3 YEARS LATER
"For once I would like to leave combat without you giving me new bruises." Carter complained as he and Eva left the room.
"If you can't handle it..."
"I'll see you tomorrow." He smirked as he walked away. Eva couldn't help but check out his butt as he did.
That is a good butt she thought to herself.
"Seriously Carter? I thought you would aim a little higher" Jim teased as he came from behind Eva.
"I don't know, he does have a perfect arse." Eva teased as the two began to walk. "Anyway what are you doing here? I thought you just had tactics class."
He didn't look at her, instead he kept walking.
"You signed up again didn't you?" Eva sighed exasperated. She even threw her arms by her
side.
The two reached the doors and stepped out into the sunshine. At the top of the stairs was Bones waiting for them.
"He's taking the test again." Eva told Leo as she walked straight past him.
Leo did a double take looking at Kirk as the two fell in line besides Eva.
"You got to be kidding me." McCoy said. Two female cadets walked past who caught Jim's eye.
"Hello, ladies." Kirk smirked. Eva smacked him on the shoulder and when he gave her a confused look she responded.
"From what I've heard Johnson's still using cream to get rid of the rash. I'd stay away from them if I were you." She sent a cynical smirk at Kirk who raised his eyebrows and whistled. "So when are you embarrassing yourself again?"
"By embarrassing you mean pass the test, then tomorrow morning." He placed his hand on the arms of his two friends. Both stopped and turned to look at him. "And I want you both there."
The two gave a sceptical look to each other before looking back at Kirk.
"You know, I've got better things to do than to watch you embarrass yourself for a third time. I'm a doctor, Jim, I'm busy." Bones raged.
"Bones, it doesn't bother you that no one's ever passed the test?" Kirk argued.
"Kirk, it's the Kobayashi Maru." Eva reminded him. "No one passes the test, and no one goes back for seconds, let alone thirds."
"I gotta go study." The arrogant man patted them on the shoulder before walking off.
"Study my ass." McCoy muttered causing Eva to laugh. "Lunch?"
"Can't, the doctors are over and need me for a physical." Eva shrugged as she began to walk away.
"You know I could just give you a physical."
"Any time Bones." Eva winked causing the man to stutter slightly. "But in the medical profession these guys like to make sure they're the only ones who read my file. Come on we're British, conservative by nature."
Eva sat swinging herself side to side on the chair as she waited for the Doctors to return.
Of course they wanted to do more tests. They always wanted to do more tests!
Eva drummed her fingers on the desk in front of her, her officer instincts going into over drive.
Being Captain was Kirk's dream, Eva wanted to be head of weapons and combat. Designing them, using them and anything else you could do with them. There was just something about her that made her love to fight. It helped that she was good at it as well.
Though if she told anyone they would think her a maniac but it wasn't like that. It wasn't as if she went around punching people. Only in the right situations did she use her combat skills. She did like her weapons but nothing could beat the feeling of hand to hand combat. She loved it. She couldn't wait until she was out on the field taking down the bad guys with her bare hands.
She was great in a bar fights as well so when Kirk went out drinking she would go with him. Not drinking herself, she was still banned, but she was there to act as a wingman for him and to stop his face from getting too badly beaten.
"Eva we have your results." Hein said as she walked back into the room and sat opposite her.
"And let me guess, everything is exactly the same." Eva shrugged. The doctor laughed at her patient. "I don't know why you have to keep testing me Doc? The accident was nearly 5 years ago now."
"Ord-"
"I know, I know. Orders from above." Eva sighed. She stood up and picked up her pack. "I assume I'm free to go."
"Of course, we'll have Jenny contact you about when we'll see you next."
"I'm missing you already." Eva called back over her shoulder sarcastically.
"We're receiving a distress signal from the USS Kobayashi Maru." Uhura announced sarcastically. Eva was sat at the weapons desk looking at the data once again. "The ship has lost power and is stranded. Starfleet Command has ordered us to rescue them."
"Starfleet Command has ordered us to rescue them...Captain." Eva shot Kirk a deadpan look which he returned with a smirk and raised eyebrows.
"Two Klingon vessels have entered the neutral zone and are locking weapons on us." Eva said.
"That's okay."
"Okay?" Eva echoed. She shared a confused look with Bones.
"Yeah, don't worry about it." The acting Captain shrugged.
"Three more Klingon warbirds decloaking and targeting our ship." McCoy informed Kirk. "I don't suppose this is a problem either."
"They're firing at us Kirk." Eva said going through the motions of putting the shields up.
"Alert medical bay to prepare to receive all crew members from the damaged ship." Kirk announced.
