Star Fox: Sons of Kahless

I have decided to do a rewrite of the Star Fox/Star Trek crossover that I did a few years ago. Fox and his friends are cadets at Starfleet Academy on Earth and are chosen to participate in a new cadet training program that gives cadets real experience on a starship. But, things turn real when they get caught in the middle of a conflict between the United Federation of Planets, the Klingon Empire and the discommendated Klingon House of Duras. The characters from the cancelled Star Fox 2 will be included in this fanfic.

A/N #1: Sorry to all you Fox x Krystal fans out there, but Fara Phoenix will be taking over Krystal's role, including the part of Fox's love interest.

A/N #2: StarFox AU

A/N #3: I am using my own Stardate calculation system, so hardcore Trekkies, go easy on me.

Disclaimer: I do not own Star Fox, Star Trek or any of their canon characters/species.

Chapter 1: Starfleet Academy

Stardate 52609.23 (September 23, 2426). It had been seventeen years since the end of the Klingon-Federation War, a war sparked by corruption in the Klingon High Council. The House of Duras had finally claimed a seat of power in the Klingon Empire and used its influence to launch a full scale invasion of the United Federation of Planets. The war was long and costly on both sides. Thousands of Federation lives were lost in the initial invasion and many millions more would be lost as the war progressed. The same was true with the Klingons. Starfleet wasn't so willing to allow their enemies to just move into Federation space and murder millions in the name of imperial expansion. As a result, Starfleet sent a force of hundreds of starships to halt the Klingon advance. The entire war lasted three years. The Federation eventually claimed victory, but at a terrible cost. Many systems in both Klingon and Federation space had been devastated in the wake of brutal combat. Some planets had been completely devastated and labeled "uninhabitable." When the treaty ending the war was signed, both the Federation and the Klingon High Council agreed to assist each other in the reconstruction of the Beta Quadrant as a show of peace and friendship between the two factions. As an added measure, the members of the House of Duras in the Klingon High Council were tossed out and discommendated, stripped of their honor. For the next seventeen years, the Klingons and the Federation worked hard to rebuild what they could of the Eta Eridani Sector Block (the Neutral Zone). Progress was slow and difficult as the damage inflicted on many of the systems was unbelievable, but it was progress nonetheless. Progress had also been made in the relations between the Klingon Empire and the Federation. While there were still a few stones that needed polishing, the past seventeen years had been very promising. The Klingons had agreed to open their borders to Federation supply and relief ships and the Federation had done the same, an exchange student program had been set up between the two factions, they had shown cooperation during patrols, exploration missions, etc. and there had even been talks about restoring the alliance that had existed between them before the war began. While this was indeed good news to many in the galaxy, there were some who did not let this all sit well. As the Federation and the Klingons worked to repair the damage from the war, forces were at work that sought to undo it. Though, these forces couldn't possibly foresee their own undoing at the hands of the most unlikely force.


Sector 001, the Sol System, Earth, Starfleet Academy, just south of Sausalito, California. The day of midterms was drawing close and every student at the Academy was studying harp to pass. The Academy trained its students hard in order to prepare them for their possible careers in Starfleet, a career that was not considered generally easy. Life aboard a Federation starship was an amazing experience, but it wasn't a job to be taken lightly. New Starfleet personnel had to be ready for anything and everything. With so little of the Milky Way galaxy explored and with a history of several major conflicts throughout the 264 year life of the Federation, no one knew exactly what was out there. First contact with a new alien race had unpredictable consequences. Sometimes, the newcomers were greeted by the indigenous people with hospitality and friendship, but others were not so willing to openly welcome visitors from another world. The Romulans had an extensive history of xenophobia, the Klingons viewed any new alien race as a potential enemy, and even Humans, for a while, had a difficult time accepting the fact that they weren't alone in the universe after their first contact with the Vulcans in April, 2063. Also, if a starship was damaged in any way, those who were responsible for maintaining the ship had to know exactly what they were doing. One wrong calculation by an engineer, one misplaced decimal, one incorrect mathematical operation could mean the difference between a stable warp field and a warp core breach. If a virus managed to find its way aboard a starship, the medical officers had to know how to eradicate it before it spread or risk contaminating the whole ship and possibly killing off the whole crew. Original thinking among science and medical officers was highly respected and highly encouraged as not every disease in the galaxy was known. Most if not all of the cadets at Starfleet Academy had plans to serve aboard a starship and they were determined to make sure that their plans followed through. The midterms were worth a decent chunk of their grade and it also allowed their instructors to see where they would be best suited in Starfleet. Though, not all the students were too worried.

