Errand of Mercy ( episode ) Kirk and Spock try to protect the planet Organia from the Klingons , but the natives don ' t want the Federation ' s help . Summary . Teaser . Coded orders from Starfleet Command to the disclose that negotiations with the Klingon Empire are on the verge of collapse and that Starfleet expects a surprise attack . The " Enterprise " is ordered to Organia , a peaceful , class M planet in the disputed area , to prevent the Klingons from using it as a base of operations . En route , a Klingon vessel suddenly attacks the " Enterprise " with magnetic pulse s . Kirk orders the phaser bank s to lock on and return fire . After a brief weapons exchange , the " Enterprise " destroys the Klingon ship with a proximity blast set at a 100 % dispersal pattern . Lieutenant Uhura receives a Code One alert from Starfleet : War with the Klingons has begun and Captain Kirk resolves to reach Organia " " before the hammer falls " " , as the trigger has now been pulled . Act One . Assuming orbit , Kirk and Spock beam down to the planet , leaving Lieutenant Sulu in charge , with specific duties " " to the " Enterprise " , not to us " " and , if outnumbered , to avoid combat and immediately warn Starfleet . Upon beaming down to the surface of Organia , Kirk and Spock find a primitive , agrarian society whose people seem curiously unconcerned about visitors materializing within their midst . Ayelborne welcomes them , but tells Kirk " " we don ' t have anyone in authority . " " But , as Chairman of the Council of Elders , he invites them to the Council chambers . However , the councilors tell Kirk they have no need of protection nor defenses ; they do not believe the Klingon invasion poses any threat to their people or their culture or way of life . While they recess to discuss Kirk ' s offer , Spock discloses that the culture has not advanced for as far back as his tricorder can measure ; Organia is " " an arrested culture . " " The Council ' s discussions result in no change , and they can see no benefit to affiliation with the Federation . Then the Klingon fleet of D7 battle cruisers arrives – a fact councilor Trefayne somehow seems aware of before even Spock can confirm it with his tricorder , surprising him and Kirk . The " Enterprise " is forced to leave , stranding Kirk and Spock amid a Klingon occupation army , led by Kor . Act Two . The Organians provide Kirk and Spock with native clothing , but take their weapons . Kirk is now Baroner , a leading Organian citizen , while Spock is a Vulcan merchant dealing in keva s and trillium . But Kor considers Spock a spy , since Vulcan s are members of the Federation , and takes him in for questioning . When Kirk protests , Kor decides that Kirk is " " a man I can deal with " " as his liaison to the civil population . The examination , performed with the mind scanner , does not pierce Spock ' s pretense , and he is released . Kirk has been instructed in his duties as liaison , and both men are released to go about their business . Formulating a plan to fight against the Klingons , Kirk and Spock destroy a Klingon ammo dump – and find that the Organians are appalled by mere thought of violence . Kirk tells Ayelborne that the Organians can resist a military dictatorship , but Ayelborne replies that Kirk simply doesn ' t understand them . Unfortunately , Kor has the Council chamber under surveillance and hears everything . Act Three . Ayelborne , learning Kor ' s plan to interrogate Kirk with the mind sifter , reveals Kirk ' s identity . Betrayed , Kirk and Spock are taken prisoner and threatened . But Ayelborne remains placid , assuring Kirk that no harm will come of it . Kirk and Kor discuss their differing ideologies ; Kor is pleased that the universe is full of people who don ' t like the Klingons . Kirk is given twelve hours to answer questions about Starfleet ' s starship deployments ; otherwise , he will be subjected to the mind sifter , becoming a vegetable , and Spock will be dissected to determine how he can resist it . Kirk tells Kor he will need a lot more than twelve hours to get the necessary information out of him . Kor tells Kirk that he will get the necessary information from him at the designated time as war is a game that the Klingons intend to win . With just over six hours left , the cell door opens , but it is Ayelborne , offering them safe passage back to the Council chambers , where he assures them the Klingons will not come . Kirk cannot understand how their betrayer is now their rescuer . He does not initially trust Ayelborne , but as the Organian informs him he has very little choice . When asked where the two Klingon guards are , Ayelborne simply states nothing happened to them . When informed of the escape by his lieutenant , Kor is furious . The Klingon officer reports that the two Klingon guards were simply not there with no other exit . Kor gives a Special Occupation Order 4 . Kirk , Spock and the Organians hear disruptor fire and , on the loudspeakers , that hostages will be killed : two hundred immediately , and two hundred more at two hour intervals until the " Federation spies " are returned . Act Four . Kirk plans a suicide assault on Kor ' s stronghold that evening to save Organian lives . The Council returns the officers ' phaser s , then confer privately that , " " Of course , we cannot allow it . " " Darkness falls , and Kirk and Spock begin their assault , resolving to stun and not kill , as " " we ' re after the top dog . " " They disable Kor ' s lieutenant and gain entry to Kor ' s office . Kirk doesn ' t plan to kill Kor ; Kor wants to discuss the prospects for war , on the surface and in space . For example , even Kor ' s office is under surveillance . But , as Klingon troops stream in , everyone ' s weapons become too hot to handle – and the same is true on every ship in both warring fleets . Ayelborne and Claymare enter Kor ' s office , apologize for being forced to intervene , but announce that they " have " put a stop to the violence . Ayelborne states that , as he stands before Kirk and Kor , he also