<USS Avalon> Re: Changes to Engineering (Ketchum, Scott)

Changes to Engineering
1100 hours = Captain's  Ready Room = USS Avalon  

 
Keith tapped the promotion information into the console for Adrian  Phillips. 
He also looked over the rest of his crew compliment, and frowned  when he got 
to his Engineering area.  'No true chief at this point', he  thought.  
Speaking aloud, "I will have to do something about  that."

Perusing some of the bios of the Engineering staff, he saw  one and nodded.

Tapping the comm, "Ensign Delaney Scott, please  report to the Admiral's 
ready room." 
_____
 
Oh boy, she thought. What have I done now? 
 
Nothing, she told herself. After all, despite Starfleet's  expectations, she 
had been a good little girl ever since she had accepted  this job. She minded 
her own business, took care of the shuttles, and didn't  talk to 
anyone...well, except for Adrian. They were pretty good friends now and  were 
even soon to 
have their first date. Of course, there was still the matter  of her genetic 
make-up and her arrest and the six years in prison, but hey, who  was keeping 
score? 
 
So she was only slightly anxious as she left the shuttle bay and headed for  
deck one. Delaney drew in a steadying breath as she reached for the chime at 
the  admiral's office door. After all, this was the first time she'd met with 
Ketchum  since she had arrived at Izar a month ago.
 
Keith looked up when the chime rang, "Enter."  He laid the PADD that  he was 
reading to the side and looked at the door as it opened.
 
Delaney squared her shoulders. Though she suddenly had the urge to say,  "You 
rang?" the ensign deftly schooled the grin that wanted to appear and  instead 
greeted him properly.  "Ensign Scott, reporting as ordered,  Admiral." 
 
"At ease, Ensign.  Thank you for coming up.  I have an issue with  the 
Engineering department."  He gazed at her intently.
 
 An issue with  Engineering? What could that be? Well, besides the fact that 
they currently had  no section chief. Still, perhaps it was having been in 
prison, having had to  watch her back all that time, being wary of everyone, 
but 
though she relaxed,  Laney also tensed imperceptibly, prepared to defend 
herself against any  perceived wrongdoing. "I'm not entirely certain as to what 
you 
refer, sir, but I  will help you if I can."
 
"I'm sure you know exactly for what I am referring.  And that is the  reason 
I called you here."  He paused for effect.  "I was going over  your personnel 
record, and I saw something that needed to be rectified." 
 
Uh, come again? she thought, confusion marring her pretty face.  "The only 
situation in Engineering I know of is that we currently do not have a  section 
chief, and if I may be frank with you sir, I don't see what that has to  do 
with my service record, such as it is." 

Yeah, considering there was a  six and a half year gap and she could have 
been a lieutenant commander by now.  But of course she did not point that out 
as 
she didn't want to be charged with  insubordination. She'd only been back in 
service for five weeks.
 
"Actually, that is exactly the situation I wanted to rectify.  I would  like 
to offer you the position of Chief Engineer.  Even with that gap in  your 
record you are the most qualified for the position at this point in  time.  Do 
you 
accept?"
 
Even the immeasurably brilliant could be immeasurably dense. Delaney  stared, 
her mouth falling open just slightly. "I... Are you sure you've got the  
right person, Admiral?" she asked. "I mean, I know I'm more than qualified, and 
 
God knows I should just say yes, but...you'd be putting a convicted felon in  
charge of your engines. Not to mention that officers who've spent time in 
prison  are usually subject to a minimum five-year waiting period before they 
are  
eligible for promotion.  I've been out of the slam for five weeks."  

She stopped, took a breath, and waited to see what he would say.
 
"That's the privilege of being an Admiral. I get to redefine those  rules.  I 
just hope that you don't disobey a direct order, without a very  good reason. 
 If my orders are that off the wall, or needing to be  disobeyed, I would 
hope that you would talk to me and we will discuss  them."  He hoped that made 
sense. "So I take it that you accept the  position?" 
 
Though he was being genial, his comment about disobeying a  direct order 
rankled, and her back went up. Laney raised her chin, stiffening  her posture 
to 
one of near-attention. "Sir, the last time I disobeyed my  commanding officer's 
direct order, I had a very good reason, whether he or you  or Starfleet 
agrees with me or not." Not to mention the fact that it was my  own father who 
was 
my CO, which made it a hundred times worse. Imagine how  screwed up that 
relationship is compared to my relationship with  Starfleet---the 'fleet and I 
are 
still sweethearts in comparison.  

Then she nodded. "Yes, sir. I accept." And she would damn well prove she  
could do the job.  

"Well then, I can't have an Ensign running my Engineering department  either, 
so Delaney Scott, I hereby promote you to the rank of  Lieutenant First 
Class, with the time served as your punishment.  I believe  that this puts you 
back 
to the rank you were at when you were  incarcerated.  I expect you to be 
forth-coming and up front during  any discussions with me, and provide me with 
your take on  any items of debate, any questions?"  As he slid the box  with 
her 
new rank across the desk. 
 
Lieutenant First Class? She was going to be a full lieutenant?  If  this is a 
dream, dear God, please do not wake me up. Hesitantly, as  though she did 
truly fear waking from a dream, Delaney stepped forward and  picked the little 
box up off his desk. She knew he was aware that she could very  well have 
replicated the extra pin, but CO's across the spectrum all seemed to  have a 
flair 
and desire for the dramatic. And this really felt rather dramatic,  as she sure 
as hell hadn't expected it any time soon. For the first time since  her 
release, she felt honest-to-goodness good about her decision to  come back.  
 
Promotions had that way about them, she mused wryly.  Looking up, she  
chanced a small smile. Only a small one, lest he think she had totally  
changed---couldn't let that happen now could she? 
 
Clearing her throat she said, "Yes, sir, I believe it does,  though I've 
gotten myself out of the shuttle bay now." She smiled a little more,  
genuinely, 
adding, "Thank you. As I've no other pressing questions about who I  am or 
where I come from, I don't foresee my having reason to disobey any orders  
anytime 
in the near future. And yes, I will come to you should I have need to do  
so."  

"Very good, Lieutenant, now get back to work, and make sure my engines are  
up to snuff," he smiled at her. 
 
Delaney gripped the tiny box in her hand. "Yes, sir," she said, standing at  
attention one more time before turning on her heel and walking out. 
 
 
_____
written by: 
Admiral Keith D.C. Ketchum
Commanding Officer, USS Avalon
and
Lieutenant Delaney Scott
Chief Engineer, USS Avalon


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