Cassius Whittemore



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Basic information
Assignment
Captain Cassius James Whittemore is a Starfleet command officer, perhaps best known for his assignment as commanding officer of the USS Richelieu which disappeared in 2295 while studing the remains of a stellar nursery. The ship was discovered along with its entire crew nearly one hundred years later, having been trapped in a temporal fracture. After undergoing a complete debriefing and acclimation program with the Temporal Displacement Division, Whittemore was certified for active duty and given command of the Norway-class USS Thames in 2392.

Childhood

Cassius James Whittemore is the only son of Franklin and Rosalynn Whittemore. He was born 02 August 2257 at the Old Fairview Hospital in Red Wing, Minnesota on Earth. His mother was an anthropologist who specialized in the history and language of the Mdewakanton Dakota. His father taught secondary-level history and social sciences in the local school district.

The family of three lived in a modest apartment close to the downtown area throughout much of Whittemore’s childhood. This gave them relatively easy access to most anything the city of Red Wing had to offer, including the Mississippi River itself. It also made it easier for them to spend time away on vacation or day trips, which they did quite often, without having to worry about maintaining an entire property on their own.

When it came to school and academics, Whittemore regularly performed “above average”. His parents were both strong academics who loved to learn. They sought to instill that same passion in their sons by regularly encouraging the boys to ask questions and challenging them to look deeper. Whittemore may not have always been the most gifted student in the classroom, but he was capable of understanding and applying the concepts he learned in a variety of ways thanks to the influence of his parents.

Whittemore was also influenced by his parents’ work to develop an interest in languages. What appealed to him most was how the study of languages often brought different, sometimes opposing, disciplines together to reveal a new understanding. Language opened the door to math, science, art, literature, music, and especially culture. It was not uncommon, after discovering a new connection between one or more of these areas, for Whittemore to want to explore it further and to share it with others.

Some were surprised by Whittemore’s decision to pursue a career in Starfleet. They assumed he would follow in his parents’ footsteps and become and academic or a teacher. Those who knew him best, however, knew his decision was not so much a sudden epiphany as it was a realization over time. Whittemore had grown up hearing the stories of famous Starfleet officers like Robert April, Christopher Pike, and Garth of Izar. He had played imaginary games of “starship commander” like most other kids his age.

Childhood stories took on new meaning when Whittemore saw how Starfleet connected his mother’s work with the efforts of Native American colonists who had settled on other worlds, helping them to reclaim their ancestral heritage. He also witnessed how, when the entity known as V’ger threatened Earth, Starfleet managed to resolve the situation by seeking communication and understanding rather than exercising brute force. This is what finally solidified his desire to serve and convinced him to apply to Starfleet Academy.

Starfleet Career

Starfleet Academy (2275 - 2279)

Whittemore was accepted into the Xenolinguistics and Political Science programs at Starfleet Academy beginning in July 2275. It was his continued fascination with cross-disciplinary relationships as well as his willingness to admit when he didn’t understand something that proved instrumental in helping him to approach less familiar subject areas. Instructors observed how Whittemore would regularly try several different ways of approaching a problem, including asking for help when he needed it. He pushed himself to adapt and, as a result, was able to maintain above average marks in most of his courses.

During his time at the Academy, Whittemore completed two year-long field assignments. The first was as part of a linguistics analysis team at Starfleet Communications on Earth from July 2277 thru June 2278. His primary responsibility was to review mission reports from Starfleet and Federation cultural observation teams including audio, visual, and data recordings. Whittemore analyzed the indigenous languages and used those analyses to help prepare for possible first contact situations.

Being part of the linguistics analysis team offered Whittemore the opportunity to observe and to participate in a portion of what it took to prepare for first contact with alien species. Their efforts gave personnel in the field the necessary information to ensure such encounters went as smoothly as possible. It also confirmed for him how important it was for the various disciplines to be able to come together. Without collaboration and mutual understanding, a respectful diplomatic exchange could easily unravel into a dangerous conflict.

The second field assignment Whittemore served was as part of the Communications department aboard the Constitution-class USS Yorktown from July 2278 thru June 2279. It was here that he learned more about the practical mechanics and day-to-day responsibilities of serving aboard a starship. Routine communications work, especially in this context, often relied much less on advanced theory than the work he’d been doing with the linguistics analysis team.

Serving aboard the Yorktown also exposed Whittemore to the realities of everyday life aboard ship that couldn’t be replicated by the training structure at Starfleet Academy. Each day brought its own unique opportunities and challenges. Throughout the course of his year-long tour of duty, Whittemore got to observe and to experience first-hand how Starfleet crews must overcome all sorts of differences in language and culture when trying to understand alien species. Often this had to be accomplished without the benefit of cultural observation or teams of analysts helping them to prepare.

Early Starfleet Career (2279 - 2286)

Whittemore graduated from Starfleet Academy following the completion of his second field assignment in June 2279. He was immediately assigned back to the Communications department aboard the Yorktown where his familiarity with both ship and crew meant that he was given additional responsibilities meant to challenge him and to encourage growth. This included serving as the communications duty officer on night watch where he managed all incoming and outgoing communications as well as oversaw departmental operations during his shift.

By 2385, Whittemore was serving as Chief Communications Officer aboard the Soyuz-class USS Tangiers. He had long since demonstrated himself capable of taking on the additional supervisory responsibilities of leading a department such as putting together duty rosters, training personnel, and coordinating with other departments aboard ship. It was precisely this ability to work across various disciplines that earned him the respect of both shipmates and superiors as he moved beyond simply being part of the crew into being a leader among them who lived by example.

