The year is 2250 and it has been six months since James Kirk joined Starfleet Academy. A rebellious young man, Kirk is used to doing things his way--and whenever he feels like it. However, the Academy is changing him little by little, showing him how to transform his headstrong attitude and ambition into qualities that make him a leader. Kirk's behaviour often brings him to clash with another Starfleet Academy member, a half-Vulcan, half-human named Spock. This book series will delve into the lives and relationships of Kirk and the other recruits at the Academy, their training, their missions, and their romances.

In The Competitive Edge, Kirk finds out how much of a toll the intense training classes and gruelling schedule of academy life is taking on all the cadets, including him. But some recruits seem better equipped to handle the challenges. Is there something that is giving them an edge? Kirk is determined to find out, especially since one of the cadets with a little something extra is his new girlfriend.