Alec Kincaid

Kincaid graduated from Starfleet Academy in 2363, majoring in starship power systems and warp-field mechanics. His technical results were exceptional but his leadership and conduct assessments were considerably less impressive.

Over the next ten years he made steady progress in terms of his career, achieving the position of Assistant Chief Engineer aboard Tempest during the Dominion War. Kincaid was decorated and subsequently promoted to lieutenant commander following the Second Battle of Chin’toka for maintaining propulsion and defensive capabilities to enable Tempest to withdraw after being badly damaged.

Following the Dominion War, Kincaid continued to build a reputation for himself, becoming widely regarded as a first-class operational engineer – whilst also being perceived as one of the fleet’s most difficult department heads.

Kincaid was promoted commander in 2381, following a Borg incursion which resulted in him taking command of USS Indomitable after the captain and executive officer were both assimilated.

Latterly, Kincaid served as Chief Engineer aboard USS Farragut under the command of Fleet Captain Marlowe – his tenure as construction supervisor for the Typhoon-class development project having created an affinity for these vessels. This was followed by a request from Marlowe to take on the position of Division Chief Engineer after she herself had been appointed as Commander, Farragut Exploratory Division.

Kincaid has maintained the same rank since 2381— a period of more than twenty years. His record contains numerous technical commendations alongside formal reprimands for insubordination, unauthorised modifications and refusal to follow orders he considered unsafe. On more than one occasion a subsequent investigation concluded that his engineering judgement had been correct, but also that his behaviour towards the senior officers concerned had been unacceptable.

He has twice been considered for promotion to captain and has repeatedly been offered senior research, shipyard and administrative leadership positions. His refusal to leave operational engineering, combined with consistently poor assessments of his diplomatic and command temperament, has prevented further advancement in his career. Starfleet’s unofficial view is that Kincaid is too valuable to cashier, too difficult to promote and too experienced to sideline. Kincaid himself claims to be perfectly content with this arrangement, although his reaction whenever a younger former colleague is promoted suggests otherwise.