To Boldly Go... (a Starfleet quest)

Gadjo · Dec 6, 2016

[X][FYM] Select Captains
-[X] USS Enterprise: Nash ka'Sharren
-[X] USS Sarek: Captain Straak
-[X] USS Miracht: Captain Langa Mbeki

MS-21H 'Hawke' · Dec 6, 2016

Shard said:
Just wondering: Are there ranks after Elite, like Elite+?

If we do, it better be named Legend :anger:

ClawClawBite · Dec 6, 2016

Simon_Jester said:
I'm not going to weigh in on the captaincy; my gut feeling is that whatever we choose, it'll have turned out to be right in at least one sense of the word.

But I have a question.

I'm writing a mock-history of To Boldly Go as if it had actually been a Star Trek series, and I'm wondering:

Anybody who's got a thought on this- If you'd had to pick an actress in 2001 to play Nash, who would you pick?

For 2001, Angelina Jolie. That would be just after Girl Interrupted, and she would be taking time off to film Tomb Raider. Her casual sensuality works for Nash, and she has the screen presence to be Captain from the establishing shot without needing to check the uniform.

Muramasa · Dec 6, 2016

[X][FYM] Select Captains
-[X] USS Enterprise: Captain Samhaya Mrr'shan
-[X] USS Sarek: Captain Straak
-[X] USS Miracht: Captain Langa Mbeki

Iron Wolf · Dec 6, 2016

Simon_Jester said:
Anybody who's got a thought on this- If you'd had to pick an actress in 2001 to play Nash, who would you pick?

So what's a few criteria from a production point of view for casting in Trek? After reviewing the careers of Brooks, Mulgew, and Bakula, I've found a few similarities:

All of them have had roles in movies, but not too big like say, Jolie level.
Bakula and Brooks were part of popular TV series, Bakula in particular picking up Emmy noms for Quantum Leap.
Mulgrew didn't have anything quite as high profile, but does have a string of 10-13 episode series and TV movies under her belt.
Even Patrick Stewart fits in here slightly, although he never was part of a long-running TV show
Theatre Experience a perk

Looking at some actresses around that time frame who are the right age and fit the categories in some respect, I think I have a shortlist:

Gillian Anderson
- X-Files, Stage Experience, some Film experience.
Portia De Rossi
- LGTBQ, Film Experience, would have to cut Ally McBeal run short.
Angie Harmon
- Film Experience, would have to cut her run on Law and Order slightly short. Problem: appearently devout Republican and Christian. Not a problem on its own; a problem when playing a gay character in 2001. On the other hand Akuz informs me she kisses a girl in another series, so like idk.

Speaking of that, how did we get an openly gay Captain in the year of our Lord 2001? Maybe the series was under a different producer, one friendlier to LGTBQ. Someone like... Bryan Fuller. Sorry Dead Like Me fans, in this timeline it probably doesn't get made. With that in mind, here's two castings from Dead Like Me that might work as well:

Jasmine Guy
- Good experience on a long-running TV show (!), Stage Work (!!) and like Bakula starred in Cat's Don't Dance, which is a major sign (!!!). Also probably has range and such.
Laura Harris
- Based on some browsing of Dead Like Me clips she could fit the Nash Profile. Also, the CRTC says I need CanCon in here somewhere or they'll kill me.

for what it's worth I'd say it's a tossup between De Rossi, Guy, and Anderson. Alternate casting for Anderson: T'Lorel.

Briefvoice · Dec 6, 2016

Glassware said:
Okay, so...honestly having Straak off of explorer corps duty when he's been pretty great at it so far feels pretty wrong. His character arc isn't really completed, you know? I think we can afford to give him another five years searching the stars.

It was also mentioned that Straak would accept being assigned to the new Oberth. I think he might even be happier that way. Imagine, nothing but pure boring Science assignments all the time. No being pulled off to ferry around diplomats or guard convoys.

Simon_Jester said:
Still holding off on the captaincy vote, although pushing Seruk out to ensure we get to pick the successor to Kahurangi is good, and my vindictive side favors doing it too.*

I assure you, there is no way in hell Seruk gets to choose the leader of Starfleet. That is a decision made directly by the Federation Council itself and I doubt they surrender that to anyone.

OneirosTheWriter · Dec 6, 2016

Briefvoice said:
That is a decision made directly by the Federation Council itself and I doubt they surrender that to anyone.

That's right. There's a sacred Choosing Dartboard of Office and everything.

tryrar · Dec 6, 2016

OneirosTheWriter said:
That's right. There's a sacred Choosing Dartboard of Office and everything.

