Stunts Biography - David Perna

McCoy is having a chat with Kirk when he points out that Spock has been acting rather strangely of late, even for him. Kirk is inclined to blow this off as nothing serious, but as the two pass by the First Officer's quarters they observe him yelling at Nurse Chapel, apparently in an angry rage. Spock demands to take some leave on Vulcan, pointing out that they can divert to the planet with the loss of only a few days. Kirk, however, notes that they are on the way to Altair VI, a planet with excellent shore facilities at which Spock can take his leave. When Spock practically begs Kirk to take him to Vulcan, the Captain accedes and orders the course change.

Unfortunately, the ship subsequently recieves a message from Starfleet. The inauguration ceremony they had been due to attend on Altair VI have been moved up by six days, giving them no time to divert to Vulcan. Kirk apologetically orders the ship back onto a straight line course.

Later on, after mulling over the situation in his quarters, Kirk calls up to the bridge and asks Chekov if they can still make the detour if they accelerate to maximum. A puzzled Chekov points out that they are already back on course for Vulcan, as ordered by Spock. Kirk takes Spock from the bridge and asks for an explanation, but whilst he does not deny that he ordered the course change Spock states that he has no memory of doing so. He refuses any further inquiry, which prompts Kirk to order him to sickbay for a full examination and change course back to Altair VI.

The results of the examination are startling - Spock's body chemistry is massively out of balance, and is growing worse. If the imbalance is not corrected soon then he will die. Since McCoy has no knowledge of the condition he has no idea how to cure it. Kirk talks to Spock and manages to convince him to explain. Spock states that Vulcans experience a periodic mating cycle which he calls the Pon Farr. Like many creatures, during this time Vulcans are compelled to return to their home to mate.

Kirk calls Starfleet and requests permission to divert to Vulcan, but this is refused point blank. He decides to divert anyway, judging that Starfleet is exaggerating the importance of the Altair VI inaguration. The ship heads off for Vulcan at Warp 8.

They arrive to be greeted by T'Pring, Spock's wife to be. Spock, Kirk and McCoy beam down to the planet for the ceremony, which is officiated over by T'Pau. A highly respected and important member of Vulcan society, T'Pau is and the only person ever to turn down the offer of a seat on the Federation Council. T'Pring arrives accompanied by Stonn, a pure-blooded Vulcan. However, as the ceremony gets underway she abruptly halts the proceedings, declining to go through with the marriage and invoking the koon-ut-kal-if-fee, her right to a physical challenge between her husband and a champion who will fight on her behalf. Surprisingly, she picks Kirk to be her champion.

Spock asks that T'Pau forbid the challenge, since Kirk "does not understand" what is happening, but T'Pau allows Kirk to decide, telling him another champion will be selected if he declines. Kirk accepts the challenge, reasoning that if he refuses then T'Pring will just pick Stonn as her champion since the two are obviously together. Whilst Stonn would probably win over the weakened Spock, Kirk figures that he can just throw the fight and let Spock win. Only after he accepts does he find that the fight is to the death.

Despite Spock's condition he is a formidable opponent, and appears to be quite skilled with the traditional Vulcan weapons they are using. Kirk, on the other hand, is fatigued by the intense heat and thin atmosphere of the planet. McCoy objects to the conditions, telling T'Pau that Kirk is seriously disadvantaged. He suggests he inject Kirk with a tri-ox compound to compensate for the thin air, which T'Pau allows. The combat continues but despite the injection Kirk is unable to compete with his First Officer and Spock is able to strangle him. McCoy pronounces the Captain dead and beams back to the Enterprise with Kirk's body.

Spock remains behind to discuss the outcome, asking T'Pring to explain her actions. She tells him that he has become much known amongst their people, practically a legend, and that she "did not wish to be the consort of a legend." She also developed a preference for Stonn, something Spock fails to understand. T'Pring points out that she could only legally end her arrangement with Spock through the koon-ut-kal-if-fee, but if she had chosen Stonn as her champion then Spock might well have killed him. By choosing Kirk there are only two outcomes; Kirk wins, in which case he is unlikely to want a complete stranger as his wife and so she will be free. Or Spock wins, in which case he may well free her anyway since she had resorted to the challenge. Either way, she would be able to be with Stonn. And even if Spock had won and then decided to hold her to the marriage, he would have gone back to his life in Starfleet leaving her behind with control of all of his land and property, "and Stonn would still be here". Thus she stood to gain no matter what the outcome. Spock congratulates her on her sound use of logic, and frees her to be with Stonn - though he points out that, logic or not, Stonn may find in time that marriage to T'Pring is not as satisfying as he might hope for.

Beaming back up, Spock announces that he intends to resign his commission and submit himself to Starfleet for disciplinary action. However, Captain Kirk proves to be alive and well - the injection McCoy gave him was a neuroparalyzer which simulated death. Spock cannot contain a moment of pure joy at seeing Kirk alive, though he subsequently denies this completely. He also notes that engaging in the combat on the surface has apparently resolved his biochemical imbalance, leaving him fit and well. Better still, a message from Starfleet indicates that T'Pau has intervened with the Federation, clearing Kirk of any negative consequences for his disobedience to orders in diverting to Vulcan. With the situation resolved, the ship proceeds on course.