Fox McCloud, a freshman at Starfleet Academy, was sitting in the recreation area with two of his friends from Corneria, a planet in the Lylat System located in the Regulus Sector Block and the most recent member of the Federation. Fox was, as his name implies, a male Cornerian red fox, bipedal and about 5'8'' with green eyes. His academy evaluation made him out to be rather professional and an excellent pilot, but a bit cocky. He was born in the Lylat System on the planet of Papetoon, a relatively small planet that was not a Federation member. His father was the famous James McCloud, the leader of the Star Fox team. They rose to fame shortly after the Klingon-Federation War when a maniacal scientist from Corneria, by the name of Andross, attempted to claim control of the entire Lylat system and install his own government. He was stopped by the elite Star Fox team before he could act on his plans when his base of operations on the baron planet of Venom was raided by James McCloud and his three wingmen, Peppy Hare, Andrew Lombardi and Pigma Dengar. During the attack, however, Pigma betrayed the rest of the team for the purpose of turning a bigger profit, which Andross offered. The attack was about to end in failure and James was nearly killed, but he and his wingmen were saved by an old friend of his, Daniel Kavannagh, a Cornerian brown fox, an experienced Starfleet officer, a veteran of the Klingon-Federation War and the commanding officer of the heavy cruiser U.S.S. Rommel. Word of the assault on Andross's base had reached his ear and he felt that despite how experienced James and his squadron were, a force of four fighters would not be sufficient for an assault and quickly assembled a decent task force to assist in the raid, bringing four Constitution-class cruisers, two Akira-class heavy escorts and five squadrons of Peregrine Attack Fighters. With Daniel's help, James and his wingmen managed to shoot down Pigma, destroy the base on Venom and place Andross under arrest. Andross was then sent to Facility 4028, the Federation's highest security prison. After the destruction of the facility on Venom, the members of Star Fox were welcomed home as heroes. James of course tried to pass some of the credit to Daniel and his forces, but he declined, stating that he was only there to give James a little nudge in the right direction. Fox was only a few years old at the time. His father's success led Fox to pursue a career in the military. At a young age, he showed remarkable talent in the cockpit of a Cornerian Arwing Mk I and his father encouraged him to build on his talents. Fox's original plan was to attend the Cornerian Flight Academy, but his father persuaded him to apply to Starfleet Academy instead. He told Fox that Starfleet was perfect for him and that with the Federation still exploring the galaxy, there was no telling what kinds of amazing things awaited him out there and even told him that he wished that he had a chance to attend as well. Of course, he left the final decision to Fox and told him that he would be proud of him no matter what. Fox weighed both choices and in the end, Starfleet Academy proved to be more enticing and at age seventeen, he was accepted and was on his way to Earth. He still decided to pursue a career in fighter craft and enrolled in several tactical classes and proved to be quite skilled in all of them. He maintained high grades during his first semester and was looking forward to seeing where his midterms would place him. He hoped that he would be recommended for additional fighter training and, as a matter of fact, so did his instructors. Many of them had never seen such quality work and test results from a freshman before. Some of them predicted that he could be running his own fighter squadron before his time at the Academy expired. Such a chance might even be more possible now with Starfleet enacting a new cadet training program, a subject that Fox and his friends were quite avid about.

Fox had just finished his weapons theory class and was taking some time to relax in the outdoor recreation area with two of his friends, Bill Grey and Falco Lombardi. Bill was a Cornerian grey bulldog and Fox's childhood friend who followed him into applying for Starfleet Academy. He was seventeen years old, the same age as Fox, and was an excellent fighter pilot and a brilliant engineer. He was ranked first in his small-craft engineering class and third in warp theory. His evaluation made him out to be smart, but lazy. Falco Lombardi was an eighteen year old Cornerian blue falcon and the son of James McCloud's wingman, Andrew Lombardi. He too was an excellent fighter pilot and also proved to be a brilliant tactician. However, his evaluation made him out to be rather cocky and a bit too laid back.

"God, am I sick of warp theory class!" Falco said as the three of them talked.

