Star Trek VI : The Undiscovered Country " " The battle for peace has begun . " " An interstellar cataclysm cripples the Klingon Empire ' s homeworld , leading to their Chancellor seeking peace with the Federation . But covert acts attempt to thwart the peace process with the assassination of the Klingon Chancellor . With Captain James T . Kirk and Dr . Leonard McCoy as the prime suspects , the Starships " Enterprise " - A and " Excelsior " must attempt to uncover the truth before the conspirators can plunge the Federation and the Klingon Empire into war . Summary . Prelude . An explosion erupts , creating a massive subspace shock wave . Aboard the , Captain Hikaru Sulu takes a sip of tea , reads a report handed to him by his science officer Dimitri Valtane , and records his log : Suddenly , red alert klaxons sound on the bridge as the subspace shockwave reaches the " Excelsior " , throwing Sulu and his crew to the deck . Sulu orders that Lojur have the " Excelsior " turned into the wave and the ship clears the disturbance . At his post , Valtane locates the origin of the shockwave – Praxis , a Klingon moon – though its existence can no longer be confirmed . Sulu notes that Praxis is a key energy production facility for the Klingon Empire . Hailing the Klingons , the " Excelsior " crew first sees the grisly image of a Klingon officer engulfed in flames , then receives a message from Klingon Brigadier General Kerla , speaking for the Klingon High Command . Kerla explains that there has been an incident on Praxis , but that Federation assistance is not required , warning the " Excelsior " to remain outside the Klingon Neutral Zone . Communications officer Janice Rand asks Sulu if they should notify Starfleet and Sulu simply replies : " " Are you kidding ? ! " " Act I – The Mission and Catastrophe . Two months later on Earth , the senior crew of the assembles for a meeting at Starfleet Headquarters in San Francisco . The commander in chief of Starfleet opens the meeting , bluntly stating that the Klingon Empire has only fifty years of life left in it . Federation Special Envoy Spock announces that the destruction of Praxis has polluted the Klingon homeworld ' s ozone so badly that the planet has only fifty years remaining without diverting resources from its significant military expenditures . At the behest of Vulcan ambassador Sarek , Spock has opened a dialogue with Klingon Chancellor Gorkon , who wishes to end all hostilities between the Empire and Starfleet , proposing the dismantling of all starbase s in and around the Neutral Zone . Admiral Cartwright vehemently objects , saying the Klingons must not be offered safe haven in Federation space , suggesting Starfleet use military force in order to dictate terms from a superior position . Captain Kirk agrees that giving the Klingons free reign in Federation space is a " terrifying idea . " However , Spock counters , arguing that they must act now to support the Gorkon initiative before conservative elements in the Klingon Empire can seize control and try to fight to the death . Spock has volunteered the " Enterprise " and its crew to welcome Gorkon and his aides aboard and escort their ship to a peace meeting on Earth . Kirk protests that he is hardly the man for the job but is overruled and commanded to extend full diplomatic courtesy . Verbally sending the " Enterprise " on its way , thanks the assembled Starfleet officers and reminds them the meeting they ' ve just had is classified , dismissing them too . At that point , Kirk is left alone with Spock , who reminds him of an old Vulcan proverb that " " only Nixon could go to China . " " Kirk is angry that Spock would volunteer the " Enterprise " without consulting him . Spock states that his father – though Kirk knows that Spock ' s father " is " the Vulcan ambassador – requested he open the negotiations with the Klingons . Kirk is furious at Spock for having to treat the Klingon " animals " like honored guests after what they did to his son ; Spock knows how he feels about the Klingons , but reminds Kirk they are dying . Kirk snaps , " " Let them die ! " " Upon Spock ' s somewhat startled reaction , Kirk asks Spock if he has realized that the " Enterprise " crew is due to stand down in just three months time , saying that they have all done " our bit for king and country " and Kirk says that Spock should have trusted him . They stand in the conference hall in silence , looking at each other from opposite ends of the long conference table . Soon after , Captain Kirk and party are ferried to the Earth Spacedock aboard " SD - 103 " and board the " Enterprise " . Upon arriving at the bridge , Kirk , Spock , and McCoy meet Lieutenant Valeris , a young Vulcan female and the first Vulcan to graduate at the top of her class at Starfleet Academy , who is volunteering as helmsman . " " Let ' s get this over with . Departure stations , " " Kirk announces to his crew . After an awkward moment when Kirk orders Valeris to depart spacedock at one quarter impulse power when Regulations specify thruster s