The Past Not Repeated

[Bakerstreet Irregular]

This  is a St: Into Darkness fan fiction. It picks up right after Captain James T. Kirk's awaking in the hospital after a three week coma.  As disclaimer I owe nothing pertaining to Star Trek, either TOS or JJ Abrams reboot.

 

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       James T. Kirk closed his eyes then opened them to gaze at the ceiling. Three weeks in a coma? By all rights he should have been dead and buried. Once again he owed his life to an extremely loose cannon.

 

       "And Khan?"

 

       McCoy straightened stiffly and shot him a sharp look.

 

      "Don't bother with him, Jim. He's in custody where he belongs. Very likely to be tried for treason, or some such thing, you just concentrate on getting better. Doctor's orders."

 

      Kirk let his head roll to the right until his first officer came into view.

 

     "How did you do it? How did you subdue him?"

 

      Spock drew himself up to attention.

 

      "I am not proud of it but I believed you to be dead. I watched you die."

 

      Kirk sighed. "What. Did. You. Do?"

 

      "I broke his arm. Even though Uhura kept stunning him, I beat him. I believe that if she had not told me that Dr. McCoy needed him alive, I would have killed him."

 

      "So he is being held over for trial."

 

     "It is unclear. An investigation has been launched  to ascertain whether or not he was ever a member of Star Fleet in any capacity, or if it was another of Admiral Marcus's lies."

 

     Kirk closed his eyes again. "So. It all comes down to whether he gets tried as a traitor or as a terrorist."

 

     "Not necessarily."

 

     Spock, Kirk, and McCoy's attention snapped to the door, where a man of medium height stood studying them.

 

     "I hope I am not intruding. My name is Callum Tollman. I am here to ask some questions of you, Captain Kirk. If your attending physician has no objections, of course."

 

     "For God's sake man! He has just come out of a coma. He needs his rest."

 

     But Tollman's initial comment had not been lost on Kirk.

 

     "What do you mean by Khan not being neither a traitor nor a terrorist?"

 

     "That is what I am hoping to determine hence my wanting to speak to you. I have been assigned as his defender at the hearing and I plan to execute my duty to him to the fullest."

 

     "Why not speak with Khan directly?"

 

     "Oh, don't think I haven't tried. But he has seen fit to invoke his right to not speak. At all. To anyone."

 

     Kirk stared at the man. "I want to see him."

 

     Spock's eyebrow came close to disappearing into the dark fringes of his bangs.

 

     "A most unwise decision, Jim. To what purpose?"

 

     McCoy glanced at the Vulcan. "Well. I must say I have to agree with Spock. Besides. You're not going anywhere for awhile yet."

 

     Kirk kept his eyes on Defender Tollman. "What do you want to know."

 

         ********************************************************************************************************

 

     Spock Prime sat silently, his eyes lit by the soft glow of the meditation candle. A page of Surak's teachings lay on the mat. Slowly, silently, he repeated his mantra over and over again, but other thoughts stubbornly refused to be vanquished.

 

     Khan had survived the destruction of his ship, as had all seventy-two of his followers. This new time continuum was taking some getting used to. Vulcan destroyed, his mother and billions of Vulcans dead. Events that should have taken place in the future, or not at all, were reality in the here and now.

 

    Spock sighed, snuffed the candle and in one fluid motion rose and stepped out onto the balcony. He turned his face to the stars. His younger self had saved Khan's sleeping crew by not leaving them in the torpedoes. Khan had survived not only the detonation of the weapons on the Vengeance but also it's crash landing. Something Khan Prime had been unable to do. What made this Khan stronger, more resilient? The answer to these questions was on Earth and so to Earth he would travel. He turned with a swift decisive movement, reentered his home, and made preparations for the journey.

[Caya]

Wow, first chapter up already ? Looking great so far, I love this idea of yours and I can't wait to see where you'll take the story .

