Ep 15. Let That Be Your Last Battlefield

The Star Trek season 3 episode 15, Let That Be Your Last Battlefield, takes place on a planet called Cheron. The two inhabitants of the planet, Bele and Lokai, have been engaged in a bitter war for over 50,000 years. The planet has been completely destroyed due to their constant fighting, and the Enterprise is called in to respond to a distress signal from the planet.

When the Enterprise arrives, they beam down to the planet and encounter Bele and Lokai. Bele is a humanoid alien with half white and half black skin, while Lokai is also humanoid but with half black and half white skin. The crew soon discovers that the two are the last survivors of their respective races, and they have been fighting for centuries over the color of their skin.

While Bele believes that they should continue to fight until he can take Lokai back to their home planet to stand trial for his crimes against their race, Lokai argues that they should unite and work together, despite their differences. The crew of the Enterprise tries to reason with them, but their entrenched beliefs and hatred for each other make it almost impossible.

Meanwhile, the Enterprise is in danger as Bele attempts to take control of the ship to use it to find and capture Lokai. The crew must fight to stop him and prevent him from destroying the ship.

Throughout the episode, the crew of the Enterprise grapples with the concept of prejudice and the devastating effects it can have on society. The episode is a commentary on the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, where the skin color of an individual was often used as an excuse to discriminate and oppress.

In the end, the crew of the Enterprise is able to stop Bele and his attempts to destroy the ship, but the battle between Bele and Lokai continues on the planet. The episode ends with the Enterprise leaving the planet, and the crew discussing the futility of the conflict between Bele and Lokai, and how it ultimately led to their own destruction.

In Let That Be Your Last Battlefield, Star Trek examines the dangers of racial prejudice and how it can lead to the destruction of societies. Its message still resonates today and serves as a reminder that we must work to unite, rather than divide, in order to create a better world.