Veridian III Classified as M - class , Veridian III was the uninhabited third planet of the Veridian system . The planet had three moon s . Its surface contains rocky mountainous regions as well as lush vegetative areas . There were also several large bodies of water . Its ionosphere created enough interference that it was hard to penetrate by sensors . In 2371 , the position and orbit al path of Veridian III was illustrated in a system map displayed in stellar cartography aboard the . Dr . Tolian Soran used Veridian III as the final key to his plan to return to the Nexus . He established a small launching site on the planet sometime prior to 2371 , needing to destroy the Veridian star to change the gravitational forces in the sector and alter the course of the Nexus to Veridian III . He obtained trilithium for his weapon from the Duras sisters , and began destroying other stars in order to alter the path of the temporal energy ribbon towards Veridian III . After discovering his plan aboard the Amargosa observatory , the chased Dr . Tolian Soran to Veridian III , where Captain Jean - Luc Picard beamed down to negotiate with Soran . In the meantime , the " Enterprise " was attacked by the Duras sisters . While they were killed when the " Enterprise " destroyed their ship with a photon torpedo , they inflicted enough damage to cause a warp core breach . The saucer section was safely separated before the stardrive section exploded , but the shock wave from the blast forced the saucer into the atmosphere of Veridian III , and it crash land ed in one of the jungle regions . Dr . Soran eventually succeeded in launching his trilithium weapon , and the resultant collapse of the Veridian star destroyed Veridian III , the " Enterprise " saucer section and everything within the Veridian system . Fortunately , Picard was swept into the Nexus along with Soran , and enlisted the help of Captain James T . Kirk . The two captains returned to a few moments before Soran launched the weapon and prevented the launch , saving the Veridian system and Veridian III from destruction . Unfortunately , Kirk was killed in the attempt . Picard buried Kirk on one of the mountains in the area . Three Starfleet ships , including the and an unnamed " Miranda " and " Oberth " - class starship , were dispatched to the planet in order to rescue " Enterprise " survivors . The remains of the " Enterprise " were left to rest on the planet . ( ) Background information . Scenes set on Veridian III were filmed in the Valley of Fire in Overton , Nevada . Apocrypha . In the novel " The Return " written by William Shatner , Commander Riker returns to Veridian III to ensure that the " Enterprise " - D ' s saucer is fully recovered ( to prevent its technology influencing the development of civilization on Veridian IV when its inhabitants inevitably develop space travel themselves ) , and also to provide transport to Spock who has come to see Kirk ' s grave . The saucer ' s remains are briefly attacked by the Borg - Romulan alliance to provide a distraction while Kirk ' s body is stolen , and Spock - accompanied by Riker and Deanna Troi - subsequently accesses the remaining computer databanks in the damaged saucer in an attempt to work out whether any of Kirk ' s old foes could have still been alive and recovered his body for some reason .