[New Star Trek Idea] Star Trek Freighter

[Shamrock Holmes]

Well, maybe you right, because of his rank, Miles O'Brien can't command a cruiser type ship.

Correct.

But what about a Freighter? Let say, he ask Starfleet to give him a Freighter to command.

They're going to say, "You're an engineer, who's never taken command courses, you're not qualified but you can have any engineer's billet you want and qualify to command while there".

I think if an NCO like him can become the second in command of a small patrol vessel, then he can become the captain of a fishing boat and a Freighter, isn't he?

I suspect though I'm not certain that the XPO is typically a "command" specialist, rather than an engineer.

It's worth noting that while some cross-pollination between the command track and the engineer track in military service in some countries, this is rarely the case in civilian maritime service (they're two entirely distinct certifications) and is at least a three-step process in civilian aviation.

But because it is Miles O'Brien, an Engineering Nerd like Geordi, he is not satisfied with the ship. So he want into a ship graveyard, and found an old Galaxy Class Starship that no longer work, but the condition still better than the Ent-D. Then he canibalized another ships to repair the ship, and use the Galaxy-Freighter as his personal Freighter ship.

Yeah, even if he can get a "captain's billet" at all, the above scenario is piracy, grand theft and probably a fistful of other crimes.

And that's before getting into the fact that as I noted earlier, the certification requirements for commanding such a large vessel are almost different from commanding something like the Xhosa or a Raven-type, which would be different again from acting as the duty "pilot-in-command" of a runabout or similar support vessel.

 

[Brainsucker]

Correct.

They're going to say, "You're an engineer, who's never taken command courses, you're not qualified but you can have any engineer's billet you want and qualify to command while there".

I suspect though I'm not certain that the XPO is typically a "command" specialist, rather than an engineer.

It's worth noting that while some cross-pollination between the command track and the engineer track in military service in some countries, this is rarely the case in civilian maritime service (they're two entirely distinct certifications) and is at least a three-step process in civilian aviation.

Yeah, even if he can get a "captain's billet" at all, the above scenario is piracy, grand theft and probably a fistful of other crimes.

And that's before getting into the fact that as I noted earlier, the certification requirements for commanding such a large vessel are almost different from commanding something like the Xhosa or a Raven-type, which would be different again from acting as the duty "pilot-in-command" of a runabout or similar support vessel.

Well, it is a fantasy anyway. Don't belittle the power of plot armor in Star Trek. They can just whitewashing the crime of main character and make everyone forget about it later on. Or make a justification that make the act of piracy like nothing.

One example, is what Jack and Geordi's daughter act to bring the cloaking device to Titan A. It is a crime in the context of Federation Law. Geordi even mentioned about it in the series. But nobody care anyway. Jack can still enter Starfleet Academy and become the USS Enterprise G crew at the end.

Also Just look at what happen in Star Trek Resurrection. A rebellion that never been mentioned anymore after the movie finished. Picard still stay in command of the Ent-E after that, and nobody even remember about his mutiny just one movie after.

Even if the writers want to pursue the legal matter, they will give the justification and a way out so they can get out from the situation unscathed.

So what about Miles steals the obsolete, broken Galaxy Class Starship in the ship graveyard? Maybe, he will has trouble with the law. But he has a very strong plot armor that can protect him from anything. Including from the law.. Even if the writers want to pursue the legal act, he surely would have a way out to protect his ass from the law. The reason? He's the main hero. So he has the plot armor of the main hero of the story.

Of course, don't compare it with real world situation. We, real human don't have plot armor to save ourselves when we have such legal problem.

 

[Shamrock Holmes]

So what about Miles steals the obsolete, broken Galaxy Class Starship in the ship graveyard? Maybe, he will has trouble with the law. But he has a very strong plot armor that can protect him from anything.

Well, I'd suggest that's a big change from canon then, as "O'Brien must suffer" is probably the second most prevalent about the character, other than his skill at engineering, particularly transporters.

But ignoring that, there's a couple of basic practicality issues to consider:

LaForge, who was super-invested in the Galaxy-class in general and the Enterprise in particular took twenty years (okay, probably not constant) to reconstruct the E-D despite all the resources he had available because that was the "mission" and he had the time.

O'Brien has little emotional investment in the Galaxy-class and needs a ship for a different mission on a relatively short timeframe, with limited resources... So surely it makes more sense internally for the character to play to his strengths and expertise and have him refit/rearm the freighter that he's already being assigned to (IMO, as the seasoned hand "in charge of getting things done" to a relatively junior "captain"*) as he did with "his" ship, the USS Defiant.


