A/N: Alright, so here's the first chapter! Sorry it took so long for me to upload, but I've been SUPER busy. Sorry if the dialouge is kind of clunky, this chapter was sort of difficult for me. Anyways, hope you like it! Also, I would like to thank everybody who was favorited and followed my story, and especially those who have reviewed! It means so much to me!

James Tiberius Kirk. It was a name that in the recent past, Spock had become quite familiar with. After a couple failed attempts to beat the Kobayhashi Maru test, the young cadet was going to make yet another attempt today. Some people admired his persistence. Others just thought he was an idiot. Spock was in the latter group. To him, it seemed illogical that one would, multiple times, attempt to beat something when one clearly didn't have the skills required.

Spock was curious to see if Kirk had improved at all since his last testing period. So, he decided he would observe the wannabe captain in action. Although the probabilities of Kirk actually passing the test was extremely low, the science officer was still interested to see how things would go.

"We're receiving a distress signal from the U.S.S. Kobayashi Maru. The ship has lost power and is stranded and Starfleet Command has ordered us to rescue them." Uhura's tone made it clear that she was bored and thought this whole thing was a waste of time. Her opinion of Kirk obviously wasn't that high.

Spock turned his attention to the young blond man, whom he assumed was Kirk. "Starfleet Command has ordered us to rescue them…?" After Uhura didn't respond and just gave Kirk a questioning look, Kirk rolled his eyes like it was so obvious. "Captain! Seeing as how I am in charge of this mission, I expect to be addressed with the proper title."

Spock cocked an eyebrow. For someone who had failed the Kobayashi Maru test several times, he seemed to hold himself in high regard, and even seemed overconfident.

"Klingon vessels have entered the Neutral Zone…and are now firing upon us." Spock recognized the owner of the voice as Leonard McCoy, a doctor. He had often heard his colleagues praise him. He looked as thrilled as Uhura with the whole situation.

"S'okay." Spock blinked in confusion. How was that ok? Was this a real life scenario, his whole crew would be dead if he kept up with this attitude. No wonder he failed so horribly at this test. He was an arrogant 'dumbass', as some humans might choose to call him.

"It's okay?" Apparently McCoy was sharing Spock's thoughts about Kirk.

"Yeah-no need to worry about it," Kirk replied with a nonchalant wave of his hand.

Several technicians and administrators were mumbling amongst themselves. "Did he seriously just tell them not to worry about it? Please tell me I misheard him." Spock was just as confused as they were. In his understanding, all humans were more or less ruled by their emotions, at least more so than Vulcans. But this was just downright absurd. It seemed that Spock had severely overestimated the intelligence of young human males, or at least this one.

Spock focused his attention back to the simulation chamber. "Three more Klingon warbirds decloaking and targeting our ship." McCoy looked over at the aspiring Captain. "I don't suppose that's a problem either?"

"Nah."

"Of course not, how ignorant of me to ask. Who am I to question the Captain with his abundance of knowledge and wisdom, who clearly-"

"McCoy, your lack of faith in me is disheartening. Does nobody trust me here?" Kirk asked, swiveling around in his chair and looking at his fellow cadets. They all looked at him with blank faces. "Aww, you guys just hurt my feelings," Kirk pouted. "Didn't your mothers raise you better?"

"They're firing, Captain. All of them," reported the cade in charge of tactics.

Kirk nodded in acknowledgment. "Alert medical bay that they soon will be receiving all crew members from the damaged ship." One of Spock's dark brows lifted. How exactly did he plan on rescuing the other crew? His thoughts were voiced not moments later by Uhura. Kirk was surrounded and under attack by all the Klingon vessels. He would be lucky to get his own crew out alive. This was by far, the most painfully unintelligent display of human behavior Spock had ever witnessed.

"Alert Medical." For a fleeting moment, Kirk sounded like someone who knew what he was doing, someone who possessed the leadership skills to become a captain. But it was just for a few seconds. Maturity, it seemed, was something that he didn't quite seem to have a firm grasp on.

"Shields currently at sixty percent," McCoy stated.

"Thank you, Bones," Kirk smiled and proceeded to crack his neck at a slow, leisurely pace. The cadets just gawked at him.

