Olivia Twist

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Commander Olivia Twist was Commanding Officer of the 214th Starfleet Construction Battalion,Starfleet Corps of Engineers in the mid-24th century. (Star Trek: Outpost)

Starfleet career

Based out of Starbase 512, 214th Starfleet Corps of Engineers Construction Battalion Commanding Officer Olivia Twist had two starships under her authority. The Oberth class USS Trosper, and the Bristol class USS Goldberg. Hard driving and hard drinking, despite being out on the frontier, to Olivia Twist, "Technology is technology. whether it's out here on the edge of the Federation, or in the core worlds."

Twist and her crew were 'cooling their heels' at their homebase of Starbase 512 when the call came in. Deep Space Three had suffered a turbolift accident. The station commander had been injured and incapacitated. Assistance was needed, and was requested. The 214th was placed on 48 hour alert. Perusing the documentation, Twist noted the name of the approving authority, Lieutenant Commander Gregory Torkelson. Twist surmised that the person behind the rapid processing of the request for assistance was none other than sector commander Admiral Bartholomew Thomas. Knowing a few Admirals herself, Twist decided to test the interim commander's mettle.

CDR Twist got LCDR Torkelson on the comm and asked him about the rapid processing of the application. Torkelson replied that the station was in need of help, in short order. Still, Twist recognized an opportunity when she saw one. In addition to the application documentation, She demanded an full and comprehensive engineering assessment of the station. Since it had already been ordered, it was no problem to accomodate. Having "an Admiral or two in my pocket myself," Twist suggested a way Torkelson might keep her happy, in the form of two cases of Aldeberan whiskey.

One thing that completely threw Twist was finding out that the Chief Engineer was only a Lieutenant. Under normal conditions, the Chief of Engineering for a station the size of Deep Space Three would be at least a full Commander, if not a Captain. Another problem was staffing had been to cut to the point where in-house repairs were no longer an option.

Despite the promise of the 214's arrival, CDR Twist cautioned, "We'll do what we can, given the time we have. But don't expect too much. We'll get the critical systems functioning again. . . . probably better than anyone currently stationed here ever remembers them working. I did notice that your Plaza area is something of a priority . . . . We'll make sure it has power, sensors, and communications, Commander. Construction of bulkheads and the rest would be considered cosmetic. We'll get to it if we can. But based on Commander Gant's 'documentation', you have other more critical systems that will take priority . . . When we're done, Commander, DS3 will still have needs. Considerable needs. But its functionality should be greatly enhanced, if it is properly maintained from this point on.

The 214th's efforts to repair the station were sidetracked by the discovery of a duranium-based insect-like arthropods that had infested the station. Arriving onboard the decommissioned USS Leone, they used the vacant, unused portions of the station to be "fruitful and multiply". Their numbers grew to the point where they began to swarm to the occupied sections of the station. An all or nothing battle for control of the station began,with the bugs having the upper hand. Phasers, even at their highest settings were barely having any kind of effect. It wasn't until DS3 Chief Medical Officer Dr.Arban Breetal discovered that the bugs were vulnerable to sound did the tide of battle even begin to turn.

The bug's numbers were finally decimated by the detonation of a sonic based device in the plaza area. The success of the device was blunted by the harmonic resonance, a by-product of the detonation that created scores of fractures in the station's outer skin. The station was leaking atmosphere, little more than 10 hours to live. Working together with the crews of Chimera, Trosper, and the Goldberg, the 214th got main power back online with fifteen minutes to spare.

Twist and the 214th were recalled back to Starbase 512 following the incursion by the First Federation. Starfleet, fearing antagonizing the isolationists even more, curtailed shipping around DS3, over Commander Twist's protests that their work was far from completed. Her arguments were dismissed, as Starfleet believed that the remaining work could be completed by Lieutenant commander Jennifer Forrestal and her engineering team.

