"Set the phasers to stun".
Odo announced a little too loudly.
"Whatever is the matter?"
Odo sounded like a mother chiding her child for leaving the door unlocked all the night.
"I'm just rather confused.
I'm wearing a Bajoran uniform but I have a Federation Communicator on.
Isn't that a conflict of interests?"
"No it's not, since you don't really have an official ranking yet so that badge will do for now.
If you pass this part of the training you'll be getting that much closer to making Ensign.
Now may we continue?"
"What's after Ensign?"
"Lieutenant, Taya. Can you please stop interrupting?
You are being, very disruptive.
We haven't even started and you're still stuck on the Bajoran Ranking System.
Can we please continue?
I do have other things to do today, so let's not make this an all day event, please."
"Alright Alright, I'll focus on the training program".
"Thank you. Computer Initiate, Security Cadet Program".
"Security Cadet Program Initiated".
The computer blandly replied back.
The holodeck walls sparkled into nothingness and replaced the background with what looked like a Cardassian Corridor.
She'd have to have some sort of severe head trauma to not recognize a Cardassian Vessel.
Taya for a moment flashed Odo with a terrifyingly questioning expression yet before her nerves seized up, she smoothed out her breathing so that her heart rate went back to normal again, instead of the raging fast paced drum rhythm that was had drowning out her own breathing pattern.
When Cardassian Soilders finally materialized before her in the corridor, Taya's grip on the phaser stiffened which caused her knuckles to lose all color since she was squeezing onto to the phaser so tenaciously.
Taya had to think for a moment.
Why had Odo chosen Cardassian Soldiers to be part of The Training program?
Was Odo purposefully trying to be cruel or was this just part of the original design?
Perhaps Cardassian were so hated by Bajorans in general that Cardassians were found to be a great motivation for first year Cadets.
It was strange though that such a Peaceful people as the Bajorans would design a program that encouraged hatred and resentment towards Cardassian Troops, especially since there hadn't been a conflict between the two races for nearly over 30 years.
This had to have been done on purpose but why had Odo gone to such lengths to challenge her?
I thought he didn't like me, so why is he making such an effort to challenge me?
Perhaps he's not even trying to challenge, perhaps he's just trying to trigger me somehow.
What if he's not trying to challenge me?
What if he's just setting me up for failure?
He knows I have severe trauma from being made a captive on Cardassian so does he think by placing Cardassians soldiers in my way that I'll freeze up and I won't complete the training like I'm supposed to.
Is he setting me up with this particular program because he thinks I'm not worthy to join his security squad.
Why would he offer me a job as a deputy and then sabotage my efforts to enlist as one?
Maybe he just doesn't like me and this is his way of demonstrating how he feels towards me.
Either way, this is sick.
Why did it have to be Cardassians?
Taya reflected as she switched her phaser to stun yet still didn't loosen her grip on the phaser.
"Commence Training".
Odo motioned with his front two fingers.
"Training Commencing in 3 seconds".
The Computer complacently responded.
There were 3 Cardassians at tbe ready, so she knew immediately that this wasn't going to be too hard.
Before the Cardassian even began to fire, she pressed the trigger on the bottom unit of the Type 1 Phaser which send a red stream towards the first Cardassian that was blocking the middle of the corridor.
The Cardassian squeezed it's eyes in pain, slumped to his knees and gently tipped over onto the floor.
She squeezed onto the Phaser even more and then flicked the phaser swiftly to towards the Cardassian on the left and then without a single pause or hesitation she did stuck out her wrist again, this time more aggressively, the blasts were brief but effective as Odo saw the two Cardassians slumped slightly and dropped like lifeless logs to the floor.
She'd completed The Program in less than 15 seconds.
"Computer, report Completion Time".
Odo asked the computer with a worried expression.
"Completion time done 3.5 seconds".
"3.5 seconds, Computer Recount the recorded completion time."
Odo didn't believe she had completed the program that fast.
"The recorded time is still 3.5 seconds."
"You don't believe I completed it that fast did you?"
Taya smiled rebelliously.
"Initiate Training Program again.
Double Security by 2".
Odo decided not to answer her but simply decided to challenge her even more.
This time there were 3 guards in two places, there were 3 guarding the archway ahead of her once more but beyond that there were 3 more guarding the adjacent archway ahead of her.
She then did something that nearly made Odo transmogrify drastically.
Taya focus her energy on the phaser beam and the red streams divided into 3 sections, hitting all 3 targets at once, she ran to the next archway and then divided the beam into 3 sections yet again.
"Do you normally use a phaser in that fashion or were you just showing off?"
Odo was pretending he was unimpressed.
"Now Constable if I was showing off I'd be taking out 4 Cardassian at a time instead of 3 as for using any phaser normally, there is no normal for me because as you know, I am not a normal person.
Now do you want me to go again or is that enough demonstration for today?"
"Hardly. Computer,Commence Program...again...increase Guards by 4 and increase security by 4"
Odo grinned in a sickening fashion that he used whenever he was particularly pleased with himself.
Then there were 4 soldiers guarding 4 different sections in the corridor.
Taya merely gripped the Phaser and held it out in front of her as if it were a sword, she grimaced and then tightened her focus so streams struck out into 4 sections this time, yet again hitting each target with immaculate precision, she repeated the process until all the Cardassian Soliders were lying motionless before each of the 4 sections of the corridor.
Odo kept adding more guards to the corridor until every section of the corridor was fully guarded.
She took out each and every soilder with ease and swiftness.
"End Program."
Odo didn't sound very happy but then again Odo was rarely seen as a happy individual.
