A/N: Sorry it took so long, guys. I've been crazy busy with moving and work. But, finally, the moment you've all been waiting for, we've gotten to the first movie. (Well some of you anyway). Enjoy.
It was one thing to live in self-denial when everything was hopping along smoothly. Self-denial usually worked that way, though, until something happened that would destroy all possibilities of continuing on the same, denying a truth that so obviously needed to be spoken of. Especially when there was more than one person attempting to live life in the same way as it had been before the great epiphanies, to live with self-denial in the hopes that not speaking the truth aloud would ensure that nothing changed. That nothing that existed between two people could be threatened. After all, what were two best friends to do when they were completely and obliviously in love with one another, not wanting the other to know? Completely oblivious to the affections of one another due to denying the facts within themselves, they pretended. It was easy to do, especially when upset and almost undeniably ignoring each other. But, such large souls destined to be in each other's eternal orbit could not simply ignore one another for too long.
That was how one Jennifer Kirk ended up on the Enterprise in the wake of a complete and total chaotic disaster that would forever be remembered by every member of the Federation and beyond for centuries.
It went something like this.
Jennifer smashed her way through the automatic door to her shared cadet quarters with no care for the potential noise, which was great, that she made as she threw a PADD at the far wall. To say she was pissed would be an understatement, and possibly not altogether accurate.
"What did that PADD ever do to you?" Bones asked her, not having even flinched as it whizzed past him. His voice was calm, it was always clam lately, but there was a marked hesitation in his voice. A hesitation that hadn't existed since he had found out about Jennifer's current, and rather unfortunate, relationship status.
They'd been avoiding each other since he'd overheard the conversation with Andrew, acting merely civil when in each other's company, the longest stand-off the two friends had had to date, and now it was December. Two days before winter break, finals were almost over, and yes, Jennifer Kirk was fucking pissed. But mostly at herself.
"That fucking simulation. It's a fucking joke. And it's stupid. I can't beat the thing. Of course I can't beat the thing! No one ever does!" Jennifer yelled, shouting at no one in particular as she discarded her bag haphazardly next to her door.
She went straight to the third replicator she had personally programmed in as many years at the academy and punched in the order for a glass of bourbon, neat. No, two. It was going to be one of those nights.
"Huh?" Bones asked unintelligibly before she could turn around with her drinks.
Jennifer sat down at the table across from him, no care of the scattered PADDs he was making use of, obviously to study for his only finals, and slid the drink across the table to him expertly avoiding hitting any obstacles. She didn't want to drink alone. And she didn't care at the moment about their unspoken civility truce that had, for the better part of two or so months, left them no better than just roommates.
"What's this for?" Bones asked daring to glance up at her, quirking his right eyebrow up in question.
"Because I need a drink and I don't feel like drinking alone." Jennifer shot back, downing her own drink in one long gulp. "And even though you're still pissed at me, you're still my best friend."
"Looks like you need it more than I do." Bones remarked, noticing her empty glass.
"I'll get another one." Jennifer replied standing back up.
Before she made her way to the replicator Bones had already stood up himself, stopping her by holding up one hand and moving to the cabinet in the small shared commons area.
Moments later he was back at the table with a bottle of the "good stuff" and set it down in front of her. Well, it wasn't bad stuff at least. It was decent.
1Kentucky Straight bourbon Whiskey. Woodruff reserve.
"Looks like you could use it. Better than replicated in any case." He said in explanation at her questioning glare.
Just because the two best friends were somewhat estranged as of late did not mean neither cared for the other. In fact, both had, silently of course, still gone out of their way to help the other out. Jennifer when Bones had a particularly tough day at the clinic, having had dinner ready and prepared for him, waiting. Or Bones when Jennifer had a particularly tough week and minimal sleep, coffee always ready in the morning and chamomile tea before he went to bed if he didn't have a night shift. No action was remarked upon. Even in silence and with awkward tension existing between the two, their friendship and, dare say it, care for one another, still spoke volumes in the absence of words.
"I'm guessing that you don't want to talk about it and want to continue breaking expensive equipment instead?" Bones said, not really asking the question, but merely attempting to goad Jennifer into letting off the steam of the day. He knew that if she didn't vent, as was usual lately, she would break things. He couldn't really afford to keep replacing glasses or other items and she certainly couldn't afford to replace shattered PADDs anymore.
