"I ripped my shirt again".

Jim Kirk had muttered those words to Montgomery Scott as he walked by him after being rescued from the "tiny critters". He did not know which situation had been worse…

Malenon and Feminon. Jim looked at Spock as they were responding to a call from the chancellor on the moon Malenon, who wanted to make a treaty with the beings on the moon Feminon. "I don't know anything about these moons," Jim said.

"I have never heard of these particular moons, Captain," Spock replied.

"The ones on Malenon fled there to escape the ones on Feminon. They wouldn't give me anymore specifics than that. They just want me to come and help them."

"I will be happy to accompany you, Jim."

"I definitely don't want to go down there by myself."

As they came into view of the two moons that orbited a large uninhabited planet, Jim was standing on the Bridge looking out the front viewport. The moons looked like two marbles hanging in space. One of them looked bluish with white wispy clouds around it, and the other looked rather pink. "Well, it looks peaceful enough," he said. "Any activity on the surface?"

"Nothing, Captain," Sulu replied. "No signs of any battles or anything."

"Okay then."

Jim looked at Spock. "You go ahead and take care of the ship," he said. "I don't think there's much to worry about."

"Are you certain, Captain?" Spock asked.

"Yeah. It doesn't look like anything's going on down there."

"I will be on the ship then."

"Uhura, hail the…moon, Malenon."

Uhura sent the hail, and they got an immediate response. "On screen," Jim said.

The chancellor from Malenon appeared on the view screen. "Captain Kirk, we are pleased that you have arrived," he said. "We are ready to receive you."

"I'll be down shortly," Jim replied.

The transmission ended. "Jim, I do believe these people are desperate," Spock said. "I believe there could be more to this than we see on the surface."

"I think it'll be alright, Spock."

Spock was not too sure of that, but he would not argue. Jim went on to the turbo lift and soon arrived at the transporter room. "You got the coordinates now, Mister Scott?" Jim asked.

"Yes sir," Scotty replied. "Ready for transport."

"Energize."

Jim was soon gone from the transporter pad. "Mister Scott, keep a constant lock on the captain," Spock said.

"Yes sir," Scotty replied.

Jim appeared on the moon, Malenon, and was greeted by the chancellor, Birvon, who looked like a normal humanoid, except that he wore heavy robes. He bowed. "Captain Kirk, we are honored that you have arrived," he said.

Jim returned the bow. "I hope I can help you," he replied.

"Come."

Jim went with him, looking around at the place as they went. He thought the planet looked very peaceful and beautiful, and did not look like there had been any wars fought there. "Chancellor, what is this treaty about?" he asked.

"We will discuss that in chambers, Captain," Birvon replied.

Jim thought he heard hammering going on somewhere, and he thought he could even hear the laughter of children playing somewhere. He also noticed that he did not see many women, but mostly men, and they all seemed to be wearing what looked like heavy, concealing clothing as well. He thought it was rather warm on the moon, and could not understand their clothing.

As they entered the council chambers, the temperature was suddenly cold. Jim almost shivered, but he tried not to react, although he thought he could almost see his breath. Birvon sat down at a table. "Have a seat, Captain," he said.

Jim sat down across from Birvon and resisted the urge to fold his arms. "Are you going to tell me what this is all about now?" he asked. "I don't see any signs of war."

"This is not about war, Captain."

"Oh." Jim could not resist folding his arms anymore.

"Oh, forgive me, Captain! You are cold." Birvon motioned to one of the others and they brought Jim one of the heavy garments like they were all wearing. He put it on, and was glad he would not have to freeze to death.

"Do you always keep it this cold?" Jim asked.

"Yes."

"So, what's going on around here? What's this treaty about?"

"It's about those inhabitants on Feminon. We want them to stop taking us as slaves."

Jim was dumbfounded for a moment. "They're taking you as slaves?" he asked.

"Yes. We want to have a choice whether we go or not!"

Jim was not sure how to respond to that. "Say that again?"

"It is our choice whether we go or not!"

"To be a slave? I think I'm missing something here."

"Captain, have you not noticed anything about our planet?"

"Well…I noticed there are no signs of war."

"Captain Kirk, as I said, this is not about war."

