Balance of Terror ( episode ) The " Enterprise " battles a Romulan ship suspected of destroying outposts near the Neutral Zone . Summary . Teaser . Despite indications that Earth Outpost s 2 and 3 have disappeared , Captain James T . Kirk is officiating at a wedding between two crew members , Angela Martine and Robert Tomlinson . Everyone is all smiles when suddenly a klaxon interrupts the ceremony , including an announcement from Sulu for red alert and Captain Kirk to report to the bridge . Outpost 4 is under attack and the wedding ceremony is cut short as everyone runs to battle stations . Act One . The investigates in the vicinity of the Romulan Neutral Zone , where an unknown assailant is methodically destroying each of the Earth outposts bordering the Neutral Zone . Spock explains that the Romulan Neutral Zone was put into place after the Earth - Romulan War over a century ago . Neither race has had contact with the other since that time . One hundred years ago there were not even two - way visual communications , so neither side knows what the other looks like . Kirk then tells the crew that while defense is permitted , any act of aggression by the Federation would be considered an act of war by the Romulan s . Starfleet Command ' s orders are that if the situation becomes a choice between their survival or provoking a full - scale war with the Romulans , the " Enterprise " and its crew are to be considered expendable . Lieutenant is willing to intercept and attack Romulan vessels , but after a century , no one even knows what a Romulan ship looks like . Stiles shares his knowledge of ( and prejudice against ) Romulans , since a number of his relatives died in the Earth - Romulan war a century ago . " " Their " war , " Mr . Stiles , " " says Kirk . " " Not yours . " " Earth Outposts 2 and 3 are found to be destroyed , and the " Enterprise " briefly contacts Outpost 4 . The sole survivor of Outpost 4 , Commander , describes a powerful blast of energy from a ship they couldn ' t track , taking out Outposts 2 , 3 , and 8 . Hansen reports that the ship is making another pass at them – and the viewing screen goes blank . Spock tries to track the unknown ship but cannot pinpoint its location . He theorizes that the Romulans have some form of invisibility shield . Since the Romulan ship is moving around in a leisurely manner , Kirk theorizes that ship may not be aware of the " Enterprise " . Spock also reports that the ship is heading back towards the Romulan Neutral Zone , towards home . Despite objections from Stiles , Kirk orders a parallel course instead of an intercept course . By matching the unknown ship ' s course and speed , he hopes to make the " Enterprise " seem like an echo . Under no circumstances is the " Enterprise " to enter into the Romulan Neutral Zone without a direct order from Kirk . Stiles shocks everyone by declaring there could be Romulan spies on board the " Enterprise " . Kirk gives the order to maintain a security alert following a recommendation from Sulu . Uhura picks up a communication signal . Spock is able to tie into the Romulan ship and the " Enterprise " crew get their first look at the Romulans . Stiles notices the Romulan ' s physical resemblance to Spock by looking back accusingly at the Vulcan . Act Two . Attempts to interpret the Romulan signals are hampered by Stiles , who says Spock should have no trouble with decrypting them . Kirk tells him that he hopes Stiles refers to Spock ' s skill at decryption and orders him , " " Leave any bigotry in your quarters ; there ' s no room for it on the bridge . " " Meanwhile , on the bridge of the Romulan ship , the Romulan commander has noticed the " Enterprise " following them . He confers with someone known as the centurion , much as Kirk would confer with another officer on the ethics of their mission ; exposing the weakness of the Federation while risking interplanetary war . A Romulan officer named Decius reports to the commander as ordered . The commander rebukes Decius for his carelessness in dispatching a coded subspace message , violating orders for radio silence . The commander reduces Decius two steps in rank and dismisses him . His trusted centurion warns the commander that Decius has powerful friends who could be dangerous and that he should be careful . The Romulan captain quietly expresses distaste for the mission to the centurion , mirroring Kirk and Spock . The Romulan captain believes it is only a politically motivated attack , but they are Romulan officers , and they will complete their mission , come what may . Kirk holds a conference and Scott and Spock show how the outpost ' s protective shields , made from cast rodinium – the hardest substance known to Federation science – were reduced to crumbling by the unknown Romulan weapon . Scott reports that the Romulan ship has no warp power , only impulse . Stiles declares that the " Enterprise " has to attack . Since the Romulan