The Choice

[tr'Jeth Dabi 0]

Over the last month while Daise tr'Jeth Dabi interviewed and tested multiple applicants for the available security positions as well as their cross training for flight positions, he was becoming despondent in the way most of them reacted to situations. Many that were recommended had such a seedy past, Torate would have never allowed himself to trust them. After all, security on a station of this size had more than just Security responsibilities, and way beyond the fighters. There were always secret operations going on behind the scenes. Travelers would frequent the station, causing grief with other visitors; there would be religious, species, military and political threats. The list was huge and never ending.

 

 

There were, however, three leading security applicants left. They stood in front of tr'Jeth Dabi in the holodeck. He continued his tirade, "… and you will not stop until you have taken down both of your opponents. You are permitted to increase their number, IF you can handle it. Surrender," he paused to look each one of them up and down, "and place your resume with the candy shop on the midway." His voice was clear and firm, even for Federation standard.

 

 

The three applicants had Starfleet training. Howard Bean, Jahaelm Senior and Maple Rutian had endured two hours of physical testing so far that day; that was after today's hour of inquisition and written exam.

 

 

They had already disabled the initial opponents when Bean called for a duo. This caught tr'Jeth's attention. He moved his line of vision from the console he'd been working from towards Bean and his two holodeck Klingon warriors.

 

 

Senior wasn't as agile in the ring, but he had his hands were very quick. Rutian … oh Maple. Torate had allowed her to pass the first few cuts just because of those long black boots and tight jumpsuit.

 

 

Starfleet had trained all of them well, and tr'Jeth Dabi was working out every ounce of training. He wanted to know all of their skills. These last three were exemplary, but he wouldn't tell them. Torate made notes through the console, recording that Bean was an excellent Marksman, Rutian jerked the trigger a few times causing a target miss, but had some sweet bladed weapon skills. He made a mental note not to leave sharp objects in the room if he was going to review her performance. Senior was a little shaky when Torate got in his face and ordered, "Disassemble it now!"

 

 

There wasn't any indication in his voice as to a preference when he shut down the holodeck revealing the golden stripes across the space. He taped on the console a few times, and then bellowed, "Ready yourselves for flight testing." Torate hoped to get in touch with the Science crew and use the real scans of the crater, but for now, he would use what was already installed for now.

 

 

No one was playing favorites, but Jahaelm's file came with a brief history of their families vast piloting experience, including his distant great grandfather, Boris Senior, Founder of the Israeli Air Force who played an important part in the War of Independence of 1948. Torate's credits were on him.

 

 

The holodeck bloomed into a hanger bay, complete with a ground crew running pre-flight inspections and maintenance engineers working on various parts and crafts. Each test pilot was first assigned as a wingman, then the lead. They were to initialize three of the flight attack patterns, break off then switch, take the lead and set up a different three. Their communications, as well as every movement in the cockpit, were being monitored. Even their vitals would be compared to each other.

 

 

Torate was sneaky. He had removed the auto-align features from the sight targets and sensors on the weapons system. By default, the computer would normally fix without alerting the pilots, but he wanted to see how they reacted. There were a few more surprises during the tests, just to check reaction; and why not – they were in the holodeck so no one could accuse him of torture since the safeties weren't removed. He tapped on the console to record complete statistics from each test and to have a comparison report prepared as soon as they were finished.

 

 

The flight interrogation was over, but he wasn't ready to reveal his decision or their test results just yet. Torate had one last test for the final three. He brought each one of them into the brig, placed them in separate cells. He didn't say a word, just set the containment field and left them there. His testing methods stemmed from a lot of practice on ch'Rihan, though probably never tried in Starfleet.

 

 

Science wanted to do a presentation before they delivered the holodeck star chart program over to Security. tr'Jeth Dabi went immediately to pick up the program. They weren't ready to release it; Torate figured that they were trying to show off to the superiors. He didn't have time for that, but didn't know how to manipulate the powers that be on the station – yet.

 

 

After the presentation, or at least near the end, tr'Jeth Dabi was ordered to a runabout for limo-duty.

 

 

To Be Continued…