excerpt from A Singular Destiny

[Marie1]

Well I don't mind her popping up occasionally, but I've always disliked Dax in every incarnation. I already have to deal with her in the ds9 books, and she had a really big role in Destiny. I've just wouldn't like to see her become a regular in the TNG books. One series featuring the obnoxious, arrogant and unpleasant Dax is all I can take!

Thank you!! From the DS9R to the Destiny trilogy, if I was in ST, I can think of at least three times I would've decked her!! I guess she figured in too often in the series for someone to just toss her out an airlock... but still!! She needs to be the strong, silent type... enough tantrums and weird ideas already!

 

[Sci]

Well I don't mind her popping up occasionally, but I've always disliked Dax in every incarnation. I already have to deal with her in the ds9 books, and she had a really big role in Destiny. I've just wouldn't like to see her become a regular in the TNG books. One series featuring the obnoxious, arrogant and unpleasant Dax is all I can take!

Thank you!! From the DS9R to the Destiny trilogy, if I was in ST, I can think of at least three times I would've decked her!! I guess she figured in too often in the series for someone to just toss her out an airlock... but still!! She needs to be the strong, silent type... enough tantrums and weird ideas already!

Oh, yeah, can't have too many "weird ideas," can we? Those sorts of things are dangerous and subversive.

 

[JD]

^ Well, ASD isn't a TNG book, and neither is Destiny, so I wouldn't worry about it so much. In any case, Dax does have a supporting role in ASD, as do several other members of her crew (particularly Bowers, Kedair, and Ensign Altoss).

What about Helkara and Leishman? I really liked them, along with the three you listed.

 

[KRAD]

Preferably one that doesn't involve coming up with ANY ideas. Or talking about ideas she has had or defending these ideas to other Captains.

Yeah, 'cause, boy, the last think you want a starship captain to have is ideas..........

It's a bit of a mindfuck, how the mousy little Ensign we met in DS9's final season is now a badass Captain...she's definitely got Kirk, Picard *and* La Forge beat in terms of how fast she's zoomed up the promotion scale.

Well, all things being equal, she'd be a lieutenant commander right now. But Borg invasions make things a bit unequal.

And she doesn't have Picard beat -- in fact, her method of making captain was pretty much the same as his, and they were about the same age when they were thrust into the captaincy (Picard was 28 in 2333 when he took command of the Stargazer; Ezri was 27 when she took command of the Aventine). As for Kirk, we don't know when he made captain -- the only thing we know for sure is that he was 34 in "The Deadly Years," at which point he'd been in command of the Enterprise for at least two years, but we don't know if he had a command prior to that or at what age he made captain. (This ignorance may be removed in May.)

And being promoted faster than La Forge is hardly an accomplishment, considering he languished at lieutenant commander for a decade and a half.............

Finally: she isn't the "mousy little ensign" anymore. Among other things, she's embraced her symbiosis (and 300 years' experience) more than she had in the final season of DS9.

What about Helkara and Leishman? I really liked them, along with the three you listed.

I like 'em, too, but their roles are very small, simply because the plot didn't call for them to have significant parts.

 

[foravalon]

Woot! Articles of the Federation 2! I know, I know but a rose by any other name...

Yeah Baby, I can't wait to read this, you rock KRAD. I really appreciate you and your work.


Authors like you and David Mack are truly the allstars of Treklit. Diane Duane, Margaret Wander Bonanno, A.C. Crispen, Sherman & Shwartz, Ward and Dilmore, Heather Jarman, DRGIII, Terri Osborne, S.D. Perry, Cox, Bick, and many more; You all are amazing and make Trek lit wonderful. Thank you!

 

[KRAD]

^ Aw, thanks!

 

[Marie1]

Well I don't mind her popping up occasionally, but I've always disliked Dax in every incarnation. I already have to deal with her in the ds9 books, and she had a really big role in Destiny. I've just wouldn't like to see her become a regular in the TNG books. One series featuring the obnoxious, arrogant and unpleasant Dax is all I can take!