[Bakerstreet Irregular]

The Past Not Repeated: Chapter 2

 

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     McCoy was incensed. "Damn it, Jim. We still don't know the full effects of the transfusion. Will you just take my advice and rest!"

 

     Kirk shook his head. "It's fine. I want to talk. Go get some coffee, tea, whatever. And take Spock with you."

 

     "Jim...."

 

     "No. Just go. The both of you."

 

     McCoy huffed and turned on the Defender. "You do Not tire him out! Do I make myself clear."

 

     "Crystal."

 

     "Good." McCoy sighed. "Come on, Spock. We're not doing any good here."

 

     Spock managed to look uncertain.

 

    "Go on with him, Spock. If I get tired I'll throw him out."

 

    The Vulcan eyed Tollman then glanced at his captain. "Very well."

    

     Kirk waited until his first officer and ship's doctor had left before turning his attention to the Defender.

 

     "Ask."

 

     "Very well. When was the first time you heard of John Harrison?"

 

     "It was right after the bombing in London. Admiral Marcus called an emergency meeting of all senior Starship captains and their first officers which is proper protocol in a situation like that."

 

     "What did Admiral Marcus say?"

 

     "He said that the bombing had been carried out by one of our own top government agents, a John Harrison. That he had been identified by a survivor of the London incident."

 

      "Can this be substantiated?"

 

      "My now acting first officer was there. And any other survivor can testify to it as well."

 

      Kirk watched as the man took notes. Then Tollman paused and looked at him.

 

     "He said that, precisely? That he had been identified by a survivor?"

 

     Kirk paused to think for a moment then nodded. "Yes. To the best of my recollection, those were his words."

 

     Tollman looked him in the eye. "You have to understand. According to the preliminary investigations, there were no survivors at the initial blast site.

 

     "Yes, sir. I do understand. Admiral Marcus knew who initiated the bombing and he himself fingered John Harrison A.K.A Khan Noonien Singh. Admiral Marcus called the meeting knowing full well, with advance knowledge, that that room and the officers within were going to be targeted."

 

     "You are saying that Admiral Marcus orchestrated it?"

 

    "I am."

 

    "Would you be willing to testify to that under oath?"

 

    "I believe it to be true. Admiral Marcus was trying to instigate a war and he was using every possible outlet to accomplish this and he didn't care who got hurt, or more to the point, killed. He knew that there would be senior captains who would oppose these actions and he found a way to silence them. The crew of the Enterprise was to be part of that plan. He stranded us on the edge of Klingon space after we were given orders to kill John Harrison, who had fled to Qo'noS after he fired on the meeting."

 

     "You will be asked for proof of that."

 

     "I can get it, if it wasn't destroyed when the Enterprise was damaged."

 

     "So essentially, Admiral Marcus ordered you to fire on the Klingon home world to take out a fugitive."

 

     "Exactly."

 

     "And did you fire any weapons at all?"

 

     "No sir.  My first officer advised that we try to take John Harrison alive and bring him back to face trial, and I decided to take his suggestion."

 

     Tollman jotted down more notes then put the notebook away. "I think that is more than enough to go on. I thank you, Captain Kirk. You may be asked these same questions at the hearing."

 

      "I want to see Khan."

 

     "Your first officer is correct. It would be a very bad idea. You will be testifying on Khan's behalf. If you two were in contact it could be seen as collaboration. I am sorry but I must forbid it and you must, in no wise, defy that wish. Do I make myself clear?"

 

      Kirk let his head sink back deeper into his pillow then he nodded.

 

     "Crystal."

 

     

 

     

 

    

 

 

   

[Caya]

Yay - second chapter !

 

Do you think Admiral Marcus really knew that Khan would strike at that meeting, and calculated for that? That would have never occurred to me ... but now that you mention it, iirc Marcus did sit with his back to the wall, as far away from that window as possible. Wow ... what a rotten bastard.