Equally notable was Whittemore’s affinity for language studies and cultural-historical context, which went beyond the basic duties of his position. Any interaction the crew had with another species represented another opportunity for him to learn something new, even if he wasn’t the one directly interacting with them. His fascination eventually led him to become more involved in situations of a diplomatic nature as his superiors sought to encourage growth in these areas.

The period of time following Whittemore’s graduation from Starfleet Academy was a time of significance in his personal life as well. He married his fiancé, Diane Gardner, in 2280 as they were both transitioning to new assignments aboard the Covington. Together, they had three children beginning with their son, David, who was born in 2281. This brought with it certain complications as there were no accommodations for families aboard Starfleet vessels at that time.

After much discussion, Diane accepted a research position at the Starfleet facilities on Cestus III. The assignment was a middle ground of sorts that allowed her to continue serving close to her husband while also being able to raise their children in a relatively stable environment.

Command Track (2286 - 2295)

Whittemore made the decision to enter the “command track” in mid-2286. Up to that point, he had been largely content with his career and his personal life. Overseeing the work of his own department as well as dabbling in the occasional diplomatic assignment kept him busy enough. Upon witnessing Starfleet’s response to the Cetacean Probe, however, Whittemore was reminded of why he had joined Starfleet in the first place. Much like the earlier encounter with V’Ger, Starfleet’s efforts to seek out and to understand new life as opposed to relying on brute force brought about a successful resolution to the situation. This inspired Whittemore to renew his own efforts toward accomplishing the same.

By 2290, Whittemore was serving aboard the Miranda-class USS Mendoza as Executive Officer. He relied on his ability to work across the various disciplines to help build bridges among departments and improve overall efficiency. This had the added benefit of fostering stronger personal relationships that helped further his own development as a leader. His passion and his commitment to serving those under his command were among his more notable qualities.

After serving two tours aboard the Mendoza, Whittemore was offered command of the Miranda-class USS Richelieu. This was his first command and a chance to bring together everything he had learned. He used the opportunity to put into practice a style of command that was uniquely his own. This included personally selecting the members of his senior staff so as to create the best environment for cross-disciplinary collaboration.

The Richelieu was assigned to survey the remains of a stellar nursery located near the Delta Triangle in 2295. After several days without communication, Starfleet dispatched another vessel to investigate. They found no evidence of the ship or her crew and the Richelieu was declared lost with all hands.

Transition to the Twenty-Fourth Century (2390 - 2392)

Nearly one hundred years after having been declared missing in action, the Richelieu was discovered by the civilian-operated SS Crescent Star. The latter had been conducting a survey of the same stellar nursery when they encountered the lost ship emerging from the temporal fracture. Agents from the Department of Temporal Investigations arrived on location to conduct a thorough analysis of the situation and to interview the crew.

Investigators quickly determined it was no longer feasible for the Richelieu to return to its own time. Instead, Whittemore and his crew were escorted to Cestus III. They were eventually turned over to the Temporal Displacement Division for counseling therapy and specialized training designed to help acclimate them to life in the twenty-fourth century.

Whittemore accepted a field assignment as interim Executive Officer aboard the Nebula-class USS Cahokia beginning in 2391. He struggled at first, especially when it came to understanding the socio-political landscape of everything taking place around them, but soon found his rhythm again. The assignment ended up being a valuable chance for Whittemore to prove to himself that he was still capable of serving in the field. It also served as an opportunity for Starfleet to evaluate his performance in a practical, measurable sense.

Aboard USS Thames

After a successful tour aboard the Cahokia, Whittemore was offered command of the Norway-class USS Thames. He returned to Cestus III for an official debriefing with the Temporal Displacement Division before reporting to his new assignment in late 2392.

Personal Life

Strengths & Weaknesses

  • Creative (+)
  • Open-Minded (+)
  • Tactful (+)
  • Reserved (-)
  • Altruistic (-)
  • Temporal Displacement (lack of familiarity with 24th century) (-)

Ambitions

Hobbies & Interests

  • Reading (Biographies, Historical Fiction, & Mythology)
  • History (Geo-Political, Social, & Cultural)
  • Outdoor Recreation (Camping, Hiking, Canoeing)
  • Language Learning
  • Cooking
  • Traveling

Chronology

Year Placement Rank Assignment
2275 Starfleet Academy
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Cadet
Cadet (First Year)
2276 Starfleet Academy
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Cadet
Cadet (Second Year)
2277 Starfleet Communications
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Cadet
Cadet Field Assignment
2278 USS Yorktown (Constitution-class)
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Cadet
Cadet Field Assignment
2279 - 2280 USS Yorktown (Constitution-class)
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Ensign
Communications Officer
2280 - 2281 USS Covington (Miranda-class)
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Ensign
Assistant Chief Communications Officer
2281 - 2283 USS Covington (Miranda-class)
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Lieutenant JG
Assistant Chief Communications Officer
2283 - 2285 USS Alaris (Phobos-class)
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Lieutenant JG
Chief Communications Officer
2285 - 2289 USS Tangiers (Soyuz-class)
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Lieutenant
Chief Communications Officer
2289 - 2290 USS Mendoza (Miranda-class)
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Lieutenant Commander
Chief Communications Officer
2290 - 2291 USS Mendoza (Miranda-class)
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Lieutenant Commander
Executive Officer
2291 - 2294 USS Mendoza (Miranda-class)
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Commander
Executive Officer
2294 - 2295 USS Richelieu (Miranda-class)
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Commander
Commanding Officer
2390 - 2391 Temporal Displacement Division Detached Assignment
2391 - 2392 USS Cahokia (Nebula-class) Field Assignment
2392 - 2393 USS Thames (Norway-class) Commanding Officer
2393 - Present USS Thames (Norway-class) Commanding Officer


Preceded by:
Captain Vandal sh'Raazni
Commanding Officer of USS Thames
2392 – Present
Succeeded by:
Incumbent