ship is on the Federation side of the Romulan Neutral Zone , there would be no doubt that the Romulans broke the treaty . Stiles claims that running would only guarantee war , and his bigotry emerges in his arguments as he claims that the Romulans would attack with full force . Stiles also openly accuses Spock of being an " expert " on Romulans and purposely hiding that fact from the rest of the crew . Spock agrees with Stiles in that if the Romulans are indeed an offshoot of the Vulcan people who have not learned to choose logic over emotions , they are more dangerous than Kirk realizes and that attacking is the logical choice . After a moment , Kirk gives the order to attack . The " Enterprise " heads into battle at red alert . Act Three . Following the Romulan ship ' s path into a comet ' s tail , Kirk orders the " Enterprise " to jump forward and intercept the Romulan ship on the other side . The Romulan commander gives the order for his ship to double back to intercept the " Enterprise " . Each ship fails to intercept the other and both commanders reflect on the other ' s intelligence . A barrage of phaser fire damages the Romulan ship . The centurion pushes the Romulan commander out of the way of falling debris but is fatally injured himself . Meanwhile , the phaser circuits on the " Enterprise " burn out as the Romulan ship fires its primary weapon . Kirk orders full astern and as the " Enterprise " backs up , they find that the weapon has a range limit which causes the shot to partially dissipate , resulting in reduced impact . Determined to prevent the Romulan ship from reentering the Neutral Zone , Kirk orders another barrage of phaser fire . Unable to stop the Romulan ship , and aware of the consequences , Kirk orders the " Enterprise " into the Neutral Zone . Displaying restrained emotion as his friend dies , the Romulan commander orders all debris and , sadly , the body of his friend into the escape chute as a decoy . The " Enterprise " picks up the debris on the sensors but in doing so , loses track of the Romulan ship . Act Four . It has come down to a waiting game and both ships have powered down in the Neutral Zone to prevent detection . After the " Enterprise " has been powered down for 9 hours and 47 minutes , Kirk tries to rest in his quarters when Yeoman Rand enters and asks the captain if he would like something to eat from the galley . Kirk shakes his head and tells Rand to get him coffee and have it on the bridge , as he will be heading up there soon . Just then , Dr . McCoy arrives as Rand leaves . Kirk confesses that he wishes he were on a cruise somewhere with no responsibility . He admits to McCoy that when his crew looks to him to make the next move , he wonders , " " What if I ' m wrong ? " " McCoy struggles at first to come up with an answer to this and Kirk does not expect him to provide one . However , McCoy puts his hand on Kirk ' s shoulder and gently says , " " In this galaxy , there ' s a mathematical probability of three million Earth - type planets . And in all the universe , three million million galaxies like this . And in all of that , and perhaps more , only one of each of us . Don ' t destroy the one named Kirk . " " Later on the bridge , Spock , while making repairs , accidentally activates a panel , and the Romulan ship detects the " Enterprise " and moves in to attack . Kirk anticipates this and manages to fire on the Romulan ship . Furious , the Romulan commander orders more debris into the disposal tubes , including a nuclear warhead . Spock picks up the " metal - cased object " on his sensors and the " Enterprise " fires upon it . The massive explosion causes damage to the " Enterprise " but despite now having the upper hand , the Romulan commander decides to head for home . Scott reports that while phasers are operational , only Tomlinson , the groom from the wedding , is manning the station . Stiles quotes his experience with phasers and Kirk sends him down to assist . In an attempt to lure the Romulan ship back , the " Enterprise " plays dead . Despite his reservations , and the crippled status of his ship , the Romulan commander is reminded by Decius that it is the commander ' s duty to crush the enemy . The commander then reluctantly gives the order to attack . Meanwhile , Spock checks on the phaser crew and Stiles coldly remarks that they " " will handle things without your help , Vulcan " . " After Spock leaves however , a phaser coolant leak erupts . As the Romulan ship moves in to attack , Kirk gives the order to fire phasers . But both Tomlinson and Stiles have been overcome by the coolant fumes . Realizing the danger , Spock runs back and manages to fire the phasers in time , severely damaging the Romulan ship . Visual contact between ships is somehow established as Kirk watches a severely wounded Romulan commander stagger to his feet . The Romulan commander turns and looks upon Kirk ' s face . Despite Kirk ' s