(Chapter 4. :) I own nothing but Kat. Hope you enjoy!)
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Part 4
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"Jim Kirk. Will you please rise and approach the defendant's stand?" Jim suppressed a sigh and stood reluctantly from his seat, avoiding all eyes save for Bones as he made his way to the small podium set on the right hand side of the court room.
"Cadet Kirk, evidence has been submitted to this council suggesting that you violated the ethical code of conduct persuant to regulation 17.43 of the Starfleet code." The Head of the Academic Honor Council continued to speak as Jim approached the stand, the small microphone barely tickling the under side of his chin.
"Cadet Kirk, is there anything you'd like to say for yourself before we begin?" The calm calculating man softly inclined his body higher in his seat as he awaited the younger man's response.
Jim took this opportunity to softly clear his throat before responding. "Yes Sir. I believe I have the right to face my accuser or accusers directly?" He shifted his weight from one foot to the together anxiously.
A soft rustle caught his attention and Jim turned his attention away from the Council just as the Head Chairman motioned with his arm to the right side of the auditorium.
His soft blue grey eyes met the cold emotionless stare of the Vulcan Science Instructor who stood quietly from his seat, straightening his tunic before descending down the stairs.
Behind him, Jim saw that his sister was glaring at him, her arms crossed severly across her chest while her foot tapped in mid air. He quickly averted his gaze.
...
"This is Commander Spock. He is one of our most distinguished graduates. He's programmed the Kobi Yashi Maru for the last four years." Admiral Komack spoke in his usual clipped voice as Spock made his way to the stand directly to the left of Jim's position.
Kat clenched her jaw as she watched the frustration flicker in her younger brother's eyes for a minute.
"Cadet Kirk," Spock began without pause and with no break in his voice as usual. "You have somehow managed to install and activate a sub routine in the programming code thereby changing the conditions of the test as brought to my attention by the test's Head Administrator Dr. Katarina Kirk."
Jim squirmed slightly at this revelation. "Your point being?" He asked trying to sound unconcerned, but his expression betrayed him to the council.
"An academic vernacular. You cheated." Komack cut in, fixing the cadet with a serious stare. The crowd began to murmur.
"Well let me ask you something, I think we all know the answer to," Jim continued without meeting the gaze of the Vulcan next to him.
"The test itself is a cheat, is it not? I mean you specifically programmed it to be unwinnable, if I'm not mistaken." He fixed his gaze at the front of the room.
Spock inclined his head in a confident manner at Jim's short speech. "Your argument precludes the possibility of a no win scenario."
"No, I don't believe in no win scenarios." Jim quickly rebuffed his retort. Kat straightened in her seat.
"Then not only did you violate the rules, you also failed to learn the principle lesson of the exam." Spock remained calm though Kat could sense he was getting slightly irritated by the slight incline of his tone and the way his arms stiffened behind his back.
"Please enlighten me." Jim invited though his tone held more insolence than reverence.
"You of all people should know, Cadet Kirk. A Captain cannot cheat death." Spock spoke the words calmly despite the magnitude of their meaning to the Cadet and to his wife sitting behind him.
Kat dug her nails into the arm of her seat. I told him not to go there. She hissed silently to herself while the room started buzzing again.
Jim clearly was affected by Spock's remark as well, but as per usual he attempted not to show it. "I of all people." He muttered, the break only barely audible in his voice.
"Your Father, Lieutenant George Kirk assumed command of his vessel shortly before being killed in battle, did he not?" Spock continued as if nothing were wrong.
Kat felt a tremble shimmer through her body.
"Daddy, where are you?" *Crash*
"Sweetheart, I can't be with you right now! Can you hear me?"
"Time to Destination in ten seconds."
"I don't think you like the fact that I beat your test." Jim fired back eliciting a response equal to the ferocity of his own to his Vulcan superior.
"Furthermore in your ill respect for our programs you have failed to divine the exact purpose of the test." Spock fixed the Cadet with a most severe gaze.
This time Jim was barely fazed. "Enlighten me again." He almost growled.
"Hey!...Dr. Kirk, are you all right?" One of the senior cadets seated closest to the instructor leaned over and tapped on Kat's slightly shaking shoulder. Kat gave no response.
"Katy, listen to me! I can't be with you so I need you to promise me something...!"
