Today was the day of the assembly.

So far, so good – unless you counted his recent amnesia when it came to eating. Kirk pulled on his standard physical activities uniform and left his dorm for his combat training class. The red clothing was less restrictive than his cadet-reds and it made Jim feel more relaxed to have the extra movement.

He followed a footpath that connected to a network of other concrete lanes and allowed his gaze to wander, his feet already programmed to the path to the Academy's Sport Complex. Since early this morning, there had been in increase in visitors to the academy – no doubt here for the presentation.

'I swear I'm looking at you – and I'm staring right at him.'

Kirk slowed his pace and turned around to the man who had spoken to him as he'd walked passed. Admiral Garrovick stood outside the door to the administrations building.

'Sir,' Kirk immediately came to attention, 'my apologies – I didn't see you.'

'At ease, cadet,' Garrovick said and Jim instantly complied, 'I'm only here for the assembly presentation today – I was one of the people present during the rescue.'

Kirk nodded; it made sense that an Admiral would be present at today's presentation although more likely per Starfleet's request, but it still didn't explain the Admiral's contradictory comment. As if he had heard Kirk's thoughts, Garrovick answered.

'You look almost identical to your father – especially in that uniform,' he explained, inclining his head towards Kirk's cadet-reds.

'It's a common observation, sir,' Kirk replied, trying to keep his annoyance hidden.

He'd have to do something real good to get out of his father's shadow. Then again, he could always choose the civilian life like his brother, Sam but Kirk wasn't the passive type – he'd go mad if he had to live a normal life. Normal was overrated.

'Well, I'm glad to see you here,' Garrovick said.

Kirk nodded and saluted his senior officer before walking off towards the Academy Sports Complex.

'Rigelian hand-to-hand combat is indirect; the moves are simple, concise, and word best when they come at an opponent without warning. There's nothing polite about Rigelian combat.'

Kirk watched as Lieutenant Commander Bjorta motioned Uhura and another cadet to join him on the grey mat he was using as a podium. He placed his hands on Uhura's shoulders and guided her movements, circling them with her fight partner. The class watched as he demonstrated their actions and then indicated that they do the same. Bjorta stepped off the mat and walked around the room, monitoring the pairs of cadets circling each other on the mats.

Kirk tore his gaze off the lieutenant commander and relocated his eyes to his partner. Thanas' physique was larger than Kirk's but he was slower on his feet. They both circled the mat, eyes locked and ready to strike as soon as their instructor gave the signal.

'Each move has a purpose,' Bjorta watched his students with a critical eye, 'step, counter step. Each blow should be focused on one of the four spots on the body; right flank, neck, knees, lower back. Any other contact is either meant as a distraction or an utter waste of time. Remember the moves I showed you yesterday – the moves you were all supposed to practice last night. The entirety of Rigelian martial arts consists of those six basic steps. Now's the time to use them.'

Kirk felt a small rush of adrenaline at Bjorta's words. He had always been a fighter – had to be if he wanted to stay alive – but his moves were always lethal, brutal and intelligent. They took down an opponent efficiently without any other purpose. At the academy, a number of various fighting techniques had been opened to him and for the first time in his life he began to see combat as an art, a dance between two or more people.

'Ready?' asked Bjorta.

Kirk allowed himself a small grin of anticipation.

'Go!'

Thanas reacted as soon as the lieutenant commander gave the word but Jim was ready. Thanas' hand punched through empty air as Jim ducked low and swung his elbow around so that is hit his opponent's right flank. Thanas growled and lashed out with his foot, kicking downwards on Kirk's knee. Kirk grimaced when he felt his body tipping sideways and pushed off with his stabilized foot, tucking his body into a fetus position so that he turned the fall into roll. Kirk spun his body over once until he was positioned behind Thanas' left flank and leapt up, shoving his elbow into the bigger boy's lower back. Thanas countered with the heel of his palm, pivoting on his foot so that his hand was slicing the air towards Jim's head. Moving out of instinct, Jim ducked.

Big Mistake.

Thanas' other hand came up and slammed into Kirk's throat, forcing his head and body backwards. Kirk coughed to clear his temporarily squashed airway and began circling Thanas once more. He shook away his annoyance – he should have known it was a distraction, Bjorta had just told the class five minutes ago which hits were and weren't feints.

Determination flooded Kirk and he ran at the bigger boy, twisting his body sideways at the last minute so that he was able to grab a red clad leg as he slid past. It may not have been one of the 'four spots on the body' as Bjorta put it but it wasn't a waste of time either.

