The Engineer's New Pip

Posted on Mon Apr 20th, 2015 @ 5:04pm by Lieutenant JG Rhett Beaumont & Captain Enalia Telvan
Edited on on Thu Apr 23rd, 2015 @ 12:32pm

Mission: The New Sydney Fiasco
Location: USS Hera - Captain's Ready Room
Timeline: En Route to New Sydney

Ensign Rhett Beaumont was in the ship's holodeck when he received a summons from the Bridge. The Captain had requested to see him at his earliest convenience. Great thought the Chief Engineer with a sigh. He was running the scenarios through his head, walking to the turbolift, taking it up and seeing Captain Big Tits in her office. What's it going to be this time? Not pleased with how slow repairs are coming, upset that I am having downtime in the Holodeck? Going to replace me with a more senior Engineer? pondered Rhett.

"Exterminate! Exterminate!" shouted the robotic looking life form, the exterior armor of a smaller more delicate creature. Rhett let out a chuckle as he turned around glared at the oh so threatening thing.

"Piss off Dalek" said Rhett countering his holographic foe's 'battle cry' I love the cheesy Science Fiction genre from Earth thought Rhett. "Computer, end program" ordered Rhett. Everything around him vanished, the room returned to its natural grid like state and the sonic screwdriver in his hand was no longer there.

He let out a sigh and proceeded towards the exit. Rhett walked down the corridor and took the nearest turbolift up to the Bridge. He poured out of the lift and looked around. Captain Big Tits wasn't there. She was clearly in her Ready Room.

Ensign Beaumont made a shrp turn and headed in said direction, standing outside her Ready Room doors and awaited the Captain's welcoming invitation. He had been off duty and dressed down, leisurely into a simple grey tank top and some loose relaxed fit jeans.

"Come in," Enalia called, staring at reports on her screen and on PaDDs. She had a lot of trolling to get done today and Rhett was first and foremost on her list with all the shit that had gone down recently.

The ensign Chief Engineer of the USS Hera responded to the Captain by stepping forward and into her Ready Room, the doors parting for him and closing soon thereafter his entering. He looked around the small office, though it was more spacious than his own. He couldn't help but notice something different about the woman now. A look of focus perhaps mixed with a little concern.

He had also noticed something more, something shiny and new on her uniform. One..two...three...four! She's been promoted? pondered Rhett, but he knew she definitely deserved it. "Captain, you've been promoted to Captain" commented Rhett with a small smile. "Congratulations" he added as he approached her desk.

"Thank you. Please have a seat. We have a lot to go over." Enalia said, not even looking up. "What's the status of the waste reclamation intercouplers on deck 19?"

Usually, I prefer to stand, but what the hell...I'll sit he thought to himself, pulling out a chair, turning it around and straddling it with his legs. He folded his arms across the back of it and looked at the Captain. "It's a shitty situation" he said with a chuckle. "We had a little problem and there's been some back up. Some of my repair crew weren't very happy being knees deep in crap" he added.

He let out a sigh. "The situation should be under control and the reclamation intercouplers on deck 19 should be repaired by the end of the day, Captain."

"That's good to hear. I don't want to tell the crew to stop crapping." Setting her PaDDs down, Enalia leaned back in her chair, concern and worry on her face. She sat there like that for several moments before speaking again. "You've done well enough as my Chief Engineer. I'm honestly surprised you haven't spent half your time here in the brig."

Well, I learned to get away with a lot of shit thought the Chief Engineer. "Thank you, Captain. I am glad that I have been able to surprise you, ma'am" he answered in a reply with a small smile. "Captain, there are still a lot of repairs that need to be made and were a small ship. You know my Engineering bunch is not a large department. As I understand it we will be meeting the USS Katana soon?" asked the ensign for confirmation.

"May I request permission to visit their starship? I could use some materials that we don't have presently aboard, plus I would really like the assistance of some of their Engineering and Operations personnel with repairs here."

"Small?" Enalia asked incredulously, leaning forward in her chair. "You think the Hera is small? And compared to a dinky little piss-ant Intrepid class? Our Ops and Engineering departments have more people than that entire ship can even hold." Enalia was insulted by her ship being called small, with good reason. "Only 3 ship classes in service are larger than the Hera, and not by much. Call her small again and you'll find yourself scrubbing every inch of hull by hand. If you spent half the time you claim you do in main engineering rather than on some hairbrained scheme to turn this ship into a gambling den, you'd know she's far from small. She's a big, sexy mother of a ship with a beautiful aft."

