A lesser man would have realized the truth sooner. He would have noticed the gradual shift in his feelings over the years, because there would have been fewer distractions. He would have picked up on all those little changes in their behavior- waiting for each other at meals, the contrived brushes of hands at a control panel- that signified something more.

A lesser man would not have wasted his youth proving his masculinity, prowling endlessly after unattainable perfection. He would have enjoyed the good things he had, rather than hunting out every greenish pasture.

A lesser man would have admitted his own ignorance. He would have asked all those questions that plagued him late at night, seeking the answers that would let him make the right choice for them both. He would have asked for help, because he could afford to be weak and confused.

A lesser man would have admitted that he had been wrong about himself. He would be able to look at himself in the mirror and say how he really felt aloud, because no one would need him to be confident and assured. A lesser man might not have shouted the truth to the world, but he would have whispered it in his heart.

A lesser man would still have had to crouch in the engine room, shocked and crying, and watch him die. He would still have stared into his fiery eyes, finished his logical sentences, and treasured those last few breaths... but a lesser man would have done so without regrets.

Even now, James T. Kirk remains great, and so is left to wonder what might have been.