"Why's that?" Fox asked.

"'Cause our instructor friggin' hates me!"

"Who do you have for warp theory?" Bill asked.

"Cashard."

"Surmak Cashard?"

"Yeah, why?"

"He's an awesome instructor. He's gotta be one of the most easy going teachers on campus."

"Well, not for me."

"He's a Bajoran, right?" Fox asked.

"Yeah, I have his class next."

"I don't get how you do so well in that class," Falco replied.

"Maybe you should try staying awake while he's giving lectures? I don't know."

"What? Dude, I always stay awake during class."

Fox chuckled at Falco's claim.

"Something funny there, Foxy?" Falco asked.

"Buddy, I sit next to you in Earth History and Calculus and more than half the time I look over and you're snoring in you chair," Fox retorted. "I wouldn't be surprised if you fell asleep during gym."

"Ah shut up, Fox," Falco said, giving Fox a playful shove. "And for the record, I'm ranked first in my gym class."

"That I won't argue with," Bill said. "I've even seen you give James a run for his money."

"Yeah, Jim's pretty good, but being born with green blood doesn't mean you're the best at everything," Falco replied eliciting a laugh from Fox and Bill.

"Well, you do realize that he can still kick your ass with a lirpa, right?" Fox said.

"I won't argue against that. In fact that's something that I'm still trying to live down," Falco replied.

"By the way, where is James?"

"Oh yeah, he wanted me to let you know that he's practicing melee combat on the holodecks and that he'll be a bit late today," Bill answered.

"Oh, okay. That's probably the midterm he has to worry about the most. What are you guys worried about?"

"I think I'm most worried about my tactical tests. I tell you what, I'm good at building things, not so much at blowing them up," Bill answered, causing Fox and Falco to chuckle.

"I'm dreading my engineering tests, but I think you guys already figured that out," Falco said, eliciting another chuckle.

"How 'bout you Fox?" Bill asked.

"I'd have to say any one of my science tests. Not entirely a fan of those classes," Fox replied.

"No kidding. I'd rather spend my time in those classes looking over the engines on one of those new Odyssey-class cruisers. I was looking at the schematics of one of those babies. Oh man, would l love to get a look under that hood."

"Well, just don't break it," Falco retorted, getting a laugh out of Fox and Bill.

"Speaking of which, have you guys looked up the details of that new training program?" Fox asked.

"The S.F.C.T.C.? Yeah, I did. Sounds like one hell of an opportunity," Bill replied.

"No kidding. D'you think freshman are allowed to participate?"

"I dunno. I didn't see anything that said they couldn't, but then again it's a completely new program and I don't think they've established all the guidelines yet. I sure hope they don't exclude freshmen."

It was then that they were approached by four other cadets, all of them female Cornerians and all of them friends of the three Cornerian boys. One of them was a Cornerian lynx named Miyu Lynx, a few months younger than Bill and somewhere between Fox and Bill's height, daughter of a test pilot in the Cornerian Defence Force. One was a pink Cornerian cat named Katt Monroe, a seventeen-and-a-half-year-old about Fox's height and daughter of the head of the Federation Research Department at Memory Alpha, one was a white Cornerian collie named Fay Spaniel, the youngest and shortest of the group at sixteen years old and a few inches shorter than Fox and the daughter of Adam Spaniel, Daniel Kavannagh's first officer aboard the U.S.S. Rommel. She also had a head of long white hair that dropped down to the base of he shoulders. Cornerians typically only had fur, but some Cornerians (maybe twenty percent or so) actually had hair and it was more common among females. She also wore a distinctive red bow in her hair. The last one was a Cornerian fennec fox named Fara Phoenix, the daughter of William Phoenix, CEO of Corneria Space Dynamics Inc. and the second youngest and second shortest of the girls, having just turned seventeen and standing just an inch or two taller than Fay. Her fur was a shade or two lighter than Fox's and her ears sat at a lower angle that Fox's as well.

"Hi boys," Fara said.

"Oh, uh, hey Fara," Fox replied, blushing a bit.

"Mind if we sit with you guys?"

"Um, sure. Take a seat."

