"Please, be seated." Admiral Barnett announced as he made his way into the conference room. "You have all been called to this debrief to answer some lingering questions considering the reports that were filed about the USS Farragut's recent mission."
Jennifer surveyed the room once again, noticing that all members of the Academic Admiralty Board were present, as well as Captain Pike, her academic advisor, Captain Garrovick, and Commander Chenowyth. Jennifer guessed that the captain and first officer of the Farragut had already been debriefed, else they would not be sitting in on hers.
"Cadet Ensign Kirk," Admiral Barnett started, addressing Jennifer directly and pulling her attention away from the crowded conference room, "the first issue we would like to address is the matter or matters involving Cadet Finnegan and Lieutenant Commander Pearce." Admiral Barnett looked down at his PADD, Jennifer guessed it was to make her nervous, as there was no way he hadn't come to the debrief unprepared, and paused for a moment. "LTCDR Pearce issued you and Cadet Ensign Michaels a reprimand citing 'dereliction of duty' subsequently placing the both of you on three weeks of extra duties, correct?"
Jennifer took in his statement. Obviously it was correct, why would he need her to tell him so?
"Yes, sir." Jennifer wanted to add to the statement, but he had the reports, he knew whatever she could offer in addition already.
"Both you and Michaels were also, informally accused, of allegedly altering the ship's security log footage, correct?" Admiral Barnett asked once more.
"Yes, sir." Jennifer replied, attempting to remain professional.
"However it is by your own statements, and the professional opinion of your commanding officers that neither of you in fact tampered with the security logs. It is, in fact, the opinion of your commanding officers that either Cadet Finnegan or LTCDR Pearce were the culprits of that specific violation of regulations." Admiral Barnett paused and Jennifer wasn't sure if she was supposed to answer him again or not. So she waited. When the admiral continued, Jennifer was barely paying attention to the man. "It was at the closure of your additional duties that you and Cadet Michaels found a personal PADD in Cadet Finnegan's cabin which you were assigned to clean at the time. The PADD in question was found to have a nefarious subroutine program on it, a subroutine which you, Kirk, had insisted had already been downloaded onto a portable information storage and transference device. Is this information accurate?"
"Disregarding the precision of details, yes, admiral, the information is accurate." Jennifer replied. She realized her answer may have sounded a bit cheeky, but she wasn't about to get in trouble for attempting to obscure the truth or leave out details she knew they had or could easily gain access to. Not at all.
"Disregarding the precision details such as exact time and so forth, please summarize for the board the chain of events that occurred starting from when you and Cadet Michaels were placed on extra duty to when you discovered the PADD in Cadet Finnegan's room and the issuing of charges by Captain Garrovick to Cadet Finnegan and LTCDR Pearce." Admiral Barnett ordered. Jennifer didn't know what game they were getting at, but she would comply. She didn't have anything to hide. No one besides Finnegan or Pearce should be in trouble.
"Three weeks into the mission Cadet Michaels and I were instructed to report to LTCDR Pearce's office at the closure of our shift. LTCDR Pearce then questioned the both of us regarding the personal nature of our relationship, which has never before been either an issue or a secret. We have been, and remain, platonic friends." Jennifer said this and couldn't help but feel as if she was half-lying. Sure, they were platonic friends, but it didn't mean she couldn't imagine them as more.
"We informed Pearce of the nature of our friendship and we were charged with dereliction of duty due to excessive socialization at the cost of professionalism and strict adherence to our charges. Both Michaels and I believed this to be unfounded. Never once had we allowed our friendship to impact our duties. LTCDR Pearce mentioned there was one witness that would proclaim otherwise, but the witness would remain unmentioned. As no one else on shift with us had stepped forward at the time, and no one was willing to even mildly agree with the accusation, Michaels and I quickly realized that Cadet Finnegan was the only possible witness, as he was often seen coming and going from LTCDR Pearce's office. Pearce then elected to accuse myself and Michaels of deleting security footage from the archives, for only our shift, but lacking anything but opinion and or circumstantial evidence did not charge us formally for that violation."
