Robert Ellenstein credited as playing...
Federation Council President
- Federation Council president: The Council is now in session. If you will all take your seats. Bring in the accused.
- [Spock leaves his seat and he moves at side of Kirk]
- Federation Council president: Captain Spock, you do not stand accused.
- Spock: Mister President, I stand with my shipmates.
- Federation Council president: As you wish. The charges and specifications are: conspiracy, assault on Federation Officers, theft of Federation Property namely the Starship Enterprise, sabotage of the U.S.S. Excelsior, wilful destruction of Federation Property specifically the aforementioned U.S.S. Enterprise, and finally disobeying direct orders of the Starfleet Commander. Admiral Kirk, how do you plead?
- Kirk: On behalf of all of us, Mister President, I am authorised to plead guilty.
- Federation Council president: So entered. Because of certain mitigating circumstances, all charges but one are summarily dismissed. The remaining charge, disobeying orders of a superior officer is directed solely at Admiral Kirk. I'm sure the Admiral will recognise the necessity of keeping discipline in any chain of command.
- Kirk: I do, sir.
- Federation Council president: James T. Kirk. It is the judgment of this Council that you be reduced in rank to Captain, and that as a consequence of your new rank, you be given the duties for which you have repeatedly demonstrated unswerving ability: the command of a starship.
- Federation Council president: Captain Spock, you do not stand accused.
- Spock: Mister President, I stand with my shipmates.
- Federation Council president: As you wish.
- Federation Council president: [In an emergency transmission] This is the President of the United Federation of Planets. Do not approach the Earth. The transmissions of an orbiting probe are causing critical damage to this planet. It has almost totally ionized our atmosphere. All power sources have failed. All Earth-orbiting starships are powerless. The probe is vaporizing our oceans. We cannot survive unless a way can be found to respond to the probe. Further communications may not be possible. Save your energy.
- [pause]
- Federation Council president: Save yourselves. Avoid the planet Earth at all costs. Farewell.
- [Transmission distorts and fades away]
- Federation Council president: Captain Kirk, you and your crew have saved this planet from its own short-sightedness, and we are forever in your debt.