"She's a giant saucer on the nacelles, ma'am" replied Rhett firmly. "I like the ship and am devoted to her as Chief Engineer, and I did not say anything about that piss ant Intrepid-class being better" countered the ensign shaking his head. "I wanted help because of who is on that ship, not because of the ship" added Rhett.

The ensign sighed. "Captain, with all due respect, I appreciate your passion for the Nebula-class starship, but we've traveled through time and have been spat at a home that isn't quite our own. There's more than three classes presently in service that are larger than us."

Enalia relaxed a bit, the weariness of the past few days showing on her face for just a moment. "Yeah you're probably right. And the Katana is a good sturdy ship, either way. She'd have to be to travel from another universe, I'm guessing. Who is it you're hoping to meet?"

Rhett smiled, glowing with delight. "The Engineers and Operations personnel" replied Rhett feeling himself bursting with happiness and excitement. "Imagine the engineering and technological geniuses that the Katana must have" explained the ensign. "They managed to keep an Intrepid-class starship together through traveling though time and crossing into an alternate universe."

"Sounds like some amazing people." Enalia said, trying to remember the name. "If you have time between the court martial and the temporal investigations team, then by all means invite them to the brig with you."

Rhett looked at her a bit perplexed. "Court martial?" he said looking at her seeking more of an explanation. "Brig?" he added. "Captain?"

"You're a wanted man, Rhett," Enalia said softly. "I don't know what you did before we got pulled back in time, but that's how it is."

Rhett shook his head. "I haven't done anything, nothing at all, Captain. And what would it even matter here? I am not from here" added the Chief Engineer. "I haven't left the ship since returning from my parents' memorial service."

"On the contrary, we are from here. History seems a tiny bit different and we're 4 years ahead, but this is still home." Enalia said calmly. "And all I have to go on is your word against theirs. I have no idea what you did while off the ship."

Rhett nodded but he still wasn't pleased with this. "Captain, I joined Starfleet not as a member of the Federation but as a citizen of the Orion Syndicate. What I did or did not do was done off duty, out of uniform, away from the Hera and not in Federation space."

"On or off duty, you're still a Starfleet officer. No matter where you are or how you're dressed, you still represent the Federation and are expected to act accordingly." Enalia explained patiently. "Therefore, all of Starfleet's regulations still apply to you until you resign. As a Lieutenant, I expect you to know this."

"I'm not a Lieutenant" said Rhett firmly. "So, don't expect me to know shit, and don't expect me to go through a court martial that I did absolutely nothing to deserve it" added Rhett with a huff. He began to take off his comm badge and his single solid pip.

Picking up one of the numerous small black boxes on her desk, Enalia opened it and looked inside for a moment before sliding it over to Rhett. "You are now. You're a wanted man by me. I want you to keep in Main Engineering and out of the brig as you've been doing. As for the court martial, I encourage you to attend, but it's not required. After all, it's not every day a Captain goes up for violation of General Order 7."

Rhett looked at the box and at the woman presenting it. "You have a sick sense of humor" countered Rhett, taking the box and putting it back on the Captain's desk, sliding it back at her. "I'm a new man here. Well, in theory. A few years older at least in some sense" he added. "I'll get back to you on it. I have some options to consider and weigh" he finished.

Sure, offer me this now when I am already finishing up a transfer request he thought.

"I like messing with my favorite friends." Enalia said with a lopsided grin. "Sorry. As for the pip, keep it. Starfleet posthumously promoted a lot of us and Temporal Investigations is letting me decide who keeps that rank. Besides, being a Lieutenant Junior Grade is better than being an Ensign, right?"

"Right" said Rhett with a sigh. He looked at the Captain almost apologetically. "Look, Captain, being here has been great and all, but I've been thinking about putting in for a transfer maybe to another starship. I'm sure there's got to be some good openings."

Enalia sighed heavily, leaning back in her chair. The chair he had modified for her. "Well, once all this temporal BS is cleared out and we're free to intermingle with the fleet, I'll put in a recommendation for you if that's your decision."

"That whole court martial thing with Captain Kerouac of the USS Katana" said Rhett looking a bit nervous. "I've been reading up on some things, his Captain's logs and some of their adventures... last I heard, his Chief of Operations stepped down from her position. Do you think maybe I'd make a good Chief Operations Officer?" asked the half-Orion.

The Trill woman's first response was to say 'hell no, don't go' but she had to at least pretend to think about it... After a moment, she replied with an obviously BS answer. "I think that you would rise to any challenge laid before you in a very creative way."