Thank you!! From the DS9R to the Destiny trilogy, if I was in ST, I can think of at least three times I would've decked her!! I guess she figured in too often in the series for someone to just toss her out an airlock... but still!! She needs to be the strong, silent type... enough tantrums and weird ideas already!

Oh, yeah, can't have too many "weird ideas," can we? Those sorts of things are dangerous and subversive.

Or just dumb... She always seems off the handle, especially when she told off that poor woman in the Gateways book. You'd think she would have learned from that to take more rational action.

 

[Sci]

Thank you!! From the DS9R to the Destiny trilogy, if I was in ST, I can think of at least three times I would've decked her!! I guess she figured in too often in the series for someone to just toss her out an airlock... but still!! She needs to be the strong, silent type... enough tantrums and weird ideas already!

Oh, yeah, can't have too many "weird ideas," can we? Those sorts of things are dangerous and subversive.

Or just dumb... She always seems off the handle, especially when she told off that poor woman in the Gateways book. You'd think she would have learned from that to take more rational action.

Spoiler: Worlds of DS9, Star Trek: Destiny

Hmm. Saved Worf from certain death and returned with valuable intelligence about the Cardassian resistance during the war, helped uncover a centuries-old conspiracy and end Symbiosis-based discrimination on Trill, uncovered the link between the Caeliar and the Columbia, recognized the link between Hernandez and the Borg, successfully worked with Hernandez to prevent the Borg's attempt to exterminate all life on Vulcan, Andor, Tellar, and Qo'noS (thereby saving billions of lives), advocated contacting the Caeliar to appeal to their aid to stop the Borg invasion....

Her ideas and decisions look like they have a pretty good track record to me.

 

[Hartzilla2007]

Preferably one that doesn't involve coming up with ANY ideas. Or talking about ideas she has had or defending these ideas to other Captains.

Yeah, 'cause, boy, the last think you want a starship captain to have is ideas..........

Actually I see it as more like captains how are extremely arrogent, some times do things without thinking about them, and can at times come off as sightly self-centered shouldn't have ideas.

 

[Sci]

Preferably one that doesn't involve coming up with ANY ideas. Or talking about ideas she has had or defending these ideas to other Captains.

Yeah, 'cause, boy, the last think you want a starship captain to have is ideas..........

Actually I see it as more like captains how are extremely arrogent, some times do things without thinking about them, and can at times come off as sightly self-centered shouldn't have ideas.

No offense, but what the hell are you talking about?

 

[Marie1]

Oh, yeah, can't have too many "weird ideas," can we? Those sorts of things are dangerous and subversive.

Or just dumb... She always seems off the handle, especially when she told off that poor woman in the Gateways book. You'd think she would have learned from that to take more rational action.

Spoiler: Worlds of DS9, Star Trek: Destiny

Hmm. Saved Worf from certain death and returned with valuable intelligence about the Cardassian resistance during the war, helped uncover a centuries-old conspiracy and end Symbiosis-based discrimination on Trill, uncovered the link between the Caeliar and the Columbia, recognized the link between Hernandez and the Borg, successfully worked with Hernandez to prevent the Borg's attempt to exterminate all life on Vulcan, Andor, Tellar, and Qo'noS (thereby saving billions of lives), advocated contacting the Caeliar to appeal to their aid to stop the Borg invasion....

Her ideas and decisions look like they have a pretty good track record to me.

I've read all those books, except the Trill WoDS9- and I still know what happens in it. Her actions are just luck as a result of rash action. She stole a runabout to go into the badlands because Jadzia was married to Worf and she had trouble with the memories of being his wife. They would have died but for Damar. She had help with the Trill thing too- and the knowledge she gained could have been achieved, in my opinion, by any other Trill. And she even almost died doing that!! Note- be aware of your surroundings!!!!

