The Trouble with Tribbles

When the U.S.S. Enterprise receives a top priority order to protect a shipment of quadrotriticale grain on Space Station K-7, Kirk is irritated to be guarding a shipment of "wheat." But the shipment is meant for famine-struck Sherman's Planet, and Klingon's are taking shore leave on the Space Station. Adding to Kirk's irritation is Federation Undersecretary for Agriculture, Nilz Barris and his pesty assistant, Arne Darvin who inform Kirk that Starfleet Command is afraid the Klingon's may try to steal the grain.

Another problem arises when space trader, Cyrano Jones, gives Uhura a purring ball of fluff known as a Tribble. Charmed by the creature, Uhura takes it back to the U.S.S. Enterprise. However, as McCoy soon learns, Tribbles are born pregnant and the more they eat... and they eat constantly... the more they multiply. Soon the starship is overrun by the furry creatures.

Kirk soon finds that the bins that were once full of the precious quadrotriticale are now full of dead Tribbles. The grain has been poisoned by a Klingon agent disguised as the Undersecretary's assistant. He's exposed when Kirk discovers that Tribbles don't like Klingon's (and vice versa) and squeak whenever they're in near proximity. The Klingons leave the space station and Scotty rids the U.S.S. Enterprise of the Tribbles by beaming them aboard the departing Klingon ship where, as he tells Kirk, "...they'll be no tribble at all."

Cast:

William Shatner as James Tiberius Kirk™

Leonard Nimoy as Spock™

DeForest Kelley as Leonard H. McCoy™

James Doohan as Montgomery Scott™

Nichelle Nichols as Uhura™

George Takei as Hikaru Sulu™

Walter Koenig as Pavel Andreievich Chekov™

Guest Cast:

Stanley Adams as Cyrano Jones

William Schallert as Nilz Baris

William Campbell as Capt. Koloth

Charlie Brill as Arne Darvin