The four of them sat down and began chatting with the boys. As they all expected, Bill and Miyu began flirting with each other immediately and the others decided to let them talk alone as when they started talking and flirting with each other, they lost sense of everything and everyone around them. Katt tried making a few passes at Falco, but his attention stayed on the actual conversation, much to Katt's disappointment. Fox and Fara continued talking, but seemed a bit nervous around each other.

"So, Fox, um…how are, uh, how are your pilot classes?" Fara asked

"Uh, they're okay. There're a few things that I could improve on," Fox replied.

"A few things you could improve on?" Falco said. "This guy's first in his class. You should see his simulator scores."

"Really? I take it they're pretty high?"

"2510. He's beaten the Academy record."

"Oh my God! I've never met anyone that skilled! Your instructors must be proud."

"Well, there are still a few loose ends I need to tie up. My flying isn't exactly perfect," Fox said, trying to stay modest.

"Oh come one, Fox, don't sell yourself short. 2510? That's a great score," Fara replied.

"Thanks, Fara," Fox said with a sheepish smile.

"Hey guys, does anyone know where James is?" Fay asked.

"Yeah, I was wondering the same thing. He's almost always with you guys," Fara added.

"Oh, yeah, Bill told us that he's gonna be a bit late today. He's practicing melee combat on the holodecks," Fox said.

"Oh, okay," Fay replied.

"Yeah, I've only known him to do outside work on his physical ed classes. He's doing just fine in everything else."

"I can only imagine. He's been pretty amazing in Starship Operations," Fay said, the red in her cheeks showing through her snow-white fur as she praised the cadet.

"On a similar note, have you girls heard about the S.F.C.T.C.?"

"S.F.C.T.C.?" Fara asked.

"The Starfleet Cadet Training Corps. It's a new program for cadets to get on-the-job training."

"On-the-job training? You mean on a starship?" Katt asked.

"Yeah. The guys and I have been looking it over. Cadets with good enough grades and evaluations can actually serve on board a Federation ship."

"Woah, that sounds like an amazing opportunity," Fara said.

"Yeah, no kidding."

"I wonder if freshmen are allowed to participate," Fay said.

"Yeah, we were talking about that just before you girls joined us. I think Bill did the most research," Falco added.

"What?" Bill finally said. The rest of them laughed as he decided to join in the conversation.

"We were talking about the S.F.C.T.C.," Fox said.

"Oh, yeah. Have you heard about that at all, Miyu?"

"Yeah I have," Miyu replied. "Sounds like an awesome program."

"Yeah, well we were wondering if freshmen were excluded," Fay said.

"Well, I didn't see anything in the description that said they weren't allowed. I sure hope they're not."

"You said it," Miyu said. "Working with those simulators in warp theory only work so well. I'm itching to work on a real one."

"Just keep an eye on Bill here," Falco said. "We can't afford to have him blow up any new ships."

Miyu chuckled at Falco's remark. "Don't worry. I will," she replied winking at Bill who replied with a smile.

At that point the group was met by an unwelcomed guest as an Andorian cadet grabbed Fox's collar and lifted him to his feet.

"You have a debt to pay me, McCloud!" the Andorian said with a cold voice.

"What the hell are you doing!?" Falco said standing up.

"Quiet, bird! Your friend here has crimes to pay for."

"What are you, Federation security or something?" Katt said.

"And for that matter, what crimes are you talking about?" Miyu added. "He's been here for less than a semester and he has a clean record."

"I'm not talking about crimes against the Academy or Starfleet," the Andorian replied. "I'm talking about personal crimes."

"What are you talking about?" Fox said. "I don't even know you."

"Which makes your crimes even more serious in my opinion. My father was killed in the Klingon War. He and his ship were among the first casualties in the opening invasion."

His statement left Fox rather confused. "Okay, so what does that have to do with me?"

"Your father just so happens to be a close friend of Kalpak, the Klingon scum who's responsible for my father's demise. Your father is a conspirator with the enemy."

"The enemy?" Fara said. "The Klingon-Federation War is over! We've been at peace with the Klingons for almost twenty years! In case you haven't noticed, there are Klingon cadets here at the Academy! On top of that, the War ended before most of us were even born! Forgive me, but I don't see how your father's death is Fox's fault!"

The others were shocked at Fara's outburst. She was usually pretty calm and reserved and it was really rare to see her angry. They were also shocked at the fact that she was saying these things to an Andorian, considering that an Andorian could easily inflict a lot of damage on a Cornerian, even if they were in a good mood. The Andorian cadet glared down at Fara and she felt her heart sink as he turned to face her, though all he did was snicker.

