That was one thing that Spock was most reluctant to think of. He knew, as all there knew, that many of the higher echelon would have already selected the Enterprise's new Captain. It was no secret that he himself had no desire to be a Captain and that there was no way he would, could stay in Starfleet without Jim. They would each have to file a report with their suggestions and view of what had happened.

Briefly Spock looked at McCoy and saw how McCoy looked at him. He had no doubt that McCoy would only report the medical status as it seemed the good doctor believed in protecting his patients more than those in higher places knew. It was known that he had his reports to Command and then as doctors through millennium had most likely done, had his own notes about the whole patient and not just the medical procedures he performed. It was clear from the slight nod McCoy gave him that the man would follow his lead.

"We will discuss the reports that need to be sent as soon as Doctor McCoy has finished his examination of both Captain Kirk and Officer Ton."

"I will meet with you shortly to discuss that, Mister Spock. But first I will take care of Officer Ton."

Almost in unison Captains Malls and Jenkins hugged Officer Ton and Travis then turned to look at Spock, "And we shall leave as soon as we see him settled, gentlemen. Thank you for your assistance with this recovery."

"And the reunion."

Spock looked at two Captains and nodded, "It has been an honor to serve. I will have our Chief Engineer assist with your transport back to your ships whenever you are ready."

One hundred and thirty-seven point nine one minutes later Captain Travis walked into Sickbay where McCoy sat at his desk and Spock stood by the bed Kirk was sleeping on. With a nod of his head Travis indicated he wished to speak to Spock and McCoy.

"Doctor, I appreciate your thorough on location medical evaluation of Officer Ton. He is in a deep sleep now. He may wake a bit confused and I will not leave him should there be indications that that is a permanent result of his actions."

"Severe temporary trauma displacement but remarkably controlled," McCoy nodded, "I have heard of a few cases. I have read and studied a few of the cases. Exceptionally rare officers who usually try to avoid detection and often change," he stopped and looked first at Travis then at Spock and then at Travis and finally back at Spock, "Those indications of old extensive trauma that I detected. He's not really Stan Ton, is he?"

"To us he is Stan Ton, Doctor McCoy. What he was called before he boarded the Enterprise does not matter. The fact is that he is very good officer who more than meets the medical requirements set by you for a non-combatant aboard this ship." For a long time McCoy looked at Spock. It was there. The truth was there. The truth that stayed in this room with them. Who and what his patient had been before was not who was on that bio-bed, was not who had brought back his close friend and Captain. The man on that bio bed was Officer Stan Ton.

Finally he nodded "Of course he is Stan Ton, Mister Spock, I was just checking that you remembered as you were a patient not so long ago and I needed to make sure you were still functioning normally and from that long and involved answer instead of a yes lets me know you are back to your old exacting self."

"Thank you, Doctor McCoy." Spock could tell from the uncertain look he got from Travis that he did not understand that such a response from the good doctor was his way of not only agreeing but also accepting that Stan Ton was Stan Ton.

"Mister Spock , you mentioned earlier about the report we would have to send to Command that would explain the situation."

"Yes, Sir as per Starfleet regulations and protocol. It does appear that we have no justifiable,"

"Is it not mandated by Starfleet Command that a ship must respond to any request for immediate beam out from or for an officer known to be crew of that ship?"

The reply caught the Vulcan off guard as he saw no application of the regulation here, "Yes, that is the protocol but we received no,"

"Do you not believe, Mister Spock, that the way the controls were left in the Transporter Room was his way of asking for an immediate beam out? Is it not possible that he left them like that so that he could be immediately be beamed back?" Travis looked at him, "There was also that signal we received from a resident on the planet that indicated they needed our assistance for a member of this crew, did we not.

Just for a moment Spock was going to say that there was no telling how long it could have been set the way they were as Mister Scott had other matters occupying him and they were leaving the planet and therefore there was no need for anybody to be there. Ton had to leave them as they were, had to leave the settings as they were as there was nobody else around. He had mere seconds to. Spock shook his head. He wanted to say it was impossible and yet he knew it was not. Somehow Ton had done it. He would be more interested in finding out how. As he looked at Travis he could see the man was thinking of ways that justified their actions without mentioning Ton as being responsible.

What was it he had said? A resident. That had been it. Ton had been on the planet and therefor was a resident on the planet and he had sent a signal indicating they were in need of assistance for a member of the crew. Travis was using semantics and the wording of the law. He was doing what Jim would have done.

"Sir, what you first suggested is not proven as such an action is thought to be impossible. We did receive a signal from a resident on the planet which indicated assistance was needed for an officer from this ship."

"Correct, Mister Spock. We therefore were obliged to go there and retrieve that officer which is what we did. Someone on the planet had clearly found and taken care of Captain Kirk and notified us." Travis was still looking at him and Spock saw the certainty on the man's face and heard it in his voice, "That will be my report. We received a signal for help, we responded, and retrieved Captain Kirk. I see no need to mention Officer Ton, do you Mister Spock?"