A note on the timeline: I take no stand on the relative ordering of these epilogues, beyond the self-evident fact that Epilogue 1 antecedes Epilogue 2. It makes far more logical sense for Epilogue 3 to come first, but we must allow these little storytelling aberrations.

Epilogue 1: Vengeance

Uhura adjusted her earpiece. “Approach control, this is Enterprise. Ready for docking maneuvers.”

The voice of the spacedock controller came back over the intercom, “Copy. Enterprise is cleared to dock.”

“Lock on,” Kirk said.

Sulu touched his controls. “Systems locked.”

Kirk nodded to Uhura. “Spacedock, you have control.”

On the viewscreen, the doors of the massive space station slowly parted. “Affirmative, Enterprise. Enjoy the ride. Welcome home.”

Under automatic control, the damaged Ship maneuvered slowly into the space station. Within the enormous dome, drones, shuttles and repair craft buzzed around, servicing the various ships. Enterprise herself would require transfer to orbital drydock given the amount of damage that would need repair, but first there would be a transfer of the Enterprise’s trainee crew, of the survivors of Regula I and the Reliant, and there would likely be some kind of reckoning over the fates of Khan, of Genesis, and of all the others. An admiral and two captains were dead, not to mention dozens of cadets and scientists.

The doors closed behind the Enterprise and the ship maneuvered toward its assigned berthing point. They passed just close enough to the control tower that Kirk could make out the mass of onlookers, crowded at the viewports to see the legendary USS Enterprise limping home after the historic confrontation with one history’s greatest villains, back from the dead after hundreds of years. The ship turned, and another ship filled the viewscreen.

“Would you look at that,” Uhura breathed. The ship was more than twice the size of Enterprise, and while its general design was similar, the large ship had an undenyable hostile look to it, Enterprise’s curves replaced with harsh angles, and its soft gray tones replaced with matte black that gave the dreadnought the air of a scar, a jagged blackness cutting through the lights of spacedock around it.

“My friends,” Kirk said, grimly, “The great experiment. Vengeance.” He looked to Carol, who had joined them on the bridge for the last leg of their journey. “Admiral Marcus’s legacy. Ready for trial runs.” Carol looked uncomfortable.

Erica Ortegas had taken the navigator’s position. Despite her injuries, she’d wanted to be present for Enterprise’s return to Earth. Saavik had already departed, along with David Marcus, picked up en route by a science vessel bound for the Genesis planet. “They say she’s got twin type-eleven phaser cannons, and she can fire them at full warp,” she said with obvious awe.

Sulu rolled his eyes. “They say if my husband had wheels, he’d be a wagon.”

Enterprise, stand by for final docking procedures,” the controller said.

Uhura touched her earpiece again. “Captain? I’m receiving a message-” she looked surprise. “It’s from the Federation Council. We’ve… We’re being ordered to prepare Commander Chin-Riley for immediate transfer to Federation Legal Services…. To stand trial.”

A pall fell over the bridge. It was broken by Xon. “If I were human,” he said, cautiously, “I believe my response would be, ‘Go to hell.'”

Everyone stopped and turned to the Vulcan. “If I were human,” he clarified.