âIâm sorry,â Kirk says, charming smile frozen into place, âbut you need Commander Spock to go back for what?â
Around the bridge, the senior crew is chillingly silent. Spock stands stiffly behind the Captainâs chair, a little to Kirkâs right, hands neatly folded behind him so he can hide the way they tremble.
On screen, the Vulcan elder does not show any untoward emotion, but the slight twitching of his eyebrow betrays his irritation at having to repeat himself. âFor his trial, Captain. You should not have accepted Commander Spockâs application as your First Officer without consulting with us first.â
âWith all due respect, Sir,â Kirk counters, smile still firmly in place even as his eyes glint ominously, âI have no memory of any Starfleet protocol that mandates the requirement of permission from the Vulcan High Council, given that theyâre both organisations working independently of each other.â
âAs you now have a Vulcan on board your ship,â the Vulcan elder shoots back calmly, âthat is not anymore the case.â
âIt is a grievous error on my part that I have overlooked,â Spock interjects as he steps forward to hide the way Kirkâs smile disappears dangerously. âNeither Captain Kirk nor Starfleet bears accountability on this personal mistake.â
He sees from his peripheral vision the way Kirk is suddenly tense, as if heâs forcing himself to remain seated by sheer force of will alone. âWhatâs the nature of this trial?â
Spock stiffens as he hears the challenge in the Captainâs voice that he isnât even trying to hide. The Vulcan on screen narrows his eyes. âI expected you to be intelligent enough to figure that out for yourself, Captain Kirk, given that you were actually present during the destruction of Vulcan.â
Kirk actually shoots up from his seat then. âWhich is why I know for a fact, due to personal experience, that Commander Spock should be hailed as the hero of your people, not be called back to stand trial. Sir,â he belatedly tacks on the honorific after a significant pause; Spock sees the way McCoy folds his arms across his chest and smirks, knowing as well as Spock does that Kirk doesnât say it out of respect.
The Vulcan elder stares Kirk down. âYour emotions are clouding your judgement, Captain.â
âAnd your prejudice is clouding your logic,â Kirk retaliates. âIf Commander Spockâs human heritage has any bearing on the Councilâs decision, thenââ
All eyes turn to Spock, who moves to stand directly in front of the screen. âPlease do not trouble the Enterprise Captain and crew any further,â he says quietly. âI own up to my accountability in the destruction of our home planet, given that it is my failure to save Romulus that prompted Neroâs actions.â
Dead silence fills the air. The Vulcan on screen straightens smugly.
âSpock,â Kirk stares at him. âThat wasnât you. That wasââ
âMy elder self, of an alternate reality,â Spock continues his Captainâs thought, âand yet logically still myself.â
âHow the hell is that logical?â McCoy bursts out as he strides forward. âIt wasnât your fault a damn supernova exploded, and it certainly wasnât you who went on a genocidal rampage because of a natural phenomenon that was out of anyoneâs control!â
Spock swivels at the seething doctor, taken aback at the vehemence in both his tone and posture, as Kirk looks on with an open expression of awed gratitude. The Vulcan elder, however, does not look impressed. âAmbassador Spock has also already been notified of the necessity of his presence at the trial. We are awaiting both of your responses, Commander Spock.â
âFor what?â Kirk finally explodes. âA conviction?â
The Vulcanâs tone is steely and cold. âIf necessary.â
Both Minister and Captain are locked in a stalemate of unwavering gazes; Spock, however, is only staring at Kirk. He sees the exact moment an eerie calm settles over Kirk, and Spock recognises that look instantly.
Itâs the same look that had him taking over the Captaincy in the first place.
âThen I request for my presence at the trial as well, Minister,â Kirk declares.