[Bakerstreet Irregular]

I really do think that Marcus set the whole thing up. He was using Khan to the hilt and he planned to have Kirk not only kill Khan on Qo'noS but Marcus knew what was in those torpedoes besides the war heads. He planned to commit whole sale genocide by wiping out every single one of Khan's people in one military strike against Khan.

[Caya]

And to think people called Khan the villain ... somebody provide me with some new English expletives, none I can think of are strong enough for Marcus .

[Carol the Dabbler]

Wow, another emoticon that I don't recall seeing before!

 

I think I'm gonna have to watch the movie again.

 

[Caya]

You can never go wrong with that .

[Bakerstreet Irregular]

I have seen it three times but I still might not have everything right. If you see any flaws in my thinking, please let me know.

[Caya]

Think I've found an illustration for your fic (source: Geny's tumblr):

 

 

Khan in custody, invoking his right to remain silent.

[Bakerstreet Irregular]

Wow! Nice, thank you. Very much appreciated.

[Carol the Dabbler]

I think we'll all understand the movie much better after the DVD comes out!

 

(Either that, or we'll be all the more adamant when we disagree.       )

[Bakerstreet Irregular]

(Either that, or we'll be all the more adamant when we disagree.

Oh, to be sure! Anyway, Chapter 3 should be up sometime this weekend. Hopefully Saturday evening.

[Bakerstreet Irregular]

The Past Not Repeated: Chapter Three  

           

             As a disclaimer I own nothing pertaining to Star Trek, anything done by Gene Roddenberry nor the subsequent spinoffs. I have no claim on JJ Abrams' Star Trek Reboot. This is purely fanfiction done for fun. I make no money whatsoever and no profit from this story.

 

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       Spock Prime's trip to Earth took several hours and it was hardly boring. He had time to think about what had happened on the Enterprise and the Vengeance. He also had the time to remember and reexamine his own encounters with a man named Khan Noonien Singh. By their very makeup, these genetically engineered people were prone to aggression and violent behavior. A defect in their genome but one that had been nurtured by the scientists who had created these people. Had he made a mistake in advising his younger self on how to deal with the Khan Noonien Singh of this continuum? Only time would tell.

 

       Once his small ship touched down at San Francisco's space port, he made his way to the hospital where Captain Kirk and Dr. McCoy would be found. He would visit Kirk, of course, but his first order of business was to seek out Dr. McCoy. A friendly nurse had the doctor paged and Spock Prime was directed to a waiting room.

 

       "Greetings, Dr. McCoy."

 

      "Jim isn't awake yet."

 

      "Actually, Doctor, it is you I wish to see. I am wondering if you have sent the samples you took of Khan's blood and DNA to be analyzed yet?"

 

     "How did you know that?"

 

     "I know you, Doctor. I know of your curiosity in such matters. Once you had Khan and were able to draw the blood necessary to save your Captain, I have no doubt that you would take DNA samples as well."

 

     "Well, yes I did. I want to see what makes that man tick. What went into all that genetic engineering. As to having the results, not yet. It still takes a while for a complete analysis but I hope to have answers soon."

 

      "Very well. I plan to stay in San Fransisco until Jim awakes and it is decided what is to be done with Khan Noonien Singh. No doubt there will be a hearing of some sort. I would like to attend."

 

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      The hearing was scheduled for a week after Captain James T. Kirk awoke from his coma and had had some time to recuperate. His testimony to the events leading up to the starship battle above Earth was vital.

 

     The courtroom was practically full. Mostly Star Fleet personal. Kirk looked around as he found a seat among members of his own crew. He recognized Spock Prime and greeted him with a courteous nod of the head which the venerable Vulcan acknowledged.

 

     The attention of the room then turned to a door as it opened and guards filed in with Khan bracketed among them. Among the guards were Vulcans. It seemed the lesson taught by Spock's taking down of Khan had been one well learned. He was led to the dock and allowed to sit. Kirk noticed that Khan did not look around, sitting stiffly erect, eyes fixed front."

