Admiral Sisko
- Thread starter Photon
- Start date
I think it would have been a great, original move to promote the "captain" of the series to admiral during its run. As I recall, they actually toyed with the idea of doing that, but obviously chose not to. I, for one, would have welcomed the idea. It could have been another way that DS9 was one of the most original Trek series.
Why would he have to leave DS9? Janeway might have been based at Starfleet HQ but that doesn't mean if they gave Sisko an admiralty that they wouldn't keep him where he was, on the station at the mouth of the wormhole, near a planet that would likely join the Federation and just a few lightyears from occupied Cardassian territory.
Sisko is lucky that an admiral wasn't moved in as soon as the wormhole was discovered or when the Klingons and Cardassians went to war. He can probably thank his status as emissary for that.
All Seeing Eye
Admiral
No, the post of the OP is being misread, they mean what would have happened had Sisko been given the position as Admiral like Janeway got offered position of Admiral.
All Seeing Eye
Admiral
WHAT DO I WIN! WHAT DO I WIN!
With Photon's posts, stuff can really go either way (no offense, Photon).
But, if that is the question, would Sisko have accepted the promotion to the rank of admiral, I'd say no, just 'cause he had so much fun givin' Martok grief for all the new responsibilities the general wound up with durin' the Dominion War.
Also, I'm glad that Sisko didn't get to that rank durin' the series. To see him go from lieutenant commander (Saratoga flashback in 'Emissary') to commander (present day in 'Emissary', and the novelization says he was a lieutenant commander up to his transfer to DS9) to captain (third season finale), if he had hit admiral by 'What You Leave Behind', it would have just been too damn much.
Wait a minute -- wasn't Sisko an Admiral for awhile during the Dominion Occupation of Deep Space Nine? I could've sworn he was an Admiral with his own desk job writing up military strategies and that later on he managed to talk with another admiral into demoting him so that he could get back onto Deep Space Nine? Am I just remembering everything wrong?
You're remembering everything wrong.
Sisko was promoted from his position in command of the Defiant to a position with Admiral Ross at Starbase 375 (think that was the number). Ross's previous aide was promoted to something else, and he replaced the aide with Sisko. Jadzia was then put in command of the Defiant.
Sisko never got above the rank of captain.
I think it's more likely that Starfleet would've reduced its number of admirals after the war. Fewer admiral slots, harder to get a promotion, especially for a youngish captain. And, although Starfleet (wisely) doesn't follow a zero defect promotion system, Sisko might have had one too many defects to sit at the big desk. He went a little crazy hunting the Maquis, and went really crazy when he started prophesying--waitaminute, this guy is perfect for a Starfleet admiral!
Realistically, we might've seen the DS9 crew receiving rather extravagant rank and responsibility, then getting it taken away during the post-war draw-down. But the Trek writers use temporary rank very sparingly.
Realistically, we might've seen the DS9 crew receiving rather extravagant rank and responsibility, then getting it taken away during the post-war draw-down. But the Trek writers use temporary rank very sparingly.
I don't think he ever would have been promoted to Admiral, even with a season 8. Didn't Behr or Moore say that they wanted to bump him up to Commodore and it got struck down by the higher ups? I know that Nana Visitor said she had to make a serious case to the writers just to get Kira upped to Colonel.
As for Janeway, although I was never a big VOY fan, I think the promo to Admiral was fitting. After 7 years in the Delta quadrant with finite resources and a part Maquis crew, a promo was the least they could do for her. Not to mention that she rewrote the book on Borg counter tactics.
As for Janeway, although I was never a big VOY fan, I think the promo to Admiral was fitting. After 7 years in the Delta quadrant with finite resources and a part Maquis crew, a promo was the least they could do for her. Not to mention that she rewrote the book on Borg counter tactics.
I'd rather argue that he can thank the backwaterness of his station for that.
This sector of Starfleet operations already had an Admiral overseeing things from the very beginning. We witnessed such an officer giving orders to Sisko on several occasions. At one point, there was Admiral Rollman (two appearances, one about Bajoran affairs, one about Gamma business), then Admiral Chekote (one appearance, on Bajoran business), then Admiral Ross (multiple appearances on both Bajor, Gamma and wormhole, in addition to general war effort stuff). None wanted to retire Sisko and take over. Rather, his powers of decisionmaking had already been "taken over" from day one.
It's just that the Admiral in charge of things didn't have his or her office at the decrepit waystation that sat vulnerably next to the wormhole. Rather, the desk was at the secure Starbase 375.
IMHO, that worked pretty well. Sisko didn't make too many big decisions: he was more a details man, a man of frontline action, and his character benefited dramatically from having an Admiral-level decider above him.
Had Sisko attained flag rank, he might no longer have had to move away from DS9, because the station had gained a lot in prestige and security by the end of Season 7. But if following the Rollman/Chekote/Ross precedent, he'd have to get off the field work, and that might diminish his character quite a bit. Would we want to see him as a General Hammondesque sidekick character?
Timo Saloniemi
Sure, he could have spent more time with his family, time building his house, tending the vineyard, cooking, etc.
