"Goo job Ensign"
 by Ensign T'Kang
 Assistant Engineer - USS Intrepid


The two hours spent reconfiguring the Class III planetary probe 
to act as a Class VI Comm relay beacon had for the most part 
past quickly.   Cadet Tasrek had insisted on making small talk 
through out the reconfiguration, something T'Kang despised 
more than the Jem'Hadar.  Though for the most part the 
Cadet's questions were job related, something the Klingon had 
to at least respect.

Finally, their hard work had paid off.  After seeing that the 
probe was loaded and prepared for launch, T'Kang tapped his 
comm badge to notify the new Intrepid Captain.  Having 
completed the task ahead of schedule, he was sure Celchu 
would be pleased.

Celchu> +taps+ Thank you Ensign.  We have another way as 
well.  Place the torp back into its line up and return to the 
bridge.

T'Kang's eyes widened first in bewilderment, then narrowed 
into an angry scowl when the Captain closed the channel.

"Well, I guess that was a lot of work for nothing."  Tasrek  
commented.

The Klingon Engineer growled, "Hold your position cadet.  I will 
speak to the Captain myself."  T'Kang declared in the 
authoritative tone of a Klingon warrior as he moved to exit the 
forward launch bay where they had loaded the probe for 
launch.

"But what about the probe?  Should I unload it and place it on 
the stand by rack like the Captain said?. . . "  the cadet asked.

"Do not touch it until I speak with the Captain.  That is an order 
cadet."  T'Kang barked back, exiting the launch bay and 
thundering down the corridor to the nearest turbolift.

A short trip later, T'Kang came storming onto the Bridge like a 
bull in a china shop.  His body language was very 
representative of his annoyed state of mind as he approached 
Captain Celchu.  "Cadet Tasrek and I have spent the last *two 
hours* configuring the Class VI probe for launch.  It is ready to 
go.   Why have you decided not to launch?!"  the Klingon 
demanded on the edge of insubordination.

Celchu regarded the Klingon for a brief moment.  Captain 
Hawke had warned him of T'Kang's "rough edges" when she 
debriefed him before handing the ship over to his command.  
Now he was beginning to understand why that was so.

"Shadow believes it may be possible to communicate with 
Davis by using the sentient gel Davis was exposed to earlier." 
Celchu explained.

In a look of shock, T'Kang bellowed, "You are trusting the lives 
of the away team to a pile of telepathic goo?!,  The 
communications probe is ready to launch.  *Sir*."

The way the Klingon hissed "sir" through his clenched teeth, 
along with his warrior's posturing was not lost on Celchu.  For 
all of the Captain's annoyance with the crudeness and 
insubordination, Celchu handled it better than most 
commanders would have.

Raising a hand calmly, the Captain reassured, "Thank you 
Ensign.  Should Shadow's attempts at using the gel fail, we will 
launch the communications probe as a back up plan.  Now 
return to your station as ordered T'Kang."

The Klingon's eyes narrowed.  He was so angry, he could taste 
it.  Fists formed at T'Kang's sides as he let out a huff and 
turned on his heal, disgusted with the Captain's decision, but 
not questioning a direct order from his superior officer.   
Reluctantly, he sat at the engineering station and pounded his 
access code in roughly with strong fingers, throwing a look of  
contempt in the Captain's direction while T'Kang stood by and 
awaited further orders on how to proceed.   He couldn't believe 
the lives of everyone on the Pathfinder was going to depend on 
a pile of goo.  The very thought seemed absurd to the warrior's 
mind.