only , the " Enterprise " departs Spacedock and the Sol system to rendezvous with Gorkon ' s battle cruiser , " Kronos One " . Valeris then interrupts Kirk in his quarters . She informs him that the " Enterprise " is almost upon arrival at the rendezvous point . Valeris then tells Kirk how much of an honor it is to serve with him . Kirk tells her she piloted well out of spacedock and Valeris tells him she has always wanted to try it . Later , Valeris discusses logic and philosophy with Spock in his quarters in terms of their current mission . Spock says history is replete with turning points and she must have faith that the universe will ultimately unfold as it should . When Valeris begins to ask if that is logical , Spock points out a simple fact that has taken him a lifetime to learn ; logic is only the beginning of wisdom and not the end . Spock is soon going to retire , with this being his last voyage on the " Enterprise " as a member of the crew and he intends for Valeris to replace him . Valeris states that she could only succeed Spock . Upon this , an announcement is made through the ship ' s intercom that all hands are to report to duty stations as a Klingon battlecruiser has arrived off the " Enterprise " s port bow . Upon rendezvous with Gorkon , Captain Kirk reluctantly , but formally , invites the Chancellor and his staff to have dinner aboard the " Enterprise " at 1930 hours as guests of the Federation . Valeris then suggests opening up the supply of Romulan ale that is aboard , thinking it may help the evening progress more smoothly . Kirk compliments her thinking and leaves the bridge . " " Guess who ' s coming to dinner ? " " , Commander Chekov quietly says . Later , in the transporter room , Kirk , Spock , McCoy , and Scott are on hand to greet Gorkon and his party . All behave cordially on the surface . Gorkon introduces his daughter , Azetbur , his military adviser , Brigadier General Kerla , and General , his chief of staff . While Gorkon is dignified and gracious , offering Spock his sincere gratitude for his actions towards peace , Chang , who has an especially smug , obnoxious demeanor , tells Kirk that he has so wanted to meet the " great " Captain Kirk , " " warrior to warrior " " out of admiration . " " Right , " " Kirk coldly replies . He leads the Klingon delegation out of the room , thinking they might enjoy a brief tour of the vessel . Shortly afterward , both Kirk and Gorkon ' s staff dine together . Gorkon gives a toast to " the undiscovered country – the future " . Spock recognizes the line from " Hamlet " , specifically from act III , scene I , and Gorkon tells Spock that one has never read Shakespeare properly until reading the text in " the original Klingon " . McCoy diplomatically offers a toast to Gorkon , calling him " " one of the architects of our future . " " The dinner proceeds with surface pleasantries gradually melting to reveal angry hostility . In particular , Chekov says the Federation believes all worlds have the sovereign claim to inalienable " human " rights and Azetbur points out that this statement is racist and that the Federation is little better than a " homo sapiens " only club , " " present company excepted , of course , " " Chang adds . Chang tells Kirk that they all need breathing room , which Kirk points out is the same thing Hitler said in 1938 , which offends Chang . Thinly masking his disappointment , Gorkon simply quips that they have a long way to go . As the Klingons prepare to leave , Kirk sarcastically jokes that they must do this again sometime . Gorkon says he knows Kirk doesn ' t trust him , and offers that " " if there is to be a brave , new world , our generation is going to have the hardest time living in it . " " Chang walks up to Kirk before leaving , telling him " " parting is such sweet sorrow , " " and steps onto the transporter platform while Kirk shakes his head . Once the Klingons are safely beamed off the ship , the entire senior staff relaxes , observing that the Klingons exhibited poor manners ; Spock notes that they were little better . " " I ' m going to sleep this off . Please let me know if there ' s some other way we can screw up tonight , " " Kirk says before leaving . McCoy announces he is going to find a pot of black coffee . Spock raises his eyebrow . Lying down to sleep , and nursing a terrible hangover , Kirk is summoned to the bridge by Spock . Sensors are picking up an enormous amount of neutron radiation which appears to be emanating from " Enterprise " ( which an equally hungover Chekov painfully jokes that it is only the size of his head ) . A photon torpedo shoots out and strikes " Kronos One " . A second photon torpedo knocks out the gravity . Immediately taking their stations after the attack , the torpedo bay , according to Mr . Scott , is still fully loaded ; no matter what the instruments say , the " Enterprise " could not have fired . As the Klingons begin floating helplessly about , a transporter beam engages and two men in Starfleet uniforms with closed helmets and gravity boot s begin