Fleet captain (Star Trek)
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| Starfleet ranks and insignia Fleet Captain |
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| TOS: | Rank exists; insignia unknown |
| TOS films: |  |
Fleet captain is a commissioned Starfleet officer rank in the Star Trek fictional universe.
The rank's status in the Starfleet rank structure is ambiguous; several characters transition from captain to rear admiral without first holding the rank of fleet captain, and only two characters in all of Star Trek (both from the original Star Trek series) are identified as having been fleet captains.
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The Original Series
Fleet captains appear twice in the entirety of Star Trek, both times in The Original Series: Christopher Pike in "The Menagerie" and Garth of Izar in "Whom Gods Destroy".[1]
Pike's promotion to fleet captain is specifically mentioned as having occurred when James T. Kirk took command of the USS Enterprise, setting the date at approximately 2263.[2] Pike was an active duty fleet captain until at least 2266, after which an accident caused him to be removed from duty but not from the active officer list[2] because, according to Commodore Mendez's dialog in "The Menagerie, Part I", Starfleet Command did not "have the heart" to retire him[3].
Garth of Izar was a fleet captain as early as 2253, if not before, when James T. Kirk was a cadet at Starfleet Academy.[2] Garth held the rank until being relieved of duty and confined to a mental hospital ten years later.[2]
The fleet captain insignia during TOS is never discussed or seen on camera, as neither Pike nor Garth is shown wearing a fleet captain uniform.
Later versions
There are no canon references to or appearance of the fleet captain rank beyond "Whom Gods Destroy".
A Star Trek: The Motion Picture production memo addressing the characters' ranks does not mention the rank of "fleet captain".[4] The Star Trek Encyclopedia establishes a feature film rank pin for fleet captain,[1] although this pin has never appeared on camera, nor is any film character ever addressed as "Fleet Captain". The same insignia that The Star Trek Encyclopedia identifies as that of a fleet captain is labeled as a commodore's insignia in Mr. Scott's Guide to the Enterprise.[5]
The Star Trek: The Next Generation Officers Manual states that the 24th century fleet captain insignia consists of five gold pips and that the rank is superior to that of commodore.[6] The rank is said to be a special positional rank held by three Starfleet officers who command the design teams for cruiser, destroyer, and escort starship classes.[6]
Deputy Director
In the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode "Inquisition", Luther Sloan wears an insignia consisting of a gold bar beneath four gold pips. In the episode, Sloan is referred to as a "Deputy Director", however soon after the airing of the episode Sloan's insignia was equated with that of fleet captain by several non-canon fan web sites [1].
The script of the episode "Inquisition" did not refer to Sloan by any other title than "Deputy Director", leaving open the possibility that his insignia was not that of fleet captain but instead some other rank. No character other than Sloan has since appeared wearing the insignia and, unless another character appears in a later production wearing an identifable Fleet Captain insignia, the existence of a 24th century Fleet Captain insignia will remain unknown.
References
- ^ a b Okuda, Michael & Denise (1994,1997,1999). The Star Trek Encyclopedia. New York: Pocket Books, 210. ISBN 0-671-03475-8.
- ^ a b c d Okuda, Michael and Denise Okuda (1996). Star Trek Chronology: The History of the Future. Pocket Books. ISBN 0-671-53610-9.
- ^ "The Menagerie, Part I". Star Trek. NBC. 1966-11-17.
- ^ Sackett, Susan and Roddenberry, Gene (1980). The Making of Star Trek: The Motion Picture. Pocket Books. ISBN 0671791095.
- ^ Johnson, Shane (1987). Mr. Scott's Guide to the Enterprise. New York: Pocket Books. ISBN 0-671-63576-X.
- ^ a b Star Trek: The Next Generations Officer Manual, Page 8
| Starfleet ranks and insignia | |||||||
| Flag Officers: | Fleet admiral | Admiral | Vice admiral | Rear admiral | Commodore | ||
| Officers: | Fleet captain | Captain | Commander | Lieutenant commander | Lieutenant | Lieutenant junior grade | Ensign |
| Other: | Enlisted | Officer cadets | |||||
