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Changes: Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country

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* This is the first Trek movie since ''[[Star Trek: The Motion Picture]]'' to feature no footage from previous films. The bird-of-prey explosion from this film would later be used in ''[[Star Trek: Deep Space Nine]]'' and ''[[Star Trek Generations]]''.
  
* This is the first Trek movie since ''[[Star Trek: The Motion Picture]]'' to feature no footage from previous films. The bird-of-prey explosion from this film would later be used in ''[[Star Trek: Deep Space Nine]]'' and ''[[Star Trek Generations]]''.
 
:''On the contrary, at least one VFX shot is reused: the forward view of the [[USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-A)|''Enterprise'']] inside Spacedock as she ramps up to one-quarter impulse power (the same visual was also used in [[Star Trek V: The Final Frontier]] during Scotty's "shakedown cruise" report).''
  
:''On the contrary, at least one VFX shot is reused: the forward view of the [[USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-A)|''Enterprise'']] inside Spacedock as she ramps up to one-quarter impulse power (the same visual was also used in [[Star Trek V: The Final Frontier]] during Scotty's "shakedown cruise" report).''
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* For some unknown reason, the art on the label for the Special Features disk of the Special Collectors Edition features an upside-down closeup image of the [[USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-B)|''Enterprise''-B]] from the film [[Star Trek Generations]].
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* For some unknown reason, the art on the label for the Special Features disc of the Special Collectors Edition features an upside-down closeup image of the [[USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-B)|''Enterprise''-B]] from the film [[Star Trek Generations]].
 
* During the dinner scene, Kirk states about having [[Romulan ale]] on the menu as being ''"One of the advantages of being a thousand [[light year]]s from [[Starfleet Headquarters|Federation Headquarters]]."'' Given that 78 years later, a faster and more advanced [[USS Voyager]] would expect to take 70 years to travel 70,000 light years, one may infer that it would take far longer than a year for the Enterprise to reach the rendezvous point with [[Kronos One]]. However, he could be exaggerating being that since the Klingons are enemies of the Federation, it could seem as if they're one thousand light years from home.
  
* During the dinner scene, Kirk states about having [[Romulan ale]] on the menu as being ''"One of the advantages of being a thousand [[light year]]s from [[Starfleet Headquarters|Federation Headquarters]]."'' Given that 78 years later, a faster and more advanced [[USS Voyager]] would expect to take 70 years to travel 70,000 light years, one may infer that it would take far longer than a year for the Enterprise to reach the rendezvous point with [[Kronos One]]. However, he could be exaggerating being that since the Klingons are enemies of the Federation, it could seem as if they're one thousand light years from home.
 
* During the scene where Spock and Scotty discuss that every torpedo aboard has been accounted for, as the two turn a corner, Kim Cattrall can be seen waiting to slide down the pole. This can either be a blooper or Valeris is eavesdropping on the conversation.
  
* During the scene where Spock and Scotty discuss that every torpedo aboard has been accounted for, as the two turn a corner, Kim Cattrall can be seen waiting to slide down the pole. This can either be a blooper or Valeris is eavesdropping on the conversation.

Revision as of 18:18, 14 June 2007

"The battle for peace has begun."

With his world facing extinction, the Chancellor of the Klingon Empire asks for peace negotiations with the Federation -- but factions on both sides may instead ignite an interstellar war as the sun sets on a historic era.

Summary

A massive explosion erupts which is followed by a subspace shockwave which reaches out through the local area of the galaxy.

USS Excelsior

Stardate 9521.6, Captain's log, USS Excelsior, Hikaru Sulu commanding. After three years, I have completed my first assignment as master of this vessel, charting gaseous planetary anomalies in Beta Quadrant. We're heading home under full impulse power. I'm pleased to report that ship and crew have functioned well.

Sulu reads a report from his science officer, Valtane, which tells him they've completed their survey of the sector. Suddenly the ship begins shaking. Valtane reports an energy wave approaching Excelsior. When Sulu sees it on visual he is astounded at the size of the shockwave. Sulu shouts for shields to be raised just in time before the ship is hit and rocked hard by the shockwave. After the shockwave passes, Sulu asks Valtane what happened and Valtane figures out the location of the explosion and he realizes it is Praxis, a Klingon moon. Sulu notes that Praxis is the key energy production facility for the entire Klingon Empire. Sulu tells his communications officer, Lieutenant JG Janice Rand, to signal the Klingon High Command and offers assistance. While they are waiting, Sulu asks if Valtane has any more information. Valtane can confirm the location of Praxis, but as it turns out, he cannot confirm the existence of Praxis. Sulu orders the image on the viewer, and less than a quarter of the moon is remaining. Initially, Rand receives a distress signal from Praxis, but it is blocked by a transmission from Qo'noS. The man on the screen is Brigadier General Kerla who explains he is speaking for the High Command. He admits there has been an "incident" on Praxis, but that everything is under control and they have no need of assistance. He tells Sulu to obey treaty stipulations and remain outside the Neutral Zone. Rand asks Sulu if they should notify Starfleet and Sulu, in disbelief, simply answers: "Are you kidding?!"

Starfleet Command

Two months later, on Earth, the senior crew of the Enterprise assembles for a meeting at Starfleet Command. Captain Kirk wonders what they're all doing there. Dr. McCoy wonders if perhaps Starfleet is throwing a retirement party for them. Scotty says that's fine as he's just bought a boat. Uhura says this had better be good as she's supposed to be chairing a seminar at the Academy. McCoy wonders where Sulu is since they're all assembled. Kirk reminds McCoy that Captain Sulu is on assignment and then wonders where Spock is. Once everyone is seated, an officer tells the assembled officers and staff that the briefing they're about to get is classified and then introduces the C-in-C. He then tells everyone rather bluntly that the Klingon Empire has roughly fifty years of life left to it and for full details he's turning the briefing over to the Federation special envoy. The envoy walks the length of the table and when he reaches the podium, he is revealed to be Spock. Spock announces that two months previously a Federation starship monitored an explosion on the Klingon moon Praxis and that the explosion has caused a deadly pollution of the planet's ozone. Spock then reveals that at the behest of the Vulcan ambassador he has opened a dialog with Gorkon, the Klingon Chancellor. Spock says that Gorkon proposes to commence negotiations at once for the dismantling of space stations and starbases along the Neutral Zone, for an end to almost seventy years of hostilities that the Klingons can no longer afford. The C-in-C is asked if this means mothballing the starfleet. He answers that those programs will not likely be affected. Before he can explain further, he is interrupted by a protest from Admiral Cartwright who says that offering Klingons safe haven in Federation space is tantamount to suicide and that dismantling the fleet would be leaving them defenseless before the Klingons. Cartwright suggests using military force to bring the Klingons to their knees and then dictate terms from a far superior position. Kirk tells the C-in-C that he must agree with Cartwright because this is a terrifying idea and that the Klingons have never been trustworthy. Spock says they must act now to support the Gorkon initiative before more conservative elements can seize control of the Empire and try to fight to the death.

The C-in-C tells Kirk that he will be the Federation's first "olive branch." Spock announces that the Enterprise crew has volunteered to rendezvous with the chancellor's ship and then escort him through Federation space to the peace meeting on Earth. The C-in-C tells Kirk that like him and Admiral Cartwright, there are Klingons who feel the same way about a peace treaty between the Klingons and the Federation, but when they see the Enterprise under Kirk's command, they'll think twice about attacking it. Spock tells Kirk he has personally vouched for Kirk in this matter, which only serves to further outrage Kirk. The C-in-C tells Kirk to extend Chancellor Gorkon full diplomatic courtesy and then interrupts and overrides Kirk's protests by wishing the crew Godspeed and reminding everyone the briefing is classified.

Cartwright steps up and taps Kirk on the shoulder: "I don't know whether to congratulate you or not, Jim." McCoy knows the answer immediately. "I wouldn't."

At that point, Kirk is left alone with Spock. Kirk angrily asks "we volunteered?!" Spock tells Kirk of an old Vulcan proverb, "only Nixon can go to China." Kirk is angry with Spock for volunteering him and vouching for him. Kirk calls it "arrogant presumption." Kirk is angry because Spock knows how Kirk feels about the Klingons. Kirk calls them "animals" and warns Spock not to believe or trust them. Spock tells Kirk they're dying and before Kirk can think, he coldly remarks "let them die!" He quickly regains his composure, not really meaning to say that, and then asks Spock if he's remembered that the crew is due to stand down in three months, saying that "we've done our bit for king and country" and tells Spock that he should have trusted Kirk. The two old friends are left standing silently in the briefing room.