* Perhaps as little as a hundredth of the amount of time that LaForge took.
** Possible inspirations include John Harriman and Christopher Hobson.

 

[Brainsucker]

Well, I'd suggest that's a big change from canon then, as "O'Brien must suffer" is probably the second most prevalent about the character, other than his skill at engineering, particularly transporters.

But ignoring that, there's a couple of basic practicality issues to consider:

LaForge, who was super-invested in the Galaxy-class in general and the Enterprise in particular took twenty years (okay, probably not constant) to reconstruct the E-D despite all the resources he had available because that was the "mission" and he had the time.

O'Brien has little emotional investment in the Galaxy-class and needs a ship for a different mission on a relatively short timeframe, with limited resources... So surely it makes more sense internally for the character to play to his strengths and expertise and have him refit/rearm the freighter that he's already being assigned to (IMO, as the seasoned hand "in charge of getting things done" to a relatively junior "captain"*) as he did with "his" ship, the USS Defiant.


* Perhaps as little as a hundredth of the amount of time that LaForge took.
** Possible inspirations include John Harriman and Christopher Hobson.

Yes, you right. Logically O'Brien will refit his Freighter just like what he did with USS Defiant. But what if O'Brien is too sentimental for his judgement, or maybe he thought that his daughter is in a very dangerous situation without anyone know it?

For example, the station where Molly work is actually in Delta Quadrant, far enough from the wormhole and Dominion territory. Prior her assignment, Keiko had contact Edo, and Edo promised her that he will watch over her daughter. But then Miles suspects that Edo is no longer alive (as the actor already died), and the one who promise to Keiko was another Changeling, who have read Edo's thought. But because it was a volatile time (after the event of Picard season 3), it's hard to make sure about Edo whereabout.

The diplomatic situation between Federation and Dominion got strained to an extend that the 2nd war can occure everyday. Diplomats from both side try to mend the situation and improve the situation again. Thanks to Odo (or Fake Odo), the war doesn't occur. At least to the time when O'Brien suspect the situation.

So based on his analyst and suspicious, Miles decide to bring Heavy cavalry to protect his daughter. He wants a Defiant class. But actually found an old Galaxy Class Starship in the ship graveyard.

Of course, he doesn't need to restore the ship to 100% condition, like what LaForge did in his leasure time. Also, the Galaxy that he found was not as broken as the Ent-D. He only needs to repair some of the ship function. For example, he fix and refit the Battle section, but only repair partially the sourcer area. He doesn't need to repair the crew cabins, holodecks, garden areas, etc like what we have witness in TNG. For the reactor and other critical sparepart, he can just canibalize his Freighter. And for weaponry, O'Brien can go to DS9 to find his contact again.

(Do you remember DS9 season 4 episode Paradise Lost, where USS Lakota intercepted Defiant? Lakota captain said in the fight about who give a small ship like Defiant with somekind of high tech armor, etc. Basically she complained that a small ship like Defiant can have a very powerful spec, that surpassed the standard Defiant Class spec. So maybe Miles upgrade USS Defiant with the help of his contact from DS9, outside Federation juridiction).

This is only an example.

 

[Shamrock Holmes]

Yes, you right. Logically O'Brien will refit his Freighter just like what he did with USS Defiant. But what if O'Brien is too sentimental for his judgement, or maybe he thought that his daughter is in a very dangerous situation without anyone know it?

I don't see O'Brien as particularly sentimentally attached to the Galaxy-class, he made clear on several occasions that that assignment was basically just "a job", not something that really fired him up as it did many of the senior staff.

So based on his analyst and suspicious, Miles decide to bring Heavy cavalry to protect his daughter. He wants a Defiant class. But actually found an old Galaxy Class Starship in the ship graveyard.

I could definitely see him trying to score a Defiant-class if he could, but choosing to take the Galaxy-class rather than gutting her for any useful parts doesn't really make any sense to me given his intentions (to get out there as quickly as possible), given that he's going to need to source many of the same upgrades regardless and he'll need a lot more to fit out a Galaxy-class even just in terms of shields, weapons and engines.

 

[Robert Bruce Scott]

I share the doubts of others about Star Fleet operating a freighter, but I could easily see an old Galaxy-class ship being used as a tender - a ship that goes out to repair other ships or salvage them. This would require a slightly larger crew, but would provide more story opportunities (lots of confrontation with Ferengi and others who want to claim derelict SF ships.)

