Here's something else to consider, even if she's innocent: She was only captain for like, half a day, maybe. Both rank and position. And her promotion was an intentional part of Leytons plan, with a lot of promotions and assignments taking effect on the same day - the 14th. Given Leytons immediate arrest, who knows if any of those changes would have been permanent?
She might even have been demoted to Lt. Commander, but, either way, I see after nine years, she could become Captain, again. She was a commander following the orders of an admiral. For her to choose the right path on her own, I think that saved her from being kicked out of Starfleet; she made the right decision in the end.
I imagine she'd be transferred to another ship and everything else for that matter BUT I think it'd be more interesting to keep her on ship, storywise, having to work her way back up among the crew.
Also, she was an adjutant, a staff officer who assists a commanding officer in issuing orders, like an executive officer. She may have just have been sent back to Starfleet Command, but that'd be boring haha
It's really interesting; she also says that she "...understands the situation, Admiral," in a private communication right before Sisko walks in with his phaser. The admiral says, "as far as Captain Benteen's crew is concerned, the Defiant isn't a Starfleet ship..." implying that Benteen knew, though the crew didn't, which also shows me she knew the blood test was faked.
Benteen's hesitation is the first giveaway, though. If she really believed they were shapeshifters, she wouldn't have hesitated AND argued, let alone stand down, with an admiral, especially being a newly promoted captain. Sisko calls her out anyway saying that she KNOWS they are Starfleet officers.
I'd like to see it mentioned, somewhere in our story, that Benteen was demoted to Lt. Commander for her actions and had to serve on the very ship she commanded, as a fitting consequence. She'd have to work all that much harder, these nine years, to achieve the rank of Captain, again.
It's really interesting; she also says that she "...understands the situation, Admiral," in a private communication right before Sisko walks in with his phaser. The admiral says, "as far as Captain Benteen's crew is concerned, the Defiant isn't a Starfleet ship..." implying that Benteen knew, though the crew didn't, which also shows me she knew the blood test was faked.
Ok, so here's the other side of the story:
Leyton: Captain, we've just received word from intelligence sources that the USS Defiant has been hijacked by the Dominion.
Benteen: What do you need me to do Admiral?
Leyton: Intercept and destroy the Defiant.
Benteen: Confirm your orders for the record sir, are you asking me to fire upon a Federation ship?
Leyton: The Defiant has been taken my Shape Shifters Captain, they may attempt to convince you to allow them through. Under no circumstances are they to be allowed to reach Earth.
Benteen: I understand the situation, Admiral.
So it's possible that Leyton is saying that Benteen really doesn't know that the Defiant is clean. The use of the word Crew here is a collective for the entire ship's company, captain included.
Benteen's hesitation is the first giveaway, though. If she really believed they were shapeshifters, she wouldn't have hesitated AND argued, let alone stand down, with an admiral, especially being a newly promoted captain. Sisko calls her out anyway saying that she KNOWS they are Starfleet officers.
I'd like to see it mentioned, somewhere in our story, that Benteen was demoted to Lt. Commander for her actions and had to serve on the very ship she commanded, as a fitting consequence. She'd have to work all that much harder, these nine years, to achieve the rank of Captain, again.
Benteen's hesitation could be a moment of clarity for her where she replays everything in her head and goes, "hang on a minute!" Demoting her to Lt Cmdr would be massively disproportionate to her crime. Kirk only got busted one rank for an act of mutiny and stealing the Enterprise. I think if any punishment were to come her way, it would be busted to Commander and having to serve under a captain that would train her correctly rather than have her loyal to a fault. Screen Trek isn't like STO and to go from Lt Cmdr to Captain in nine years seems rather short. My 2 cents
Leyton: Captain, we've just received word from intelligence sources that the USS Defiant has been hijacked by the Dominion.
Benteen: What do you need me to do Admiral?
Leyton: Intercept and destroy the Defiant.
Benteen: Confirm your orders for the record sir, are you asking me to fire upon a Federation ship?
Leyton: The Defiant has been taken my Shape Shifters Captain, they may attempt to convince you to allow them through. Under no circumstances are they to be allowed to reach Earth.
Benteen: I understand the situation, Admiral.
So it's possible that Leyton is saying that Benteen really doesn't know that the Defiant is clean. The use of the word Crew here is a collective for the entire ship's company, captain included.
Benteen's hesitation could be a moment of clarity for her where she replays everything in her head and goes, "hang on a minute!" Demoting her to Lt Cmdr would be massively disproportionate to her crime. Kirk only got busted one rank for an act of mutiny and stealing the Enterprise. I think if any punishment were to come her way, it would be busted to Commander and having to serve under a captain that would train her correctly rather than have her loyal to a fault. Screen Trek isn't like STO and to go from Lt Cmdr to Captain in nine years seems rather short. My 2 cents
I thought that, too, but I wouldn't think anyone would say "I understand the situation" as a confirmation of an order like that. But still, that's more opinion than anything. If she really believed, I don't see how she'd change her mind and NOT fire on them.
