villagers. He then demands additional phasers from the Enterprise and forces McCoy to search for a longevity serum. But Kirk refuses to cooperate and is thrown into a cell with a Yang chieftain where he learns that Omega IV fought the devistating war that Earth avoided. McCoy eventually learns that exposure to the Omegan atmosphere kills the virus and that the inhabitants of Omega IV are long lived because they have evolved in that direction. Kirk and Tracey are forced to fight a duel to determine which side is good and which is evil. Kirk wins and, as the crew of The Enterprise arrive in time to save him and place Capt. Tracey under arrest, manages to convince the Yang leader, Cloud William, that the holy words and documents that they cherish must apply to everyone or they mean nothing. Cloud William does not fully understand but promises that the holy words will be obeyed.

08/03/1968    The Ultimate Computer

Stardate 4729.4 - 4731.3

Dr. Richard Daystrom has developed the next generation of computers, the M-5 Multitronic Unit, and Starfleet has ordered the device to be tested aboard the Enterprise. Once installed, tests begin with simple maneuvers and navigation problems, tasks which Kirk feel do not deserve the lavish attention given to the computer. After a mock engagement with the U.S.S. Lexington (NCC-1709) where the M-5 shows remarkable skill in defending the Enterprise, Commodore Wesley, the Lexington's commander, teases Kirk about being replaced by a computer. The performance of the M-5 pleases Daystrom, but at the same time Kirk feels uncomfortable about serving under a machine. The next test for the M-5 is an unexpected one in which the computer goes out of its way to destroy an ore freighter. Because of this unexplained behavior Kirk orders the M-5 deactivated, but the computer refuses to surrender control of he ship. A plan to cut off its power fails, and the bridge crew can only helplessly watch as the M-5 cripples a task force of four starships -- Hood (NCC-1703), Potemkin (NCC-1657), Excalibur (NCC-1664) and Lexington -- sent to further test the computer's capabilities. When one starship, Excalibur, is destroyed in the attack, Commodore Wesley is given the order to destroy the Enterprise in self-defense, and after Daystrom fails to convince his creation to stand down, Kirk uses the M-5's programmed sense of humanism to convince it that it has committed murder. The M-5 agrees and lowers the Enterprise shields so that the attacking force can easily destroy the Enterprise and thus itself. Kirk regains control but decides to gamble on Commodore Wesley's humanity and keep the shields lowered. Wesley calls off the attack, the M-5's plug is pulled, and Dr. Daystrom suffers an emotional breakdown.

15/03/1968    Bread and Circuses

Stardate 4040.7 - 4041.7

The S.S. Beagle, missing for six years, is found as debris near Planet IV of System 982. Kirk, Spock, and McCoy beam down to the planet to investigate and find a ragged group of fugitive slaves trying to stay hidden from the police. These "sun worshippers" distrust the landing party but soon discover that they are not a threat. Kirk informs them that he is looking for another group of strangers led by a man named Merik. Merikus is the First Citizen of the Empire, but Kirk is not sure if it is the same man. Pursuaded to help them find Merik and his crew, the leader of the fugitives sends Flavius, an ex-gladiator, to be their guide. The landing party, however, is soon captured and led into the city where they discover a civilization much like 20th century Earth, but culturally similar to ancient Rome. The landing party find Merik, now First Citizen Merikus, who six years ago abandoned his ship and beamed his crew down to the planet. Those who could adapt survived, and those who couldn't died in the arena games. Kirk is ordered by Proconsul Claudius Marcus to have his crew beamed down. When Kirk refuses, Claudius tries to have Spock and McCoy killed in the games, but his plan fails. The next morning, Kirk is scheduled for execution, but Scotty manages to disrupt the planet's power systems which gives Kirk the opportunity to free Spock and McCoy. Now knowing that he made the wrong decision, Merik uses a communicator to signal the Enterprise and have the landing party beamed to the ship. For his treachery, Merik is killed by Claudius Marcus. On the Enterprise, Uhura clears up the confusion surrounding the religion of the runaway slaves. After listening to radio broadcasts from the planet, she has learned that the ex-slaves are actually Christians worshipping the "Son" of God and not the "sun" in the sky.

29/03/1968    Assignment: Earth

The Enterprise is sent on a mission back to Earth in the year 1968 to discover details about how the planet survived the arms race. While in orbit, the ship intercepts a transporter beam from an unknown part of the galaxy and beams the space traveler aboard. Surprised by what has taken place, the man identifies himself as Gary Seven and claims to be a 20th Century Earthman raised on an unknown world and trained to prevent Earth from destroying itself. Kirk decides to verify Seven's story before releasing him, but Seven escapes and beams down to the planet below. Kirk and Spock follow him to New York City, and Seven meanwhile discovers that two of his fellow agents have been killed in a auto accident. Seven is forced to complete their mission himself which is to sabotage an orbital nuclear platform, just low enough in the atmosphere to scare Earth leaders into prohibiting additional nuclear space weapons. Just as Kirk and Spock arrive, Seven beams out of his office and materializes at the rocket base where the nuclear platform is scheduled to launch. As he works on the rocket, Seven is almost beamed back to the Enterprise until his well intentioned secretary Roberta Lincoln accidentally pulls him back to his New York office. Kirk and Spock follow, but Seven manages to convince Kirk that his motives are genuine and detonates the nuclear rocket before it comes down on the Asian continent. The landing party leave Gary Seven, his cat Isis, and Roberta Lincoln behind so that they can continue their crucial work in the 20th Century.