Jennifer paused, wondering if she should add on to the conversation that had taken place, but realized it wasn't exactly necessary.
"LTCDR Pearce informed Michaels and myself that we would be assigned to extra duties by assisting the sanitation team during alpha shift for three weeks as punishment. Michaels and I were close to being through with said punishment, two days left I believe when the PADD was found. I am sure that all of you have access to the security log in Cadet Finnegan's room, however I will state for the record that Michaels found the PADD on Finnegan's bunk, when he picked up said PADD to make the bunk the PADD lit up and he examined the open contents. He then passed the PADD to me and requested that I examine the contents of the PADD. I examined the contents of the PADD and informed him that we needed to speak with the captain immediately." Jennifer paused, knowing there would be questions even though she wasn't yet done recounting the tale. Surely enough, questions began.
"Why did Michaels request for you to examine the PADD's contents?" Admiral Chandra, head of the academy's science division, asked. Jennifer couldn't tell if the man was genuinely interested or merely playing the game. She decided mostly interested, but probably a mixture of both.
"Michaels knew that my programming skills far exceed his own. I would have been able to determine the purpose and design of the program with more accuracy and much faster than he, sir." Jenifer replied respectfully.
"Did either you or Cadet Michaels resent Finnegan for attempting to tarnish your reputations by causing you to be reprimanded?" Admiral Andrews, head of the academy's engineering department asked calmly.
"Sir, with all due respect, that question is unfair." Jennifer replied, already starting to get angry, but keeping it in check.
"In what respect, cadet? I believe it to a perfectly valid question, considering you both might have had motive to place the PADD in Finnegan's cabin yourselves." Komack replied for Andrews.
And so it begins.
"No, admiral, sir, it is not a valid question. Due to the security footage you can clearly see that neither I nor Cadet Michaels placed that PADD in Finnegan's cabin. Furthermore, as the PADD was a personal one, and not a design that Starfleet issues to its officers, you can track the manufacture and purchase of said PADD if you so desired. I am sure, should you decide to take such actions, you will have irrefutable evidence that suggests neither Cadet Michaels or I could have possibly placed the PADD in question on Cadet Finnegan's bed, or at any other time had physical contact with said PADD." Jennifer replied.
She wouldn't go into the manufacture and release date of the PADD, or how that particular brand of personal PADDs had DNA tracking security programs installed and active at all times. Or how that particular PADD, one that had not even been released prior to boarding the ship had a DNA profile of every single person that had touched that PADD, a profile which she had forwarded to the right people, pending an inquiry she knew was going to happen.
God, could these people be any more hopeless? And they said that she wasn't good enough, as if.
"We are not here to question irrefutable evidence, James." Admiral Nogura chided his fellow officer calmly. "Cadet Ensign Michaels requested that you examine the findings of the PADD left in Cadet Finnegan's room, correct?"
"Yes, sir." Jennifer answered. "After which we brought the information directly to Captain Garrovick."
The admirals knew this information, Jennifer knew that they knew. What Jennifer didn't understand was the necessity to re-hash the reports and surely the information that Captain Garrovick and Commander Chenowyth had provided in their own debriefs. It seemed like it was a witch-hunt instead of a debrief, as if they were trying to find fault in something she did. Which maybe, at least for some of the brass that was present was the entire goal here.
"Alright, alright. I think we've heard enough of this. It's in the reports. What we really wish to speak with you about is the whole situation involving the Klingons. Rather, there are some of us here that want to ask these questions." Admiral Barnett spoke again. Jennifer could just guess who he was talking about that wanted to ask the questions. Fucking douches.
"Like what were you thinking by challenging a Klingon to a duel?" Komack asked seething. "You really thought it was, and I quote 'was the best solution alternative to instigating a combat engagement' un-quote? Like hell, Kirk."
Jennifer looked at Captain Garrovick and Commander Chenowyth for a moment to steady herself before responding. Surely if they hadn't agreed to the same in their own reports, which she knew they had because she had gotten the chance to read them prior to being sent to Starfleet Command, she wouldn't be sitting in the conference room now. No, she would most likely be sitting in a brig.
