James T. Kirk/Starfleet career/Return/Saving Earth

After three months of exile on Vulcan, Kirk and his crew departed (aboard the Bird-of-Prey renamed ) for Earth, to face their charges of violating nine Starfleet regulations. During the voyage, a mysterious probe besieged Earth and communicated only in whale song. After answering the planetary distress signal and determining the probe's objective, Kirk used the slingshot effect to take the Bounty back in time to 1986 San Francisco, 300 years ago. 
With the help of cetacean biologist Dr. Gillian Taylor, Kirk successfully obtained the humpback whales George and Gracie and returned with them to 2286. By providing the whales that could answer the probe's query, Kirk redeemed Humanity's extermination of a sentient species and saved Earth from an environmental catastrophe. ()