"It's that damn Kobyashi Maru simulation. It's not even a real test. A sick joke more like it. I can't believe the damn thing even exists. Everyone says it can't be beaten. It never has. That it's not supposed to be beaten. But it's not right. And I've had it!" Jennifer replied after pouring herself another glass of bourbon, the good stuff this time.
"So just shrug it off and get back to studying for your finals. You still have like two left, right?" Bones replied. Of course he would know how many finals she had. Just because they weren't really on speaking terms, present moment excluded, didn't mean he didn't watch out for her. And watching out for her meant knowing her schedule almost, if not better, than his own.
"I can't! Do you even know what sitting in that damn thing is like?" Jennifer shot at him acidly. "It's like I'm being told that I can't be better than my father. That no one can. That sacrifice is the only way to win. It's complete and utter bullshit. There's always a way out. Do you know you can't even save the crew of the Kobyashi Maru? That you either have to run away and leave them, or get killed in the process of attempting to rescue them? That no matter what decision you make, no matter what commands are given, it always ends the same? Massive death. No survivors. Because even when you run away like fucking cowards, attempting to save your own crew, the Klingons still manage to kill you. It's fucked up. It's like someone designed that test specifically for me and it's fucking wrong!"
Bones just stared at her, understanding dawning on him for the first time since mention of the Kobyashi Maru simulation had started to be uttered by the command track cadets. He himself had yet to take part in the simulation, not that he was required to take it, but he could fill in a supporting role if requested.
He hadn't been.
"So what is the point of the exam, then? If it can't be passed. There has to be an explanation, a reason, if it's a requirement for command track cadets to go through it." Bones offered.
"Oh, I'm sure there's a point, at least to the person who reprogramed the damn thing. And to the person who authorized its implementation. Half of the command track cadets come out of there shivering in fear. It's ridiculous. It's only a fucking simulation. No matter how seriously you take it, you can't actually die in there." Jennifer replied finishing off her second glass of bourbon and pouring herself another.
"I just don't get it. The half of the command cadets that aren't wetting their pants in that thing are laughing about it afterwards, not having learned anything. There isn't a fucking point. You can't save anyone. Least of all your crew. If there is a supposed point, it's moot. It's a damn simulation. Sure, you can test knowledge in a simulation, even test how someone would perform under some strain of stress, or how adaptable they are to a situation, how creative they are, but we already have tests and simulations that do that. This… this monstrosity, it's downright fucked. There is nothing of value to be gained from it besides telling cadets that no matter what they're going to do, they'll die anyway, not accomplishing shit. It's like whoever designed the damn thing doesn't know the first thing about human nature."
"So just forget about it and move on. You had to take it to fill a requirement. You've done so now. Twice. Let it go. There's no use in stressing about it. What did the evaluators say about your results?" Bones asked.
"They said that each time I've taken the thing that I, and I quote 'displayed exceptional skill, adaptability, and highly commendable tactical acumen when faced with insurmountable odds' unquote. It was bullshit. I know these things. I've lived these things. I've lived the fucking simulation, and I can tell you, without pause, that facing certain death is nothing that can be programmed. Facing certain death is something you do with your head held high while shouting to the powers that be to fuck off. You don't accept certain death. Not like that. It's fucking bullshit." Jennifer ranted.
Bones shook his head lightly and looked at her again. Really looked at her. She was right. She had faced worse. In real life. At a much younger age than any cadet currently taking the exam. She had faced certain death, and yet she lived.
"Look, Jenn, I know we haven't really been on the best of terms lately, but believe me when I say this, if anyone knows what facing certain death and living to tell the tale is, it's you. Find a way to prove to the asshole or assholes who designed the damn thing that it needs revision. But, for the love of god, please, let it go. Move on. It's one fucking test, and you've already gotten, by your own words, as high of marks as you can on it. Just let it go."
Jennifer looked at Bones scrupulously, considering for a moment what he was saying to her and shrugged.
"Nope. Can't. I've scheduled a meeting with Chris. I'm going to ask him to let me retake it again. I'm going to beat this thing." Jennifer replied confidently. "One way or another."
"God! You're hopeless, aren't you?" Bones threw his hands up in the air before he shot out of his seat. "Have fun with it. I don't want any part of whatever cocked plan you're already cooking up in that head of yours."
