Star Trek V : The Final Frontier " " The greatest enterprise of all is adventure . " " When a renegade Vulcan captures the Federation , Klingon , and Romulan ambassadors on Nimbus III , " the planet of galactic peace " , it can only mean one thing : the vacation is over ; Captain James T . Kirk and the crew of the new Starship " Enterprise " - A are pressed back into service to come to the rescue . But , when the Vulcan has a prior association with Spock , it allows him to seize control of the " Enterprise " and put it on course for the center of the galaxy where he and his followers believe they find the place from which creation sprung . Summary . Prologue . On the desert planet Nimbus III , a scavenger named J ' onn is digging holes in a field . He stops digging and sees , emerging from the dust in the distance , a man riding towards him on a horse . Dismounting from the horse , this man has a strange power to cleanse people of their emotional " pain " , which he uses to join the scavenger to his cause . " " What is it you seek ? " " , he asks . The man tells him he seeks " what " he seeks , what " all " men have sought since time itself began – the ultimate knowledge . To find it , he notes , they will need a starship . J ' onn mentions that Nimbus III has no such vessels , but the mysterious man reveals he may have a way to bring one to them . When J ' onn asks how he plans to accomplish this , the man throws back his hood , showing the scavenger his distinct pointed Vulcan ear s . He then begins laughing . Act One . The newly - demoted Captain James T . Kirk is back on Earth , spending his shore leave free climbing El Capitan in Yosemite National Park in North America . Halfway up he is greeted by Spock , who has followed him wearing levitation boots . Dr . McCoy is watching with binoculars from a safe distance while cursing Kirk ' s " irresponsibility " for climbing the mountain . In a moment of distraction , Kirk falls off of El Capitan . Spock dives after him . After a terrifying moment for the captain , he ' s snatched from certain death by Spock who catches him by grabbing his ankle only mere centimeters from the ground . Out in the galaxy , three ambassador s from the United Federation of Planets , Romulan Star Empire , and Klingon Empire meet alone in Paradise City on Nimbus III for a private conference . The young Romulan ambassador , Caithlin Dar , rides into Paradise City on a horse , and expresses optimism in Nimbus III , which had been billed as " The Planet of Galactic Peace " at its founding twenty years before . However , the Human and Klingon ambassadors , St . John Talbot and General Korrd , are much more jaded and cynical , and point out that it has rapidly devolved to a barren wasteland rife with corruption and debauchery . Talbot points out that they had forbade weapons , but the settlers began to fashion their own projectile weapon s . Korrd , in particular , is a decorated and respected Klingon general who fell out of favor with the Klingon High Command , and has become a bitter , apathetic drunk . Their meeting is interrupted when the city compound is overrun by fanatical followers of the Vulcan who informs the ambassadors that they are his hostages . Caithlin Dar defiantly tells the Vulcan that she doesn ' t know who he is or what he wants but assures him that their three respective governments will stop at nothing to ensure their safety . The Vulcan retorts " " That ' s exactly what I ' m counting on . " " Sitting in the Earth Spacedock , undergoing repairs and refits , the new USS " Enterprise " sits lifelessly under the care of Chief engineer Montgomery Scott , who notes in the shakedown crew ' s report that the new " Enterprise " must have been the product of a team of monkeys – while the warp drive is up to Scott ' s exacting standards , he laments that half the doors on the ship won ' t open and that it ' s his responsibility to repair them , among other disabled systems aboard the ship ; primary of which is the ship ' s transporter . As Scott repairs the helm / navigation console on the main bridge , Nyota Uhura arrives from a turbolift with his dinner – understanding that the extensive repair schedule will cancel their shared plans for shore leave . At that moment , the " Enterprise " s mangled red alert system goes off and a voice from Starfleet announces to Scott and Uhura that they have a priority 7 situation at the Neutral Zone . Scott is incredulous that Starfleet would assign the mission to the " Enterprise " considering that the ship is currently " in pieces " and has less than a skeleton crew aboard . Uhura asks Starfleet if they are aware of the " Enterprise " s current status . Starfleet acknowledges and tells Uhura to stand by to copy operational orders and to recall all key personnel . Uhura contacts Hikaru Sulu and Pavel Chekov , who are lost hiking in the woods . Chekov is grateful that they ' ll soon be rescued but warns Sulu not to tell Uhura that they got lost after she instructs them to return to a set of prearranged coordinates . Sulu and Chekov try to explain they ' re caught in a blizzard and can ' t see which way they ' re going . Uhura , monitoring the weather on the sensors , reads nothing but sunny skies and 70 degree Fahrenheit weather and assures them she won ' t tell anyone about their embarrassing situation as she sends a shuttlecraft to pick them up . " " Uhura , I owe you one . Sulu out , " " the " Enterprise " s helmsman says as he flips shut his communicator . Meanwhile , Kirk , Spock , and Bones are sitting around the campfire at Yosemite , where the three discuss their time together and philosophize about life and death around a pot of whiskey - spiked baked beans , roasting " marsh melons , " and singing " Row , Row , Row Your Boat " , although Spock cannot grasp the meaning of the words and thus declines to sing along . McCoy admonishes Kirk for risking his life on crazy stunts , such as falling off El Capitan earlier and McCoy wonders if it crossed Kirk ' s mind that he should have died when he fell off . Kirk admits it did – but , even as he fell , he knew he would not die . Spock does not understand . " " I ' ve always known . . . I ' ll die alone . " " After Kirk ' s revelation , McCoy offers that the three of