Spacedock/USS Enterprise

Captain Kirk and party are ferried to spacedock, and board the Enterprise. Arriving on the bridge, Kirk, Spock and McCoy meet Lieutenant Valeris, who explains that she heard the Enterprise needed a helmsman so she volunteered. Spock tells Valeris it is agreeable to see her again and then tells Kirk that Valeris was the first Vulcan to be graduated at the top of her class. When Kirk suggests that she must be very proud, Valeris says I don't think so, sir" and McCoy can only remark "She's a Vulcan, all right." Kirk orders everyone to stations and has Uhura contact the dock master to get clearance to depart. Clearance is granted and as Valeris prepares to engage thrusters to take them out, Kirk overrides her and commands one quarter impulse power. Valeris turns and reminds Kirk that "regulations specify thrusters only while in spacedock." Uhura tsks quietly to herself and Spock turns and harrumphes at Valeris. Kirk tells her she heard his order and she turns to obey. At one quarter impulse power the Enterprise departs spacedock and departs the Sol system to rendezvous with Gorkon's battle cruiser, Qo'noS One.

USS Enterprise/Qo'noS One

Captain's log, stardate 9522.6. I've never trusted Klingons, and I never will. I can never forgive them for the death of my boy. It seems to me our mission to escort the Chancellor of the Klingon High Council to a peace summit is problematic at best. Spock says this could be an historic occasion and I'd like to believe him. But how on Earth can history get past people like me?

In his quarters, Kirk is unpacking and putting his uniforms away when he is interrupted by Valeris, who just seems to have walked in. She tells Kirk they are almost at the rendezvous. Valeris tells Kirk it is an honor to serve with him. Kirk tells her she piloted well out of spacedock and Valeris says that she had always wanted to try that.

In Spock's quarters later, Spock, wearing a Vulcan cloak, is preparing some kind of drink. He tells Valeris (who apparently came to see him after departing Kirk's quarters) that as her sponsor at the Academy, he has been satisfied with her career and that as a Vulcan, she has exceeded his expectations. Valeris is looking at a painting and does not understand it. Spock tells her it is a depiction from ancient Earth mythology called "The Expulsion from Paradise." Valeris asks Spock why he has it and he explains it reminds him that all things must end. Valeris says that, while addressing Spock as a kindred intellect, it is of endings that she wishes to speak and asks Spock if he realizes the turning point that the Federation has reached in its affairs. Spock tells Valeris that history is loaded with turning points and she must have faith that the universe will unfold as it should. When Valeris asks if that is logical, Spock points out a simple fact that has taken him a lifetime to learn, and that is that logic is only the beginning of wisdom and not the end. Spock then tells Valeris that this will be his final voyage on board Enterprise as a member of the crew and that he intends Valeris to replace him as he offers her the drink he has made. As she drinks from it and hands it back to Spock to drink from, she tells him that she could only succeed him. At that point, the announcement is made that a Klingon battlecruiser has arrived.

Upon rendezvous with Gorkon, Captain Kirk reluctantly, but formally invites the Chancellor and his staff to have dinner onboard the Enterprise at 1930 hours. As Kirk prepares to walk off the bridge, he strolls by Spock and says quietly to him "I hope you're happy." Valeris then suggests opening up the supply of Romulan ale that is aboard, thinking it may help the evening progress more smoothly. Kirk agrees to the suggestion and then leaves the bridge.

Later, in the transporter room, Kirk, Spock, McCoy and Scotty are on hand to greet Gorkon and his party. Kirk is cordial to Gorkon as he introduces himself and Spock to the chancellor. Gorkon tells Spock he has the chancellor's thanks for his help in this matter. Gorkon then introduces his daughter, Azetbur, his military advisor Brigadier Kerla and General Chang, his chief of staff. Chang tells Kirk that he's always wanted to meet Kirk, with sincere admiration, from one warrior to another. Kirk isn't really buying it though. He then conducts the chancellor and party on a brief tour of the Enterprise. After they leave, the two guards at the door begin talking amongst themselves rather pejoratively about the Klingons and are interrupted by Valeris, who asks if they have work. They say they do and she tells them to "snap to it."

Shortly afterward, both Kirk and Gorkon's staff dine together. Gorkon gives a toast to the undiscovered country, which he describes as the future. Spock recognizes the line from Hamlet and Gorkon tells Spock that one has never read Shakespeare until reading him in the original Klingon. Kerla tells Kirk he thought Romulan ale was illegal and Kirk replies it's an advantage bing a thousand light years from Federation headquarters. McCoy offers a toast to Gorkon, calling him "one of the architects of our future." Scotty wonders if they're seeing some of that future now. Chang asks Kirk if he'd be willing to give up Starfleet and before Kirk can answer, Spock says that he believes that Kirk has always felt Starfleet's mission to be one of peace. And then before Kirk can answer for himself, Chang says that "in space, all warriors are cold warriors" so there's no need to mince words. After Chekov makes a comment about how the Federation believes all worlds have the sovereign claim to inalienable human rights and Azetbur makes the claim that the statement is racist and that the Federation is little better than a homo sapiens only club. Kerla makes the accusation that peace will bring about the end of Klingon culture, a charge McCoy denies. Then Chang quotes "to be or not to be" and tells Kirk that they all need breathing room, which Kirk quips is the same quote Hitler said back in 1938. Noting the tension around the table, Gorkon simply notes they have a long way to go.

Back in the transporter room, Kirk tells Gorkon they should do this again sometime. Gorkon knows Kirk doesn't trust him, tells him so and then admits he doesn't blame Kirk for that, stating that "if there is to be a brave, new world, our generation is going to have the hardest time living in it." Then everyone steps up onto the transporter platform except for Chang, who stops at Kirk to recite a bit more Shakespeare at him. Gorkon taps his walking stick and Chang goes up to the transporter pad. Once the Klingons are safely beamed off the ship, the entire senior staff relaxes, Scotty being relieved they've left, Uhura and Chekov amazed at the way the Klingons ate, Spock realizing their own behavior will not likely distinguish them in the annals of diplomacy, Kirk, leaving for his quarters and on the way out he wants to be notified if anyone figures out a way to further screw up the night and McCoy leaves in search of a pint of black coffee.

Captain's log, supplemental. The Enterprise hosted Chancellor Gorkon and his party to dinner last night, our manners weren't exactly Emily Post. Oh, note to the galley, Romulan ale no longer to be served at diplomatic functions.

Lying down to sleep, Kirk is summoned to the bridge by Spock, who tells Kirk that the sensors are picking up an enormous amount of neutron radiation which appears, strangely enough, to be emanating from Enterprise. Kirk asks Valeris if she knows anything about a radiation surge, she doesn't. Kirk asks Chekov and he knows of one "only the size of my head." Kirk can sympathize. Just then, a photon torpedo shoots out and strikes Qo'noS One, which knocks everyone out of their state of misery and into immediate alert. Kirk asks what happened and Spock tells him they've fired on the Chancellor's ship. Chekov calls the torpedo bay to confirm whether or not they fired, Kirk tells Uhura to monitor Klingon transmissions, Valeris reports a direct hit which Uhura confirms. Just then, another torpedo shoots out, ostensibly from Enterprise, and hits Qo'noS One again, this time knocking the gravity out.

In the torpedo bay, Scotty runs in and checks the inventory and reports to Kirk that they are still fully loaded so they could not have fired.

As the Klingons begin floating helplessly about, a transporter beam engages and two men in Starfleet emblemed uniforms with closed helmets and gravity boots begin walking through the corridors, shooting every Klingon they come in contact with, killing most, shooting one soldier's arm off of him. Upon reaching Gorkon's quarters, the assassins shoot the guards and then, after a brief moment, shoot Gorkon in the chest. They walk out with Gorkon's body tumbling end over end in the zero gravity environment.

Back on Enterprise Uhura reports that there's a lot of activity on the Klingon ship and that it's difficult to sort out. She notes there's been weapons firing and a lot of shouting. Meanwhile, the Klingon ship is spinning out of control. Meanwhile, the assassins walk back to the transporter pad and beam off the ship.

