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.
This month, we’re interviewing the Commanding Officer of the starship USS Ronin, Captain Karrod Niac, a male joined Trill.
PROMONTORY: You’ve been interviewed a few times before. as a first officer (twice!) , as the CO, and as an award winner as well as a recent ship closeup. But it’s been a year since your last ‘Captain’s Corner’ and the people need more Niac. What are the highlights from the last year that should catch folks up?
NIAC: That’s incredibly gracious and it’s always a pleasure to talk to you folks – I appreciate all that you do to shine a spotlight on the fleet! As far as highlights from the past year there’s honestly too many to easily list; it was the Ronin’s first full year since our launch and we celebrated our Shipaversary on September the 19th with a special gift for the crew, an embroidered version of our ships crest. They were sent to everyone aboard as a tangible reminder of the incredible first year we had and now there are Ronin crests all over the world! Within the world of the Ronin itself I absolutely have to mention our special joint operation with the USS Khitomer and our mission, ‘The Siege of Deep Space Thirty Three,’ which was the epic conclusion to the Ronin’s first ‘season’ and a culmination of our regional war with our antagonists, the Tholian/Sheliak breakaway group the Lattice Alliance. It had some absolutely incredible writing, some masterful storytelling and the opportunity to work hand in hand with our friends on the Khitty across the mission and shoreleave which gave us some incredible narrative moments.
IRL, you’re based in the Pacific Northwest of the US. Is there anything bad about that region or is it basically the prototype for the Federation’s future utopia?
Oh the PNW is not without its faults but to be honest they’re hard to see through all the rain! My family and I love it here – people are kind, the environment is beautiful and we’re fortunate enough to live in a very kind community. Add in some replicators and a few transporters and we’ll really be in great shape.
Great, I’ll start packing. OK, back to the future. You’re now an ‘old hat’ at being a captain and have over a year of experience on the job. What’s different in your approach to the big chair compared to when you first took it?
It’s crazy to think that there’s anybody out there that would consider me an old hand (or hat, or other old thing) for any reason beyond the state of my back and/or knees, especially when you consider there are CO’s in the fleet who have been around for more than a decade and are still going along strong. I look to the lessons I learned from my CO’s over the year to inform how we operate the Ronin, both IC and OOC, and across the year probably my biggest win has been seeing my staff team grow right along with the ship and crew itself, each and everyone becoming someone I’d be proud to call a future leader in this wonderful community of ours.
Is there something new you particularly want to try in this new year?
I’ve heard Andorian Snake Leaf is a fun time but other than that we got an early start on the ‘new’ with our current mission, which is the Ronin’s first purely ‘wacky science mystery/time travel’ mission that has seen the crew scattered across significant moments in Bajoran history. Apologies in advance to the Bajorans in the fleet who are going to have to re-read some updated history books after we’re back and who suddenly desire rich majestic beards as a cherished ancient cultural tradition.
COs in the fleet have a lot of OOC responsibilities as well as their IC authority. How do you find the appropriate balance and keep your participation enjoyable?
It actually goes back to what I said about our incredible staff team on the Ronin – from day one I have made them a core part of any decision making and have made it clear to them that their opinions are not only important to me, they help me shape my decisions about how to handle matters big and small so that the crew is served as comprehensively as possible. In those times when I’m slow or sick or unavailable for some reason I have complete confidence that they can step in and take over, driving the plot or handling the Paddwork until I get the time and mental bandwidth to handle things myself. I couldn’t do what I do and the Ronin would not be the ship that it is without their tireless efforts and their willingness to help shape my more radical ideas.
You also serve as the magistrate for Captain’s Council, an important OOC fleet role. What is a magistrate and what does that involve?
Serving as the Captain’s Council Magistrate is all about keeping the conversations which happen at the CC level moving forward in a productive way, although they rarely need all that much stewardship. Beyond that there are numerous procedural matters which are time consuming but important for the health of our group – organizing votes, handling roll calls, chasing down people who haven’t had a chance to participate in a conversation or discussion and just generally herding the proverbial cats. It can be time consuming but I have to admit I’ve gotten attached to the powdered wig.
Thanks for your time, Captain Niac!
You can read more about Captain Karrod Niac on the wiki.