"Admiral Komack, sir, it was the most suitable alternative available at short notice. Our other options were severely limited. We could have surrendered. Surely you would not have had Captain Garrovick do so? Or we could have instigated open conflict with said Klingons. In which case, we surely would have lost a great number of the crew, if not all hands. The challenge was the only option." Jennifer defended.
"Why you? Why did you, a female cadet, have to make the challenge? Why not allow Captain Garrovick to issue the challenge himself, if you truly believe it was the best option?" Komack spat back.
"Sir, with all due respect, I do not particularly appreciate the tone of questions you are asking." Jennifer replied angrily. She knew she was about five seconds from getting told to shut up for good, but she didn't quite care. She was pissed. "Had you read the reports in full, you would know exactly why Captain Garrovick was singularly unqualified to issue such a challenge himself, excepting the obvious reasons of the situation as it was. Furthermore, had you read the reports in full, you would know that my tactical analysis of the situation was appreciated and agreed upon by both the captain and Commander Chenowyth. I honestly don't understand what you're hoping to accomplish by asking questions that either have already been addressed in the reports, or surely have already been answered by senior officers. If you would like, I can personally forward you a copy of my reports to include all appendices and footnotes." Jennifer paused for a moment before adding on a quiet term. "Sir."
The temperature in the room seemed to drop at least ten degrees after Jennifer had finished speaking. She knew it sounded at best borderline insubordination, at worst complete disregard for respect due to a senior flag officer to boot. Right now, Jennifer didn't quite care.
"Gentleman," Jennifer addressed the room and took off the ring she was wearing on her right hand, "can any of you, excepting Captain Garrovick or Commander Chenowyth who are already aware due to recent events, what this ring is?" Jennifer held up the ring for the room to see.
No one answered.
Jennifer stood to pass the ring to Admiral Barnett for inspection and took her seat again. This was going to be interesting.
"It's a Klingon house ring. The crest on the ring represents one of the houses which sit on the Klingon High Council. The crest on this ring represents the house of Kor. Yes, that Kor. Commander Kor which the Farragut and subsequently myself and Commander Chenowyth had recent contact with. At the conclusion of the challenge I issued to Commander Kor he chose to honor me by presenting this ring to me." Before Jennifer could explain further she was cut off by Komack who was now inspecting the ring.
"Are you trying to tell us you married a Klingon? A sworn enemy of the Federation?" Komack spat.
"Not at all sir. Kor named me as a sister to him. It is a Klingon tradition, and not done frequently. To name an outsider, especially, as you have so eloquently put it, admiral, an enemy, as part of your house, is one of the highest honors from a Klingon. This ring represents more than the fact that Commander Kor has, in laymen's terms, adopted me into his family. It represents a beginning. A beginning for the entire Federation. Commander Kor's house, or family, is one of the most prominent houses that sits on the Klingon High Council. I believe, gentleman, the conclusions to draw from that equation are quite evident themselves." Jennifer finished smugly. She knew she'd have hell to pay for her attitude later, but from the stunned looks and eyes full of pure shock she knew she was fine for the time being.
After a few moments of whispered deliberation that Jennifer could really overhear most of the admiralty shot their attention back to her.
"This meeting has concluded. We appreciate your time, Cadet Ensign Kirk. You are dismissed." Admiral Barnett announced. And if he was smiling slightly when he said it, Jennifer didn't care to mention.
"Thank you, gentleman. Have a pleasant afternoon." Jennifer replied back standing at the position of attention and saluting.
Less than two hours later Jennifer was sitting in Captain Pike's office waiting for him. She wasn't done with meetings yet. He had wanted to meet with her to finalize her schedule for the next semester and discuss the changes that had been made to it. He also wanted to advise her on changing, well basically rewriting the courses she had selected last year, and come up with a draft schedule for the remainder of her time at the academy. It wasn't a bad idea, considering the workload she was going to be taking on in the coming semesters.
