[ Leaning over his lap, Jim moves a hand away from his lips when he's through turning over the details as they're relayed to him, pausing for a moment before speaking. He remembers the emotion in Khan's voice when he spoke about Marcus's use of his people, the fury and determination.

How he surrendered on the spot on Kronos, and why. ]

It was for the sake of his crew. [ He says it with absolute certainty, only able to rationalize the same sort of decision that way. ] Khan spoke about them as his family, that he'd do anything for them. When we pointed seventy-two torpedoes with his people inside at him, he turned himself over without hesitation.

That's why Jim did it. [ Why else would you let him go? Because you touched his level for a second there, you must have. ] He gave him the chance that they never had on Earth, just ... to live.

[ And we're both idiots. Blue eyes flicker up. ]

What happened fifteen years later?