NationStates Jolt Archive

Who would command your interstellar space fleet?

of these choices (2 are unfortunally unknown to me) sheridan is my choice.

uhmm....Hitler! :eek:


jk.....

Sheridan. Mostly 'cause Adama's son is a dick (I liked Billy, maybe no-one else did but I liked him dammit and now Captain 'Mary Sue' Adama fucked him over well and good). That and his girlfriend/command crew were made of pure Awesome 'Ivanova Is God!'.

Please note I haven't seen any of BSG season 3 so no spoilers m'kay?

of these choices (2 are unfortunally unknown to me) sheridan is my choice.

I should have specified the movie/series they came from. That would be Captain Sisko of Deep Space 9 and Admiral Ackbar of the Rebel Fleet in RotJ.

I tried to choose commanders who had actually commanded fleet actions.

Sheridan. Mostly 'cause Adama's son is a dick (I liked Billy, maybe no-one else did but I liked him dammit and now Captain 'Mary Sue' Adama fucked him over well and good). That and his girlfriend/command crew were made of pure Awesome 'Ivanova Is God!'.

Please note I haven't seen any of BSG season 3 so no spoilers m'kay?

No spoilers.. alright.. but when yo do see it, you'll want to change your answer :)

I should have specified the movie/series they came from. That would be Captain Sisko of Deep Space 9 and Admiral Ackbar of the Rebel Fleet in RotJ.

I tried to choose commanders who had actually commanded fleet actions.

i know ackbar im a sci-fi fan and a SW nut sheridan and ackbar and now sisko I know, the last is?

I'd choose Ender over them all.

No spoilers.. alright.. but when yo do see it, you'll want to change your answer :)

Only if sonny-boy dies I fear (it's got more to do with some emotional crap I was going through at the time than what I'd normally be like I suspect but still...)

Damn my lack of the appropriate channel! (Sky I think...) Damn the price of series sets! When's season 3 over?

i know ackbar im a sci-fi fan and a SW nut sheridan and ackbar and now sisko I know, the last is?

Adama's form the new Battlestar Galactica. Much as I dislike his son, Commander Adama himself is pretty damn cool.

And the series is AWESOME. Right from the very first episode.

Hopefully, if there's a real plan to it it won't get buggered up like Babylon 5 did...

none.

My choice would be Justy Ueki Tylor (20 Yrs Old.)

I'd choose Ender over them all.

hey what about Bean? ;)

Damn. Need an option for Ender Wiggin.

Adama's form the new Battlestar Galactica. Much as I dislike his son, Commander Adama himself is pretty damn cool.

And the series is AWESOME. Right from the very first episode.

Hopefully, if there's a real plan to it it won't get buggered up like Babylon 5 did...

I kinda like seasons 3-5 of b5.

battlestar would i like to see, i have seen some sci-fi, but not nearly enough.

I kinda like sesons 3-5 of b5.

battlestar would i like to see, i have seen some sci-fi, but not nearly enough.

I liked Season 2 best myself (B5) Season 4 was just too rushed (not seen 5 yet).

hey what about Bean? ;)

It crossed my mind, but his name isn't as cool. *)

I liked Season 2 best myself (B5) Season 4 was just too rushed (not seen 5 yet).

I've heard that by season 4 they were told it would be the last, so they had to rush things to conclusion. Afterwards they got to make the 5th season, but I guess they weren't entirely sure of what to include in it.

Anyway, I liked it all, though season 1 was the worst, since the plot hadn't really started yet, they were pretty much indepented episodes.

I liked Season 2 best myself (B5) Season 4 was just too rushed (not seen 5 yet).

5 is kinda weird. but I liked it. it's a definitive end.

i know ackbar im a sci-fi fan and a SW nut sheridan and ackbar and now sisko I know, the last is?

William Adama is from the new Battlestar Galactica. In th eold series, he was just Commander Adama.

Only if sonny-boy dies I fear (it's got more to do with some emotional crap I was going through at the time than what I'd normally be like I suspect but still...)

Damn my lack of the appropriate channel! (Sky I think...) Damn the price of series sets! When's season 3 over?

That's a complex question... Season 2.5 is available now on DVD, and the true season 3 is being aired right now.

Damn. Need an option for Ender Wiggin.

You're right.. and I just finished reading Ender's Shadow, too... What was I thinking?

i only heard of sisko. is this a star trek thing or something. sisko is good cuz you can say "where does this go, captain sisko?" and it rhymes.

That's a complex question... Season 2.5 is available now on DVD, and the true season 3 is being aired right now.

Amazon link or something? I just found seasons 1/2 in Virgin Megastore one day and the guys at my local games club ere going on about how great it was.

Picard

You're right.. and I just finished reading Ender's Shadow, too... What was I thinking?

Heh. I think it's cause Speaker For The Dead and Xenocide were both such great novels we forget what a bastard he was in Enders Game.

Christopher Sim, from 'a talent for war'.

but of the tv/movie scene probably adama, or scorpius

Picard

I thought about putting him in, but he really dind't command any truly interesting fleet battles. A blockade along the Romulan border isn't anything like as interesting as the Klingon assault on DS9.