I know you're joking, but the image of the Councillors choosing the head of Starfleet by throwing darts at a board of pictures is hilarious. Especially if they take the time to get properly liquored up first

aeqnai · Dec 6, 2016

OneirosTheWriter said:
That's right. There's a sacred Choosing Dartboard of Office and everything.

Is the Fed Council ever going to give Cardassian Central Command their office dartboard back?

Nervos Belli · Dec 6, 2016

OneirosTheWriter said:
That's right. There's a sacred Choosing Dartboard of Office and everything.

I can see it now. The Federation President prepares to throw the dart at the board, when suddenly she's distracted by Nash's scream of rage when they tell her she's been promoted. The dart misses the board entirely, sails out an open window, and hits Lieutenant Commander Kuznetzova in the side.

And that's how Kuznetzova jumps six ranks and goes from crazy homeless lady to Admiral of Starfleet.

Mr Apollo · Dec 6, 2016

[X][FYM] Select Captains
-[X] USS Enterprise: Captain Samhaya Mrr'shan
-[X] USS Sarek: Captain Straak
-[X] USS Miracht: Captain Langa Mbeki

AlphaDelta · Dec 6, 2016

OneirosTheWriter said:
That's right. There's a sacred Choosing Dartboard of Office and everything.

tryrar said:
I know you're joking, but the image of the Councillors choosing the head of Starfleet by throwing darts at a board of pictures is hilarious. Especially if they take the time to get properly liquored up first

Two words: Drunk Straask

Briefvoice · Dec 6, 2016

In my head, crew ratings are about continuity. Sure it's not literally the same people as they cycle on and off ship, but the old-timers make sure to show the newbies how it's done before they leave. They pass on the secrets of that particular ship and the things they learned during stressful missions when the ship was pushed to its limits. They know how to make everything work just a little bit better.

Jello_Raptor · Dec 6, 2016

Briefvoice said:
In my head, crew ratings are about continuity. Sure it's not literally the same people as they cycle on and off ship, but the old-timers make sure to show the newbies how it's done before they leave. They pass on the secrets of that particular ship and the things they learned during stressful missions when the ship was pushed to its limits. They know how to make everything work just a little bit better.

I figure there's also a non-trivial component of upgrades and ship-specific tweaks that need to be taught person-to-person as time passes.

UberJJK · Dec 6, 2016

[x][FYM] Select Captains
-[x] USS Enterprise: Nash ka'Sharren
-[x] USS Sarek: Captain Straak
-[x] USS Miracht: Captain Langa Mbeki

Here is a thought; everyone has been assuming that if Nash isn't on the Enterprise she'd go onto being a commodore, why? I know Oneiros had that funny non-threadmarked post about her running from a promotion and all but if you actually stop and think about it Nash would be a terrible choice for promotion.

Let's be straight about this; Nash is a renegade. She does what she thinks is right and damn the rules. This is great for an Explorer corps captain since they need to be flexible enough to ignore the rules when needed and often operate far enough away that they can't wait for orders. It's a terrible trait for a flag officer since bad things happen when they start ignoring orders. Just look at the recent incident with Linderly ignoring orders, or further back Sulu violating the chain of command, and how the thread responded to that.

Politics is also a serious problem. Nash has such serious issues with politics that it's reflected mechanically with her costing -5pp/yr. Being a flag officer makes dealing with politics part of your job. If she gets promoted I fully expect Nash's cost to go up as she causes political kerfuffles on a more regular basis. After all where before she was out of sight and out of mind out on the frontier with a flag rank she'd be far more up close and personal.

Finally even aside from her renegade tendencies and terrible political skills I just don't see Nash as having the kind of personality that would be happy as a flag officer. Given how desperately she's fought to avoid promotion I can't believe she'd be happy jumping from desk to desk for the next couple decades.

No I fully believe that even if she couldn't have the Enterprise Nash would still refuse promotion and captain a non-EC ship if at all possible and if that wasn't available I'd bet on her resigning over promotion. Remember this is the 24th century; people only work because they want to. Why would Nash take a job she knows would make her life terrible?

SynchronizedWritersBlock · Dec 6, 2016

I don't see Sector Command as so bad for her? She has the experience and has demonstrated the talent to use a fleet in an emergency. And it's not like she's in people's faces in Paris or San Fran as a Border Zone commander.

AlphaDelta · Dec 6, 2016

SynchronizedWritersBlock said:
I don't see Sector Command as so bad for her? She has the experience and has demonstrated the talent to use a fleet in an emergency. And it's not like she's in people's faces in Paris or San Fran as a Border Zone commander.

