posted
In the Star Trek: TNG episode Too Short A Season, the Enterprise transports famed Federation negotiator Adm. Mark Jameson to Mordan IV to negotiate the release of 20 Embassy hostages. Jameson negotiated a release of starliner hostages from Mordan IV 45 years earlier, and the planet is just recovering from a 40 year civil war.
Jameson's renown as a negotiator came after, as Commanding Officer of the USS Gettysburg, he negotiated the Mordan IV hostages' freedom -- something which two previous Federation negotiators had failed to do (and paid for with their lives). Jameson reveals to Picard that he did not in fact negotiate (he falsified the reports to the Federation) -- in reality, he gave the hostage taker, Kordas (who is holding the hostages this time, too), weapons to defeat his enemies. To balance out the Prime Directive, he gave the same weapons to Kordas' enemies: and began a four decade civil war.
But that's not what this thread is about. Jameson is identified two ways in this episode that intrigue me.
First, he is identified as being the commander of the USS Gettysburg when he negotiated this release.
Second, he is identified as ranking "Commander" (not Captain) when he negotiated this release.
So, Commander Mark Jameson, captain of the USS Gettysburg, becomes our first canonical incident of someone ranking lower than "captain" yet commanding a Starship.
And, anyone know what class Gettysburg is? (Or was?)
------------------ Star Trek Gamma Quadrant Average Rated 6.27 out of 10 Smileys by Fabrux (with four eps posted) *** "Oh, yes, screw logic, let's go for a theory with no evidence!" -Omega 11:48am, Jan. 19th, 2001 **** "The candidate who slimed John McCain in the primaries and smeared Al Gore in the general election is now the president who pledges to elevate the nation's tone and bring civility to our discorse. Kind of like Michael Corleone brought peace to the mob by killing the heads of the other four families." --Paul Begala, Is Our Children Learning?
posted
Actually, in the wet-navy, anyone who commands a vessel is her "Captain", but he is also her "Commanding Officer" - in other words her "Commander". This might just be a case of semantic-oops.
------------------ Faster than light - no left or right.
Shik
Starship database: completed; History of Starfleet: done; website: probably never
Member # 343
posted
Gettysburg was a Constellation. This syncs in with Picard getting command of Stargazer when he did; Picard may have been promoted from LT to LCDR (the nominal "minimal" command rank) & he simply advanced on the ship from there.
I never thought it uncommon that "lesser" vessels had "lesser-ranked" COs; no point in wasting a full 4-pipper on command of a freighter or tanker when a 1�-pipper will do. Similarly, I'm sure smaller scout & destroyer ships have LCDRs or CDRs as their COs just like today's modern navies. Indeed, two of my characters/soulbonds are "mere" CDRs & have commands of their own on small ships.
------------------ "Gee, the public whipping didn't quite convey their fascist culture, I need something more straightforward. Ah, leather hats!" --Nimrod, on National Socialism fashion design.
posted
Kordas refered to him as "Commander Mark Jameson", so I presume that to mean the rank, not a description of Jameson's duties at the time. While I agree that he would've had the title of "captain" aboard the Gettysburg, that does not mean he had the rank.
------------------ Star Trek Gamma Quadrant Average Rated 6.27 out of 10 Smileys by Fabrux (with four eps posted) *** "Oh, yes, screw logic, let's go for a theory with no evidence!" -Omega 11:48am, Jan. 19th, 2001 **** "The candidate who slimed John McCain in the primaries and smeared Al Gore in the general election is now the president who pledges to elevate the nation's tone and bring civility to our discorse. Kind of like Michael Corleone brought peace to the mob by killing the heads of the other four families." --Paul Begala, Is Our Children Learning?
posted
Or, perhaps the Captain of the Gettysberg was killed in the original incedent and Jameson was in command when he resolved the situation.
------------------ "You don't tug on Superman's cape. You don't spit into the wind. You don't pull the mask off the ole' Lone Ranger And you don't mess around with Jim." Aban's Illustration www.alanfore.com
posted
Actually, I don't think that would happen, frankly. I don't think I've seen this episode since it first aired (fourteen years ago?) but do you think Starfleet would send a recently promoted first officer to conduct negotiations on a world where two hostage negotiators had been killed?
I find it far more likely that Jameson WAS the captain of the Gettysburg, but he probably had a history of being a good negotiator. This incident merely helped his already good reputation.
------------------ "Am I not destroying my enemies when I make them my friends?" - Abraham Lincoln
"America is a large, friendly dog in a very small room. Every time it wags its tail it knocks over a chair." - Arnold Toynbee
"Fighting for peace is like f***ing for virginity." - Anonymous
"Our bombs are smarter than [George W. Bush]. At least they can find Kuwait." - A. Whitney Brown
Printer-friendly view of this topic