And I give more credit to Hernendez for what happens in Destiny, then the woman who wanted to go after the Borg cube in one ship that didn't have enough weaponry to do anything, and also ignored Picard's hails. Her attitude needs to grow up. She's very rash, and her ideas aren't as good as she thinks they are, so having her as a Captain, when she's required to take even fewer people's advice if she doesn't want to seems like opening a door to all manner of chaos. But she is a Captain, thats what we have, and I guess everyone needs a character or two they don't like. I just wish she'd get some of that calm, wise demeanor that most other Trills seem to have... even the serial killer.

 

[Hartzilla2007]

Yeah, 'cause, boy, the last think you want a starship captain to have is ideas..........

Actually I see it as more like captains how are extremely arrogent, some times do things without thinking about them, and can at times come off as sightly self-centered shouldn't have ideas.

No offense, but what the hell are you talking about?

Well

Spoiler: Star Trek: Destiny

In the doing things with out thinking about them in Book 3 rushing off to fight the entire Borg invasion force with only one ship which yes it was sudden but you should still try to come up with some plan. In the slightly self-centered thing I will admit it was one time but when one is executing a long-shot plan to save several planets from destruction you the first thing on your mind shouldn't be how this will define your captaincy. on the arrogent thing well you really shouldn't be smug about a plan which went from working well to going to crap soon, especially with the friendly fire KIAs and the fact that the Borg almost assililated Hernadez which the reason all the percautions you took was to prevent that, not to mention yes she saved 5 planets but the Borg can alsways send more cubes when they get things back under control, and the the fact that you didn't take the time before the plan was announced to let the key person involved know an important fact like say that the Borg assimilate people be turning them into borg and it would be nice that after you propose a long-shot plan and the biggest sceptic about comes around you don't point out that one of their major doubts was probably right especially whenit comes to this or nothing.

I'm not saying Ezri is a bad character it's just that it would be nice to have a Dax that didn't have a rather large ego.

 

[Rowan Sjet]

^ You might as well ask for a Garak who doesn't lie so much, or a Kira who didn't have such a strong faith in the Prophets. Massive ego is what defines Dax! Just look at how Ezri changed from season 7 to the Relaunch, as she got more in touch Dax.

 

[Christopher]

I think you folks are mistaking life experience for ego. It may seem arrogant for someone who looks like a woman in her late 20s to treat the people around her like children, but you have to remember that to her, it's all but literally the case. She actually does have over three centuries of experience and learning under her belt, and that gives her a special perspective that it would be foolish to ignore, as well as expertise in a wealth of areas. It's not egotistical to assert superior insight and wisdom when you've actually earned it.

I mean, look at Elias Vaughn. He's over a century old, he has skills and insights and wisdom beyond most of the people around him, he's got connections and friendships with practically everyone in Starfleet, and he just generally acts like he's been around the block a few more times than his fellow officers. Yet people don't accuse him of egotism; they accept these things about him because he's an old guy and has clearly earned respect for his knowledge and experience. Dax, on the other hand, looks like a young woman, so what we accept from an elderly man seems uppity and prideful from her. But the difference is only illusory. She's actually lived three times as long as Vaughn, and has gained the life experience of nine different people specializing in nine different fields. So she's even more entitled to act like a wise elder than Vaughn is. It's just hard to accept if you can't look past the cognitive dissonance of her youthful appearance.

 

[Marie1]

I'm not saying Captains shouldn't have ideas, nor that having experience or a position gives Dax or any other Captain an ego. Bearing in mind of course that her position, to me, is a bit of a fluke- I know how she got it, but she didn't go there to get it...

Anyway, I know she has several people's memories. But it seems like she's so set on proving she's a Captain that she doesn't do things properly. She doesn't show enough deference to Picard, I know he's got his own issues at the time, but ignoring his hails is just wrong. As is going after the Borg on her own. I'm not sure its an ego thing so much as... just because she knows a lot, and just because Dax is old, doesn't mean she shouldn't give other people consideration, respect, and that she shouldn't compromise. But in my interpretation of her, she doesn't. She wants old style procedures on the bridge for changing the watch, but no matter how old Dax is, Ezri only made the switch from a councillor to the command track 5 years ago or so.

