Ellen Kaminsky

As a top performer at Starfleet Academy, Kaminsky received choice engineering positions aboard Galaxy and Intrepid class vessels.  Despite her achievements and exemplary performance, being posted alongside other five-percenters meant that her promotions fell behind her abilities and responsibilities–a common situation among engineering officers.

In 2402, Kaminsky was awarded, not with a promotion, but with a transfer as chief engineer aboard USS Glendale, one of the California class starships being recommissioned into service.  She led the ship’s refit at the Beta Antares Ship Yards.

In 2403, Glendale‘s new captain and the Ship Yards’ director authorized the launch of Glendale, despite numerous warnings from Kaminsky and other Ship Yards’ personnel recommending against the launch because the ship was not ready.  Shortly after launch, the ship experienced a runaway warp core.  Kaminsky, anticipating the disaster, was able to contain the core before a breach occurred, saving both the core and ship.  As a result, she received an award and promotion to lieutenant commander.

Glendale was prematurely called back to service to transport Displaced from Starbase Bravo to Starbase 80.  During the transit, Kaminsky discovered a key temporal signature that allowed Starfleet to identify additional Displaced realities and more quickly restore them.  She received another award for that discovery.

Back at Starbase Bravo, repairs to Glendale were finally completed and a holosuite was added to the ship, replacing the Cetacean Ops, in support of the ship’s dedicated diplomacy mission.  Glendale is currently engaged in her second post-recommissioning mission moderating treaty negotiations with four colonies in the Flaxos sector.