them spend so much time together in space , getting on each other ' s nerves , yet spend their shore leave together . Kirk believes that while other people have families , they don ' t . Out in space , the long - lost Earth probe " Pioneer 10 " is intercepted by a Klingon Bird - of - Prey commanded by the young Klingon warrior Klaa , who easily vaporizes the probe with his disruptors . Klaa tires of shooting space garbage , as he believes it is no test of a warrior ' s mettle and wishes for a target that will fight back . The Klingons are soon notified about the hostage situation on Nimbus III as well , which piques Klaa ' s interest as it is obvious that the Federation will send a ship of their own to deal with the situation and sets his course for Nimbus III . Kirk , Spock , and McCoy ' s leave is interrupted when Uhura takes the " " down to their campsite in Yosemite since the " Enterprise " s transporters are inoperative , waking up all three men with the " Galileo " s bright landing lights . She informs Kirk of important orders from Starfleet Command . Kirk wonders why she didn ' t contact him via his communicator but she notes he conveniently forgot it . The " Galileo " eventually arrives in the " Enterprise " s shuttlebay and the problems with the starship are immediately obvious to Kirk as the turbolift malfunctions en route to the bridge , a console shorts out and the viewscreen barely works . Chief of Starfleet Operations Fleet Admiral Bob eventually comes through and orders Kirk to Nimbus III and assess the hostage situation . Kirk tries to decline the mission due to the problems plaguing the ship and suggests another vessel nearby handle the situation . Admiral Bob refuses on the grounds that while there may be other ships out there , none of their captains are as experienced as Jim Kirk . With an " " oh , please " " dismissal on his lips , Kirk signs off and orders the " Enterprise " to Nimbus III . Klaa and his crew discover that the " Enterprise " has been dispatched to Nimbus III as well . Klaa is well familiar with the " Enterprise " being Kirk ' s vessel and wonders what defeating Kirk in battle would do for his reputation . His first officer Vixis marvels that destroying the " Enterprise " and and defeating Kirk would make Klaa the greatest warrior in the galaxy . Klaa , originally hoping for an engagement with just any Federation starship , is now elated at his chance to fight Kirk and the " Enterprise " and orders maximum speed . The " Enterprise " , so plagued with technical problems that Kirk can ' t even record an entry in the captain ' s log recorder , finally receives a copy of the hostage tape sent from Nimbus III . In the tape , Dar , Talbot and Koord plead with the Federation to send a starship to parlay for their release at once , per the instructions of the leader of Galactic Army of Light , the Vulcan who enters the frame and begins addressing the Federation . He claims to regret his desperate act and has no desire to harm the hostages but will do so if the Federation does not respond immediately . Spock , taken with the Vulcan , calls up a freeze frame of him on his science station ' s monitor and regards it intently . Kirk wonders if Spock is familiar with him . Later , Spock is in solitude in the " Enterprise " s observation lounge when Kirk and McCoy join him . Spock recounts for Kirk and McCoy a brief history of Sybok , a gifted Vulcan who at a young age broke with tradition and decided that emotion , not logic , was the key to self - knowledge . According to Spock , Sybok was banished from when he attempted to lure other Vulcans to his worldview . Act Two . The " Enterprise " arrives first at Nimbus III . Paradise City demands to know their intentions but Kirk tells Uhura to respond with static and make them think they are having some difficulties – which is not far from the truth . Kirk tries to simply beam the hostages aboard but Scott tells him that the transporter is still inoperative . The captain realizes they ' ll have to go down and take them out by force . However , Spock detects the Bird - of - Prey entering the area leaving them 1 . 9 hours before their weapons come to bear . An assault team consisting of Kirk , Spock , McCoy , Sulu , Uhura and a detail of security personnel head down in the " Galileo " leaving Chekov in command of the " Enterprise " . Despite the primitive scanning equipment of the natives of Nimbus III , their sensors are nevertheless effective and it forces the " Galileo " to land significantly far away from the settlement . Meanwhile , Chekov hails Paradise City from the " Enterprise " and poses as the ship ' s commanding officer with the intention of distracting the enemy from Kirk ' s actions . The Vulcan responds and is amused by Chekov ' s posturing , who orders him to release the hostages or suffer the consequences . Chekov , not backing down , informs the Vulcan that a Klingon vessel is on the way . The Vulcan , unmoved , replies that it ' s likely that they ' ll be fairly angry . Chekov tries to impress upon him that the Klingons are likely to destroy the whole planet but the Vulcan knows that a Federation starship would not stand idly by and let the Klingons do that . He then instructs Chekov and his first officer to beam down to his coordinates . Chekov tries to stall the Vulcan as Kirk and Spock realize that they don ' t have enough time to get to Paradise City on foot . The captain notices a stable of horse s through his binoculars and has Uhura perform a seductive dance ( with a team of armed security guards out of sight ) to distract the wranglers while the assault team steals the horses . The ploy works and the assault team rides into Paradise City . Under the cover of nightfalls and covered in cloaks , the assault team looks no different than the wranglers . J ' onn believes them to be their lookout party and allows them access to Paradise City . However , J ' onn soon becomes suspicious as Spock locates the hostages on his tricorder . The Galactic Army of Light begins to open fire on the assault team with their primitive weapons , but they respond with their Starfleet - issue phasers . The Vulcan becomes aware of the commotion outside and Chekov orders him to surrender at once as he is under attack by