walking through the corridors , shooting every Klingon they come in contact with , including Gorkon . When auxiliary gravity is restored on " Kronos One " , Gorkon is discovered , mortally wounded . A furious Chang accuses Kirk of defiling the peace they ' re striving to work for , and saying that he ' ll blow them out of the stars . Kirk denies that they fired , although the ship ' s data banks say they did according to Spock . Kirk orders that the " Enterprise " surrender , much to the surprise of the bridge crew . He prepares to board " Kronos One " leaving Spock in command – where he ' ll be able to get Kirk out of trouble . Spock subtly slaps a small black patch on Kirk ' s back . McCoy decides to go too in case they need a doctor . " " Uhura , tell them we ' re coming and " tell " them we ' re unarmed ! " " , Kirk says . When they materialize on " Kronos One " , Kerla asks if Kirk has " lost his mind " . Kirk and McCoy insist they genuinely do not know what has happened and that they only want to help . Kerla reluctantly allows them to follow him to Gorkon , who is badly wounded . Chang tells him about the torpedoes , the gravity , and the assassins . McCoy tries to save Gorkon but fails due to his lack of knowledge of Klingon anatomy . Before dying , Gorkon reaches up to Kirk , grasping the back of his head and begs him not to let it end this way . General Chang has Kirk and McCoy arrested for murder under article 184 of Interstellar Law . Act II – The Trial and Spock ' s Investigation . On the " Enterprise " Uhura relays the news of their arrest . Spock then formally assumes command of the ship and begins a full - scale investigation . 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 . " " On Earth , the Klingon ambassador is speaking with the Federation President in his office in Paris , defending his government ' s decision to arrest Kirk and McCoy for the assassination of Chancellor Gorkon . The president has ordered a full - scale investigation too , but the Klingon ambassador says that by the articles of interstellar law Kirk and McCoy must stand trial in a Klingon court . Sarek and Romulan ambassador Nanclus concur . The commander - in - chief , Admiral Cartwright , and Colonel West enters . They propose a plan they call Operation Retrieve , to rescue Kirk and McCoy , West states that they could go in and get Kirk and McCoy in less than 24 hours with acceptable losses in manpower and equipment . The president asks what would happen then if they precipitate a full scale war and West frankly states " " Then Mr . President , we can clean their chronometers . " " Nanclus tells the president that the Klingons are vulnerable and there would never be a better time to strike them . Cartwright says that the longer they wait , the less accessible the hostages become . The president then dismisses everyone saying he ' ll keep all this in mind . Everyone except for Sarek leaves the president alone . At the door , the C in C stops and reminds the president that Kirk and McCoy have literally saved the planet . The president knows this and tells the C in C that they are now going to save it again . . . by standing trial . Uhura receives a message from Starfleet Command ordering them to return to Earth immediately . Both she and Chekov agree they cannot abandon the captain and Dr . McCoy . Valeris tells the both of 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 . " " Excellent . I - I - I mean , too bad , " " Chekov says . Azetbur , now Klingon Chancellor , communicates with the President . She says in one week she will attend a peace conference at a neutral , secret site 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 , the Klingons will consider it an act of war . After ending the transmission to the Federation President , Azetbur ' s advisors ( including Kerla ) suggest attacking the Federation now while they still can . The warriors prefer to fight and die . Azetbur stands up to them , saying that war is obsolete , as they are in danger of becoming , and the peace process must go forward . She says , with resolve , that Kirk alone will pay for her father ' s death . Chang states that her father was killed for what he wanted . Spock ' s investigation is proceeding . One computer is saying that " Enterprise " fired and the other says they didn ' t , so they ' ll have to inspect each torpedo visually . If they ' re all there , it will prove someone has forged an entry in the data banks . The trial now begins , with Chang as prosecutor and Colonel as Kirk and McCoy ' s defense attorney . In a Klingon trial on Qo ' noS , the prosecution and defense question witnesses at the same time . The first witness says the murderers were wearing magnetic boots , a fact which , while viewing the trial back on the bridge of the " Enterprise " gets Spock to thinking . Chang then begins questioning McCoy beginning with McCoy ' s current medical status , to which McCoy jokes stating " " other than a touch of arthritis , I ' d say , pretty good ! " " Chang tries to impugn McCoy ' s medical competence