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Topic: theoretical "The Cage" era rank insignia

capped
I WAS IN THE FUTURE, IT WAS TOO LATE TO RSVP
Member # 709

posted

everyone* knows that in "The Cage," there really didnt seem to much of a rank system.. Captain Pike wore one stripe, Lt. Cmdr. Number One wore one stripe, Lt. Tyler and Lt. Spock wore one stripe. the only variations were CPO Garrison with a hollow braided stripe, and Yeoman Colt with no stripe.

The only improvement made by the time of "Where No Man Has Gone Before" was that Captain Kirk had two stripes, all other officers only had one.

heres my possible explanation: http://flareupload.pleh.net/uploads/709/cageranks.gif

*"everyone" does not include many people...

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"Are you worried that your thoughts are not quite.. clear?"

Registered: Sep 2001 | IP: Logged

Captain Boh
Senior Member
Member # 1282

posted

Interesting. I suppose it was quickly replaced because no one could tell what was what at a glance [Wink]

Registered: Mar 2004 | IP: Logged

Kobi
Member
Member # 1360

posted

I think they thought the same, so they introduced the double bar for the captain.

with the second bar the possibilities are greater to create a plausible rank system...

that is why I prefer to ignore the lack of the bar on Captain Pike...

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Registered: Jul 2004 | IP: Logged

Timo
Moderator
Member # 245

posted

Who says Captain Pike had to hold the same rank as Captain Kirk, though?

For all we know, Pike was a Lieutenant Commander in "The Cage", and the two pilot systems were quite identical. This interpretation would require no contradicting of dialogue.

It takes little effort to go the next step and claim that the pilot and TOS schemes were actually (almost) identical as well. The only real difference would be in the rank of Lieutenant Commander, which would be missing the customary TOS "broken" braid. Most of the characters in the pilots would be holding the rank of Lieutenant (senior grade) with the appropriate TOS marking of one "solid" braid. Pike, Mitchell and perhaps a few others would be Lieutenant Commanders despite their braid. And Kirk of course would be a full Commander in "Where No Man..".

With one final step, we can create a GUT of all three schemes: perhaps the "broken" braid in the pilots really was "broken", and had difficulty staying on the sleeves? [Wink]

Timo Saloniemi

Registered: Nov 1999 | IP: Logged

capped
I WAS IN THE FUTURE, IT WAS TOO LATE TO RSVP
Member # 709

posted

strikes me as somewhat troublesome in a canon sense to try and assume that Pike could be an LCDR...

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"Are you worried that your thoughts are not quite.. clear?"

Registered: Sep 2001 | IP: Logged

Aban Rune
Former ascended being
Member # 226

posted

Well, if he was in command of the ship, he'd still be referred to as Captain. The only thing I can think of that would preclude his being of a lower rank is the fact that was, what? a Fleet Captain in the episode where Spock was on trial?

How many years had passed between The Cage and that episode?

Registered: Oct 1999 | IP: Logged

machf
Active Member
Member # 1233

posted

Either 11 or 13, I can't remember... in any case, it would be enough, especially if the last promotion was on behalf of his heroic rescue.

Registered: Feb 2004 | IP: Logged

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