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"The Gamesters of Triskelion" is a second season episode of Star Trek: The Original Series first broadcast January 5, 1968. It is episode #46, written by Margaret Armen, and directed by Gene Nelson.
Quick Overview: Captain Kirk and his companions are sent to fight as gladiators for the gambling entertainment of three disembodied beings.
Kirk, Uhura, and Chekov are sent to fight in deadly arena games for The Gamesters of Triskelion. On stardate 3211.7, the starship USS Enterprise is on a routine inspection of an unmanned station at Gamma II. Captain James T. Kirk, Lt. Uhura and Mr. Chekov step into the ship's transporter to beam down, but suddenly, they vanish before the transporter can be activated. The three appear on their backs in a fenced in arena on an unknown planet. When they come to their feet, they find are surrounded by three humanoids of various species who attack them. The team tries to fire their phasers, but they are rendered useless.
The humanoid combatants pound them to the ground, but then a man appears, dressed in a black cloak, who ends the battle and congratulates Kirk's party on their performance. The being identifies himself as Galt, Master Thrall of Triskelion, and that he works for the "Providers", unseen masters who make wagers among themselves on the arena games. He informs the party that they will spend the rest of their lives as gladiators, having been chosen to fight for the master's entertainment. The team is fitted with metal collars that deliver severe pain if they disobey instructions, and they are then led to their holding cells.
Meanwhile the Enterprise scans for the whereabouts of the abducted crewmembers. Scans show no sign of them and the crew begins a search of all habitable planets in the system.
Back on Triskelion, Kirk and his team make plans for escape, but find Galt's power unbreakable. Any attempt to disobey results in a painful punishment brought on by their collars which they are unable to remove. The three are then introduced to their drill thralls who will service them and prepare them for gladiatorial combat. Chekov gets Tamoon, a husky sized woman with tiger like features. Uhura gets Lars, a handsome bronze-skinned male, and Kirk gets Shahna, a beautiful and shy woman with green hair who is exotically dressed in a silver outfit. Shahna is tough with Kirk at first but seems to have growing compassion for the Captain.
Shahna explains that the drill thralls will train them and once they are ready for competition they will be "auctioned off" between the Providers. Galt informs Kirk's group that they now belong to Provider One, and he does not tolerate failure or disobedience.
During training, Kirk finds time alone with Shahna, and he questions her about the Providers, however she is unwilling to answer. He tries to soften her up by telling her about the other planets he has visited and about the concepts of freedom. It seems to work, but when she responds she is shocked with pain from her collar. Galt suddenly appears and orders them back to their cells, while Kirk explains that he should have been punished, not her.
Back on the Enterprise Mr. Spock, Dr. McCoy, and Mr. Scott try to locate their Captain and missing crew. Against protest, Spock decides to follow a strange ion trail he suggests might have been produced by the transport beam that abducted the party. They follow the trail to the nearby M-24 Alpha system and resume their scans.
Back in Kirk's cell, Shahna expresses that she feels warmly about Kirk's earlier attempt at saving her, taking the blame for her punishment. Kirk takes advantage of her passionate embrace, catches her off guard, and knocks her unconscious. He then bolts from the cell and frees Chekov and Uhura. The three make a run for it but are stopped when Galt appears and activates their pain collars, driving them to the floor in agony.
The Enterprise makes orbit around Triskelon and Spock locates the missing team on the surface. Spock and McCoy attempt to beam down, but the ship is taken over by power beam activated by the Providers. Realizing his ship and crew are at stake, and that the Providers are "all hearing and all seeing" Kirk announces that he will make a wager that they can't refuse. He requests to meet with them in person, and he is suddenly transported below ground to a chamber filled with odd machinery. He finds a domed table in the center of the room and inside are three disembodied brains that glow from within.
The brains speak and identify themselves as the Providers, ancient beings of pure intellect that pass their time gambling between one another over inferior beings. They demand to hear Kirk's wager. He tells the brains he and his team can defeat the drill thralls. If they win, the brains must free the Enterprise and let the team, including all thralls, go. They must end their death games and use their knowledge to teach the thralls how to start a free society. If he loses, he promises a lifetime of entertainment in further competitions with the entire ship's crew.
The Providers express their desire to see Kirk dead, since he has been so troublesome, and they delightfully accept the bet only if Kirk takes on the thralls, alone. With no choice, Kirk agrees and the brains send him back to the arena. The combat begins and the Enterprise crew gets to watch the battle on the bridge viewscreen. Kirk manages to kill two of the thralls, and injures a third, but the Providers halt the game, and replace the injured warrior with Shahna. Both are reluctant to fight each other, but quick zaps from the pain collars force the contest to go on. Kirk is tired but manages to overpower Shahna and she surrenders. Kirk insists the fight is over and the Providers accept the outcome and allow Kirk and the others to go free.
Kirk lingers behind for a final kiss from Shahna and explains to her, that there will be no more games, and the Providers will help them start a free civilization.
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