The Undiscovered Country

   

The Undiscovered Country

Writer(s):

Peter David

Penciller(s):

Gordon Purcell

Inker(s):

Arne Starr

Colorist(s):

Tom McCraw

Letterer(s):

Bob Pinaha

Editor(s):

Robert Greenberger

Publisher:

DC Comics

Published:

1992

The Undiscovered Country is aStar Trekmovie, the sixth film featuring the characters ofStar Trek: The Original Series. It was released in December 1991, with a novelization and comic adaptation released in 1992.

Description[]

Stardate9521.6: Internal pressures, enormous military expenditures, and the destruction of their primary energy source have brought theKlingon Empire to the verge of catastrophic collapse…

To avert disaster,Gorkon,Chancellor of the Klingon High Council, proposes negotiations between theFederation and Klingon Empire - negotiations that will put an end to the years of hostility between the two powers, and herald a new era of peace and co-operation.CaptainJames T. Kirk and theUSSEnterprise-A are dispatched to escort the Chancellor safely into Federation space.

But a treacherous assassination brings negotiations to a sudden halt - and places Kirk andDr. McCoy in the hands of the Federation's greatest enemy. With time running out,Spock and theEnterprise crew must work to uncover the deadly secret that threatens to propel thegalaxy into the most destructive conflict it has ever known!

Summary[]

Klingons have recently attacked several Federation worlds, including the colonyKudao. An assault onThemis has leftCarol Marcus, with whom Kirk has resumed his relationship, badly injured. Survivors report a ship that fired while cloaked. TheExcelsior detects an explosion on the Klingon moonPraxis, which denies the Klingons much of their resources. The Federation authorities see this as an opportunity to sue for peace with the moderate Klingon chancellor Gorkon but Kirk and many others believe Klingons cannot be trusted.

Spock volunteers theEnterprise to escort Gorkon's party back to Earth but, after a fraught dinner descends into argument, theEnterprise apparently fires on Gorkon's ship,Kronos One, disabling it. TwoStarfleet officers beam on board and gun down many of the occupants, including Gorkon. Kirk and McCoy beam over to try and help but Gorkon dies and they find themselves arrested for his assassination.

Gorkon's daughterAzetbur takes his place as chancellor and continues the peace initiative but insists Kirk and McCoy be tried. They are found guilty by a show trial and sentenced to life imprisonment on the penal colonyRura Penthe. However, Spock placed a tracking device on Kirk and he and McCoy get out of the prison's shield with help from a shapeshifting smuggler,Martia. It transpires Martia is leading them into a trap but is killed by the Klingons while Kirk and McCoy return to theEnterprise.

Spock and the others have deduced thatKronos One was fired on by a cloaked ship, allowing assassins to beam over from theEnterprise: Factions in both the Federation and the Klingons are working together to disrupt the peace process. TheEnterprise's new helmsman,Valeris, is revealed to be a member of the conspiracy and Spock convinces her to divulge the identity of the leading conspirators:Admiral Cartwright, Gorkon's chief of staffGeneralChang and theRomulan ambassadorNanclus.

TheEnterprise andExcelsior both head to the conference atCamp Khitomer, where they are attacked by Chang in the prototype cloaked ship,Dakronh. However, Spock and McCoy modify a torpedo to track the ship's plasma trail and the unshielded vessel is destroyed. Cartwright has a Klingon conspirator attempt to assassinate Azetbur, FederationpresidentRa-ghoratreii and Starfleet commander-in-chiefWilliam Smillie but is thwarted by the arrival of Kirk and his allies. The assassin is killed byMontgomery Scott and the others conspirators are taken into custody.

As the peace process continues, Kirk ignores an order to return toEarth to be decommissioned and takes theEnterprise out for one last voyage.

This summary is based on the novelisation. Some details differ from other versions of the story.

