Sixties City: Day Of The Dove

Kang
Michael Ansara

Mara
Susan Howard

Lt. Johnson
David L. Ross

The Enterprise receives a signal from a human colony that is apparently under attack from an unidentified vessel. On arrival, Kirk leads a landing party down to the planet, but can find no signs of attack or, indeed, of a settlement. In orbit, the Enterprise detects an approaching Klingon ship that, as they watch, suffers a series of explosions leaving it 'dead' in space. The surviving Klingons, led by their commander, Kang, beam down to the planet and capture Kirk's landing party.

Kang denies any knowledge of an attack on a 'colony' but accuses Kirk of firing on his ship, unprovoked, and demands the immediate surrender of the Enterprise. Kirk pretends to agree but when they are beamed aboard the Klingons are held in the transporter pattern until security arrives, after which they are re-materialised and put under arrest. For no apparent reason the Enterprise goes into warp drive on a heading towards the edge of the galaxy. Emergency bulkheads on the ship close, leaving Kirk and some of the crew trapped with an equal number of Klingons.

Swords and knives are mysteriously provided for both sides and a series of primitive skirmishes follow. Kirk manages to fight his way to the bridge where Spock reports that he has detected an alien energy force on board. The Klingons capture Engineering and try to shut off life support to the rest of the Enterprise but the systems start up again seemingly by themselves. Even apparently mortally injured crewmen heal rapidly, keeping both sides evenly matched. Kirk and Spock come to the conclusion that the alien life force is using them all as its pawns in some strange war game.

The Enterprise crew, and even the Klingons, are exhibiting unusually violent, warlike tendencies and Chekov roams the ship seeking to exact revenge on the Klingons for the death of a non-existent brother. He corners a female Klingon called Mara who is Kang's wife, but she is rescued by Kirk before Chekov can kill her. She is concerned about what is going to happen to her and Kirk tries to convince her that the stories she has heard about Federation concentration camps are not true. He also tries to explain to her about the alien presence that he and Spock have detected aboard the ship and what appears to be happening to them but she remains unconvinced.

Outside sickbay, Kirk, Mara and Spock catch sight of the alien being, which appears to be feeding off the emotions of an enraged crewman, causing Mara to give some credence to Kirk's story. She takes him to Kang who also disbelieves the existence of the alien and starts to duel with Kirk. The alien appears before them, glowing brightly as it absorbs their negative emotions. Kirk asks Kang whether he wants to spend the next thousand lifetimes fighting just to satisfy the alien's desires. Kang sees no honour in this and a truce is agreed between them. To combat the alien they all start showing goodwill toward each other and use happiness and laughter to weaken it and eventually drive it from the Enterprise.