With Thanas' on his back and slightly dumfounded at his recent incapacitation, Kirk took advantage over his confusion and maneuvered himself until he had his opponent in a submission hold.

Thanas acknowledged that Jim had won the match and they broke apart, standing two metres apart on their mat and waited until the other pairs had finished their fights before convening on the floor per Bjorta's instructions to discuss their technique.

'Attention, Cadets!'

Instantly, every human and alien dressed in red snapped to attention with crisp salutes.

'At ease.'

Vice Admiral Tullsey, the Academy's commandant of midshipmen strode into the room followed by two security officers, a man about two years shy of Kirk's age and Admiral Garrovick. The young man and Garrovick stood to the side while Tullsey walked to stand beside Bjorta.

Kirk watched the stranger beside Garrovick with interest. He was dressed in civilian clothing unlike any of the other official visitors or presenters for today's assembly. His constant fidgeting with something in his pocket – possibly a weapon – and his guarded glances around the room indicated that he was completely out of his depth or in enemy territory. Although the usually deep breaths he was inhaling suggested that he was trying to ignore his fear and actually wanted to be here.

Then he turned his head.

Kirk's eyes widened and he caught himself from making a sound as he caught sight of the left side of the man's face. It was marred with burn scars and the tissue was black from scorch marks. A wound that substantial was unique and Kirk had only seen one such injury as that one before – On Tarsus, little Tom Leighton had been burnt by one of the plasma bolts that had been burning the air during the massacre that had murdered all the adults in the colony. But little Tom wasn't so little anymore.

True, Tom had been one of the older kids during that time but his growth had been stunted because the burn on the side of his face had severely dehydrated him as it continued to remain unhealed until Pike had a medical officer attend to it. The Thomas Leighton twenty metres across the room from him however was roughly Kirk's height and build with the same, old eyes that had seen far too much.

Kirk wondered why he wasn't ecstatic. He should be, considering he'd spent years trying to find the list but for some reason he was shocked, all he could do was stand there gawking at the man standing beside Garrovick. Of course he was happy that his friend was alive but he was completely dumfounded to see him here. If he wasn't a cadet then he would be here for the assembly and Kirk couldn't fathom why any of the survivors would want to do that – Tom had guts.

'Cadets, as you probably already know Starfleet will be holding an assembly this afternoon in the atrium. I will be giving these two guests a tour of the academy and I hope you treat them with the respect and courtesy we expect from you,' he paused to scrutinize his audience, 'remember – full dress uniform this afternoon,' he added as he eyed their physical activities uniform.

He turned to Bjorta.

'Continue with your lesson Lieutenant Commander.'

Bjorta nodded and Tullsey returned to the four-man group he had been escorting.

Five minutes later, Bjorta had them all refining the six basic steps for Rigelian hand-to-hand combat on different partners, using their knowledge of their opponent's weaknesses to triumph over them; namely, taking advantages over differences in alien and human anatomy. Kirk watched from the edge of a mat as Uhura and her partner Andros exchanged pleasantries in the form of kicks and jabs. As much as it was a thrill to have the adrenaline rush of a fight, observing from the sidelines gave him an appreciation of the craft and allowed him to analyze his potential, future opponents.

'I don't think I've seen your face before but I know your eyes as if they were my own.'

Kirk allowed himself a furtive look sideways before redirecting his eyes back to the match. Tom was standing to his right probably so that his scarred half would be blocked from view by Kirk's body. Already, the other cadets were throwing stares their way as they spotted Tom's wound.

'I don't think I've seen your face either but I know your scar as if it were my brother's,' Kirk replied quietly.

Tom nodded thoughtfully and smiled to himself – a joyful smile that signified that he had found a long lost friend.

'My face makes it hard to conceal my past as it's recognizable on sight and it's given me hell for the past few years. You can trust me when I say that it's never something you'll want known.'

Kirk wondered where he was going with this.

'Words can't describe how pleased I am to finally have met you again but they will have to do for now because my actions will surely render the same consequences to you as my face has caused,' Tom muttered.

'Thanks Tom, I'm glad you understand.'

'It's always been like that with our impromptu family,' Tom shrugged, 'we work as one mind.'

Tullsey walked into their field of vision and beckoned Tom over. The young man turned to Kirk.

'Meet me after the assembly, I've got a few people who'll want to see you,' he said before walking off.

Kirk watched him go with unseeing eyes, thinking about what Tom had told him. He couldn't believe Tom had survived and wondered about the fates of his other kids. Where he had lost hope after finding out about Abby's death, he had regained it with the presence of an old friend. Jim smiled, feeling at peace for the first time in years.