"Jim we are surrounded by Klingons." Eva reminded him.
"Alert medical." He repeated. Uhura rolled her eyes but did as she was told.
"Our ship is being hit. Shields at sixty percent." McCoy said.
"I understand."
"So do you want to fire back?" Eva prompted.
"No." The arrogant man then picked up an apple he had brought in with him and began to eat it.
Eva scoffed and rolled her eyes turning her attention back to the monitors.
There was nothing there though as the screens had blacked out for a moment. Eva looked to Jim who was merely enjoying his apple. She then looked at Bones who shrugged at her, confused as well.
Suddenly the power came back on.
"Hmm... arm photons, prepare to fire on the Klingon warbirds." He instructed of Eva.
"Aren't you forgetting something?" Eva asked. Kirk raised his eye brows at her in a childish way.
"The shields are still up." McCoy said.
"Are they?"
Eva's eyes narrowed as McCoy turned back to his screen.
"No. They're not." He said surprised.
"Fire on all enemy ships. One photon each should do it, so don't waste ammunition."
"Of course not Captain." Eva replied with a sarcastic tone. She worked her fingers over the computer. "All enemy ships are destroyed."
"Begin rescue of the stranded crew." Kirk announced as he stood up, still eating his apple. "So, we've managed to eliminate all enemy ships, no one onboard was injured, and the successful rescue of the Kobayashi Maru crew is underway."
He looked up to the controllers who were all staring wide eyed at him.
"That son of a bitch." Eva whispered under her breath.
"What do you think the matters about?" Kirk asked, his shoulders held back as he walked through the academy with pride. "You don't think it's to celebrate me winning the test do you?"
"Hardly." Eva muttered. "I don't know how you did it Kirk but there will be repercussions."
"Like what?"
"Do you think the inventor is just going to stand aside and watch as you beat his system? No he'll want answers. It's not testing if you can win or not, it's test your ability to cope under pressure."
"Well if it's that easy why don't you do it?" Their voices were getting louder and louder.
"Well if I wanted to show off how a big of a prat I am then I would!" Eva shouted back.
The two had now stopped walking and were stood just staring at each other.
"You two are such a married old couple sometimes." Bones muttered. He rolled his eyes as he walked straight between the two.
Eva shot Jim one last look before following Bones. The three didn't say a word to each other, even when they were sat down waiting for the council to enter.
It wasn't long before they did. Once seated the session began.
"This session has been called to resolve a troubling matter." Council member Barnett said. "James T. Kirk, step forward."
A pit opened up in Eva's stomach as she knew what was going to happen next. Jim looked at her and Bones as he walked past but she simply looked forward.
"Cadet Kirk," Barnett continued once Kirk was at a podium. "Evidence has been submitted to this council, suggesting that you violated the ethical code of conduct pursuant to Regulation One-Seven point three of the Starfleet Code. Is there anything you care to say before we begin, sir?"
"Yes, I believe I have the right to face my accuser directly."
A Vulcan in the opposite aisle to Eva stood up.
"Step forward, please." The Vulcan in question made his way to another podium. "This is Commander Spock. He's one of our most distinguished graduates. He's programmed the Kobayashi Maru exam for the last four years. Commander?"
"Cadet Kirk, you somehow managed to install and activate a subroutine to the programming code, thereby changing the conditions of the test." The calculating voice of the Vulcan spoke.
"Your point being?" Kirk asked.
Bones and Eva shared a look knowing where this was going.
"In academic vernacular, you cheated." Barnett simplified.
"Okay, let me ask you something, I think we all know the answer to." Kirk was not going to take this lying down. "The test itself is a cheat, isn't it? You programmed it to be unwinnable."
"Your argument precludes the possibility of a no-win scenario." Spock answered.
"I don't believe in no-win scenarios." Eva found herself smirking despite herself.
"Then, not only did you violate the rules, you also failed to understand the principle lesson."
"Please, enlighten me."
"You of all people should know, Cadet Kirk. A Captain cannot cheat death."
A hushed whisper fell across the room. Eva felt herself stiffen at Spock's words and she could see how tense Kirk had become.
"I of all people." Jim repeated.
"Your father, Lieutenant George Kirk, assumed command of his vessel before being killed in action, did he not?"
"I don't think you like the fact that I beat your test?" Jim argued.
"Furthermore, you have failed to divine the purpose of the test."
"Enlighten me again. " Jim had taken to leaning on the podium to show his attitude towards the whole situation.