"Just for that, I'm going to request you be part of the crew for my third try." Jennifer shot back icily.
"Not a chance."
Bones stalked off to his room not even bothering to wait for Jennifer to reply.
Two days later finals were complete and Jennifer was sure she'd aced them, she had a meeting to look forward to. One with Captain Christopher Pike, the person she was going to have to convince to let her retake the Kobyashi Maru simulation exam for a third time.
She'd already sent a comm message to Satek and his father relaying her apologies at being unable to come to Vulcan over winter break due to her projects, more like figuring out a way to beat the Maru test, but that she would be able to come during spring break, because she wanted to take the Maru before then. She was sure, what with having a completely unoccupied two whole weeks of winter break, that she would be able to figure out how to beat the simulation.
One way or another.
As it was, the Academy had just released its students for the holidays and Jennifer was sitting outside of Pike's office waiting on him to finish speaking with someone so she could try to convince him to let her take the test a third and, she knew it would be, final time.
She'd thought of many reasons, logical and otherwise, why the test was not accurate gauge to measure a cadet's command ability if the goal was to 'win' by rescuing the crew of the Kobyashi Maru. She had many rationales behind why the test was a cheat, and why she wanted to beat it. Most of the reasons, logical or otherwise, she knew Chris would agree with. She just had to speak his language. And speaking other people's language was a gift she had in abundance.
"Cadet Kirk, the captain is ready for you." A yeoman stepped out of his office ripping Jennifer from her silent musings.
Jennifer stood up from her chair and nodded at the yeoman. "Thanks."
As Jennifer walked into Chris' office she noticed that he wasn't alone. Sitting beside him, behind his desk, stiff backed and inscrutable, was Admiral Richard Barnett, Academy Commandant, Head of the Board of Admirals for Starfleet Academy.
Yep. Chris had predicted exactly why Jennifer wanted to meet with him. Now she had to convince two people to let her retake the Kobyashi Maru. Not just one.
Perfect.
"We already know why you're here, Kirk. Why don't you take a seat and we'll see if you can convince us to let you to be so hardheaded and take the Kobyashi Maru for a third time." Admiral Barnett smiled at her.
Jennifer stalked to her seat silently. Yes, it was her seat now because of how much time she spent sitting on the couch in Chris' office. Sometimes for academic reasons, sometimes other reasons. Usually, lately, it was personal reasons. They had a weekly meeting in which she would update him on how she was handling her extremely tight schedule and classes, then they would play chess, and Jennifer would normally kick his ass unless she was feeling utterly exhausted. It was always how Chris gauged the need to order her to rest for the weekend or not.
That chess set was seated under the window, mocking her now.
"I'm going to start by saying that if we agree, and that is a major if, you will only be allowed one more attempt at the simulation. After that, you'll drop it. Whatever the outcome. Understood?" Chris spoke when Jennifer had seemed to collect herself in her seat.
"Roger that, sir." Jennifer replied, somewhat in a mocking tone, but not too unprofessional that Admiral Barnett would notice. She saw Chris' lips twitch in an upward angle, signaling he'd understood exactly how she was feeling about being ambushed and what she had meant with her reply.
"Alright. So. Convince us. Why should we allow you a third attempt at the Kobyashi Maru simulation?" Barnett asked lightly.
Jennifer straightened her posture and ordered her thoughts quickly.
"Sirs, the Kobyashi Maru simulation, as you are both well aware of, is an exam all command track cadets are required to take prior to graduating. It is said that this simulation is a tool to gauge what we command cadets have learned throughout our entire education, as well as to test our leadership abilities. It is, to say, a comprehensive practical to allow command track cadets to fully exhibit their abilities and knowledge whilst attempting a simulated rescue mission being in command of a starship and ordering mission directives from the bridge. It is designed to accurately reflect a real life scenario placing the cadet in command in a high stress situation to test how well the cadet in question is able handle the stress." Jennifer paused, having given what she decided was an accurate summation of the Kobyashi Maru simulation. It helped her to gather her points of clarification as to why she should be allowed to make a final attempt at the exam in a more orderly fashion.