"You Cornerians are all alike, aren't you? So pathetic, so arrogant. But you, you're the epitome of Cornerian scum. So small, so weak, and so willing to stand up for criminals. You should have stayed on that ridiculous planet of yours. You and your race have no place among us."

"Hey!" Fox shouted. "Leave her alone! She has nothing to do with any of this! And besides, if there's anyone you doesn't belong here, it's you! One bad thing happens to you and what do you do? You look for a scapegoat instead of letting it go! I'm sorry about your father's death, but you need to wake up! The War is over! The Klingons aren't out enemies anymore! And for the record, my father is a great man! A greater man than you'll ever be!"

With that, the Andorian threw a punch across Fox's face, sending him reeling back and onto the ground. Soon, a full fight between the two cadets broke out and a crowd of cadets gathered around them. Fara, Falco, Bill and Miyu tried to stop the fight, but there was no way to intervene without taking a blow from the Andorian. After a few minutes, the Andorian threw a final swing across Fox's face, sending him to the ground. Fara quickly ran over to help him up. His face was badly bruised, his nose was bleeding and his breathing was heavy. She rolled him over to see that he was having a difficult time staying conscious.

"Come on, Fox. Stay with me," Fara whispered, patting his face, trying to keep him awake. The Andorian stood over her.

"Move out of the way, vixen, unless you want to join him in sickbay."

That's when Fara saw a hand covered in brown fur reach above the Andorian's shoulder and pinch the spot just between the neck and the collar bone. The Andorian's eyelids widened for a moment before his eyes rolled back and he collapsed. As he fell, Fara saw who it was that subdued him. He was a Cornerian brown fox, the same age and about the same height as Fox was. He analyzed the Andorian cadet before raising his eyebrow and letting out a succinct, "Hmm."

He then walked over to Fox, who was regaining consciousness, and offered his hand. Fox smiled and took it.

"Thanks, James," Fox said as he was pulled to his feet. James smiled and nodded in response. James Sypaak Kavannagh was a freshman at the Academy, like Fox. The two met through their parents. James was the son of Daniel Kavannagh, the Starfleet officer who helped James McCloud destroy Andross's base on Venom. James Kavannagh proved to be an excellent leader and tactical officer.

They were approached by a number of Academy officers who took a few moments to examine the scene. They examined Fox's bruised face, the worried look on Fara's face, James brushing off Fox's uniform and the collapsed Andorian on the ground.

"Do you know this cadet?" one of the officers asked Fox, gesturing to the Andorian.

"No, sir," Fox said.

"And you?" they asked James.

"I am not familiar with this cadet, sir," James replied in a rather formal tone of voice.

"Could we take you two aside for questioning?"

"Yes, sir," Fox and James replied together.

"Good. Lieutenant, take this one to sickbay."

The lieutenant in question and another officer lifted the Andorian and carried him to sickbay as Fox and James were led to the commandant's office for questioning.


"So, maybe you could tell me how this all happened, Cadet McCloud," the commandant said to Fox.

"Well, sir, I was sitting in the outdoor recreation area with six other friends when that Andorian cadet, whatever his name is-"

"His name is Cadet Tholis Sharo."

"Fine. Cadet Sharo came up to me and began to verbally attack my friends and me. He blamed me for his father's death during the Klingon-Federation War because my father is friends with the Klingon commander responsible. My friend, Cadet Fara Phoenix tried to stand up for me, but Cadet Sharo began to verbally assault her. I tried to defend her, but Cadet Sharo threw a punch across my face. I only acted out of self-defense."

The commandant listened to this attentively. He had looked up Fox's record before the questioning began to see if he had any history of insubordination, but could find none. He didn't fully believe that Fox would intentional start a fight, but he couldn't trust his word alone. That when the questions turned to James.

"Cadet Kavannagh, is Cadet McCloud's story true?"

"It is an accurate description, sir," James replied, still in his formal tone of voice.

"Could you please give your account of what happened?"