superior Federation forces . The Vulcan is incensed as bloodshed is the last thing he wanted . Chekov tries to reason with him but he flees . Kirk fights hand to hand with the Galactic Army of Light ' s warriors and the fight continues . With a clear entrance into the bar where the hostages are being held , Kirk orders Uhura to bring the " Galileo " down so they can make a quick escape and goes for the captives . After a brief struggle with an exotic alien dancer , Kirk and Spock free the hostages . However , Korrd and Dar turn their weapons on them and hold Kirk and Spock hostage instead . Outside the bar , the Galactic Army of Light has also captured the " Galileo " , Uhura , Sulu , McCoy and the rest of the security detail . As they loudly cheer their victory , the Vulcan suddenly recognizes Spock among the group and joyfully reveals that he is , in fact , Sybok . However , Spock is not cheered by the apparent reunion and informs Sybok that he is under arrest for 17 violations of the Neutral Zone Treaty . Sybok and the others laugh at the notion – they clearly have the " Enterprise " team outnumbered . Spock offers Sybok leniency if he surrenders but Sybok jovially announces he can ' t surrender as he isn ' t through violating the treaty and intends for his next crime to be the theft of something " " very big " " – the " Enterprise " herself . Kirk finally speaks up and indignantly inquires if Sybok has staged this entire affair just to get his hands on his ship . Sybok , equally indignantly , wonders who Kirk even is . He clarifies that he is the captain of the " Enterprise " . Sybok realizes that Chekov had been deceiving him and applauds Kirk ' s clever tactics but moves on and asks Spock if he would like to join him . Kirk is also curious as to what Spock will say but Spock simply states that he is a Starfleet officer . Sybok understands and states he will just take the " Enterprise " without Spock ' s help . Unaware of the serious situation on the planet ' s surface , Chekov and Scott are faced with another serious situation – the Klingon vessel is closing on their position . Klaa orders their cloaking device engaged in preparation for their attack on the " Enterprise " . Scott notes the loss of the Bird - of - Prey on sensors and deduces they must have cloaked . Chekov , knowing his first responsibility is to the ship , orders Scott to raise shields . Scott protests that the shuttlecraft is coming up from the surface but Chekov firmly repeats his order and follows it up with an order to go to red alert . Scott obliges and the " Enterprise " prepares for battle . The " Galileo " approaches the " Enterprise " and while Kirk retains his command of his officers , Sybok and his followers have them all under their command . Talbot informs them that once they have seized control of the " Enterprise " , they will bring up the rest of the Galactic Army of Light . Kirk , in an untenable position , laments that with the Klingons on their way , they will be lucky to even get back to the ship at all . Chekov hails the " Galileo " , informs them of the situation and recommends they find a safe harbor until the situation is secured . However , Sybok refuses and orders Kirk to bring them aboard . Kirk desperately tries to explain to Sybok that in order to dock the " Galileo " , the " Enterprise " will be vulnerable to a Klingon attack as her shields must be down for at least 15 seconds to enter the shuttlebay . Korrd tells Sybok that Kirk is speaking the truth but Sybok refuses to return to Nimbus III . He allows Kirk to take whatever action is necessary in order to get the " Galileo " aboard . Kirk tells Chekov that they cannot return to the planet and cryptically tells him to stand by in executing " Emergency Landing Plan B . " Chekov and Scott have no idea what Kirk is talking about but get the general idea when Kirk says that " B " stands for " barricade . " Kirk intends to forgo the tractor beam and fly the shuttlecraft in manually in order to minimize the time the " Enterprise " s shields will be down . Klaa , meanwhile , has been monitoring the communications channel and realizes that Kirk is on the shuttle and alters his attack course to bear down on the " Galileo " . The " Enterprise " lowers her shields just as the Bird - of - Prey decloaks . Sulu engages the shuttle ' s thrusters and makes a hasty course for the shuttlebay . With no tractor beam , the shuttlecraft blasts into the bay , throwing its occupants to the deck and knocking out its systems . The barricade in the shuttlebay flies up to contain the craft before it crashes through the wall and decompresses additional compartments of the ship . The Bird - of - Prey fires at the " Enterprise " but Chekov orders immediate warp speed and she streaks away just as the torpedo misses . Klaa is enraged but impressed at Kirk ' s cunning and orders his officers to track the " Enterprise " s course . In the " Galileo " , the Starfleet officers and the outlaws are in various states of unconsciousness from the crash . Sybok recovers as Kirk does and both note a projectile weapon on the deck . They struggle for it but Sybok gets the upper hand and orders Kirk to change course at once . The captain agrees to take Sybok to the bridge but tries to get the weapon away from Sybok as they disembark from the shuttle . The Vulcan easily outmatches Kirk in physical strength and grabs him in a chokehold . Kirk is able to get the weapon away from him and it slides across the deck to the feet of Spock , who picks it up and orders Sybok to surrender . Sybok refuses and bluntly tells Spock he must kill him . Kirk bellows for Spock to " " SHOOT HIM ! " " but Spock cannot and the weapon is confiscated by Sybok , who is relieved as he thought Spock might have actually done it . J ' onn takes an injured Dr . McCoy and Kirk to the brig as Sybok asks Spock to accompany him to the bridge but again Spock refuses . Sybok tells him he has no choice but to join his friends in confinement . Korrd , Dar , and Talbot escort Sulu and Uhura out of the " Galileo " as Sybok requests a moment alone with them in order to release their pain as he had done to the others . From the observation deck , a disturbed Scott watches as the Galactic Army of Light pour out of the " Galileo " and out to the rest of the ship and goes into hiding . In the brig , Kirk is cursing Spock for betraying the entire crew . Spock says it ' s worse than that – he ' s betrayed Kirk and does not expect the captain to forgive him . Kirk simply cannot believe it – why wouldn ' t Spock defend his ship and follow orders and just pull the trigger on the weapon he had on Sybok . Spock claims he could not because Kirk ordered him to kill his brother . Kirk is incredulous and claims Spock is lying because he knows for a fact that Spock does not have a brother . Spock agrees that Kirk is technically correct – he has a " half " - brother . Dr . McCoy tries to make sense of it all – that Spock and Sybok have the same father but different mothers . Spock says that Sybok ' s mother was a Vulcan princess and upon her death , Sybok and he were raised as brothers . Kirk can ' t believe Spock never mentioned any of this to them before and Spock apologizes for it . Kirk is fuming but McCoy tells him to stop berating Spock as he could no more kill Sybok than he could kill Kirk . More to the point , they have bigger problems to deal with like escaping from the brig . " " I ' ll say one thing , Spock . You never cease to amaze me , " " McCoy says . " " Nor I myself , " " Spock responds . Kirk , sitting on the brig ' s toilet , shakes his head . On the bridge , Sulu and Uhura enter with several of Sybok ' s followers . Chekov wonders where Kirk is but Uhura tells him not to worry about it – " Sybok " will explain everything . As Sybok ' s followers begin to take up positions on the bridge , Sulu begins entering commands into the navigation console . Chekov demands to know what he ' s doing as Sulu answers that he is plotting their new course . Chekov is incredulous as Sulu has no authority to take that action . Sybok arrives on the bridge as Chekov demands an explanation . All Sulu will say is that Chekov simply has to listen to Sybok . The Vulcan tells Chekov that he won ' t force him into anything but encourages him to share his pain with Sybok as all the others have and gain strength from it . As a result , Chekov can ' t help but be taken into Sybok ' s cause like the rest . In the brig , several efforts to escape are proven to be fruitless as Spock has personally tested the new design of the brig and found it to be " escape - proof . " Back on the bridge , Sybok has fully assumed command of the " Enterprise " as they proceed on their new course at warp 7 . As they are now underway , Sybok announces his intentions to the rest of the ship . Via the ship ' s intercom and computer terminals , Sybok asks the crew of the " Enterprise " to consider the questions of existence – the same questions that man himself has considered ever since he looked up at the stars and dreamed . They dreamed about a place where questions of existence would be answered . Although modern dogma says that place is a myth , Sybok believes it exists and has taken the " Enterprise " with the intent of making the greatest discovery of all time – the discovery of Sha Ka Ree , which lies beyond the Great Barrier at the center of the galaxy . Kirk , Spock , and McCoy watch from the brig . Kirk is alarmed as the center of the galaxy cannot be reached – no ship has ever entered the Great Barrier and no probe has ever returned . Suddenly , a mysterious tapping sound is heard coming from the wall of the brig . Kirk and Spock immediately recognize it as Morse code – the taps spelling out the letters , " S " , " T " , " A " , N " , " D " , " B " , " A " , C " , " K . " As they realize what the message wants them to do , the wall explodes outwards and Scott , from the other side , chides them for not recognizing a jail break when they see one . Sybok , Sulu , J ' onn , and some followers enter the brig – Sybok still intent on converting Kirk , Spock , and McCoy to join his cause but realize they have escaped . He orders Sulu and J ' onn to find them . Below decks , Scott tells Kirk that the crew is sympathetic to Sybok and they cannot be trusted now . Spock reminds Kirk of the emergency communications transmitter in the observation lounge but they cannot easily access it as it is in the forward section of the ship , far and away from their current position near the bottom of the secondary hull . Scott tells them they may be able to avoid the search parties if they get there by accessing turboshaft 3 as it is closed for repairs , but warns it ' s a long and dangerous climb . Kirk tells Scott to finish repairing the transporter because they ' ll need it if they can contact a rescue ship and head for the turboshaft . As they depart , Scott inadvertently smacks his head off a low - clearance bulkhead and falls unconscious just as the red alert goes off – the search parties consisting of Sybok ' s followers mobilize to find Kirk , Spock , and McCoy . Sulu and J ' onn quickly find Scott ' s unconscious body and rush him to sickbay . As the trio begin their climb , Spock immediately makes a quick and quiet exit – he realizes that using the levitation boots will be much faster than climbs up all those decks . Kirk and McCoy join him , but their added weight is too much for the boots and they begin to descend back to the bottom of the turboshaft where Sulu and a contingent of Sybok ' s followers have found them . Kirk orders Spock to use the booster rocket s on the boots but Spock warns against it . Kirk is insistent and Spock obliges , but the boosters propel them upward at an incredible rate , nearly right into the top of the shaft . Nevertheless , they exit the shaft and head for the observation lounge . From the lounge , Kirk sends out a distress call on the emergency channel . The responder is Starfleet Command . Kirk informs them that they ' ve been hijacked by a hostile force that has put them on a direct course for the Great Barrier and they require immediate assistance . However , the responding voice is not in fact Starfleet Command , it is Vixis aboard the Bird - of - Prey , impersonating a Starfleet officer . After Kirk signs off , Klaa orders them into the Great Barrier as well with the intent of following Kirk wherever he goes . As the three exit the lounge , they are intercepted by Sybok and his armed followers , who trusts that their