Karen Denali

Lieutenant Karen Denali was chief science officer of starship USS Chimera in the mid-24th century. (Star Trek: Outpost)

Ensign Kyle
In her first mission as Chief Science Officer aboard the Chimera, Denali chafed at being the subordinate of the Second Officer, Ensign Kyle. There were a couple of reasons for this. Prior to her departure from the Remmington, Karen had started on the command track, replacing Gregory Torkelson as Second Officer. Her natural abrasiveness caused her to be borderline insubordinate towards Kyle. Kyle pulled her from her science station to talk with her in the ready room. "It really bothers you, dosen't it? Taking orders from an Ensign?" Denali replied, I do outrank you!" he replied,"But you don't have the experience I have with this crew, this ship, or this area of space or in command! You're a scientist, not a line officer!" she shot back, "I was starting out on the command track just before I was reassigned out here. Just one more thing that was yanked away from me!" He countered, "I'd be bitter about that too, But then you should understand lieutenant, that the attitude you're displaying on the bridge is detrimental to the cohesion and morale of the crew, such as it is! . . . . but becoming _that_ officer, the one who makes everyone around them miserable, the one who can empty the lounge just by walking in, the one who is passed over, not because of ability, but because of attitude isn't going to do you any good. I know this situation isn't ideal, but out here on the frontier, we work with what we've got. I may not have the pips on my collar you do, but LT Exler left me in charge. If you can't accept that, I will excuse you from the bridge. Now I'll give you two minutes alone to make your decision. When you walk out that door, I expect you to either take your station, and act like the officer you are, or continue walking into the turbolift, and allow me to get someone else to do your job."

Dr Rachel Winston
Karen Denali first met Dr Rachel Winston at the welcome home party at DS3 following the Chimera's victory over the Solar Winds. It was there she accidentally revealed Greg Torkelson's nickname of "Tork" to LT Renova Exler and the Doctor. It wasn't until she reported to the Station sick bay for her physical exam. Dr Winston was on duty. Denali conceded that she'd been avoiding the crew of Chimera because if she got to know them she might like them, beacuse she didn't want to be there, on the station. Winston deduced that there was one part of her that wanted to return to her old life on the Remmington, and another that tapped into her natural curiousity regarding the pinchot expanse. Denali replied, "How could you know what I'm feeling? How could anyone know what I'm feeling? Heck, I don't even know how I'm feeling!"

Admiral Bartholomew Thomas
Initially, it was Admiral Thomas' plan to send Karen Denali to the Chimera as a "peace offering" to LCDR Torkelson following their row at the Admiral's reception. By the time she arrived, he needed something more. He solicited her help in being his eyes on the station. Denali protested that she wouldn't spy on her shipmates. The Admiral countered that all he wanted was to be on top of what was happening on the station, even when he was absent. He had a "plan" for the station.

Lieutenant Commander Gregory Torkelson
Karen Denali was serving with then Lieutenant Gregory Torkelson on the Miranda class Science Vessel USS Remmington. He was the Ship's Second Officer, she was a junior Science Officer. They were close friends. The two of them made a visit to Axanar IV, though in the words of Torkelson, He "cannot be held responsible for what happened there." When he received his orders to the Chimera, it was Karen that saw him off with a bottle of 2237 Scotch that she won from the engineer on the RuTang. When Karen received her orders to the Chimera, she believed Greg was responsible for her reassignment. As a result, when they were reuinited at DS3, her reaction was colder than cryonitrium. Her chilly behavior thawed slightly after Admiral Thomas told her what really happened.

Memorable Quotes
"How dare he! I have a life of my own! I'm not going to follow him across the galaxy like some Meruvian puppy!"

" I am calmly thinking of all the pain I'm going to inflict on my dear friend who can't live without me so much that he's ruining my life!"

"He's not my boyfriend! He's a nice guy, just a little awkward socially. He's someone who needs a big sister."

"I was starting out on the command track just before I was reassigned out here. Just one more thing that was yanked away from me."

"I knew him, once. Pretty well, I thought. It seems like a long time ago."

"That's my new posting. A battered ship, made up of scavenged parts, based at a forgotten station thats probably been botched together with salvaged junk too."

Background
Karen Denali is played by Deborah Adams in all her appearances in Star Trek: Outpost.