- Kirk, Uhura and Chekov are trapped on a planet where abducted aliens are enslaved and trained to perform as gladiators for the amusement of bored, faceless aliens.
- Kirk, Uhura and Chekov find themselves suddenly transported light years across the galaxy to the planet Triskelion. There, they are trained as thralls, slaves who engage in gladiatorial combat for the pleasure of the Providers, three faceless beings who amuse themselves by wagering on the outcomes. Outfitted with collars that inflict pain for disobedience, the thralls are submissive and pliant. Kirk eventually challenges the Providers to a wager that will either result in freedom for all or a lifetime of slavery.—garykmcd
- When Kirk, Chekov and Uhura are in the transporter room, a unknown force diverts them to the planet Triskellion, where they find their phasers disabled and their communicators unable to reach help. They are subdued, fitted with painfully paralyzing collars of obedience, and declared lifelong thralls (slaves), to be trained, among members of various other planet races, as gladiators. Galt, the Master Thrall who controls their collars, is in the service of the Providers, three heard-but-unseen alien masters who own the 'herds' (slaves) in these games and wager on the outcomes for their amusement. As acting commander Spock tracks them down with difficulty, the earthlings impress their captors. Kirk works to arouse feelings and thoughts in his female drill instructor, which eventually enables him to confront the three Providers and strike a risky deal.—KGF Vissers
- Kirk, Chekov and Uhura are in the transporter room (about to beam to the surface of Planet GAMMA II), when an unknown force diverts them to the planet Triskellion, where they find their phasers disabled and their communicators unable to reach help.
They are subdued, fitted with painfully paralyzing collars of obedience, and declared lifelong thralls (slaves), to be trained, among members of various other planet races, as gladiators. Galt (Joseph Ruskin), the Master Thrall who controls their collars, is in the service of the Providers, three heard-but-unseen alien masters who own the 'herds' (slaves) in these games and wager on the outcomes for their amusement. Lars (Steve Sandor) is Uhura's drill thrall and tries to force himself on her but she resists. Tamoon (Jane Ross) is assigned to Chekov. Shahna (Angelique Pettyjohn) to Kirk. Shahna tells Kirk how the society on Triskellion works. The providers bid for the newcomers after they see their performance in training. Once the newcomers are bought, they fight on behalf of the providers and in exchange they take care of their Thralls. Only Galt can operate the collars of obedience.
Acting commander Spock starts to track his missing colleagues with difficulty. He asks Scotty to double check his equipment and then conducts 2 sweeps of the planet to check for any signs of human lifeforms. Their molecules are not floating in space as even that would show up on their sensors. There were no magnetic or ionic storms to cause interference. Spock eventually picks an ionization trail in a nearby Hydrogen cloud and follows it. On the Triskellion, the earthlings impress their captors (Kirk beats up his opponent, despite being tied behind his back. He was taking Uhura's place in a punishment given by Galt for disobeying his orders). Provider One bids 2000 Quatloos for the newcomers and wins them. 5000 Quatloos are bid that the newcomers will not be trainable and thus would have to be destroyed. The nearest star system is in M24 Alpha, which is 11.63 light years away from the current position of the Enterprise. Everyone on the ship thinks Spock is crazy to pursue this course of action. McCoy argues that their best chance of finding the missing crew is on GAMMA II
Kirk works to arouse feelings and thoughts in his female drill instructor Shahna, which eventually enables him to confront the three Providers. The providers have a mechanical voice that makes Kirk think that maybe the Providers are computers and not organics. Shahna says when it is time to increase the herd, the Providers will select a mate for her. He seduces Shahna when she brings him his food and then knocks her out, when her guard is down. He uses her keys to escape his cell, only for the Providers to use Galt and choke them again using their collars.
Just then the Enterprise enters orbit. Providers bar Spock from landing on the surface, but allow three way communication between them, Enterprise and Kirk. Kirk explains the nature of the slave society on the planet. Kirk tricks the Providers into transporting him to meet them. Kirk realizes that the Providers are the 3 brains who control a massive energy source underneath (1000 meters beneath the surface) the planet's surface. The providers explain that they evolved into a simpler physical form after eons of evolution. The Providers conclude that the humans would have to be destroyed as they know too much, but Kirk counters that the Federation will come looking for them and eventually destroy Triskellion. The Providers say they will destroy the Enterprise and hide it as a magnetic storm, so the Federation will never know.
Kirk makes a bet with the providers. He wagers his crew fighting against the Thralls. If they win, the Enterprise will be set free, and the Thralls will be granted freedom to establish their own society on the planet. If they lose, the entire crew of the Enterprise will become Thralls. The Providers accept but want Kirk alone to fight 3 thralls. One of his opponents is Shahna.. Kirk defeats his opponents and spares Shahna's life. The Providers honor their wager. Kirk says goodbye to Shahna, who is now free, and leaves with Chekov and Uhura.
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