Jennifer also realized that he was probably going to tear into her about her attitude during the debrief.
"Don't even bother getting up. I don't care." Chris said entering his office waving his hands at Jennifer dismissively. "What I do care about is you getting kicked out before you even have a chance to begin." Chris sat behind his desk in his chair finally. "You must realize that your attitude during that meeting was unacceptable. The only reason you weren't flayed alive during that fiasco was because most of the admiralty was on your side. The meeting was unnecessary and Komack was being an ass. That aside, what the hell were you thinking shooting off at the mouth like that? I thought you had better sense by now!"
Jennifer waited for Chris to continue what she knew was only a half-hearted scolding. Most of it came from the fact that he genuinely cared about her career, and her.
"Not saying that I don't agree with what you said, kid. Cause I do. Really I'm behind you one hundred percent. And yeah, you did make me somewhat proud, but don't be doing shit like that all the time, cause you won't always have as much support ready and willing to back you up." Chris sighed. "I will say this though, good job. Captain Garrovick and Commander Chenowyth wrote glowing evaluations for you. But what's this rumor I hear about you having non-officially married a senior officer? Huh?" Chris laughed.
"I'm sure you've already been given the explanation for that rumor." Jennifer rolled her eyes.
She'd been scolded and commended all in practically the same breath and now she was being teased. As much as she wanted to continue the meeting in the carefree tone that was now set, she needed to talk to him about serious matters, troubling matters. Matters that had nothing to do with her schedule getting completely changed around.
"Chris, he's up to something." Jennifer said. "I saw him at the barbeque talking in hushed tones with Pearce. I didn't recognize Pearce at the time, and it took me a minute while on the Farragut to make the connection, but Komack is up to something. Pearce and Finnegan didn't try to discredit me and attempt to blow up a ship and blame it on me on their own. He was involved. I can't prove it, I don't know how to prove it right now, but I know I'm right."
Chris looked long and hard at Jennifer, taking everything he could observe and had observed over the past year into account. He exhaled a long and exasperated breath before speaking.
"Well, shit."
Jennifer looked at Chris, questioning. Did he know something was going on, or was what she had just relayed to him brand new information? It couldn't have been, not really, not if he hadn't reamed her for speaking such crazy accusations against a flag officer no less.
"Yeah, he's up to something. Archer warned me about this. I just don't know if it's that he doesn't like you, or that he wants you. God, maybe both. Nothing to do about it now though." Chris said, but Jennifer realized he was more so talking to himself than her. She wanted to ask questions, she had a lot of questions to which she would like the answers to in fact. But something told her, maybe a gut feeling, that she wasn't about to get those answers right now anyway, so it was no use in asking the questions at all.
There was a knock on the door before Jennifer could think of anything to reply to the captain with.
"Come in." Chris said in response to the knock.
Commander Spock entered the office gracefully, face effortlessly blank.
"Right on time, Mr. Spock." Chris half smiled at the Vulcan. "Please sit down. I haven't started to speak with Ms. Kirk here about her schedule, so you haven't missed anything yet."
Spock slid into the chair next to Jennifer silently and awaited further instruction.
"So, I know I approved the course schedule that you and Mr. Spock worked out at the beginning of the last year, and while it was perfectly fine and functional for then, I've taken the liberty to alter your courses and offer some alternative selections, with the assistance of Mr. Spock here." Chris said picking up a PADD from his desk. "We realized that your physics aptitudes were extremely high, upon closer examination, also, I know that you said you had a marked interest in engineering as well. Considering your aptitude tests, your previous qualifications, and the classes that you have sat exams for credit, we think that this new course schedule would be better suited for you. You'll have a minor in Engineering instead of Physics, but only due to the fact that most of the physics courses you would need to take in order to receive a degree in the field you already test well above the level for."
"Combined with the college courses you took while being dual enrolled during your high school years, taking the same courses again here at the academy would seem superfluous and quite illogical." Spock added.
Chris motioned for Jennifer to take the PADD and look over her new course selection and alterations.