Amazon link or something? I just found seasons 1/2 in Virgin Megastore one day and the guys at my local games club ere going on about how great it was.

http://www.amazon.com/Battlestar-Galactica-Season-Episodes-10-20/dp/B000GFLEAO/sr=8-1/qid=1163628530/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/103-1102945-7055829?ie=UTF8&s=dvd

That's the 2.5 box set. That's the disadvantage of cable stations and original content... their season schedule can be rather odd.

Who would command your interstellar space fleet?

Take off the Spock ears and get a girlfriend. :)

Me! Of course!

Take off the Spock ears and get a girlfriend. :)

You know, some women think pointy ears are sexy as hell...

Akbar. Because he/it's Akbar.

Either Han Solo or Picard. Or better, Han Solo AND Picard. Hilarity ensues.

The intelligent http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y223/GermanNightmare/octopus.gif!

Either Han Solo or Picard. Or better, Han Solo AND Picard. Hilarity ensues.
"We need..." "Mister Sulu, uhm, Solo..." "Make it so!" "Nobody tells me what to do, old man!"

Take off the Spock ears and get a girlfriend. :)

Take off your tinfoil hat first. :)

German Nightmare: You win this thread. I actually laughed at the idea.

As for my choice: Benny-Man Sisko.

Benjamin Sisko FTW.

Who else can take out 3,000 + Dominion Battlecruisers using only the Defiant?

(I'd admit he did exploit a relationship he shares with a timeless being).

i only heard of sisko. is this a star trek thing or something. sisko is good cuz you can say "where does this go, captain sisko?" and it rhymes.

William Adama (Battlestar Galactica)
John Sheridan (Babylon 5)
Ackbar (Star Wars)

Although I am a big DS9 fan, I wouldn't want to trust myself to a guy who occassionally receives visions from unverifiable mythological sources, so I went for Sheridan.

Captain Benjamin Lafayette Sisko

See "In the Pale Moonlight" for my justification. Picard was just a whiney little regulation quoter.

Sisko had balls to do what was needed in desperate times. He needed to get the Romulans to enter in an alliance with the Klingons and Federation during the Dominion War. He brought Elim Garak on board, who I might add is just a simple tailor:p .

Garak then had a forger named Tolar released from Klingon captivity to forge a holorecording of a meeting between Weyoun and Damar plotting an invasion of Romulus. During his time on DS9, Tolar stabbed Quark. Sisko bribed Quark to drop the charges.

Tolar's forgery was made and shown to a Romulan Senator. The Senator inspected it and discovered It's a faaaaake. Garak killed Tolar for the poor performance. As the Senator leaves, it appears the Romulans will enter the war on the Dominion's side. Instead, he recieves news that the shuttle was blown up by a bomb (which Garak had placed). Any imperfections in the recording can be explained due to bomb damage. It becomes clear to the Romulan Tal Shiar that the Dominion blew up the Senator's ship to destroy the recording. Sisko gets his wish.

"At 0800 Hours station time, the Romulan Empire formally declared war against the Dominion. They have already struck 15 bases along the Cardassian border. So this is a huge victory for the good guys! This may even be the turning point of the entire war. There is even a 'welcome to the fight' party tonight in the wardroom. So... I lied, I cheated, I bribed men to cover the crimes of other men. I am an accessory to murder. But the most damning thing of all... I think I can live with it. And if I had to do it all over again, I would. Garak was right about one thing, a guilty conscience is a small price to pay for the safety of the Alpha Quadrant. So I will learn to live with it... because I can live with it... I can live with it. Computer, erase that entire personal log."

"That is why you came to me, isn't it, captain? Because you knew I could do the things you weren't capable of doing yourself? Well, it worked. And you'll get what you wanted -- a war between the Romulans and the Dominion. If your conscience is bothering you, you should soothe it with the knowledge that you may have just saved the entire Alpha Quadrant, and all it cost was the life of one Romulan senator, one criminal, and the self-respect of one Starfleet officer. I don't know about you, but I'd call that a bargain."

Although I am a big DS9 fan, I wouldn't want to trust myself to a guy who occassionally receives visions from unverifiable mythological sources, so I went for Sheridan.

Unverifiable my ass. The Prophets clearly showed their existence throughout the series with numerous actions, including the creation of the Orbs. I would hazard a guess that the Prophets are merely beings evolved close to the level of the Q, rather than actual gods persee.

I thought about putting him in, but he really dind't command any truly interesting fleet battles. A blockade along the Romulan border isn't anything like as interesting as the Klingon assault on DS9.

Or delaying so the USS Defiant could lay the minefield, retaking DS9, Battle of Chintoka, holding AR-554, being Emissary of the Prophets, capturing a Jem'Hadar ship, destroyed a Ketracel White facility, bringing the Romulans into the war, defeating Dukat, exposing the Martok changeling, etc.

I vote Adama. He's invincible.

Behind that, Ackbar, then Sheridan.

The Sisko comes in last because DS9 sucks and I've wasted days of my life watching it.

Unverifiable my ass. The Prophets clearly showed their existence throughout the series with numerous actions, including the creation of the Orbs. I would hazard a guess that the Prophets are merely beings evolved close to the level of the Q, rather than actual gods persee.

