Captain Ed Mercer of the Planetary Union faces Captain Vorak of the Moclan Fleet.
...we have 3,000 ships to staff, and we need captains.— Admiral Tom Halsey[1]
Captain was a position and rank frequently used by organizations of many sentient species in the galaxy. Among space-faring civilizations, captains served as leading crew members of a vessel.
In military service organizations, such as the fleet of the Planetary Union, captain was both a Command section position and a commissioned officer rank. They ranked below admirals and above commanders. However, non-militaries adopted the position for space travel as well, such as the Vega Mining Consortium, whose captains negotiated and conducted mining operations.[2]
Captain was a position and rank used by the Union, Krill,[3] and Moclans.[4] Captain was a position used by Horbalak,[5] Jahavus Dorahl's species,[6] and the Vega Mining Consortium.[2]
The equivalent position among the Kaylon was Primary.[7]
Planetary Union[]
Union Fleet Captain's shoulder bars.
In the Planetary Union, captain was typically the highest-ranking stationed position on board a Union vessel, with the exception of fleet admirals such as Admiral Tom Halsey, who commanded the USS Spruance,[7] and Admiral Ozawa, who commanded the USS Olympia.[3] Apart from that exception, captains boasted final authority of the crew as leaders of the ship.
The Chief Medical Officer had the power to deem a captain mentally or physically unfit for service and to relieve him or her of command.[n 1] Captains have the power to command any crewmember or civilian aboard the vessel.
In the early 25th century, there were probably about 3,000 active-duty Union captains based on the size of the Union Fleet[n 2] and assuming that fleet admirals were relatively uncommon.
A Captain was the final arbiter of justice within the ship, with powers to physically detain persons in the Brig.[n 3] Captains held the power to initiate criminal justice proceedings against their own crewmembers through court martial.[8]
Failure to report or to misreport was a serious offense, and could be punished by a letter of reprimand or stripping one's rank and title outright.[9]
Krill[]
Captains of the Krill were similar in function to the Union, although it is not clear whether they were subordinate to officers or civilian officials of higher rank. A ship captain was advised by a religious leader known as the High Priest.[3]
Notable captains[]
- Blavaroch: A Horbalak smuggler.
- Dalak: Notably led the Krill fleet fighting alongside the Union against the Kaylon in the Battle of Earth.[10]
- Ed Mercer: Captain of the Orville from 2419 onward.[11]
- Griffith: Captain of the Orville in an alternate timeline where Ed never became captain; killed during the Battle of Earth in February 2421.[12]
- Haros: Captain of the Yakar; was killed along with the majority of his crew by Ed Mercer.[3]
- Jakohn: Captain who fought against the Union over Moclan women living in The Sanctuary.[13]
- Kelly Grayson: Commander Grayson briefly assumed the role of Captain of the Orville in 2422 as part of a deception for the Janisi.[14]
- Kratok: Captain of an unnamed Krill battleship and commander of a sizable fleet.[15][16]
- Losha: A Janisi Captain.[17]
- Marcos: Captain of the USS Roosevelt; was killed along with his entire crew when the Roosevelt was destroyed by the Kaylon just prior to the Battle of Earth.[10]
- Pria Lavesque: Captain of the Vega Mining Consortium ship Horizon.[2]
- Rechik: Captain in the Moclan Fleet who performed weapons tests on Union ships.[18]
- Vorak: Captain of a Moclan ship in October and November 2419.[4]
- An unidentified Krill captain commanded a Krill destroyer which abducted Ed Mercer before they were attacked by the Chak'tal. His fate remains unknown.[19]
- An unidentified Krill captain commanded the Davoro'kos.[20]
- An unidentified Krill captain commanded a Krill destroyer which was destroyed by the USS Orville in the Battle of Epsilon 2 in September 2419.[11]
- An unnamed human male captain was commanding officer of the USS Bohr in 2401.[16] He was Ed Mercer, Gordon Malloy, and Ycil's former captain.
Production[]
Emblem[]
Uniform[]
Trivia[]
- Captains have the power to perform wedding ceremonies on their ship.[18]
- As a young officer, Kelly Grayson's dream was to be captain of her own ship.
Notes[]
- ↑ Alara Kitan, as acting captain, requested Chief Medical Officer Claire Finn relieve her of command in Command Performance.
- ↑ The size of 3,000 ships in the Fleet was given in Old Wounds.
- ↑ In late 2419, Captain Ed Mercer orders Chief of Security Alara Kitan to forcibly detain Pria Lavesque in the Brig after her failed attempt to commandeer the USS Orville. In March, 2420, Mercer interrogates Doctor Claire Finn for the attempted murder of Kitan. He decides to continue to hold Finn in custody on the Brig.
References[]
- ↑ Episode 1x01: Old Wounds
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Episode 1x05: Pria
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Episode 1x06: Krill
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Episode 1x03: About a Girl
- ↑ Episode 1x11: New Dimensions
- ↑ Episode 1x04: If the Stars Should Appear
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Episode 2x09: Identity, Pt. 2
- ↑ Episode 2x02: Primal Urges
- ↑ Episode 1x12: Mad Idolatry
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Episode 2x09: Identity, Pt. 2
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Episode 1x01: Old Wounds
- ↑ Episode 2x14: The Road Not Taken
- ↑ Episode 2x12: Sanctuary
- ↑ Episode 3x07: From Unknown Graves
- ↑ Episode 1.5x04: The Word of Avis, Pt. 2
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 Episode 2.5x01: Launch Day, Pt. 1
- ↑ Episode 3x07: From Unknown Graves
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 Episode 2x07: Deflectors
- ↑ Episode 2x04: Nothing Left on Earth Excepting Fishes
- ↑ Episode 2x10: Blood of Patriots