Matt Decker

Template:Sidebar character Commodore Matt Decker was a Human Starfleet flag officer assigned as the commander of the USS Constellation.

In 2267, the Constellation was on a routine survey mission near System L-374 when it encountered an alien planet killer systematically destroying the planets of the system.

Decker remained on board to confront the machine, beaming his entire crew to what he believed was safety. When the alien machine destroyed that planet, and crippled the Constellation, Decker was the only survivor.

Decker was later discovered by the USS Enterprise, who transported him from his broken ship. Consumed with grief over his actions, and with an almost reckless desire for revenge, Decker seized command of the Enterprise after losing contact with the Constellation, leaving Captain Kirk stranded aboard the Constellation.

He then launched an attack on the planet killer, a futile move which resulted in severe damage to the Enterprise. When communications were restored with the Constellation, Captain Kirk gave Commander Spock a direct order to relieve Decker on his personal authority as Captain of the Enterprise. Relieved of command by Spock, Decker subsequently stole an Enterprise shuttlecraft, piloting it into the maw of the creature in an attempt to destroy it.

Decker was killed in the attempt. While the attack failed to cause significant damage - the Planet Killer had lost a small amount of power - he did demonstrate to the Enterprise crew how to disable the creature. Kirk drove the Constellation into the maw of the Planet Killer, which died when it was unable to handle the energy released by the Constellation's exploding impulse engines. Following the battle, Captain Kirk noted in his log that Decker gave his life in the line of duty. (TOS: "The Doomsday Machine")

Background

Matt Decker was played by actor William Windom. In an excerpt from the writer's guide to Star Trek: The Motion Picture featured in The Making of Star Trek: The Motion Picture, Susan Sackett and Gene Roddenberry's book about the movie, he is established as the father of Will Decker. Several other members of the Decker family are featured in the Starfleet Academy comic book series.

In James Blish's adaptation, Decker's first name is "Brand" and he doesn't pilot the shuttlecraft into the planet-killer. In addition, after being ordered off the bridge by Decker with "Mr. Spock knows his duties under regulations, doctor... do you?" Blish gives McCoy one final retort: "Yes, sir – go to sickbay and wait for the casualties you're about to send me." Indeed, in most of the earlier drafts of the screenplay, Decker did not sacrifice himself, but instead survived to admit his mistakes and voluntarily retire. The core of this scene was later recycled into the ending of "The Deadly Years", where Commodore Stocker admits to Kirk that his taking command of the Enterprise was in the wrong.