Alexander McKnight

Alex is the captain of one of the most famous Federation starships. However, he acts just like you and I. If you were to see him on the street, you'd never guess he was the commander of the most powerful and famous vessels in Federation history. He is down to earth and rather informal. He also hates being called “sir”, as that reflects his upbringing as a “blue-collar” child. His father was an US Air Force munitions inspector and his mother was a housewife.

He is confident he can do anything but he isn't about to advertise the fact. He can be found among the crew at times, but he can also be the social recluse at times and needs to be drawn out -- usually it’s only his closest friends and family who can accomplish this. He's a "Child of the 1980's" (he’s from the era) and has been known to use terminology from that era, much to the consternation of the crew.

He's one of the best pilots in the Federation and it is his hobby. He'll fly any chance he can get. He also likes to sing and indulges in it whenever he can-it is really noticeable when he is very nervous and/or scared about something. He finds singing to be a great stress reliever... aside from out piloting other planes or the occasional dogfight which is challenging to him.

He's a military brat and is very well versed in military tactics and terminology, which can confuse his friends and the crew at times. He has a very small ego. He also loves studying history and draws on its lessons. He knows space history and can quote it by verse if needed. He actually holds a master's degree in space history but this is not widely known.

He's been compared to Jim Kirk when it comes to the rulebook and morals. He was actually 2 years Kirk's junior at the Academy, so there will be similarities to the two commanders’ styles. Alex believes in a paraphrase of St. Aquinas: "No order is right if it is given with the wrong reason" and has been known to do what he feels is right, despite when the regulations tell him he can't do it. He is also a strong believer in another phrase: "There's only one person I have to answer to and that is myself... I have to do what is right by me". And that’s landed him in some really tight situations but held true to his moral beliefs.

His beliefs in terrorism and hostages is rather unique... he's been quoted to say that he thought of terrorists as "losers with guns" and has a generally low opinion of them. He negotiates something akin to a mafia don... if you harm the hostages, then there's nothing stopping Alex from bringing serious harm to the hostage taker. "Take the fear out of the equation and [he] has nothing to bargain with... you've turned the tables on him cause he's more afraid of you than you of [him]," he is quoted in an interview in his last days in Starfleet. He brokers in honesty and expects the other side to be honest when sitting down to reason. He’s not above strong arm tactics or dirty tricks when it is best suited though. It is rumored that at one time early in his captaincy, he put a phaser to the heads of two important dignitaries to end years of destructive war on the emissaries’ planet.

He’s also a big believer in “gunboat diplomacy” but he’s never started a fight in his life… he always lets the other side give their best shot before he goes into action. He is a warrior true but he doesn’t look to get into a fight unless there’s no other option. His temper has caused him to get into fights when he was younger but anymore, his temper seems to have a longer fuse but be somewhere else when it goes off. When he calls you by rank only... be in another galaxy - that’s the main sign that his temper's about to go off. He admits that he is a war hawk but he doesn’t easily get into battles… he prefers to pick and choose his battles and avoid them if he can. He loves challenges and can be baited into a fight if properly done, though he won’t shoot first under any circumstances. He was involved in the Klingon War of 2268 and was the only starship commander to engage the enemy prior to the Organians interfering. It’s not an experience he’s eager to repeat.

In his younger days, he was a bit more bold and direct in his approach... think a bull in a china shop. He also had to struggle with coping being in the 23rd century but adapted rather easily. A lot of his mannerisms and speech comes from the era he grew up in. He calls himself a fighter pilot and sometimes can act like one. He also is a crack shot with almost any weapon he is given. He prefers the old firearms of his time over the phasers but he's just as good with a phaser as he is with a .357 automatic.

He is madly in love with Angelica and it shows when he not on official business, though that's been known to slip from time to time. He would do anything for Angelica, including die for her. He works very hard to keep his storybook marriage going, which he was brought up to do. It’s not often he gets really angry at Angelica but when he does, he usually ends up apologizing about it not too long later. He feels like he “gets mad at God” when he gets angry at Angelica, which he can not be for very long at all. Despite the years he’s spent apart from her, his love for her has only grown. She is one of two weaknesses he will admit to… the other being his children. He’s extra careful not to put his kids into harm’s way and tries to avoid getting Angelica into those situations. He is careful to separate the captain and the husband but sometimes the control slips. He spends more time away from her but he still loves her more than his life. He's a good father to 4 children and has a younger sister and brother (who commands the U.S.S. Intrepid).