message has been received . Kirk claims that he can ' t expect them to sit by and let Sybok take the " Enterprise " into the Great Barrier . Sybok claims that what Kirk really fears about the Great Barrier is that it is an unknown and cites numerous examples from Earth ' s history about similar fears – Christopher Columbus proving the Earth was round , Chuck Yeager breaking the sound barrier , and Zefram Cochrane achieving warp speed . Sybok desperately wants Kirk ' s respect and understanding and challenges the captain to hear him out . Meanwhile , in sickbay , Scott has recovered and returns to work on repairing the transporter . Sybok continues to speak of Sha Ka Ree to Kirk , Spock , and McCoy – that it is Heaven , an eden . The Klingons , Romulans , and Andorian s all have different names for it but they all have a shared concept of it . For the " Enterprise " , that concept will soon be a reality . Kirk is less than convinced , however – the only reality he knows is that he is a prisoner aboard his own ship and challenges Sybok about the power he has over the minds of his crew . Sybok retorts that he doesn ' t control minds – he " frees " them . McCoy , a bit more inquisitive , wonders how this is accomplished . Sybok explains that he forces people to face their pain and draw strength from it . Once that ' s the done , he continues , fear cannot stop you . McCoy is less than convinced and compares it to brainwashing . Sybok begins to peer into McCoy ' s pain , claiming it runs the deepest of the three of them – he can feel it , surely McCoy can . An apparition begins to appear in the corner of the room – an elderly man in a bed , sick and dying , calling out to him . McCoy approaches it and discovers that it is his father , David . McCoy begs Sybok not to put him through this memory but Sybok continues . David weakly begs his son to help him – the pain of the disease that is afflicting him is too much to bear and wishes to be released . McCoy turns to Sybok and laments that with all his medical knowledge , he can ' t save his father . Sybok whispers to McCoy that ' s he ' s a doctor – he should know the reality of that life . McCoy responds that he ' s also his father ' s son and deactivates the life support system sustaining him . He watches as his father dies before his eyes . Sybok questions why McCoy did it , who responds that he did it to preserve his father ' s dignity . But Sybok knows that the act itself wasn ' t the pain the McCoy carried with him all these years . McCoy admits that it wasn ' t – the real sorrow was that not long after he released his father , a cure to the disease was found – had he not killed him , he might have lived . McCoy doesn ' t know if he did the right thing or not and hasn ' t been able to answer that question all this time . His pain has been released . Sybok next turns his attention to Spock , claiming each person ' s pain is unique . Spock claims to hide no pain but Sybok doesn ' t believe him . Spock allows Sybok to proceed and another apparition appears . The image of Amanda Grayson giving birth to Spock on Vulcan appears . As Spock is born , the midwife presents the child to Sarek , who coldly regards the infant and dismisses him as being " so Human . " Kirk regards Spock who is disquieted by the experience . Sybok claims he has done nothing to either Spock or McCoy and wonders if Kirk knew this about either of them . Kirk claims he did not . Sybok offers to help Kirk learn something about himself but the captain refuses . McCoy tries to tell Kirk to be a bit more open - minded about what Sybok is proposing but Kirk can ' t believe any of it . He knows what his mistakes are and doesn ' t need Sybok to point them out to him . McCoy tries to tell Kirk that Sybok took away his pain but Kirk tries to tell him that he being a doctor should know better than anyone that pain can ' t be taken away with the wave of a magic wand – the good and bad experiences in one ' s life is what makes us who we are . If one loses that , they lose themselves . Kirk is adamant that he doesn ' t want his pain taken away , he " needs " it . At that moment , Uhura ' s voice comes over the intercom from the bridge that the " Enterprise " is in approach of the Great Barrier . Sybok regrets he couldn ' t help Kirk but believes he has swayed Spock and McCoy to his cause and asks them to join him on the bridge . McCoy agrees to go but Spock still refuses to join – he belongs right where he is , which is by Kirk ' s side . Sybok doesn ' t understand but Spock explains that while Sybok is his brother , he does not know Spock . Since the time he was an outcast boy on Vulcan until now , Spock has found himself and his place and knows who he is and he cannot go with Sybok . This rings true to McCoy , who chooses to stay with Kirk and Spock . Sybok , with a smile , allows them to remain . Kirk is still unconvinced that the " Enterprise " will survive the trip through the Great Barrier . Sybok challenges Kirk to be convinced that his vision was true if they do survive . Sybok claims his vision came from God , who waits for the " Enterprise " on the other side of the Great Barrier . Kirk cannot believe his ears and claims that Sybok is mad . Sybok , allowing the possibility to exist , says that they will see . Act Three . The " Enterprise " bears down on the Great Barrier . The bridge crew , along with the three ambassadors , Sybok and his followers are awestruck by the swirling vortex of blue and green colored electrical energy discharging before them on the viewscreen . Sulu ominously reminds Sybok that it ' s been said that no ship can survive the Great Barrier but Sybok disagrees – the danger is an illusion . Chekov cannot get any sensor readings on the phenomena – is it there or isn ' t it ? Sybok is convinced it isn ' t and orders Sulu to enter the Barrier . The " Enterprise " engages her impulse engines and breaches the barrier . The journey through is not as dangerous as had been predicted as the starship rather easily completes the journey . As the distortion clears , a planetoid appears through the mist , which looks to be made of pure energy . Kirk , Spock , and McCoy watch from the observation lounge and are awestruck , as is the rest of the crew . Sybok is overjoyed – he believes this planet is Sha Ka Ree . Kirk , Spock , and McCoy return to the bridge . Sybok says the ship needs its captain and returns command to Kirk with no conditions as he believes that even though Kirk didn ' t believe Sybok before , what they have discovered would seem to indicate he was right and Kirk won ' t refuse to investigate it . His assumption is correct and Kirk agrees to take a landing party down to the planet via a shuttlecraft and asks that the rest of Sybok ' s followers remain aboard until he has determined exactly what they have found . " " Well , don ' t just stand there . God ' s a busy man , " " he says just prior to entering the turbolift . The shuttlecraft " " heads down to the planet carrying Kirk , Spock , McCoy , and Sybok . As they descend , Spock discovers that some external force has taken control of the shuttlecraft and lands it for them . Kirk wants to bring a phaser along with him but Sybok recommends he leaves it behind . Kirk agrees and the four make their way down the mountain range . As the crew watch in amazement from the bridge , no one notices on the sensors that Klaa ' s Bird - of - Prey has entered into sensor range . Sybok calls out to whatever force might be on the planet that they have traveled far but gets no response . With nothing apparently there , Spock attempts to console Sybok but the ground begins to shake . Large pillars explode out of the ground to form a large amphitheater - like encompassing and the sky turns completely dark . As the four move in to investigate , a magnificent blue pillar of light bursts from within the encompassing , far up into the sky and outstretching past the " Enterprise " in orbit . A booming voice calls out to them . McCoy wonders if it is the voice of God and indeed , a face appears that claims to suit the expectation of such an entity . Sybok is convinced and vindicated . The entity claims that the journey to reach him could not have been an easy one . Sybok agrees that it wasn ' t – it took a starship to breach the Great Barrier . The entity wonders if this starship could carry his wisdom beyond the barrier . Sybok agrees that it could and the entity makes claim to the " Enterprise " . Sybok , jubilantly , calls the vessel his chariot . Kirk , however , is less than convinced . Why would God need a starship ? The entity continues to boast what it will do with the " Enterprise " but Kirk presses on and repeats his question . The entity asks who Kirk thinks he is . Again , Kirk is incredulous – wouldn ' t it know if it really were God ? Sybok tells the entity that Kirk simply has his doubts . The entity is outraged that Kirk would have the audacity to doubt it . Kirk simply states he seeks proof but McCoy cautions Kirk not to ask the Almighty for identification . The entity answers all of Kirk ' s questions by blasting him backwards with an electrical charge emanating from its " eyes " . Kirk , almost mockingly , asks why " God " is angry ? Sybok cannot believe that he would attack his friend , Kirk , like this . Spock presses Kirk ' s issue on as the entity has not answered anything and repeats the question – " what does God need with a starship ? " The entity attack Spock as it did Kirk . It then turns its attention to McCoy and dares him to doubt it as well . McCoy claims he would doubt any God who would inflict pain for his own pleasure . Sybok claims to the entity that the God of Sha Ka Ree would not do such things . The entity mocks Sybok ' s vision of Sha Ka Ree as a vision that Sybok created himself and morphs itself into an image of Sybok and demands that he give him the " Enterprise " or he will destroy all four of them . It is now apparent that the this is not the God of Sha Ka Ree , Spock says , or any other God but merely a malevolent life form imprisoned on this planet behind the Great Barrier and it simply needs the " Enterprise " to escape . Sybok turns to Spock and cannot believe any of it . He claims his own vanity and arrogance created this situation and now he must do what he has to do to ensure that Spock , Kirk , and McCoy are protected from the entity . He begs Spock to forgive him and holds up his hand in the Vulcan salute . Spock returns it as Sybok asks the entity about his pain . The entity is caught off - guard by the question . Sybok claims it runs deep and attacks the entity . As they struggle , Kirk on his communicator , orders Sulu and Chekov aboard the " Enterprise " to fire a photon torpedo at the encompassing entity . Chekov protests as Kirk , Spock , and McCoy are too close but Kirk tells him to fire immediately . The " Enterprise " opens fire and the torpedo obliterates the amphitheater . Spock laments about Sybok , who has been lost in the blast but the entity has not been completely destroyed . Kirk and the others make a hasty escape back to the " Copernicus " but Spock finds that the thrusters have been rendered inoperative as the entity then violently shakes the shuttlecraft . Kirk flips open his communicator and begs with Scott to tell him that he has finally repaired the transporter . Scott replies that it has partial power and might be able to beam up two of them . Kirk tells Scotty to bring up Spock and McCoy , the latter of which protests all the way up . Back aboard , Spock instructs Scott to now bring up the captain , but before he can , Klaa ' s Bird - of - Prey opens fire on the unshielded " Enterprise " , severely damaging her . Kirk now finds himself face to face with the entity , who has manifested itself in the cockpit of the " Copernicus " . The captain takes off running with the entity in pursuit . Spock and McCoy return to the bridge , which is in a state of disarray . Klaa hails them and claims he hasn ' t destroyed them yet because he has come for James T . Kirk and promises to spare the lives of the crew if Kirk is handed over . Spock claims that Captain Kirk is not among them , he is on the planet below . Klaa wants his coordinates but Spock has a better idea . He asks General Korrd for his assistance as he is Klaa ' s superior officer . Korrd is skeptical about what good he can do as , while he might have been a great military leader at one time , he is now a " foolish old man . " Spock implores Korrd to at least try and rehails Captain