Rudolph Ransom

Captain Rudolph Ransom (2375)
Gender:	Male
Species:	Human
Died:	2376
Actor:	John Savage

Rudolph "Rudy" Ransom was a Human Starfleet officer. Ransom was an exobiologist who was promoted to captain after he made first contact with the Yridians, a species the Federation previously thought were extinct.

In combat situations, Ransom used stealth tactics, avoiding contact and waiting out his enemies.

In 2367, while on a survey, he hid from a Klingon Bird-of-Prey in a nebula near Epsilon IV for three days until the Klingons gave up.

In 2369, while patrolling and surveying near the Romulan border, he encountered a Romulan starship and hid in the atmosphere of a gas giant until the Romulans eventually disengaged.

In 2371, he was in in command of the science vessel USS Equinox when it was pulled into the Delta Quadrant by the Caretaker. The first week spent in the Delta Quadrant, he had to give the order to continue going through Krowtonan Guard space, which caused the death of 39 crewmen, more than half the crew. This decision affected him for the rest of his life.

His ship was saved from destruction by the USS Voyager. The ship and crew were being attacked by aliens which materialized from subspace onto the vessel. Crew members were killed by the strange lifeforms. He told Kathryn Janeway that the Equinox had been unsuccessful in communicating with the aliens in order to find out why they were attacking. However, this was a lie. Ransom and his crew had found out that the aliens were made up of an unusual structure of nucleogenic energy and had been killing them to use as fuel. The creature's energy greatly enhanced the power of a warp engine. When Janeway found out, she confronted Ransom and confined him and his crew to quarters. The EMH from the Equinox helped Ransom escape and beamed him and the Equinox crew back to their ship with Voyager's field generator.

Captain Ransom left at warp speed, leaving Voyager alone as they came under attack by the aliens. Ransom decided to continue to use the aliens as fuel so he could reach the Alpha Quadrant. But Seven of Nine, who was kidnapped by Ransom and his crew, had encoded the power relays causing the ship's engine to fall out of warp drive. Ransom ordered his crew to get the codes at any cost, even if it meant killing Seven.

After finding a way to communicate with the aliens and receiving help from the Ankari, the crew of Voyager was able to locate the Equinox. A battle ensued, with Voyager crippling Equinox. Ransom informed Janeway that he would surrender and beam his crew over to Voyager. Some of the crew refused to go and, led by Max Burke, continued to fight. Burke and the bridge crew perished after being attacked by the lifeforms.

The Equinox was about to explode because of a warp core breach when Ransom informed Janeway that he was going to pilot the ship away from Voyager so that Voyager would not be destroyed. Janeway tried persuade Ransom to set his auto-navigation. He refused, saying he had no time, and told her to get his crew home. Wearing a synaptic stimulator, he watched a beautiful beach view just before the Equinox exploded. Ransom's last act was that of a starship captain: he saved his crew's lives, saved the lives of others and died an honorable death. (VOY: "Equinox", "Equinox, Part II")

Captain Rudolph Ransom was played by John Savage.