The Flight of the Buccaneer " Kirk betrays Spock and Scotty to divert the suspicions of a space pirate ! " Summary . The races after a small vessel but cannot catch the ship before it crosses Tortuga ' s space boundaries . The " Enterprise " cannot pursue because they would violate interstellar law . The ship lands on the planet ' s surface , and the crew ask for sanctuary , which is granted . Dr . McCoy tells Captain Kirk that he feels ridiculous in his pirate ' s outfit , but Spock insists that the disguises are necessary . Forty - eight hours before , Starfleet Command had contacted Kirk to let him know that a shipment of dilithium crystal s had gone missing in the area twelve months ago , and that the Federation ' s supply was getting dangerously low . Kirk was told that they had half of a map to the location of the stolen crystals , and that the other half is in the possession of Black Jack Nova , an infamous pirate on Tortuga VI . The disguised crew wander , looking for the pirate captain , and come across a bar , and find him inside . In retort to a pirate boasting about his captain , Black Jack Nova , Scotty boasts abouut his own captain , putting down Nova at the same time . In short , a bar fight ensues , and only Kirk and Nova are left standing . Kirk approaches the pirate captain and shows him the half map that he claims he found on Pollux IV . He also notes that Nova has the other half , and together they can find the dilithium cache . Nova agrees and offers a partnership . Kirk agrees , as long as he can bring along his mates . Nova agrees , and suggests that he pay them out of his share . As the two captains shake hands on the agreement , both are thinking of how they ' re going to get all of the treasure . They head toward a small shuttlecraft , and fly up to Nova ' s ship , the " Windjammer " . Aboard the ship , Nova tells Kirk that his first mate Kreel will show Kirk and his men where they can bunk . Kreel shows them and tells them not to expect much sleep . Scotty retorts with a comment that they ' re not under his captain ' s orders . As the voyage begins , Spock suggests to Scotty that he watch what he says to Kreel . Kirk spots Kreel spying on Scotty and Spock , and realizes that he has overheard Spock mention that they are Federation agents . Kirk heads to meet Nova at the ship ' s wheel , just beating Kreel there . He cuts off Kreel ' s attempt to tell Nova , and then informs Nova himself that Spock and Scotty are Federation spies . He apologizes to Nova for bringing them aboard , noting that when he found them on Omega III , they told him that they were thieves and that he should have shot them then . Nova suggests that they should walk the plank instead . They head to the airlock , and Nova tells Spock and Scotty to put on transplastic suits and get into the airlock . Spock tells them that they " " will survive only seconds in the vacuum of the deep sea ! " " McCoy tells Kirk that he has to stop Nova , but Kirk notes that the Federation cannot be sacrificed for the lives of two men . The two are forced into the airlock , the doors shut , and the two flushed into space . As the two float away from the ship , the ship fires up its rockets and pulls away into the void . Just as Scotty and Spock begin to consider their immediate problem , a ghostly aura surrounds them and they fade from view , appearing on transport pads aboard the " Enterprise " . Sulu greets them , and Spock congratulates him on the use of the Romulan cloaking device as ordered by Captain Kirk . Spock and Scotty head to the bridge , and Spock tells Scotty that they have to get to Tao IV before Nova ' s ship to have a chance of saving both McCoy and Kirk . Scotty heads back to the engine room , and the ship fires up its impulse engine s and they head toward the planet . Upon reaching it , Spock orders Sulu away from the planet so as not to scare Nova and his crew and then beams down with a landing party . On the surface , they discuss their plan and are interrupted by an old man with a rifle . He introduces himself as Ben Cannon , and tells them that he was space - wrecked there for a year now . Before he can tell the rest of his story , they spot a shuttlecraft coming down toward the surface . Where the shuttle lands , Nova and Kirk put their halves of the map together to find the crystals and head toward the location , two miles north of their current location . They get there and begin digging , but there is no treasure there . Nova accuses Kirk of getting to the treasure beforehand , and notes that the map is useless , just like Kirk , and that now Kirk is going to die . Nova aims his pistol at Kirk when it gets knocked out of his hand . Nova looks up and sees Spock and is shocked by the matter . He pushes Kirk out of the way and runs off . Kirk tells Spock not to fire at Nova and chases after him , telling Spock to order the " Enterprise " to capture the " Windjammer " . In the jungle , Kirk catches up with Nova and they begin fighting with electron cutlasses . Kirk shows that he is skilled , having been a member of the Starfleet Academy fencing team . Nova head - butts him and heads for the shuttlecraft , climbing aboard . Kirk throws his cutlass at the pirate desperately , but misses . The ship takes off , and as it begins to climb , but suddenly the engine begins to shriek and the shuttle crashes to the ground and explodes . Kirk must have hit one of the generator tubes with his sword . The landing party converges on Kirk , and they head off to a cave where Spock ' s tricorder had picked up readings of the crystals . Kirk is introduced to Ben Cannon , who is the former captain of the " Windjammer " , and Cannon tells them that he ' d dug up the crystals himself . The " Enterprise " reports that it has captured the " Windjammer " , the Federation is saved , and the crew heads toward home . Memorable quotes . " " Cap ' n , ye canna let them do this ! " " " " Do not be " absurd " , Mr . Scott – of course he can ! After all , he ' s the one who betrayed us ! " " " " And so die all traitors ! Prepare to walk the plank ! " " " " Come on , you space - scum – who ' ll be the first to step up and shake the hand of a " real " man ? Black Jack Nova – The scourge of the stars ! " " " " Ahhh , quit your hammerin ' ye drunken fool – Black Jack Nova couldn ' t hold a candle to my cap ' n in the middle of an Altarian fog ! " " " " Well , captain – have I " lied " to ye ? There ' s my proud lady now . . . the good ship " Windjammer " – floatin ' feather - light on the soft , sweet stellar winds ! " " " " Right now , " survival " is the thing ! There ' s still the shuttlecraft waitin ' to carry me off , bucko – an ' I aim to make the tide ! " " " " I see that the matter is suitably " climaxed " , captain ! It ' s a shame you could not have handled it less " violently " ! " " " " Mr . Spock , right now I ' ve no " patience " for your smug logic ! " "