"Then what is it about?"

"That planet is full of women! They come over here and they take whomever they want as a mate!"

Jim just sat there a moment wondering if this was some sort of joke. "We want you to make a treaty with them, Captain," Birvon said.

"Me? Why haven't you talked to them?" Jim asked.

"We've tried. They think they have a right to take us when they feel like it."

Jim had thought he had been in some ridiculous situations, but he thought maybe this one would take the cake. "And you want me to go over there to a bunch of women and try to convince them to…" Jim did not know what he wanted to say. "Are they ugly?"

"No. They're quite beautiful."

"Well, why don't you try talking to them again? How do they get here?"

"They have a transporter. They can just come over here and once they choose a mate, they take him back."

"I take it these women are formidable?"

"Quite."

Jim thought they were exaggerating. "Are you sure you guys don't really want to go with them?" he asked.

"I didn't say that," Birvon said. "I said, we don't want to be kidnapped like slaves."

Jim shook his head. "I should have brought Bones along for this," he murmured to himself. "Okay. Do you think they'll talk to me?"

"For sure, Captain."

Jim absorbed that a moment. "You're not sending me over there as bait, are you?" he asked. "I just feel like there's something weird going on here."

"I assure you, we are telling you the truth, Captain."

"How can they come over here and choose someone without you seeing them?"

"The women here help them."

Jim thought this was getting worse all the time. "Well, why don't you go over there and choose one of them?" he asked. "Just choose one out and bring her over here."

"Well, that wouldn't be very gentleman-like, would it?" Birvon asked.

"I guess not, but they're not being very lady-like either, are they?"

"Are you going to talk to them or not?"

"I guess I will since I came all this way. Just give me a little time."

Jim went outside and looked around the place, and he realized two of the guards from inside the council chambers were following him. He thought the place was a normal-looking place, like most others he had seen where people lived. They were all humanoids, and he did not see anything unusual about them. He wondered if those women thought they had to kidnap the men. Maybe they thought they were being ignored. He almost laughed at that thought. He could remember a time when he might have enjoyed being kidnapped by a bunch of women, but not now. Why had these men moved to another planet? Were the women that aggressive? He should have asked more questions, but he supposed he could ask more later. He would take Uhura with him on this away mission.

Jim took out his communicator and started to call and tell Scotty to beam him up but then someone grabbed the communicator from him. "Don't do that, Captain," Birvon said.

"What?" Jim asked. "I was about to go back to my ship."

"If you go back, you will never return."

"Yes I will. I have to inform my crew about what's going on."

"Captain, we want to trade you to them. Then maybe they will leave us alone…at least for a while."

Jim's mouth dropped open. "Oh no. You're not trading me for anything. Give me back my communicator."

"Don't make us use force, Captain. We're desperate. You just don't know what goes on here."

"I don't want to find out either. Now, hand it over."

Jim wished that he had brought Spock along now. "You can't force me to go over there," he said. With that, he turned and ran down the street of the town. He could not believe he was running from something like this. It was simply ridiculous. How did he get into these things?

On the Enterprise, Scotty was noticing that he was having trouble keeping up with the captain. "Mister Spock, I think the captain has run into some trouble," he said over the intercom.

"Why?" Spock asked.

"He's running."

"Can you beam him up?"

"Not while he's running…hold on."

When Jim stopped, he was standing behind a large tree. "Come on, Scotty," he said. He was relieved when he saw that he was being beamed up to the ship.

"Captain, were you in trouble?" Scotty asked. "I saw that you were running, and I didn't think you were exercising."

"NO, I wasn't, Scotty," Jim said.

"What happened?"

"I don't know exactly. I have to talk to Spock."

Jim left the transporter room, and met Spock on his way to the Bridge. "Are you alright, Captain?" Spock asked.

"Yes," Jim said. "Tell me something…what would you do if you thought a bunch of women would be coming to kidnap you just any time?"

Spock scowled at that question. "I am not sure I understand your question, Jim."

"You know what they're wanting me to negotiate?"

"No."

"I think we should all go to the conference room, because I don't really want to have to tell this again. Just get everyone in there."

"Yes, Captain."