Ok so this chapter is pretty long but hey why not? So to all you loyal Star Trek fans out there, please forgive me when I describe Lara working at her station...I didn't know any other way to describe it, and I wanted to show off how good she is :D
Enough talk! On with the story!
Disclaimer: I do not own Star Trek...I only own Lara Sheppard
"We are receiving a distress signal from the USS Kobayashi Maru; the ship has lost power and is stranded. Starfleet command has ordered us to rescue them." Uhura delivered her role perfectly, but not without some sarcasm.
"Starfleet command has ordered us to rescue them…captain," Jim said turning his seat away from Uhura to face to front of the "bridge".
Lara couldn't help but snicker at that one. The alarm systems started to sound off and Lara started typing in codes rapidly.
"Two Klingon vessels have entered the neutral zone and are locking on us." Leo reported from his station. Despite him being a doctor, he was a part of the simulation.
Lara entered in more codes and solved an algorithm quickly. "That's okay," she heard Jim say from the captain's chair.
She raised an eyebrow, he had something planned. "That's okay?" she heard Leo ask.
When she looked back, Jim answered casually, "Yeah don't worry about it".
Lara entered another algorithm.
"Three more Klingon war birds decloaking and targeting our ship," Leo reported, "I don't suppose this is a problem either." He said gesturing toward the view screen.
Several lines of code ran down her screen, "They're firing captain", Lara reported while she ran her eyes over the codes that reported the number, and strength of the missiles. She punched in another equation to help the computer compensate and keep shield strength up.
"Alert medical bay to prepare to receive all crew members from the damaged ship." She heard Jim say to Uhura. Lara rolled her eyes and entered in another line of data.
Uhura turned to face Jim and crossed her arms, annoyed she said, "And how do you expect us to rescue them when we're surrounded by Klingons, captain?"
Jim turned his chair toward her, a sly smile on his face, "Alert medical".
Uhura seethed and punched in the orders onto her screen. The Klingons began firing causing the alarms to sound off. Lara looked up at the observation deck to see Captain Pike watching her with a data pad in his hand. Probably watching how fast I work, she thought to herself.
"Our ship is being hit," Leo reported, "Shields at sixty percent". I know, I know, Lara thought to herself as her fingers flew over the screen entering in a lengthy equation to try and raise shield strength to compensate for the power of the Klingon missiles.
"I understand," Jim said, pulling out an apple from somewhere in his seat.
"Well should we I don't know, fire back?" Leo asked, very confused by his friend's behavior.
"No," Jim said taking a bite out of his apple nonchalantly.
"Of course not," she heard Leo mutter under his breath. She grinned and started to enter in a few more lines of code. She was almost finished when the screens fizzled out and everything went black for a moment. The commanders in the observation deck went into a small chaos trying to figure out what had just happened.
After a few moments, everything came back on. Lara was seething, all of her previous codes were gone, and she didn't get a chance to enter them. Then she heard Jim say to her, "Sheppard, arm photons prepare to fire on the Klingon war birds."
Lara raised an eyebrow but didn't protest, she was being evaluated, "Yes sir". She turned and pressed several different buttons, arming the photons and a few other systems just in case the "captain" had some other ideas.
"Jim, there shields are still up," Leo said pointing at the Klingons.
"Are they?" Jim said taking another large bite out of his apple.
Leo looked at his screen, "No, they're not."
"Fire on all enemy ships," she heard Jim say to her", One photon each should do, let's not waste ammunition."
Lara's fingers flew over the console as she entered in codes to compensate for trajectory and speed of the photons, "Target locked and acquired on all war birds," she said looking up to Pike to see if he was watching, "Firing." She released the photons; they all hit right on target and destroyed each target with one hit, "All ships destroyed captain", she reported. When Lara looked up at Pike, again he nodded to her once then shook his head when he saw Jim standing. Lara turned her seat around and watched him.
"Begin rescue of the stranded crew—so, we've managed to eliminate all enemy ships, no one on board was injured, and the successful rescue of the Kobayashi Maru crew is under way." Jim took another large bite out of his apple and chewed loudly. Lara shook her head and laughed despite how furious she was with Jim. She knew he would do something, she just knew it.
Lara had just changed out of her simulation uniform and was heading to her next class when she was violently pulled off to the side of the hallway by none other than Uhura. "Ow! Hey watch that vice grip," Lara said rubbing her now sore arm.
Uhura ignored her comment and stared her down, "Did you have anything to do with today?"
"Oh come on, I may have helped Jimmy steal a car or two but I would never help him cheat on a test, especially one designed by a Vulcan," she rolled her eyes and turned to walk away but ran into what felt like a brick wall. When she looked up, rubbing her nose, she felt her heart drop, "Commander Spock, what can I do for you sir?"
He put his hands behind his back and addressed Uhura, "Lieutenant, give us a moment?"
Anger flashed in her eyes briefly but she stormed off, lips tight, and fists clenched. Lara slowly met eyes with the Vulcan and felt like calling for help, but that would just be downright embarrassing. "What do you need sir?"
"You are close with Mr. Kirk?"
"Um…yes we've been friends for a very long time…sir."
"Do you have any knowledge as to his actions during this morning's simulation?"
Lara shrugged, "Your guess is as good as mine, uh sir," she straightened her back", But believe me when I say that Jim couldn't have done anything wrong".
He raised an arched brown at her, "You have that much faith in him?"
She felt her cheeks turn red, "Uh…yes sir. I-I care about him, a lot. I would follow him anywhere, even if he did cheat on a test. I'm not saying he did, but, what I'm trying to say is Jim is a good person. Now I know he acts like a complete moron sometimes but, he has the potential to do the right thing, to do great things actually."
"What is your point Miss Sheppard?"
