The Kobayashi Maru, a test of a captain's leadership, was not unwinnable. Jim Kirk decided to change the parameters, to cheat. But there was someone who passed within the original parameters…
"John Harrison" had been working for him for two months so far, reluctantly cooperating. It was on a whim that Admiral Alexander Marcus thought to test his pet superhuman against the so-called 'unwinnable' test.
Khan intently surveyed the incoming data from the simulation. The ship he had been commanded to save was crippled, sending out a distress call. An expression came to mind that perfectly described the floundering vessel: 'Dead in the water'. The attacking vessels rounded on him, aiming weapons. In a split second Khan had analysed the situation. The last piece of the puzzle that had been nagging at him since the simulation was now beginning to fall into place with a terrible clarity. He powered up all weapons and fired before the enemy vessels had a chance to fire on him.
His shot was perfectly aimed between the attacking ships at the Kobayashi Maru- the very vessel he was supposed to save. His shot did as intended; the small ship was blasted into a fiery explosion. The expanding explosion caught the attacking vessels from behind where their shields were weakest. The force of the explosion was far greater than any shot from his cannons, and the debris from the blasted ship successfully acted as shrapnel, ripping through shields and tearing the attacking vessels apart. His ship came out of the battle unscathed, all 'crew' survived -not that there was physically anyone else involved in the simulation besides himself.
He heard Marcus cursing, questioning Khan's ability to take the simulation seriously. Khan gave the Admiral a look of disdain before explaining in clipped tones, "The attacking enemy vessels had sufficient firepower to overcome the Kobayashi Maru. Yet, these enemies refrained from either boarding the vessel to loot supplies or hostages, nor did they completely annihilate the vessel - both options were well within their capabilities. The only remaining reason to leave the ship crippled and only able to send a distress signal was for it to act as live bait- to lure larger, more powerful ships coming to its rescue into a trap. Had I attempted to rescue that vessel, this ship would have been overpowered as well. If this were not a simulation, then the hostile forces would have been free to replicate this ruse on other vessels, and there would be far greater loss of life and destruction of functional ships as a result. Instead, I chose to send a clear message to these hostiles that we would not fall for such tricks, and instead chose to ensure that they would not be able to repeat such action in the future".
The solution was obvious to Khan. A kicking, screaming victim caught in a trap had lured many to their deaths for thousands of years. Sometimes, the trap was one of nature, such as the La Brea tar pits, where trapped mammoths and other prey lured carnivores to the struggling animals who then became trapped themselves in the sticky tar. More often, the trap was one used by man. From hunters setting traps for animals in the woods, to terrorists targeting rescuers - one particular example Khan had heard about in his own history, the so-called '9-11' attack- live bait tended to be a successful lure.
Admiral Marcus frowned, thinking over Khan's logic- the logic that the superman had deduced within seconds, on his first try of the simulation. Khan's brutal solution had saved his own 'ship' whilst taking out his enemies. But most of all, the simulation had not flashed the failure screens. 'John Harrison's' brutality seemed to be the solution to the unwinnable scenario. It never would have occurred to Marcus to fire on a federation ship he had been sent to protect. And given the results of past cadets, it had not occurred to one of them, either. Marcus schooled his face into neutrality, as he gave the superman permission to return to his quarters. Walking back to his office, the Admiral mulled over the recent events. This simulation clearly justified his decision to free the man from his icy coffin, yet he couldn't help the slight nagging doubt that had now blossomed in his chest. He pushed that doubt away, pulling out a decanter of brandy, pouring himself a drink.
AUTHORS NOTE: Please be kind, this is my first-ever fan fiction story that I have written and shared. As I have only watched the two new Star Trek movies, I apologize for any errors possible errors that may be noticed by those more familiar with the characters and stories.