 The Enterprise is on a diplomatic mission concerning two neighboring, bitterly rivaling planets in a region disputed between Federation and Klingon Empire, to prevent an interplanetary war. The Troyians have send the courteous ambassador Petri, the Elatians no lesser then their extremely arrogant dolmen (ruler),  Her Glory  Elaan, who is to wed the ruler of Troyius. Petri points out the voyage must be smooth but slow, as it is the only chance to tame the shrew or at least civilize the raging bitch enough to become an acceptable queen, or the alliance bet will only trigger war even sooner, spelling total destruction given recent arms technology. Kirk has a hard job ahead: she starts by refusing and insulting the royal wedding gifts, enough to inspire even Petri blood-thirst, but it s he who is stabbed by Elaan, so Kirk personally plays Petruchio. As if that weren t bad enough, a Klingon war ship is found to follow the Enterprise, and one of the Elatian bodyguards practices sabotage; Elaan resorts to her ultimate, biochemical weapon: touching tears of her race s fiendish females enslaves any man for life...