I work with the theory that while Vulcan and Earth had defenses, it was stated in the movie that most of the fleet was a good distance away, hence using cadets
to make up the numbers on the ships for what was believed to be a rescue mission. Nero then succeeded in getting the system defense codes out of Pike and was
able to get through relatively unnoticed, at which point he uber-torpedoed the crap out of everything in orbit that tried to start a fight.
As for Kirk being promoted to captain... I suspect that was politics and PR. As much as the Federation can rightly claim they stopped a madman from destroying
Earth, Nero did managed to take out Vulcan, one of the Federations founding planets, with a population of six billion. That's a major morale blow. The
Klingons of that era would look at the Federations and think 'oh! TARGET!', and the Romulans? If word leaked out it was a time travelling Romulan that
destroyed Vulcan, they'd freak the hell out, certain that the Federation would come after them for revenge as soon as they can. Which, in Romulan terms,
translates to 'kill them before they kill us.'
The Federation needs a hero, someone they can show off to their citizens and their enemies as a symbol that the Federation is safe and secure. And the cadet
turned acting captain that took down a time travelling uber-ship with black hole bombs is a pretty big damn hero.
to make up the numbers on the ships for what was believed to be a rescue mission. Nero then succeeded in getting the system defense codes out of Pike and was
able to get through relatively unnoticed, at which point he uber-torpedoed the crap out of everything in orbit that tried to start a fight.
As for Kirk being promoted to captain... I suspect that was politics and PR. As much as the Federation can rightly claim they stopped a madman from destroying
Earth, Nero did managed to take out Vulcan, one of the Federations founding planets, with a population of six billion. That's a major morale blow. The
Klingons of that era would look at the Federations and think 'oh! TARGET!', and the Romulans? If word leaked out it was a time travelling Romulan that
destroyed Vulcan, they'd freak the hell out, certain that the Federation would come after them for revenge as soon as they can. Which, in Romulan terms,
translates to 'kill them before they kill us.'
The Federation needs a hero, someone they can show off to their citizens and their enemies as a symbol that the Federation is safe and secure. And the cadet
turned acting captain that took down a time travelling uber-ship with black hole bombs is a pretty big damn hero.