They also created the Bajoran Wormhole.

Let's also not forget how they literally Godmodded and deleted a 2,500 ship Dominion fleet.

Another reason Sisko rules:

http://www.bravofleet.net/avalon/images/GDefPhaser3.jpg


http://youtube.com/watch?v=w5FmSmyHaCI

They also created the Bajoran Wormhole.

Let's also not forget how they literally Godmodded and deleted a 2,500 ship Dominion fleet.
Messed with the programming language of the universe, they did. /nodnod

That's all the Q are anyway: programmers. They program in Q++.

none.

My choice would be Justy Ueki Tylor (20 Yrs Old.)
Agreed, though the Admiralty probably won't like the results of the battle. ;)

Agreed, though the Admiralty probably won't like the results of the battle. ;)
why not? he didn't lose a single ship, not one man got injured in that battle!

and I can gurantee you that the commander of the enemy forces not only Sh!t in his pants, but respected Tylor even more. ;)

why not? he didn't lose a single ship, not one man got injured in that battle!
Yes, but he didn't do it the way the Admirals wanted, they're picky that way.

and I can gurantee you that the commander of the enemy forces not only Sh!t in his pants, but respected Tylor even more. ;)
Poor Dom... so cool, so in command... right until the moment when he figured out he had no idea what the hell Tylor was going to do.

Starscream.

Captain Benjamin Lafayette Sisko

See "In the Pale Moonlight" for my justification. Picard was just a whiney little regulation quoter.

Sisko had balls to do what was needed in desperate times. He needed to get the Romulans to enter in an alliance with the Klingons and Federation during the Dominion War. He brought Elim Garak on board, who I might add is just a simple tailor:p .

Garak then had a forger named Tolar released from Klingon captivity to forge a holorecording of a meeting between Weyoun and Damar plotting an invasion of Romulus. During his time on DS9, Tolar stabbed Quark. Sisko bribed Quark to drop the charges.

Tolar's forgery was made and shown to a Romulan Senator. The Senator inspected it and discovered It's a faaaaake. Garak killed Tolar for the poor performance. As the Senator leaves, it appears the Romulans will enter the war on the Dominion's side. Instead, he recieves news that the shuttle was blown up by a bomb (which Garak had placed). Any imperfections in the recording can be explained due to bomb damage. It becomes clear to the Romulan Tal Shiar that the Dominion blew up the Senator's ship to destroy the recording. Sisko gets his wish.

OMFG, I like that episode too much. Its up there with "Tears of the Prophets #1 and #2", as well as "Siege of AR-518".

Personally, I'd have preferred to say Honor Alexander-Harrington, but of the choices available, I'll go with Sheridan. After all, he was willing to say "Eff You!" to the Shadows, the Vorlons, his own government...

And winds up President of the Galaxy, for all intents and purposes.

http://www.bolarus.de/sibs/ship/pic/kirk.jpg

C'mon. He's defeated Khan (multiple times!), NOMAD, the whale space vigilante, and uttered the line "why does God need a Starship?" Realized that the Prime Directive was made to be bent, as was the Kobayashi Maru. And he is apparently irrisitable to any female. And you tell me that any of these other guys have his hand-to-hand abilities!

http://www.bolarus.de/sibs/ship/pic/kirk.jpg

C'mon. He's defeated Khan (multiple times!), NOMAD, the whale space vigilante, and uttered the line "why does God need a Starship?" Realized that the Prime Directive was made to be bent, as was the Kobayashi Maru. And he is apparently irrisitable to any female. And you tell me that any of these other guys have his hand-to-hand abilities!

Oh, he wins (or at least ties) for best ship captain, but Kirk never commanded a fleet. It's a different set of skills.

Oh, he wins (or at least ties) for best ship captain, but Kirk never commanded a fleet. It's a different set of skills.
Just to keep it honest, yes he did. Let the record show that Captain Kirk was once Admiral Kirk, Chief of Starfleet Operations, before being broken back to captain.

Of course we have no idea how he did, but he did rank all the other fleet commanders so far named.

Adama is the only one on the list that actually seems to be a competent commander, who actually commands.

By the way, it's not 518, or 588, or whatever other number you guys have been coming up with. It's 558. Don't believe me?
http://www.ex-astris-scientia.org/episodes/ds97.htm

Just to keep it honest, yes he did. Let the record show that Captain Kirk was once Admiral Kirk, Chief of Starfleet Operations, before being broken back to captain.

Of course we have no idea how he did, but he did rank all the other fleet commanders so far named.

Chief of Starfleet Operations would equate to Chief of Naval Operations in the US Navy - the guy in charge of coordinating all naval operations, worldwide, from a central command location.

So, while he would have given orders to the fleet commanders, Kirk wasn't actually in command of any fleet. His job was strategic, not tactical. Basically, He got jumped from Captain to 3-star Admiral without going through the intervening spaces.

Yes, but he didn't do it the way the Admirals wanted, they're picky that way.Correction... Most Admirals. Admiral Hanner sent his congratuatory message to both commanders.


Poor Dom... so cool, so in command... right until the moment when he figured out he had no idea what the hell Tylor was going to do.Poor Shea Has... the series ended with her being given the task to re-capture Tylor...