offer to beam aboard any survivors , the Romulan commander informs him that it is not the Romulan way . He then says , with admiration , " " I regret that we meet in this way . You and I are of a kind . In a different reality , I could have called you friend , " " and as the last part of his duty , he sets the Romulan ship to self - destruct . Kirk watches regretfully as the ship is destroyed . Kirk goes to sickbay and discovers that not only did Spock fire the phasers , he also rescued Stiles . Stiles is humbled and amazed that Spock saved his life after everything he had said to him . Unfortunately , Spock was unable to save Robert Tomlinson . Kirk is then forced to console his grief - stricken fiancée , Angela Martine , while she stands alone in the chapel . " " It never makes any sense . We both have to know that there was a reason , " " Kirk says softly to Martine . She tearfully assures the captain that she will be fine and leaves . Memorable quotes . " " Since the days of the first wooden vessels , all ship masters have had one happy privilege : that of uniting two people in the bonds of matrimony . " " " " I had no idea that history was your specialty . " " " " Family history . " " " " Their war , Mister Stiles . Not yours . " " " " Happy wedding day , almost . " " " " You won ' t get off my hook this easily . I ' m going to marry you , Mister . Battle or phaser weapons notwithstanding . " " " " Leave any bigotry in your quarters . There ' s no room for it on the bridge . " " " " That Earth outpost sent word to an Earth vessel , now it follows . " " " " Which neither retreats nor grows near , which turns as we turn . Commander , it is our judgment that we run from a reflection . " " " " Perhaps so , but " my " judgment prevails . " " " " He has friends . And friends of his kind mean power . And power is danger . " " " " Danger and I are old companions . " " " " Not too soon for me to see the stars of home . " " " " War is never imperative , Mister Spock . " " " " It is for them , doctor . Vulcan , like Earth , had " its " aggressive , colonizing period ; savage , even by Earth standards . And if the Romulans retained this martial philosophy , then weakness is something we dare not show . " " " " I wish I were on a long sea voyage somewhere . Not too much deck tennis , no frantic dancing . And no responsibility . " " " " In this galaxy , there ' s a mathematical probability of three million earth - type planets . . . and in all the universe , three million " million " galaxies like this one . And in all of that , and perhaps more , only one of each of us . Don ' t destroy the one named Kirk . " " " " He ' s a sorcerer , that one ! He reads the thoughts in my brain ! " " " " You and I are of a kind . In a different reality , I could have called you friend . " " " " We are creatures of duty , captain . I have lived my life by it . Just one more duty to perform . " " " " It never makes any sense . We both have to know that there was a reason . " " Links and references . References . 2156 ; 2160 ; Achilles ' heel ; Amen ; asteroid ; atomic weapon ; battle stations ; bearing ; best man ; bigotry ; blip ; book ; " Bones " ; briefing room ; candelabra ; casting ; centurion ; chapel ; cloaking system ; code ; coffee ; Command Base ; comet ; condition red ; control circuit ; couch ; Cryptography ; cycle ; damage report ; debris ; decode ; deflector shield ; disposal tube ; Earth ; Earth Outpost Station ; Earth - Romulan War ; emergency call ; escape maneuver one ; evasive maneuvers ; flagship ; fuel ; fuel reserve ; Galaxy Quadrant YX - 12 - 114 ; heading ; " Here Comes the Bride " ( aka " Bridal Chorus " ) ; Icarus IV ; impulse ; interception course ; invisibility screen ; iron ; junior officer ; lab ; lectern ; magnitude ; master ; match ; matrimony ; maximum warp ; meter ; mile ; Milky Way Galaxy ; mister ; motion sensor ; Neutral Zone Incursion ; nuclear warhead ; outpost station ; Outpost 1 ; Outpost 2 ; Outpost 3 ; Outpost 4 ; Outpost 5 ; Outpost 6 ; Outpost 7 ; Outpost 8 ; parallel course ; patrol ; phaser control room ( aka phaser room , phaser control ) ; phaser coolant ; phaser crew ; philosophy ; plasma ; plasma torpedo ; plastaform ; Praetor ; protective shield ; proximity fuse ; rank reduction ; Remus ; rodinium ; Romii ; Romulan Star Empire ; Romulan s ; ; Romulan Neutral Zone ; Romulan Praetor ; Romulan system ; Romulus ; rule of silence ; salute ; Sector Z - 6 ; security alert ; shipmaster ; sorcerer ; space recorder ; Space Service ; space vessel ; specialist ; speaker ; spy ; standby alert ; star sector ; ; Stiles family ; subspace radio ; superior officer ; " Table of Comets " ; tape ; telepathy ; television camera device ; tennis ; transfer coil ; viewing screen ; Vulcan s ; Vulcan ( planet ) ; Vulcan history ; weapons control ; weapons crew ; wooden vessel Unreferenced material . bird ; bull ; chest pain ; creature ; ; a medicine ; seat - harnesses ; terrier