 

     Then another door opened and everyone in the room began to stand. Even Khan came to his feet as the hearing's magistrate entered and took his own place.

 

      "Please be seated."

 

      Once everyone had done so the hearing proceeded.

 

      "I want to remind everyone that this is not a trial. There is no judge or jury. The testimony to be given and heard is only to determine if John Harrison A.K.A Khan Noonien Singh is liable to be held and tried.  John Harrison will be allowed to be questioned first and then witnesses who can give relevant testimony will be called and allowed to speak either against or for him. Mr. Tollman, you may proceed with your questions."

 

      Tollman stood and bowed his head to the magistrate. "Thank you, sir."

 

      Then he moved to stand in front of Khan.

 

      "Will you please state your name and rank."

 

       "My name is Khan Noonien Singh. I hold no rank within your StarFleet."

 

      "You never attended the academy?"

 

      "Never."

 

      "Were you ever an agent of our government?"

 

      "No."

 

      "Then who did you work for?"

 

      "Admiral Alexander Marcus."

 

      "In what capacity."

 

      "To design and create weapons of war."

 

      "A lucrative enterprise, no doubt?"

 

      Khan's voice became tight, the words clipped.

 

      "I did not labor for currency. I was offered none. All I asked was the safety of my people."

 

       A face of a handsome dark skinned man flashed up on a screen.

 

      "Do you know this man?"

 

      "His name was Thomas Harewood."

 

      "How did you know him?"

 

      "He worked at a top-secret military archive in London, England."

 

      "A center that was bombed killing forty-five people. Before the blast he sent a message to Admiral Alexander Marcus implicating you. Do you deny this?"

 

       "I do not deny that I approached him concerning destroying the archive."

 

       Kirk felt gut punched. He had been so sure that Marcus had been more deeply involved some how. Had initiated the whole thing. Had he been so naive to trust Khan after all? Was Khan nothing more then a rogue? Could he, James T. Kirk, be so easily suckered in?

 

      "So you and Mr. Harewood carried this out together."

 

     "No. He carried out the bombing in exchange for the life of his daughter. She was dying and despite all your medical advancement, she could not be saved by your conventional medicines. I offered him a vial of my blood for his co-operation."

 

     "And he accepted your offer?"

 

     "He did."

 

     Once again thoughts bounded and rebounded around Kirk's brain. Why didn't Harewood alert the security guards inside the complex to the danger? Once Marcus knew what was going to happen why didn't he stop it or make a move to have Khan apprehended? Surely if Harewood thought Khan would pose a threat to his family should Khan find out Harewood had alerted the authorities, wouldn't an operation like Section 31 have the ability to protect Harewood, his family and itself from such a threat? What the hell was going on?

 

     "You said you wanted to destroy the archive. Can you explain why."

 

     "The archive contained many of my weapon designs and concepts. I worked for Marcus because he threatened to harm my people if I did not comply. I created the housing of the seventy-two photon torpedoes to hold the cryo-tubes of my crew. I put them inside those missiles. It was the only safe way I could think of to try and smuggle them out. To get them away from his threat. But he discovered my rescue attempt and they disappeared. It was my fear and my belief that he had destroyed them. So I wanted to destroy the archive to punish him as he had punished me. Then I began to hunt him."

 

     Though Khan was better composed Kirk still caught the same edge of anguish in his voice that Khan had shown in the brig when he was first brought aboard from Qo'noS.

 

     "Did Admiral Marcus have any idea how you might react to the disappearance of these cryo-tubes?"

 

     Khan's voice became tight, the words clipped.

 

    "He knew what these people meant to me. They were my family. He was under no illusions as to the lengths I would go to protect and keep them safe. He used that knowledge again and again to force me to do his bidding. So, the answer to your question is yes. He knew that if anything, anything at all happened to the people that I held most dear, I would stop at nothing in finding him."