But I do like the fact that Dom did admit that until that hour, he never felt fear.

Correction... Most Admirals. Admiral Hanner sent his congratuatory message to both commanders.
Retired Admiral Hanner.

Poor Shea Has... the series ended with her being given the task to re-capture Tylor...
You know, that's actually not that hard. You just have to invite him over, or have a cute girl near by. It's keeping Taylor that's the hard part.

But I do like the fact that Dom did admit that until that hour, he never felt fear.
Yup.

Thrawn.

Chief of Starfleet Operations would equate to Chief of Naval Operations in the US Navy - the guy in charge of coordinating all naval operations, worldwide, from a central command location.

So, while he would have given orders to the fleet commanders, Kirk wasn't actually in command of any fleet. His job was strategic, not tactical. Basically, He got jumped from Captain to 3-star Admiral without going through the intervening spaces.
True, but he would have been moving fleets. The OP never did say what type of fleet engagement this would be.

You know, that's actually not that hard. You just have to invite him over, or have a cute girl near by. It's keeping Taylor's hands off her that's the hard part.

Edited for truth. :D

tho a recapture is easy. just send an invitation from the Empress...

Edited for truth. :D
No, no, no... it's REALLY easy to keep Tylor's hands off of a lady. You just have to have Commander Starr close by. ;)

Zoidberg. :)

Horatio Hornblower.:)
http://www.napoleonguide.com/images/hornblower_pistol.jpg

Zoidberg. :)

He'd eat the whole fleet before he would issue a single command.

*sigh* looks like BSG 2.5 is US-only right now *curses*

Oh yeah, one to add to the list. Karan S'Jet (what, you never played Homeworld?)

I'd choose Ender over them all.

Definitely Ender Wiggin FTW. *nod*

Definitely Ender Wiggin FTW. *nod*

LG, will you command my fleet?

LG, will you command my fleet?

Can I get a big bathtub on the bridge? :)

Can I get a big bathtub on the bridge? :)

Definately.


This is gonna be the best space fleet evar, mwahahaha.
*takes over universe*

*takes over universe*

What's left of it. :)

What's left of it. :)

Well what's left will be the best bits.

Well what's left will be the best bits.

Indeed. *nod*

One problem with your plan, I have a planet made purely of mud puddles for LG. You'll be needing a new commander I think... :P

One problem with your plan, I have a planet made purely of mud puddles for LG. You'll be needing a new commander I think... :P

He can command from there.

What do you think is going in the bathtub? :D

Adama is the only one on the list that actually seems to be a competent commander, who actually commands.
Adama never really comandeered a true battle fleet. All he did was run.
Thrawn.
Excellent choice, my young apprentice. (;))
Definitely Ender Wiggin FTW. *nod*
Wow. That's high-caliber! I'd like to see how he'd fare against Thrawn.
Can I get a big bathtub on the bridge? :)
Great choice. Pray that the artificial gravity never turns off, though.
*takes over universe*
No, you don't. It's mine, remember?
What's left of it. :)
Bits and pieces.
Well what's left will be the best bits.
Which I rule already. Read the sig... (You should know it!)

Messed with the programming language of the universe, they did. /nodnod

That's all the Q are anyway: programmers. They program in Q++.

Until Microsoft cloned it and re-released it as Microsoft Q#.NET

http://www.bolarus.de/sibs/ship/pic/kirk.jpg

C'mon. He's defeated Khan (multiple times!), NOMAD, the whale space vigilante, and uttered the line "why does God need a Starship?" Realized that the Prime Directive was made to be bent, as was the Kobayashi Maru. And he is apparently irrisitable to any female. And you tell me that any of these other guys have his hand-to-hand abilities!

I concede every single point above, but remember this is about FLEET actions, and although Kirk has a reputation for being a fleet commander as well as a starship captain, we never got to see it.

See, I sort of have a problem actually choosing Ackbar over the others, because at the Battle of Endor it was actually Lando Calrissian overriding Ackbar's judgement that resulted in the victory. Had Ackbar had it his way, the rebel fleet would have hauled a$$ out of there as soon as they realized the Empire was waiting for them. Later, it was Lando's idea to engage the Star Destroyers directly, resulting in the destructing of a number of destroyers, including the Executor.

I should have said Lando instead of Ackbar.

Adama never really comandeered a true battle fleet. All he did was run.

Excellent choice, my young apprentice. (;))

Wow. That's high-caliber! I'd like to see how he'd fare against Thrawn.

Great choice. Pray that the artificial gravity never turns off, though.

No, you don't. It's mine, remember?

Bits and pieces.

Which I rule already. Read the sig... (You should know it!)

Pfft, you won it, you don't rule it.

The A's are definetely out.

Agama is either too cautious or too reckless / he is either afraid to take any casualties or willing to rlose everything for personal reasons. Sacrificing one of his two battlestars (and the better one at that) for the off chance that they might be able to rescue some people? absurd. He would have been much better off conserving his stregnth and contiuing on to the lost colony of Earth and then coming back to save what was left of the human population of all the colonies. Also while he seems to be able to command a fair ammount of loyalty from the crew of one ship, he creates alot of friction and ill will when commanding more than one ship. I evalute him as an acceptable captain but unsuited tempermentally for flag rank.