Rhett nodded. "I am a bit unorthodox, but hey, their Captain went to Talos IV and they have a Provisional Commander as a First Officer. I like my chances of fitting in there" added the half-Orion a bit cheerfully.

"Honestly?" Enalia began, her eyebrows raised a bit. "I think you might be a bit too 'normal' for that crew. Have you seen their Chief Diplomat? Shes a former sex android with boobs bigger than small moons."

"Hey, maybe I can set up a date between you two? You may actually like her? She has green skin, and you know green skin is an attractive feature" he said with a wink.

"Sometimes," Enalia replied with a wink of her own. "Either way, I hear she's married to an ex-borg."

"Well, that's a shame" he said with a sigh. "Must be the former Chief of Operations. I read that she was a former Borg. What do you know about that Captain Kerouac fellow?"

"Cavalier, a drunk, and a rogue element. His counterpart in this universe blew up a Breen colony and his ship and I know I shouldn't hold that against this one, but it does make you wonder how similar they might be." Enalia replied with a sigh. "And in the end, that's for the court martial to decide."

"Understood, but who knows maybe in his universe you murdered a Klingon Ambassador" said Rhett with a shrug. "We have no idea how things really were for the guy. Have you read any of his Captain's logs? They had been in the Gamma Quadrant you know."

Rhett looked at his Captain. "Captain, he's facing a Court Martial here aboard the Hera. That means there will be a prosecutor and someone legally representing his as defense. Court Martials typically call for Command Officers and Flag Officers, at least three of them to serve as the court and one of the three to be the President or Judge in the matter. Will you be involved in this as a Captain?"

Enalia raised an eyebrow for a moment, surprised that Rhett would know this when he claimed to know nothing earlier. "I'd be willing to be his defense if asked. As the commanding officer hosting it, I normally wouldn't be directly involved but with things as they are..."

"Maybe they'd want you to be part of the court or preside over it all?" pondered the Chief Engineer. "I do not know if you would make for the best defense, Captain, the description 'Cavalier, a drunk, and a rogue element' doesn't sound like the best defense unless you'd plan on saying he's insane" offered the Engineer.

"Probably. And saying he's insane would still get him executed. Not the ideal outcome." The Captain replied. "I think being the prosecutor might be easy enough. Present the evidence and just let it speak for me. I could take naps through most of the proceedings."

Rhett nodded and the crossed his arms. "You know, if I were in command and I was asked, I would defend him myself. I don't know if I would be any good at it, but I would want to play his defense" replied Rhett.

"Maybe you understand why I'd want to as well." Enalia said with a grin.

The Chief Engineer picked the box up and again, opened it up and looked at the pip. He put it onto his collar with the solid gold one. "I'll stay with Hera" he announced. "But I want to know something" he added looking at his Commanding Officer. "If you were the Captain of Katana, in Kerouac's shoes... your ship crossed into an alternate universe and traveled forward in time, would you do whatever you could to get the crew home?"

Enalia was happy he would be staying. That question though... "Considering our situation isn't too far from their own, being thrown forward in time and a few historical things having changed... It's something I'm struggling with now. Honestly, I'd like to know what made him think the Talosians could help."

"I think we all would like to know that" replied Rhett. "It won't be like he can't have visitors while the trial is underway. Maybe you should go ask him yourself?"

"I plan to, if I'm able." Enalia said, wanting to change subjects. "New Sydney has a bit of an Orion Syndicate presence. Do you plan on taking advantage of that?"

"No" he said shaking his head. "I'm a Lieutenant and member of the ship's Senior Staff. I think it is best that I stay away from anything criminal" replied Rhett.

"Good plan. I'll ask Nexi then." Enalia said with a hint of a grin.

Rhett crossed his arms and looked at the Captain. "Ma'am whatever you have planned, it's best you do not say anything to me about it. As an officer in Starfleet and representation of the Federation, I am obligated to report you for any sort of criminal activity" he said with a smirk.

Enalia had a look of surprise and shock on her face as she replied. "Me? Criminal activity? Never... I just want to make sure she's going to behave herself while we're there. You two are the ones I worry most about."

"And I worry about you" he countered. "Do you know how many Chief Medical Officers you have had since I've been aboard?" he said shaking his head. "Well, it doesn't mater. I'm not going to New Sydney. You have a nice day, Captain and thank you for the promotion" replied Lieutenant JG Beaumont.

"Too many..." Enalia muttered. "Be safe and stay out of trouble, Lieutenant. Dismissed."