 

   

 

    

 

     

 

    

 

 

     

[Caya]

 

      "I did not labor for currency. I was offered none. All I asked was the safety of my people."

 

Whoa - that sentence gave me goosebumps ,

 

So Khan decided to become cooperative at the trial all of a sudden? Interesting strategy - I wonder what he's up to.

 

[Bakerstreet Irregular]

He would be co-operative at a hearing, I think.  He had a story to tell and he needed it to be heard.

[Bakerstreet Irregular]

The Past Not Repeated: Chapter Four.    I own nothing pertaining to Star Trek, Spinoffs, Gene Roddenberry, or JJ. Abrams. I am making no money off of this. It is only for enjoyment for those who like to read fanfiction, and to get the plot bunnies out of my head.

 

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       Tollman looked at Khan. "Do you have anything else you would like to add on your behalf?"

 

         Khan shook his head slightly in the negative. "I have nothing further to say."

 

        "Thank  you, Mr. Khan."

 

       Tollman moved away.

 

       The moderator glanced down at a computer display.

 

       "James T. Kirk, if you would come forward, please."

 

       Kirk slowly stood and made his way to the witness stand.

 

       "Please state your full name and rank."

 

       "James Tiberius Kirk, Captain of the Starship Enterprise NCC  1701."

 

       "Please be seated."

 

     Tollman stood to one side of Kirk as he sat down.

 

      "When did you first hear the name, John Harrison?"

 

      "It was at an emergency meeting of all senior Starship captains and their first officers following the bombing of Section 31, London, England, called by Admiral Marcus as is normal protocol in these events. We were told that the bombing was an act of terrorism carried out by a man by the name of John Harrison, a top government agent."

 

     "What happened at this meeting? Take your time, captain. We realize that you have been through quite an ordeal recently."

 

     "We were given an interactive picture of the bomb site and the suspected bomber. As I expanded the image and manipulated it, it seemed like he was heading for a small runabout. I noticed a bag in the cockpit and asked Captain Christopher Pike if he had any idea what it might be. Admiral Marcus heard me and told me to speak my thoughts aloud. I said that I thought who ever carried out such an attack might target such a meeting as we were participating in. Even as I finished speaking a small craft appeared outside the window. I yelled that the room should be cleared but we were immediately fired upon.

 

      "I ran from the room looking for a way to stop the attack. I got my hands on a weapon but it had no visible effect on the craft. I broke open an emergency panel and tied some hosing around the weapon then heaved it towards the craft's engine port. The weapon was sucked into the engine, damaging it so that the weapons were unable to function. In fact the craft itself began to lose power. As it lost altitude it turned towards me until I could get a good look at the pilot."

 

     "Can you identify him, Captain?"

 

     "Yes, sir. It was the man the report from London indentified as John Harrison. As I watched he was wrapped in a transporter beam. I ran back to find Captain Christopher Pike, only to find that he was dead along with several other captains and their first officers."

 

     Kirk had to pause. Christopher Pike had been like a father to him and the loss still hurt.

 

     "If you need to take a break, captain....."

 

     Kirk shook his head in the negative.

 

     "I'll be fine.

 

     He took a deep breath, released it slowly, and continued.

 

     "The next day the wreckage of the craft was being processed. My Chief Engineer, Montgomery Scott, recognized the transporter for what it was. He was able to decipher the coordinates. It had been set for Qo'noS. I immediately took that information to Admiral Marcus and volunteered to go after Harrison. Commander Spock was able to confirm that the area where Harrison had fled was an abandoned providence.  Admiral Marcus told us that we could go in, kill Harrison, and be away without the Klingons ever knowing we had been there. He even supplied the weapons. Seventy-two photon torpedoes. A new design, he said."

 

      His voice held a touch of irony.

 

     "Seventy-two high tech weapons to take out one man and I never questioned it. I accepted the assignment and had them loaded aboard the Enterprise over the protestations of my Chief Engineer."