Relationships

With her subordinates

Master Chief Burt Knox

Olivia Twist's introduction to Master Chief Petty Officer Burt Knox occurred shortly after the Chimera's return to Deep Space 3. Knox was in desparate need of spare parts to repair Chimera, and he recognized an opportunity in the presence of Chimera's sister ship USS Trosper. Even before Chimera had docked, he "had to see a ship about my lady." Initially he merely tried to requisition the parts, but the 214th's quartermaster was unwilling to part with any of their supplies for the Chimera. "Chief, I'm not sure I can do anything for you . . . While this is the Quartermaster's office, we're really only responsible for the Trosper here. . . . I'm afraid I can't issue you supplies for the Chimera." After the Quartermaster refused to give him anything, as Knox left, he said, more to himself, "Well, they can't say I didn't try it their way. Guess I'll have to do it MY way." Over the next few days, supplies and spare parts started disappearing from the Trosper's stores. Chief Knox was rummaging through a storage container when the door opened, and Commander Twist, along with a couple of security officers appeared. "Master Chief Knox, I presume? . . . . Allow me introduce myself. . . Commander Olivia Twist, Commander of the two-hundred and fourteenth construction battalion. And these gentlemen, well, their names aren't important." When Knox asked if they were waiting for him, Twist answered, "Let's just say that Captain Buchanan isn't the only one on this station with a reputation. . . . ." When Knox asked what next, Twist simply said she was going to escort him back to the airlock, and ask that he not return, unless invited. Despite the acrimonious start, Twist and Knox did show a measure of respect for each other's skills. Twist offered a suggestion concerning infusing the thelmarite compensators with psilosynine to extend their life by 60 percent. Knox offered the axionic actuators had a design flaw that only showed up on a deep microscan. It caused them to be unreliable by as much as .024. Twist also sincerely asked Knox if he would consider joining the station rebuild team in a supervisory capacity. She considered a MCPO to be the enlisted equivalent of an Admiral. She also asked Knox if she could get a tour of the Chimera. The best she could get was a maybe on both.

Lieutenant Commander Jennifer Forrestal

Simply put, Commander Twist was aghast when she discovered that then - Lieutenant Jennifer Forrestal was the Chief of Engineeering for Deep Space Three. Under nominal conditions, a station the size of DS3 would have, at minimum, a full Commander as Chief Engineer, with a significant number having a Captain. Their first meeting was over subspace. Twist was cool, even frosty with regards to Forrestal, believing she was in over her head, going so far as to considering replacing her. When Forrestal expressed enthusiasm towards working with Twist in getting DS3 back up to specs, Twist coldly replied, "Yes, well . . . about that . . . What the two-fourteen does as a construction battalion is very different than what a station's Chief of Engineering does under normal circumstances, Lieutenant. Given the scope and magnitude of our task at Deep Space Three, staying out of our way might be the best help you can give us." Despite Commander Torkelson's endorsement and support of Forrestal's abilities, in Twist's eyes, Forrestal's rank would remain 'an issue'. When she broached the subject with her old friend, Captain Russell Steele, even he conceded, "The one you want is Forrestal." After arriving on the station, and reviewing its condition, the inventory of spare parts, not to mention her brief meeting with Captain Buchanan, Twist developed a healthy admiration for the herculean efforts Forrestal made to keep DS3 running. After reviewing Forrestal's record, Twist discovered that Torkelson had recommended her for promotion. She then added her own personal endorsement to Torkelson's. Despite her new-found respect for her skills, Forrestal's rank remains 'an issue'.

Lieutenant Nathaniel Farmer

Commander Twist did not develop a favorable relationship with DS3's Chief of Security. Upon her arrival at the station, she drafted Commander Gant to help oversee her personnel. When she explained that she needed senior people to supervise, Farmer remarked, "Subordinates do tend to follow the lead of their superior officers, Commander." Slightly chagrined, Twist tersely wanted to know why the Security Chief was present. It was LCDR Torkelson that answered, "He is here at my request, Commander. As the Chief of Security of Deep Space Three, I thought he should be present so that he would know what was going on aboard the station, so that he would know where your people are, and where they are not - to better anticipate our needs." Twist replied "Fine. The mark of a good security officer, Lieutenant, is that no one knows they're around. I suggest you strive to be a good security officer." Matters did not improve with the discovery of Goshen's body in the plaza area. Farmer's crime scene completely compromised the area the 214th had set up as a command center.