At most, I can see her as a TF commander, or a fleet/sector commander with good support staff.

dacsan · Dec 6, 2016

[X][FYM] Select Captains
-[X] USS Enterprise: Captain Samhaya Mrr'shan
-[X] USS Sarek: Captain Straak
-[X] USS Miracht: Captain Langa Mbeki

JesseJ · Dec 6, 2016

Nervos Belli said:
I can see it now. The Federation President prepares to throw the dart at the board, when suddenly she's distracted by Nash's scream of rage when they tell her she's been promoted. The dart misses the board entirely, sails out an open window, and hits Lieutenant Commander Kuznetzova in the side.

And that's how Kuznetzova jumps six ranks and goes from crazy homeless lady to Admiral of Starfleet.

Inside the Federation Council chambers President Jorlyth sh'Arrath has been blindfolded and is about to throw the ceremonial admiral's dart at a dartboard with the photos of the next potential leaders of Starfleet taped to it. She swings back when a windows shatters as a person jumps through it screaming "You'll never take me alive!"

Her throw goes wide and she hears a voice cry out in pain. Tearing off the blindfold she sees Nash ka'Sharren pulling the dart out of her arm and throw it on the ground. Then Seruk calmly enters the room and says "Captain ka'Sharren. You will accept your promotion to Commodore, effective immediately."

Nash's eyes narrow and start glancing around the room planning her escape when Jorlyth speaks up. "Actually Admiral Seruk, Captain ka'Sharren will not be promoted to Commodore." There's a brief spark of hope in Nash's eyes. "For breaking into the council chambers and being hit by that dart she's now the Admiral of Starfleet!"

Nash's eyes bug out before closing as she starts taking deep breaths before throwing her head back...

Train whistle, organ music, flock of ravens

Admiral Kahurangi looks up from her desk at Starfleet Command and says "That's the loudest piece of profanity I've ever heard."

UbeOne · Dec 6, 2016

Nash:

Nix · Dec 6, 2016

[X][FYM] Select Captains
-[X] USS Enterprise: Captain Samhaya Mrr'shan
-[X] USS Sarek: Captain Demora Sulu
-[X] USS Miracht: Captain Langa Mbeki

Keeping Nash on the Enterprise isn't worth 45pp when we have Mrr'shan who has almost the same upside (sensor rolls are auto-success anyway), none of the downside, and will continue to stack with crew experience anyway.
It might be worth 45pp to put her on the Stargazer next year if we haven't found a satisfactory job for her by then and she continues to evade promotion, that would help a lot with getting the crew through the difficult start with green rating.

AKuz · Dec 6, 2016

Nix said:
sensor rolls are auto-success anyway),

Not anymore, /Captain/ Diego Zardmaani is teaching at Starfleet academy now.

Simon_Jester · Dec 6, 2016

Stipulating Nash being promoted, in the event that this happens:

I'd honestly really like to see Nash as sector commodore for the Cardassian Border Zone, with T'Lorel being reassigned somewhere else. Say, Rigel sector, where her 'patience with aliens' schtick is likely to pay off dealing with Gaeni, Yrillians, Gretarians, Sydraxians, and whatever unknown species there are out to coreward of us.

Briefvoice said:
I assure you, there is no way in hell Seruk gets to choose the leader of Starfleet. That is a decision made directly by the Federation Council itself and I doubt they surrender that to anyone.

Enough other people have been concerned about it, without Oneiros having previously said anything to disagree so far as I could recall, that I thought it merited consideration. I didn't know that the head of the Promotions Board has influence over who is and is not selected.

OneirosTheWriter said:
That's right. There's a sacred Choosing Dartboard of Office and everything.

Duly noted.

aeqnai · Dec 6, 2016

JesseJ said:
Admiral Kahurangi looks up from her desk at Starfleet Command and says "That's the loudest piece of profanity I've ever heard."

The scream heard 5600 miles away.

I can believe it.

Void Stalker · Dec 6, 2016

So current vote standing-Straak back in Sarek by a wide margin along with Mbeki being placed on the Mitarcht

Vote Tally : Sci-Fi - To Boldly Go... (a Starfleet quest) | Page 735 | Sufficient Velocity
##### NetTally 1.7.4

-[37] USS Miracht: Captain Langa Mbeki
-[31] USS Sarek: Captain Straak
-[23] USS Enterprise: Captain Samhaya Mrr'shan
-[18] USS Enterprise: Nash ka'Sharren