 

     "Admiral Marcus ordered you to kill a fugitive without benefit of a trial, going against Federation law? Not to mention that you would be required to fire on the Klingon home world?"

 

      "He did, and I was determined to carry out that order. Captain Christopher Pike had been like a father to me. My mentor. He was mortally wounded in that attack and I wanted the man responsible punished. If an admiral of Starfleet said Harrison was to be killed, then that was all right with me. So I took his offered weapons even though it cost me my Chief Engineer. Mr. Scott resigned because he said they were too dangerous to fire. So I accepted his resignation and headed for Qo'noS."

 

      "And did you accomplish your objective? Did you carry out Admiral Marcus's order?"

 

      "No, I did not. Commander Spock reminded me that we were acting contrary to Starfleet and Federation law and regulations. That though Harrison had clearly carried out the attack on that meeting, by law he still deserved a trial. Innocent until proven guilty. He had a right to tell his side of the story. So I relented and decided to take Commander Spock's advice. We would do everything in our power to take Harrison alive. Suddenly the Enterprise dropped out of warp. The engines had developed a coolant leak that shut them down leaving us stranded on the edge of Klingon space. Commander Spock found Harrison's life signs and was able to lock onto them. I gave the "Chair" over to Lt. Sulu who was to inform Harrison that we had weapons locked onto his position. That we were prepared to use them if he did not surrender, and that a shuttlecraft was coming to collect him. I took Commander Spock, Lt. Uhura and two security guards with me in the shuttle."

 

      "As we approached Harrison's position, we ran into a Klingon patrol. We outmaneuvered them, I thought, until we found ourselves surrounded. We were forced to land. My communications officer, Lt. Uhura, speaks Klingon so she volunteered to try to reason with them. The leader of the crew of the war bird grabbed her by the throat but before we could act, her attacker was killed. The whole Klingon patrol was under fire. My crew and I rushed out to help rescue Lt. Uhura."

 

     "Can you identify the person or persons who was assisting you?"

 

     "Yes, sir. It was John Harrison. All the Klingon ships were dropping reinforcements but Harrison was taking them all out. Me and my crew were attacked and we had to fight, but Harrison was doing the bulk of it."

 

     "What happened once the fighting stopped?"

 

     "Harrison approached us. He wanted to know how many weapons were being pointed at him. I wasn't going to tell him, but Commander Spock told him it was seventy-two. He immediately dropped his weapon and surrendered. I accepted but then attacked and started beating him. I offer no excuses. It shouldn't have happened, but it did."

 

     "Did John Harrison retaliate in any way?"

 

    "No, sir. He did not. We took him captive and returned to the Enterprise where I had him consigned to the brig. I called him a cold blooded killer. He said he did it for his family. Then he told me to open up one of the torpedoes."

 

     "And did you?"

 

     "Doctors McCoy and Carol Marcus took one of the torpedoes in a shuttle to a deserted planet. They were successful in getting the weapon open. It contained a cryo-tube with a frozen person in it."

 

     "Did John Harrison give you any other important information?"

 

     "Yes, sir. He gave me co-ordinates. I was able to convince Montgomery Scott to go take a look. He found the USS Vengeance."

 

     "Then what happened?"

 

     "I was informed by my helmsman that a ship was approaching at warp speed, but not from Qo'noS. When the ship arrived it was the Vengeance commanded by Admiral Marcus. I asked if he had come to assist us. He demanded to know if we had carried out our objective in taking out Harrison. While in the brig, Harrison told me that his real name was Khan Noonien Singh. When I used that name in speaking with Admiral Marcus and told him that Khan was still alive,  he became angry and demanded that I turn Khan over to him. I had Khan moved from the brig to sick bay. I told the Admiral that he was still in the brig and that I would go get him. I, instead, asked my acting Chief Engineer if the engines could take warp drive. He said it was not advisable but possible. I told my helm to set a course for Earth and to take the ship into warp."