and questions whether he really tried his best to save Gorkon . McCoy says he desperately tried to save Gorkon as he was the last best hope for peace . The judge then 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 . Chang enters into the record an excerpt from Kirk ' s personal log : Kirk admits that he did indeed say this . Chang uses a number of examples from Kirk ' s record to show that it ' s possible he arranged for Gorkon ' s murder , such as from admiral to captain for insubordination . Kirk is maneuvered into stating that of course he is responsible for the actions of every member of his crew . The judge finds both guilty as charged , which carries a death penalty . Worf argues that the bulk of the evidence against his clients is circumstantial and begs the court to consider this upon sentencing . The judge commutes their death sentences to life without parole on the penal asteroid of Rura Penthe , known throughout the galaxy as the aliens ' graveyard . On " Excelsior " , where Sulu and his crew have also been watching the trial , the captain directs that a message be sent to " Enterprise " , telling them that Sulu and the crew of " Excelsior " stand ready to assist them . Meanwhile , Spock has come to suspect that a cloaked ship , probably a Bird - of - Prey , actually fired from underneath the " Enterprise " . Scotty argues that and states : Spock puts Valeris in charge of a search for two pairs of gravity boots , which must be somewhere on board . Kirk and McCoy are taken from Qo ' noS , along with a group of other prisoners , to the frozen wasteland of Rura Penthe , an appropriately harsh place protected only by a magnetic shield . On arrival at the prison , they are greeted by the warden , who warns them that escape is quite impossible , and that anyone who is disobedient or fails to work hard enough will be punished via exile from prison to the surface ; something which is graphically demonstrated when a naked prisoner is dragged out and thrown into the snowy wastes , where he rapidly freezes to death . Inside the prison , Kirk almost immediately has an altercation with a large alien , but is rescued by an exotic looking woman , Martia . In the galley , Spock and Valeris observe the search going on . When Chekov asks Valeris why the assassins didn ' t simply vaporize the boots , she pulls a phaser out from a weapons locker and vaporizes a nearby pot . The alarm goes off and she deactivates it , explaining to Chekov that you cannot fire an unauthorized phaser set to vaporize aboard a starship . Scotty and Uhura come in wanting to know who triggered the alarm by firing the phaser . They continue to stall for time by claiming malfunctioning equipment . Uhura reminds Spock that they have lost all contact with Kirk and McCoy . Spock notes this but says that if he knows Kirk well , by this time he is deep into planning his escape . Meanwhile , Kirk is engaged in hand - to - hand combat with another alien , and is surprised when he wins . Kirk informs McCoy and Martia that he was lucky the brute had knees . Martia tells Kirk that that was " not " his knee , noting that not all species have their genitals in the same place . Martia offers to help Kirk and McCoy escape . That night in their bunks , Kirk admits he ' d gotten so used to hating Klingons that it never even occurred to him to take Gorkon at his word . Martia comes in , gives Kirk a big kiss and tells him where to meet her to plan an escape . Act III – The Rescue and Revelation . Aboard " Excelsior " , Sulu ' s officer tells him that Starfleet wants to know what has happened to the " Enterprise " . Sulu states that he nor the " Excelsior " personnel know anything about the " Enterprise " and dismisses the officer . Now Sulu is getting really worried . In the transporter room , Chekov finds some small dried remains on the transporter platform and takes a sample of it to Spock , who discovers that it is 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 . Valeris eventually finds the magnetic boots ; however , they are in the locker of a whose feet are shaped differently from Humans ' ; the boots couldn ' t possibly be his much to Chekov ' s surprise . Kirk and McCoy get into a lift for mining duty and discover that Martia is a shapeshifter . She changes bodies several times in the course of leading them out of the range of the magnetic shield . Uhura and Spock have noted Kirk ' s exit from the beaming shield as well . Spock orders the ship to Rura Penthe . It seems that what he put on Kirk ' s back was a viridium patch which enabled him to track the captain . The " Enterprise " passes into Klingon space and gets the attention of a Klingon listening post . Strangely , not even Uhura knows enough Klingon to communicate intelligibly with the sentries . If they used the universal translator , the sentries would pick it up . In badly broken Klingon , Uhura identifies her ship as a freighter , IKS " Ursva " , headed to Rura Penthe to deliver supplies and " things " . The Klingons at the listening post are fooled and end