"As a command track cadet you still have to take the required core classes for the track, and as you are still adamant about finishing your career path education in three years, I believe these alterations best suit your needs. There's some open spaces, to be filled with courses of your choosing, that I think will best compliment your fields of study, and also added into the mix is the Advanced Tactical Training Course to which you've been invited to take." Chris explained. "You can always turn down the invite, as it isn't a mandatory course, and the class is held on Saturdays to better accommodate cadets such as yourself who are the usual candidates for said course."
Jennifer looked at the PADD Chris had offered to her and realized that she should have spent more time sifting through the academy's course catalog last year. Sure, the only reason she had taken the Engineering classes last year had been because of the simple fact that she was on the command track, and a captain without at least basic engineering understanding, in her opinion, was not as qualified as a captain could be. However, during the course of said engineering classes she realized how much she actually enjoyed working with her hands, and found that her mind was singularly attuned to engineering as well. To the point, that if she wasn't so fixed on the command track, she might have switched her career plan. As it was, minoring in Engineering was something she wanted to do, but was, truthfully, too afraid to bring up and attempt to change.
"So, you guys finally found my college classes then, huh?" Jennifer asked. She hadn't included the transcripts on her application for various reasons. One of which was because she didn't want to seem too good, even though it sounded insane, even to her, she was insecure about the most, as Spock would say, illogical things.
"So, we want you to take a couple of days to look over your options. I know your schedule will be pretty tight, and honestly, I'm glad I'm not you, but you've shown you can handle the increased work load so far." Chris informed her.
"Thank you, gentlemen." Jennifer replied nicely, more so only for the fact that she still didn't know how to feel about the Vulcan commander.
"Dismissed." Chris said. Jennifer stood up and saluted half-heartedly, smiling.
Chris just waved her off and she walked out of the door. She had just closed the door and was going to walk away quickly, at least that's what she told herself. But she heard Spock talking almost the second the door had closed. Didn't he know that the offices weren't soundproof? Not unless the activation code was authorized to secure the room anyway.
"Are you certain she can cope with the strenuous workload, captain? Would it not be wise to shift her schedule to a four year plan instead?" Spock asked.
Jennifer was looking around the area just outside his office to see if anyone was around. Pike's secretary, Yeoman Harris or something or another was at her desk, face buried into a PADD. It looked as if she was reading.
"You did it, Spock. Why do you think she wouldn't be able to?" She heard Chris reply, muffled by the closed door.
"She is only human." Spock replied evenly, his voice not as muffled as Pike's.
Jennifer could hear the sounds of Chris' laughter and Spock asking what he found humorous about the statement of fact.
"One day you'll learn Mr. Spock, humans are quite capable of incredible feats. I'd be willing to stake my captaincy on the fact that Ms. Kirk has a few of those to showcase to the universe in the next few years." Chris replied confidently.
Jennifer walked away with a warm feeling in her gut, smiling. Captain Christopher R. Pike really believed in her. Really truly believed in her. She wouldn't let him down. Her Starfleet career might have started off of a dare, her wanting to prove the same man wrong, but it was continuing because of the man's belief in her. She was going through with it because of the friends she had made in the past year, the family she had chosen and the family that had chosen her.
There was no way she was going to let something so insignificant as a little plot from the brass or disbelief from varying officers take her chance to shine away from her.
There was no way she wasn't going to make her father proud. Either one of them.
God, the next two years were going to suck, if what she had seen on that PADD was anything to go by, but she would do it, she had to. Her life was changing, rapidly. She was no longer in a miserable state of being that she denied with every shot she took. No, she was beginning to understand what happiness was. That it wasn't something stagnant, unwilling to change and grow. That having the good life wasn't about simply being content, that it was a process, a direction to go. Yeah, she'd have to work to get there, but that was what it was all about.
She was just going to have to work her ass off, eat, sleep, and breathe fleet. And she would. She would do that for these men, for the men she called family. The men she called home. She would do it for herself.
This was only the beginning of her life, and she had so many things she wanted to do, so many places she wanted to see. She couldn't wait to sail the stars.
~End Part One~