Finally, auxiliary gravity is restored on Qo'noS One, Gorkon is discovered and communication is established with Enterprise. Chang asks if there is no decency within Kirk, seeing as how the Klingons came in peace and now Kirk has blatantly defiled that peace and so Chang will blow him right out of the stars. Kirk stands and denies that they fired. But Spock has discovered that according to the ship's databanks they did. Twice. The Klingons manage to stabilize their ship and approach Enterprise, preparing to fire. Chekov asks to raise the shields, but Kirk instead tells Uhura to signal their surrender. Uhura quickly tells the Klingons the Enterprise surrenders. McCoy arrives on the bridge asking if they've been firing and Kirk says he'd like to know too. Kirk then decides to board Qo'noS One and leaves Spock in command. Spock wants to go instead of Kirk, saying it's his responsibility for involving Kirk in this in the first place, but Kirk wants Spock on Enterprise where he'll be able to get Kirk out of this situation. Kirk refuses to be the instigator of full-scale war on the eve of universal peace. Spock then agrees, and pats Kirk on the back of his shoulder. McCoy decides to go too in case they need a doctor.

They arrive on Qo'noS One and Kerla, who is astounded that they actually boarded the ship unarmed, decides finally to take them to Gorkon's quarters when Kirk and McCoy insist they don't know what's happened here and that they only want to help. When Kirk asks what happened, Chang is outraged that Kirk would feign innocence, but when Kirk asks again, Chang tells him that "with a direct torpedo hit, you crippled our entire gravitational field! And two of your Starfleet crewmen beamed aboard wearing magnetic boots, and did this." McCoy asks if they had a doctor and Chang said they did until the attack so McCoy begs to be able to help and Azetbur agrees. After getting him on the table, McCoy tries to examine Gorkon, but he knows nothing of Klingon anatomy and tries to close Gorkon's wound but it doesn't work. Gorkon goes into cardiac arrest and McCoy uses CPR to momentarily resuscitate him. Gorkon reaches up to Kirk and begs him not to let it end this way and then he dies. General Chang claps his hands, summoning two Klingons with handcuffs and, using Federation interstellar law, arrests Kirk and McCoy on the charge of assassinating Gorkon.

On Enterprise Uhura relays the news of their arrest. Spock then formally assumes command of the ship and tells Uhura to contact Starfleet and tell them precisely what has happened and request instructions. Valeris says the Klingons cannot be allowed to take Kirk and McCoy back to Qo'noS as prisoners but Spock says opening fire won't help the situation and armed conflict is precisely what Kirk wanted to avoid. He then says that they can track Kirk's movements, but declines to explain to Valeris just how he's accomplished this. Spock says they must find out what happened, according to their own databanks, the torpedoes were fired by Enterprise, a charge Scotty denies, but Spock says they must have evidence. When Chekov asks what will happen if they cannot piece together what happened, Spock says then "in that case Mr. Chekov, it resides in the purview of the diplomats."

Earth

On Earth, the Klingon ambassador is speaking with the Federation President, defending his government's decision to arrest Kirk and McCoy for the assassination of Chancellor Gorkon, who was assassinated during an unprovoked attack while he traveled to Earth to see the President on a mission of peace, also reminding the president that Kirk boarded Qo'noS One of his own free will. The president says he's ordered a full-scale investigation, but the Klingon ambassador demands that in the meantime the Federation abide by the articles of interstellar law and that Kirk will stand trial for the assassination of Gorkon. The president then asks Sarek if there is some way to extradite these men and while Sarek is forced to accept some responsibility in this matter, he must confirm the Klingon ambassador's legal interpretation. The president the turns to the Romulan representative, Ambassador Nanclus, who also concurs with his colleagues. When the president says that he surely can't believe that Kirk assassinated Gorkon, Nanclus says he simply has no idea what to believe. Finally the president is forced to relent and tells the Klingon ambassador he's not above the law. As he walks out, the C-in-C, Admiral Cartwright and Colonel West enters. Cartwright tells the president that they can't allow Federation citizens to be abducted and while the president realizes this, he must also observe interstellar law. The C-in-C and Colonel West present to the president a plan called Operation Retrieve, in which they believe that Starfleet could go into the Klingon Empire, rescue Kirk and McCoy, and get out in 24 hrs. with an acceptable loss in manpower and equipment. But the president is worried about starting a full-scale war, which West simply tells him if that happens, they can clean the Klingon's clocks for them. Nanclus does state that the Klingons are vulnerable and if the Federation is going to hit them, there would never be a more perfect time. The president says he'll bear that in mind and then dismisses everyone. All but Sarek leave and then the C-in-C stops at the door and reminds the president that Kirk has literally saved this planet. The president says he knows that, and now they will save it again... by standing trial.

USS Enterprise

Uhura receives the message from Starfleet Command to return to Earth immediately. Both she and Chekov agree they cannot abandon the captain and Dr. McCoy. Valeris tells them how 400 years ago on the planet Earth, when workers felt threatened by automation, they flung their wooden shoes called sabots into the machines to stop them, thus coining the word "sabotage." Uhura comes up with a response that Enterprise's backup systems are all inoperative.

Earth

The President receives a transmission from Azetbur, telling him she is now the new Klingon Chancellor. The president offers his condolences on her loss and wants to assure her that the shameful assassination will not go unanswered. Azetbur instead, decides to get to the heart of the matter. She says in one week she will attend a peace conference on the condition that they will not extradite Kirk and McCoy and that the Federation will make no attempts at a military extraction. If they do so, it will mean war. Rejecting an offer to attend on Earth, Azetbur suggests a neutral site and recommends they keep the location secret for now and the president agrees.

Qo'noS

Azetbur's advisers (including Kerla) suggest attacking the Federation now while they still can. The warriors prefer to fight and die rather than be slaves in their world. Azetbur tells them that war is obsolete and unless the Klingon Empire can change, it will become obsolete as well. Kerla tells her he'd rather die on his feet than live on his knees. When Azetbur tells them that war is not what her father wanted, Chang reminds her that her father was killed for what he wanted. Azetbur tells her advisers that the peace process will go forward and that Kirk alone will pay for her father's death.

USS Enterprise

Scotty shows Spock the torpedo inventory reads all torpedoes accounted for. However, since one computer is saying that Enterprise fired and the other one says they didn't, Spock says that regardless of the fact that it'll take hours, he and Mr. Scott must inspect each torpedo visually. If they're all there, it'll prove someone has forged and entry in the databanks. Valeris slides down a pole nearby and tells Spock that Azetbur has been named Chancellor. Scotty speculates that she may have arranged Gorkon's assassination and reminds Spock that Klingons don't place the same value on life as they do. Scotty also comments that when Gorkon died, she didn't shed one tear, a fact that Spock hardly finds conclusive since Klingons lack tear ducts. He then asks Valeris if there has been any response from Starfleet and she tells him that Uhura is experiencing technical difficulty. Spock understands what she's saying and decides that for twenty-four hours, the three of them will agree this conversation didn't take place. When Valeris asks if they're lying, Spock tells her it's simply an omission. Scotty declares that twenty-four hours later, they'll have no clue as to where Captain Kirk is and Spock simply says he'll know precisely where Kirk is but does not elaborate any further.

Qo'noS

The trial now begins, with Chang as prosecutor and Colonel Worf as Kirk and McCoy's defense attorney. Chang lays out the charges against them and begins bringing out witnesses. Chang and Worf question the witnesses at the same time. When the first witness testifies about the crewmen beaming aboard Qo'noS One, Worf suggested that perhaps they merely wore Starfleet uniforms and Chang has the remark stricken as speculation. Worf then asks how were the men walking around with no gravity? The witness tells Worf they were wearing magnetic boots, a fact which, back on Enterprise, gets Spock to thinking. Chang asks McCoy about his "current medical status" (referencing his abilities as a physician) and McCoy quips that "aside from a touch of arthritis, I feel pretty good," a statement which one Klingon in the hall finds amusing. He then tells Chang he's been chief surgeon aboard the Enterprise for twenty-seven years and in three months he stands down. Chang asks McCoy about drinking Romulan ale and he says everyone did. Chang then asks if Gorkon was alive when McCoy began examining him and McCoy answers that he barely was. When Chang asks if McCoy's ever saved patients as barely alive as Gorkon, McCoy tried to explain that he didn't know anything about Klingon anatomy and that Chang should know all this, seeing as he was there. Chang then asks if McCoy's hands shake and he says he was simply nervous. However Chang accuses McCoy of incompetence, be it deliberately or as a result of a combination of age and drunkenness. McCoy says he desperately tried to save Gorkon as he was the last best hope for peace. Then the judge excuses him.

Chang then turns to Kirk and calls him "the architect of this tragic affair." Chang accuses Kirk of plotting to kill Gorkon as revenge for the death of his son, a charge Kirk denies. Worf objects, stating Kirk has not been identified as the assassin and the judge sustains it. Chang enters into the record an excerpt from Kirk's personal log:

"I've never trusted Klingons, and I never will. I can never forgive them for the death of my boy."

