- We arrive of the bridge of the starship Enterprise, and the whole gang's here…except for Kirk (William Shatner), who's apparently been replaced by the chick from Cheers.
- Said chick is Saavik, a Vulcan prodigy of Mr. Spock's, and she's got her eye on a cargo ship in distress: the Kobayshi Maru.
- She takes the Enterprise into the Neutral Zone to save the ship, something that doesn't sit well with the local Klingon armada.
- They blow the Enterprise out of the water, killing everyone onboard…
- …surprise: just kidding.
- It was all a simulation, designed to show young Starfleet cadets what it means to face a no-win scenario.
- Admiral Kirk appears and tells Saavik that no-win scenarios happen sometimes, a fact she's not especially keen on.
- Mr. Spock—who's in the midst of training a new crew for the Enterprise, gives Kirk a copy of A Tale of Two Cities for his birthday. This is one Vulcan with sterling literary taste.
- Kirk heads home while Spock returns to the Enterprise to continue molding young minds.