"Yes, sir. I was on the holodeck, working on refining my skills at unarmed hand-to-hand combat. My intentions were to meet Cadet McCloud and several other cadets in the outdoor recreation area when I had finished. As I exited the holodecks and entered the recreation area, I spotted Cadet Sharo confronting Cadet McCloud. I heard him blame the cadet for his father's death and make the illogical argument that the blame fell on Cadet McCloud because of his father's acquaintance with the Klingon commander, Kalpak."

"You heard him say that? Where were you standing when this all started?"

"Just outside these doors near the entrance to the building, sir. Cadet McCloud and the others were approximately twenty-five meters from my position."

"And you heard him say that?"

"If you will look at my record, sir, you will find that a number of my senses are more acute than those of an average Cornerian, including hearing."

"That's right, I forgot. Anyway, please continue."

"Cadet Phoenix did come to Cadet McCloud's aid and Cadet Sharo began to verbally assault her. McCloud came to her aid, but said nothing that would provoke Cadet Sharo any more than he already was. Sharo then physically assaulted Cadet McCloud. If you would review Academy security surveillance camera 3-A, which covers the area in which the fight took place, you will observe that Cadet McCloud did not make any attempt to initiate a counterattack and acted purely out of self-defense. As Cadet McCloud fell to the ground, I managed to make my way through the…'audience' and subdue Cadet Sharo before he inflicted more harm on McCloud, as he clearly intended to do so."

"Can you explain to me how you subdued him?"

"I applied a Vulcan nerve pinch. The cadet should suffer no permanent damage and will awaken in approximately two hours. However, that is not the issue at hand. I assume that the purpose of this hearing is to determine due punishment. I intend to defend Cadet McCloud in this matter. Cadet Sharo was the perpetrator of this incident and Cadet McCloud speaks truthfully of his role in this conflict and there is evidence to support his claim. To inflict punishment on a cadet for acting out of self-defense would be illogical."

The commandant pondered James' argument for a few moments before nodding his head.

"I suppose you're right. Thank you for time, cadets. Cadet McCloud, I suggest you report to sickbay to take care of those bruises."

"Yes, sir," Fox replied and saluted the commandant before he and James exited the office.

"Thanks for getting me out of that one, James. If you hadn't shown up when did, I'd probably be part of the pavement," Fox said.

"So, does Falco still say that 'being born with green blood' doesn't have its advantages?" James said with a smile, his tone more casual now.

"Something like that."

"If he was in my position I think he'd beg to differ. Being part Vulcan certainly does have its advantages. And I should remind him that my blood is in fact red." Fox and James laughed at the remark and James patted Fox on the back. "Always glad to help you out, buddy."

"Also, thanks for backing me up in front of the commandant back there. That's one of the things I envy about you, how you can just bury your emotions like that."

"Well, that skill didn't just appear overnight. It took years of discipline. Still, I'd say the results were worth it."

Fox and James reached sickbay where Fox's bruises and damaged nose were healed. With medical technology improved since the 24th Century, Fox's wounds were healed remarkably quickly. He was dismissed from sickbay within five minutes.

"So, you're sure you've never met Sharo?" James asked Fox as they walked back to the group.

"Never. He just came over to us and decided to start a fight. Seriously, that guy has a few problems."

"Well, the Andorians were never the most agreeable of species. Before the Federation, they were extremely imperialistic."

"It certainly shows," Fox joked.

"Well, I have a feeling we won't see him again anytime soon."

They returned to the recreation area where the others were waiting for him. Fara immediately ran up to Fox and hugged him, much to Fox's surprise.

"Fox, are you alright? Does anything hurt? What did the commandant say?" Fara immediately asked. Fox chuckled at Fara's avid concern.

"I'm fine, Fara. The commandant just wanted to know exactly what happened. James backed me up."

Fara turned her attention to James.

"Thanks helping him out, James."

"No problem at all," James replied with a smile.

"Man, talk about a one hit wonder!" Bill said.

"I guess having green blood does have a few perks," Falco said.

"Did I actually here a compliment out of you?" James said.

"Don't get used to it."

The group chuckled at Falco's remark. "I don't intend to, and need I remind you that I have red blood. I'm only one fourth Vulcan."

The group decided to resume their previous discussion as, even with the fight, they still had about half an hour till their next classes. They took their original spot around the outdoor table that they were sitting at before Cadet Sharo initiated the fight. They all gathered around and Fay took a spot next to James.

"H-hi, James," Fay said as she blushed.

