Union Captain

Union Captain

General term describing the Commanding Officer of a United Stars Navy Space Ship. While there are reams of official rules and regulations describing the post, there are a few conditions that are not officially expressed. No other title has quite the same prestige and aura in all the known space. Even the Unions greatest enemies speak with respect of Union Captains. Selected by an age old refined process shifting through countless prospects, the navy offers the Command seat of a Union Starship only someone deemed worthy. Union Captains must be gallant, courageous, officers to the bone. He or she must be synonymous with honor and dignity. Able to command but more than that, able to lead and inspire. Union Captains must face the unknown and the unexpected and still act like the Union expects them to act. Their actions non actions can cause wars, lasting friendships or endless hate. Union Captains aboard their ships have ultimate authority over everybody and everything aboard. They can be judges and executioners, angels of mercy or scions of war. In short a Union Captain should reflect all that is good about the Union and its fleet. In over 3000 Years and a fleet that incorporates almost all known species and numbers billions of beings, only 54,000 beings have failed so completely that they have been stripped of their rank and stricken from all records (*) From 2220 to 5050 only seventeen cases of Mutinies have occurred [2] and all but two cases were judged in favor of the Captain.

Almost all Union Businesses offer their services and products for free to Union Captains (not higher or lower ranks) because they can be assured that most Captains would never take advantage of the offered free products and services. Outside of Union Territory – Captains Powers and responsibilities increase. As he is also Union Judge, Law enforcement person and Justice of the Peace and Ambassador of the Union. Captains can officiate marriages, divorces, baptisms, accept Colonies and groups into the Union (Performa {3}) conscript armed forces and individuals and field promote anyone up to Commander. Captains can give Union Citizenship to anyone (4)

(*) Except in the Hall of Shame underneath Annapolis Planet. (2) This excludes the Cases of Psi Spore induced “take overs” by psi slaved Crews. (During the PIostla War) (3) A colony, planetary society, group accepted as a Union Member by a captain must still travel to Pluribus (as soon as possible) and begin the regular membership process. (4) Captains can give Union Citizenship to anyone, usually meant to give a Captain the ability to recruit and add personnel to a ship that is beyond range. But this ability is often called the Captains Pardon as Captains can pardon criminals or give Citizen Ship to Non Cits. (It has only been abused once and that Captain’s name is only found in the Hall of Shame)