"That being said, the simulation does not meet its designed purpose. There is no precedent, now or in history, that is able to accurately test abilities in a real life scenario without first being directly involved in said real life scenario. The simulation to date has been deemed unwinnable. Unbeatable. However, given that in a real life scenario no cadet, or officer for that matter, knows exactly what to expect from any given situation, the test itself cannot accurately reflect a real life scenario."
Jennifer paused, she knew she had to get off that particular tangent and explain why she should be allowed to take the test, not just attack the test itself.
"In both of my other attempts at beating the simulation I gave orders which, provided the situation was indeed real, should have either rescued the crew of the Kobyashi Maru, or saved the crew of the simulated starship of which I was in command. Neither of the outcomes happened. Both of you are aware of my experience in the field. First with the USS Aldrin, second with the Farragut, then this past summer aboard the Armstrong while we were patrolling the Federation/Romulan Neutral zone and were subsequently attacked. The last tour in particular can explain how a seemingly impossible survival rate does not necessarily dictate a loss. You both know I like to think outside of the box.
Jennifer relayed the last statement with as much confidence as she could muster. She remembered all too clearly what happened aboard the Armstrong during the summer. How the ship lost half of its crew complement, including its first officer and captain. Jennifer would sorely miss the hell out of Commander Ashley Glass. She was a complete and total badass in her opinion.
"I don't think you have a box, Kirk." Chris said, his lips tilted upward in a silent smile.
****o.O.o.***
Two months patrolling the Federation/Romulan Neutral zone. Jennifer could think of both better and worse ways to spend her summer, but she had to complete this final duty tour if she were to graduate fully. Of course there was always the chance to do another tour during spring break of her final year, but she wanted to use that time to complete her thesis which she had, god help her, already started on.
That was how she came to be on shift during the attack.
Captain Bannister and Commander Glass had been occupying the same five foot of space that had been hit by the sparking of Commander Glass' station which Captain Bannister was looking at to understand the nature of the attack. Internal communications had been taken out as a result of the damage and there was no time to request a senior command officer to attend to the bridge. That was how, as a technical cadet, but with Lieutenant rank, since she had successfully completed the Advanced Tactical Training course, Cadet Lieutenant Jennifer T. Kirk had gained command of the USS Armstrong during a brutal attack.
An attack two Romulan ships were currently making on the Armstrong for 'violation of the neutral zone' even though technically the Armstrong was well within Federation space.
The sparking, or rather combustion, of Commander Glass' station had burnt both the captain and the first officer's face and compromised their airways to the point that when medical finally made it to the bridge during the attack both officers were proclaimed dead on scene. Thank God for there being a protocol during an attack that a medical officer would report to the bridge immediately.
It was unfortunate, but Jennifer didn't have the time to think about it. She needed to focus on getting the Armstrong the hell out of dodge, if not blowing up the Romulan ships in the process. And then figure out how the hell they had been attacked and why. At least until the next person with command authority came to relieve her from the bridge. Because absolutely no one else on the bridge had either enough experience, authority, or just plain confidence in their own ability to take command during an attack. Jennifer had to step up until she was relieved.
As it was at that moment, the guy was probably stuck or still sound asleep, because he had yet to suddenly appear to take command. With the internal communications systems inoperable it was up to Jennifer to try and keep everyone else alive until she was told to go take a hike. The universe really seemed to love putting her in high risk siutations.
That was how she, with the help of the amazing navigator and helmsman on duty, was able to complete one hell of a risky maneuver, a rather ingenious and completely out of left field tactical move that Jennifer had come up with on the fly. It had worked out successfully, causing the other two Romulan ships to fire upon themselves thinking they were firing on the Armstrong, due to a ghost effect created when the ship went to warp for less than half a second being in-between each ship.
The helmsman had successfully navigated an evasive maneuver after jumping to and out of warp so that the Armstrong could see the now two destroyed Romulan vessels.
It was, according to everyone present and the admiralty later on, a work of genius, especially given that it was thought of by a cadet still in school and thought of on the fly.
Total losses for the Armstrong were counted at fifty-one. Captain Bannister and Commander Glass along with the communications officer on the bridge at the time of the attacks when consoles were fried from a torpedo hit among the counted dead.
Jennifer, though ultimately successful, didn't feel good about the supposed win.