With her peers

Lieutenant Commander Gregory Torkelson

With the temporary incapacitation of DS3 station commander Captain Montaine Buchanan, acting commander Lieutenant Commander Gregory Torkelson, upon the advice of Admiral Bartholomew Thomas, submitted the necessary documentation for outside assistance. When her unit was placed on alert for deployment to the station, CDR Twist was initially skeptical. Though she was familiar with Capt Buchanan's reputation for austerity, she was suprised that the current staffing level rendered any attempt at in-house repairs impossible. Sensing the desperate nature of the Station's situation, Twist took advantage. Though all the proper paperwork had been filed, Twist demanded a full and complete engineering assessment of the station. She also, in a more subtle manner, demanded two cases of Aldebaron Whiskey before she would deploy to the station. Following her arrival, she did develop an appreciation for the conditions on the station, and the crew's efforts to maintain it.

Lieutenant Commander Gant

Initially impressed with the attention to detail generated, even on the abbreviated report sent to her, Commander Twist pressed Captain Steele to let her draft Remington's Chief Engineer, Lieutenant Commander Gant help lead her engineering teams. It quickly became clear that Gant's priorities were "to keep the USS Remington up to engineering standards, not sully my record by working on a hopeless project like Deep Space Three". In spite of her growing intolerance with Commander's disdain over this temporary assignment, she still insisted his presence was crucial to helping oversee the repair crews.

With her superiors

Captain Russell Steele

At some point in their past, 'Rusty' Steele and Olivia Twist served together as Lieutenants, and became good friends. After their paths diverged, and time passed, they were reuinited while both were visiting Deep Space Three. Russell Steele's ship, the Miranda class Science vessel USS Remington was being delayed from deployment by acting station commander Lieutenant Commander Gregory Torkelson, and the 214th had been deployed to the station to repair the damage to the turbolift, and restore as many of the neglected and scavenged systems as possible. As the two friends shared a bottle of Aldebaron whiskey, Olivia lamented the fact that there was only a Lieutenant as Chief Engineer. She even contemplated taking over the station's engineering job herself. Steele jokingly commented that she would run out of things to repair, and would probably start breaking things, just to fix them.

Captain Montaine Buchanan

Though Commander Twist had never met Deep Space Three's commanding officer prior to their arrival at the station, Captain Montaine Buchanan's reputation for extreme austerity was well known throughout the sector. The singular occaision they did meet was during one of Buchanan's supervised theraputic walks. He apologized that the 214th had been called to the station, and for wasting their time and resources. Twist was prepared to argue the point, but was cut off at the behest of the Captain's escort, Dr Arban Breetal.

Chronology

• 2364 - Captain Montaine Buchanan, Station commander Federation Starbase Deep Space Three injured in a severe turbolift accident. The initial investigation suggested that the structural failure was a result of extensive galvanic corrosion via leaking antrigrav coolant. Acting-Station Commander Lieutenant Commander Gregory Torkelson requested assistance from the Starfleet Corps of Engineers 214th Construction Battalion which was based out of Starbase 512. The 214th deploys to Deep Space Three. After repairs commenced, A new, never before encountered species of duranium-based insectoid life that feeds on duranium, and other exotic metals was discovered to be the real culprit.
• 2365 - Commander Twist, along with the entire 214th, is ordered back to Starbase 512 following the end of the blockade by the First Federation. Starfleet, fearing the increased shipping traffic would further antagonize their neighbors, pulled the Construction Battalion back before the repairs to Deep Space 3 were completed, over Commander Twist's protests.

Memorable quotes

"Yes, well . . . about that . . . What the two-fourteen does as a construction battalion is very different than what a station's Chief of Engineering does under normal circumstances, Lieutenant. Given the scope and magnitude of our task at Deep Space Three, staying out of our way might be the best help you can give us."

"My people are good. Very good. But I need some senior officers acting as supervisors. And while Lieutenant Forrestal has the most experience with the station, she is still a Lieutenant. And unfortunately, rank does matter when it comes to getting even good people to do things the way they need to be done."

"You'll forgive me, Commander, but the "full faith and support" of an interim commander for a Lieutenant Chief of Engineering of a major space station? I'm not overwhelmed. . . Sorry to disappoint you."

"Commander, I need your experience and assistance on this job. Normally, the Chief of Engineering on this station would be a Commander, if not a Captain."

"The mark of a good security officer, Lieutenant, is that no one knows they're around. I suggest you strive to BE a good security officer."

"I haven't fully worked out what is going on aboard this station, Commander, or how much of it is attributable to whom. But from what I have seen, it is clear to me that Lieutenant Forrestal is at least Lieutenant Commander caliber."

Background

Olivia Twist is played by Karen Osborne in all her appearances in Star Trek: Outpost.