up making a Klingon joke , in which the Klingon and the " Enterprise " crew forcibly laugh at . As Martia produces warm clothes and other supplies and lights a flare for heat , Kirk realizes that Martia is setting him and McCoy up to be killed . She ' s spoken previously of a huge reward to the person who gets them , and the flare is a dead giveaway . Martia changes into a duplicate Kirk and they fight , rolling all over the snow before being stopped by a jackal mastiff , Klingon guards , and the warden . Kirk and Martia ( still appearing as Kirk ) stand next to each other . Kirk convinces the warden to shoot Martia , since they don ' t want any witnesses . Kirk then asks who wanted them killed . Just before the warden can identify the culprit , Kirk and McCoy are beamed out of the cave – with Kirk swearing the whole way up . Materializing on the transporter pad , Kirk asks Spock if he couldn ' t have waited just two more seconds , as the warden was about to explain the whole thing . When Chekov sheepishly asks if they want to go back , McCoy answers " " Absolutely not ! " " Kirk adds , " " It ' s cold ! " " Chang finds out about this from the commandant and prepares to intercept the " Enterprise " . Sitting in the " Enterprise " s officer ' s mess , Scott discovers two sets of uniforms with Klingon blood on them . Scott runs up to Kirk , Spock , McCoy , and Chekov in a corridor and they subsequently find Yeomen and Samno , both dead , killed by a phaser stun at close range . They were the ones on guard in the transporter room when Gorkon and party first beamed aboard the " Enterprise " . To lure out the assassin , an announcement is made over the ship ' s intercom ordering the court reporter to sickbay and that statements will be taken from Burke and Samno , as if they are merely injured . Someone walks into the darkened sickbay with phaser in hand – it is revealed to be Valeris . Valeris is stunned to see Kirk and her mentor Spock in the bio - beds instead of the dead crewmen . Hurt and angry over her betrayal , Spock challenges Valeris to shoot him ( while Kirk prefers she didn ' t ) , and violently slaps the phaser out of her hand . McCoy emerges from the shadows and informs her that the operation is over . On the bridge , Valeris denies firing and says that Kirk has no proof to back it up . But Kirk does . He reminds her that his personal log was used as evidence against him at the trial ; she must have recorded him talking on his personal log that night Valeris was standing outside his doorway . Valeris dodges the accusation by accusing Kirk and the entire ship of betraying Starfleet . When McCoy calls her on it and asks her what she thinks she ' s been doing , she says she ' s been working to save Starfleet . She reveals that some Klingons conspired with Starfleet officers to kill their own Chancellor – how trustworthy can they be ? McCoy ponders the concept of peace between the Klingons and Federation being so unacceptable to members of both sides that they worked together to prevent it ( while implying the irony that the conspiracy actually proves that Humans and Klingons actually " can " coexist and work together ) . When asked by Kirk to provide the names of her co - conspirators , she claims she does not remember . " " A lie ? " " , Spock asks . " " A choice , " " she replies . Spock slowly walks up to Valeris near the viewscreen and forces her into a mind meld , discovering that the conspirators include Admiral Cartwright , General Chang , and the Romulan Ambassador , Nanclus . He looks further into her mind but Valeris ultimately does not know where the peace conference is . The " Enterprise " contacts the " Excelsior " and Sulu tells Kirk that the conference will be held at Camp Khitomer , beginning later that day . Act IV – Realizations and Confrontations . Later , in Spock ' s quarters , 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 ' s accomplishments as a Vulcan and speculates that he and Kirk – with their inflexible thinking – are obsolete . " " Come on , I need you , " " Kirk tells his Vulcan friend . The Khitomer conference begins , as " Enterprise " races into orbit about the planet . If Chang ' s ship is there , it ' s cloaked . Tension mounts on board the ship as they get ever closer to transporter range . With just over 40 seconds to go , Chang contacts Kirk and begins quoting Shakespeare : again as the Bird - of - Prey begins firing on " Enterprise " . " Excelsior " is racing to Khitomer at maximum warp . " " She ' ll fly apart , " " helmsman Lojur warns . " " Fly her apart then ! " " , Sulu exclaims . On Khitomer , Azetbur ' s speech has begun and a Klingon stands up and walks out carrying a briefcase . Admiral Cartwright nervously watches , sweat dripping down his face . In space , the circuits for auxiliary power on " Enterprise " are destroyed , but during the battle Spock realizes that the Bird - of - Prey is still going to vent ionized gas , or plasma exhaust ; Uhura suggests using the equipment they have on - board to catalog gaseous anomalies as a