References[]

Characters[]

Movie characters[]

Azetbur •Harlan Burke •Lance Cartwright •Chang •Ch'dak •Pavel Chekov •Dax •Daz •Genrah •Gorkon, son of Toq •Grokh •Kamarag •Kerla •Kesla (aka Woteln) •Khmarr •James T. Kirk •Klaa •Koth •Lojur •Martia •Leonard McCoy •Nanclus •Ra-ghoratreii •Janice Rand •Thomas Samno •Sarek •Montgomery Scott •William Smillie •Spock •Stex (aka Kor'choth) •Hikaru Sulu •Nyota Uhura •Valeris •Dmitri Valtane •Patrick West •Worf •Jackal Mastiff

Referenced only

G. Cantamessa •David Marcus •Richard Nixon •Okrand •Emily Post •William Shakespeare

Novelization characters[]

Azetbur •Harlan Burke •Lance Cartwright •Chang •Pavel Chekov •Dax •Genrah •Gorkon, son of Toq •Grokh •Imea •Kamarag •Kamerg •Kerla •Kesla •Khmarr •James T. Kirk •Korrd •Lojur •Carol Marcus •Martia •Leonard McCoy •Henry Mulwray •Nanclus •Pardek •Ra-ghoratreii •Janice Rand •Thomas Samno •Sarek •Montgomery Scott •William Smillie •Spock •Kwan-mei Suarez •Hikaru Sulu •Thlema •Nyota Uhura •Valeris •Masoud Valtane •Worf

Referenced only

Marc Chagall •Jackson Dahl •Alexandre Dumas •Irina Galliulin •Amanda Grayson •Klaa •Kruge •David Marcus •Joanna McCoy •Richard Nixon •Emily Post •Saavik •Sessl •William Shakespeare •Khan Noonien Singh •Sohlar •Lawrence Styles •Surak •T'Paal

Comic adaptation characters[]

Azetbur •Harlan Burke •Lance Cartwright •Chang •Pavel Chekov •Gorkon, son of Toq •Kamarag •Kerla •James T. Kirk •Koth •Martia •Leonard McCoy •Nanclus •Ra-ghoratreii •Janice Rand •Thomas Samno •Sarek •Montgomery Scott •William Smillie •Spock •Hikaru Sulu •Nyota Uhura •Valeris •Dmitri Valtane •Worf

Locations[]

Alpha Quadrant •Beta Quadrant •Camp Khitomer •Delta •Earth •Eiffel Tower •Khitomer •Morska •Mortagh •Paris •Praxis •Qo'noS •Reydovan sector •Rura Penthe •San Francisco •Starbase 23 •Starfleet Headquarters

Referenced only

Amrita •Andor •Boswellia •China •Genesis Planet •Germany •Klingon Neutral Zone •Kudao •Organia •Rigel •ShanaiKahr •Themis •Virginia •Vulcan •Zorakis

Starships and vehicles[]

IKSDakronh (B'rel-class) •USSEnterprise (Constitution-class) •USSExcelsior (Excelsior-class) •IKSKronos One (K't'inga-class)

Referenced only

USSAhwahnee •IKSBeria •USSChallenger •USSEagle •USSEmden •USSEndeavour •Klingon warbird •USSKongo •USSLantree •USSOberth •IKSOkrona •USSPotemkin •Romulan warbird

Races and cultures[]

Andorian •Chameloid •Deltan •Efrosian •Halkan •Human •Klingon •Rigellian •Romulan •Vulcan •Zelonite •Zeosian

Referenced only

Catullan •Organian

States and organizations[]

Brotherhood of Aliens •Klingon Defense Force •Klingon Empire •Klingon High Command •Klingon High Council •Marcuslabs •Romulan Star Empire •Starfleet •United Federation of Planets

Referenced only

Starfleet Academy •Vulcan Diplomatic Corps

Occupations and titles[]

admiral •ambassador •brigadier •Chancellor of the Klingon High Council •Commander-in-Chief of the Federation Starfleet •fleet admiral •lieutenant •lieutenant commander •lieutenant junior grade •rear admiral

Other references[]

Adam and Eve Expelled from Paradise •asteroid •asteroid shower •atmosphere •Bengali •Catullan liquor •Cinderella •cloaking device •Destruction of Praxis •dilithium •gas •gaseous anomaly •Genesis Project •gravity boot •Hamlet •ivory •Katra •Khitomer Conference •Klingonese •Klinzhai •Kobayashi Maru scenario •Kolinahr •medikit •moon •Okrand's Unabridged Klingon Dictionary •Operation Retrieve •Organian Peace Treaty •qrokhang •Romulan ale •Russian •sabot •Scottish •shapeshifter •subspace •subspace shock wave •tea •Tiberian bat •Ukrainian •universal translator •V'Ger •viridium •xenogeology •space •shock wave •quadrant •universe •time •clothing •teacup •saucer •pants •energy •energy wave •viewscreen •boots •jacket •jumpsuit •deflector shield •helm •thruster •impulse drive •starship •gas •gaseous anomaly •meteor •meteor shower •moon •planet •star •star system •sector •empire •lifeform •sensor •atmosphere •communication

