Originally Posted by genejockey

Transporter malfunction throws Kirk, McCoy, Uhura, and probably some poor red-shirted phaser-fodder into an alternative universe, where the Federation is the Empire, and the way you get promoted is to kill your superior officer.

The Tantalus device, IIRC, allows you to check up on your potential assassins and victims surreptitiously so you know who's about to gork you.