The crowd roars angrily and the clip is played again and then Chang makes Kirk admit those were indeed, his own words. Worf objects, stating that Kirk's political views are not on trial here, but Chang says that indeed they are. He says Kirk's motives are at the very heart of the matter and accuses Kirk of being an "insubordinate, unprincipled, career-minded opportunist" who violates the chain of command whenever it suits him. Chang uses Kirk's demotion from Admiral back down to Captain as the prime example of how Kirk takes the law into his own hands and then asks Kirk if he can deny it, which of course, he can't. Kirk does admit that he has disobeyed orders occasionally. Chang asks if he was obeying or disobeying orders when he arranged for Gorkon's assassination and Kirk denies knowing anything about it until he boarded Qo'noS One. Chang asks if Kirk still denies that Enterprise fired on Qo'noS One and that his crewmen shot the Chancellor. Kirk says he can't admit to anything he didn't witness. Chang then asks him if he knows that he is required, as captain, to be responsible for the actions of his crew and Kirk admits he does. Chang then asks then if it is so proven that members of his crew did carry out an assassination, even if Kirk knew nothing about it, and Kirk is forced to admit that he, as captain, is responsible for the conduct of the crew under his command. On Enterprise, Spock lowers his head in shame. At that point, Chang rests his case. The judge tells Kirk and McCoy that he finds them guilty as charged. On Earth, Sarek closes his eyes in distress and on Excelsior, Janice Rand begins to cry.

Worf begs the court that, considering all evidence is circumstantial, that when the court pronounces sentence, that they keep this in mind. The judge notes it and tells Kirk and McCoy that in hopes of fostering amity for the peace talks, he commutes their death sentence to life without parole on the penal asteroid of Rura Penthe.

USS Enterprise

The crew, having watched the trial, is shocked at the sentence. Chekov mentions how Rura Penthe is known as "the alien's graveyard" and Scotty says it'd be better to kill them now and get it over with. In the captain's chair, Spock is quiet for a moment and then asks Valeris to replay the initial torpedo hit again. Upon seeing it, Chekov comes to believe that it actually was Enterprise. a charge that Scotty denies as all torpedoes have now been visually accounted for.

Spock says then that if they couldn't have fired those torpedoes then someone else did, noting the enormous neutron radiation surge that came from underneath them. Chekov comments that it could only have been from another ship, however Qo'noS One was too far away to be the source. Spock speculates there may have been a ship underneath the Enterprise. Scotty however, thinks if that were the case, the Klingons would have seen it and then Spock wonders if they would have and Valeris catches on. They both suspect a Bird of Prey is the real culprit but Scotty says that it's impossible for a bird of prey to fire when cloaked however Spock says that somehow, this one can.

When Valeris suggests telling Starfleet, Scotty tells her they'll consider everyone on Enterprise to be raving lunatics, desperate enough to exonerate Kirk that they'd say anything and Spock confirms this as they have no evidence, just a theory which currently fits the facts. Uhura wonders why they'd fire on their own Chancellor. Spock says the ship will be searched and Valeris is in charge. Chekov wonders if perhaps the assassins may have transported aboard from the bird of prey instead of Enterprise and Spock reminds him about how the databanks say that Enterprise fired. If they did fire, then the killers are on Enterprise, if they didn't fire then whoever altered the databanks is on Enterprise and regardless, what they want is on Enterprise. When Chekov asks what they're searching for, Valeris tells him they're looking for two pairs of gravity boots.

Rura Penthe

Kirk and McCoy are taken from Qo'noS, along with a group of other prisoners to the frozen wasteland of Rura Penthe. They are met at the entrance to the prison by the warden who tells them that there is no stockade, guard tower or electronic frontier and that only a magnetic shield prevents transporter functions. The warden also demonstrates their manner of punishment, throwing an unprotected man onto the freezing surface, where he dies within seconds. The prisoners are warned that if they work well then they will be treated well and if they work badly, they will die.

After walking down into the prison caverns, Kirk is confronted by a large alien who speaks a dialect Kirk can't understand because the Klingons have confiscated all universal translators. The alien shoves Kirk a bit and then finally picks Kirk up above his head. an exotic-looking woman steps over and speaks in the alien's language to get him to put Kirk down, as it turns out the alien wanted Kirk's obedience to the "Brotherhood of Aliens" and Kirk's coat. After the hulking alien leaves, the woman identifies herself as Martia and lets Kirk and McCoy know who they are, telling them that Rura Penthe doesn't get many presidential assassins. She also tells them that there is a reward out for their deaths.

USS Enterprise

In the galley, Spock and Valeris observe the search going on and Valeris reports that nothing has turned up yet. When Chekov wonders why the killers simply doesn't vaporize their boots, Valeris pulls a phaser out of the storage bin in the galley and vaporizes a pot, setting off an alarm, thereby establishing that no one can fire an unauthorized phaser on kill onboard a starship. She then wonders if perhaps the killers would have just left the boots on Qo'noS One but Spock tells her if they had done that, they would have floated off the Klingon transporter pad. Just then, Uhura and a couple of security officers run in after hearing the alarm. Chekov calms the guards and send them back on their way. Uhura tells Spock that "Starfleet is screaming for us to return to port." Then Scotty walks in wondering about the alarm and Spock asks him how long it will take to repair their malfunctioning warp drive. When Scotty says there's nothing wrong with it, Spock reminds him that if they go back to Earth, the assassins will find a way to dispose of their evidence and then they will never see the captain or Dr. McCoy alive again. With that information, Scotty says it'll take weeks and leaves. Spock then has Valeris go to tell Starfleet their warp drive is not functioning. After she leaves, Uhura tells Spock that they've lost contact with Kirk and Spock tells her and Chekov that at the moment they are surrounded by a magnetic shield but that Kirk should nevertheless be deep into planning his escape.

Rura Penthe

At that same time, Kirk, instead of planning his escape, is fighting for his life against an enormous alien. After getting tossed through fire and then beat down to his knees, Kirk lays back and kicks the alien in what Kirk thought was his knees, but turns out that's where the alien's genitals were located. Martia tells Kirk they'll respect him now, which gives Kirk little comfort. Martia asks Kirk if he wants out and Kirk tells her "there's gotta be a way."

That night in their bunks, McCoy laments on how they're going out, with just three months left till retirement. Kirk says they're not finished yet and then asks McCoy if he's afraid of the future and admits he was terrified of the idea of there being no more Neutral Zone. Kirk admits he'd gotten so used to hating Klingons that it never even occurred to him to take Gorkon at his word. McCoy tries to comfort him by telling him everyone felt the same but Kirk realizes someone felt a lot worse. The problem is, whoever killed Gorkon is going to attempt another assassination, unless of course, they can get out of prison. At that moment, a snort is heard and Kirk and McCoy lay back and pretend to sleep. Kirk grabs a rock just in case and just as the person approaches, Kirk starts to swing the rock toward them but he stops when he realizes it's Martia. She tells him no one has ever escaped from Rura Penthe before. She says she's been waiting for a long time and that Kirk is the likeliest candidate to come in for months. When Kirk asks for what, she kisses him, much to McCoy's annoyance. Martia tells Kirk where to meet her in the morning and then leaves. McCoy then looks up at Kirk and asks "What is it with you, anyway?" When Kirk asks if he still thinks they're finished, McCoy says "more than ever."

USS Excelsior

Sulu is asleep in his quarters when he's awakened by an officer telling him that Starfleet urgently is wanting any information that they might have on the whereabouts of the Enterprise because they seem to be refusing orders to return to Spacedock. Sulu tells him to tell Starfleet that they have no idea where Enterprise could be and then when the officer questions him, Sulu then asks if he has hearing problems. The officer snaps to attention and leaves to carry out Sulu's orders. Sulu is left alone in his quarters and now, wide awake.

USS Enterprise

In the transporter room, Chekov finds some dried remains and takes a sample of it to Spock, who discovers it's Klingon blood which must have been floating through the Klingon ship and got tracked back to Enterprise by the assassins walking through it. Spock notes this as the first piece of evidence to corroborate their theory and therefore expands the search to include all uniforms aboard ship. A massive search is taken and eventually someone finds a magnetic boot in a crewman's locker which Valeris marks by locking the boot onto it.

Rura Penthe

Kirk and McCoy get into a lift for mining duty but do not see Martia. When McCoy thinks that they've been had, a hulking creature standing in between them tells them (in Martia's voice) that they weren't and tells them where to go. The creature looks at Kirk and chuckles that they "don't take girls."

