The more I think about that scene, the more I feel that she was trying to get caught in a situation that gave her no alternative to tell the truth. She feels like a character that's hiding too much for her own good.

First thing I thought was that the ship was going to be in Academy Mode because it was obviously landed and not in space, which we saw earlier seems to be able to simulate just about any scenario. Which would also explain why it was accepting commands from cadets without question.