guidance system . Spock asks McCoy to help him " perform surgery " on a photon torpedo to enable it to do so . " " Fascinating ! " " , the physician says . " Enterprise " continues to suffer heavy damage , but before she can be crippled , Sulu arrives with " Excelsior " , taking some of the pressure off of " Enterprise " as Chang has to divide his attacks between opponents . However , Chang has merely been slowed down : with his ability to fire while cloaked , Chang is still running circles around both ships . At Khitomer , the Klingon who left has found a vantage point on an upper level and is cutting a small hole in one of the glass panes to aim a weapon at the President . Chang relentlessly fires Shakespeare quotations such as : and continues firing torpedoes , weakening " Enterprise " s shields to the point that it takes a direct hit on the ventral - port side of the saucer section that ruptures the hull . Spock and McCoy complete their modifications to the photon torpedo , and with a great deal of satisfaction , Kirk gives the order to fire . It homes in on the cloaked Bird - of - Prey and lands a direct hit , but not before Chang gives his last Shakespeare quote : " Enterprise " and " Excelsior " then target the location of the explosion , unleashing a barrage of torpedoes that destroy Chang ' s now decloaked ( and shield - less ) ship . The " Enterprise " crew beam down just in time for Kirk to knock the president out of the way of the would - be assassin ' s phaser rifle blast . He identifies himself to the dazed president . Cartwright orders them arrested and Spock retorts " Arrest yourself ! " displaying a handcuffed Valeris . McCoy says that they have a full confession just as the Klingon assassin is about to shoot Valeris . At that moment , Scott kicks in the door to the assassin ' s hiding place , and shoots him just before he can kill Valeris . He falls through the glass pane to the floor . The Commander In Chief and Colonel Worf rush to the body and find out that it ' s not a Klingon ; it ' s Colonel West . Cartwright takes advantage of the ruckus and tries to flee but is thwarted when Sulu , armed and accompanied by two security guards , transports from " Excelsior " and holds him there . A confused and angry Azetbur demands to know what is going on . Kirk tells her this is all about the future and that history has not ended quite yet . 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 . Epilogue . Later , in space , Kirk and crew reenter the bridge and exchange pleasantries with Captain Sulu . " " Nice to see you in action one more time , Captain Kirk . Take care , " " Sulu says as " Excelsior " moves away from the " Enterprise " . " " By God , that ' s a big ship , " " McCoy says . " " Not so big as her captain , I think , " " Scott adds . " " I think it ' s about time we go underway ourselves , " " Kirk mentions . Uhura then tells Kirk that they ' ve received direct orders from Starfleet Command to return to Spacedock and be decommissioned . The crew look around at each other , emotional that their time together as a crew is now coming to an end . 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 right , and straight on ' til morning . " " Uhura steps over near Scott and everyone watches as " Enterprise " heads off toward the stars . Memorable quotes . Shakespeare . Hamlet . " " I thought I would assume a pleasing shape . " " ( Act II , Scene II ) " " The undiscovered country . " " ( Act III , Scene I ) " " To be , or not to be . " " ( Act III , Scene I ) Julius Caesar . " " Cry havoc ! And let slip the dogs of war ! " " ( Act III , Scene I ) " " I am constant as the northern star . " " ( Act III , Scene I ) King Henry IV , Part II . " " Have we not heard the chimes at midnight ? " " ( Act III , Scene II ) King Henry V . " " Once more unto the breach , dear friends . " " ( Act III , Scene I ) " " The game ' s afoot . " " ( Act III , Scene I ) The Merchant of Venice . " " Tickle us , do we not laugh ? Prick us , do we not bleed ? Wrong us , shall we not revenge ? " " ( Act III , Scene I ) Richard II . " " Let us sit upon the ground and tell sad stories of the death of kings . " " ( Act III , Scene II ) Romeo and Juliet . " " Parting is such sweet sorrow . " " ( Act II , Scene II ) The Tempest . " " Our revels now are ended . " " ( Act IV , Scene I ) General quotes . " " Do we report this , sir ? " " " " Are you kidding ? " " " " I must protest . To offer Klingons safe haven within Federation space is suicide . Klingons would become the alien trash of the galaxy . " " " " I don ' t know whether to congratulate you or not , Jim . " " " " I wouldn ' t . " " " " There is an old Vulcan proverb . Only Nixon could go to China . " " " " Don ' t believe them ! Don ' t trust them ! " " " " They ' re dying . " " " " Let them die ! " " " " You must be very proud . " " " " I don ' t believe so , sir . " " " " She ' s a Vulcan all right . " " " " I ' ve never trusted Klingons and I never will . I can never forgive them for the death of my boy . " " " " History is replete with turning