USS Enterprise

A crewman walks into his quarters and finds Valeris, Chekov, Spock, Uhura and several others in there waiting for him. When Uhura asks to confirm his identity he asks what's wrong and Chekov tells him the phrase in the Russian epic of Cinderella, "if shoe fits, wear it." Chekov drops the boot near him and Spock happens to look down and points toward Dax's feet, which are clearly unable to fit inside the boot. Uhura and everyone else are clearly embarrassed by this mistake.

Back to the old drawing board.

Rura Penthe

In the mines, Martia has Kirk and McCoy follow her and they ride a cart over to an isolated corner, where they are able slip out through a hole in the metal wall. Martia had changed temporarily to a child in order to get out of the huge manacles around her feet. Kirk and McCoy then follow her out, crawling through a small cave and climbing up a hill. At the top of the hill there are extra clothes and provisions for Kirk and McCoy to wrap up in and they head out onto the arctic-like ice sheaths of Rura Penthe. Finally the three manage to walk out of the magnetic shield.

USS Enterprise

Uhura and Spock have noted Kirk's exit from the beaming shield as well. Spock orders Scotty to start up the engines and for Chekov to set course for Rura Penthe. He also notes that in order to avoid being detected by the border patrols they are going to have to use some clever maneuvering before the captain and Dr. McCoy freeze to death.

Rura Penthe

McCoy collapses in the cold and tries to get Kirk to leave him and Kirk refuses, telling McCoy that Spock slapped a viridium patch on his back just before they went on Gorkon's ship and now that they're outside the shield Spock will be able to locate them two sectors away.

Klingon Listening Post/USS Enterprise

The Enterprise passes into Klingon space and get the attention of a Klingon listening post who contacts them wanting to know who they are and what their business is. The Enterprise crew is looking through many different books to get the right phrasing in Klingon as they can't use the universal translator as it would be recognized. Uhura manages to get them past the border using very broken Klingon to describe Enterprise as a freighter Ursva, headed to Rura Penthe to deliver supplies.

Rura Penthe

Martia activates a flare for heat and after McCoy and Kirk get set down, she explains that she is a chameloid, a shapeshifter. She tells Kirk that she got them outside the shield and that it's now his turn to deliver. So Kirk gets up and delivers a right cross to her jaw. McCoy at first thinks Kirk's gone crazy but Kirk has her figured out. Martia is the one setting them up to be killed, otherwise where would she have gotten those clothes and Kirk refuses also to believe that a flare is standard prison issue. It's to let them know where they are. Martia then changes into a mirror image of Kirk, explaining that an accident would have worked if it were just one of them, but two would have looked suspicious. If however, they were killed attempting to escape, that works for both. Martia then knocks out McCoy and confronts Kirk and they get into a knock down, drag out fight, rolling all over the snow and the prone McCoy before being stopped by a Jackal mastiff growling and the appearance of Klingon guards and the warden. Kirk and Martia (still appearing as Kirk) stand next to each other. When Kirk asks what took so long, Martia points at Kirk and tries to get the warden to shoot him, but Kirk is more forceful and convinces the warden to shoot Martia and he vaporizes her with his disruptor. The warden proclaims there are to be no witnesses. Kirk mentions that getting killed while trying to escape is a classic and McCoy calls is "damned clever." When Kirk asks who wanted them killed, the warden decides to tell them, seeing as how he's going to kill them anyway. Just before the warden can tell Kirk, he and McCoy are beamed out of the cave with Kirk swearing the whole way up.

USS Enterprise

Appearing on the transporter pad, Kirk and McCoy are wrapped in blankets, Chekov cuts the manacles off their legs and Kirk asks Spock if he couldn't have waited two more seconds as the warden was about to explain the whole thing. When Chekov asks if they want to go back, McCoy answers "Absolutely not!"

Bird of Prey

Chang listens to a report from Rura Penthe, as the warden tells him that Kirk was beamed aboard a Federation starship. Chang knows it's the Enterprise. One of Chang's officers tells him that Kirk surely can't know where the peace conference is, but when Chang asks if he wants to take that chance, the officer orders the helmsman to make a course to intercept Enterprise.

USS Enterprise

Scotty is in the mess looking over some plans of the ship and drinking coffee when he hears something rattling. He goes over to the air vent and opens it and finds two sets of uniforms with Klingon blood on them. He then runs to tell Spock. Meanwhile, Spock tells Kirk about the Bird of Prey that fires while cloaked and that it was that ship that torpedoed Qo'noS One. Spock also tells Kirk that he believes Gorkon's murderers to still be aboard ship. Kirk asks where the conference is and Chekov tells him they don't know and then Scotty catches up to them, showing Spock the missing uniforms. Then they open a door and there are two crewmen lying prone on the floor, clearly dead. It's the same two that were standing guard in the transporter room when Gorkon and party first beamed aboard the Enterprise. The uniforms belonged to these two, Burke and Samno. McCoy determines that they were killed by a phaser on stun at close range. Kirk takes Spock over to the side and suggests something quietly to him.

An announcement is made over the intercom to have the court reporter report to sickbay to take statements from Burke and Samno. Someone walks into the darkened sickbay with phaser in hand. When the person reaches one of the beds, the person on the bed reaches up and turns on a light. It's revealed to be Spock on the bed and the person holding the phaser is Valeris. Spock tells her if she is logical, then she will have to shoot him. Valeris says that she doesn't want to but Spock says that is irrelevant and that what Valeris has chosen is now at hand. The person on the other bed, Kirk, sits up and tells Valeris he'd prefer if she didn't. Spock then angrily knocks the phaser out of Valeris' hand and McCoy appears from around the corner and tells her "the operation is over."

On the bridge, under guard, Valeris denies firing and that Kirk has no proof, but Kirk does. He reminds her that his personal log was used as evidence against him at the trial and wonders how long Valeris waited outside his quarters before he noticed her standing there after they left Spacedock. Valeris says she tried to tell Spock but he wouldn't listen. Spock says that tried to tell her things that night too, such as having faith. Valeris accuses everyone of betraying the Federation. When McCoy asks her what she thinks she's been doing, she says she's been working to save Starfleet. She then tells Kirk that he, himself has said that "Klingons can't be trusted" and asks if he didn't wish Gorkon dead and uses Kirk's blurb of "let them die" as indication. And Valeris says that Kirk is right, seeing as they conspired with her comrades in Starfleet to kill their own Chancellor. McCoy is amazed that there are Klingons and Federation officers conspiring together. When Kirk asks "who," Valeris simply says that it's anyone who stands to lose from peace and that her comrades will see to it all of Enterprise's communications are jammed. When Kirk insists on names, Valeris says she doesn't remember and that it's a choice, not a lie.

Kirk sends Spock to Valeris, who then forces her into a mind meld and Spock discovers that the conspirators include Admiral Cartwright, General Chang and the Romulan Ambassador Nanclus. Unfortunately Valeris does not know where the peace conference is. Without that knowledge, Scotty says they're dead but Spock says he's been dead before and tells Uhura to contact Excelsior and that they'll have the coordinates.

Sulu appears onscreen and after Kirk briefly chides him for violating regulations by speaking to them and then thanking him, asks where the conference is because the conspirators are going to attempt another assassination. Sulu tells Kirk that it'll be at Camp Khitomer, near the Romulan border and sends the coordinates but Kirk says they'll need more because there's a Bird of Prey looking for them which can fire while cloaked, which Sulu is amazed to hear about. Kirk asks Valeris how many of those ships are there and she tells him it's just the prototype. Sulu says he's getting underway for Khitomer, but he's not sure he'll make it in time as Excelsior is now in Alpha Quadrant. Sulu tells Kirk that the conference is beginning later that day.

In Spock's quarters, he admits to Kirk that it was "arrogant presumption" on his part that's caused them to be involved in this whole situation and that it was possible that he and McCoy could have been killed. Kirk quips "the night is young." But he also tells Spock that he was right in that peace is worth some risks. Kirk admits that he couldn't get past the death of his son and that it took Gorkon's death to get him to realize how prejudiced he was. Spock admits he was prejudiced by Valeris' accomplishments as a Vulcan and then wonders if he and Kirk have grown too old and inflexible in their viewpoints that they are now past their usefulness. Kirk tells Spock it wasn't his fault and that he wasn't responsible for any actions other than his own. When Spock tries to apply some Vulcan logic and remind Kirk that he isn't human Kirk tells Spock that everyone is human, a remark Spock finds insulting. Kirk tells Spock he needs him and they leave for the bridge.

