"I am thinking about this realistically," Jim said, his voice tight. "You said it yourself--if you try anything, what will she do? What are your options? Can you surprise her, get Spock off the ship, and take her down?"
He fidgeted, rising.
"What will you tell Starfleet? Are you prepared for the investigation? Can you defend your actions on a purely unemotional level? You say I'm valuing her existence over your situation. You're wrong. What I'm valuing is my conviction that you're not a murderer. That your need for revenge isn't going to dictate your actions."
There. He'd said it. The gulf spread between them, but it was not one Jim was willing to scale. He had killed. He had made these calls himself. But always in the immediate interests of protection. Never as a summary judgment. That was for the Federation--and specifically the people of Vulcan--to work through.
no subject
He fidgeted, rising.
"What will you tell Starfleet? Are you prepared for the investigation? Can you defend your actions on a purely unemotional level? You say I'm valuing her existence over your situation. You're wrong. What I'm valuing is my conviction that you're not a murderer. That your need for revenge isn't going to dictate your actions."
There. He'd said it. The gulf spread between them, but it was not one Jim was willing to scale. He had killed. He had made these calls himself. But always in the immediate interests of protection. Never as a summary judgment. That was for the Federation--and specifically the people of Vulcan--to work through.