points , Lieutenant . " " " " Logic is the beginning of wisdom , Valeris , not the end . " " " " Guess who ' s coming to dinner ? " " " " I offer a toast . The undiscovered country . . . The future . " " " " In space , all warriors are cold warriors . " " " " Human rights . Why the very name is racist . The Federation is no more than a " homo sapiens " only club . " " " " We need breathing room . " " " " Earth , Hitler , 1938 . " " " " I beg your pardon . " " " " If there is to be a brave new world , our generation is going to have the hardest time living in it . " " " " Did you see the way they ate ? ! " " " " Terrible table manners ! " " " " I doubt that our own behavior will distinguish us in the annals of diplomacy . " " " " Note to the galley . Romulan ale no longer to be served at diplomatic functions . " " " " Valeris , do you know anything about a radiation surge ? " " " " Sir ? " " " " Chekov ? " " " " Only the size of my head . " " " " I know what you mean . " " " " We come in peace and you BLATANTLY defile that peace ! And for that , I shall blow you out of the stars ! " " " " We haven ' t fired ! " " " " Captain , according to our databanks we have . Twice . " " " " Don ' t let it end this way , Captain . " " " " This president is not above the law . " " " " Then , quite frankly , Mister President , we can clean their chronometers . " " " " Sir . . . Those men have literally saved this planet . " " " " Yes , Bill , I know that . And now they ' re going to save it again . By standing trial . " " " " I ' ll bet that Klingon bitch killed her father ! " " " " Doctor McCoy , would you be so good as to tell me your current medical status ? " " " " Aside from a touch of arthritis , I ' d say pretty good ! " " " " James Tiberius Kirk . . . What would your favorite author say , Captain ? Let us sit upon the ground and tell sad stories of the death of kings . Tell us your sad story Kirk , Tell us how you planned to take revenge for the death of your son . " " " " That ' s not true . " " " " Objection ! Captain Kirk has not been identified as the assassin ! " " " " Sustained . " " " " Do you deny being demoted by these charges ? ! Don ' t wait for the translation ! ! Answer me now ! ! " " " " I cannot deny it . " " " " You were demoted ? " " " " Yes . " " " " For insubordination ? " " " " On occasion , I have disobeyed orders . " " " " An ancestor of mine maintained that if you eliminate the impossible , whatever remains , however improbable , must be the truth . " " " " This is the gulag Rura Penthe . There is no stockade . No guard tower . No electronic frontier . Only a magnetic shield prevents beaming . Punishment means exile from prison to the surface . On the surface , nothing can survive . Work well , and you will be treated well . Work badly , and you will die . " " " " If my surmise is correct , those boots will cling to the killers ' necks like a pair of Tiberian bats . " " " " I ' m Martia . You ' re Kirk and McCoy , I presume . " " " " How did you know that ? " " " " We don ' t get many presidential assassins . " " " " I was lucky that thing had knees . " " " " That was not his knee . Not everybody keeps their genitals in the same place , Captain . " " " " What is it with you , anyway ? " " " " Still think we ' re finished ? " " " " More than ever . " " " " Perhaps you know Russian epic of Cinderella ? If the shoe fits , wear it ! " " " " Mr . Scott , start your engines . " " " " Aye , aye sir . " " " " Leave me . I ' m finished . " " " " No ! Bones , I ' m wearing a viridium patch on my back . Spock slapped it there just before we went on Gorkon ' s ship . " " " " Why , that cunning little Vulcan . " " " " An accident wasn ' t good enough . " " " " Good enough for one . Two would ' ve looked suspicious . Killed while attempting escape . . . now that ' s convincing for both . " " " " I can ' t believe I kissed you . " " " " Must have been your lifelong ambition . " " " " Isn ' t it about time you became something else ? " " " " I like it here . " " " " Kill him ! He ' s the one ! " " " " Not me , you idiot ! HIM ! " " " " Who ? Who wanted us killed ? " " " " Since you ' re all going to die , anyway , why not tell you ? His name is . . . ! " " " " Couldn ' t you have waited just two more seconds ! ? " " " " Captain ? " " " " He was just about to explain the whole thing ! " " " " You want to go back ! ? " " " " Absolutely not ! ! " " " " It ' s cold ! " " " " First rule of assassination . Kill the assassins . " " " " You have betrayed the Federation . " All " of you . " " " " And what have " you " been doing ? " " " " Saving Starfleet ! " " " " Then we ' re dead . " " " " I ' ve been dead . " " " " Thank you , Captain Sulu . " " " " Don ' t mention it , Captain Kirk . " " " " You were right . It was arrogant presumption on my part that got us into this . . . situation . You and the Doctor might have been killed . " " " " The night is young . " " " " You ' re a great one for logic . I ' m a great one for rushing in where angels fear to tread . " " " " Is it possible that we two , you