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The storyline of "[[Valiant (episode)|Valiant]]" strongly suggests that Watters intentionally hid the location of ''Valiant'' from Starfleet and continuing his "mission" merely to avoid returning to Starfleet and becoming a mere cadet again. Given that Jake and Nog had just left [[Starbase 257]] in the beginning of the episode, the ''Valiant'' was only a few days or weeks travel from that base and Watters could have returned to Federation space at any time. It is also possible that the drugs may have had some effect on his over-confident nature. |
The storyline of "[[Valiant (episode)|Valiant]]" strongly suggests that Watters intentionally hid the location of ''Valiant'' from Starfleet and continuing his "mission" merely to avoid returning to Starfleet and becoming a mere cadet again. Given that Jake and Nog had just left [[Starbase 257]] in the beginning of the episode, the ''Valiant'' was only a few days or weeks travel from that base and Watters could have returned to Federation space at any time. It is also possible that the drugs may have had some effect on his over-confident nature. |
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| − | Furthermore, the rationale of his decision is flimsy; given that the ''Valiant''{'}s orders were eight months old by the time they were acted upon, |
+ | Furthermore, the rationale of his decision is flimsy; given that the ''Valiant''{'}s orders were eight months old by the time they were acted upon, the value of the intelligence that could be gained by the ''Valiant'' operating behind enemy lines was doubtful. |
Finally, it must be noted that Watters's actions also led to the failure of the ship's original mission; when the ''Valiant'' was destroyed, the intelligence that it had been ordered to gather was also presumably lost. |
Finally, it must be noted that Watters's actions also led to the failure of the ship's original mission; when the ''Valiant'' was destroyed, the intelligence that it had been ordered to gather was also presumably lost. |
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Revision as of 03:40, 5 December 2010
Tim Watters was a 22-year-old member of the elite cadet group Red Squad that served aboard the USS Valiant as part of a training exercise just prior to the outbreak of the Dominion War in 2373. After his commanding officer was fatally wounded, he was given a field commission as captain and command of the starship, choosing to continue its mission in Dominion controlled space.
In 2374, Watters ordered the Valiant to attack a Jem'Hadar fighter that was firing on the runabout USS Shenandoah. The fighter was destroyed after Valiant rescued the two crewmen of Shenandoah.
When Ensign Nog and reporter Jake Sisko were rescued, Watters informed them of his intentions to continue operating behind enemy lines, citing his strict orders from Starfleet and Captain Ramirez. Watters offered Nog a field promotion to lieutenant commander, as the ensign was the most experienced engineer aboard.
When Nog and Jake Sisko came on board the Valiant, Watters had been taking cordafin stimulants for two months, presumably to counter the overwhelming pressure of his job. Although Watters successfully conducted the Valiant to fulfilling its original mission, Watters became overconfident and ordered the ship to attack a Jem'Hadar battleship, despite Sisko's strong objections. Watters claimed that the Valiant could exploit a key weakness in the battleship's antimatter storage braces, which would eventually tear the ship apart.
However, the plan failed, and Cadet Captain Watters, with most of his crew, died in the destruction of the Valiant. In summing up his experience with Watters, Nog noted: "He may have been a hero... he may even have been a great man... but in the end, he was a bad captain." (DS9: "Valiant") Template:RedSquadMembers
Background
Watters was played by Paul Popowich.
The storyline of "Valiant" strongly suggests that Watters intentionally hid the location of Valiant from Starfleet and continuing his "mission" merely to avoid returning to Starfleet and becoming a mere cadet again. Given that Jake and Nog had just left Starbase 257 in the beginning of the episode, the Valiant was only a few days or weeks travel from that base and Watters could have returned to Federation space at any time. It is also possible that the drugs may have had some effect on his over-confident nature.
Furthermore, the rationale of his decision is flimsy; given that the Valiant{'}s orders were eight months old by the time they were acted upon, the value of the intelligence that could be gained by the Valiant operating behind enemy lines was doubtful.
Finally, it must be noted that Watters's actions also led to the failure of the ship's original mission; when the Valiant was destroyed, the intelligence that it had been ordered to gather was also presumably lost.
External link
- Template:NCwiki