Thereâs a collective intake of breath around the bridge, and the Vulcan elder looks the closest he has ever been to being incensed. âIf your purpose is to act as the defence party to both Ambassador and Commander Spock, then regulations would entailââ
âNo, Minister,â Kirk interjects calmly. âIâm owning up to my accountability in the destruction of Vulcan.â
âCaptain.â Shock and disbelief prompts Spock to protest, âI do not think it is logical for you toââ
âAfter all,â Kirk continues as if Spock hasnât spoken, âI was the one who failed to stop Nero from launching the antimatter on Vulcan.â
For one surreal, confusing moment, Spock actually wonders if the artificial gravity aboard the ship has stopped functioning as he feels his world reeling. âCaptainâŚâ
âThen I should be there too.â
Everyone looks at Sulu, who rises from his seat by the console. âI, too, failed to stop the drill on time. I was right there along with the Captain.â He moves to stand in perfect parade rest beside Kirk, glancing at the Captain as if daring him to protest.
Kirk only shrugs. âFair enough,â he says casually, which makes Sulu grin.
Aghast, Spock tries again. âLieutenant Suluââ
âI believe I should be called to stand trial as well.â
All eyes turn to Uhura who gracefully walks from her station to the centre of the room. The Vulcan on screen is now wearing a pinched expression of what looks to be both exasperation and resignation, which, Spock muses privately, just makes the elder look constipated. âAnd what would you have to be called to trial for, Ladyââ
âLieutenant,â Uhura corrects without missing a beat, making Kirk smirk. âI was the one who picked up an emergency transmission from a Klingon prison planet, in which forty-seven warbirds were destroyed by Neroâs ship shortly before his attack on Vulcan.â
She pauses beside Spock long enough to offer a gentle smile before she breezes past to stand on Kirkâs other side. âHad I immediately reported the transmission instead of having Captain Kirk do it for me much later, Starfleet would have been alerted earlier and we would have stopped Nero long before he began drilling into Vulcan.â
She raises her chin defiantly at the monitor. âTherefore, Iâm as accountable for the destruction of Vulcan as these brave men who risked their lives to save your planet.â
Kirkâs smirk widens, and even Spock canât help but gaze upon Uhura in awestruck admiration. The Vulcan elder is visibly bristling, unsure as to whether or not he has just been insulted; he opens his mouth to speakâbefore his gaze is arrested by an unexpected movement at the corner of the monitor.
Everyone stares as the youngest among them slowly stands from his seat, head bowed in humble dejection.
The Vulcan elder sighs. âAnd what do you have to say for yourself, young man? Do you mean to be tried for accountability too?â
Chekovâs hands curl into fists atop the console. âAye,â he answers softly. He raises his head and seeks Spockâs gazeâand Spockâs breath is taken by the abject apology in the young Ensignâs eyes.
His voice trembles as he speaks. âI failed to beam them all back in time.â
Feeling his throat suddenly constrict at the unbidden memory of reaching out to empty air for a beloved mother who isnât there anymore, Spock replies just as softly, âThat is as much my fault as well, Mister Chekov.â
Chekov seems taken by emotion too as he presses his lips together tightly; Kirk reaches over to lay a hand on the young manâs shoulder in mute understanding and solidarity.
âWell this is all well and good, but I just have one question, Sire.â
All heads turn to the back of the bridge, where Scott is casually leaning against the entrance.
Kirk grins. âAsk away, Scotty.â
âNow if I remember the old Vulcanâs story correctly,â Scott muses as he steps down on the bridge, âMister Spock hereâor rather, the other Spock from the futureâhad been delayed in his mission to rescue Romulus.â Scott tilts his head. âWhy is that?â
Kirkâs eyebrows furrow, trying to make sense of where Scott is going with his line of questioning. âHis ship got delayed. It wasnât built on time.â
âHuh.â Scott crosses his arms. âWho commissioned that ship, then?â
Something like dawning realisation suddenly shines in Kirkâs eyes.
Spock swallows as he arrives at the same conclusion. âThe Vulcan Science Academy.â
âWell imagine that,â McCoy drawls. âAnd who exactly is the head of the VSA?â
All eyes turn toward the monitor. The Vulcan elder gives a start of surprise.
âImagine that, indeed,â Kirk murmurs with a growing smile.Â
The entire senior crew moves to stand in a single file in front of Spockâand his heart feels suddenly, immeasurably full.
âWell, Minister,â Kirk announces cheerfully, "I guess weâll see you in court, too.âÂ