 

      "What happened then?"

 

     "I went to speak to Khan. He told me that we were still not safe from Admiral Marcus. I couldn't believe that the Admiral could possibly catch up to us while at warp speed. Then the helm hailed me saying that he was getting an unknown reading. Suddenly the Enterprise was being fired upon and it knocked us out of warp."

 

     "Admiral Marcus fired on a Federation vessel?"

 

     "Yes, sir. He did."

 

     "Can you prove this?"

 

     Kirk opened a small case he carried, took out a digital recorder and handed it to Tollman who in turn handed it to the moderator of the hearing.

 

     "I had our second encounter with Admiral Marcus broadcast ship-wide and recorded."

 

     The room sat stunned as the visage of Admiral Marcus filled the screen. There was profound silence as the Admiral told Kirk that since he refused to turn Khan over to him he would have no choice but to destroy the Enterprise and return to Starfleet with the report that Kirk and his crew and gone rogue, joining with John Harrison.

 

     

 

    

 

     

 

 

 

    

 

    

 

      
 

[Caya]

Oh dear, I'm ashamed to admit that, but I didn't even notice that was a bag until you mentioned it now - ah well, you've just given me an excuse to watch it one more time .

 

And yeah, go and ruin what's left of Marcus's reputation ! That [censored] had it coming.

[Carol the Dabbler]

Bag?  What bag?  I really have to see the movie again!

 

[Bakerstreet Irregular]

The portable transporter was in a small duffel bag type thing in the cockpit of Khan's runabout. Kirk noticed it and asked Pike about it. That's when Marcus got huffy.

[Carol the Dabbler]

Ah!  Thanks!

 

[Bakerstreet Irregular]

You're welcome.

[Bakerstreet Irregular]

     The Past Not Repeated:Chapter 5.  Disclaimer: I own nothing pertaining to Gene Roddenberry's Star Trek:TOS, any and all spinoffs, and JJ Abrams' Reboot and ST: Into Darkness. This is purely for fun with no money nor profit involved in any way.

 

               *********************************************************************************

 

 

The projector screen went blank and Kirk continued go give his testimony.

 

     "Admiral Marcus cut off communications and commenced firing on us. Dr. Carol Marcus came to the bridge and asked that we try to hail the Vengeance again. Once the link was open she spoke directly with the Admiral. She pleaded with him not do any more harm to the Enterprise if only for her sake. He reestablished communications with us and the bombardment stopped but we had taken heavy damage and our shields were down."

 

     Once again Admiral Marcus's face came up on screen asking Carol what she was doing on the Enterprise. Dr. Marcus could be heard speaking. Then in the back ground everyone in the room could hear a woman screaming and the whine of a transporter beam. Kirk spoke again.

 

     "As you can hear, his answer was to beam her off the Enterprise."

 

    Then the room heard Captain James T. Kirk's own voice asking Admiral Marcus to spare the Enterprise and her crew. That they had only been acting on his orders. That he, Kirk, would offer himself up to ensure their safety. Time seemed to slow as an Admiral of Starfleet seemed to accept the offer then coldly admit that he had never intended Kirk or his crew to survive the mission. The silence in the hearing room was profound as the mediator and all those gathered tried to process the enormity of that confession.

 

     "Admiral Marcus began to turn the Vengeance's heavy weapons on us. I turned to apologize to my crew and shipmates for what was about to happen to all of us when the Vengeance powered down, losing the ability to fire. It seems that Mr. Scott not only found the ship, as Khan had meant us to, but had also smuggled himself on board. Mr. Scott was able to open a line to us saying that the shutdown was only temporary. That when the ship came back on line he wouldn't be able to stop the weapon's fire again. Since I had that ship's master designer on board the Enterprise, I approached Khan to ask if he would be willing to help us. He agreed and he and I suited up to jet over to the Vengeance with Mr. Scott getting an access port open to receive us."