and I , have grown so old and so inflexible that we have outlived our usefulness ? " " " " Do you want to know something ? Everybody ' s Human . " " " " I find that remark . . . insulting . " " " " 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 . " " " " I can see you , Kirk . " " " " Chang . " " " " Can you see me ? Oh , now be honest , Captain , warrior to warrior . You do prefer it this way , don ' t you , as it was meant to be ? No peace in our time . " Once more unto the breach , dear friends . " " " " Come on . Come on ! " " " " She ' ll fly apart . " " " " Fly her apart , then ! " " " " Doctor , would you care to assist me in performing surgery on a torpedo ? " " " " Fascinating ! " " " " I ' d give real money if he ' d shut up . " " " " We ' ve got a heartbeat ! " " " " Some people think the future means the end of history . Well , we haven ' t run out of history quite yet . " " " " You ' ve restored my father ' s faith . " " " " And you ' ve restored my son ' s . " " " " Once again we ' ve saved civilization as we know it . " " " " And the good news is , they ' re not going to prosecute . " " " " Nice to see you in action one more time , Captain Kirk . Take care . " " " " So . . . this is goodbye . " " " " Captain , I have orders from Starfleet Command . We ' re to be put back into Spacedock immediately . To be decommissioned . " " " " If I were Human , I believe my response would be : Go to hell ! If I were Human . " " " " Course heading , Captain ? " " " " Second star to the right . And straight on ' til morning . " " Background information . Dating . In " Star Trek VI " , during his trial , Bones says that he has been the ship ' s surgeon for 27 years . He took the post from Mark Piper at some point in 2265 , after , or in early 2266 , before . This statement establishes a time frame for the film from 2292 to 2293 . The film ends with the last voyage of the ship and crew . The prologue of is set more precisely in 2293 , or 78 years before 2371 . In the prologue , a news reporter and Scotty talk with Kirk about how he has settled down into his retirement , suggesting that the retirement from the previous film is still a very recent thing for him . StarTrek . com , and use the year 2293 . Memory Alpha uses this year as well . Awards and honors . " Star Trek VI : The Undiscovered Country " received the following awards and honors . < tabview > Links and references . Credits . Credits for Star Trek VI : The Undiscovered Country | Show Template : Tabview message | Hide | true | true < / tabview > References . " Adam and Eve Expelled from Paradise " ; advocate ; aide - de - camp ; Alpha Quadrant ; arthritis ; artificial gravity ; Beta Quadrant ; boat ; boatswain ' s whistle ; bridge ; budget ; ; Camp Khitomer ; chameloid ; chancellor ; Chang ' s Bird - of - Prey ; China ; ; Cinderella ; citizenship ; cloaking device , Klingon ; ; coat ; coffee ; colonel ; commander in chief ; commandant ; communications station ; " Concise History of the Klingon Empire , A " ; confiscation ; ; court recorder ; crew quarters ; ; deflector shield ; demotion ; dilithium ; diplomatic corps ; Earth ; Earth Cold War ; Efrosian ; ; ; ; eyepatch ; Federation ; Federation President ; Federation - Klingon Cold War ; forgery ; France ; galley ; Garden of Eden ; gavel ; gravitational field ; gravity boot ; gulag ; " Hamlet " ; handcuffs ; ; Human rights ; " If you eliminate the impossible . . . " ; interstellar law ; " Introduction to Klingon Grammer " ; jackal mastiff ; ; Khitomer ; Khitomer Accords ; Khitomer Conference ; Khitomer conspiracy ; kill setting ; Klingon Bird - of - Prey ; Klingon Empire ; Klingon s ; Klingon history ; Klingon Neutral Zone ; Klingon Defense Force uniform s ; Klingonese ; Kobayashi Maru scenario ; " Kronos One " ; ; listening post ; magnetic boot ; magnetic gravity boot s ; ; medical tricorder ; Megazoid ; military advisor ; Morska ; multiple choice ; NAR ; neck ; neutral zone ; neutron radiation ; news ; ; Okrand ; " Okrand ' s Unabridged Klingon Dictionary " ; olive branch ; Operation Retrieve ; Paris ; parole ; penal colony ; Pfaltzgraff ; phaser ; photon torpedo ; plasma ; plasma exhaust ; ; Praxis ; prejudice ; Qo ' noS ; Romulan ; Romulan ale ; Romulan Star Empire ; Rura Penthe ; sabot ; sabotage ; Saboteurs ; Salak ; Samno ; San Francisco ; ; SD - 103 ; SD - 103 type ; science station ; ; ship ' s bell ; sickbay ; silent running ; smoking ; sniper rifle ; ; special envoy ; " Spoken Languages of the Klingon Empire " ; sponsor ; Starfleet ; Starfleet Academy ; Starfleet Command ; Starfleet Command Intelligence Database ; sound barrier ; stun setting ; subspace ; subspace shock wave ; targ ; Tiberian bat ; toast ; torpedo bay ; torpedo launcher ; " Ursva " ; viridium patch ; Vulcan ; Vulcan mind meld ; warp drive ; ; weapons locker ; web ; wound ; Zelonite Unreferenced material . Arc ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; Sector 21185 ; Sector 21290 ; Sector 21399 ; Sector 21803 ; Sector 21835 ; Sector 21837 ; Sector 22849 ; Sector 22956 ; Sector 23006 ; ; ; ;