Khitomer, Space Battle

The Federation President welcomes all delegations to Khitomer and opens the proceedings. Meanwhile, just above the planet, Chang's Bird of Prey cloaks. Meanwhile, Enterprise races toward the planet as Spock counts down until they're in transporter range. At just under two minutes Kirk orders the ship down to impulse power and Enterprise races into orbit about the planet.

Meanwhile on the planet, the president is giving his opening remarks beginning the peace conference. Above in orbit, the Enterprise has gone to battle stations. Uhura reports she can't hear any indications of Chang's ship and that if it's here, it's on silent running. Tension mounts on board the ship as they get ever closer to transport range. With just over 40 seconds to go, Chang contacts Kirk and tells him "you do prefer it this way, don't you? Warrior to warrior." Chang begins quoting Shakespeare again as the Bird of Prey begins firing on Enterprise. Kirk orders evasive maneuvers and meanwhile the ship is rocked again by another photon torpedo.

As this happens, Excelsior is racing to Khitomer at maximum warp. Sulu is impatiently waiting to get in range. When the helmsman worries that the ship may fly apart, Sulu tells him "fly it apart, then!"

On Khitomer, Azetbur's speech has begun and a Klingon stands up and walks out carrying a briefcase. Admiral Cartwright watches while perspiring intensely. In space, the auxiliary circuits on Enterprise are destroyed and then Spock realizes that the Bird of Prey is still going to expend fuel while at impulse and Uhura suggest using the equipment they have onboard to catalog gaseous anomalies and so Spock and McCoy leave the bridge to make modifications on a photon torpedo.

Back in the conference, the Klingon who left is up in a higher level and is cutting a small hole in one of the glass panes. He looks through and has a clear line of sight on the president.

In space, Scotty reports Enterprise's shields are weakening just as Excelsior enters the area. Chang begins firing at Excelsior then. On Excelsior, crewmen are evacuating and closing off sections of corridors where conduits are exploding and overloading. As Chang continues to loudly quote Shakespeare at Kirk, Kirk asks McCoy where that torpedo is. The next shot collapses the shields and the shot after that causes a large hull breach, destroying the mess area. Spock and McCoy work furiously to get the torpedo modified as on Khitomer, the Klingon assassin has now aimed his phaser rifle, which he had dismantled in the briefcase, assembled and is now preparing his aim to fire at the President.

When Chang's relentless Shakespeare quotes continue McCoy notes that he's "give real money if he'd shut up." Finally they complete their torpedo modifications and tell Kirk the torpedo's ready! Kirk gives the command to fire and Chekov fires the torpedo. Chang and his officers watch the torpedo streak through space, tracing the course the Bird of Prey has been on and finally "sniffing" out the ship and making a direct hit on the unshielded Bird of Prey. Excelsior and Enterprise both fire torpedoes relentlessly at the Bird of Prey until it finally explodes in space.

Khitomer

On Khitomer, the Enterprise crew beam down just as the assassin places the phaser rifle through the hole to fire. Kirk sends Scotty above to stop the assassin and the rest of the crew force their way through the crowd with Kirk leaping up just in time to knock the president out of the way of the would-be assassin's phaser blast. Kirk identifies himself to the stunned president. Kerla and other Klingon bodyguards surround Azetbur and there is chaos in the conference hall. McCoy holds his phaser on Nanclus and Cartwright steps up and orders the Enterprise crew arrested, but Spock harshly yells back "Arrest yourself!" He then steps up with Valeris in handcuffs and McCoy tells Cartwright they've got a full confession. Just as the would-be assassin prepares to fire on Valeris, Scotty kicks in the door to the room he's in and shoots the would-be assassin and he falls through the glass pane to the floor. As people rush over to check on him, Cartwright tries to escape in the confusion but is stopped by Sulu and two other officers from Excelsior. Worf and the C-in-C see that the blood pouring from the would-be assassin's head isn't Klingon, it's human blood. Worf pulls off his mask and the would-be assassin is revealed as Colonel West.

Azetbur asks what's happening. Kirk tells her this is all about the future and that they're not quite out of history. Thinking of Gorkon's reference to the future as "the undiscovered country," Kirk notes that people can be very frightened of change. Azetbur tells Kirk he's restored her father's faith and Kirk tells her she's restored his son's. At that moment, the room breaks out into applause as the remaining Enterprise officers (including Sulu) walk up and join Kirk on the platform as they are celebrated as the heroes of the day.

USS Enterprise

Later, in space, Kirk and crew re-enter the bridge and Kirk remarks how they've saved civilization again and McCoy is just happy that they're not going to prosecute. Uhura says that she felt like Valeris did so she might as well have been prosecuted. McCoy says they don't arrest people for having feelings and Chekov states if they did then everyone would have to turn themselves in.

Sulu calls from Excelsior and Kirk tells him that "as much to the crew of the Enterprise, I owe you my thanks." Sulu says it was good to see Kirk in action one more time and tells them all to "take care." Then Excelsior pulls out of orbit and heads back on its way. McCoy remarks that Excelsior is a big ship, but Scotty says it's not so big as its captain. Kirk then mentions that they should likely get underway themselves. Uhura tells Kirk that they've received orders from Starfleet Command to return to spacedock and be decommissioned.

Spock contemplates that for a moment and then remarks, "If I were human, I believe my response would be 'go to hell.' If I were human." When Chekov asks for a course heading, Kirk tells him "Second star to the left, and straight on till morning."

Uhura steps over near Scotty and everyone watches as Enterprise flies off toward the stars.

Captain's log, stardate 9529.1. This is the final cruise of the starship Enterprise under my command. This ship and her history will shortly become the care of another crew. To them and their posterity will we commit our future. They will continue the voyages we have begun and journey to all the undiscovered countries, boldly going where no man, where no one, has gone before.

Memorable Quotes

"There is an old Vulcan proverb: 'Only Nixon could go to China'."

- Spock


"I've never trusted Klingons and I never will. I can never forgive them for the death of my boy."

- Kirk, recording his personal log


"As I imagine this work will occupy us throughout most of the week, it would be my hope that the delegations could return to their capitals to implement the provisions of Phase One no later then the first of next month."

- Federation President


"I offer a toast. The 'undiscovered country.' (Beat) The future."

- Gorkon


"The Federation is nothing more than a homo-sapiens only club."

- Azetbur, at dinner.


"taH pagh taHbe' "

- Chang, quoting Shakespeare in Klingonese


""To be, or not to be," that is the question that preoccupies our people today Captain Kirk. We need breathing room."
"Earth, Hitler, 1938."
"I beg your pardon."

- General Chang, to the rest of the dinner table. Kirk responds to his comment.


"Note to the galley: Romulan ale is no longer to be served at diplomatic functions."

- Kirk, personal log


"Do you know anything about a radiation surge, Chekov?'
"Only the size of my head."
"I know what you mean..."

- Kirk and Chekov (both nursing a terrible hangover)


"Tell me, Doctor. What is your current medical status?"
"Well, aside from a touch of arthritis, I'd say pretty good!"

- Chang and Doctor McCoy


"An ancestor of mine maintained that if you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains – however improbable – must be the truth."

- Spock


"Then, quite frankly, Mr. President, we can clean their chronometers."

- Col. West, on an attack on the Klingons


"Then we're dead."
"I've been dead before."

- Scotty and Spock


"Four hundred years ago on the planet Earth, workers who felt their livelihood threatened by automation flung their wooden shoes called sabots into the machines to stop them. - Hence the word sabotage."

- Valeris, to Chekov and Uhura


"What is it with you, anyway?"
"Still think we're finished?"
"More than ever!"

- McCoy and Kirk, on Kirk's "way with women" (actually a shapeshifter) while trying to escape


"Perhaps you know the Russian epic of Cinderella? If shoe fits, wear it!"

- Chekov


"What took you so long?"
"Kill him, he's the one."
"Not me you idiot. Him!"

- Kirk and Martia, as Martia's morphed into a duplicate of Kirk


"Captain Sulu, you know you're violating orders just by talking to us --"
"I'm sorry, Captain, your message is breaking up."
"Bless you, Sulu."

- Kirk and Sulu


"Doctor, would you care to assist me in performing surgery on a torpedo?"
"Fascinating!"

- Spock and Doctor McCoy


"Once more unto the breach, dear friends!"

- Chang, quoting Shakespeare


"I'd give real money if he'd shut up."

- McCoy, to Spock about Chang quoting Shakespeare


"Come on, come on."
"She'll fly apart."
"Fly her apart then!"

