"I'm sorry," Kirk says, charming smile frozen into place, "but you need Commander Spock to go back for what?"
Around the bridge, the senior crew is chillingly silent. Spock stands stiffly behind the Captain's chair, a little to Kirk's 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. "For his trial, Captain. You should not have accepted Commander Spock's application as your First Officer without consulting with us first."
"With all due respect, Sir," Kirk counters, smile still firmly in place even as his eyes glint ominously, "I have no memory of any Starfleet protocol that mandates the requirement of permission from the Vulcan High Council, given that they're both organisations working independently of each other."
"As you now have a Vulcan on board your ship," the Vulcan elder shoots back calmly, "that is not anymore the case."
"It is a grievous error on my part that I have overlooked," Spock interjects as he steps forward to hide the way Kirk's smile disappears dangerously. "Neither Captain Kirk nor Starfleet bears accountability on this personal mistake."
He sees from his peripheral vision the way Kirk is suddenly tense, as if he's forcing himself to remain seated by sheer force of will alone. "What's the nature of this trial?"
Spock stiffens as he hears the challenge in the Captain's voice that he isn't even trying to hide. The Vulcan on screen narrows his eyes. "I 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."
Kirk actually shoots up from his seat then. "Which 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," 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 doesn't say it out of respect.
The Vulcan elder stares Kirk down. "Your emotions are clouding your judgement, Captain."
"And your prejudice is clouding your logic," Kirk retaliates. "If Commander Spock's human heritage has any bearing on the Council's decision, then—"
"Minister."
All eyes turn to Spock, who moves to stand directly in front of the screen. "Please do not trouble the Enterprise Captain and crew any further," he says quietly. "I own up to my accountability in the destruction of our home planet, given that it is my failure to save Romulus that prompted Nero's actions."
Dead silence fills the air. The Vulcan on screen straightens smugly.
"Spock," Kirk stares at him. "That wasn't you. That was—"
"My elder self, of an alternate reality," Spock continues his Captain's thought, "and yet logically still myself."
"How the hell is that logical?" McCoy bursts out as he strides forward. "It wasn't your fault a damn supernova exploded, and it certainly wasn't you who went on a genocidal rampage because of a natural phenomenon that was out of anyone's control!"
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. "Ambassador Spock has also already been notified of the necessity of his presence at the trial. We are awaiting both of your responses, Commander Spock."
"For what?" Kirk finally explodes. "A conviction?"
The Vulcan's tone is steely and cold. "If necessary."
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.
It's the same look that had him taking over the Captaincy in the first place.
"Then I request for my presence at the trial as well, Minister," Kirk declares.
There's a collective intake of breath around the bridge, and the Vulcan elder looks the closest he has ever been to being incensed. "If your purpose is to act as the defence party to both Ambassador and Commander Spock, then regulations would entail—"
"No, Minister," Kirk interjects calmly. "I'm owning up to my accountability in the destruction of Vulcan."
"Captain." Shock and disbelief prompts Spock to protest, "I do not think it is logical for you to—"
"After all," Kirk continues as if Spock hasn't spoken, "I was the one who failed to stop Nero from launching the antimatter on Vulcan."
For one surreal, confusing moment, Spock actually wonders if the artificial gravity aboard the ship has stopped functioning as he feels his world reeling. "Captain..."
"Then I should be there too."
Everyone looks at Sulu, who rises from his seat by the console. "I, too, failed to stop the drill on time. I was right there along with the Captain." He moves to stand in perfect parade rest beside Kirk, glancing at the Captain as if daring him to protest.
Kirk only shrugs. "Fair enough," he says casually, which makes Sulu grin.
Aghast, Spock tries again. "Lieutenant Sulu—"
"I believe I should be called to stand trial as well."
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. "And what would you have to be called to trial for, Lady—"
"Lieutenant," Uhura corrects without missing a beat, making Kirk smirk. "I was the one who picked up an emergency transmission from a Klingon prison planet, in which forty-seven warbirds were destroyed by Nero's ship shortly before his attack on Vulcan."
She pauses beside Spock long enough to offer a gentle smile before she breezes past to stand on Kirk's other side. "Had 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."
She raises her chin defiantly at the monitor. "Therefore, I'm as accountable for the destruction of Vulcan as these brave men who risked their lives to save your planet."
Kirk's smirk widens, and even Spock can't 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 speak—before 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. "And what do you have to say for yourself, young man? Do you mean to be tried for accountability too?"
Chekov's hands curl into fists atop the console. "Aye," he answers softly. He raises his head and seeks Spock's gaze—and Spock's breath is taken by the abject apology in the young Ensign's eyes.
His voice trembles as he speaks. "I failed to beam them all back in time."
Feeling his throat suddenly constrict at the unbidden memory of reaching out to empty air for a beloved mother who isn't there anymore, Spock replies just as softly, "That is as much my fault as well, Mister Chekov."
Chekov seems taken by emotion too as he presses his lips together tightly; Kirk reaches over to lay a hand on the young man's shoulder in mute understanding and solidarity.
"Well this is all well and good, but I just have one question, Sire."
All heads turn to the back of the bridge, where Scott is casually leaning against the entrance.
Kirk grins. "Ask away, Scotty."
"Now if I remember the old Vulcan's story correctly," Scott muses as he steps down on the bridge, "Mister Spock here—or rather, the other Spock from the future—had been delayed in his mission to rescue Romulus." Scott tilts his head. "Why is that?"
Kirk's eyebrows furrow, trying to make sense of where Scott is going with his line of questioning. "His ship got delayed. It wasn't built on time."
"Huh." Scott crosses his arms. "Who commissioned that ship, then?"
Something like dawning realisation suddenly shines in Kirk's eyes.
Spock swallows as he arrives at the same conclusion. "The Vulcan Science Academy."
"Well imagine that," McCoy drawls. "And who exactly is the head of the VSA?"
All eyes turn toward the monitor. The Vulcan elder gives a start of surprise.
"Imagine that, indeed," Kirk murmurs with a growing smile.
The entire senior crew moves to stand in a single file in front of Spock—and his heart feels suddenly, immeasurably full.
"Well, Minister," Kirk announces cheerfully, "I guess we'll see you in court, too."