***o.O.o.***
"Bearing in mind that the goal each cadet walks into the simulation with is to pass, I respectfully request allowance to make another attempt." Jennifer didn't say that the whole thing made her feel like absolute dogshit because of the whole situation regarding the father she never got to know, nor did she say that she planned to think extremely outside of the box in order to count the test as a win. No, she just would say what they needed to hear and hope that Chris wouldn't catch on until it was too late. She wasn't about to let her dead father down all because of a stupid test.
Admiral Barnett and Captain Pike looked to each other, Jennifer couldn't tell exactly what the unspoken communication that passed between them said, but she knew the second they had decided that she was going to be allowed another shot at the Kobyashi Maru.
"Alright, Kirk, your argument was valid. We'll let you take the exam again on one condition." Admiral Barnett addressed her.
"If you don't come out of it feeling like you've won, you drop it." Chris said, continuing with Barnett's statement.
"And, if you do somehow beat it, by the grace of god, you'll be redesigning it." Admiral Barnett added with a mischievous smile.
"Think you can handle that?" Chris smirked.
Jennifer looked at the men, not really knowing whether or not to accept their… acceptance.
"Um, yes. Yes sirs. Thank you sirs." Jennifer replied hastily before she could be told that they had changed their minds.
"Good. Now get the hell out of here. You're on holiday break." Chris replied.
Jennifer saluted for good measure and sped out of the office gleefully. It was time to see if Gaila was still going to be available during winter break as she had promised.
Jennifer spent the next two weeks holed up in Gaila's room designing a subroutine to be implemented through Gaila's account into the Kobyashi Maru simulation.
Gaila wasn't even phased when Jennifer had asked her if she knew a way into the simulation's system. In fact, it was Gaila herself that suggested implementing the subroutine as a virus when she would next log into the system. Gaila wouldn't get in trouble because the program would come attached to an email that shouldn't be easily traced back to Jennifer, and Gaila wanted Jennifer to beat the exam almost as badly as Jennifer wanted to.
The subroutine was designed to alter the parameters of the test just enough so that it was possible to beat the Klingons or use some crazy outside of the box thinking to out maneuver them. Jennifer didn't want to change the simulation's difficulty level, nor did she want it to be said that she cheated. As it went, she didn't really think about the subroutine virus as cheating, merely, creative thinking.
Jennifer had actually spent most of the break looking at the coding for the simulation itself, not writing the subroutine designed to alter its current parameters. The coding was elegant, sophisticated, and actually quite brilliant. If she didn't hate everything the test stood for, she'd congratulate its designer.
The current coding for the Kobyashi Maru allowed for a vast compilation of various responses able to be entered from simple commands to complex tactics. There were even a few responses programmed into the simulation's system that she hadn't thought to try. But it was all for naught. Every single capable command lead to one single result regardless of its potential for success or not.
Death.
Applying what she gathered from the coding of the current simulation's programming, Jennifer's subroutine was designed to disrupt the end result. Instead of leading to death, if the cadet taking the exam were to give the necessary commands and responses to various situations possible, the cadet could in fact either rescue the crew of the Kobyashi Maru, or at least survive the onslaught of the Klingon warbirds.
When it was finally complete, the day before she was scheduled to take the test and a week two days after classes had commenced for the final semester of the year, Jennifer was in Gaila's room celebrating with her.
"I just wish you could be part of the crew when I take that damn thing down!" Jennifer said, flopping onto Gaila's bed beside her.
"I know, girl. But I can't. I have to log in so the subroutine can be activated." Gaila smiled at her, stretching out across her bed almost completely naked.
Jennifer still hadn't gotten used to Gaila parading around her room in nothing but her underclothes, and she'd been good friends with her for months now.
"Do you ever wear clothes?" Jennifer asked, teasing.
"Not if I can help it." Gaila sat up once more. "You know, you could join me in my almost nakedness. You wouldn't feel so uncomfortable then." Gaila smiled mischievously, never one to miss an opportunity to divest someone of their clothing.
"I would, but then you'd try to jump me, and we can't really have that, can we? I mean, it's taking all of your control not to jump my delicious body as it is now." Jennifer laughed.
"Damn straight it is, girl! Hot body like yours deserves to be worshiped. And it isn't. Such a shame if you ask me." Gaila scooted as close to Jennifer as she could, their shoulders and thighs touching. Gaila lifted one hand and caressed Jennifer's naked arm, red cadet jacket having been removed. "You know, I could help with that, if you'd let me."