- Sulu and Lojur, about the speed of the Excelsior reaching Khitomer


"Let us redefine progress. To mean that just because we can do a thing, it does not necessarily follow that we must do that thing."

- Federation President


" Kirk, Enterprise."

- Kirk, after jumping on the Federation President to save him from an assassination attempt


"What's happened? What is the meaning of all this?"
"It's about the future, Madam Chancellor. Some people think the future means the end of history. Well, we haven't run out of history quite yet. Your father called the future 'The Undiscovered Country'. People can be very frightened of change."
"You've restored my father's faith."
'And you've restored my son's."

- Azetbur and Kirk


"You know what, Spock? Everybody's human."
"I find that remark insulting."

- Kirk and Spock


"Captain, I have orders from Starfleet Command. We're to put back to Spacedock immediately... to be decommissioned."
"If I were human, I believe my response would be, 'Go to Hell'. If I were human...."

- Uhura and Spock


"Course heading, Captain?"
"Second star to the right, and straight on 'til morning."

- Chekov and Kirk


"I can't believe I kissed you."
"Must have been your lifelong ambition."

- Kirk and Martia, transformed in Kirk

Background Information

Landmarks

Cast

West wore an admiral's rank insignia, which was incorrect. The naval equivalent of colonel is captain. While the notion of a Starfleet Marine Corps had been discussed and seen in fan writings and some older role-playing games, West's rank of Colonel was the first ever onscreen hint of Army/Marine-like ranks in Starfleet and would be the only one until the MACO's were introduced on Star Trek: Enterprise.

Story and production

  • Original plans for the movie had Kirk married (possibly to Carol Marcus) and all members of the main cast scattered around to different jobs. Uhura was a radio show hostess, Scotty a teacher and Sulu a taxi driver on some backwater alien colony. Budget limitations forced to leave all this out from the movie, and the scene at Starfleet Command was used instead.
  • An early storyboard draft featured the HMS Bounty in spacedock being disassembled by Starfleet engineers.
  • An early draft of the script featured a flashback to Kirk's days at Starfleet Academy.
  • Lt. Valeris was originally intended to be Lt. Saavik, but the scriptwriters decided later that it was out of character for Saavik to be a traitor. Reportedly this was brought about initially by Gene Roddenberry who felt that Saavik was too popular a character to ever be exposed as a traitor. Additionally, Meyer wanted Kirstie Alley to reprise the role, but as she was at the peak of her popularity with "Cheers" at the time, her asking price was far too high and Kim Cattrall refused the role until it was renamed as she didn't want to be the third actress to portray Saavik. Ironically, Cattrall had auditioned for the role of Saavik for Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.
  • Many of General Chang's quotes and the subtitle, "The Undiscovered Country," come from Hamlet's "To be or not to be" soliloquy, by William Shakespeare. Chang also quotes or paraphrases "Richard II", "Julius Caesar", "The Merchant of Venice", "Henry IV, Part II", "Henry V", and "The Tempest".
  • Chang's demand, "Don't wait for the translation! Answer me now!" is a reference to Adlai Stevenson's similar demand of Soviet Union representative Valerian Zorin at the United Nations during the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis.
  • Nichelle Nichols objected to the scene in which the crew desperately searches through old printed Klingonese translation dictionaries in order to speak the language without the standard universal translator being used. It seemed more logical to her that Uhura, being the ship's chief communications officer, would know the language of the Federation's main enemy, or at least have the appropriate information in the computer. However, director Nicholas Meyer bluntly overruled her. Chekov can be heard explaining at the beginning of the scene that "a universal translator would be recognized".
  • Uhura originally had a very racist line "Would you let your daughter marry one?" (that is, a Klingon), but the line had to be cut because Nichols absolutely refused to say it. Chekov's line "Guess who's coming to dinner?" was also originally Uhura's, but Nichols considered it also to be racist and declined to say it. The line was moved to Chekov. It was a reference to "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner", the first major film to deal with interracial marriage. Katherine Hepburn, Spencer Tracy, and Sidney Poitier starred.
  • The first scene at the Rura Penthe was heavily influenced by the Bridge On the River Kwai, where the commandant of the POW camp gives a similar speech to the new British prisoners.
  • Martia's alien language exclamation "Fendo pompsky" became a popular gag among the crew. Used in place of certain expletives, the line was even embroidered on the inside of the production crew jackets.

Sets and props

  • If you could see a clear picture of General Chang's eyepatch, you'd see the Klingon crest painted on the heads of each rivet. (The makeup artist painted them on for fun. They were never really intended to be seen.)
  • Most of the Enterprise-A sets were redresses of Enterprise-D sets:
These sets had been in turn recycled by TNG from the first three movies. The TNG warp core was a complete redress of the first movie's warp plasma conduits, Data's quarters a redress of Kirk's and Ilia's quarters. Even the sickbay from TNG was recycled from the movies' sickbay.
  • Captain Kirk's quarters featured two different maps of the Milky Way galaxy created for early TNG episodes ("(TNG: "Conspiracy", "The Emissary")
  • Captain Sulu's coffee table was a bit more than a cute addition to the Excelsior bridge. Beneath it was the support for an apparatus used to shake the whole bridge set during the Praxis explosion. As a side note, you may also notice the coffee cup that broke had no markings on it like the one Sulu was drinking from moments earlier. It was such a nice cup, the prop department didn't want it damaged. A similar table, likely for the same reason, can also be seen on the Enterprise bridge as well.
File:Presidents-office-paris.jpg

Federation President's office in Paris

  • The office of the Federation President is a redress of Ten Forward. A viewscreen is located in place of the art ornament behind the bar counter, and the walls are painted with some shade of brown. The easily noticeable windows are covered with curtains, and a view of Paris first seen in "We'll Always Have Paris" is visible through them.
  • The Enterprise has some strange upwards-sliding doors. There's nothing wrong with them, but when they are opened they would also cut the flow of whatever is moving through the pipes running along the ceiling of most of the corridors.
  • One of the models of the aircraft carrier Enterprise in Kirk's quarters was built by writer Ronald D. Moore when he was 11.
  • By the clock over the viewscreen during the scenes where the Kronos One is attacked, the first torpedo hit is about ten minutes ahead of the second hit.
  • The book used by Uhura while frantically searching for a linguistic reference of the Klingon language while entering Klingon territory is actually the 1951 catalog for the "Alloy Steel Products Company, Inc.". Interestingly, the title of the modified book states "Introduction to Klingon Grammer", in which 'grammer' should be spelled as 'grammar'.

