War breaks out between the Federation and the Klingon Empire. Spock and Kirk are sent to establish a treaty with the residents of the planet Organia, which occupies a key strategic position. The Organians are complete pacifists who reject Kirk's diplomatic overtures, saying simply that the officers do not understand them. Then the Klingons arrive and take Organians hostage to force them to obey, and Kirk and Spock must work undercover to defeat them, even as the Organians' total disinclination to defend themselves disgusts the Federation officers. Both fleets move to engage in space above Organia, as the officers on the ground below prepare to do the same. And then something happens that changes everything...