By Bobbi J.G. Weiss and David Cody Weiss

"No one ever said Starfleet Academy would be easy, but Cadet Deanna Troi never expected it to be this hard, either. She's been taken prisoner by pirates on the Borocco-Kai, and now she's weaponless and helpless. Of course, it's only a test: a holodeck exam that all freshmen must pass. But for Deanna, the stakes are even higher than usual. She's opted to take the test early because it seemed like the only way to save her future at the Academy. Her telepathic abilities, natural aloofness, and an overbearing mother have made it difficult to gain the trust of her peers, and even harder to focus on her studies. Deanna has been sinking -- fast! But if this test is her only way back up, Deanna's in deep trouble! Unless she taps into her inborn abilities and saves the Borocco-Kai... and along with it, her career in Starfleet."