Miscellaneous

  • Gene Roddenberry saw the movie three days before he died. According to William Shatner's Star Trek Movie Memories, Roddenberry, after seeing the film, gave thumbs up all around, and then went back and phoned his lawyer, angrily demanding a full quarter-hour of the film's more militaristic moments be removed from the film, but Gene died before his lawyer could present his demands to the studio.
  • If what is stated in novels could be accepted as factual in onscreen events, then according to several Trek novels, Spock's forcing a mind meld on an unwilling Valeris would constitute a terrible breach of Vulcan law because of the required intimacy that a mind meld requires. If this were to be held up in some later canon source, then it seems likely that the Vulcans would make an exception in Spock's case because of the terrible ramifications for the Federation and the Klingon Empire if they had gone to war.
  • The galley scene was quickly written into the movie just to demonstrate that you can't fire a phaser on board the ship without triggering an alarm. (This raises the question as to why a phaser locker is in the galley. The answer could be found as early as "The Corbomite Maneuver." While the Enterprise is being towed by Balok's ship, Yeoman Janice Rand brings hot coffee to the bridge. Dr. McCoy asks her how she made coffee when the "power was out" in the galley. Her pragmatic answer was, "I used a hand phaser and zap – hot coffee.")
  • The blue food at the dinner scene was so disgusting that actors had to be bribed to eat it. Shatner did it and won $240, before throwing up. (According to Leonard Nimoy, it was chunks of lobster treated with blue food coloring.) Reportedly, Shatner was the only member of the cast able to swallow any of it and the first time Shatner ate the colored lobster, he turned and looked right at Nick Meyer and said, "Where's my twenty?" Meyer called "cut!" and pulled out the twenty and gave it to Shatner.
  • Spock attributes the quote "If you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth" to an ancestor. This quote (and numerous variations) was actually used in several Sherlock Holmes novels by Arthur Conan Doyle. This could imply that Spock's human mother, Amanda Grayson, was a descendant of Doyle's, though this has never been established canonically.
  • On the bridge, just before the first torpedo was fired at the Klingon vessel, there were about four extra bridge crew members, one of which was already sitting down. After the first shot was fired, when everybody was trying to find out what had happened, out of nowhere there were enough bridge crew to fill about eight more seats.
  • During the search of all uniforms on board the Enterprise, a crewman takes off the cover of a power conduit. When he moves to put the cover down, you can see production markings on the back.
  • At the dining room, you can see paintings of many dignitaries, including Spock's father, Sarek of Vulcan and American President Abraham Lincoln. Another painting is of an unnamed Andorian dignitary. There has been some speculation by fans that the Andorian in the painting is Thy'lek Shran from Star Trek: Enterprise, although if it were, this would have to be a retcon as the character of Shran was created a decade after the production of this movie.
  • After the first day of shooting, someone noticed that Valeris's jacket was trimmed in gray, not red to match her red turtleneck undergarment. Since refilming would have been too expensive, it was quickly decided to just let it pass.
As was her incorrect rank insignia of lieutenant commander. Valeris was only a lieutenant.
  • During the Battle at Khitomer, Uhura mentions that the Enterprise is carrying equipment to study gaseous anomalies. In the beginning of the film, Sulu states that the Excelsior is also on a mission to study gaseous anomalies. It is not clear whether this is done intentionally, as the Enterprise's mission is strictly escort duty for the Chancellor's ship.
  • In the final shot of the Enterprise bridge crew, the helmsman's chair is left empty; symbolizing that Sulu is not present.
  • In the credits at the end of the movie, Uhura is spelled "Uhuru."
This final opportunity to establish Uhura's first name unfortunately was missed.
  • The final scene also has the characters standing in a staged lineup. The producers wanted it known that it was the last movie.
  • The final Captain's Log was actually shot on the bridge of the Enterprise. This, however, was the last scene shot. Instead of using a dubbed log, they recorded it live.
  • The Khitomer hall was represented by the Brandeis-Bardin Institute, located in southern California.
  • This is the first Trek movie since Star Trek: The Motion Picture to feature no footage from previous films. The bird-of-prey explosion from this film would later be used in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Star Trek Generations.
On the contrary, at least one VFX shot is reused: the forward view of the Enterprise inside Spacedock as she ramps up to one-quarter impulse power (the same visual was also used in Star Trek V: The Final Frontier during Scotty's "shakedown cruise" report).
  • For some unknown reason, the art on the label for the Special Features disc of the Special Collectors Edition features an upside-down closeup image of the Enterprise-B from the film Star Trek Generations.
  • During the dinner scene, Kirk states about having Romulan ale on the menu as being "One of the advantages of being a thousand light years from Federation Headquarters." Given that 78 years later, a faster and more advanced USS Voyager would expect to take 70 years to travel 70,000 light years, one may infer that it would take far longer than a year for the Enterprise to reach the rendezvous point with Kronos One. However, he could be exaggerating being that since the Klingons are enemies of the Federation, it could seem as if they're one thousand light years from home.
  • During the scene where Spock and Scotty discuss that every torpedo aboard has been accounted for, as the two turn a corner, Kim Cattrall can be seen waiting to slide down the pole. This can either be a blooper or Valeris is eavesdropping on the conversation.
  • A scene in the script and novelization, took place on Excelsior just after Sulu's conversation with Kirk where Valtane was to have told Sulu "Do you realize you've just committed treason, sir?" And Sulu was supposed to reply something along the lines of "I always hoped that if I ever had to choose between betraying my country or betraying my friend, I'd have the courage to betray my country."
  • Star Trek VI is the only one of the ten Star Trek films that has never had its original theatrical version released to home video in any form. The original 1992 home video release added back in the "Operation Retrieve" scenes and the unmasking of Colonel West on Khitomer. The 2003 SE DVD release added in glimpses of Cartwright, Chang and Nanclus during Spock and Valeris' mind meld and slight alternate takes during her interrogation on the bridge.
The original theatrical version is run on some of the HBO channels occasionally. Ironically, when HBO first ran this film in January 1993, they used the home video version.

Production history

Apocrypha

  • Star Trek VI was adapted into novel form by Jeanne M. Dillard.
  • A comics adaptation was written by Peter David and drawn by Gordon Purcell and Arne Starr.
  • An interesting novel and comic sequel to the events of this film, "The Ashes of Eden", written by William Shatner and Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens, depicts a plot created by a Klingon-Romulan alliance, staged in Chal, a homeworld populated by a race of genetically-engineered Klingon-Romulans. Kirk is called there by a native of the planet, Teilani, to help her people with this crisis.
  • While it was mentioned in the film that the crew was standing down, it wasn't directly stated that the entire Enterprise senior staff was retiring so it's been generally believed that most of the crew were simply stepping down and retiring from active ship duty. To that end, several novels have postulated that only Kirk, Spock and Scotty actually fully retired and then Spock became part of the diplomatic corps and became an ambassador. The recent novel Provenance of Shadows established that McCoy started doing research at Starfleet Medical and other novels have had McCoy as Chief of Starfleet Medical as well. "Encounter at Farpoint" clearly establishes that McCoy is an Admiral at that point in time. According to the novel The Star to Every Wandering, at the time of Star Trek Generations, Chekov was working a ground assignment on Earth waiting for an executive officer position to open up. It's likely he was assigned to Excelsior as executive officer shortly thereafter, eventually commanding two starships on his own before becoming an Admiral. In the movie, Uhura said she was supposed to be chairing a seminar at the Academy, and The Lost Era novels established that she was going to do that very thing when she was recruited for Starfleet Intelligence and eventually rising to become an Admiral and head of Intelligence by 2360 at the latest. The Starfleet Corps of Engineers novels have established that Scotty eventually became the head of the Corps of Engineers and other books established Scotty as having helped to design and work on building the Enterprise-E.

Links and References

Cast

Unnamed Starfleet personnel
Unnamed USS Enterprise-A personnel
Unnamed USS Excelsior personnel
Unnamed Klingons
Unnamed aliens

Uncredited

Stunt Performers

References

Adam and Eve; advocate; artificial gravity; Beta Quadrant; boat; boatswain's whistle; bridge; Caesar, Julius; Camp Khitomer; Chagall, Marc; chameloid; chancellor; China; cloaking device, Klingon; coffee; colonel; commander in chief; commandant; communications station; Concise History of the Klingon Empire, A; crew quarters; Davis (Crewman); deflector shield; dilithium; Earth; Earth Cold War; Enterprise-A, USS; Excelsior-class; Excelsior, USS; Excelsior, USS personnel; Federation President; Federation-Klingon Cold War; France; galley; Garden of Eden; gravitational unit; gravity boot; gulag; Hamlet; Hitler, Adolf; interstellar law; Introduction to Klingon Grammar; jackal mastiff; K't'inga-class; Khitomer; Khitomer Accords; Khitomer Conference; Khitomer conspiracy; kill setting; Klingon Bird-of-Prey; Klingon Empire; Klingons; Klingon history; Klingon Neutral Zone; Klingon uniforms; Kobayashi Maru scenario; Kronos One, IKS; Lincoln, Abraham; listening post; magnetic boot; magnetic gravity boots; medical tricorder; Morska; neutral zone; neutron radiation; news; Nixon, Richard M.; Okrand's Unabridged Klingon Dictionary; Operation Retrieve; Paris; penal colony; phaser; photon torpedo; plasma; plasma exhaust; Post, Emily; Praxis; Qo'noS; Romulan ale; Romulan Star Empire; Rura Penthe; sabotage; San Francisco; SD-103; SD-103 type; science station; Shakespeare, William; sickbay; smoking; Spoken Languages of the Klingon Empire; Starbase 24; Starfleet; Starfleet Academy; stun setting; subspace; subspace shock wave; targ; Tiberian bat; torpedo bay; torpedo launcher; United Federation of Planets; Ursva; viridium patch; Vulcan; Vulcan mind meld; warp drive; Wise, D.; weapons locker

Other references

Ahwahnee, USS; Challenger, USS; Constellation, USS; Constitution-class; Eagle, USS; Efrosian; Emden, USS; Endeavour, USS; Helin, USS; John Muir, USS; Kongo, USS; Korolev, USS; Oberth-class; Oberth, USS; Potemkin, USS; Scovil, USS; Springfield, USS; Starbase 24; Whorfin, USS.

Timeline

1938
Hitler quoted as saying "we need breathing room"
2220s
Beginning of a 70-plus year-long period of what Spock describes as "unrelenting hostilities" with the Klingons
2285
A Klingon sergeant kills David Marcus
2290
Excelsior begins 3-year exploratory tour in Beta Quadrant
2293
Praxis explodes

External Links


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