Jennifer scooted away from Gaila slowly. "If you weren't one of my best friends here, I might just let you. But you are, and I don't do that stuff with best friends, Gaila. You know this."
Gaila moved away to a respectable distance and sighed heavily. "I know. But you can't blame me for trying. It's what I do. You know I love you, right?"
It was Jennifer's turn to sigh. "Of course I do. And I love you too Gaila, but not like that. Besides, I'm going to be a captain someday, and you're going to be part of my crew. Can't have relations with the crew, now can I?"
Gaila scoffed, offended. "You can. Within reason. And you know you can. Besides, I'm not your crew now. But it's okay, I understand. I mostly just love messing with you now." Gaila replied, smiling brilliantly. "You're like my best friend here too. Besides Uhura. But that's mostly 'cause she's my roommate and puts up with me 24/7. I mostly love you like a sister. Like a super fucking hot sister who sometimes I want to fuck because, well, I am Orion. It's almost impossible for me not to want to." Gaila finished.
"I need to pee." Jennifer announced and headed for the small bathroom of Gaila's dorm room.
Jennifer was about to stand up from the toilet in the room which would have activated the automatic waste flush, but was glad she didn't because she heard Uhura speaking.
"Strangest thing." Uhura started. "I was in the long range sensor lab."
Gaila cut her off nervously, though Jennifer could understand somewhat, she didn't really know why she was acting as nervous as she was. "Yeah, yeah. I thought all night."
"I was tracking solar systems and I picked up an emergency transmission."
"Really."
"Yeah. The Klingon prison planet."
"Oh no." Gaila moaned.
"Yeah. A Klingon armada was destroyed. Forty-seven ships." Uhura replied, not paying attention to Gaila's lack of interest that even Jennifer could hear from the bathroom.
"Wow."
"Yeah. Apparently they were destroyed by one ship. A huge ship. Romulan according to the transmission."
There was a beat of pause.
"So you're not going back to the lab tonight?" Jennifer sighed internally, only Gaila could be so obvious.
"Gaila who is he?" Uhura questioned, anger rising in the tone of her voice.
No time like the present. Jennifer thought to herself. She stood up from the toilet, allowing it to flush and walked out of the bathroom seamlessly.
"He is actually a she and I think the fact that you picked up a transmission is very interesting." Jennifer teased.
"You!" Uhura shouted, surprised.
"Yes, me. Why thank you. I do have a name though, and also, for the record, I am not here having sex with your totally hot roommate." Jennifer smiled widely. It was the truth, but Uhura didn't need to know that. Not that she wouldn't know anyway, even she had been surprised by Jennifer's rumored stint of monogamy.
"Ugh. What are you doing here?" Uhura asked collapsing on the bed.
"Studying. Tell me more about this transmission of yours." Jennifer asked, taking a seat next to Gaila on her bed.
Uhura considered her for a moment before continuing.
"Well, it was like I said, from the Klingon prison planet. Apparently they had an escape. Romulans. And from what I can tell it sounded like the Romulan ship, which according to the transmission was gargantuan, wasn't seen until the prisoners escaped and made it to their ship. Then, bam! The whole armada of ships around there was destroyed trying to recapture the prisoners from their ship. It was very strange." Uhura told them.
"Strange indeed." Jennifer replied, internalizing the information from the transmission. She knew, without knowing, it was important, but she just couldn't put her finger on why it should be.
"So, you're retaking the Kobyashi Maru again. Tomorrow, I heard?" Uhura asked. Jennifer noticed Gaila stiffen beside her but payed not outward attention to the fact. If she did, it would only cause Uhura to read more into the reaction than she already probably was.
"Well, you know what they say, third time's the charm." Jennifer beamed. "How'd you find out about it?"
"Well, everyone's talking about it. That, and I may have been assigned as the bridge communications officer for the simulation." Uhura replied, emphasizing the last point with a touch of resentment laced into the words.
Jennifer beamed outwardly while groaning internally. She didn't really want Uhura there, she would pick up on the odd situation tonight and the defeat of the test tomorrow and be able to string the two together far too quickly. But, on the other hand, she did want Uhura there to witness her victory. "So I'll see you tomorrow? I'm going to kick that test's ass!" Jennifer decided on saying, getting up from the bed to leave the room finally.