Klaa , stating that someone wishes to speak with him . On the surface of the planet , Kirk is pursued by the entity . With nowhere to hide from it , Kirk stares down his impending death as the entity closes in for the kill when Klaa ' s Bird - of - Prey closes in and destroys it with a thunderous blast from its disruptors . Kirk realizes that the Klingons have obvious come for him themselves as they beam him aboard . The captain is escorted to the bridge where , to his great surprise , General Koord has ordered Captain Klaa to apologize to Kirk – the attack on the " Enterprise " was not authorized by the Klingon Empire . Koord entreats Kirk to meet the new gunner of the Bird - of - Prey . From the gunnery chair , Spock spins around and welcomes Kirk aboard – it was Spock who saved Kirk ' s life from the entity . Kirk tells him that he thought he was going to die , echoing their earlier conversation around the campfire . Spock , likewise , tells him that it was impossible as the captain was never alone . Kirk , feeling like he wants to hug Spock , moves to do so but Spock advises against it – not in front of the Klingons . Aboard the " Enterprise " , the Starfleet crew hosts a reception in the observation lounge for the Galactic Army of Light , the three ambassadors and Klaa ' s crew , reflecting on their voyage to the center of the galaxy . Even Klaa himself offers a sign of respect to Captain Kirk , one warrior to another , which Kirk reciprocates . As McCoy and Spock speculate on whether or not God is actually out there , Kirk postulates that while God might not be out in space , perhaps he goes with them wherever they are in the Human heart . As Spock mourns the death of his brother , Kirk comforts him by relating that he once lost a brother . While McCoy may have thought he was referring to his late brother George Samuel Kirk , the captain adds that he was lucky enough to get that brother back , implying Spock , instead . McCoy challenges Kirk ' s earlier claim at the campfire that " men like us don ' t have families " , but , Kirk concedes that he was wrong – that both Spock and McCoy are his family , and the three of them resume their trip in Yosemite , this time with Spock singing " Row , Row , Row Your Boat " and playing the song on his Vulcan harp . Memorable quotes . " " Each man hides a secret pain . It must be exposed and reckoned with . It must be dragged from the darkness and forced into the light . " " < nowiki > " ' < / nowiki > " You ' ll have a great time , Bones . You ' ll enjoy your shore leave . You ' ll be able to relax . ' You call this relaxing ? I ' m a nervous wreck . If I ' m not careful I might end up talking to myself . " " " " Captain , I do not think you realize the gravity of your situation . " " " " On the contrary , gravity is the foremost on my mind ! " " " " Goddamn irresponsible ! Playing games with life ! " " " " Mind if we drop in for dinner ? " " " " Borgus frat ! ' Let ' s see what she ' s got , ' said the captain . And then we found out , didn ' t we ? ! " " " " You really piss me off , Jim ! Human life is far too precious to risk on crazy stunts ! " " " " I ' ve always known I ' ll die alone . " " " " It ' s a song , you green - blooded . . . Vulcan . You sing it . The words aren ' t important . What ' s important is that you have a good time singing it . " " " " Oh , I " am " sorry , doctor . Were we having a good time ? " " " " God , I liked him better before he died ! " " " " Captain . " " " " Spock , we ' re on leave . You can call me , Jim . " " " " Jim . " " " " Yes , Spock ? " " " " Life is " not " a dream . " " " " Go to sleep , Spock . " " " " Yes , captain . " " " " You told me you could get this ship running in two weeks . I gave you three ! What happened ? " " " " I think you gave me too much time , sir . " " " " I could use a shower . " " " " Yes . " " " " Jim , if you ask me – and you haven ' t – I think this is a bad idea . We ' re bound to bump into the Klingons , and they don ' t exactly like you . " " " " The feeling ' s mutual . " " " " We ' ll beat those Klingon devils even if I have to get out and push . " " " " I miss my old chair . " " " " Imagine that . A passionate Vulcan . " " " " Hello , boys . I ' ve always wanted to play to a captive audience . " " " " Be one with the horse ! " " " " Forgive you ? I ought to knock you on your goddamn ass ! " " " " If you think it would help . " " " " You want me to hold him , Jim ? " " " " I ' ll say one thing , Spock . You never cease to amaze me . " " " " Nor I , myself . " " " " This person didn ' t by chance have pointed ears and an unending capacity for getting his shipmates into trouble , did he ? " " " " He did have pointed ears . " " " " Spock , my only concern is getting the ship back . When that ' s done and Sybok isn ' t here , then you can debate " Sha Ka Ree " until you ' re green in the face . " " " " What are you standing around for ? ! Do you not know a jailbreak when you see one ? ! " " " " I know this ship like I know the back of my hand . " " " " I ' m afraid of nothing . " " " " I don ' t control minds . I free them . " " " " I don ' t want my pain taken away . I need my pain ! " " " " You " are " mad . " " " " Am I ? We ' ll see . . . " " " " Are we dreaming ? " " " " If we are , then life is a dream . " " " " Is this the voice of God ? " " " " One voice , many faces . " " " " What does God need with a starship ? " " " " Who is this creature ? " " " " Who am I ? Don ' t you know ? Aren ' t you God ? " " " " Jim , you don ' t ask the Almighty for his ID ! " " " " Why is God angry ? " " " " You have not answered his question ! What does God need with a starship ? " " " " Do you doubt me ? " " " " I doubt any god who inflicts pain for his own pleasure . " " " " Stop ! The god of Sha Ka Ree would not do this ! ! " " " " Sha Ka Ree ? ! A vision " you " created . An eternity I ' ve been imprisoned in this place ! The ship . I must have the ship ! Now . . . give me what I want ! " " " " What ' s wrong ? Don ' t you like this face ? I have so many , but this one suits you best . " " " " I couldn ' t help but notice your pain . " " " " My pain ? " " " " It runs deep . Share it with me ! " " " " General , I require your assistance . " " " My " assistance ? " " " " You are