Kirk felt McCoy grip his arm and heard him softly say, "Exposure."

In a lower voice she continued, "Although I am an engineer and nor a scientist and do not have extensive medical training I am aware of the period of time over which the substance was inserted into the beam, I am aware of the height that the substance was inserted into the beam, and I am aware of the force at which this was done. I am also aware of the same for the drug that nullifies the hallucinogenic properties having later injected into the beam. The facts indicate that somebody aboard the Dakota deliberately attacked Captain Kirk in this manner as only personnel on the Dakota have access to the transporter room. As the only person specifically affected by this was Captain Kirk it is obvious that some unknown felt that they had to be able to cause him great confusion for a period of time by using the drug and then removing it form his system by using the other drug and knowing that the on-board sanitation system of the ships would remove any trace of both. "

Pellon still sounded confident as he looked at her, "But you are, as you stated, an engineer and not trained in science nor medicine. So you are just hypothesizing."

"There you are incorrect, Captain Pellon." The male officer stepped to stand beside the engineer, "I am a Science Officer with only six years deep space experience on starships, Sir, and I assisted Officer Reynolds in doing the investigation that Doctor Czacheck asked for. I can attest to the facts that Officer Reynold gave as I checked her findings, did thirty-seven tests on the samples, forwarded her and my findings to Command and I stand by those findings. I also sent to Command the phaser that Officer Twindell gave me, a phaser that had the DNA of Captain Kirk on it and on the trigger, but there was more of Captain Pellon's DNA on it and, most importantly, on the setting control. There was none of Kirk's DNA and the phaser anywhere but where one would instinctively grab and fire a weapons. Being a seasoned officer there was no way Jim Kirk would ever have his phaser left set on kill."

Kirk saw how Spock looked from Officer Daven to Officer Twindell and saw an eyebrow arch. Just as his Vulcan friend clearly thought something was strange Kirk was sure he had missed something. He had been so sure he had remembered it all during those sessions with Czacheck. He had to think. He clearly remembered how Twindell had pinned him so that he still held the phaser he had fired. The phaser that Pellon had presented was clearly not the one he had used. No, he had to think. His phaser had been. He stopped and closed his eyes. He could not remember reaching for his phaser only feeling a phaser in his hand. He remembered seeing the charge hit Spock. Twindell had grabbed him, pinned him and handed Pellon's security officer a phaser. Twindell had then moved to get a better hold on him. He had moved and yet between them was still that phaser. Twindell had handed over his own phaser. All that moving by Twindell had not been to hold him tighter but to get out his own phaser and to place the phaser he had used to shoot Spock into his holster without touching it. During that delay between being beamed aboard the Dakota and being beamed down to the Enterprise when he had been so totally unaware of what was happening Pellon had time to take his phaser, fire it, and that would have been the evidence. When he opened his eyes Twindell gave a slight nod.

Kirk also saw the look that Pellon was giving Twindell. Clear murderous loathing. The look of one who knew what they had done was against so many laws and that they were cornered, out-maneuvered, and yet not willing to yield.

"You, you did not give me the right phaser! I am your commanding officer, your captain. Your sworn duty is to obey me. What you did was an act of the lowest form of insubordination and betrayal. I am your commanding officer and you swore to obey my orders."

"You make a most delusional mistake if you believe I swore an oath to obey you." Twindell turned slightly to fully face Pellon, "I took an oath but it was not one to blindly, mindlessly, follow anybody of perceived senior rank. My sworn oath was to uphold the aims and principles of the United Federation of Planets by obeying the orders of those senior officers whom I believe to have the best interests of the Federation, of Star Fleet, and of the ship first and foremost in their words and actions." There was a total silence and stillness about the large room the hearing was in as what Twindell had just said registered with all there. It was clear Pellon had not expected such a reaction.

There was no change in Twindell's calm tone nor his relaxed yet confident stance as he continued, "I do not recall you either ordering me to give you the phaser nor your asking whose phaser it was. You assumed it was the one Captain Kirk had been forced to use. At the time my main concern was holding onto Captain Kirk and getting him back to his ship. In a way you ordering Doctor Czacheck and myself from the transporter room as soon as we saw Kirk was ready to be transported back to the Enterprise helped me to get the phaser to Officer Daven as quickly as possible. We suspected that you would be too busy thinking of your next goal you would not be paying much attention to what was going on around the ship and we were right. It was so very easy to get our findings and the phaser to Command and for two of the leading scientists from Command to board the Dakota to inspect the transporter and see how and where our testings were done so they could verify their accuracy."

"YOU, you should have known I wanted that phaser. It was not your phaser. And you had no right to beam aboard other officials without my knowledge."

"I believe, Sir, if you check the regulations that it is clearly stated that senior ranking officers and experts from Command have the right to beam aboard any ship where an onboard investigation is taking place to see for themselves that the crew are following the strict instructions of their investigations."

"As your captain I had a right to have that phaser before it was handed over. It was not your phaser."

"Sir, I freely admit it was not my phaser and I knew it was not Captain Kirk's as he had made no move to draw his while your security officer had. I would have thought such an experienced officer as yourself would have, to ensure the last detail in your plan was correct, first have asked me if it was the phaser you wanted and then would have checked the serial number of the phaser and ensured that you had the right phaser."

While Pellon looked stunned Twindell looked at Officer Davin and then at Officer Reynolds, "Both you officers would have checked the serial number to verify whose weapon your were examining was, is that correct?"