Kirk only got busted for an act of mutiny and stealing the Enterprise BECAUSE he had a lifetime historical devotion to Starfleet AND was in the right. The fact that her record details aren't mentioned makes me think they aren't that remarkable and she was trying to take control of the entire Federation, putting Earth under martial law, if not all of the Federation. I don't see how she's not kicked from Starfleet altogether haha
Lieutenant Commander to Captain in nine years is rather short haha I agree, but I just like that aspect of it. She tried that much harder, became a good officer instead of just a "yes-man" and worked her way up.
AND the Dominion War could be part of how she got promoted so quickly, too, we could throw that in there, that something big happened that got her promoted, captain killed and she had to step in and do something big.
We know it's possible; there's Riker, going from ensign to captain in seven years, but he kept turning down the captain position.
I like Scarlett's idea of adding our bio pics to our story posts; it'll help visual people remember who they're talking to haha let me know if you want me to make your character pic.
I like Scarlett's idea of adding our bio pics to our story posts; it'll help visual people remember who they're talking to haha let me know if you want me to make your character pic.
Hood made mine (thank you again!) and I started feeling like it needed to be used more than the file post.
I like Scarlett's idea of adding our bio pics to our story posts; it'll help visual people remember who they're talking to haha let me know if you want me to make your character pic.
I'll hit you up on PM with a base pic. My new guy's hair is.....well.....blue.
Posted Tue 21 Aug, 2018 6:34 AM –
Last edited by Allan Hood; Tue 21 Aug, 2018 6:38 AM.
If anyone's interested, I was playing around with some events and made news headlines out of them for my character's wife haha
(in real life, my wife and I are both teachers and freelance reporters/photographers)
Family Spouse: Wife, Samantha-Josephine Hood, DOB: January 25, 2357, married on January 29, 2374. Freelance reporter/holophotographer in 2369 and Federation News Service War Correspondent 2370-2374. One of her first assignments was covering the Starfleet Corps of Engineers working on the Florida Restoration/Maintenance Project in 2370, where she happened to interview Allan as a freshman-cadet at Starfleet Academy. She covered the majority of the Dominion War until turning in her resignation after reaching later stages of pregnancy.
Noteable Stories
-"Earth's Healing Scar: the Xindi Incident of 2153"
-"The Borg Incursion of 2369-2370"
-"Standard Warp Drive Tears Fabric of Subspace"
-"A Safer Means of Warp Travel, "Launch of the USS Voyager"
-"USS Pegasus Found in the Devolin System"
-"Starfleet Cadet Joins 'Traveler' in Explorations of Alternate Planes of Reality"
-"Who are the Maquis?"
-"The Starship that Gained Sentience"
-"Author/Philosopher Alixus, and Son, Stand Trial for Deaths of Colonists"
-"Cadet Harry Kim Earns Cochrane Medal of Excellence"
-"The Dominion: the Federation's Next Threat from Beyond the Wormhole"
-"USS Voyager Lost in Deep Space"
-"Maquis Clone Steals Starship"
-"Bajoran-Cardassian Treaty Signed"
-"Mad Scientist? Dr. Tolian Soran Uses Trilithium to Collapse Star"
-"Historic Starship, USS Enterprise-D Crashes on Veridian III"
-"Bajoran Resistance Cell Leader Becomes First Minister of Bajor's Provisional Government"
-"Ghost Ship Sends Signal From Beyond the Grave"
-"Dominion Infiltrates Alpha Quadrant"
-"New Threat, Better Tech: Starfleet Introduces New Phasers and Tricorders"
-"Klingon Empire Invades Cardassian Union: the Death of the Khitomer Accords"
-"Bajoran Wormhole Inverts in Subspace Creating Rare Anomalies and Temporal Fluctuations"
-"Admiral Stages Military Coup"
-"Klingon Empire Attempts to Extradite First Klingon Starfleet Officer on Trumped up Charges"
-"A New History: Launching of the USS Enterprise-E"
-"Changeling Impersonates Klingon General"
-"Temporary Ceasefire Reached in Federation-Klingon War"
-"Starfleet Command Declares Starship 'Lost with all Hands'"
-"Crew Lost in Time: Visiting the Historic Enterprise"
-"Starship Destroyed While Protecting Colonists"
-"Second Borg Incursion: the Battle of Sector 001"
-"Dominion invades the Alpha Quadrant"
-"Cardassian Union Joins the Dominion"
-"The Maquis Rebellion Ends"
-"Uninhabited Earth-like Planet Plays By its own Temporal Rules"
-"The Dominion Signs Non-aggression Treaties with Romulans, Tholians, Miradorn, and Bajorans"
-"War: Dominion Takes Bajor Sector, Wormhole and Crucial Position, Lost"
-"Enemy Lines: 14 Ships Hobble Back Leaving 112 Behind"
-"Federation and Klingon Empire Recapture Crucial Position, Deep Space 9"
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