The instant Shadow clapped eyes on the blue hedgehog, he knew the Mobian was going to be trouble.  Whether it was the way those mischievous, emerald eyes gleamed or the cadet's blatant disregard for rules, all of him screamed that he was no good. Shadow could read the emotions skittering over the face of the cadet, good and bad.  At first it had intrigued him, but now it only served to work contrary to Shadow's overall health -- because Black Arms did not get frustrated.

Sonic the Hedgehog, son of the infamous Jules.  He had been Captain of GUN's flagship, 'Tornado' twenty five years ago.  It had been destroyed on the edge of Black Arm space by mysterious causes.  The only warning sign Starfleet received before losing contact with the Tornado, was the strange warp tunnel which had appeared in the middle of space during a violent ion storm.

Jules died captaining the ship and it was what Mobians would consider a heroic death since it resulted in the lives of those aboard being able to shuttle out safely. Shadow could not understand what was so inspirational about a man's sacrifice, but Mobians often found comfort in the misfortune of others. It was a fact which would never cease to perplex Shadow.

Sonic was trouble, just like his father.  Jules was known for his unorthodox approach and Sonic had no doubt followed suit in improper ways.  Sonic was loud, following only his own rules.

As it stood, he had chosen to pick apart the rules of the test Shadow had programmed. The Kobiyashi Maru, an unbeatable exam meant to show its test takers the true meaning of fear and accept death under all circumstances. If Shadow were to partake in typical Mobian emotions, he would say that it was inspired by Jules' last stand on the Tornado.

In actuality Shadow found it more logical to take the real life situation of the Tornado and apply it in a simulation, or one similar to it as no one really knew what happened that day aboard the flagship.  As a result, Shadow had been intrigued when Sonic chose to take the test his father had failed. He had chosen to watch watch during Sonic's first examination.

Shadow could remember seeing the tightening of emerald eyes at the corners, a clear sign of Sonic's tension.  It was a normal response that all Cadets experienced when taking the exam for the first time. Shadow filed the observation away in the back of his head and continued to watch. The hedgehog had taken the Captain's chair, sat down and began the test.

It ran as Shadow had expected. Sonic failed spectacularly.

Shadow watched from the observation decks up above, ruby eyes traveling over the frenzied crew. Sonic kept a level head throughout the ordeal, but not even that was enough to save his crew.  It was clear the hedgehog knew they were doomed from the very start by the way he sat in his captain's chair, gaze dark.

Perhaps it was erroneous of Shadow to theorize before he had gathered all facts, but he believed the lesson had been learned.  One could not cheat death and when faced with an insurmountable situation, it was best to accept death and come to terms with it.

Sonic had been the last cadet to leave the room while Shadow stayed behind to continue his observations on the hedgehog, almost like he was an interesting specimen that had found its way under the Black Arm's microscope.  Sonic was still seated in the captain's chair, gloved fingers rapping rhythmically against the arm rest, lost in thought.

It was normal for most students to have a reaction like this, Shadow reasoned, After all, they were forced to come to terms with the fact that they and their entire crew were now dead because they could not think of a solution. It was difficult to accept.

When Sonic stood up, an hour after the simulation was over with, Shadow came to the conclusion that the hedgehog learned his lesson well and had taken the sufficient time to organize his cumbersome emotions.  Shadow left the observation deck, the simulation shoved to the back of his mind.

Imagine his intrigue when he heard Sonic would be taking the exam a second time.

Shadow took his spot on the observation deck again, wondering if Sonic was experiencing an emotional, rebellious response. After all, most of the hedgehog's peers would have considered it lunacy on Sonic's part to attempt the test a second time. The theory was dismissed when Shadow felt the raw energy pouring off the youth.  For a moment it left Shadow stunned at the pure chaos energy sliding through Shadow's senses, making it difficult for the Black Arm to focus.

It was an electric pulsing that flared out around Sonic like an invisible halo. Determined tendrils of its power beckoned to Shadow, stroking at the corners of the Commander's mind and calling to Shadow's instincts on their most basic level. It was hard to ignore that strange siren, startling Shadow with its sheer intensity. His heart seemed to throw itself against his sides out of surprise, and he fought to quell the unruly... emotion.

When he managed to keep it under his control, Shadow came to an odd conclusion. Sonic was confident he could beat Shadow's simulation.

The headstrong hedgehog actually believed he stood a chance.

Impossible, but intriguing nonetheless.

As expected Sonic had been defeated a second time by the program, and like last time Sonic remained seated in the 'captain's' chair long after everyone had cleared out the room.  This time lasted even longer than the first, and Shadow remained where he was -- observing.

When Sonic chose to leave, Shadow remained for a few seconds longer.  This hedgehog was intriguing to say the least, acting most illogically in defying his defeat the test. There was no submission in those emerald eyes. Sonic had done everything within his power to save the crew, even if it meant doing insane and completely unorthodox actions.  Perhaps the motives were a bit misguided, but it was fascinating in its own right.

As interested as Shadow was, he knew there would not be another chance to observe the cadet's actions.  He was sure that would be the last time he saw or heard from Sonic the Hedgehog. So shouldering his disappointment and scientific curiosity, he pushed Sonic from his mind a second time.

Shadow's disbelief was profound when his conclusion had been torn asunder.  Cadet Sonic, having failed the Kobiyashi Maru twice had come back for a third attempt.  Not only was this unheard of, it was at this point Commander Shadow was worried if perhaps Starfleet had allowed a mentally unstable man to enlist into the fleet.