A surprised yet bemused look of disbelief passed between the two officers before Officer Reynolds said, "Yes, that is standard procedure, Sir. Before we even start to examine the phaser we verify who was issued with it. We did make note that the weapon handed to us as being issued to Captain Pellon was, in fact, issued to Officer Twindell and that the weapon Officer Twindell had in his possession had been taken by Officer Twindell to the Enterprise, examined there, and later returned to us by Officer Twindell. We also have the duly signed forms attesting to the fact that two senior scientists from Command did board the Dakota and inspect the phaser here as well as on the Enterprise. We keep a log of al who enter our Armory as well as our Science Departments. All actions taken are within the protocol for when near or visiting independent and allied planets as well as the regulations for inter-ship personnel movements."

Spock looked at Twindell and realized he had perhaps misjudged the man. Clearly he was not only a very good security officer and, for what he had seen, a close friend of Doctor Czacheck, but also somewhat on the what Humans would call cunning side and most adapt at thinking concisely and with great alacrity. To be able to exchange weapons in such a manner in front of another and then to act as though there had been no deception showed what McCoy would call cunning. He knew he would talk with the man later about that. He was aware that a part of his mind was still trying to recall why Czacheck and Twindell together had significance.

He then looked at Officer Reynolds and saw how she looked from the panel to Pellon and there was no mistaking the almost challenging look about her eyes as she looked at him. As he looked at her he was aware that she had a look akin to a chess master about to say "Checkmate."

"I had absolutely no reason to check the serial number of the phaser as I knew it was the one I had to have. As the captain I must have faith in my crew to know what is expected of and from them and obviously I was mistaken in your ability to think of what might be required, to ask if you are uncertain about what is expected, and to follow orders. When I get back to the ship you can be sure you will be among the many I will have removed from my ship."

"There are a great number of things, Sir, that most of us who serve as officers on any ship, especially a starship, see no reason for doing but when we came into Star Fleet, as officers, we knew we either had to accept the rules and the regulations, irrespective of what we personally thought of them, or we had leave. The more senior the rank the more rules and regulations there are that control us, the more that is expected of and from us." There was a brief silence and clearly Pellon was uncomfortable at how Reynolds would not look away from him nor point out rules and regulations. "From your record you clearly do not like waiting for advancement and on three occasions have been given promotions under what can best be called dubious circumstances. When you were promoted to captain and given the Dakota for the remaining twenty-nine months of its service life do you recall what you said at the function put on for you to meet the crew?"

"You, you expect me to remember something I said that long ago?" Pellon turned and looked at the panel, "Why are you allowing an underling with no comprehension of what it is like out there to keep on questioning me? I am a starship captain. I deserve more respect. As Captain Kirk is clearly unfit I deserve the Enterprise as it cannot just wait in case there is some miracle and he comes out of the near catatonic state he is in and proves he can function as he once did. I,"

"Will get the Enterprise as soon as we return to Command and this ship is decommissioned. I just have to wait for just the right time and so mentally and emotionally upset James Kirk that he is unfit to command and they will give me the Enterprise." The truth of what Officer Daven had said as he walked to stand next to Officer Reynolds was clear as those present looked at Pellon, "I believe those were your words, Sir. Words you should not have said in front of at least twenty of the two hundred and sixty crew of the Dakota who were there. If you recall you asked that your speech be broadcast so that those who could not be there could hear what we thought were the plans, not your plans, for when the ship was decommissioned. We did not take the recording of what you said to Command as we did not really think you were that arrogant and stupid until you did what you did on Jubliline Five."

"You just wait, I will have the Enterprise. Kirk cannot function. Just look at him. He's been like that since he saw that Vulcan fall. They have to give me the Enterprise. it is too valuable a ship not to have in service."

Kirk saw a nod from Spock, McCoy, Twindell, and Czacheck then he slowly walked to where Pellon stood. He heard but ignored the gasps from the panel and Pellon as he stopped in front of him, barely containing his anger. No, not his anger, his fury. "If those five fine and wise officials were not there on that bench presiding over this hearing, those two brilliant officers from the Dakota who worked so hard to find the truth were absent, and especially those four who stood behind and in particular two of them who have stood behind and beside me for so long, were not here I would rip you slowly apart for what you did to my First Officer, especially as you made me believe I had killed him and could not remember why."

"But the Enterprise is mine now, Kirk. I had it all planned, I worked for it, I brought it in from,"

"You might have been escorted in on the Dakota by the Enterprise but I do not believe Chief Engineer Montgomery Scott would ever relinquished command of the Enterprise to you."

"No he did not and he must be reported for that. He was totally insubordinate. He refused to follow the chain of command and relinquish command to me. I am a senior officer, I am the captain of the Enterprise. I am the capain,"

Just of an instant Kirk could picture his Chief Engineer in full command mode telling Pellon just what he thought of him and knew he would have to speak with the man when they returned to the ship. "who Chief Engineer Scott could rightly claim posed a clear and certain danger to the ship. As you clearly know the responsibilities of the different ranks you must know that should the captain and First Officer or most senior commander be unable or unfit to take command then command falls upon the most senior or the only Lieutenant Commander, and on my ship that is Mister Scott."

Pellon frantically looked from Kirk to Spock to Twindell and back to Spock, "I knew the Jublilne Five security would be after me and would react and Kirk was so primed for action. He, he killed you. We all saw it. It was on kill setting. It was,"