Chronology[]

2285

Khan Noonien Singh attempts to steal theGenesis Device, detonating it and creating theGenesis Planet, where Kruge kills Kirk's son, David.

2286

Kirk contacts Carol Marcus to explain the circumstances of their son's death.

2293

Kirk and theEnterprise-A are ordered on the Klingon peace mission.

Appendices[]

Related media[]

• The Fearful Summons (TOS novel) - "A stunning sequel to Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country by one of the writers of the film."
• Cast No Shadow features Valeris and expands on the Khitomer Conspiracy.
• Cloak (TOS novel) - The novelCloak establishes Admiral Cartwright as aSection 31 agent and subsequently implicates Section 31 in the Khitomer conspiracy.
• Thereference bookThe Klingon Hamlet expands on why the Klingons read "Wil'yam Shex'pir".
• Assignment: Eternity (TOS novel) - This novel's prologue and epilogue feature the Khitomer Conference.
• War Dragons – The frame story depicts a meeting of Sulu and Kirk after theKhitomer Conference has been concluded.
• TOSvideo game:Klingon Academy - This game explains why Chang likesWilliam Shakespeare and why he was part of the conspiracy. It also explains why the explosion of Praxis was devastating to the Klingons and how Gorkon became Chancellor.
• Sarek (TOS novel) - This novel discusses theRomulans present at the Khitomer Conference.

Background[]

Notable cast and crew[]

• William Shatner as Kirk
• Leonard Nimoy as Spock
• DeForest Kelley as McCoy
• James Doohan as Scotty
• Nichelle Nichols as Uhura
• George Takei as Sulu
• Walter Koenig as Chekov
• Mark Lenard as Sarek
• Christopher Plummer as General Chang
• David Warner as Chancellor Gorkon
• Brock Peters as Admiral Cartwright
• Rene Auberjonois as Colonel West
• Michael Dorn as Colonel Worf

Images[]

Publicity images[]

Chekov.

Film images[]

Fleet Admiral Smillie.

Colonel West.

KlingonBird-of-Prey firing undercloak.

TheFederation President with theKlingon andRomulanambassadors.

TheOffice of thePresident of theUnited Federation of Planets.

Gorkon, Son of Toq.

AmbassadorNanclus.

Azetbur, Daughter of Gorkon.

Federation PresidentRa-ghoratreii.

ColonelWest.

Chang.

Martia, aChameloid.

TheUSS Enterprise (NCC-1701-A) under fire.

James T. Kirk.

Praxis.

Praxis explodes.

TheSydney-classexecutive shuttleNAR-25820.

Gorkon and his staff meet Kirk and his staff.

Kirk.

Admiral Cartwright.

Tea cup.

Excelsior.

McCoy.

Excelsior.

Valeris.

Uhura.

Captain Sulu.

Lighthouse portrait.

Sailing vessel.

Kronos One.

Valeris.

Excelsior.

Novelization images[]

Novelization cover image.

Comic adaptation images[]

Comic adaptation cover image.

Connections[]

Timeline[]

Production history[]

Translations[]

1992

German language:Star Trek VI: Das unentdeckte Land, translated byAndreas Branhorst (Heyne).

1992

French language:Terre inconnue (Presses Pocket).

1992

Portuguese language:A terra desconhecida (Editora Aleph).

1992

Japanese language:宇宙大作戦 スター・トレック6 未知の世界, translated byHiroshi Saito (Hayakawa Bunko).

External links[]

• The Undiscovered Country novelization article atMemory Alpha, the wiki for canonStar Trek.
• The Undiscovered Country article atMemory Alpha, the wiki for canonStar Trek.
• The Undiscovered Country article atWikipedia, the free encyclopedia.