Word is that the Romulans have a new kind of cloaking device which could upset the balance of power. It's being guarded by a foxy high-ranking female officer. Say no more. The Klingons have built a memorial statue of Kirk on the Klingon homeworld and they've been letting these big nasty Klingon pigeons crap all over it. Even Vulcans agree.
Space needs more kissy-face.
The Kobayashi Maru has actually been disabled in the neutral zone. This time it ain't a simulation and only one man can save them. You're not a true hero until you return from the dead with some kind of boon for humanity. Just ask Joseph Campbell or George Lucas. Since the dawn of Star Trek, there have never been so many devices to bring a character back from the dead.