More Tribbles, More Troubles

TAS Season 1 Episode 5
Air Date: October 6th, 1973

Plot

The Enterprise is escorting a grain shipment to Sherman's planet when they run into a Klingon Battlecruiser attacking a small federation ship. They were too late to stop the ship from being destroyed but were able to transport the captain during the fight. The Klingons then use a new weapon on the Enterprise, a stasis field that disables phasers, torpedoes and engines. Kirk uses the grain ships to split the Klingon's efforts which causes the stasis field to come down. Now with weapons, the Enterprise can fight back and the Klingons run away.

The pilot of the small ship is none other then Cyrano Jones, the merchant who sold Tribbles in the episode The Trouble with Tribbles. This time he brought Tribbles on board that are not born pregnant so they don't pose a threat, but they do gain weight easier. He even found a predator that helped him clean up the last Tribble outbreak. Jones was being chased by the Klingons because he was selling Tribbles on a Klingon world.

The Enterprise has to take on the grain from one of the ships as it was damaged in the fight with the Klingons. The Klingons after regaining their power attack again only this time it attacks the other grain ship first, then the Enterprise. After a set of volleys between the two ships, the Klingons turn and run again without using the new weapon. The battle causes the grain shipment to spill and the Tribbles start eating the grain and growing.

The Klingons then come in and attack again, this time with the weapon. With the Enterprise disabled, the Captain Kolath of the Klingon ship demands that Jones is turned over. Kirk reluctantly refuses and uses "Emergency Plan B". Transport the Tribbles over to the Klingon ship.

Kolath starts singing a different tune and asks Kirk to at least give him the tribble predator, a prototype genetically engineered creature the Klingons made and Jones stole. Kirk sends it over and the Klingons release the Enterprise.

Quotes

"We can always throw rocks." - Uhura

"It is an energy-sapping field of great strength, Captain. It immobilizes a starship and its weapons capability. But apparently, it also immobilizes the attacking ship's abilities at the same time." - Spock
"Aye, and if that's true, then it's a weapon that leaves them as helpless as it does us." - Scotty
"I believe I just said that, Mister Scott." - Spock

"We can always throw Tribbles at them." - Spock

"That we have immobilized your ship worse than you have immobilized ours." - Kirk
"I doubt that. Our instruments report nothing except some undue transporter activity and (a tribble rolls behind him) Kirk? Tribbles?" - Koloth

"Aye, Captain. But you've got to admit, if we've got to have tribbles, it's best if all our tribbles are little ones." - Scotty