"Congratulations, you have completed the Phaser Training Test.
You may disable your phaser now".
Odo after the training session in the Holodeck, he examined the Phaser and he found the phaser to be slightly crumpled looking.
There were 5 indentations at the base of the weapon and on further examination, the indentation appeared to be roughly the same size of someone's hand.
She had crushed the phaser and no Cadet had ever done that before regardless of how angry or motivated they were during the training session.
Even Klingons didn't crush the security equipment but she had.
He hid the phaser in a drawer underneath his security desk in hopes to show Sisko or perhaps even Commander Kurland when he returned.
He would need evidence if he was ever going to get her stationed someplace else.
He smiled to himself as he knew he had the upper hand now when it came to whether or not she remained on the station and with that phaser maybe people would actually believe him when he claimed how dangerous she was.
Odo had no intention of going easy on her, no, not one bit.
If he ended up discouraging her, then obviously she wasn't right for the job and if she succeeded in all her training than she still would have to prove herself even further by assisting him in his missions.
She had to be able to take orders; surely she knew how, she had been a slave for 15 years afterall.
What if she was pushing her too hard?
The thought had crossed Odo's mind but after she claimed she never cracked under Cardassian Torture methods, he was left intrigued, so intrigued that he felt this unmistakable urge to challenge her and he couldn't seem to stop himself from challenging her even more.
What flustered Odo was she seemed to enjoy his challenges to no end, even if the training left her sweaty and out of breathe, she'd wave at him and smile up at him as if this was just part of her daily gym routine.
The Simulated Combats were proving to be too easy, she kept tackling Cardassian after Cardassian to the ground.
She'd trip them, flip them, she'd even avoid the phaser beams by rolling out of the way.
She once even lept up on a Cardassian like she was some sort of Tiger, swung her arm behind his shoulder as if to headlock him but instead she finished him off by giving the Soilder Vulcan Neck Pinch.
This wasn't working it had nearly been a month of training her and she was nearly finished with all the requirements that were needed to be an official enlisted Ensign.
One particular morning, on week 3 of her training, Odo thought up the perfect scheme.
The Holodeck program clearly wasn't challenging enough and he knew just what to do to step up his game.
Taya entered the security office with Odo staring off into space, his tablet in hand, the screen facing downwards, his face tilted upwards as he dreamily smiled to himself.
"In a good mood today Constable?"
"Wouldn't you like to know.
I have something different planned for you today, something special."
"What's the catch?"
"The Catch is you'll be made Ensign if you complete this last bit of training but only if you succeed".
"What happens if I don't succeed?"
"Then perhaps security isn't quite your Forte.
I checked with O' Brian, there are Ensign Engineer Training Programs available."
"So you do want to get rid of me afterall.
What happened to keeping an eye on me?"
Odo gruffly laughed and spun his chair around so he could hide his gleeful smile.
"I have been keeping an eye on you and it's a full time job.
You'd be better suited for engineering anyway."
"I don't believe you.
You were planning this the whole time weren't you?"
Taya's words were tight, sharp and angry.
"You don't believe what?
Really, I'm interested in knowing exactly what you think I was planning all this time.
It should be amusing".
"You've been setting me up for failure this whole time haven't you?"
Taya's eyes were filled with the same rage she had when she caused the whole station to temporarily short out while she was in her quarters admitting the real story of her Cardassian captivity.
"I don't know what you mean, perhaps you could elaborate".
Odo responded to her angry words cooly.
"You don't want me to succeed, you never have.
I saw you hide that phaser in your desk drawer the first day of my training. You've been recording every single one of my sessions haven't you?"
"The phaser was damaged, I was merely tucking it away so O' Brian could take a look at it and hopefully fix it in the future. I must say I had nearly forgotten about it until you mentioned it just now.
As for the recordings I'll have you know that I record every training session that is done under my care, I have to keep track of each of my cadets progress, It is a normal procedure I assure you , so really it's no secrets nor is it some nefarious conspiracy. ".
"That's not what your Star Date logs say".
Odo spun his chair around so fast he nearly rammed his head into the front of his desk.
"Please Tell me you haven't been prying through my star date logs."
Odo made sure he was on his feet, standing up straight as this particular form would allow so he could glower down at her, giving her what only could be accurately called "a death stare".
"Wouldn't you like to know".
Taya scrunched up her lips so she could give him that challenging smirk again.
"TAYA! You better give me answers, now would be nice!"
" Whatever do you mean, Constable?
However would a simple Cardassian slave like myself be able to have access your own personal star date logs?
Why the very thought is beyond me".
"You better hope that it's beyond you because if I find out that you've been snooping through my personal files, you won't be on this station any longer".
"Oh so you admit you want me stationed someplace else?"
"I admit nothing of the sort.
You must be mistaken, I've merely been challenging you in order for you to succeed".
"Yes challenging me with Cardassian Soldiers and recording me at the same time.
How very quaint.
Do you usually put a crude USB chip in the mainframe of the holodeck when you train your cadets?"
Taya flung something on the desk which took him a few seconds to figure out exactly what had landed on his desk right front of him.
It was a long white USB chip.
"You can keep this by the way, maybe you can use it later when you have me court marshalled off this station".
Taya angrily dug her heels into the rug and spun a 180 turn snd angrily she marched out the door of the security office.
Odo was stunned.
Stunned not because she had discovered something of his but stunned because the primitive device she had flung on his desk was not his.
He had never seen such a device in his life except in Terran History Archives.
Odo grabbed ahold of the primitive devices and went in pursuit after Taya.