Chapter 8:
*T'Aimnu's POV*

At least five hundred cadets are in the huge Starfleet chamber. Leonard and I are sitting next to each other, looking over to what's going on. The president of Starfleet looks stern as he speaks, "James T. Kirk. Step forward."
James looks nervous as he walks up to one of the podiums.
"An incident has occurred today that concerns the entire student body. Academic immorality by one is an assault on us all. It will. Not. Stand. Cadet Kirk, evidence has been submitted to this council suggesting you violated the ethical code of conduct pursuant to regulation 17.43 of the Starfleet code. Is there anything you care to say before we begin?"
He looks uncomfortable as he speaks, "Yessir, I believe I have the right to face my accuser directly."
The president nods towards the assembly. To Leonard's surprise, I stood up with my cousin.
"Step forward you two please. As you may or may not know, this is Commander Spock and his cousin soon to be Dr. T'Aimnu. Spock programmed the Kobayashi Maru test for the last four years with the help from T'Aimnu."
Cousin Spock steps to the other podium with me standing next to him and my hands behind my back.
"Cadet Kirk," he speaks, "it is obvious you somehow managed to install and activate a subroutine in the programing code, thereby changing the conditions of the test."
"Your point being?" Kirk asked.

"In academic vernacular, you cheated," Academy president adds.

"Respectfully, define 'cheating'."
"To deceive by trickery," I explained.
"Now let me ask you something I think we all know the answer to: the rest is rigged, isn't it? You programmed it to be unwinnable."
"Mr. Kirk, I don't see how the intent of the exam is relevant to these proceedings," the president speaks.
"Because if I'm right, sir, then the test itself is a cheat."
"Your argument precludes the possibility of a no-win scenario-"

"I don't believe in no-win scenarios," Kirk interrupts Cousin Spock.
"Than not only have you violated the rules, you've failed to understand the principle lesson," I stated.
"Please, enlighten me T'Aimnu," he smirks to me.

"You, of all people should know, Cadet Kirk," we said at the same time, "a captain cannot cheat death."

"'I of all people?'" Kirk says, shifting his emotions.
"Your father, Lieutenant George Kirk, had assumed command of his vessel before killed in action, did he not?" I asked, getting serious.
"How long did it take you to look that up?" he asked, in anger and embarrassment.

"How long did it take you to program the virus that allowed you to cheat?" Cousin Spock asked.
"Maybe you two just don't like that I beat your test."

"In the Vulcan culture, 'like' is not a verb in our vernacular," I explained.

"We've simply made the logical deduction that you're a liar," he adds.
"What an idiot I am for taking that personally-"

"Ish-veh isachya dungi nam-tor yon-kur," Cousin Spock says to me.

My eyes widen at what he said.

"What did you say to T'Aimnu?" Kirk asked confused.

"Umm permission to leave please," I said to the president, almost sounding in a panic.

"Sure," the president says, unsure what's going on.

"Thank you," I thanked, running off the stage to another location of the building.

*Leonard's POV*

'T'Aimnu…' I thought to myself, worried.

"Furthermore, you have failed to divine the purpose of the test."

"Enlighten me again," Kirk repeated making my eyes roll.
"The purpose is to experience fear. Fear in the face of certain death," Spock continues on, "to accept that fear and maintain command of one's self and one's crew. This is a quality expected in every Starfleet captain."
"So you're telling me the point, of the whole thing. Is to be afraid?" obviously he was absorbed to it.
"Fear is necessary, yes."

"Have you or your rather beautiful cousin taken the test, Commander Spork?"

"Dammit Jim," I mumbled under my breath, glaring at him.
"Agreed that my cousin has a beauty to her and it's Spock. As a Vulcan, I require no additional training to control my narcissism when making command decisions."

At the corner of my eye, looking at the stage, I notice T'Aimnu in the shadows of the backgrounds. She watches the scene before her, not wanting to get involved.

"You keep reminding me that you're Vulcan," Kirk sounds angry, "and I'm sure you and T'Aimnu are really proud of that, who wouldn't be - but isn't it true you people don't experience fear at all?" Spock raises an eyebrow at this. "And if that's the case - what's that say about your ability to make command decisions?"
All of sudden, someone in a red shirt comes in running into the hall. We all do for the datapad to be pass to the President. The president read it and motions T'Aimnu to join them again. She does with the same curiosity as everyone.

"We've received a distress call from Vulcan."

Vulcan? Spock looks concern as T'Aimnu has her hands covering her mouth and her eyes widen.

"Cadet Kirk - you are on academic probation pending the result of your hearing. Cadets, report to Shuttle Hangar One immediately - this hearing is at recess until further notice - dismissed."
I join up to Kirk as we watch the two cousins. The taller one was trying to calm the shorter one.
"We are going to help them," Jim stated firmly.

"Yes we are," I agreed with him.