"You're so gonna fail!" Uhura shot back at her, half teasing, half serious.
"We'll see about that!" Jennifer replied as the door hissed shut behind her.
The next day Jennifer was walking into the simulation waiting area with Bones in tow who was quietly grumbling under his breath.
"I can't believe you talked me into this. I distinctly remember telling you I wanted nothing to do with this." Bones grumbled.
"Yeah, but you love me, so you can't say no to me." Jennifer teased.
"Love ain't got nothin' to do with it darlin'. Nothin' at all." Bones grumbled deeply, his southern drawl more noticeable.
"So, how did you like your Christmas present?" Jennifer asked changing the subject and taking a seat to wait for the proctors to announce they were ready to begin. She was fifteen minutes early, which meant that she would be sitting around for a good five minutes before any announcements were made.
"You shouldn't have gotten for me. I don't even want to know how much money you spent on it." Bones groused, but he was appreciative nonetheless.
"Think of it as an apology gift and a Christmas present all rolled into one." Jennifer turned to her best friend, smiling. She had gotten him a refurbished old school record player, ancient really. And a few Creedence Clearwater Revival records. The records had been newly made, a sort of vintage omage to the 20th century, but the record player had been the true gift.
"That's one hell of an apology, kid." Bones replied facing Jennifer. He could see the twinkling in her eyes, the twinkling of….something. "How did you know I liked the original Creedence Clearwater Revival stuff anyway? They're ancient." He asked almost as an afterthought.
"You love ancient music. Original versions, not the remakes of anything. You especially listen to 1970's rock. You don't think I don't notice your music preferences? After the last three years? Really? I'm offended." Jennifer scoffed mockingly. She really had paid attention. She also might have started to fall in love with his music choices herself. It was a win-win situation for her as far as she was concerned. "Besides, this might've been the last year we're even on the same planet, I wanted to get you something special. It wasn't like you didn't spend an outrageous amount on me either." He had too. He'd gotten Jennifer an imported illegal stock of Romulan Ale along with two bottles of extremely good aged bourbon. He'd also completed his gift with a brand new personal PADD to replace the one she'd shattered during one of her rages about the Kobyashi Maru simulation.
"Yeah, just don't go shattering your brand new shiny PADD." Bones grumbled at her, blushing red.
"I won't. I promise. And, I know I've said it already, but thank you." Jennifer shot him a purely genuine golden smile.
"Why do I have the sudden feeling I'm going to regret doing this with you?" Bones asked abruptly, mainly to change the direction his thoughts were heading towards, but also frankly concerned. Jennifer seemed to at ease for her third and final attempt at the simulation she'd been obsessed with the past year.
"Have I ever caused you to regret anything with me?" Jennifer asked, an evil smile replacing the bright innocent one she'd had on her face only moments ago.
"Oh, God. Jenn, what did you do?" Bones asked, his voice raised almost two levels higher, his concern spiking exponentially.
"I'm sure I have no idea what you're talking about. And be quiet! Everyone's here now. They'll be starting soon!"
(After the successful ass kicking of the Kobyashi Maru Simulation)….
"You didn't!" Bones yelled in a whisper as they exited the simulation lab. "Tell me you didn't and all that was just a freak occurance. That Jennifer Kirk did not just resort to cheating." He paused. "Somehow."
"It's not cheating, Bones. It's called thinking outside of the box. And, well, we know I don't really have a box so to speak. And I definitely thought outside of it. Now hush. Let's go celebrate!" Jennifer replied, linking her arm in his and leading them down the hall to walk towards their rooms.
"I don't want anything to do with this. When it comes back to bite you in the ass. Because it will." Bones said as they finally reached their dorm room.
"Psssshh." Jennifer scoffed. "As if. You'll be fine in any case. You weren't actually getting graded in there. It doesn't count for you anyway. And everyone knows you're much too honorable for any kind of shenanigans that you're thinking of anyway." Jennifer started to remove her red cadet jacket.
"I sure as hell hope so, Jenn. Because so help me. When this comes back at you, because it will, I can promise you that, I want nothing to do with it. Any of it." Bones replied, removing his own jacket and pulling his undershirt over his head as well.