stands on their respective homeworlds , Earth and Qo ' noS . Both sides must agree to cease hostilities , or their armed forces will be immobilized . While insisting that nobody wants war , Kirk seems equally annoyed at its interruption as is Kor . He states they have legitimate grievances and that they have a right to handle it as they see fit . Ayelborne tells them that in the future , their races will eventually become fast friends and will work together , which Kor finds unbelievable . Claymare says the visitors ' discordant emotions require that they must leave . Ayelborne discloses that the Organians are millions of years beyond the need for physical bodies . They have evolved into advanced and powerful energy beings , and the outward appearance of Organia was solely to provide points of reference for visitors . Ayelborne and Claymare disappear , turning into very bright pure energy , Kirk turns to Kor and tells him it looks like they will not be going to war after all . " " A shame , captain . It would have been " glorious " , the Klingon commander states . Back on board the " Enterprise " , Kirk admits to Spock at being embarrassed that he was furious with the Organians from preventing a war with the Klingons – a war he did not want . Kirk tells Spock that they often think of themselves as the most powerful force in the universe , it ' s unsettling to find out they ultimately are not . Spock tells Kirk that he and himself have no reason to be embarrassed ; it took millions of years for the Organians to evolve into what they are now . Spock points out that even the god s did not come into being overnight . Spock also says that at least they beat the odds in not dying on the planet . Kirk tells Spock he is wrong , they didn ' t have a chance at beating the odds . " " The Organians raided the game . " " Memorable quotes . " " War . We didn ' t want it , but we ' ve got it . " " " " Curious how often you Humans manage to obtain that which you do not want . " " " " I ' m a soldier , not a diplomat . I can only tell you the truth . " " " " Have we a ram among the sheep ? " " " " I don ' t trust men who smile too much . " " " " You don ' t have to be sheep . You can be wolves . " " " " Always it is the brave ones who die . The soldiers . " " " " What would you say the odds on our getting out of here ? " " " " Difficult to be precise , captain . I should say approximately 7 , 824 . 7 to one . " " " Difficult " to be precise ? " " " " Today we conquer ! Oh , if someday we are defeated . . . well . . . war has its fortunes . Good and bad . " " " " We have the right – " " " " To wage war , captain ? To kill millions of innocent people ? To destroy life on a planetary scale ? Is that what you ' re defending ? " " " " It is true that in the future , you and the Klingons will become fast friends . You will work together . " " " " I should say the Organians are as far above us on the evolutionary scale as we are above the amoeba . " " " " Well , commander , I guess that takes care of the war . Obviously the Organians aren ' t going to let us fight . " " < br > " " A shame , captain . It would have been glorious . " " " " Even the gods did not spring into being overnight . " " " " You and I have nothing to be embarrassed of . We did , after all , beat the odds . " " < br > " " Oh no , Mr . Spock , we didn ' t beat the odds , we didn ' t have a chance . The Organians raided the game . " " Background information . Remastered information . The remastered version of " Errand of Mercy " aired in many North American markets during the weekend of . The episode was heavy in new effects , with unique CG shots of Organia from orbit , replacing the stock footage used to represent other planets including Alfa 177 , M - 113 , and Gothos . The Klingon battle was significantly expanded , with shots of a fleet of battle cruiser s bombarding the " Enterprise " with blue - colored weapons fire . The Organians themselves were also modified , with more refined computer graphics inserted into the episode that remained true to their original appearance . Links and references . References . Millions of years ago ; Tens of thousands of years ago ; all - points relay ; amoeba ; antimatter pod s ; Armenia ; arrested culture ; backbone ; Baroner ; base ; battle stations ; Belgium ; ; castle ; chairman ; checkmate ; chemical explosive ; citadel ; Class M ; Code One alert ; coded directive ; Commander ; communications device ; confiscation ; council chambers ; Council of Elders ; crate ; ; damage control ; damage report ; deflector screen ( aka automatic deflector screen ) ; delayed - action fuse ; democratic body ; diplomat ; disease ; dissection ; ( top ) dog ; Earth ; enemy alien ; engineering control ; environmental control ; evolution ; evolutionary scale ; examination room ; ; first officer ; fleet ( aka star fleet ) ; fortress ; game ; general alert ; gods ; guard ; hammer ; hostage ; Human ; humanoid ; hunger ; hunter ; ideology ; incorporeal ; intuition ; invasion ; keva s ; killer ; Klingon attack ship ; Klingon Empire ; labor camp ; Lieutenant ; logic ; magnetic pulse ; material transmission unit ( aka transporter ) ; mechanization ; mental vegetable ; merchant ; military dictatorship ; military governor ; Milky Way Galaxy ; mind scanner ( aka mind ripper , mind sifter , truth finder ) ; money ; munitions dump ; negotiation ; occupation army ; odds ; Organia ; Organian ; Organian goat ; Organian Peace Treaty ; pack ; penal planet ; phaser ; phaser bank ; phaser crew ; population ; predator ; public facility ; Qo ' noS ; quadrant ; quarterly physical ; ram ; reward ; Richter ' s scale of cultures ; saboteur ; science ; school ; screens ; sheep ; slave labor ; smile ; soldier ; sonic grenade ; space vehicle ; Special Occupation Order 4 ; specialist ; spy ; standard orbit ; Starfleet Command ; storekeeper ; technician ; tiger ; toast ; tongue ; trader ; tree ; tricorder ; trigger ; trillium ; Unit XY - 75847 ; United Federation of Planets ; village ; Vulcan ( Vulcanian ) ; Vulcan ( planet ) ; Vulcan neck pinch ; war ; wolves