"I…I think I'm trying to ask you to be gentle to Jim. He may act like an idiot one moment but that nerdy genius is there, you just have to find him…" she trailed off and looked up to find any reaction from Spock. Of course she saw none. Damn emotionless Vulcan. He looked like he was about to say something when she heard the admirals voice over the intercom system calling a meeting for all cadets to attend immediately.
"You should head to the meeting. I will think on what you have told me Miss Sheppard." And with that the Vulcan turned and walked away, stiff and stoic as ever.
"Lara!" she heard her name behind her and turned to see Jim walking toward her briskly with Leo close behind.
"Hey, you ready for this meeting?"
"Yeah, I wonder what's going on." Jim said flashing a smile at a passing cadet.
Leo rolled his eyes, "As long as it's not another lecture on our weekend behavior…that was pure torture."
"I blame Jim for that one, he did host that stupid Halloween party last year", Lara smiled at the memories of cheap costumes and even cheaper booze.
"Hey!" Jim said laughing at the memories as well, "If I remember correctly you were the one who said we should have the party."
"I threw out the idea, you were the one who actually made it happen", she giggled pointing her finger at his nose.
"Don't even think about it Lara…" Jim said watching her finger closely.
She laughed, "What? Come on Jimmy, follow my finger", she moved her finger from right to left, Jim's eyes following it closely.
Bones stared at them, "What in the world are you doing?"
"Jim hates going cross eyed…and when I touch his nose. You could call it a win/win for me", she moved her finger toward his nose slowly.
"Well it's a lose/lose for me…stop it, you're gonna make my head hurt Lara."
"No." her finger was dangerously close to his nose now.
Bones still didn't understand, "Why do you hate for your nose to be touched?"
"His nose is very tick-ah!" Jim swatted her hand away then picked her up and swung her over his shoulder. "Jim! I have a very short skirt on! Put me down!"
"I'll cover it up," he said moving his hand dangerously close to her backside.
"Whoa! James Tiberius Kirk you put me down right now!" she said despite her fluttering stomach and rapidly beating heart.
"Why did you have to use the whole name?" Jim said still holding her.
"Because I know how much you hate it-ah!" he flipped her so that he was now carrying her bridal style, "Would you stop tossing me around like this?"
"Come on Jim, we're almost at the assembly hall anyway." Bones pointed out.
"Fine," Jim relented gently putting Lara back down, his hand lingering on her lower back, "But only cause I love you," he said pinching her nose lightly.
"Yeah yeah, I've heard it before. Come on let's get this over with." Lara said the feeling of Jim's warm hand on her back still there as she took a seat in between him and Leo.
After the initial ceremonies the meeting got under way, Admiral Barnett began. "This cession has been called to resolve a troubling matter. James T. Kirk step forward."
Jim had a look of confusion. As he stood Lara squeezed his hand reassuringly. He made his way down to the podium and stood straight and confident.
"Cadet Kirk evidence has been submitted to this council suggesting that you violated the ethical code of conduct pursue into regulation 17.43 of the Starfleet ethic code. Is there anything you care to say before we begin sir?" Admiral Barnett said hands folded in front of him on the table.
Jim paused for a moment, and then he said, "Yes, I believe I have the right to face my accuser directly."
Admiral Barnett looked to the audience. "Step forward please," the admiral said, "This is Commander Spock, he is one of our most distinguished graduates. He's programmed the Kobayashi Maru exam for the last four years, Commander." Barnett gave Spock the floor. Lara felt her heart sink; she really hoped that what she said to the Commander had helped him go easy on Jim, whatever he planned on doing.
The Vulcan put his hands behind his back and began, "Cadet Kirk you somehow managed to install and activate a subroutine programming code thereby changing the conditions of the test."
Jim put his hands behind his back as well and shrugged his shoulders, "Your point being?"
"In academic vernacular, you cheated." Barnett said bluntly.
Murmurs and whispers started to go around the chamber. Lara looked at Bones. They were both starting to get very nervous.
"Let me ask you something I think we all know the answer to," Jim spoke up, "the test itself is a cheat isn't it? You programmed it to be unwinnable."
Spock kept his calm, "Your argument precludes a possibility of a no win scenario."
Jim put his hands on either side of his podium, "I don't believe in no win scenarios."
"Then not only did you violate the rules but you failed to understand the principle lesson." Spock said, still calm and collected.
"Please enlighten me," Jim said. Lara could tell he was getting frustrated.
"You of all people should know Cadet Kirk, a captain cannot cheat death." Lara balled her hands into fists.
"I of all people." Jim repeated, looking down at his hands.
"Your father," the Vulcan said, "Lieutenant George Kirk assumed command of his vessel before being killed in action did he not?" No need to be so cold about the whole thing, Lara thought to herself.
"I don't think you like the fact that I beat your test." Jim said, which might have been true but Spock ignored it.
"Furthermore you have failed to define the purpose of the test."
Now Jim was really frustrated, "Enlighten me again."
"The purpose is to experience fear, fear in the face of certain death to accept that fear and maintain control of one's self and ones crew. This is a quality expected in every Starfleet captain."
Jim looked defeated. He was about to say something but a messenger came in and delivered a data pad directly to Admiral Barnett. His eyebrows creased but he announced what he had just read to the audience, "We've received a distress call from Vulcan. With our primary fleet engaged in the Lorentian System, I hereby order all cadets to report to hangar 1 immediately, dismissed." The admirals stood and left and so did the cadets.
Lara and Bones made their way down to Jim. Lara came up to him and put her hand on his shoulder. He gave her a half smile, one that didn't quite reach his eyes. He turned to watch Spock walk out with the other commanders. "Who was that pointy-eared bastard?"
"I don't know," Leo said, "But I like him."
Thanks a bunch for reading! Read and Review!