"Oh, uh…h-hey there, Fay," James said with a sheepish smile, heat rushing to his own cheeks.

Fox and Fara looked at the two obviously love-struck cadets before grinning at each other.

"Hey James, have you heard about that new training program?" Fara asked. "The, uh, S.T. something?"

"The S.F.C.T.C.? Yeah I have heard about that. I've even done some research on it. Sounds pretty interesting."

"We were wondering if freshmen were allowed to participate," Fay said.

"Well, I didn't see anything in the regulations that said they couldn't. In fact I didn't see anything about age limits at all. I think the only condition is that you have to be a Starfleet cadet."

"Wouldn't it be awesome if any of us were chosen for it?" Katt said.

"Fat chance," Falco said. "You have to have unbelievable grades and I doubt freshmen would be the first place Starfleet command would look for those grades, not that they'd probably find much."

"I suppose you speak from experience?" Fox retorted, causing the rest of them to laugh.

"Oh, laugh it up," Falco said, rolling his eyes.

"Well, in my opinion, if anyone has a chance of participating, it's Fox here," James said. "A little bird told me that you got 2510 on the Peregrine simulators."

"I still have some things I need to work on. Besides, you have just as good a chance of participating as me."

"Well, like you, I still have a few loose ends to tie up myself. I don't think I'm really all that cut out for a starship just yet anyway."

"Come on, James. You're amazing in Starship Operations class. You'd do great," Fay said.

James smiled and gave Fay a little nudge with his arm. "Thanks, Fay."

The cadets continued their conversation for the remainder of their time on different topics. Bill and Miyu continued flirting, Falco, Katt Fox and Fara created their own little group, and James and Fay were left to talk between each other, both of them enjoying their conversation.

"So, um, h-how are your classes?" James asked.

"Um, they're okay. My grades in my tactical classes could use some improvement though," Fay replied, twirling her white hair in her fingers.

"Well, if you ever need any help, just let me know."

"Thanks. I'll let you know."

"Anytime."

Fay then noticed James' hand on the table and began to inch her hand closer to his as they continued talking.

"So, are there, uh, any midterms that you're worried about at all?" Fay asked.

"Well, that was sort of the reason I was late meeting up with you guys. I'm…a little rusty in unarmed hand-to-hand combat."

"Oh, but aren't Vulcans usually three time stronger than Cornerians?"

"Once again-"

"I know, you're only one fourth Vulcan, but I thought you still had Vulcan strength."

"I do, but the instructors are looking for technique, not just strength."

"Oh. We'll, I'm sure you'll do just fine."

"Thanks. Any midterms that you're worried about?"

"Well, there are a few things in Earth History that I'm worried about."

"Really? That's one of your best subjects."

"Yeah, it's just some of the military history that I'm having trouble with."

"Oh. Well, I've seen how fast you pick things up and how well you remember them. Just give those chapters another look. You're a really smart girl. I know you'll do well."

"Thanks, James."

James then felt something against his hand and looked down and saw that Fay's hand was touching his. He gave Fay a warm smile causing her to look down and blush. Then, to her surprise, James wrapped his hand around hers and gave it a comforting squeeze. They continued talking about miscellaneous things, still hand in hand and completely unaware that the others were watching them until Fox cleared his throat. The two looked up and realized that they were watching. They quickly retracted their hands causing the rest of them to give them a friendly laugh. The bell then sounded for the cadets to report to their respective classes.

"Alright, well, I'm off to Warp Theory. Catch you guys later," Bill said.

"Okay, later Bill," Fox said.

"And I'm off to Weapons Training," Falco said.

"Alright. See you later," Fara said.

"And Katt and I better get to Field Medicine."

"Okay, see you later then," Fay replied.

"Take it easy, Fay. You too, James," Katt said with a wink. James and Fay both blushed at Katt's comment, eliciting a smile from both Fox and Fara.

"Well, we'd all better get to Starship Operations," Fox said.

"Good idea," James replied. The four of them stood up and headed off to their class. As they walked on, James slipped his hand into Fay's and they continued toward their class hand in hand.


So, yeah, no real action yet. Just a day in the life of a Starfleet cadet. Please leave reviews and comments, and don't worry, the other characters will be looked at in greater detail as the story progresses. The first few chapters will focus mainly on Fox, James, Fara and Fay. If you leave a review, please…no flames.