 

     "Using boosters we were able to align the Enterprise up with the Vengeance, so it would be a pretty straight shot across. The downside being that there was now a large debris field between the two ships. On the pass through the field my helmet was hit by a small piece of debris, causing damage to my face mask. The cracks finally took out my heads-up display and I found myself flying blind and way off course. If it hadn't been for Khan guiding me to him by audio and leading me in, I never would have made it."

 

     "Once safely on board the Vengeance, Khan was able to lock down the heavy weapons array and we headed for the bridge. We met up with some of the ship's security. Our phasers were locked on stun, but we were able to get through them only to find that we had lost sight of Khan. That's when I began to worry that Khan wasn't helping us as much as we were helping him get to the admiral. So I ordered Mr. Scott to stun Khan once we arrived on the bridge."

 

     "And did Mr. Scott carry out that order?"

 

     "Yes, sir, he did. But the affect on Khan only lasted a minute or two and when he came up, he came up fighting mad. He first attacked me, then went after the admiral breaking Dr. Carol Marcus's leg in the process."

 

      Kirk straightened his spine.

 

     "I take full responsibility for what happened then. Yes, Khan did kill Admiral Marcus, crushing his skull with his bare hands. But right up to the moment he was stunned, on my orders, Khan had shown restraint. Even when physically attacked, especially after he had surrendered unconditionally. He had saved the life of my crew and me more then once. He warned us about Admiral Marcus and the USS Vengeance. He had told the truth about what those seventy-two torpedoes carried besides warheads. I betrayed him despite everything he had done on our behalf. Maybe if I had been more trusting on the Vengeance, things wouldn't have escalated as they did."

 

      Commander Spock stood up.

 

     "If I might have a chance to speak?"

 

     The moderator looked at him then nodded.

 

     "This is simply an informal hearing, so you have the right to be heard. Please come forward. You may step down, Captain Kirk."

 

      Kirk eyed his first officer as they passed, but since the Vulcan had been given permission to speak, there was nothing he could do. Spock had something to say and he would say it regardless what Kirk might think about it. So he took his seat as Spock stood in front of Tollman.

 

      "Please state your name and rank."

 

      "Spock, Commander, first officer of the Starship USS Enterprise, NCC 1701."

 

      "Thank you. You may be seated and state your case."

 

      "As Captain Kirk's first officer, I cannot allow him to take full blame for what happened after Admiral Marcus was killed."

 

     "Would you care to elaborate?"

 

     "Of course. When Captain Kirk decided to take Khan and jet over to the Vengeance, he gave the Con to me. I asked our communications officer, Lt. Uhura, to try to establish a link Ambassador Spock on New Vulcan. She was able to comply with my request. I asked the Ambassador if he had ever encountered a Khan in his own time line. He said that he had and that the man had proved to be the most dangerous enemy he and his captain had ever faced. I asked if they had been able to defeat this threat. The Ambassador admitted that they had, but at great cost. I did not ask what that cost had been, only how they had accomplished it."

 

     

 

    

[Caya]

Yay, what a chapter . I love Kirk's owning up, and I'd kill for a reaction shot of Khan, not that he'd let his reaction show anyway *sigh*.

 

Aside: Do you think Khan was stunned on the bridge of the Vengeance? I had the impression that he only pretended to be stunned (you can see him change his expression once iirc while he's lying down) - not that it matters, because *Kirk* obviously believes he was and that's what he's telling .

 

I also wonder what Carol Marcus thinks about all this. I can understand her not wanting to attend the hearing, but rumors about what people saw her father say and do in the recording are going to reach her sooner or later.

[Bakerstreet Irregular]

She probably would have been. I have thought about having her speak on her father's behalf but haven't been able to work it out to my satisfaction. I'll see.

 

I think he may really have been put out, if only for a short moment or two. If I remember right  Scotty got him with a head shot and he went down pretty much immediately. To fake it he would have had to be expecting it and I don't think he was. But that is just my point of few.