Akkbar, maybe he is a good logistician or something but somewhat of a tactical moron. He does however have a great flare for strategic thinking, think of all the traps he has spotted or developed himself. A general staff officer but not an overall commander.

Sisko, are you crazy? Based upon his conflicting actions it often seems he is. Most dominant reason the reject Sisko (and there are several) is fear that he might decide that I am the greatest threat to my dominion and instigate/lead a coup against me based upon some paranoid suspiscion that he has no way to confirm. He's done it before.

That leaves Sheridan, not a good choice but the best of the lot. While a coup is a possiblility with Sheridan at least he has shown reluctance to join a coup and he had actual reasons and understandable justifications for his actions. His whole mysticism/belief in the end times thing is worrysome, but his command and strategic abilities are pretty good. Not my perfect choice, but the best of the selections.

Tough choices one and all
William "the look" Adama
John "Nukem" Sheridan
Benny Sisko
Admiral "Scream like a girl" Ackbar

Hey any man who can drop a battlstar into an atmosphere has my vote

Although I am a big DS9 fan, I wouldn't want to trust myself to a guy who occassionally receives visions from unverifiable mythological sources, so I went for Sheridan.

Mythological sources who occasionally wipe entire fleets of enemy vessels out of existence.

I'd go with Sisko. Never saw Akbar as a particularly effective commander, but he received a comparatively minuscule amount of screen time so it's not much of a comparison.

How can Sisko not be winning? He single handedly won the freaking Dominion War.

How can Sisko not be winning? He single handedly won the freaking Dominion War.

A bunch of Star Wars nerds are under the impression that Akbar ever did anything other than cry like a little girl.

A bunch of Star Wars nerds are under the impression that Akbar ever did anything other than cry like a little girl.

Yeah. Any true xcore Star Wars nerd would be bitching about say... Thrawn or [insert obscurity here] not being on the poll.

See, I sort of have a problem actually choosing Ackbar over the others, because at the Battle of Endor it was actually Lando Calrissian overriding Ackbar's judgement that resulted in the victory. Had Ackbar had it his way, the rebel fleet would have hauled a$$ out of there as soon as they realized the Empire was waiting for them. Later, it was Lando's idea to engage the Star Destroyers directly, resulting in the destructing of a number of destroyers, including the Executor.

I should have said Lando instead of Ackbar.

Ackbar did command the FLEET. Lando was a General.

Now the fact tha Ackbar did listen to Lando can also be a testiment to his leadership qualities of listening to his Generals while the battle is going on. Leadership is not just coming up with the tactics but also knowing when to listen to others to make decisions.


I Still say tylor tho. :p

I'd choose Ender over them all.

Definitely.

Other possible options would be Paul Atreides, or any of his bloodline.

Definitely.

Other possible options would be Paul Atreides, or any of his bloodline.

Meh. Not only did Paul Atredies not command a fleet, but it's easy to command when you can have a spice vision that tells you all possible outcomes for each choice, then simply pick the one that gives you what you want.

Agama is either too cautious or too reckless / he is either afraid to take any casualties or willing to rlose everything for personal reasons. Sacrificing one of his two battlestars (and the better one at that) for the off chance that they might be able to rescue some people? absurd. He would have been much better off conserving his stregnth and contiuing on to the lost colony of Earth and then coming back to save what was left of the human population of all the colonies. Also while he seems to be able to command a fair ammount of loyalty from the crew of one ship, he creates alot of friction and ill will when commanding more than one ship. I evalute him as an acceptable captain but unsuited tempermentally for flag rank.

I would disagree here by pointing out that Admiral Adama's original plan did NOT include the Pegasus. That was Lee Adama's doing and if anything, shows that sometimes the apple falls pretty far from the tree. Admiral Adama had ordered the Pegasus to escort the remaining fleet to Earth, and thus fulfilled all his mandates. The fact that his plan succeeded shows his ability. Even if Pegasus hadn't arrived and Galactica was destroyed, the civilians would have escaped and the plan would still count as a success. Lee's intervention only traded Pegasus for Galactica as the ship that didn't return from New Caprica, and saved the lives of one Battlestar's complement of crew.

Meh. Not only did Paul Atredies not command a fleet, but it's easy to command when you can have a spice vision that tells you all possible outcomes for each choice, then simply pick the one that gives you what you want.

Well, that's the point, though one of his descendants was capable of determining the exact location of each and every ship in an attcking fleet, and was able to use his fleet to pick them out of the proverbial sky. But since this occurs in the fifth or sixth book, I thought it may have been too obscure.

Ackbar did command the FLEET. Lando was a General...

Yah, thats' why I put him on the list... But I still say that Lando dind't just suggest alternatives that the Admiral was magnanimously open to listening to, Lando openly challenged Ackbar's commands on an open frequency in front of the command crew. Let's face it. Ackbar was on command of the fleet, and Lando was in command of the fighter assault force, but that battle was Lando's show all the way.

Not bad for a former smuggler, scoundrel and politician.

