Each month, we interview a captain or first officer of the fleet to gain more insight on what it takes to command a ship and learn more about how each of these staff members found their way into these roles, and what’s been happening under their command
This month, we’re interviewing the Commanding Officer of the starship USS Excalibur-A, Commodore Kali Nicholotti, a Human female.
DeVeau: Welcome back once again, Commodore! This time around, would you be willing to share a bit about the history of Kali and her unique path to where she is now?
Nicholotti: Kali’s history began well before I was a member of 118. I simmed, as a teenager, with another group, where Kali got some mileage. Leading a ship in their fleet, she was a Commander when the group ultimately died out. That Kali, however, was far more assertive and ‘in your face’ than the Kali everyone here knows and loves. The result of many missions, life lessons outside of the game, and just the fact that I’m well into adulthood now and no longer the searching teen has led Kali to where she is today.
Before you took command of the Excalibur-A, you were CO of the Resolution. Would you be willing to compare the two, how they are alike and how they are different?
The Resolution was my very first ship, and the Excalibur was set to be my last. I can’t promise that is how things will go, but for now I am very happy with the transition. Anyways, there’s the obvious, that the Resolution could fit into the Excalibur’s engineering bay, which makes them two very different environments to sim in. The difference in tech is huge, as the Resolution didn’t have a slipstream drive and had a limited scope of travel. It was a far more cozy feeling place, though the Excalibur comes with a feeling of being that silent power type thing.
Both ships have their charm, and what makes any ship is the crew. The stories woven don’t diminish and the fun perpetuates regardless. Now everyone just gets to play with some new and shiny tech, and sometimes we even feel light we might win in a firefight. Maybe.
What led to the decision to change from the Resolution to the Excalibur-A?
If I am completely honest, the initial spark was a simple joke where someone said that they might blow up the ship. I came back with an ‘okay’, and well, the story we built around that was incredibly epic. It is probably the one event that resulted in the best sims I’ve ever read, and maybe even written. I know I’ll remember the whole thing for a very, very long time.
Now, as to why the Excalibur – well, I designed the ship as my dream ship years ago. It was a no-brainer to jump into her again given that the Resolution was becoming a planet.
What sort of adventures has the Excalibur-A had over the last year?
The crew has been pawns of an Admiral trying to get vengeance for his dead son, who died aboard the Resolution, undercover on a primitive world where said Admiral let Starfleet tech get out without trying to stop it, been the playthings of a time-obsessed Q who sent the crew to various time zones where they witnessed dinosaurs eating French royals and the construction of the pyramids, and enjoyed a Taco-Tuesday celebration that turned into a fiasco when the replicators would do nothing but replicate tacos and other Mexican dishes for days afterwards, almost resulting in the death of diplomats visiting for a summit.
Yes, that’s a really long sentence, but it covers the year fairly effectively. =)
What are some of the challenges you’ve had to overcome during the last year?
That’s a loaded question…2022 was probably one of the most difficult years that I can remember. Not only were we still fighting Covid, but it seemed like quite a few people faced some pretty life-changing events as well. Then there was illness, injury, school finals, and work peak seasons that were normal challenges. Despite it all, the crew and staff came together and by the time December rolled around, I think we were back on the right path.
What are your goals for the Nicholotti, the ship, and her crew for the upcoming year?
The goal is to continue the story. I don’t really dictate Kali – she goes where she wants and the adventure is something I am along for the ride for, as odd as that may sound. For the ship and crew, it is my goal to help everyone reach their writing goals, rank advancement goals, and have as much fun as we can in the process.
And maybe there will be a Q.
Maybe.
Thanks for your time, Commodore Nicholotti!
You can read more about Commodore Kali Nicholotti on the wiki.