Jennifer caught sight of her half-naked best friend and took a long appreciative look at the defined muscles of his back as they rippled gloriously with his movement. He bent down to unlace his boots.
"You do know you're going to hear about this, right?" When Jennifer didn't respond in her usual manner Bones stood back up and turned around. "Jenn, you okay?" Bones snapped his fingers in front of her face, effectively pulling her from the sun she was basking in.
Jennifer shook her head. "Yeah, sorry, lost in thought." Jennifer mumbled, turning around to hide her blushing.
Bones paused for a moment, looking at his friend. "Yeah, well you should be. A stunt like that."
A stunt like that was exactly what landed Jennifer standing at a pulpit in front of the board of admirals for a public disciplinary hearing. One where she learned someone she respected and somewhat known had charged her with 'cheating' in academic vernacular.
And Spock had the audacity to bring her father up during the hearing as a reason she should know that death was inevitable, something which every Starfleet captain must accept.
As if. Death was an inevitable circumstance of living, she knew that. But that didn't mean you just accepted it every single time death came knocking on your door. No!
You tell death to get the fuck away from you and laugh in its face when you beat it. She would know. She'd done it a time or two before.
But it didn't matter, not at that moment anyway. Through the tentative bond, which was no longer being blocked on Satek's side and the transmission that Starfleet had received, she knew Vulcan was in trouble. The hearing would continue at a later date. Vulcan needed the assistance of Starfleet and as the primary fleet was engaged in the Laurentin system with the conflicts there, academy cadets and teachers would be pushed out to respond to the distress call.
But wouldn't she have loved to show that Vulcan professor turned accuser what the hell the Kobyashi Maru was really about!
As it was, she was put on academic probation and not cleared for duty. She wouldn't be going on the mission after all. Unless…
"What are you doing?" Jennifer asked as Bones pulled her into the shuttle hangar medical Bay.
Bones was rummaging through supplies, looking for something specific when he finally pulled out a hypospray and Jennifer blanched.
"Doing you a favor. I couldn't just leave you there, looking all pitiful. Roll up your sleeve." Jennifer complied, confused, but for once not arguing with him. "I'm gonna give you a vaccine against viral infection from Melvaran mud fleas." Jennifer felt the hypo prick into her upper arm and flinched from the pinch. It may have been a bit harder than necessary.
"Ow! Dammit! What for? I don't understand!" Jennifer complained as Bones started to clean up the mess he made.
"To give you the symptoms." He replied, pulling Jennifer to her feet. "
You're gonna start to lose vision in your left eye."
They barely passed the medical bay door.
"Yeah, I already have."
"You're gonna get a really bad headache. And flopsweat." Bones stated plainly.
Jennifer noticed the symptoms occur almost immediately as Bones relayed them to her. She was definitely starting to feel woozy.
"What'd you do to me? This is a favor?" Jennifer complained as the shuttle officer came into view.
"Yeah. You're welcome." Bones grumbled in reply.
The shuttle scanning officer stopped the two cadets as they started to walk onto the shuttle.
"Kirk, Jennifer T. She's not cleared for duty aboard the Enterprise." Smug shuttle officer announced.
Bones stood up impossibly taller then, sticking his chest out. Jennifer had to admit, bleary eyed as she was, that coupled with the angry scowl on his face did make him seem much more intimidating than she ever would have guessed him to be capable of.
"But I am. And Medical Code states the treatment and transport of a patient's to be determined at the discretion of his or her attending physician. Which is me." Bones paused, moving Jennifer straight in front of him again. "You can see he's suffering. He needs me. Since I'm assigned to this ship, so's he. Or would you like to explain to Captain Pike why the Enterprise warped off into a crisis without one of its senior medical officers?" Bones finished his rant loudly. It was pretty good, in Jennifer's opinion. Definitely believable. She didn't know Bones had it in him. Any of the most recent deception tactics really.
"As you were." The scanning officer said, stepping to the side to allow them entrance onto the shuttle.
"As you were." Bones shot back acidly.
Such was the way that Jennifer T. Kirk finally made it to the Enterprise. Through deceit and suggestion. Because, two souls such as those of Jennifer Kirk and Leonard McCoy, would forever be locked in a mutual orbit, crisis or no.