Well, that's the point, though one of his descendants was capable of determining the exact location of each and every ship in an attcking fleet, and was able to use his fleet to pick them out of the proverbial sky. But since this occurs in the fifth or sixth book, I thought it may have been too obscure.

Well okay I see what you mean there. I suppose one could say that this concept makes h im the most effective fleet commander in a raw brute force sense, but not proven is his actual ability at tactical command and strategy.

Well okay I see what you mean there. I suppose one could say that this concept makes h im the most effective fleet commander in a raw brute force sense, but not proven is his actual ability at tactical command and strategy.

Definitely. The whole Dune series is very scant when it comes to action scenes.

I'll switch my vote to Ender.

Yah, thats' why I put him on the list... But I still say that Lando dind't just suggest alternatives that the Admiral was magnanimously open to listening to, Lando openly challenged Ackbar's commands on an open frequency in front of the command crew. Let's face it. Ackbar was on command of the fleet, and Lando was in command of the fighter assault force, but that battle was Lando's show all the way.

Not bad for a former smuggler, scoundrel and politician.

please show where he "Challanged" Ackbar's orders.

Lando figured out the sheilds were up and commanded the fighters (in a way, His fleet) to break off.

Lando suggested and backed up his suggestion with reasoning for moving the fleet towards the Star Destroyers.

Lando urged, not challanged, Ackbar to hold off retreating from the battle.

Lando backed up his suggestions with his reason. Ackbar, who commanded the capital ships worked with Lando but Ackbar was the commander of the Fleet.

however, I do agree that Ackbar (and Lando) wasn't shown doing enough to merit a place on the list.

I would disagree here by pointing out that Admiral Adama's original plan did NOT include the Pegasus. That was Lee Adama's doing and if anything, shows that sometimes the apple falls pretty far from the tree. Admiral Adama had ordered the Pegasus to escort the remaining fleet to Earth, and thus fulfilled all his mandates. The fact that his plan succeeded shows his ability. Even if Pegasus hadn't arrived and Galactica was destroyed, the civilians would have escaped and the plan would still count as a success. Lee's intervention only traded Pegasus for Galactica as the ship that didn't return from New Caprica, and saved the lives of one Battlestar's complement of crew.Given thier relative performances I would consider the Gallactica the better of the 2 Battlestars. It could be argued that when he transfered his son and others to Pegasus he was making Pegasus the better of the 2, and the Pegausus was definetely the newer of the 2 but I consider the Galactica is the more combat efficient of the 2. It also appears to tie in with apparent sucidal impulse Adama seems to have, but that's a whole different issue.

Regardless, the whole splitting of his forces in this case was a bad idea. That it worked does not make it a good idea. Agama just doesn't seem to have an overall grasp of the bigger picture. I'd be perfctly happy to leave in command of one ship, but doesn't have the conceptualiztion one needs in a fleet leader. To his credit, he does seem to be aware that a fleet command is different than a ship command and atttempts upon occasion to make decisions as a fleet commander, but it is foreign to his nature and he isn'ty good at it. Sacrificing half your forces for an secondary objective is not what I want from a fleet commander.

please show where he "Challanged" Ackbar's orders.

Lando figured out the sheilds were up and commanded the fighters (in a way, His fleet) to break off.

Lando suggested and backed up his suggestion with reasoning for moving the fleet towards the Star Destroyers.

Lando urged, not challanged, Ackbar to hold off retreating from the battle.

Lando backed up his suggestions with his reason. Ackbar, who commanded the capital ships worked with Lando but Ackbar was the commander of the Fleet.

however, I do agree that Ackbar (and Lando) wasn't shown doing enough to merit a place on the list.

I'm talking strictly from a standpoint of military discipline.

When the Rebel fleet first realized the Death Star was shielded and ready, Ackbar ordered a retreat. The fleet was unable to do so right then because the escape route was blocked by the Imperial fleet. Ok, so far so good except if Ackbar had successfully retreated, the Battle of Endor would have been lost right there. But back to the point:

General Calrissian appeared to be responsible for the assault force that would attack the Death Star directly. That meant fighters and the Millenium Falcon only. Despite this, when the Death Star opened fire and destroyed the first Mon Calamari cruiser, it was Lando who TOLD Ackbar to engage the Star Destroyers at point-blank range. That was no suggestion. When Ackbar quailed, Lando pointed out that in doing so, they'd last longer against the fleet than they would against the Death Star, and maybe take a few Imperials with them.

That, right there, was a good tactical decision, but it wasn't Ackbar's, and in fact one could argue that Lando overstepped his authority. The ONLY way this was apropriate in a military sense was if Lando himself outranked Ackbar and had superior tactical authority.

HEY! That's it!

This is a distinct possibility, since in a conversation with Han Solo before the attack, it is strongly implied that Lando had the highest command authority at the battle.

That being the case, Lando was in total command and Ackbar was subordinate. If THAT is the case, then it was Ackbar who was insubordinate to Lando in openly questioning HIS order to attack the Imperial fleet directly.

Later, Ackbar argues with Lando over when to retreat, and Lando insists on giving Solo's strike team more time to disable the Death Star's shields.

