Rakatheema was also on hand to make his case to the board, but Kirk was surprised to see the Arcturian commander joined by his direct superior, Admiral Lance Cartwright, the former captain of U.S.S. Ark Royal who now served as the head of Starfleet Security. “I’m here to add my endorsement to the commander’s proposal,” the tall, mahogany-skinned admiral had explained to Kirk in his rich, booming voice. “Since it relates to questions of Federation security and defense, I asked to be included.”

Kirk had a fairly clear idea where Cartwright’s thoughts were headed, for he had been considering similar possibilities. However, it would first be necessary to make the more basic case for the Warborn to Admiral Chandra and his other advisors.

Chandra was an accomplished Starfleet veteran with more than fifty years of experience, having served as a science officer, captain, starbase commander, and Academy instructor and administrator. His path had crossed with Kirk’s a few times when the older man had been captain of the Kongo, most notably when he had sat on the board of Kirk’s court-martial for the negligent homicide of Lieutenant Commander Ben Finney. Kirk had never held that against him, of course; it was simply by chance that Chandra had been one of the command-rank officers available at Starbase 11 at the time, due to the Kongo being in for repairs. Indeed, once Spock had deduced that Finney had faked his death, the court-martial had been disbanded before Chandra or the other panelists had needed to make a decision. Over Kirk’s months as Academy commandant, he had found Superintendent Chandra to be a capable superior with the reliable judgment and breadth of perspective that came from decades of wide-ranging experience.

As Commander Rakatheema stated his case to the panel, Chandra sat patiently with his hands resting on his hips, arms slightly akimbo—a familiar sight to Kirk from his court-martial, and more recently from numerous Academy meetings. Chandra was a contemplative man, not prone to speak unless he had something worth saying. When the Arcturian commander returned to his seat, however, Chandra folded his hands before him on the tabletop. “You have made an excellent case regarding what Starfleet service could do for the Warborn, Commander. However, the question remains: What could the Warborn do for Starfleet? By your own acknowledgment, their education to this point has been limited to knowledge and skills deemed necessary for combat. The ideal Academy candidate has a far more eclectic education.”

“Absolutely,” interposed Professor Blune, tapping a meaty finger on the table. “Starfleet officers are explorers, scientists, and diplomats first.”