Some dialogue is taken from the novelization of the movie!

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This years commencement was far more bittersweet than most, Admiral Richard Barnett reflected as he looked out at the sea of bright young faces before him. Four hundred instead of the class of the usual class of thousands, and that was including the specialty officers, like doctors and nurses who had been jumped up to fill out their severely depleted ranks.

It was a special ceremony, but in some ways like any other had had presided over. What he was about to do next though, that was a first. And quite different from the last time he had summoned this particular man before the cadet-- now officer-- assembly.

"This assembly calls Captain James Tiberius Kirk."

As Kirk made his way down to the front of the room, Barnett scanned the crowd, noting the looks of pride on the faces of Kirk's friends, pleased surprise on others and a few looked nervous. After a moment, the admiral recognized those few as the cadets Kirk had been waging a not so quiet war with since the night before he joined up. And he was fairly certain they had been among the approved crew manifest for Enterprise. That could prove a good source of entertainment for the admiralty, if the interactions between the cadets, now officers remained the same.

The young captain was smiling as he came to attention before Barnett, who forgave him the slight deviation from somber protocol.

"Your inspirational valor and supreme dedication to your comrades are in keeping with the highest traditions of service and reflect utmost credit upon yourself, your crew, and the Federation. By Starfleet order Two-eight-four fifty-five, you are hereby directed to report to commanding officer of U.S.S Enterprise for assignment as his relief."

The salute Kirk offered him was one that could have pleased the most critical first year instructor. All eyes (most glowing with the same pride and surprise, those few now utterly horror stricken) followed the young man as he passed Barnett to plant himself before the newly minted Admiral Christopher Pike, who sat in his auto-chair.

With precision and appropriate formality, Kirk intoned, "I relieve you, Sir."

Though his response was quiet, Pike smiled broadly as he said, "I am relieved."

He then lifted the box that rested on his lap, opened it and continued, "And as a Fleet admiral, in acknowledgement of your…unique solution to the simulation, it's my honor to award you with this commendation for original thinking."

Pike was actually smirking as Kirk leaned in to allow him to pin the medal to his chest. "Congratulations-- Captain."

"Thank you, sir."

When Kirk turned to face the rows of graduates, thunderous applause and cheers filled the room. Barnett watched him take in the approval and scan the crowd for friendly faces. The blue eyes lit upon the officers who were to be his command crew, as well as Commander Spock, still unsure as to his own future.

Most of the admiralty was split on what they expected from Kirk as a captain. Half of them were quite sure he would go on to do great things, become the officer future cadets wanted to be. The others were just as convinced that he was going to create Federation wide diplomatic problems and probably get his crew killed in the process. Everyone was in agreement, though, about the fact that whatever happened, it was going to make history.

TBC

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