Fic: A Test of Character (ST: TOS, PG)

[jeriendhal]

Proctor Kodath hid a smile behind his hand as he ostensibly stroked his beard, watching the chastened cadets exit the bridge simulator. When Kredak try to nervously slide past past him, Kodath snapped out, "Command Cadet! Explain your failure!"

The youngling turned and snapped to attention in a spinal reflex action, his eyes wide with suppressed terror. "Proctor," he choked. "I do not have a proper explanation."

"You were given a three ship advantage over a single Federation heavy cruiser and complete tactical surprise. You should have taken it out easily, and yet you retreated," Kodath said sternly. "Now explain yourself, Cadet!"

Kredak swallowed, twisting his wisp of a mustache nervously as he tried to gather his thoughts. "Proctor, that's just it. The tactical situation presented was just too neat."

"'Too neat'? What do you mean?"

"I mean nothing went wrong. We had complete tactical advantage, there were no stellar anomalies to foul our sensors, weapons and drive systems were working perfectly. Everything was right to the tenth decimal place." Kredak waved his hands helplessly. "My political officer didn't even try to contradict my orders!"

Kodath nodded. "True enough. So why did you have a failure of will?"

"Because it was too perfect!" Kredak explained. "I was waiting for Romulans to decloak, or a Federation Dreadnaught to appear, or my engines to explode, or something. But nothing did!"

Kodath nodded again, letting his expression relax. Kredak, properly paranoid, took this as a sign to tense up further. "Cadet," he said softly, "you have been in training at the Imperial Academy for almost four years now. Every day you've been here that training has become more and more intense. The problems becoming more complicated, the expectations of your teachers growing more demanding. In a way, that can be as blinding as any fog on the battlefield. Nothing went wrong in the simulator today because nothing was supposed to go wrong. The intent was for you to succeed easily."

"Sir?" Kredak asked, still confused.

Kodath patted him on the shoulder kindly. "A Can't Lose situation is something every commander must be prepared to face."