Sixties City: The Enterprise Incident

Romulan Commander
Joanne Linville

Subcommander Tal
Jack Donner

As if to confirm Dr. McCoy's concerns over the apparent stress and tension that his captain has recently been starting to exhibit, James Kirk orders the Enterprise to enter Romulan space for no apparent reason. In what seems like no time at all three Romulan D-7 battle cruisers* decloak, surrounding the Enterprise and ordering Kirk to surrender. Following Kirk's refusal and threat to destroy the ship if the Romulans try to board, their commander invites Kirk and Spock aboard her vessel, sending two of her own officers in return as 'hostages' to guarantee their safe return.

Kirk blames the incursion into Romulan space on a ship malfunction but Spock insists to the Romulan that he has lost the ability to command competently. Kirk is charged with espionage and sent to the brig and incurs an injury while trying to escape en route. Dr. McCoy declares the captain to be unfit for command, at which point Kirk unexpectedly attacks Spock who instinctively uses the Vulcan death grip on him and he dies instantly.

Kirk's body is taken back to the Enterprise where a seemingly miraculous recovery occurs. The whole charade has been for the benefit of the Romulans in order to carry out a mission to acquire a Romulan cloaking device. McCoy uses plastic surgery techniques to alter Kirk's appearance to that of a Romulan and he is secretly beamed back aboard the battle cruiser where Spock has managed to ascertain the location of the device. The Romulan commander tells Spock that she is very impressed by Spock and his Starfleet career. She tries to persuade him that he would be better rewarded working for the Romulan Empire and tries to persuade him to defect with her.

In order to give Kirk time to carry out his plan, Spock plays along with her ideas and, as a result of their lengthy conversation, even finds himself attracted to her. Kirk manages to gain access to the unit and disconnect it, beaming back to the Enterprise before the Romulans can track him down from his transmission. Chekov manages to locate Spock and starts to beam him back as well but the Romulan commander sees what is happening and, by grabbing hold of Spock, is also beamed back to the Enterprise.

She gives orders for her ships to fire on the Enterprise but, before they can get within firing range, Scotty completes the installation of the cloaking device and the Enterprise does a disappearing act, returning to Federation space and heading towards the nearest Starbase with two prizes instead of one.

* Ships of the Romulan Empire, including the D-7 battle cruisers, were decorated with an aggressive-looking bird which gave them the nickname 'birds of prey'. The D-7 ships were actually Klingon-built and acquired by the Romulans in exchange for cloaking technology. When their relationship later deteriorated the Romulans started building their own warships that were much larger and were designated as 'war birds'.