Trial By Fire Trial By Fire was an unpublished script for Gold Key Comics due to the series being canceled . Summary . On its way out of Hub Station Six , the is contacted by Varrik Trine from the Orion Platform , and sets course for the platform . When they arrive , a large fireball is heading toward the station . Photon torpedo es are fired at the fireball , but to no effect . Spock determines that the fireball is on course for the planet Orgone . With Varrik in tow , the " Enterprise " heads toward the planet , and a landing party beam s down to the surface . On the surface , they encounter Talon , the leader - priest of the Orgonians . Captain Kirk tells Talon about the fireball , but Talon insists that it is merely a test of his magical powers and tells his guards to imprison the landing party . Aboard the " Enterprise " , Scotty and Spock are trying to find a way to stop the fireball . Lieutenant Uhura tries to contact Kirk on the planet , but is unsuccessful due to their capture . Meanwhile , Spock and Scotty decide to fire antimatter through the photon torpedo tubes at the fireball to attempt to stop it , however , when they do , the ship loses all power , and there is no effect on the fireball . On the planet , Talon collapses in pain and the party watches the fireball approach when it suddenly vanishes . Dr McCoy and Varrik are stunned . On the " Enterprise " , Spock reports that he is receiving new readings from the fireball and that it is changing . The " Enterprise " , however , has no shields . Spock tells Uhura to contact Starfleet Command . Back on the planet , Kirk appeals to the villagers to release the landing party and he contacts Spock . Spock reports that Varrik was involved in negotiations for Galactic Shares to purchase a portion of Orgone and was turned down . Kirk looks for Varrik and discovers that he has gone to Talon ' s hut . Kirk takes Byrne and Cockrum to the hut and finds McCoy waking up in a daze and Varrik preparing to murder Talon . Kirk confronts him and the two security guards grab Varrik . Kirk punches Varrik in the gut and accuses Varrik of sabotaging a ship that was testing a new starship fuel , thus creating the fireball . Aboard the " Exeter " , Kirk , Spock , and McCoy encounter an alien named Py ' nath Cyrgeth , corporate executor for Galactic Shares , Inc . Py ' nath tells Kirk that Varrik is going to be put into confinement and tested psychologically , and that his company will make things better with the Orgonians . With that , the two starships head toward Hub Station Six . Memorable quotes . " " I canna believe anyone would create such a thing ! " " " " It was apparently created by accident , Mr . Scott ! A momentary chemical mutation ! " " " " Aye ! And once you have this stuff , there ' s no gettin ' rid of it ! " " " " The fireball burned out – and my darlin ' ship help through it all ! " " " " Mr . Scott , I find your peristence in anthropomorphizing this vessel most puzzling ! " " " " No people have the right to stand in the way of essential Human progress ! " " " " You ' re mad ! Was the fireball progress ? " " " " He ; s over the edge , Jim ! You won ' t get any more out of him – I ' d best give him a sedative ! " "