his superior officer . " " " " I am a foolish old man . " " " " Damn you , sir ! You " will " try ! " " " " I thought I was going to die . " " " " Not possible . You were never alone . " " " " Please , Captain . Not in front of the Klingons . " " " " Cosmic thoughts , gentlemen ? " " " " We were , speculating . . . is God really out there ? " " " " Maybe He ' s not out there , Bones . Maybe He ' s right here . . . the Human heart . " " " " I was thinking of Sybok . I have lost a brother . " " " " Yes . I lost a brother . But I was lucky , . " " Background information . Dating . " Star Trek V " continues the story of the previous film only a short time after its ending , where the " Enterprise " - A departs for its shakedown cruise . This film begins with the " Enterprise " back in spacedock and Scotty filing in his shakedown cruise report . The previous film , " Star Trek IV " , is dated to 2286 , when Gillian from 1986 mentions that she has three hundred years of catching up to do , suggesting this film takes place in 2286 , or at the latest in 2287 . In the film , Caithlin Dar makes a reference that Nimbus III was established as a planet of galactic peace 20 years ago , when the Federation and the Klingon and Romulan Empires attempted unsuccessfully to usher into a new era of peace and co - operation . While not explicitly stated , these are references to the Organian Peace Treaty of 2267 at the end of and the Romulan - Klingon Alliance some time in or before 2268 based on references from and These references give " Star Trek V " a timeframe from 2286 to 2288 . In the episode " Evolution " ( broadcast as the third - season premiere ) , it is mentioned by Lt . Commander Data that " [ There ] has not been a systems - wide technological failure on a starship in seventy - nine years . " The episode was the very first filmed TNG installment to air following the June 1989 theatrical release of " Star Trek V : The Final Frontier " ( in September 1989 ) , and this line of dialogue was very likely written by Michael Piller as a " nod " to the events of the most - recent movie , placing the events of the film in the year 2287 ( seventy - nine years prior to the year 2366 ) . StarTrek . com , and use the year 2287 , or 20 years after the Organian Peace Treaty . Memory Alpha uses this year , as well . Awards and honors . " Star Trek V : The Final Frontier " received the following awards and honors . Apocrypha . The novel " The Fire and the Rose " shows that as Spock began to regret undertaking the " Kolinahr " , that he remembered what Kirk had told Sybok about how the regrets and the pain one carries with them is part of what makes them who they are and it does help in Spock ' s decision to reverse the " Kolinahr " . The " Sha Ka Ree " entity is identified in " The Q Continuum " trilogy as The One , a being that was drawn into this universe through the Guardian of Forever by the entity known as 0 , subsequently being defeated in a confrontation with the Q Continuum and locked away in the galactic center – having been reduced to only a head – until His repentance or the heat death of the universe , " whichever comes first . " Vonda McIntyre ' s had Hikaru Sulu ' s rank at Captain ( based on cut material from " Star Trek II " ) for sake of continuity within the novels . When J . M . Dillard wrote the , she included a reference that Sulu had taken a temporary reduction in rank back down to Commander in order to serve on the " Enterprise " , a decision which , when Kirk found out , made him furious at Sulu for not thinking of his own career first , and after giving Sulu hell about that decision , Kirk thanked him afterward . According to the novel " The Sorrows of Empire " , McCoy ' s mirror universe was also responsible for his father ' s death , though under dramatically different circumstances : he tortured him to death on the orders of the Terran Empire . The massively - multiplayer online video game " Star Trek Online " features Nimbus III as a location players can travel to , including Paradise City and its featured bar . There are other adventures players can partake in out in the neighboring desert wasteland , including one of the first introductions of the Elachi race to non - Romulan players . < tabview > Links and references . Credits . Credits for Star Trek V : The Final Frontier | Show Template : Tabview message | Hide | true | true < / tabview > References . Alien horse ; Andorian language ; bath ; bean ; blizzard ; blowscreen ; binoculars ; booster rocket ; brig ; camping ; " Camptown Races " ; capital city ; commercial ; consul ; ' ; cricket ; David McCoy ' s condition ; dogma ; Earth ; Eden ; El Capitan ; ; " Enterprise " - A dedication plaque ; ; Federation ; Federation Federal ; galactic core ; ' ; " Galileo " - type shuttlecraft ; ghost town ; God ; ; Great Barrier ; Great Horned Owl ; heart attack ; high priestess ; hydro vent ; Iowa ; jet boots ; kellicam ; Klaa ' s Bird - of - Prey ; Klingon s ; Klingon Bird - of - Prey ; Klingon High Command ; Klingon language ; Levi ' s ; Luna ; lyric ; marshmallow ; ; melon ; ; metabolism ; Milky Way Galaxy ; " Moon over Rigel VII " ; " " ; monkey ; Morse code ; Neutral Zone ; Neutral Zone Treaty ; Nimbus III ; orbital shuttle ; Orbital shuttle 5 ; Orbital shuttle 7 ; " Pack Up Your Troubles " ; pagan ; Paradise City ; Paradise Inn ; " Pioneer 10 " ; pool ; priority 7 ; princess ; pronunciation ; protective custody ; " Qui ' Tu " ; record time ; red alert ; Rigel VII ; rock ; Romulan s ; Romulan ale ; Romulan language ; " Row , Row , Row Your Boat " ; San Francisco Fleet Yards ; scholar ; scotch whiskey ; " Sha Ka Ree " ; ( planet ) ; sing - along ; skeleton crew ; Southern baked beans ; ; Starfleet ; Starfleet Charter ; Starfleet Com Net ; Starfleet Command ; Starfleet Galactic Memory Bank ; Starfleet Operations ; strike team ; Tennessee whiskey ; termite ; toilet ; triangle ; Valhalla ; " Vorta Vor " ; Vulcan s ; ; Vulcan lute ; Vulcan nerve pinch ; Vulcan princess ; ; Yosemite National Park Starfleet Galactic Memory Bank references . Feira Incident ; field commander ; Klingon Imperial Command ; K ' Rebeca sector ; Orion ; Shepard sector ; Starfleet Intelligence Unreferenced material . Mount Rushmore National Memorial ; Nimbosian ; Rock Man