Given thier relative performances I would consider the Gallactica the better of the 2 Battlestars. It could be argued that when he transfered his son and others to Pegasus he was making Pegasus the better of the 2, and the Pegausus was definetely the newer of the 2 but I consider the Galactica is the more combat efficient of the 2. It also appears to tie in with apparent sucidal impulse Adama seems to have, but that's a whole different issue.

Regardless, the whole splitting of his forces in this case was a bad idea. That it worked does not make it a good idea. Agama just doesn't seem to have an overall grasp of the bigger picture. I'd be perfctly happy to leave in command of one ship, but doesn't have the conceptualiztion one needs in a fleet leader. To his credit, he does seem to be aware that a fleet command is different than a ship command and atttempts upon occasion to make decisions as a fleet commander, but it is foreign to his nature and he isn'ty good at it. Sacrificing half your forces for an secondary objective is not what I want from a fleet commander.

I think the two Batttlestars are equivalent in tactical effectiveness, but in different ways.

The Pegasus clearly had greater firepower. With the forward betteries she was able to destroy a basestar in a matter of seconds. We haven't seen Galactica do that.

On the other hand, Galactica seemed to be able to withstand a lot more damage and continue fighting. She had already jumped into New Caprica's atmosphere, jumped out, and had been in a sustained engagement with the base stars long before Pegasus arrived. Once there, Pegasus took the heat off Galactica but only lasted a couple of minutes before the order was given to abandon ship. Maybe Pegasus hit hard but had a glass jaw.

I still thik the order to split the fleet was justified, and a suicide run isn't necessarily bad tactics. Considering the Galactica was jumping into a situation with overwhelming enemy strentgth, I don't think it would have been possible to pull it off without losing a battlestar. That the plan worked at all is a testament to Adama's tactical planning.

Emperor Palatine?

I still thik the order to split the fleet was justified, and a suicide run isn't necessarily bad tactics. Considering the Galactica was jumping into a situation with overwhelming enemy strentgth, I don't think it would have been possible to pull it off without losing a battlestar. That the plan worked at all is a testament to Adama's tactical planning.The important word here is "tactical". In terms of the strategic situation, how does the whole New Caprica mission justify losing half the battle capability of the fleet? We're not even talking about risking half the fleet's battle capability to ensure the sucess of the mission but guarenteeing the destruction of half for the possibility of the mission being sucessful. The New Caprica mission was a secondary objective that has a minimal positive (if not a net negative) effect upon the primary mission, and it cost half the battle forces Adama had.

A sucide run to divert the Cylons so the fleet could escape would have been reasonable, heck in the circumstances a sucide run to increase infentismally the chance of the fleet being able to complete it's mission is reasonable. Sacrificng half the fleet for a secondary objective isn't. Adama just doesn't seem to have it in him to stay focused on the big picture. Not rescuing the people on New Caprica would have add little to the chance of end of the human species, losing a battlestar will.

The important word here is "tactical". In terms of the strategic situation, how does the whole New Caprica mission justify losing half the battle capability of the fleet? We're not even talking about risking half the fleet's battle capability to ensure the sucess of the mission but guarenteeing the destruction of half for the possibility of the mission being sucessful. The New Caprica mission was a secondary objective that has a minimal positive (if not a net negative) effect upon the primary mission, and it cost half the battle forces Adama had.

A sucide run to divert the Cylons so the fleet could escape would have been reasonable, heck in the circumstances a sucide run to increase infentismally the chance of the fleet being able to complete it's mission is reasonable. Sacrificng half the fleet for a secondary objective isn't. Adama just doesn't seem to have it in him to stay focused on the big picture. Not rescuing the people on New Caprica would have add little to the chance of end of the human species, losing a battlestar will.

I guess that depends on what's at stake. When the Colonial fleet initially set out, they had 45+ thousand people. That's already a serious population bottleneck. I forget exactly how many people escaped when the two battlestars fled from the Cylon invasion of New Caprica, but it would have made a bad situation catrastrophic. If the fleet never finds Earth, they'd need to set up shop somewhere and repopulate. The people left behind on New Caprica would have been critical and therefore not a secondary objective.

Now, I do agree that Adama's motives seemed to be more based upon an emotional need to NOT abandon the people a second time, but in this case his personal wants coincided with the best interests of the people at large, and so his decision was right.

Besides, he did have a contingency in place... Had Lee followed orders, the remainder of the fleet would have been escorted by Pegasus toward Earth. Fewer ships with a more powerful battlestar. A better tactical arrangement than when Galactica first left with the fleet at the beginning.

I'm talking strictly from a standpoint of military discipline.so am I

When the Rebel fleet first realized the Death Star was shielded and ready, Ackbar ordered a retreat. The fleet was unable to do so right then because the escape route was blocked by the Imperial fleet. Ok, so far so good except if Ackbar had successfully retreated, the Battle of Endor would have been lost right there. But back to the point:

General Calrissian appeared to be responsible for the assault force that would attack the Death Star directly. That meant fighters and the Millenium Falcon only. Despite this, when the Death Star opened fire and destroyed the first Mon Calamari cruiser, it was Lando who TOLD Ackbar to engage the Star Destroyers at point-blank range. That was no suggestion. When Ackbar quailed, Lando pointed out that in doing so, they'd last longer against the fleet than they would against the Death Star, and maybe take a few Imperials with them.that wasn't countermanding anything either. remember, Ackbar was commanding the fleet of captial ships, not the fighters.

the tactics of capital ships and fighters are different, engaging the enemy (in Star Wars Tactics) is a fighter's job, the capital ships hang back and barrage each other from a distance.

