There they were, one more time, at the Kobayashi Maru test that Kirk was taking for the third time. Lydia had to wonder if Kirk just liked being punished. After all who goes back for seconds let alone third when you know the outcome. There was something about the definition of insanity there she was sure. She was sitting at what would be the engineer liaison comm hearing Uhura talking about how they had just receive a distress signal from the ship.

"Starfleet Command has ordered us to rescue them... Captain," Kirk turned to Uhura with such a cocky smirk Lydia was sure Uhura was using every training she had ever receive to stop herself from slapping him. It wasn't a secret that Uhura barely tolerated Kirk and it was mostly because of Lydia. Uhura would never have anything hurt their friendship.

"Klingon vessels have entered the Neutral Zone. And they are firing upon us," said McCoy from his own comm.

"That's okay," Kirk replied.

"That's ok?" she had to ask. What was Jim doing? Was he not even trying to get back at the programmers of the test? Was that his revenge to do nothing?

"Yeah don't worry about it Lydia," Kirk turned to Lydia with smile and a wink. Everyone turned to her with curious looks. She had no idea what was going on either which she made completely obvious when she shrugged her shoulders.

"Three more Klingon Warbirds decloaking and targeting our ship, I don't suppose this is a problem either?" McCoy question Kirk again.

"Nah."

"Um Captain," Lydia said trying to understand Jim's plan. "They are firing."

"Alert medical bay to prepare to receive all crew members from the damaged ship." Kirk said still not seeming like he cared.

"And how do you expect us to rescue them when we're surrounded by Klingons?"

"Alert medical." Annoyed Uhura turned to do what she was told, though her face was anything but relax.

"Our ship is being hit, shields at sixty percent," Lydia told him.

"I understand," he replied giving her a look.

"Should we at least, I dunno, fire back?" "No." "Of course not," she was starting to get annoyed at Jim. She had a lot to do and if he wasn't going to take it seriously she was going to be so mad at him for wasting her time.

Just then, something happened. Everything on the bridge died, the systems crashed and everything went dark. For a moment, she had no idea what had happened and then everything came back. She looked up and around seeing everyone's confusion. Everyone's except Jim's. It wasn't really hard to figure out Jim already knew it was going to happened.

"The Kobayashi Maru is still in distress... but... the Klingons stopped firing," Uhura said as she worked her comm.

"Arm photon. Prepare to fire on the Klingon warbirds," said Kirk finally looking he was getting into the test.

"Jim, their shields are up," McCoy said.

"Are they?" he asked with a look at him.

"...no"

"Fire on all enemy ships... one photon each should do. Let's not waste ammunition," Jim told her. Lydia turned around and started doing as he said.

"Target lock acquired on all warbirds, firing!"

Lydia watched as all five Klingon ships were destroyed instantly.

"Begin rescue of the stranded crew. So. We've eliminated all enemy ships, no one on board was injured and the successful rescue of the Kobayashi Maru crew is underway," looking up at the testing room windows Kirk smirked. "Anything else?"

Lydia had spent another night at the engineering lab. She had been there for an hour before Jim appeared with something for her to eat and some academy material for himself.

"You know you don't have to come here every night now right?"

"I will stop coming when you prove to me you can take care of yourself. Until then…" he said getting into his studies.

She knew what people said. They talked about how Jim took the academy as a joke that he never studied. If everyone only knew. Jim did dedicate time and effort to his studies. Because no matter what he was going to make his father proud and that meant being one of the best. So, they spent the night talking and studying. Most of all they spent it together and laughing at each other. Because no matter what they were them and no one was going to take it from them.

Which was why when she finally collapse on her bed she wanted to murder the person at the other side of her door who decided that pounding on it was not a bad idea. She would so make whoever was one the other side regret this. At least that was the idea until she opened the door and found two Starfleet officers on the other side of her door.

Lydia was seating in front of the Academy President in his office with Captain Pike on one side and Commander Spock on the other. She had never had a problem with Spock. More often than not, she just didn't understand how someone who was supposed to be half human could live with so little emotions. After all, she had seen him with Uhura who she knew the man care about more than was allowed and still he barely showed it. She couldn't doubt the man cared for Uhura, but if it was someone else she would have questioned it.

"Cadet, can you please identify this," the president said turning a small tablet he had in front of him towards her. On the screen was a code that she had never seen before, but she had an idea of its use.

"It's a code, Sir," she replied reading over the code.

"What kind of code?"

"The kind used as a virus," she replied reading the code. She knew exactly what the code was, what it did, and who had written it. Now the problem was how she was going to get him out of this. Why hadn't he told her what he was going to do?

"Can you identified who has written the code?"

"Sir?"

"Ms. Talbot you are one of our best coder. So I will asked you once more can you identified who has written the code?"

Lydia was stuck. She really didn't want to betray Jim. She knew why he had done it. She also knew that was the only way you could actually win that stupid test. She looked up at Spock and had to wonder if he had been the one to make the test and if so why wasn't he the one doing the investigation. That's when she figured it out. They knew. They knew who had done it, that's why they had asked her to the office. This wasn't because they couldn't figure out who had done it, it was to figure out if she had been involve. They couldn't accused her in a formal hearing without any proof so they did this.

"Sir I can't tell you exactly who has done this. Every coder has a signature code. Something that could identified who wrote it. Tis one doesn't have one."

"No it does not. Then again not many hacker leave a signature behind Ms. Talbot." Spock said looking at her.

"The best I can tell you sir," she continued looking at the president. "Is that whoever wrote this did it in such a way as to leave a minimal print as possible."

"Yet there is some?"

"It seem to have come from a cadet's computer."

"Which cadet? Can you tell?"

"That's something else entirely. Whoever upload the virus certainly didn't make it."

"Then who made it cadet?" For a moment, she looked at the president in front of her and she realized what they wanted. They wanted a clean case. They wanted to have someone, anyone, stand trial. The president didn't really mind if she went down with Kirk because to him if Kirk had been at fault so was her. One wasn't without the other.

"I'm sorry sire am I being accused of something?" She was a lot of thing but she wasn't about to take the wrap for something she didn't do.

"Nobody is accusing you of anything Lydia. We just need the truth."

"So here it is," she said looking straight at Pike. "This code was made in a public computer by someone who knew enough to make it generic, but not enough to know you could achieve the same result in ten lines less. They send it to a cadet computer because of the close network some computers have with the academy. Then they used it as unsubtle way as possible to disrupt a test, which by the way is stupid, that nobody likes. If you want me to figure out who wrote it it's going to take some more time."

"Understood," said the president sitting back in his chair.

"Good. Now if you excuse me I have been in the engineering lab the whole night and I could really use a rest."

"Yes of course Lydia. Thank you," said Pike. She stood and with a farewell walked out of the room. Just outside the door she could hear them talking. "I told you she wouldn't accused anyone least of all Kirk."

"The cadet has violated the ethical code of conduct and deserves to be confronted with an accusation."

"He will be Spock; I am sorry Pike I now you brought them in."

"Cadet Kirk has proven that he is one of the best we have in this Academy. That he should be punished for breaking the ethical code, I concurred, but let it be fair and reflect everything he has done here as well."

Lydia could hear them coming so she left the office. She needed to find Jim and she needed to do it as soon as possible.

"James T. Kirk. Step forward," the president called Jim in front of the Academy. Lydia had been able to get to Jim and told him everything. Five hundred cadets and Jim was going to have to defend himself in front of all of them. They looked at each other as Kirk stood up and walked toward the front.