The test was free for every student to take and required for those in the Command program.  Most students -- at least the brave ones took it once, but only once.

Shadow's lips thinned into a line and ruby eyes hardened as he once more took his usual spot on the observation deck.  At first Shadow had supposed it was an act of male bravado -- boldly preforming courageous feats in the face of certain death.  It was an illogical sense of pride and stubbornness which made this cadet refuse to give up.

Sonic did not understand the lesson, no matter how many times it was crammed down his throat.  Had Shadow given into his Mobian side, he would have found the situation frustrating -- especially considering the cadet's heritage.  Shadow might even have frowned.

Shadow watched with dry attention as the cadet swaggered aboard the simulation, a bounce to his step and broad smile on his face.  Sonic exuded confidence with every step he took, and Shadow might have been annoyed if he didn't know for a fact that Sonic's overinflated ego would soon be popped. The cadet took his seat in the captain's chair and flashed a broad smile at his classmates when they began.

Then, before Shadow's very eyes -- the Kobiyashi Maru was beaten.

The cadet hadn't broken a sweat.

Emerald eyes turned up to the observation deck, smug and very happy with his apparent success.  For a moment their gazes locked and Shadow's ears slowly laid back against his head.

Sonic the Hedgehog was the first and only one to have ever defeated the Kobiyashi Maru.

"How did that kid manage to beat your simulation?" Shadow heard the voice of an overseer ask of him.

Shadow responded automatically, his thoughts processing the question before he had an opportunity to actively think about it.

"I do not know."

Yes, Sonic the Hedgehog was most certainly trouble and now Shadow was faced with the concern of how he had managed to beat the test. Logically it was impossible to do so without outside aid, therefore the clear answer was that Sonic had cheated.

All Shadow needed to figure out was how.

His eyes darkened as he watched the victorious Sonic exit.  It was Shadow's turn to remain standing on the observation deck, alone and lost in thought. The taste of defeat was heavy on his shoulders, but Shadow would correct it.

It was clear now, that Shadow would not be able to wash his hands of Sonic the Hedgehog so easily.

-::-

The cadet was a strange man.  Outrage poured off the hedgehog in palpable waves and Shadow did his best to ignore them.  It was hard to remain focus when the hedgehog had such a strong presence.  Sonic possessed an unusual amount of chaos energy built within his body.  It was far more power than was typical of a normal Mobian -- more than what a Black Arm could posses as well.  Had Shadow been in a different situation, he would like to explore the possibilities behind such an anomaly.

The call of Sonic's energy was distracting enough, and if he were to pay attention, it felt like a jolt to Shadow's system.  The Back Arm was almost afraid to think of what would happen if he were to ever come in contact with the cadet's bare skin.  Just one taste of that dynamic, emotionally charged energy.

"Now I think we all know the answer to this, but the test itself was a cheat. There was no way to win," Sonic's bold voice interrupted Shadow's inner musings.

Now was not the time for his thoughts to wander.  At the moment he was standing trial against Sonic in front of the school board, charging the cadet with academic dishonesty in front of his peers.

"Your response precludes the possibility of a no-win scenario," Shadow responded in turn.

"I don't believe in no win scenarios," Sonic replied with a challenging, but forceful statement.

Shadow should have meditated to calm himself before the trial. His Mobian side was frustrated and annoyed with Sonic over finding the subroutine that had been programmed into his beloved exam which changed the parameters of the Kobiyashi Maru. Had he meditated, he would not be in such a volatile state and would be in more control of his responses.

"Then you have failed to understand the purpose of the lesson," Shadow said coldly, vindicated.

Emerald eyes narrowed at the challenge, "Enlighten me."

The words spilled from Shadow's mouth before he even thought to stop them.

"You of all people should know a captain cannot cheat death."

A hush fell over the auditorium when Shadow ruthlessly brought Sonic's father into the discussion. Sonic seemed to freeze where he was standing, emerald eyes locking onto Shadow. The outrage pouring off of the cadet seemed to be forming a cloud around him, but Shadow did not stop to think about that intriguing energy again.

"I of all people," Sonic repeated, somewhat dully.

"Your father captained the USS Tornado did he not?" Shadow inquired of the student. The glare Sonic shot him very clearly screamed, 'why-are-you-talking-like-I-don't-know-about-my-father?' Shadow ignored the look and continued without pause, "His sacrifice saved the lives of his crew at the cost of his own."

"I just think you don't like the fact that I beat your test," Sonic talked over Shadow loudly.

That was a fair assessment. Shadow did not like the fact that Sonic cheated. He stoutly refused to believe the snot-nosed Cadet had truly beaten the exam. He had been forced to change the parameters of the exam to even stand a chance, and that was not beating it.

The discussion continued, Shadow lecturing Sonic on the merits of understanding fear and coming to grips with it. A trait that was expected of all Captains to carry.  Shadow knew it was pointless to explain this to the stubborn hedgehog. The words merely flew in one ear and out the other, with blazing, emerald eyes glaring at him the entire time.

It was to everyone's surprise when the trial was interrupted. The Admiral in charge of overhearing the discussion was handed a datapad by a terrified looking Ensign and promptly looked it over. The room was silent as they waited for the Admiral to finish.  His mouth was set at a grim line and he looked up at the gathered cadets.

"We've just received a distress call from the ARK," He began, "Since our fleet is currently inhabiting the Delta Quadrant, all cadets are to report to the launching bay for further instructions."

As the words fell from the Admiral's mouth, all thoughts of Sonic and cheating fled from Shadow's mind.

His home was in danger.