I don't think thats the same as a more truthful Garak or less devout Kira, I think that Ezri has the potential... but her actions translate sometimes as defensive so that they aren't rational- especially since she's over 300.

 

[Sci]

I think you folks are mistaking life experience for ego. It may seem arrogant for someone who looks like a woman in her late 20s to treat the people around her like children, but you have to remember that to her, it's all but literally the case. She actually does have over three centuries of experience and learning under her belt, and that gives her a special perspective that it would be foolish to ignore, as well as expertise in a wealth of areas. It's not egotistical to assert superior insight and wisdom when you've actually earned it.

I mean, look at Elias Vaughn. He's over a century old, he has skills and insights and wisdom beyond most of the people around him, he's got connections and friendships with practically everyone in Starfleet, and he just generally acts like he's been around the block a few more times than his fellow officers. Yet people don't accuse him of egotism; they accept these things about him because he's an old guy and has clearly earned respect for his knowledge and experience. Dax, on the other hand, looks like a young woman, so what we accept from an elderly man seems uppity and prideful from her. But the difference is only illusory. She's actually lived three times as long as Vaughn, and has gained the life experience of nine different people specializing in nine different fields. So she's even more entitled to act like a wise elder than Vaughn is. It's just hard to accept if you can't look past the cognitive dissonance of her youthful appearance.

Personally, I think it goes further than that. Ezri's behavior isn't that much more assertive or disrespectful than Jadzia's, but somehow Jadzia's mischeviousness was acceptable and Ezri's is not. I suspect that it's also a matter of body type -- Ezri seems much smaller and more girlish than Jadzia, so, with many fans, they expect her to behave more submissively than Jadzia.

 

[Christopher]

I'm not saying Captains shouldn't have ideas, nor that having experience or a position gives Dax or any other Captain an ego. Bearing in mind of course that her position, to me, is a bit of a fluke- I know how she got it, but she didn't go there to get it...

As stated before, Dax got her captaincy just about exactly the same way that Picard got his captaincy of the Stargazer.

Anyway, I know she has several people's memories. But it seems like she's so set on proving she's a Captain that she doesn't do things properly. She doesn't show enough deference to Picard, I know he's got his own issues at the time, but ignoring his hails is just wrong. As is going after the Borg on her own.

Isn't that what Picard did in a couple of recent novels? Ignoring the commands of his senior/superior officers and going after the Borg on his own?

...no matter how old Dax is, Ezri only made the switch from a councillor to the command track 5 years ago or so.

Picard took command of the Stargazer only 6 years after graduating the Academy. Riker was offered his first command only 7 years out of the Academy, though he turned it down to be first officer of the Enterprise.

 

[Marie1]

Anyway, I know she has several people's memories. But it seems like she's so set on proving she's a Captain that she doesn't do things properly. She doesn't show enough deference to Picard, I know he's got his own issues at the time, but ignoring his hails is just wrong. As is going after the Borg on her own.

Isn't that what Picard did in a couple of recent novels? Ignoring the commands of his senior/superior officers and going after the Borg on his own?

I'm a DS9 person. Was Picard viewed as rational for those actions, were they completely successful and everyone else is just not seeing clearly what he knew? Or was he just running off in frustration after an enemy that needed to be stopped?

 

[Paris]

Thanks a lot KRAD!! I can't wait for this! Any chance you'll write more books concentrating on the Federation, like AotF and SD, in the future?

 

[Christopher]

Isn't that what Picard did in a couple of recent novels? Ignoring the commands of his senior/superior officers and going after the Borg on his own?

I'm a DS9 person. Was Picard viewed as rational for those actions, were they completely successful and everyone else is just not seeing clearly what he knew? Or was he just running off in frustration after an enemy that needed to be stopped?

That's my point. They both did basically the same things; it's just a matter of how you choose to interpret it based on your pre-existing biases. Those who trusted and respected Picard believed the former, while those who didn't (like Admiral Jellico and Lt. Leybenzon) probably believed the latter. You're choosing to interpret Dax's actions in a negative light because that's how you want to see her.