Template:Sidebar character Captain Edward Jellico (played by Ronny Cox) was a 24th century Starfleet officer who served as the commanding officer of the Federation starships USS Cairo and USS Enterprise-D during the late 2360s. His voice authorization code as of stardate 46361 was "Jellico-alpha-three-one."
Early career
Jellico began his career as a shuttle pilot on the Jovian Run in the Sol system.
- According to a cut line from TNG: "Chain of Command, Part I", Jellico attended Starfleet Academy with future USS Victory captain Zimbata; they played together on the Academy's rugby team. Jellico recalled that Zimbata was awful at the game, but that Jellico himself was worse.
By the mid-2360s, Jellico held the rank of captain and had established a family for himself, having fathered at least one child, a son.
In 2367, Jellico was instrumental in the peace treaty negotiations between the United Federation of Planets and the Cardassian Union. By 2369, he was assigned to the USS Cairo as its commanding officer.
Captain of the Enterprise
Picard turns command over to Jellico
In 2369, Vice Admiral Alynna Nechayev gave Jellico command of the USS Enterprise-D. Jellico's experience in dealing with the Cardassians was thought to be invaluable, given the developing potential for conflict between the two powers. The Enterprise's previous commanding officer, Captain Jean-Luc Picard, was assigned to an undercover mission on Celtris III.
As captain of the Enterprise, Jellico was a very stern and authoritarian officer, with a micro-management leadership style. He abruptly made several changes to the operations of the Enterprise. He preferred a certain formality on the bridge, insisting that Deanna Troi wear a standard uniform and that his presence be announced whenever he entered. In contrast to the strict standards he expected on the bridge, he revealed a more personal side by putting up pictures drawn by his son in the Enterprise's ready room. However, he ordered the removal of Livingston the fish.
Jellico on the bridge with Riker and a more formally dressed Troi
Though his manner of command is connected with high efficiency, Jellico ran into numerous confrontations with Enterprise's first officer, Commander William T. Riker. The initial problems between them stemmed from Jellico's desire to see the Enterprise run on a four shift rotation when it had previously run on three. The change was difficult to implement, but Jellico refused to accept Riker's reasons for not having made the change. The friction between the two came to a head after a major disagreement on how to deal with Picard's abduction by the Cardassians on Celtris III. Jellico relieved Riker and installed Lieutenant Commander Data as his new XO.
In an attempt to gain an upper hand against the Cardassians, Jellico intended to plant mines on the Cardassian ships hiding in the McAllister C-5 Nebula. Chief Engineer Geordi La Forge was willing to take on the mission but recommended to Jellico that the most skilled pilot on board Enterprise was Riker. After a frank conversation, Riker accepted the mission, content with his knowledge that Jellico still needed him. Riker admitted that he saw Jellico as someone who wound his crew up too tight, leaving them unable to perform their jobs with any efficiency.
With the anti-matter mines in place, Jellico contacted the Cardassian fleet and demonstrated his ability to destroy it at will. From his position of strength, he demanded that the Cardassian fleet eject their primary phaser coils, withdraw to the nearest Cardassian starbase, and immediately release Picard, who was being held prisoner by the Cardassians. The Cardassians complied completely.
After Picard's release and subsequent reassignment to the Enterprise as CO, Jellico returned to command the Cairo. While leaving the bridge, his final words to the Enterprise crew were "It's been an honor serving with you." (TNG: "Chain of Command, Part I", "Chain of Command, Part II")
Later career
By 2374, Jellico had been succeeded as captain of the Cairo by Leslie Wong. (DS9: "In the Pale Moonlight")
- In the non-canonical novel series Star Trek: New Frontier, written by Peter David and published by Pocket Books, Jellico later goes on to become an admiral, initially assigned to Starbase Deep Space 5 and later working in Starfleet Command. He also appears in the novel A Time to Heal by David Mack.
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External link
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