"The purpose is to experience fear. Fear in the face of certain death. To accept that fear, and maintain control of oneself and one's crew. This is a quality expected in every Starfleet captain."
"Excuse me, sir." The voice of an aide at the door caught everyone's attentions. They watched as he walked forward and passed Barnett a message.
"We've received a distress call from Vulcan. With our primary fleet engaged in the Laurentian system, I hereby order all cadets to report to Hangar One immediately. Dismissed." Eva and McCoy stood up like the rest of the cadets but did not follow them to the hangar. Instead they walked up to Kirk.
"Who was that pointy-eared bastard?" He asked the pair.
"I don't know, but I like him." Bones said with a hint of glee before walking off.
Eva and Kirk looked at each other for a moment before Eva spoke.
"I told-"
"Yeah you did." Kirk sighed looking away before once again locking eye contact with the English woman.
"Come on we don't want to miss our flight." She joked causing Jim to give a small smile. She pulled on his arm and the pair quickly caught up with Bones.
"Well it looks like you and me are on the Enterprise." Eva said to McCoy. She still couldn't believe she had been chosen for that ship.
"He didn't call my name." Kirk muttered before running over to a Commander. Bones and Eva followed. "Commander! Sir, you didn't call my name. Kirk, James T?"
"Kirk, you're on academic suspension." The man told him. Eva watched the disappointment in his eyes. "That means you're grounded, until the Academy board rules."
He left the three alone and a moment of silence followed.
"Jim, the board'll rule in your favour." Bones said. "Most likely."
"Bones we've got to go." Eva said quietly.
"Yeah, get going." Kirk heard though and snapped his head to look at his friends. He held Bones hands. "Be safe." He then turned to Eva and the two shared a hug. "Try and come back in one piece." He whispered in her ear.
"Making no promises." She told him. The two parted and the trio looked at each other before Bones and Eva walked away.
"We can't leave him can we?" McCoy asked her.
"He had the puppy dog look." Eva sighed.
"Dammit." The two turned around and walked straight back to Kirk. "Come with us."
He grabbed Kirk by the arm and dragged him along. Eva walked behind the pair trying to avoid any suspicion.
"Where are we going?" Kirk asked and Eva was curious herself.
"You'll see." Was all Bones said before he led them to a small medical supplies office.
"What are you doing?" Kirk finally managed to pull his arm free from Bones.
"I'm doing you a favour. I couldn't just leave you there looking all pathetic." Bones said looking for something.
"You had the puppy dog look." Eva shrugged.
"Take a seat." The doctor commanded. "I'm going to give you a vaccine against viral infection from Melvaran mud fleas."
"Oww!" Kirk hissed after being injected. "What for?"
"To give you the symptoms." Eva answered while smiling at Bones for being so clever.
"What are you talking about?"
"You're going to start to lose vision in your left eye." McCoy informed Kirk.
"Yeah, I already have."
"Oh, and you're going to get a really bad headache and a flop sweat." He came over and helped Jim up.
Eva rushed to his other side and helped. She was rather strong and could easily support Kirk's weight. She would blame all the training she did whenever the two commented on it.
"You call this a favour?" Kirk scoffed.
"Yeah, you owe me one." Bones told him.
The three stumbled along until they came to the right shuttle. The man doing the register though stopped them when he saw Kirk.
"Kirk, James T. He's not cleared for duty aboard the Enterprise." The man said.
"Medical Code states the treatment and transport of a patient is to be determined at the discretion of his attending physician." Eva told the man.
"Which is me." Bones said. Eva and Bones used their height advantage over the man who now looked to be rather intimidated. "So, I'm taking Mister Kirk aboard. Or would you like to explain to Captain Pike why the Enterprise warped into a crisis without one of its senior medical officers?"
"As you were." The male assigner squeaked.
"As you were." McCoy shot back.
"C'mon." Eva pulled the two forward and quickly they had Jim seated. He sat on the aisle with Eva in the window seat and Bones across the gap.
Kirk was really sweating now and Eva began to worry slightly.
"Are you sure this is safe?" She leant over Kirk and asked Bones.
"Completely." Bones reassured her. She shrunk back into her seat. "I think."
Eva sighed and rolled her eyes. Sometimes her temper could get her in trouble.
She watched as the shuttle took off and they left the atmosphere.
"I might throw up on you." Kirk told her.
"Wouldn't be the first time." Eva reminded him causing Jim to give a small smile. She looked back out the window. That's when she saw it. "You got to take a look at this."
"What?" He leaned over her and looked outside the window in amazement. "Wow."
"She's beautiful." Eva whispered.
The Enterprise was waiting for them.