#3 Cadet Kirk by Diane Carey, 1996.

McCoy and Spock meet again when they are both on their way to the Starfleet Academy Science Conference at Colony Cambria. However, the small ship that is supposed to take them there is piloted by Cadet Kirk, who is disappointed because he was originally supposed to be the pilot for Dr. Richard Daytrom, a famous scientist who will be speaking at the conference. McCoy isn’t happy about the situation either, remembering that Kirk got him in trouble the last time they met and caused him to miss his holiday.

Kirk seems entirely too self-assured and constantly quotes rules and regulations. As they pass the Atlantis Outpost, an automated research station, the ship is caught by a tractor beam and forced to the ground. A group of mercenaries hired by Klingons believed that Dr. Daystrom was on board the ship, and they want to kidnap him. Kirk does his best to follow regulations, but it only results in getting them all captured. Kirk is discouraged and worried about what will happen when Daystrom’s ship finally arrives.

The book is currently available online through Internet Archive.