*crackle*
"Daddy!"
"I love you both so much!..I love-!*
"The purpose is to experience fear," Spock began, his gaze now fixed intently on the stubborn cadet.
"Fear in the face of certain death. To accept that fear while maintaining control of oneself and one's crew. This is a quality expected every Starfleet Captain, Cadet Kirk and one the Kobi Yashi Maru was specifically designed to test."
"Dr. Kirk!" The Cadet gently shook Kat again and this time she reacted, gasping almost too audibly as if she were waking from another nightmare. Only this time, she wasn't dreaming. She wasn't at home and Spock wasn't there to shake the horrible visions out of her mind.
"I'm fine." She hastily brushed her student's arm away just as Spock turned his gaze sharply over his shoulder.
For a second, Kat thought he had heard her gasp, but at that exact moment the doors behind her slid open and a young officer dressed in a Starfleet Security Guard's uniform briskly walked across the hall holding a PADD in his hand.
"Excuse me, Admiral." He placed the device on the Head Councilman's desk then bowed stiffly before excusing himself from the room.
Komack glanced at it briefly before looking up to address the entire room from his seat. "We've recieved a distress call from Vulcan and with our primary fleet engaged in the Lorentian system I hereby order all cadets to report to Hanger One immediately. Court dismissed!"
The gavel sounded and the room quickly began to empty. Kat stood quickly as the tightness in her chest continued to inhibit her ability to behave normally. She stumbled slightly and almost lost her balance when Spock turned his gaze swiftly back to her again from the ground level of the auditorium.
Flushing, Kat turned just as swiftly to leave the room missing the look of concern he shot her inconspicuously from his position.
"My own sister turns me in." Jim growled, not moving from his spot as Spock quickly vacated the premises following the other officers and cadets.
"Well what'd you expect?" Bones came up behind him. "She's an Instructor and the Test's main administrator. Plus she hates you." He shrugged.
Jim just scowled at him. "Not helping, Bones."
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"Ambassador Kirk, are you all right?" Dr. Ferrell stood immediately erect upon noticing the young Starfleet Officer's quick and abrupt entrance in the Sick Bay.
"I'm fine, Dr. Ferrell. I just need a quick physical diagnostic scan. Please check specifically for any signs of an abnormal respiratory condition." She quickly placed herself on a bio bed, fumbling with the restraining straps before the nurse could get to her.
Dr. Ferrell frowned as he watched the young woman gasp for air beside him.
"Have your symptoms been persistant, Ambassador Kirk?" He moved to retreive the proper equipment from a table. "When did you first have trouble breathing?" He bent to run a basic vital scan.
"Just for a few minutes ago during the Academic Hearing at the court." Kat breathed as the doctor quickly finished the scan. "They usually occur after one of my nightmares, but today it just started... out of nowhere." She attempted to take a deep breath.
"I see." Dr. Ferrell nodded as he turned to record the results into his patient's medical file. "I will try and make this quick then, Dr. Kirk. I know you must have been assigned to report for immediate duty concerning the distress call from Vulcan." He picked up another device just as Kat took another shallow breath.
"Yes, thank you, Dr. Ferrell." She thanked him gratefully. Dr. Ferrell nodded his head.
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"Well, it seems your respiratory functions are perfectly uninhibited. Everything is checking out as normal except for your anxiety level." Dr. Ferrell put away the probe after completing a final scan on his patient.
Kat narrowed her eyes at his diagnosis. "Anxiety?" She took another shallowly inhaled breath.
"Yes, I'll have a prescription written out for you immediately for anti-anxiety drops. They should help with the panic attacks given a few minutes after oral consumption." Dr. Ferrell licked his lips nervously before turning to enter the information into a medical report.
"As for the sleep disturbances, I can only suggest that you continue meeting with Dr. Manner regularly in the Psychology Department." He stood from his chair.
Kat rolled her eyes at that. "Great." She started to unstrap herself when the Doctor stopped her. "Wait Ambassador, there is one more thing the scanner picked up." He looked up from his PADD with a slight smile.
"According to these readouts Dr. Kirk, you are currently carrying a three week old fetus. Congratulations." He looked up to meet the Starfleet Officer's eyes expecting for her to become excited.
Instead Kat just blanched.
"Excuse me?"
...