Cadet Kirk
When space pirates threaten a famous scientist, Cadet Kirk comes to the rescue!

Cadet Kirk is a Star Trek: The Original Series - Starfleet Academy young adult novel – the third and final novel in the series – written by John Vornholt. Published by Pocket Books, it was first released in .

Summary 
From the book jacket
James T. Kirk was a "by-the-book" Starfleet Academy cadet. Until he had to throw the book away!

It was a simple shuttle trip – just a quick hop to a nearby planet where renowned computer genius Richard Daystrom will give a lecture. But then a tractor beam forces the shuttle to land at a remote Federation outpost. Medical Intern McCoy, Ensign Spock and Cadet Kirk have been kidnapped by space pirates! They're outnumbered and outgunned. McCoy and Spock simply want to escape and alert the authorities. But Professor Daystrom is the real target, and his shuttle will be entering this region of space soon. For Daystrom's sake, The fiery young Kirk is determined to destroy the pirates' outpost – even if he has to do it alone.

Background information 
 In , author Carey noted that "Cadet Kirk was the only YA I wrote for Star Trek, and I only did it because they asked me. I had no intention of writing any more books for the YA line." According to her, the key difficulty was that "everything […] has to be 'downsized' to fit the template of a shorter novel with a linear plot and an audience of kids, without treating the readers as if they're immature.". ()
The Pocket Books Star Trek Novel Timeline, as printed in What Lay Beyond, places this story in 2251; the  edition of the Timeline maintains this positioning.

Characters 

James T. Kirk  Starfleet cadet. 
''Kirk would be approximately 18 years old in this book, according to his 2233 birthdate.
 
Leonard McCoy  Starfleet medical intern.
Spock  Vulcan Starfleet ensign.
Richard Daystrom  Scientist.
Christopher Pike  Starfleet captain.

References 
Starfleet Academy

Novels

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