"Now would be a good time to fire back." When McCoy didn't receive a response, he continued. "Just a suggestion, some helpful advice."

"Don't get your panties in a twist just yet, Doc." McCoy just pursed his lips at his friend's flippant remark, and thought it best to just shut up.

Spock glanced over at the technicians who were manning the instrument consoles for the simulation chamber. Suddenly, there was a loud zap, and all the consoles died. Spock's eyebrows drew together in confusion. The science officer had checked to see that the consoles were in full operation just before the test had started. How was this possible? Unless of course someone had tampered with the system.

Spock turned back to the simulation chamber. Kirk didn't look the least bit put out. In fact, he looked gleeful, a big goofy grin slathered on his face. It seemed that Spock had underestimated the intelligence of the young cadet.

Then suddenly, the consoles whirred back to life as randomly and as inexplicably as they had died. Kirk was rubbing his hands together and licking lips in anticipation, almost as if he expected, knew what was coming next. This of course was virtually impossible.

Computer programs could be predicted and therefore beaten. If one could foresee what a computer's next move was, he could act accordingly. However, with the technicians constantly switching up the variables, it was close to impossible. Unless of course someone had mussed with the system beforehand. It seemed that Kirk had found a loophole.

"Kobayashi Maru still in distress," Uhura updated. "And…the Klingon's have ceased fire!" She was unable to disguise the surprise and awe in her voice.

"Who would've thunk?" Kirk replied with a self-assured grin. "Then I suppose we should respond! Arm the photons and prepare to fire on the Klingon warbirds.

"Brilliant plan Jim, it's just that their shields are still up," retorted McCoy.

"Sure bout that, Bones?"

McCoy rolled his eyes, completely exasperated. He stared at his console in bewilderment. He then muttered to himself for a moment before turning back to Kirk. "The shields are…down." Astonishment was apparent in the doctor's voice. The other cadets eyed Kirk with wonder.

"Fire on all enemy Klingon vessels, one photon per ship please. No point in wasting ammunition," Kirk said with a self-satisfied smirk.

"Yes, sir!" the tactics officer replied eagerly. Admiration shone in his eyes, and it was easy to see why. The Kobayashi Maru test was practically unbeatable, and yet a student of Starfleet Academy of three years had managed to defeat it. To the other cadet's, Kirk was a hero. Except for McCoy and Uhura, but that went without saying.

Every cadet in the mock command center focused their eyes on the forward screen. With the Klingon warship shields all down, it was only too easy for the five torpedoes to meet their target. The vessels exploded in a burst of brilliance. Kirk looked over at McCoy and gave him a lopsided smile. The doctor shook his head, but smiled.

Spock watched in utter perplexity as Kirk ordered the ship to start receiving shuttles of damaged crew from the Kobayashi Maru. The cadets were all too happy to comply and began to whisper amongst themselves. Kirk looked up to where the administrators, technicians, and Spock were watching. "Anything else?" he asked, eyes gleaming mischievously.

"How in the HELL did that kid beat your test?!" demanded an administrator.

Spock's gaze didn't waver from the cadet in the command chair as he answered. "I do not know…"

Spock took his seat in the amphitheater and watched as all the cadets started to trickle in. There was a hushed chatter as they wondered why the assembly had been called. Things like this weren't unheard of, but they weren't exactly common either. If cadets were being pulled out of their classes, that usually meant there was some sort of emergency.

Spock's ears instantly picked up on the voice of Kirk once he entered the room. It was unmistakable with its cocky, arrogant flair. It appeared as if McCoy was trying to make some sort of point to his overconfident friend, but Kirk just brushed him off with a chuckle and a slap on the back. Spock began to question the cadet's well-being. Or was it just ritual for human males to express their affections for each other through minor physical abuse? Humans were confounding creatures that Spock was sure he wouldn't ever fully understand.

Once the room was filled and quieted down, Spock turned his attention to Admiral Richard Barnett, the Academy Commandant. He called Kirk forward. The young man stood up from the front row and shot his fellow cadets a dazzling smile and then stepped forward.

A/N: Don't forget to review! It keeps me motivated!