1.23 A Taste of Armageddon

The Enterprise is ordered to orbit the planet of Eminiar VII for a diplomatic mission. While it orbits the planet, the crew aboard the ship is marked for death after a computer simulated attack hits it. Spock and Kirk must find a way to save their crew.

Plot Summary
The council The council

On their voyage, the Enterprise picks up Ambassador Robert Fox who traveling to Eminiar VII to establish relations between the planet and Earth. When the ship receives a warning from the planet to stay away, Robert Fox pressures Kirk to get within orbit of the planet. Kirk and landing party are beamed down to the planet. They are met by a beautiful woman named Mea 3. She takes them to the council room where they meet Anan 7, the head councilman. Anan informs them that Eminiar VII is at war with a nearby planet called Vendikar. However, the planet sustains no damage from the war. Anan 7 explains that they have avoided the destruction of war by fighting with computers. When someone is hit with a theological attack, they are recorded as dead and the casualties willingly head to the disintegration chambers to die. Disintegration Chamber Disintegration Chamber

Anan tells Kirk that his ship has been marked for death and asks him to order his order to beam down to the planet for disintegration. Kirk refuses and is taken captive. Anan 7 records Kirk's voice and sends a phony message to trick the Enterprise into landing. However, Scotty sees through their ploy and refuses to do so. Meanwhile, Kirk and the others free themselves and destroy a disintegrator. Anan 6 tries once again to trick Scotty by feigning a request for peaceful negotiations. Scotty refuses again, but Ambassador Fox beams down. He is captured on arrival and taken to the disintegrator. Kirk is also captured and held in the council room. Spock and the others soon free Fox and head to the council room in order to free Kirk. More explosions! More explosions!

When Spock and the other find the council room, they are surprised that Kirk not onyl freed himself, but has situation on the control. With help from Spock, Kirk destroys the computers, and frees the planet from the agreement with the neighboring planet dictating that each planet must do war with computers and disintegration chambers. With the agreement undone, Anan laments they each planet will soon use real weapons. Kirk tells them that they have made war too war too theoretical and cold. He advises them that if they do not want to experience the true horrors of war, they must make peace. Ambassador Fox volunteers to stay behind to work out negotiations between the two planets.

Production Notes
Since Star Trek had a tight budget, they had to reuse elements from other episodes. For example, one wall was used from the "The Menagerie; the doors to the hallways were used from "What Are Little Girls Made Of." They disguised the look of the doors and the hallways by setting a different light on them so the hallways from this episode would look distinguished from when it was used in "What Are Little Girls Made Of."