So basically, Lando suggested a fighter tactic to the Cruisers. close and engage at point blank.

That, right there, was a good tactical decision, but it wasn't Ackbar's, and in fact one could argue that Lando overstepped his authority. The ONLY way this was apropriate in a military sense was if Lando himself outranked Ackbar and had superior tactical authority. only if and that is an IF Ackbar took Lando's communication as a Order, and not as a Recommendation. now the one thing you have to realise is, is a Fleet Admiral the same rank as a Air Force/Marine General. the Fleet seems structured like the Navy, but the fighter corps and ground forces seem more structured as Air Force/Army/Marines. if they are the same rank level, then Lando did NOT overstep his bounds.

HEY! That's it!

This is a distinct possibility, since in a conversation with Han Solo before the attack, it is strongly implied that Lando had the highest command authority at the battle.

That being the case, Lando was in total command and Ackbar was subordinate. If THAT is the case, then it was Ackbar who was insubordinate to Lando in openly questioning HIS order to attack the Imperial fleet directly.

Later, Ackbar argues with Lando over when to retreat, and Lando insists on giving Solo's strike team more time to disable the Death Star's shields.

you mean this conversation about retreating?
Lando Calrissian: We won't get another chance of this, Admiral.
Admiral Ackbar: We have no choice, General Calrissian. Our cruisers can't repel firepower of that magnitude.
Lando Calrissian: Han will have that shield down. We've got to give him more time. sounds more like Lando trying to convince Ackbar to keep the cruisers in the battle. trying to convince him as an Equal Ranking Officer

as for the Han-Lando conversation...
Han Solo: Well, look at you, a General!
Lando Calrissian: Someone must have told them all about my little manoeuvre at the battle of Taanab.
Han Solo: Well, don't look at me, pal. I just said you were a fair pilot. I didn't know they were looking for somebody to lead this crazy attack
and if Lando was leading the fighters, then he was leading the attack. the cruisers were there for Support.

what is not realized is that HAN commanded the Ground forces on Endor. Lando commanded the Fighters
and Ackbar command the FLEET.

How can Sisko not be winning? He single handedly won the freaking Dominion War.

Um... because DS-9 sucked? :p

I'd actually go with Peter rather than Ender. If you'll recall, the reason Ender was requested was because Valentine was to wussy and Peter was to psychopathic. Dude, I'd rather have the intelligent psychopath.

From given choices it would be Ackbar.

But if I could choose myself, then my space fleet would be commanded by absolute tactician genius, the great Grandadmiral Thrawn.

And then I would so own everybody else :)

Definitely. The whole Dune series is very scant when it comes to action scenes.

I'll switch my vote to Ender.


Ender had one bad trait as tactician. He couldn't face the actual destruction and killings done by starfleet. That's not good commander. While he was brilliant tactician and logician, he was too sympathetic for truly grand commander. So I would like Thrawn to come in spotlight :)

Ender had one bad trait as tactician. He couldn't face the actual destruction and killings done by starfleet. That's not good commander. While he was brilliant tactician and logician, he was too sympathetic for truly grand commander. So I would like Thrawn to come in spotlight :)

I dunno... He didn't seem to have a problem with the idea when he thought he was just in training to do it. He was expecting to be shipped out to the bridge of a starship at which point there would be killing.

His reluctance to kill later on was a result of the guilt he felt over the Xenocide, not an innate desire to preserve life.

Obviously Thrawn wasn't included in the poll, since he'd pwn everyone else just by looking at a stick-figure drawing they did as a kid :D

But of the choices, Sheridan. Taking on two millenia-old races and freeing Earth from a dickhead dictator is ace in my book :D

I would pick Kim Kinnison. He has both experience in military command AND he is a telepath. Him, or Ender Wiggin.
Or, better yet, the child of Ender Wiggin and one of Kinnison's daughters. Result: Telepathic super-genius.

I know nothing of Sheridan, so I won't judge. Among the others mentioned, Adama, Picard, and Sisko have more experience as captains. I would therefore put the Ender-Kinnison child in overall command, and put Adama, Picard, and Sisko in command of the biggest ships.

I would also take Richard Drake from Michael McCollum's Antares novels. He is brave, cool-headed, and damn smart. And I would put King John-Philip Walkirk VI in command of the navy, as he has decades of experience in overall command of a military.

So, our chain of command is thus:
King John-Philip Walkirk VI
Offspring of Ender Wiggin and Kim Kinnison's daughter
William Adama - Jean-Luc Picard - Benjamin Sisko - Richard Drake

I'd actually go with Peter rather than Ender. If you'll recall, the reason Ender was requested was because Valentine was to wussy and Peter was to psychopathic. Dude, I'd rather have the intelligent psychopath.

He'd never be able to effectively command soldiers. at least not with the effectiveness that Ender did.