 

[Shamrock Holmes]

I share the doubts of others about Star Fleet operating a freighter,

Why? The US Navy operates freighters and they're a lot less "do everything" than Starfleet?

For the purposes of the OP scenario it's even more likely as the protagonist (though IMO not the Captain) is a reactivated Retiree/Reservist not active duty. Likewise, such vessels are crewed by a mixture of naval personnel (likely the CO, navigating/watch officers, engineer and maybe a security officer, with most of the deck and engineering crew being temporary civilian contractors).

 

[Brainsucker]

Why? The US Navy operates freighters and they're a lot less "do everything" than Starfleet?

For the purposes of the OP scenario it's even more likely as the protagonist (though IMO not the Captain) is a reactivated Retiree/Reservist not active duty. Likewise, such vessels are crewed by a mixture of naval personnel (likely the CO, navigating/watch officers, engineer and maybe a security officer, with most of the deck and engineering crew being temporary civilian contractors).

I don't know about Freighter, but the thing that I know is that big Navy like US and China has supply ships. It is a very big ship (bigger than Frigate and Destroyer, mostly) that bring fuel and other military logistic in the navy. I don't know about USN. But for PLAN, a squadron of ships that they called as a task force to Middle east contain of 3 ships. Usually 1 Destroyer, 1 Frigate, and 1 Supply Ship. Or 1 LPD, 1 Frigate, and 1 Supply Ship.

Btw, I like your critical thinking and the way you remind me about the fact inside Star Trek. Reading your criticism is enjoyable. And your previous post really make me think and still haven't found the answer.

Good critical thinking.

I share the doubts of others about Star Fleet operating a freighter, but I could easily see an old Galaxy-class ship being used as a tender - a ship that goes out to repair other ships or salvage them. This would require a slightly larger crew, but would provide more story opportunities (lots of confrontation with Ferengi and others who want to claim derelict SF ships.)

Well, depend on what kind of Freighter you're talking about. For a Galactic Empire like Federation with very advanced replicator technology, they surely don't operate ships to transport foods, materials, and consumer goods. They can just replicate them anyway. For luxury item demand, like Picard Wine and real food consumers, private Freighter like Rios' ship will do the deed, for some Financial compensation (is it Latinum Gold Ingot? I don't know).

But, transporting Dilithium Cyrstal is different from the others. it simply because Dilithium Crystal is a very critical resource in Star Trek Universe. Everybody need it for space travel, and their reserve in the whole galaxy is not unlimited. Also, you can't replicate it., even with 32nd century level of tech. So, sooner or later the reserve will be depleted, and the space travel will be cease. Like what happen in ST Discovery Season 3.

That's why it would be absurd if Star Fleet give the right to mine Dilithium to Private Company. Because with Private Company, the crystal would be sell to everybody, as long as they have enough Latinum gold ingot to spend. And that is bad.for Federation economy, because their Dilithium Reserve can be depleted sooner than later.

That's why, it's more logical if Star Fleet do everything about Dilithium Crystal by themselves. From Mining, transporting, refining, to distributing it

Btw, I like your idea about Galaxy class to become a tender ship. It fit to Miles O'Brien area of expertise.

 

[Shamrock Holmes]

I don't know about Freighter, but the thing that I know is that big Navy like US and China has supply ships.

Largely a distinction without a difference, IMO.

It is a very big ship (bigger than Frigate and Destroyer, mostly) that bring fuel and other military logistic in the navy.

Varies, but there are certainly examples of auxiliary vessels that are big enough that they warrant a full O-6 Captain.

There is also at least one example of a Starfleet-operated vessel operated as a cargo carrier/frieghter... in fact is called out as carrying a load of dilithium as part of its cargo in its one appearance:

USS Huron

 

[evilchumlee]

It doesn't work that way. Even if you said "it's okay for a professional writer to go ahead and use this idea" they still legally can't use the idea, and if they were already working on that idea independently, the minute the saw your post is the minute they would be legally obligated to cease work on that idea.

Here's the post in Trek Lit detailing why they have a "No Story Ideas" rule there. Granted, that rule is only enforced in the Trek Lit forum due to the number of professional writers confirmed to post there, but the basic reasons for why they have that rule are applicable here, in highlighting why a professional writer can never use this idea.

That novel was never published. I know this because a look over Memory Alpha and Memory Beta confirms there is no novel about Picard being Federation President. And indeed, as the author got the idea from something you posted online, there is no legal way that novel could have been published.

If that's the case... damn, the Axanar dude should be rolling in money right now after Discovery aired...